YASHODA AND HER KANHAIYAS BOND BEAUTIFULLY !

Yashoda stared in disbelief."You will not do that,I hope you can understand, my little boy.".. she said.The little prankster was a hyperactive kid and kept Yashoda on her toes all day long.

As she gaped in awe and to her utter dismay,and before she could stop him,the lad hurriedly grabbed the pair of shoes lying nearby and flung it outside, from the third floor balcony.

As Rahul grinned mischievously,a seemingly innocent Gokul emerged out of the balcony.Yashoda was in tears and her little boys were jumping with glee..

"This is just one of the pranks that my boys are upto anytime of the day remarked Yashoda.I keep a close watch and I am always alert,"she said."They are blessed with a mechanical bent of mind ,remarked the young mother....and so I have placed most of my household appliances out of their reach," she added.

This is an excerpt of a conversation ,when I met Yashoda a few years ago."It is very difficult and yet pleasures of motherhood ,Aaaha." she said.

Two days ago and after a gap of nearly 10 years,I happened to meet Yashoda and her children at a function.I was thrilled.After all,it was a reunite with a close chum after so many years.
When her twin boys were 5 years old,her husband ,a bank officer was transferred further south.We kept in touch and wished one another on all occasions.I would enquire about the activities of her kids and she would say ,"Oh ! Thankfully they seem to be mellowing down with age...I had met the kids a couple of times and they were Oh ! so lovable."

Now,here I was meeting them again after a decade.It was a pleasant surprise and I spotted Yashoda first..."Oh ! How come you are here ?' I asked her."We have just been posted back to Chennai ,"she said and in the process of shifting ."she added."How are your little boys ?"I asked her..."Oh ! They are fine,grown up to be six footers and she pointed her fingers towards the two tall boys standing in one corner of the hall.

I was taken aback..."Who they ?I was not too sure,As we talked,the boys moved towards us and as they neared me,Yashoda introduced me to them..."Hey Please meet my sons Rahul and Gokul.They are fifteen years old."I was still in a state of disbelief ,but I was happy to meet them.
We chatted together and it was fun.The boys were cheerful just like the mother......Infact a carbon copy of the mom.Yashoda added..". Rahul aspires to be an aeronautical enbgineer and Gokul wishes to be a doctor."

"Please give me your address "I asked.Immidiately Rahul took out a pen from his pocket,brought out a paper and started writing with his left hand...."Is he left handed just like you ?I asked Yashoda..."Oh ! Yes ! and Gokul is right handed like his father.

So what's new? you may all ask ?Well ! Nature never ceases to amaze us and when I came across the boys after so many years I was surprisedly stunned too.The persona revealed all the traits of Yashoda and here let me tell you,that, she is not their biological mother.Yashoda had adopted them as new borns and I was fully aware of that....

This is not the only case of adoption that I know amongst my close circle of friends..... What amazes me even more is the tremendous parent child bonding in all such relationships in the absence of the umblical link.

As we took leave a blushing Yashoda said with great pride, "The boys have taken after me in their looks and their Dad in their behaviour."

and I left the function with mixed feelings and unanswered questions....

SHRI CHAKRA RAJA SIMHASANESWARI.........

Shree Chakra Raja Simhasaneswaree,Shree Lalithambikaye Bhuvaneswaree...crooned Kannamani inside the puja room on the second floor of 178 Rash Beharee Avenue...Vijaya,she cried out..".Uppu kuzhakkattai poornathirukku elimminchambazham pizhiya marunthudathey." Seree Amma.aracha.Ulundhai vega potturkken.Marakkamatten,"...solii Vijaya went about her Thai Friday chores.."..Vijaya ! do not forget to add lime to the urad dal filling for the salt modaks," a devout and pious Kannamani called out to Vijaya.Yes Amma I shall remember to do that ,"replied the dutiful daughter-in-law Vijaya.

You can never think creative if you do not work hard remarked a friend.That set me thinking...Oh really ? I mused...and creativity in any form finds its way out thanks to the positive mind set of the individual,Right? I added.It also depends upon the number of funny bones and that varies from individual to individual.While some are endowed with a surplus,many ,I am sorry to say do not have even a single one.The friend smiled and nodded in agreement.

I am not surprised when people crib and complain.Life is not a bed of roses,not even for the Gates ,the Birlas or the Ambanis of the world....An individual falls,stumbles,rises,reaches desired heights ,fails at times and tastes success at times.In this journey he undergoes pain ,and when he strives hard the best things he receives are not served to him on a platter...No never...He chooses to hide his pain and moves on.As he moves on,sometimes on thorn ridden paths,he picks up the roses too and makes Happiness a habit.He is happy being himself,lost in admiring his possessions and striving hard towards a reachable goal.He is plain happy ,laughs away his woes and the positivity in him makes him feel extremely good.The side effects are positive and that set me thinking again.

