Come Saturday....I love to remember...!

Always Saturdays have been worth waiting ......It's the weekends that I awaited from my childhood....It was the rewarding end to a week of a tryst with school,heavy school suitcases and books!!!At La Martiniere,Kolkatta we did have school on Saturdays but when I came home Mummy would be there.She would open the door for me ....or she would be waiting at the bus-stop for me to come by the school-bus.Appa would be at home...On Saturdays it was market day for us.Early morning Appa used to go to the GariahatMarket...to buy the needs of the following week.I would wait for him to come back or at times I would accompany him...it was the potato chips that used to lure me to accompany him...Hot potato chips or salted plain were deliciously hot...and I would love to lean on the comfy sofa at home andhave them...!!!!Potato chips I used to love and I still do....I see to it that I buy a packet every week...!It's not the modern''LAYS'' or ''Pringles''...but the real ones...tasty and salty and also hot!!!!!!!
After coming back from school was another great event ...the three of us(Appa,Mummy and me )used to have lunch together..all the other weekdays it was just me alone on the dining table for a boring lunch served by servants!!!!!Saturdays had my mother serving food cooked by herself...mutton curry,''uralakizhingu mezhukupuratty''or potato fry....'''vazheka errissery ''or raw banana curry....''mor'' or buttermilk...and hot steaming rice.At times there would be my favourite caramel custard pudding!!The ''Saturday lunch '' menu used to differ from week to week but these were repeated often...Till the age of 20 ...till I lost my Appa...this was a must.Another interesting thing is Mummy always was sure I washed my hands before sitting for lunch with soap!!!!!!!!!
After lunch was the siesta with me disturbing the sleep of my dear ones by chatting away to glory or seeing to it that Appa hugged me and slept.We all got up by 5pm and was served tea ..and milk for me...with hot samosas from Binapani Mishti..!!!a nearby sweet shop.Then started the fun...we used to dress up and go out gallavanting!!It used to be either the Saturday Club or the New Market or a friend's or relative's house...or even to the Southern Lake.
New Market was the most exhilirating experience every time we visiteed that place.
''Rehman's'' was an all-available store..Nahoum's'' was the best confectionery where I used to buy my easter eggs and hot cross buns .Kargo's with their sizzling kebab's and rolls!!!The chinese shoe shops,home made cheese,dried fruits etc were also available there.The unique ''Aam Saath''..or Mango jelly was another not to be missed out.We would spend hours there smetimes buying books...or just window shopping.
After these visits used the Saturday dinner..at either the'' Tandoor'' or ''Jimmy's kitchen ''or ''Golden Dragon. ''or just snacks at the ''Gupta's'' or mebbe at ''Kwality's''.These were the easily available during our times there .Now of course there are numerous eat-outs.The Oberoi Grand ,Ritz..or The Park were too formal for us!!!!
By 10pm we would be tired and head home...with the night still young for many on Park Street..Usha Iyer crooning away at Trinca's ...or couples heading into Sub-Zero and cars lined up outside the Magnolia's was a common occurence on Saturday in Kolkatta.
Reaching home and flopping into bed was my only need at that moment....but Mummy used to make it sure I change into my night-pyjamas...I used to not like that one bit but I used to be an obedient daughter then!!!!!!!!!!!After a wash and change I used to crawl into the comfort of the quilt sharedby my Appa.Mind you it was uncomfortable for him but he loved me too much to lemme go...Drifting into a wonderful happy world of sleep where my Appa was with me I used to wake up only on Sunday morning with a good morning call from my dear parents!!!!!!!!Saturdays were lovely ....Iloved Saturdays...!!!!

A spicy funeral service....in Puthencavu Mathilakom Marthoma Church!!!

I had great regard for the church in our small village-Puthencavu.First being my grandparents and father were resting in peace there..secondly when I was young and in Kerala for my holidays ...I used to come for service here with my grandfather.Memories...fond memories !!!!Being brought up by devout christian parents...even after marrying a Hindu I used to frequent church every Sunday...but after 2003..I stopped..Attending a funeral service of a near relative at the church...I was sitting in the middle row of chairs...there were two elderly women near me who were talking in loud murmurs while the service was going on...topicof conversation was the parcel of spices their daughter had sent from the Gulf ...They said inspite of being busy and cooking meat with the spices they took time to come and view the body of the deceased...!!!!and they were planning to hurry back ..becoz otherwise the meat would be burnt!!!!!!!Sad....very sad that in the church ...a holy place....such conversations shud take place even when death was present!!!Another topic is that ...there is a Sevika Sangham in the church meeting every Wednesday...the women there gather to discuss family issuesand controveries rather than discuss about the scriptures...this is a matter of discussion among the other residents of the area...Sad...!!

