29days of happiness

Father’s in general will be happy to be with their daughter’s at any period of time for which I am not an exception. I was expecting anxiously the arrival of my daughter and  granddaughter on December 25th 2009. The expected day came and my joy knew no bounds when I saw them at about 1.30pm on day 25th. I had my food with them as soon as they arrived and after taking rest for about two hours got ourselves ready for a  drama in the evening. We could not see the entire drama as my granddaughter was feeling sleepy and returned home early. Daughter had  lot of plans during her trip to India and one such was a trip to south and we set ourselves ready for the trip. We started on 3rd of January2010 to the places of interest in south India and the company I had with my daughter and my grand daughter was one of the happiest moments of my life. Their charming look and their affection towards me carried me to extreme happiness which I will never forget in my life. The days will be remembered forever. We returned to our home on 6th of January2010. I was counting the days of their return and when the day arrived I felt I was left alone in this world. I should thank God I have three beautiful daughter’s who are always with me to give their true affection. I have not regretted on any day that I have no son, but on the contrary I am always proud of having such wonderful daughter’s who care for me everyday in their life. I must only thank God that he has given me such good looking and affectionate daughter’s. This is from my heart and is no exaggeration. The day of their departure shook me and I felt as though I was left alone in this world. The question of permanantly living  with all of them is out of my proportions since all of them are settled comfortably abroad and I can only dream of doing that. As long as I live I will always think about them and their childhood memories will be always in my heart. One day I have to leave all of them and that makes me sad.

All IN Smiles

I am now exited about Lalitha’s  back to normal and happy to note that she is burstling with activities once again.The energy she lost  about three weeks back is regained and the fear in my mind is complety vanished.I would like to see her this way than keeping herself in the bed and worrying about her children.I am also a relaxed person now and  I understand that I have to coperate with her in all her deeds.But the one thing I cannot compete with her is going out often for shopping which I can’t.My nature is such that I want to be at home always sitting on the computer or watching the cricket matches that are going through out the world.It is my passion.I see her now beautifully dressed and going for the music performances and to the temples and most of the time talking to her dear friends and relatives.I cannot bear the tension when she is sick and I want to see her in future too that she should be always happy with no health hazards.Hope god will give her more strength to carry on with the same vigour in the years to come.The happiness is seen in her face when she talk to her daughters is a scene to be watched.

sigh of relief

What a terrible time when one gets his betterhalf inactive for a couple of days and to see her back home was a great relief.The lonelyness for a couple of days without her actions at home made me crazy.I was like a mad man running around here and there with a lot of anxiety. All these years I have not come across this sort of a tension and it was absoutely new to me.My daughters repetedly asking me about her welfare and I can understand their feelings since they are far away from us and unable to extend their help at the time of crisis.All through her life she was worried about her children welfare and when she fell sick she was a bit upset.All my daughters used to ask me whether I took her for a blood test I was telling them it is not so serious since I took her to a local doctor who prescribed some medicines and said she will be ok.But when it went beyond my control I immediately decided to take her to the hospital and it was a right move at the right time.Anyway everything went on fine after she was admitted in the hospital and the relief a husband gets cannot be expressed in words.I am in great relief now to see that my wife is active once again and the smile in her face make me happy.Today she told me that she wants to go to the music festival in chettinad hall  and rang up to her Doctor asking his permission.When the doctor said that she can go she presented a big smile at me and left home beautifully dressed.It was a wonderful sight to see  happiness in her face which any husband will like to see.She should live long and continue to support me in life and so too  her children.The brightness in her face make me happy and I feel that I should give my support to her in the years to come.

great shock

In between my life history I am now in great shock to find my dear wife is unwell for the past one week and I do not know how to express my feelings.For the past 41 years she had been a tower of strength to me and now to see her inactive for the past ten days really shaken me.She was always my very good companion in life and to see her loosing her health and keeping herself always in the bed without doing her usual routine of taking care of my health and feeding me with utmost care.I do not know how to express my feelings since she is admitted in the hospital with her health problems.She is the person who goes for help to everybody in our family and always worried about her children’s welfare.Such a person was unable to talk properly when her loving children wanted to know about her health.She was keeping the phone in her ears,but could not answer them properly.The children whom she loved so much was very much shocked to see this kind of action from her.I am really upset and feel my inability to give back whatever she had done for me over the years.Since my children are far away and cannot leave their family to come and help her at this hour of crisis.When I was having health problems in my life she stood strong and was ready to face any situations,but on the contrary I feel that I am not up to her standards.Yet as a husband what all I can do for her,I have done with utmost sincerity.I Have been very affectionate with her during her sickeness and I tried my level best to see her happy.I  pray to god that she will come home from the hospital and once again start her regular routine which I am sure she will.Today  leaving her in the hospital and after coming back home I feel the  absence of her which I am unable to bear.I wish she will have a speedy recovery and come back home with more strength and continue her usual routine.

