The Fragrance of Papyrus!

A curious Nayaki peered into the newspaper over the shoulder of Chandru.Admiringly she looked at him and  wondered " Well !!!!Why is this uncle of mine walking up and down early in the morning for a few sheets of papyrus? My dear uncle seems to be knowing everything.He is a walking Brittanica.....with a brain packed with grey cells.....and yet he needs the paper too, to further recharge the hyperactive cells."

The newspaper man was a few seconds late that day...and Chandru was restless.A frail looking young boy on a bicycle hurled the newspaper into the balcony of the second floor.By the time Chandru could open his mouth to give the fellow a piece of his mind,the boy had vanished.The daily newspaper was a bundle of joy and each member of the Iyer family waited for his/her turn.Each page was given due importance.There were no breaking news and the headlines were the  news for the day, The black and white printed newsprint was a treasure and was handled with care.

Newspaper reading is an art and has to be cultivated.It is a dying art now and in the face of competition from the visual media, newspaper companies vie with one another to increase their customer base by making the contents more colourful and commercially acceptable in tune with the changing tastes.With online versions and E- readers available the present generation of ardent book/newspaper lover has the added advantage of dependence on virtual reality as well..

It was during the seventys that Nayaki had the first taste of the papyrus that left her addicted for life.The smell of the fresh paper fascinated her and when the world was not entangled in a web she was connected with reality........and it also marked the beginning of yet another association.....of wordy duels and a daily date at her favourite corner with the grids.......

The Chemistry is lacking!

It was the year 1979.The princess was in the IX th standard.She travelled daily by a state transport bus from Gariahat to Carmel High School at Jodhpur park.A stern Subbu remarked"The next two years are very crucial and I wish that you perform very well."

Studies were getting tougher.Maths, History and the languages were favourite subjects.The English teacher was a soft Hitler....A lovable teacher who walked with a cane in her hand.Had the media been around she would have been in the limelight.A strict academician with the interest of the wards in heart, Nayaki thanks her profusely for instilling the values of sincerity,discipline and punctuality in all her students.The history teacher was softspoken,a sweetheart and the girls admired her. Biology and Geography were interesting but Nayaki didn't have a flair for the other science subjects."Why do I have to test the tubes and spring the balance moaned the girl?I care no less for the elements and the symbols.The molecular weights are heavy and the atoms miniscule.Do I care if iron ore is smelted or copper anodised?I am neither a Tata nor an Ambani and why would I invest in the industrial production of steel or drill deep into the seas in search of oil?I have been sent to this earth with some other purpose I guess !!!!and why am I wasting precious time learning Greek & Latin?The gases are odourless, senseless,the salts tasteless,the acids pungent , the alkalis baseless and the mixtures colourless compounds with complex solutions..... bemoaned Nayaki.The chemistry maam was a terror and her equation with the Nayaki always an imbalance.A roar would send all the girls scurrying for safety and in the process a few chemical changes would take place....irreversible changes like the breaking of test tubes leading to an appointment with the principal at all odd hours and Yes.....The 1980 Madhyamik batch was rocking....a fun loving set of carefree playful but ambitious girls with dreams in their eyes, focus in their minds and  goals to attain........

My Alma Mater!

The backgate was a popular hang out.A little minibus took Nayaki from the crowded market place at Gariahat to the back gate...a gate which now has the distinction of opening into a sesquicentennial old institutrion.The gate meant three glorious years of friends, long conversations between class breaks and the happiness in sharing the excitement of bunks.A basic hangout zone did not exist within the campus and the cool place filled in as an oases for discussions ,creative arguements and merry making...a gate were crosswords were completed,hearts met ,fought and lived happily everafter.The  hangout ran from the favourite Delights upto Hungerford street and the street  holds precious memories for Nayaki.Her minibus dropped her there in the mornings and another one picked her up after college hours......