Living alone............it's ....????

Are you crazy..Aneta????to be alone in Chennai..leaving your sons and husband in Kochi....????....or Aneta!!! this is called arrogance ....goin and staying ''alone'' in Chennai....!!!or as another well-wisher said ''ahankarathinu kaalum kaiyum vechuthu!!!''...These are the various comments I hear about me being ALONE in Chennai...!!!In Kerala there are too many ''well wishers''..among my relatives and friends!!!!I really am bewildered at their ''concern''!!!!
I have been married for the past 26 yrs and stayed in ''erstwhile Kerala'' playing the role of a mother,wife and daughter....!!!Born and brought up in the wonderful city of Kolkatta with all the frills and fancies of a Reserve Bank finanacial-analyst's daughter...I loved life till my 20th year...when Fate snatched my father away from me forcing me to return to the rural splendour of Kerala....leaving behind my life...love and career....from then it's been one rocky road....!!!!Relatives were never supportive fearing my mother and me would ask for gains,help and etc...!With all hopes of me clearing my IAS...shelved...continued to do my post graduation .At that point of time insecurity was the predominant feeling in my life...I never understood gossip,jealousy,back-biting.maliciousness...all this was bewidering and frightening me.Talking to a guy was a sin...!smiling was even a bigger sin...!!!!!!!!wearing salwars were ugh!!!....I just could not tolerate this...people were too bothered about you...why...why???Relatives in Chengannur (my home town..rather my mother's )were worried about my being not married!!!!at the age of 20!!!!!!If I had my way I would have told them to ......!!!!but I did not .Anyway after a year I luckily got married to an ''anya-jathi kaaran''....a Nair...It was the most unpardonable crime...My relatives and neighbours had a gala time gossiping...the Puthencavu Mathilakom church members were too bothered...but I CARED A DAMN....It was from the year 1985 that Ididn't bother about soceity ...and that too the Christian soceity in Chenagannur .....It was they who were bothered...mebbe becoz they had to please the ''LIVING GOD'.My sons were born...the Christians wanted to baptise them....they couldn't....Aneta was always a topic of controversy...I did not interfere in any one's affairs..now I am way beyond the reach of these believers of Christ...but still they do manage once in a while to gossip...I do give them room....otherwise their talents will be wasted!!!By the Grace of the Almighty my sons have successfully completed their education and my husband''the anya jathi kaaran ''has reached heights we have never dreamt about....It isbecoz of Renji's(my husband) humility,respect for elders and his commitment to his work,soceity and his parents and brothers!!!And his belief in the Almighty...living or non--living!!!!!!!!!!!.
My life too I have managed to organise and achieved a recommandable profile professionally...I looked after my sons till they were 21 yrs even at times setting aside my lyf too..as a wife I have done my level best by giving space to Renji...becoz I believe in each onehaving his or her own space...to breathe.As a daughter I am there at any time my mother calls me...as a friend too..to anyone who needs me....but I need space in my latter years of my life and a bit of independence to live my lyf as I want to...and therefore....I need to LIVE ALONE....it is exhilirating!!!!!!!!!!

Chikku's APPA....!!!

Appa was the best father I had ever seen....he stopped smoking becoz his''chiku'' prayed for him...His ''chiku'' believed that...and will always believe that...On the first of every month as far as ''Chiku's memories takes her ..sharp at 6pm...Appa used to ring the door bell waiting for ''chiku'' to open the door.From the age of say thrilling 3 to the wonderful 2o...every 1st of the new month used tobe fun for ''Chiku''...Appa used to stand beaming at the door..with two packets ....one was a Cadbury milk chocolate and the other Chiku's favourite ''moghlai porotta''...Chiku used to also get her pocket money...a bundle of new one rupee notes...amounting to 100 rupees....Appa never forgot ever...!!!Chiku was his only reason for the hard work and effort he put in ...at his work...!Never for once till he died did he scold his ''Chiku''...She used to tag along with him wherever he went..at times creating difficult situations..but Appa would never say NO..to Chiku...!!!!But Chiku never knew that she would lose her Appa to the cruel hands of Fate....when Chiku was just 20yrs....!!!When she needed him the most....Chiku was left alone in the hands of her loving mother....to face the cruel world outside....Chiku was no more....Aneta....the woman of today was born....who learnt to hate ...love...smile...cry....criticise....even if she never felt like....becoz she realised''life was not a bed of roses ''