Exams&Sports

University exams were expected  by the first week of March in my second year B.Sc in which I had to write only my subsidary subject (Statistics) and my language paper in Tamil.Statistics was a very tough one,but I had no difficulty in encountering the paper.When all  my friends were finding the paper tough,but I had  no difficulty in doing the exams.Next one was the language (Tamil) and I did it with extreme pleasure.At the end of the exams all my friends from the college had a get together in a nearby hotel spending our time happily.We went to a picture “Kadhalikka Neramillai”enjoying the whole show.After the exams we had  holidays for two months and only in the month of june the college will reopen for the next academnic year.I was happy that atleast in my holidays I can go for the cricket matches conducted by the Tamilnadu cricket Association.I was wrong in my thinking.I had a good cricket bat autographed by one Tamilnadu state player “Chakravarthy”.It was a good bat and the cost of the bat in those days was Rs75/-.It was gifted to me by one of my friends  and whenever I go for matches I used to take the bat for my personal use though the team will supply me bat for the match.But the bat Iwas owning was a lucky one and used to score a lot of runs with the bat.During my initial stages I was a good batsman and later I was transformed in to a opening bowler by my captain.We had a match  during the week end and when I wanted to go for the match but to my surprise I could not find the bat.I was in a hurry to go for the match and I decided that I will use the team bat.I went to the match and did not fare well with the bat I got from the team.I was a dissappointed man.It came to my knowledge after six months that the man responsible for the dissapperance of the bat was none other than my dear dad.He was hating sports to such an extent that he did not want me to go for the match.He was always making me to study and not allowing me to any of my other activities.When on one day I went to the top of the terrace of my house I found my bat broken to pieces and on seeing that I was in tears.What sort of encouragement I had in those days still lingering in my mind.

Days at Vivekananda

Mathematics section at Vivekananda is notorius for fun and every Monday one of our friends should bring idly&vadai from the hotel for the other friends to eat while the class is going on.Myself& all my friends always occupy the back bench and while the classes are on we used to take our refreshments.On one such occasion our lecturer has found out that this sort of activities were going on during the session and he took me and my friends to the principals room and gave a report about the matter.The principal suspended all the boys including me for two days and the management wanted a letter from the respective parents to allow us to the college once again.I had to inform my father about this and with a lot of shoutings and beatings from my father I finally got the letter and was readmitted in to the college once again.It was fun altogether and we did not kept quiet and again we started giving a lot of problems to the mathematics section.Usually in our section our lecturers used to wear only panchagatcham and on seeing a lecturer wearing the same without an undergarment we all the boys collected money for purchasing an undergarment for him.When we were collecting the money the lecturer saw us and questioned what we are doing during the class and one of my friends said that we are collecting money for the purpose of getting him an undergarment.He got wild and the entire class was summoned before the principal.But the principal who suspended us previously was changed and another man was in charge of the college.He was timid man by nature and on seeing all the boys in his room he was afraid and he politely told all the boys not to repeat these kind of activities once again and we escaped from the punishment.Again on one such occasion when one of our lecturer was harsh with us we wanted to pay him back.In the evening he used to play badminton along with the boys and we asked one of our friend to give him a shot in his eye so that he cannot take his class on the next day.The instruction were carried out meticulously by our friend and next day he was not seen in the college because of a sore eye.We take pleasure in doing all sorts of activities ane yet carrying on without any punishment.All the lecturers were furious with us and when the selection for the university exams came they prepared the question papers very tough so that we cannot get through the exams.We know very well that this will happen and hence we bribed the college peon to get the question papers and we all scored more than 80% in all the subjects and the question of detaining us from the exams was also lost.Lecturers do not know what to do with us and we all were selected for the university exams.The exams were supposed to be in March and we were preparing well for the exams.A lecturer of calculus department was almost under retirement stage and one day we wrote in the blackboard that Mr.Srinivasaraghavan is bitten by snake and he will not come to the college since his condition is critical.The college authoriteis were worried but was surprised to see him in the college in the next two hours since he missed the train and was late to the college.Such sort of incidents were going on in the college and finally we had to face the uni exams in a couple of months.We were all geared up for the exams.

Days at Vivekananda

The days I spent in Vivekananda college are green in my memory since I had a lot of friends and they gave me a wonderful company.The three years I spent in the college was really fantastic.Everyday morning we used to assemble under a tree in the college befor the bell rings and discuss various subjects right from cricket and the girls studying in Queen Mary’s college and Ethiraj college.On certain days my friends use to follow the girls of their choice and compell me to come along  with them.But to be honest I have never gone with them on any day since I don’t like these sort of activities in my younger life.I generally give respect to the opposite sex and hence bluntly refuse to go with them whenever they invite me.My priority in the evenings after the college will be to go to the play ground and play cricket or Hockey.Hockey was my first love and I captained the college unofficial team.Then I took special interest in cricket and started playing in the evening everyday.Mathematics department had a number of sportsman too.We used to win in all interdepartmental sports activities.college life going on smoothly when the final year exams was about to start.When I thought of leaving my friends after the university exams made me feel sad once again.

