Getting Rakesh do what he wanted.

Had dropped Rakesh and Renu at the hotel where their friend's daughter was getting married. I'd also told them to carry out their necessary poojas during the break in the activities related to the marriage. But apart from carrying out a few, they'd returned home with the wish that his 'thulaabhaaram' - weighing against butter - should be carried out in my presence.

Therefore, by about 5 in the evening, the three of us had fetched back at the temple for the 'darshan' and the weighing which Rakesh wanted to be done at 1825h, because it marked the transition to his birth star (He's well versed with astrology, remember!) and was carried out as per his requirement. He weighs 97 kgs, the butter was @ Rs.300/- per kg and the total bill came to over Rs.29 grand.

Pretty good indulgence. On a very personal level, I wouldn't subscribe to spend so much money for such activities on myself as these are dependent on intensely personal beliefs. I believe that making the 'gods' happy by such offerings is another form of bribery! But paradoxically, I'd facilitated the activity, you might say and therefore, question my right to make light of Rakesh's beliefs. Actually, I'm not, who am I to do so? Each one to his own, on such issues.

I'm fascinated to see the people's religious beliefs. There's an unexplainable frenzy when it comes to seeking divine intervention and it takes various forms like trying to spend as much time as possible within the temple premises, conduct various types of 'pujas' and put money into the receptacles in front of the various deities with a gay abandon.

I'd also taken them to the Siva temple enroute and observed a satisfaction in my guests. as though they'd achieved the impossible.

We're back at home by 8 and then it was a free flowing conversation.


Tailpiece.

Tomorrow's gonna be a long day, we drop the Nandas at the Kochi airport for their onward journey to the Lakshadweep before meeting Lekha's appointments with her doctor and the dentist, in that order. I plan to kick off at 0530h.        

Back at 'The Quarterdeck'.

There was something that was smouldering deep within, ever since the day when my sister had refused to drive her car after the fireworks from me. I was pretty harsh with her, then, and it had broken her confidence. And I'd vowed to undo that wrong because it wasn't fair as she'd taken it to heart. Later, when I'd met her in an unguarded moment, she confessed that her earlier thrill to drive had vapourised and I felt sorry for being the villain!

This morning, around 10 after breakfast, I'd egged her on to show us her school and succeeded in it. She drove well, this time and after reaching school - it's 12 kms from her house - took us around the classrooms. Her excitement, as well as mom's, were the Kodak moments of the day. The school is situated in a secluded place, full of greenery, quite well suited for educational pursuits. The security guard on duty - Unnikrishnan - was from our neck of the woods and was eager to show us around.

My sister wanted me to get behind the wheel on the return drive but I was sure that she'd do the honours. She fumbled on two occasions, the first at the junction where the side road met the main road where she stalled a number of times. I just kept quiet and I could see that she was getting exasperated at every false start and overcame the impasse in the seventh attempt......it happens to the best of us and the second was when she took the penultimate turn into the lane, leading to her house, a bit too fast and came to a close quarters situation with a two wheeler.

I was gratified by the look she gave me as she got off the car on parking it in its slot. And I was glad that a grave injustice, on my part, was undone!!

After a heavy and scrumptious lunch, we'd set off for Guruvayur and fetched up at 'The Quarterdeck' exactly two hours later.

Rakesh and Renu, our guests, arrived by the night train. They're here to attend their friend's daughter's wedding and are off tomorrow morning, along with us, to catch the flight to Agatti island of the Lakshadweep, from Kochi.


Tailpiece.

Rakesh dabbles in astronomy/astrology, during his free time, from his professional work in the IAF. He's, incidentally, the gentleman who's predicted that this was my last birth!

Off to drop mom.

Next week we begin our outings, first in connection with the alumni day at school followed by my classmates' get together at the 'Waterscapes' in Kumarakom and further, on to my course mates' gathering at the NDA. And before all that is Lekha's review by her doctor at Kochi, next Tuesday.

Mom had, therefore, to be relocated. By 8 in the morning, there was the visit of a mason and the carpenter to rectify the door of the bedroom at the ground floor, whose support had given way. Since I'd informed them about our programme, they'd arrived promptly at 8 and commenced work to complete it within a little over two hours. The delivery of the cooking gas gave a few anxious moments only to be told that it could be expected next week and that too, on inquiry! Such things have become reasons for anxiety in our lives these days!! I feel that the distribution practices aren't as transparent as they should be.

We'd left home by a half past 2 after lunch. The road had a fairly good amount of traffic as it was a weekend and overtaking vehicles was a difficult proposition due to the narrowness at the initial stretches. At one spot, due to the carelessness of a Quawalis' driver, I'd to get off the wrong side of the road to overtake and luckily, there was no oncoming traffic at that moment. He never came close to me subsequently and maintained a studious distance, perhaps, out of a meek acceptance of his mistake!