Growing up in a joint family has its advantages and it's share of pinpricks.Atleast it prepared me to live in a joint family .Growing up in one was exciting should I say ? Living in another has been a greater challenge.As I look back....Whoa!..I grew up in a joint family and the upbringing lasted for 25 years.Its been another 25 years and whoa! I am still growing.The state of enlightenment still eludes me and I am happily ignorant.Whoever said that ignorance is bliss ,would be happy to read this.

Kannamani had chalked out her Aadi ,Navarathri,Margazhi ,Thai & Sankatahara chaturthi plans in the month of Chithirai .Vijaya,she called out to her obedient daughter in law.Please make all the necessary arrangements.It was a Sunday and the first Aadi Friday was a couple of months away.Times haven't changed much for today's Nayaki..Citing bossy pressures,Nayaki feigns ignorance and she is excused....Anyway Nayaki is a fantastic helper.She takes care of all the running around and the odd jobs.

Young Nayaki was a silent spectator.She was amused .Intha Kannamani Patti sahasranamam sollarangala illa oray Kuzhakkattai maava ariaithu ariaithu Kuzhakattai bhajanai panrangala ?" ( Does this Kannamani Patti chant the Sahasranamam or does she recite the Modak ?She wakes up with Modaks all over in her body and mind," baby Nayaki chuckled.

Vijaya used to tell her kids tales from the Panchatantra and the Jatakas.With a mischievous glint in her eye and a naughty look on her face,she would ask her grandma..".Kannamani Amma ! Kuzhakattaikku kannu undo dee ? Does the modak have eyes?
Kuzhakattaikku kathu undo dee?Does the modak have ears?
Kuzhakattaikku Vaay undo dee?"Does the modak have a mouth.
Po Kuzhakkattaikku Vaal Undu..
.Unakku Kuzhakkattais kidayathu,
"Go ! Modak has a tail.You will not get modaks to eat,"saying Kannamani would admonish her,only to reward her later sumptuously.

It was great fun growing up in such a family in the midst of a parabhrahmam grandfather,a grandma whose thoughts were always with the hidden provisions ,strict uncles , carefree aunts , gem of parents and a calm and composed brother.

I saw my mom work tirelessly always with a smile on her lips.When I was five years young,I realised the secret behind her smile.The Iyer family despised sulk.It must have been really tough.She was just 21 when she entered the family.An Osmania University graduate,slowly she adapted beautifully to the needs of the Tambong family.She was my youngest uncle's first tution teacher.He doted on her then.He dotes on her till today.

You may be wondering why I am saying all this ?...We love to complain about the weather,about the government,about the roads,about the transport and declare that but for the road blocks,we would be much happier and more comfortably placed.I agree,but citing such circumstances,one tends to become more lazy.

Grandma had a knack of keeping herself and the others busy.She was good at delegation.Granpa would ask every day...I am going out for a walk.Do you need something?She would reply immediately..."Please buy I kg coffee powder,I tin Ovaltin,I kg of Soap powder,6 Sunlight Bars and Two packets of Sandalwood Incense.Grandpa knew very well that she had a store stocked with daily provisions and soap items.He never questioned her but faithfully walked out and returned home empty handed mostly.

Then it was her turn to give him a piece of advice and move on.The arguments would last for a few seconds and life would move on normally.Visitors to our home were always welcomed with a mixed fragrance of incense,camphor,face powder ,Coffee and detergent.We had ample stock tucked away in all corners.

Water was scarce.To be honest there was no water connection and no taps either.Mom used to get water for the daily puja rituals and cooking from a hand tubewell on the ground floor.We lived on the second floor and I remember she used to carry pots of water several times during the day.I have never seen her complain.

Transfer of blame is a sign of weakness.As human it is natural to have negative and positive feelings.Here I wish to stress that it is important to understand that just as moments of glory are temporary,we need not live under a perpetual fear of the unexpected ,unexpected I say because all that is good is what we expect and desire.Its the worry of uncertainty,the possibility of untoward incidents that we constantly think may happen,that paves the way for negativity to make an easy entry into the sub conscious mind.All that is fed into the sub conscious mind is certain to happen sooner or later..

This and more gyan was repeatedly fed into the young minds by a stern Chandru.The octogenarian uncle is a self made man.He plays bridge every day,writes columns in newspapers ,moves around in public transport,walks a mile every day and makes sure that everyone around him wears a smile always.

"Idling and Negativity breed ill feelings and robs the individual of basic reasoning skills,and instead of appreciating all that he is endowed with,he is always dissatisfied citing innumerable excuses,"he would say.......He spoke to me a few days back and said...Hey lazy bones.I stumbled on a web site"Live Mocha.in"........

That's my uncle....He will take the horse to the water...and there ends his efforts...Now He will expect a feedback.