Return to Raj Nivas.

It was a warm and sunny morning. We'd got up liesurely as we'd to fetch up at the venue of the wedding by 1030h and sure enough, we're among the first few guests to arrive, from the boy's side and parked ourselves at a vantage position! Soon the hall had filled up though my friend and the boy's father told me that the strength had dwindled because of the trade unions call to all automobiles to keep off the roads in defiance to the new motor vehicles' act that has been brought out by the union government. I was under the impression that the act was appropriate in its present form!

The wedding was a grand affair with the boy and girl making a handsome couple. My wishes to them for a long and happy married life. It was during the 'sadya' time that I came to know that the roads were free of hassles and that the private vehicles were plying on the highway with a gay abandon!

The plan was reworked and finally executed whereby we'd decided to leave for Guruvayur by early morning after spending the night at Raj Nivas. The roads were empty, consequently the drive was smooth and we reached home by tea time.

The bags were packed for the early morning departure.


Tailpiece.

(a) Had met Vijayakumar during lunch. He'd that sad look on his face as he was nearing the end of a blemishless professional life!

(b) Could meet Mathew Ipe, 607, of my class after leaving school for the first time. He was eager to talk and took down my telephone number and mail ID. It was indeed nice!

A day that had many things packed into it.

It was a day that was crowded with activities but they'd to be fitted in because we'd to be at Thiruvananthapuram by sunset to be with a classmate of mine for whom it was a very special day! We'd been invited by his son, a few weeks earlier, with a request that our presence was a must and we couldn't refuse the offer.

The trees at the courtyard of our house had long required pruning and that was undertaken in right earnest in the morning. Sivan, the coconut plucker, had been hired for the purpose who did a valiant job, the wasp's nest at the base of one of the statuettes of a goblin atop the terrace and the red ants on the tree, notwithstanding! By the time he'd begun the mopping up, we're getting ready for our journey to Thiruvananthapuram and by a half past 1, we're on our way via Ayur - about 18 km away - to pick up Sanil and my niece, Ammu.

The drive was fine and we're at Thiruvananthapuram by 1600h. Our visits had begun with Indira kunjamma's house where we could finally meet up with Suresh - her son-in-law and a merchant navy man who could reach in time for his dad's 41st day ceremony - and offer our belated condolences! We'd, then, visited Suma kunjamma's house where my uncle had recently undergone a series of interventions on his left eye to save its sight. After dropping mom, my sister and family at one of my cousins, we reached the Trivandrum Club and the cottage, that we're booked into, by about a half past 6.

The evening's programme was full of emotions and it was a crowded function in one of the banquet halls of the club. Vijayakumar, my classmate and in whose honour the function was on, is a hugely popular guy and the number of guests that crowded the hall was ample testimony to that fact. Our classmates were in fair numbers but I'd have loved to have more, especially the ones living in the city! Probably, they'd valid reasons to stay away. At one point of time, Vijayakumar had opened up to me saying that he was gonna miss the spotlight and was greatly effusive in his appreciation of our presence despite the distances that we'd to cover for fetching up for the event. I could only grin and tell him that even this moment would also pass, on a rare philosophical note.


Tailpiece.

A great day and the evening, in particular. Was glad that I could pack in a schedule that could cover all that I'd wanted to do. It's the wedding of the son of another classmate of mine tomorrow, in yet another banquet hall within the same premises. Hope to meet many friends at the function.
 

Rajamma chechi's angst.

It was another quiet day. The weather was gummy and the sky overcast, giving a gloomy outlook. The plumber was asked to give us an estimate of replacing the overhead fresh water tank that has sprung a leak. He has been told to finish the task within the shortest possible time.

Rajamma chechi, who was my mom's help once upon a time, was the first on the line of visitors who'd come to look up mom. All of 70 yrs, she has aged gracefully and laughs more often. As kids, I and my sisters had seen her sobbing while telling my parents about her alcohol-addict husband who used to fight with her and thrash their children - five in all, two boys and three girls - every evening, for no rhyme or reason. The paradox was that he was a good farmhand, looking after all the jobs assigned by dad. So, my dad's predicament was understandable when mom wanted him to be reined in.