Subbu accompanied his little girl on the first day.The father was an alumnus of the same institution.It was a moment of great pride for both the dad and the girl.It had been a cherished dream for the father and it was being fulfilled....an admission into one of the most prestigious colleges in the country.The proud father completed the formalities for his girl and he had given her the very best.

Nayaki came from an orthodox background grounded in values of Iyer traditions and customs.The  conservative Brahmin family had  her upbringing in a very protected environment.Having studied in an all girls school...the new atmosphere in a co-ed college was scary.A little wary...the lone TamBram stepped into the classroom and was in for a rude shock.The Ist year ECO batch boasted of a male majority and the timid Nayaki  was terrified.She mumbled to herself..."Yes I guess girls can coexist here.Let me give myself a chance to act bold."A little apprehensive, she occupied the first bench.The braver girls and some of her schoolmates had easily mingled with the new set of friends.

The groups were formed and the gangs headed to the back gate or to the canteen between breaks.Pretty Nayaki headed straight to the Girls Common Room on the first floor.The room  always wore a desolate look and the management maintained it for Nayaki.The heritage building on Park Street boasted of palatial classrooms.The girls Common Room was no exception and Nayaki was to spend most of the three years within the confines of those walls.........

My First Love!

The Iyer's Kitchen is buzzing with activity and it is one of those busy Monday mornings.It is an electrified environment .The Coffee maker and the kettle bring cheer,the mixer lends the much needed spice and the silent  wet table top grinder is a gourmet's delight.The latest addition to the family is the induction stove and Nayaki's competitor in speed.As the milk cooker whistles the daily tune ,the pressure cooker blows its top and screeches to a halt.With four hot hobs and a warm family around her a dancing Nayaki is amused......her mind racing back to the bygones as the blogging Tambong dreams of setting up an Iyer culinary school at Rash Behari Avenue in south Calcutta.

Rashbehari Avenue is one of the most prestigious and important avenues of Kolkata.A major portion of this road commonly referred to as Gariahat , is the prime shopping and aristocratic residential neighbourhood of south Kolkata. Rashbehari Avenue falls in the posh residential neighbourhood of Ballygunge.It was destined and Nayaki considers herself very lucky to have spent her childhood in the heart of a commercial hub in the City Of Joy.The princess lived in Yashoda Bhavan with the finest of sweetmeat shops and saree boutiques such as Adi Dhakeswari Bastralaya and Traders Assembly for neighbours.

She was a teenager when the family shifted to the new house on the third floor.......a landmark on Gariahat junction.The sprawling balconies overlooked the Gariahat junction.She would roam....wander around.The place was mayhem and she guesses it still is....with people shoving and pushing one another,making a bid for the best buy at the craziest prices and purportedly believing in having clinched the best deal.The hawkers with makeshift shops that crowded the sidewalks were lively men waiting to pounce upon the prospective buyers...and once in, the gullible buyer had no way out.A tactical move on the part of the buyer had the hawkers going, and it just needed a simple bargaining to begin the process.Often the bid started at less than half the price quoted by the paan chewing seller and he would lure the tolerant buyer in his inimitable style of refusing and finally relenting.

It is during these days that Nayaki was to come across her first love and the first rush of love holds a special place in her heart.She didn't need a reason to love.She was destined to.It marked the beginning of a beautiful relationship.Phases of the moon ,the radiant rim of the sun and the colours of nature started fascinating her.She was blindly in love.As the drapes embraced her, she loved the snug hugs...the cottony feel of  the Tangail,the silky touch of the Baluchuri and the light smoothness of the Dhakai Jamdanis.Nayaki was a sweet sixteen and it was love at first sight,a love that had the approval of her parents........the love that was to linger on and stay with her forever........

The journey from the Ist Pay Commission to the VIth.....continues!