The traversing of the 95 odd kms took about two and a half hours. My sister wasn't back home as yet because of a 'parents-teachers' meeting on the occasion of a visit by her school's top management from Bangalore. But Madhavan, their security man, was at hand to show us the parking slot and help us with the luggage, as usual, with a beaming smile.

My sister had fetched up past 6 followed by my brother-in-law, a trifle after 7 and it was continuous conversation, thereafter.


Tailpiece.

Mom will be alone during the day when both Rema and Padmakumar would be out at work. That's a factor that needs to be addressed by my sister by having somebody reliable to keep her company....... And she's solved that riddle.

PS.
20 kms short of Palakkad, we'd fantastic tea at Unnikrishnan's wayside pushcart. The 64 year old says that he gets energised by interacting with people. He seems to be enjoying his work thoroughly. God, please take care of him.    

It's been a year!

Three facets for consideration. How time flies?

1. It's been a year.

    A year has passed since Justice VR Krishna Iyer had passed into the mist of time. For all of us
    at the PN Panicker Foundation, we've lost our guiding spirit and mentor and it's very difficult
    to cope with the void left by his passing away. He has given us lasting memories which have
    helped us go about our work as before.

    We remember you, sir, at every waking hour. Our prayers and tears.

2. Dogged insistence. 

    I've a credit card whose monthly payment I do by dropping a cheque in the drop box at the bank.         The manager and the three executives have been insistent that I open an account so that I could           avoid my visits and do the transactions over the smartphone/computer ever since they've                     befriended me. I've told them, time and again, that I didn't want to start another bank account               simply because I don't have the funds as they think me to have. And my quip that it gives me a           reason to visit and interact with them periodically hasn't cut much ice. Wonder whether I give             them the impression that I'm loaded with funds? If affirmative, that myth needs to be exploded at         the earliest.

    But why don't they understand? They've come to know of my activities with the PN Panicker               Foundation. I've also told them that every work, there, is undertaken without taking a penny for my     work. I've told them that I go by my grandfather's dictum that if anyone gets a pension every               month, then there's no reason for that person to hanker for another income. But, for some unknown     reason, they don't seem to understand!

    Today was yet another time that an executive had asked me as to when I'd start an account and I'd       to firmly tell him that I didn't intend to do so. Was he disappointed or was he exasperated? I hope       that my tone was enough to desist anyone from asking me the query again.

3. A case of sour grapes?

    The official commencement of the work connected with the 'Vizhinjam International Seaport' by         the Adani group begins tomorrow. The LDF, in opposition, has said that they'd boycott the                 ceremony citing the reason that the state minister, K Babu, is tainted and that the chief minister is       kicking off the project. Sad!

    Is it a case of sour grapes?


Tailpiece.

Lekha's blood samples were drawn this morning. Got the first results by evening and the parameters are within limits. We're, now, ready for her review on Tuesday, at Kochi.

PS.
It's Navy Day today. While exhorting the men and women-in-whites to keep aspiring for excellence, may I take this opportunity to say the following:-

    (a) Bravo Zulu for the armed forces on their continuing rescue operations in Tamilnadu and
    (b) Three cheers to the people of Madras city and the whole of Tamilnadu for their tenacity and
          the ability to smile despite adverse conditions. Our prayers are with you.
 

Of sex, sleaze, fraud and allegations.

The chief minister has again been targeted by the opposition. The stick that they're using is the same old, infamous 'solar scam'. Biju Radhakrishnan, Saritha's partner-in-crime, has been testifying before the Commission, probing the solar scam. Like earlier he's made a slew of allegations against the chief minister, a few ministers and an MLA. All these have been in the public domain for quite a while, as of now.

But what makes the present set of allegations different is that he's alleged physical relationship between Saritha and the chief minister. The following are, however, worth noting:-

     (a) Saritha, has been quick on the rebut, saying that she respects the chief minister like her
           father and has dared Biju Radhakrishnan to make the CD - supposed to have the intimate
           scenes between the two - public.
     (b) Biju has gone on to say that his life could be in danger as there would be attempts to retrieve
           the CD from him at any cost.
     (c) He has gone on to say that he's paid a bribe of Rs.51/2 crores to the chief minister, which
          was collected by a member of his personal staff, who has already been removed from the post.
     (d) Biju, incidentally, has been convicted of his wife's murder and has many criminal cases
           against him. Can his utterances be taken as evidence?
     (e) The Commission, probing the scam, is still in the process of examining witnesses.

The opposition has been quick to get off the blocks on the issue. Till now, in the Assembly, it has been obstructing the proceedings to have the Excise Minister removed on account of the 'Bar bribery Case', today it's asked for the CM's resignation! What they seem to forget is that they'd tried to oust the CM earlier on the same issue even boycotting his official functions which was hastily called off when one of their wings - the DYFI - had injured him during a stone throwing incident.