My parents, finally, had worked out an acceptable solution for all. The children, as per their seniority, were adopted into the family with emphasis on their education. In return, each of them had helped mom and ran errands. My parents' perseverance paid off and the kids had grown up to be capable men and women, before branching off with their own families!

But Rajamma chechi's woes seemed to never end as her husband had gone from bad to worse, fighting with the family almost everyday! And one day, alcohol had consumed him. Period! The family, however, held fast and successfully did overcome the nightmare. Her children are doing well and is contended with her brood of grandchildren - all doing well academically. She wishes that her husband was alive to see this day.

Her parting shot to mom was and I quote, "He never enjoyed his life ever. How I wish that he was with us now?" Her misty eyes told us that she has long forgiven him for his follies!


Tailpiece.

Why wasn't Manian Pillai affable with his family while he was so with us? One would never know.

Social calls.

Today is the day of the Malayalam star, 'Aayilyam' auspicious for its connections with the snake god. The family religiously conducts the connected 'puja' and related offerings of milk and turmeric powder. My sister had gone to the nearby temple - once the property of my paternal grandmother's family but handed over to the Devaswom Board. The temple was renovated about five years back with my dad contributing towards the setting up of the snake god's enclosure.

There's a personal connection to the 'Aayilyam puja' - if by any chance the puja were to be missed, I used to either see a snake at uncomfortably close quarters or dream about them breaking my sleep chain! Wonder as to what connection I have with this scary reptile?

The whole family had attended a lovely lunch, hosted by Kamalamma chechi, our pleasant neighbour', in honour of her eldest son, Rajan's 60th birthday. When I'd draped a shawl around him, many seemed to be quaintly surprised as it was an exception - no one gave gifts on such occasions. Even Rajan was bowled over by the gesture and gave me a tight hug!

Sivan, one of our enterprising farmhand had plucked coconuts from all the trees within the compound. So, we feasted on the tender coconuts collected during the efforts, during teatime.

Meeting Pidavoor amma - all of 87 yrs and my brother-in-law, Padmakumar's mom - has  always been a pleasant experience and today's was no exception. She's chirpy and cheerful, tending her house and hearth as efficiently as ever! She leads a lonely existence almost through the day as her youngest son, a chronic bachelor, returns from work quite late in the evening. He leaves for his office at 8 AM. I saw her with folded hands on my rear view mirror as I was pulling  off from her drive way - she was praying to her god to take care of me and my car!


Tailpiece.

With such exceptional care, do I need to worry ever?

Nepal's sad hour.

1. To my mind nature has been unduly harsh on Nepal as the devastating earthquake and its aftershocks have left behind a trail of devastation and unimaginable misery. The official count of the dead is over 5,000 while the actual number could be much beyond that. The Indian government has provided immediate relief like a good neighbour and the Indian Air Force has made numerous sorties on relief missions to provide succour to the suffering people.

2. It's my fervent hope that Nepal gets back to normalcy at the earliest and the quality of life raised to even better standards.

3. My humble prayers and tears to the unfortunate many who'd lost their lives. Here's wishing that their near and dear ones are able to tide over these stressful times.

Ramgopal Varma's unwanted jibe.

4. The loudmouthed director of the Hindi movies, Ramgopal Varma, has done it again. After viewing Mani Ratnam's latest movie,  'O Kaadal Kanmani', while lauding Dulquar Salman's acting prowess ridiculed his dad, Mammootty, saying that he can't act for nuts and must take acting lessons from his son! He went on to tweet a few more unsavoury things prompting the superstar's legions of followers to react angrily on the social media. The blighter quickly tweeted his apology with the rider that he'd the right to voice his opinions and that he stood by his opinion.  He continues to face the wrath of the actor's fans.

5. The man is not new to controversies but the timing of his latest jibe brings about more questions than answers like:-

  (a) why is he rattled with Mammootty?
  (b) or is it his Mohanlal loyalty prompting him to do so?