The First Indian Pay Commission was set up in 1956 and since then ,every decade has seen the birth of a commission that decides the salaries of the government servants.Subbu joined the Indian Audit & Accounts Service in 1958. After a short stint, he joined the Indian Revenue service as Inspector of Income Tax. The Commissioner of Income Tax retired in 1991 after an unblemmished career spanning more than three decades.

The Krishnamurthys had imparted moral and value education to their offsprings. The self made boys and girls were given the freedom to be independent and the power to make their own decisions. Life was not a bed of roses and the journey was a path laid with thorns. The young ones stumbled and fell,bruised and hurt.....& yet they were on their own. The ladder was tall and the destination clearly in the horizon.The ascent was slow but they were not disheartened. Each one had a dream...a dream to be pursued with a clear mind and a focus. Proud of his children,Krishnamurthy was a silent spectator with a golden heart and carried a soft whip in his hands.

Subbu started off with a salary of Rs 120/- and the family was in raptures as he handed over his first pay to Kannamani. The moments of joy were precious to both mother and son. Kannamani was in tears and she tightly embraced her son......the first born who was delivered by forceps and with a paralysed limb. In the days of the midwives and when maternal mortality rate was very high the new born was subject to a series of electric shocks and he lives on today to tell the tale.The miracle kid...a septuagenarian now had a will of steel and rose to great heights inspite of  several handicaps.

Life has come a full circle today for the Xaverian duo,Subbu and Nayaki. Subbu is a Central Government pensioner today. Nayaki is a serving Central Government employee and a future liability as well for the Government of India .The septuagenarian started his illustrious carrer in the Indian Audit & Accounts Service in Calcutta and his first born is destined to retire from the same department in Chennai. The Sixth pay Commission was in force and the Indian Audit & Accounts Department set to celebrate its sequicentennial celebrations.........

Of Guardian Angels & GodMothers!

The Obamas had left and the festivities had come to an end.Maharashtra had a new CM,a new Dy CM and an Adarshwadi cabinet of ministers.The CAG report was out, Nanos were on fire and so was Nayaki. Her maid had tendered her resignation and Nayaki had accepted it graciously.The present incumbent had vacated office at a short notice and an indomitable Nayaki had stepped into her shoes in Bai ishtyle.With the saree tucked in place and a broom in hand the queen meant serious business. The gleaming floors,sparkling walls,tweaking vessels and the fragrant clothes had said it all. Delighted with the work Nayaki patted herself...." You are rocking Maam"she said to herself. Yes indeed! the tired limbs trembled and shivered and her body rocked. Smilingly she consoled herself"Wow ! I have saved a whopping 100 bucks today." I feel like a Super Woman." she murmured.The Home Department was making strategic moves and talks were on to make a suitable choice of the next incumbent to the post of HouseMaid in the Iyer home.Nayaki in the meantime was gliding back to her glorious past and the eastern connections.

Krishnamurthy was a simpleton.The flute god namesake had a Sudama for company.He introduced the new friend to his demure wife Kannamani."Meet my dear friend Sudama Kamkar." The naive Kannamani blurted out "Who?"Kurima?????& why is he here I pray???Sudama was the new member in the Krishnamurthy family and Kannamani had baptised him as Kurima....

Krishnamurthy had spotted this little boy at a wheat mill on Purna Das road.The Bihari owner RadhaMohan was a friend and supplied fresh wheat flour to the Krishnamoorthy family.The little boy had come all the way from Bihar in search of work and ended up becoming a valued member of the Iyer family.

The hard working Bihari lad brought great joy and happiness into the military environment.He sang.he danced,and he served.He was like a dream come true....a samaritan with the strength of a genie & the TAMBONGS couldn't have asked for more.The working wonder was God's own Angel and the loyal Kurima served three generations of the Krishnamurthy family.

"Why can't I find someone like him today?" mumbles Nayaki."Why do I have to place an ad every six months?" she moaned.......As home front beckoned her for another working ritual Nayaki had made up her mind..... "I have to make it & YES I CAN".......A trip to Siwan village in  Chapra district of Bihar in search of Kurima's descendants ........