The present day tactics by political parties is to hurl allegations at their opponents backed by sustained media back up to raise doubts among the public. Gone are the days when the political leader resigned promptly on grounds of probity. In the melee, something happens and that becomes the justification for the actions! The paradoxical fact is that the person at whom the allegations are hurled could come out of it, unscathed!!

The chief minister has gone on record to say that he'd quit politics if there was even an iota of truth in the allegations. He's clear in his conscience that he has done no wrong and I believe him!


Tailpiece.

It was review for Lekha on two counts, first, by the Plastic Surgeon and second, by the Ophthalmologist. The Immunologist will be seeing her next Tuesday and today's efforts were the prerequisites. By the time we'd returned home, it was lunch time.

Doing my bit.

I'd received a call this evening from Vishnu Sharma at New Delhi. He was in my office years back and was an energetic soul, who was the man for all occasions. He was fond of me and used to help me in my personal jobs like pulling out money from my bank account, collecting medical reports and anything where I couldn't make it due to official commitments. And being the messenger of the office, he'd to go around for dispatch and collection of official mail besides doing other outside work.

I still remember his tearful farewell as I left my office on posting and true to his words, he has kept in touch by calling up on important dates and festivals. A true villager from western UP, he has two sons studying in classes XII and IX and his wife is a home maker.

His nephew was stuck at the Madras airport - courtesy the deluge - and they'd lost contact with him. The family was in panic and to Vishnu Sharma, it was only I who could do the needful and hence, the call. Such expectations can be scary and for a moment I didn't know as to how I should go about it because communications with the city was in a shambles. But I couldn't let him down either! So, I'd called up my cousin - who'd an official stint at the Madras airport earlier and was now transferred elsewhere - gave him the particulars of Vishnu Sharma's nephew with the rider that he should be located and made to speak with his family, back at Delhi, at the earliest.

         *                                 *                                  *

Narayanan had asked me to help out an NGO, who wanted to felicitate the local defence veterans who were gallantry award winners for their acts of bravery during the Indo-Pak war of 1965. The organisation was planning to set up an exhibition stall and required material for display. Thankfully, the naval organisation at Kochi has graciously consented to courier adequate publicity material in time for the Vijay Diwas for which it's required.


Tailpiece.

Quite a small effort for tremendous goodwill!

        

A comedy of errors.

Today was a day of happenings in a frivolous sense. But can't help narrating them for the essential mirth that surrounds them and without much ado, here I go:-

   (a) The 'globe trotting' rooster.

         A black rooster, from our neighbour's house, seems to have lost his way into our surroundings
         and has been making quite a racket, easing at will much to our despair. He takes refuge under              our Chevy standing at the porch and was first noticed by mom during our customary walk in the          evening. The fact is that he's slept the last two nights under the new roof of his find and seems
         to find it comfortable!

         Must tell the neighbours so that they can retrieve it. He's heavy and is sure to be slaughtered
         once he's got back because I'm sure that none would like to have a disloyal(?) pet among his
         flock! Sad to be the harbinger of his ultimate end!! RIP, birdie!!!

    (b) The errant cyclist.

          I was on a quick errand, a trifle after teatime and had to cross the highway. So, concentrating
          to my right and after ensuring that there wasn't any traffic whizzing past, I stepped out. And
          all of a sudden there was this thin wiry man - about 40 yrs of age and a farmhand, surmised
          from the dress that he wore - on his bicycle who maneuvered his vehicle expertly to avoid                   hitting me, ended up clinging on to me with his cycle, askew at our feet.

          Normally, I must confess, that I'd have blown my top but seeing the man clinging on to me
          thanking that nothing untoward had happened, I'd tapped his back before disentangling! He,
          meanwhile, kept mumbling his apology for being on the wrong side.

     (c) My new 'saarthi'.

           After quite a few days of search, my cousin was able to find a new saarthi for the official
           vehicle allotted to me in my new avatar. The following were the requirements:-

                 (i) had to be a local man from Kollam, so that his availability was ensured all times and
                      to cater for emergencies.
                (ii) He'd to be good at his work and lend his hand to certain requirements of the office.
               (iii) He'd to take proper care of the vehicle and
               (iv) his loyalty to the organisation wasn't negotiable.

            His name is Rengan. He's a gulf returnee with many driving hours under his belt and was
            in search of a job. When we spoke over the phone, he seemed to have a lot many questions
            - and rightfully so - regarding the scope of work, leave, emoluments etc. To an outsider,
            it would have appeared that it was I who was being interviewed!


Tailpiece.

Another quiet day with me doing hardly anything.