Tailpiece.

Talking about fundamental rights,  it was amusing to note the argument put forth by a Malayalee, in court, during the recent bar controversy that his fundamental right to drink was being infringed upon by the closure of the bars. The court clearly opined that there was no such right provided in the Constitution!

Real warped thinking on the part of the mallu!

PS.

We'd returned ashore by a half past 9 after a day's delightful on board experience and breakfast and reached home by lunctime. Wasn't mom thrilled to see us? Meanwhile, Sanil, Minni and Ammu had got Raj Nivas back to its original clean standards!

On the Vembanad waters.

My elderly aunt, on hearing my name, shot her arm at me to offer a hand shake, surprising the entire family. She gave me a long hard stare while clutching my hand firmly. The dumbo that I am couldn't quite get as to what she was telling me through her actions.

We'd set off from my cousin's place by about a half past 8 in what seemed to be lovely weather after last night's heavy rains. The drive to Alappuzha was smooth and hassle free. We're at Pallathuruthy, well in time to board the house boat booked for us which was a three roomer. We'd cast off from the jetty by 11 o'clock to a sunny day and gentle breeze.

The sights from the covered weather deck were lovely and deep within, I was also reliving the numerous boat rides that I'd, as a kid, along with my grandparents and parents from Ambalapuzha to Neelamperoor and back, through some parts of the waterway. I seem to have a close bond with Kuttanad, and its abundant natural beauty.

The meals, the company and the overall ambiance were heady, the extended conversations turning out to be a wealth of information. I must concede that I'd picked up quite a few new information from the others while I'd like to believe that they too benefited from our interaction. The boat was tied up at its jetty, by sunset, as movements are disallowed during the night hours to protect the nets that have been positioned by the fishermen for their early morning catch.

An exhilarating experience indeed on the Vembanad backwaters!


Tailpiece.

(a) I was told that there were about 1,200 such boats plying on the Vembanad waters as it has become popular not only for the tourists from outside the state but for the Malayalees, too. There's one aspect that crept into my mind as we'd anchored for the night - the cultural transactions between the local populace and the outsiders, who visit the area for pure leisure and merrymaking, are being monitored by suitable agencies, channelised on a positive note while firmly nipping the negative tendencies to ensure the overall development of the area. If a system isn't in place, it needs to be established, forthwith, without loss of time.

(b) The waters need to be kept clean with zero level tolerance for pollution of any sort!

(c) Kuttanad should be a world class tourist destination. 

A short trip to Kochi.

The day had begun with a massive cleaning process. The sheets had to be washed, dried and pressed. Certain parts of the house required better scrubbing down as the cleaner's job was not satisfactory and of course, my Chevy needed a thorough wash. Sanil, my brother-in-law, was at his culinary best and had brought out an exquisite breakfast which permitted Lekha and my sister, Minni to visit the nearby temples.

Mom seemed to be thrilled to have come back to her place and she was going around every nook and cranny of her house to find out the standards of cleanship and was generally, not very pleased with what she saw!

We'd a delayed lunch and soon after, we'd set off for Kochi. The journey was nice and uneventful but we'd to pass through thundershowers which stretched across Alappuzha, all the way to my cousin's place. And we're in time for celebrating the 36th wedding anniversary of Mohan and Jaya where our friends had also joined up.

My 102 yr old aunt was alert and did register our presence with one of those smiles that have, sadly, become rarer these days. Since the house was full, we're accommodated at her neighbour's flat and consequently, could have a very educative conversation with the spirited journalist who'd his own views about the ethics prevalent among their breed. Interesting revelations indeed.

The night was getting to be late but the upshot of the whole evening's mad conglomeration was the crystallising of a programme when the group is scheduled to visit Thailand, around Onam time.


Tailpiece.

And before anyone could change his/her ideas, I'd shot out a mail to my friends, Anil and Radha about our programme and to know whether they'd the convenience to host us, chart out an exclusive sight seeing programme!