A DATE WITH THE OBAMAS!

Its party time at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Nayaki is Obamanised.Admired for his eloquent speeches ,the US President has made it into the hearts of many an Indian.Having acknowledged his meteoric rise and the post of the President of the USA to the values imparted by the teachings of the Mahatma,Barrack had appealed to all and Indians in particular.A fine diplomat...his speeches could have been scripted but cleverly held the essence of recognising our country as a power that had already emerged.

The three Krishnamurthy siblings were keen observers and had a wide range of interests from politics to current affairs.Nayaki was also a chip of the old block and enjoyed watching NDTV 24X7.The past two days had her glued to the Idiot box.As the First Couple emerged out of the AirForce One Boeing 747 ,45 year old Nayaki was elated and yes...she was to meet her schoolmate after nearly 3 decades...a schoolmate reunited in the virtual world and here she was all set to meet her bosom mate in the real world as well.The world wide web had brought childhood pals together.Social networking meant interaction with the real friends....friends with whom she had spent some of the most precious moments of her life.They chatted and laughed their worries away.The status messages were crazy but therapeutic enough to bring a smile on the reader's lips.

It was in 2010 that Nayaki was reconnected with all her long lost friends and the journey to meet each one of them had just begun.Mutual efforts were working out and things were falling in place.Just back from Bangalore and Mumbai after meeting two friends the Nayaki was in the capital city to meet another one....a friend with whom she had shared space in the classroom,in the buses and in the trams of Calcutta...a friend who giggled with her and helped her with the notes...a friend who cared for her and was there to lift up her spirits.The journey right from kindergarten to Middle school and then upto High school was fulfilling and satisfying for the two girls.As all good things have to come to an end so did this one. The friends seperated and were set to pursue their goals in life.Nayaki went on to graduate from the St Xaviers College Calcutta and her distinguished friend was a Harvard Law School Laureate.

A well settled Nayaki was amongst the 173 high profile distinguished guests invited for the ceremonial dinner hosted in honour of the first couple.A radiant Nayaki was dressed to befit the glittering banquet.at the expansive Mughal gardens.....in a cream coloured Kanjivaram saree with pearls to complement.The guests had arrived and the President of India presented a picture of a perfect host.She warmly welcomed the first couple.The glamorous first lady of the US was graceful with pleasing manners and interacted at ease with the other guests.She had yet again stolen the spotlight from her husband.Nayaki watched her admiringly from a distance....her heart pounding and her pulse racing. As Michelle was approaching her with a warm smile.......a bell rang."Must be a ceremonial ring before the dinner" mused Nayaki.She had never been to a state hosted banquet before and was absolutely clueless.Dismissing it off lightly, she waited with bated breath...for a reunite with a childhood chum.........and "hey there goes the bell again" she quipped to a stranger beside her..."was he the the SBI chairman O. P. Bhatt "she wondered!."Sonia Gandhi,Rahul Gandhi,Ratan Tata,Mukesh Ambani,Chanda Kocchar,Kumaramangalam Birla...they are my friends and most of the other Indian guests are familiar too"she whispered to herself..She was a little puzzled"Why don't I remember this familiar face?"she blurted out unconsciously.......to which a friendly face replied ...Yes, you do ,my dear! he is our faithful milkman and it is 5AM now.....& remember u have an appointment with an ophthalmologist throughout the day.

 .The Iyer family was getting up from bed.The DEV was puzzled and the DEVI DREAMFACED.....

Its party time at The rashtrapathi Bhavan

Exiled & Apprenticed!

Chandru was a stern taskmaster and a strict disciplinarian.He was like a coconut... hard from the exterior and tender inside.....like a jackfruit with a jagged cover and a heart of gold filled with the fruits of love and compassion. Each member had an assigned task which they perforned with due diligence.Little Nayaki was a victim too and dreading the third eye learnt to perform her duties with clockwork precision.The Krishnamurthys were also endowed with speed in their genes.The mind and hands worked in tandem in this Home Making Factory.

