A beautiful woman, that she was...

She was my guardian angel when I ran to hide from my mom's scoldings and potential beatings for being adament on having a big big bar of chocolate... needless to say I ultimately enjoyed a whole bar of it safely in her arms! A beautiful woman, that she was...

I spent my summer vacations almost every single time with her, I mean with her alone! For us, playing in the rain and watching over the chirping sparrows that come into our house for the grains that she had kept in the verandah for sun drying were of highest priority. The leaking old house was a heaven for us when we ran around the place to escape the pouring water seeping through the roof! The powercuts helped us with just the right light to play hide 'n' seek. Nothing was negative with her around! A beautiful woman, that she was...

She was enchanted by my gossips I did just before I dozed off every night. She found great meaning in my chatterings and kiddish questions. I found warmth and peace with my head on her folded left arm, serving me as a pillow, while her other hand was busy running her fingers through my hair! What a luxury!! My topics ranged from stars and the sky to fishes and butterflies. Even when she was tired and her eyes were begging her for sleep, she managed to say 'humn' everytime, lest I felt she didnot listen to me. A beautiful woman, that she was...

We went out for shopping when we needed a change. The price didnot matter to her ever. I just had to name it and I had it. Be it dress or sweets or toys or anything for that matter. They were no malls, just small shops and stores near our house. They were not branded ones either. She didnot care if what I asked for would last long or I got the right things for myself. What mattered to her was the happiness in fulfilling my heart's desire. A beautiful woman, that she was...

We brothers, sisters and cousins were many... but I felt as the chosen one who stood unique among the rest. Even my brother was not sharing the position that I owned so proudly. I felt the most pampered of the lot. She was my world and I was the centre of her universe. I was there completely drenched in her love. Even in my college times, she accompanied me till the bus stop and waited patiently till I boarded my bus. The morning sun or the cold winds or the battering rains didnot shake her determination in giving me her company. She found an excuse for herself, "Walking is good for my health", she said smilingly which showed a few gaps in her string of teeth. A beautiful woman, that she was...

When she was struck with diabetes, doctors advised her to stay away from sweets. She was a child, adament on not eating anything without sugar. She didnot budge to any of our threats or beggings or doctor's advice. She had her principle ready to rescue..."Even if it is for one day, let me live wholeheartedly. I donot want to live for 100 years sacrificing sweets!" Nothing would stop her from tasting (atleast that is what she said when she gobbled up 2 or 3 pieces!) every single sweet that we prepared or procured during some function at home, be it Ayudha pooja or Diwali. She stealthily goes into the kitchen in the night in search of the sweets freshly prepared that day. When caught redhanded, she begs not to let her trespassing made public! A real child, at her age... Her eyes sparkled everytime she passified us on letting her eat the stick icecream, that we passionately called 'Kulfi'. She said, "I know how to lookafter myself. The doctors know nothing!" She did live by her heart, no matter what others thought or even said! A beautiful woman, that she was...

She can tolerate any pain inflicted by her old age, but her major worry comprised of we children not having proper 'home'food. She can tolerate her blindness, but she cannot bear it when we suffered from simple fever. Everytime we visited her, my brother and I made it a point to leave her with some money that we had. Last time, I was there thrusting the lifeless notes into her weak palms. She said, "Do you have enough, my dear? I cannot save it for your future. Donot give me money. I'll spend all of it." I said earnestly, looking into her eyes, "If it is not for you to spend, it doesnot serve any other purpose, grandma!" She hugged me tight and impressed a kiss me on my cheek. I almost melted into her. The most beautiful woman, that she was...

DD & DD

I was nostalgic when I opened a mail my brother had sent me oflate. It was a forward of a movie-clip. Well, not exactly a 'movie'. It was a cartoon film by NCERT named "ek-anek-aur-ekhta". It was a return of my childhood for the next 7 minutes as I started playing that clip. Those days, some 15 years back, when 6.30am used to be too early and 9.00pm used to be too late... Those days when there was the unquestioned reign of the DD...no no not me, for a change;-) It's the DoorDarshan, the national channel I'm talking about. Memories started unfolding in my mind as I started travelling back in time to "those days".

Everyday, at 6am (I guess so!) the DD comes alive with a red ball of .... of mmm.... of something (someone knows what it is?) rotating in a black background, shaping itself into the DD logo with a typical slow music I can still feel ringing in my ears! Following suite is the "Vande Maataram" sung in beautiful female voice. There were days when I used to hopelessly try singing along and felt happy for whatever little bit I did succeed.

The TV was never cursed that time, may be bcos it held a restricted yet respectable position in our lives. It was a luxury to watch movies during weekends. I used to wait for fridays to watch "Oliyum OLiyum" and wednesdays for Chitrahaar. The daily news were a regular part of my daily lives. Shobana Ravi & Fatima Babu used to be my favorite Tamil news readers those days. There were a few days when my mom and I used to watch "World This Week" with Pranay Roy anchoring it. Talking of news, how can anybody forget the Urudu news and 'News for Hearing Imparied' telecast every Sunday afternoon? Hindi was always a welcome for me, with whatever little I understood that time. The rest of my family had a different (rather indifferent) opinion though! Nevertheless, I did manage to see few hindi movies and songs, not to forget the 'Ramayana' series and 'The Sword of Tipu Sultan'!

Ah...Sundays! They are really blessed days, I should say. Sundays were invariably tight scheduled for me, the He-Man was my hero then. I used to gape when he draws his sword and his companion tiger was not to be missed! The 'Goodmorning Disney' came to replace this legendary series... the Uncle Scrooge (excuse me with the spelling!)-the Miser and his $Dollar$ empire... the Launchpad character... the Ballu in Tailspin... Mowgli in Jungle book!! The very title-music of these cartoon series used to bind us tight to the TV... and I and my brother literally burried all our other priorities, be it the most obvious homework and studies to even food and play sometimes.

Apart from the mainstream entertainment, there were these cartoon snippets from NCERT based on some themes such as literacy, Unity in Diversity, Work to be Healthy, Saving trees and environment and what not! The very music and words in 'Suraj ek, Chanda ek, taare anekh' and 'Padna Likhna..' sticked to my mind and slipped through my lips! Those days were really blissful, when everything was in calculated quantities.

Now I get to see some 40 odd channels in cable connection, but never get that happiness I used to feel then! The same songs, same movies, same serials and programs repeating day and night... from channel to channel... I just landup surfing the channels rather than watching TV! The songs or movies or any other entertainment for that matter, has lost it's charm! Our greed to have fulltime entertainment has ultimately takenout the very magic of it. Sadly now,
TV has become an Idiot box! Or should we rephrase it as an Idiot's box?