Baby Nayaki was the darling of the house and yet had to work hard to earn the affection.A day never ended without the little girl howling and screaming for help as the other family members watched helplessly.The homework done and the lessons learnt the little girl would emerge unscathed out of a locked room with a bar of cadbury's milk chocolate in one hand, and tears in her eyes.....only to wipe them off and spend an evening out with the same uncle and his friends.She had earned the gift  for the day and the tutor cum uncle Chandru was pleased with her near perfect rendition of numbers backwards from 1000 to 1.

Weekends meant longer hours of hard work for the Uncle Niece duo.which included mental maths,practising the art of handwriting ,story telling sessions ,impromptu speeches and lessons on Creative English.Chandru was a mobile Thesaurus and the two would pick up new words everyday.A yawn and a sheepish teary grin was all that she could mange to emote to the  curious onlookers.A fatigued kid prayed for freedom but the grim master craved for perfection...and the last assignment every day would be to read a passage from the newspaper and answer the volley of questions.A correct reply would be passed of with an emotionless OK and a wrong one meant redoing another passage all over again.

Greater work however meant more merriment as well.A trip to the Lily Pool ,a drive down the lakes with Puchkas & Aloor dum was her reward and Nayaki loved every single moment of the pampered indulgence.She was smart enough to read his mind and did not mind the rigorous training schedules.Afterall they came in with so many freebies and he was a clever child psychologist.Lucky would also join in the daily celebrations and the threesome would have spent some of the best times of their lives together.The mode of transport was Chandru's Lamby and the dreamy eyed Nayaki still drives a Scooty today to keep the memories alive. ....

The Starry Connection!

The Krishnamurthy siblings had a passion for friends and were more Bengali than Thamizh..They spoke the language with ease...fluently, with the correct diction and pronunciation.Even at this age their language skills would put any Bengali to shame.The young men were live wires...they made friends instantly and were much sought after for their company.They shared a common flair for humour & wit.A day in the Krishnamurthy family was never complete without an ADDA & a Bridge Round Table.The brothers were masters of the game and years later Chandru was to participate in national and international tournaments as well .The kitchen was always buzzing with Dosactivity & the Bong friends had made it their second home.Friends jumped in uninvited with potfuls of Rasogollas and yummy singadas(samosas).The vigilant Kannamani also ensured a constant supply of the Idli/dosa batter.The young multi linguistic sports fanatic Bahu was also an instant hit and Bhabhi Ma endeared to all.Bhoudi to some,Mashima to others the jovial Subbu Vijaya couple was soon to become the Universal Anna Manni to the entire Tambong fraternity as well.

Subbu was serving in the IRS and frequent postings in various positions proved to be a boon.The young man in service was lucky to have interacted with people from all streams and walks of life.....and maintains some of the contacts even today.Given the social networking today.where a constant interaction could perhaps be practically feasible with only a very few, inspite of a long  list of friends...Subbu had a real live active circle of vibrant pals,who came along with happy families....and they celebrated festivals,wedding anniversaries & birthdays together.

A birthday party was a gala celebration. Lil Nayaki & her brother were pampered with the luxury of a bash no ordinary child could dream of these days.The guest list included some of the Bengali film & theatre stars some of whom would seek an appointment with the assessing income Tax Officer during the day & barge in for a tete-a-tete into the Iyer home in the evenings.Subbu's stint as the assessing officer in the Film Circle was a dream come true for Lil Nayaki & her kid brother .The weekends would be reserved for exclusive first shows & premieres...& the kid siblings would share space with some of the greats of the Bengali Film industry....Then there were the special invites for the film shoots as well.It was during these years that Subbu's family had the privilige of meeting the stars.A star struck nayaki watched the stars with admiration & alas !Subbu's network does not include them now.Its been nearly 3 decades since the family migrated to a city on the shores of the bay of bengal....and as Nayaki strolls down the Marina ,the typical piscean that she is....is lost yet again in fantasy land.The dreamy middle aged mother of two twenty year old girls would rather befriend a Ranbir Kapoor or a Surya today.....

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDS OF TIME!

Chokkanayaki had barely managed to reach the airport on time.The flight was scheduled to leave at 8.20PM and she was stuck in the highway traffic on the way to SantaCruz airport.The couple had left home at 4.30 PM and the long drive from Chembur was nervewracking.Vehicles moved in snail like precision inch by inch and the slow movement was getting a little unbearable.She wondered "Was it the sheer grit and determination of its residents that made Mumbai move?"Just back from Shirdi ,the constant utterance of Sai Nama was the  only solace.A bag holding the sacred udi and the samadhi flowers served as the life jacket and Nayaki was still very much grounded.She gasped for the gas of life and her hands unconsciously reached out for the non existent oxygen pump.A constantly honking ambulance added to the traffic woes and  it had no clue as to where it headed. The Nayaki's chaffeur was a staunch Marthi manus with a brave heart and he waded through the procession unfazed by the string of bottlenecks.

With a restless consort by her side the Nayaki was flying.......& was slowly slipping back to her oriental days.A trip to the railway station at Howrah was equally painful in the seventies and eightys.Subbu was a meticulous planner and had a great eye for detail.Time flies and if past experiences are anything to go by......the training taken to reach the station on time was now proving to be useful for the Nayaki.Subbu had prepared her for this day ,instilled confidence and the will to think positive .Holidays were a pleasure and the Subbu family  would reach the station much ahead of the departure time and wait for hours...rather than miss the train.

The drive on the Rajiv Gandhi sea link is a delight and the beauty of the Rabindra Sethu bridge over the Hooghly is unparalleled.With thoughts meandering and alternating between time zones...Nayaki was plain lucky and Sai was her saviour.Her spirits were set to soar as the TamBong watched the  magnificent Arabian Sea turn into the great Bay Of Bengal......

The summer months were vacation time down South & in winters the Subbu family headed north.Planned meticulously th

Of Katrinas & Goldfishes!

The Krishnanmoorthys had a roof above their head....a roof with gaping holes and cracked walls to complement.The house got a facelift every year.The walls would be whitewashed and the ceilings plastered.Yet a Kal Boisakhi was enough to restore the exteriors and the  interiors to their original glory. For those who may be not familiar with the term......the Kal Boisakhis are severe thunderstorms commonly called as Norwesters which occur in Bengal  during the summer months .Some of them reach tornadic violence and cause considerable damage to life and property.The landmark on Rash Behari Avenue presented a grim look always......a heritage monument ready to fall into pieces.Kannamani was a naive village belle and had made it her home.Decades later the jigsaw puzzle is complete.The abode was Vaasthu compliant and FengShui friendly.  Kannamani was however never aware of it.Three generations of the Krishnamoorthy family had made it their home and flourished....and now I know the secret of their success.A little Fish Aquarium store on the ground floor was the Guardian Angel of the edifice.The house had no taps but boasted of an abundant water tank and a warm buzzing kitchen that catered to the varied tastes of family members and friends 365X24X7.......

A Filmy Reunion:-)

The Chennai Dadar Express was slowly chugging out of Egmore station.Nayaki was seated in a II Tier A/C compartment.Over the years the railway decor had changed to suit the comfort levels of the fast paced 21st century Indian.
 A journey from Calcutta to Secunderabad meant nearly 48 hours of travel in the seventies.There were no direct trains those days.In March 1966 Little Nayaki had celebrated her first birthday with much fanfare.May & June were the vacation months & Bhabhi Ma was given a break every year.It was another much awaited holiday for Bhabhi Ma and the yearly visit to her maternal home at Secunderabad.Trains had to be changed and the journey made comfortable by a ready stock of eatables to last for two full days.
The train left Howrah early in the morning and reached Vijaywada late in the night.Bhabhi Ma and her lil girl had to spend the night in the waiting room.The next connecting train to Secunderabad was scheduled to arrive only the next morning.Leaving lil Nayaki in the care of an elderly couple Bhabhi Ma went in search of hot water.Unawares that the baby girl was following her ,Bhabhi Ma headed straight into the Railway Pantry Room.The elderly couple were also in for a rude shock a few minutes later.Bhabhi Ma returned to find the couple franctically searching for the kid.

The young mother was crestfallen and her world seemed to have come to an end.She panicked and ran helter skelter in search of her precious one.The lil one was nowhere to be seen.A shaken helpless mother was appealing to the Gods.It was an overcast night and to add to the woes rains came pouring down.The eyes searched for a one year old and the drenched mom ran from one platform to another.The few hours of agony were thankfully soon to end as a Good Samaritan in the guise of a Coolie guided the woman to an engine at the far end of a platform.The little Nayaki dressed in Birthday finery....a Kanjeevaram silk skirt & blouse was playing in the rain close to a steam engine.From a distance the mom's heart skipped a beat.Hurriedly she ran and embraced the child close to her heart.This was a moment both mother and daughter were to cherish for the rest of their lives......a moment captured in their memory for ever.....

The Cricket Fans

Subbu passed out of St Lawrence High School and graduated in honours from St Xaviers College Calcuuta.The days were tough and in order to supplement his father's income young Subbu took up employment and his first job was with the Bengal pottery.A proud septuagenarian, he still treasures the farewell mementoes...a set of porcelain dinner plates which are in use even today.Chandru also completed his schooling and went To Sir Ashutosh college.The self made men rose to great heights and served in top positions of the Indian Revenue Service.
Young Lucky was a carefree lad and in the seventh standard when Subbu got married in 1963.The bride was from the land of the Krishna and the Godavari.She was the first woman graduate in the Krishnamurthy family and  was well versed in English,Tamil,Telugu,Kannada,& Hindi.The little Lucky was lucky to have a teacher and she doted on him.The BHABHI MA was a live wire and a MAD HATTER.An avid cricket and football buff,the radio was a constant companion. The 21 yr old was a storehouse of sporting statistics and facts.The sporting ma-in-law had no complaints either.Times have changed but the seventy year old is still charged.Ask her even today and see her face light up explaining how India were all out for 47 even before she could make a couple of Dosas.T20 has pepped up her enthusiasm and this 21st century Grand Mom now proficient in Bengali as well has a large fan following today......

THE COFFEE ADDICTS...

The scene is a shot straight from a war zone.The period is the 21st century and the time a typical morning in a family with school going children.Kids are pulled out off their beds and they go right into the bathtubs.A bath apparently given,off they are bundled into cramped school buses with a load the tender backs can barely bear.
Little Subbu,Chandru, Lucky & the two Kumaris were however a fortunate lot.The eldest son of Kannamani went straight to the Vth std.& brags of the so acquired Penta Fold promotion even today .It was a Walk In admission for the heir apparent and the younger siblings in some of the most prestigious schools of Calcutta and later in the best colleges too.The mother oblivious of the happenings around her was carrying out her daily rituals with steadfast devotion & commitment.
The little boys took turns in getting the daily bottles of milk....and little Nayaki loved the taste of Haringhata milk.The day began with the cup of coffee...and it used to be a COFFEE DAY each day.. All they  needed to do was to roast the coffee beans,grind it to a fine powder in a hand machine ,extract the decoction in a coffee filter &.....Hey presto!!!!!! the cuppa was ready to be served........

The Mouse Trap & Water Woes!

Today's Nayaki muses with a mouse under the palm in the comfort of an airconditioned room in stark contrast to the the young Kannamani  who was settling down with live mice for company.The abode was the second floor of a dilapidated structure on one of the most happening and arterial streets of Calcutta .Each room had a built-in Rat Trap waiting to devour the rodents and little Nayaki had spent her childhood there.The balconies overlooked the busy Rash Behari Avenue.The residents woke up every morning to the call of the Bahri Wallah.The sump never needed to be filled & the motor never existed.For those of you who may be wondering who the Bahri Wallah was...here's the answer.The one I saw all my years was a short dark stocky man who carried water a la Shravan Kumar .Two huge oil tins served as the water carriers.They hung alternatingly on either side of his shoulders and he would painstakingly fill up the tank inside the house on the second floor.The leaking roofs were a blessing and buckets arranged in order also chipped in to help during the rainy season.Little Kannamani was a young woman and was the pillar of the family.Young ,ambitious Krishnamurthy had ventured into lucrative pastures and was serving in Bihar.....

The Bhagirathi Trail

It was the Nineteen thirties.A short statured bespectacled young man had moved into the city of joy along with his newly wed wife Kannamani.The demure lady barely sixteen was draped in nine yards of traditional Kanjeevaram silk with diamonds to complement.A big vermillion dot on the forehead marked the little girl as a woman,The couple were strangers to the land of the Bhagirathi and a migration from a conservative village down south was unheard of in those days.The young man had broken the shackles of convention & had reached the city defying all odds..He was a graduate and a Gold Medallist in Cost Accountancy.The coy bride had never seen the light of school .She spoke only chaste Tamil and he spoke English with a heavy Southie twang.It marked the beginning of a glorious period in the Krishnamurthy family and the evolution of the Tambongs.They had come in search of greener pastures & a home.....a home for generations to follow.........

Dreams 'n' Drapes

The ambience is perfect and the live shoot is on.The location is a saree boutique at T.Nagar in the heart of Chennai.I am absolutely normal....as normal as any other Indian woman and I can spend hours in the midst of a saree pile and experience the sublime.The scene at the outlets go to prove this and more.The six yard is a woman's best friend and I am proud of my national attire.Pretty women invade the counters and the helpless boys are a happy lot.Ever wondered why most shops here have men guarding the saree counters ???Now you know why....& why some even have faithful toothless gaping oldies showing off the colourful drapes.Dressed in  delightful weaves the gorgeous women walk the floor and admire themselves in the huge mirrors adorning the walls.The seller sure knows how to attract the fairer folk and entice them.Inflation never seems to matter here and the DA increase enough to help me shop without major guilt pangs.As I leave for work the next day,I admire my collection and yet i am dissatisfied..My cupboard cries for help as I pull out a crisp cotton and I SIGH!!!! How I wish I were born in a Nalli or Kumaran family!!!!!!

Its a typical morning in an Iyer joint family.The year is 2010 and mankind has made a giant leap in the field of technology.The alarm in her mobile prompts her to get up & she wakes up to the strong smell of camphor, incense & the soothing melody of Rama Nama.Its 5AM... her day has begun and  had started much earlier for the senior citizens of the house who unmindful of the changing scenario will not leave a stone unturned in carrying out the daily rituals with religious fervour.The aroma of the filter coffee is an intoxication & the kick needed to kick off.The courtyard swept and cleaned,the kitchen now awaits her. As she wait for her Fairy Godmother to make her appearance ,she is already halfway ..the vegetables cut and the cooking on under strict guidelines...."Thou shall not cook without bathing,thou shall not taste the food at the time of cooking,thou shall not touch cooked items & milk products at the same time,thou shall not carryover food into the refriegerator,thou shall not waste food ....& thou shall be a strict vegetarian."The food is offered to the Gods & the crow gets the first mouthful.The Iyer Fare is now ready to be served....