A good friend in my life

The place I lived with my father in Mandavelli was situated in NO:34,West circular road  where I had the association for 11 long years and I cannot the forget the memories I had in that small outhouse.Dhandapani was my very good friend and I was really happy to have a good friend like him in my life.He was my friend,philosopher and guide.He moved with me so closely as a brother and was ready to give me advises whenever I needed his help.His parents were treating me as their own son.His father Mr.venkatraman was a manager in a shipping corporation and was a nice gentleman.He used to talk me endlessly and liked me very much.His mother was really a very affectionate lady always asking me to take my food in their home.I had my memorable days with them and whenever they asked me to take food in their house.Iused to save my hotel meals ticket since my father used to check whether I have taken my food in the hotel.That is the reason I used to preserve my tickets and I invite my friends to the hotel to have dinner with me with the tickets I have preserved.Dhandapani also used to come to my hotel to have dinner with me sometimes.But most of the time I used to take one of my friend Rajaraman who is very fond of taking food in the hotel and he used to love the food.Thereby I can just get relieved whenever my father check my meals coupon.Rajaraman is in california now in San fransisco and recently I got his aquiantance once again after 41years through my cousin who also lives in USA.My cousin’s daughter is married to rajaraman’s son and during the marriage my cousin in his talks with him told him that I am a good cricket player and referred my name to him and he immediately replied him that we played together in the same team.Next day I got a mail from him and our contacts once again renewed.Dhandapani later left Vivekananda college and joined in a chemiacal factory in Ennore.Life in West circular Road was a happy one and I once again started playing cricket for a team in Tamilnadu cricekt associaton league and Dhandapani was also playing for our team.I was a leading bowler for the team and our captain was a fanatastic cricketeer with  qualities of true leader.He was a very good leader with a lot of strategies and under his leadership we won a lot of matches.He was a man of character and never allow any member of the team to go beyond their limits.My dad was absolutely against my cricketing activities,but somehow I was managing to play without his knowledge.He used to ask my friend Dhandapani sometimes about where I have gone on sunday for which Dhandu as we call affectionately,will not give him a proper answer.He used to save me a lot of time by saying that he did not know where I went.Even the family members of dhandu used to save me in that matter from my dad.My dad used to engage me in giving home works in Mathematics and as I told you earlier that the jobe will be half done.I used to get a lot of shoutings from him but I go in the same way as I used to be.We were just like room mates and and generally we don’t talk to each other.our mode of conversation  will be in the form of a balckboard where I will write something and he will read and he will also write something an I will read and do whatever he says.He used to complain about me to Dhandapani’s dad that I am not studying properly and dhandu’s dad in reply will tell him that boys should be handled with care.By shouting at anybody nothing will work out.Our exams were in the corner and I did not do well to the satisfaction of my dad.I got only B+ and was aiming to do Economics in Bachelors and then do post graduate.But again I had a problem and he wanted me to do BSC(Maths) and he said if I want to do Economics then he will not help me finacially and said you do whatever you like and I will not fund you for the course.I had to obey and that is how I became a Maths graduate.And I joined in the same college taking Maths as my subject with no sort of interest in the subject.The days were rolling and I had a lot of happenings in my life once agian.

Outhouse

After leaving my grandparents and settled in a small house called outhouse those days.The rent my dad was paying those days was only Rs45/-per month and it had a fairly a decent room and a small kithchen.We had a separate bathroom and a toilet.WE used to buy a cup of milk everyday for our morning coffee and the rest of our breakfast,Lunch&dinner in a hotel.The main house was occupied by a yelderly man having two daughters and two sons.One of his son was a demonstrator in chemistry department in vivekananda college where I was studying preuniversity course.His name was Dhandapani and it was a coincidence that I got his friendship.One morning when I went to get water for my bath I fell down and I was unable to get up from the floor.I had to take somebody’s help and when Mr.Dhandapani saw me lying on the floor he helped me and he took me inside his house and gave me a cup of coffee and after talking to them for a couple of minutes I returned to my outhouse.We became great friends from that day onwards and I used to call him Sir when I see him in the college and when he comes back home call him by name.We became so close that his parents used to treat me as their son and two of his sisters also treated me as their own brother.My associaton with them continued and we used to go for pictures and go to the beach nearby.Most of the time I used to spend my time with them and Dhandapani’s father was very much attached towards me.Taking pity on me that I don’t have a mother they used to shower their love towards me and most of the days I used to have dinner in their house.I settled comfortably in that outhouse and regular with the college activities.Time was passing on—–

Restrictions ease

After my brother’s passing away there were a lot of restrictions for me.Iwas not allowed to go anywhere for sometime and my dad was very strict in allowing me anywhere outside.I was confined to be at home and most of the time my dad use to give me some home work in mathematics which I should finish before he comes from the office.The home work load was heavy and I was not able to do it in time.I used to do only 75% of the home work and when my dad returns from the office he use to call me to come with the books.When he sees that I have not done my work fully I used to get beatings from him.Because of that I used to be reluctant in finishing my homework whenever he gives me and I was ready to get whatever punishment I was supposed to get.I was not afraid of anything and it made me to take life casual.Grandma and grandpa were always by the side of me to save me from beatings from my dad.The restrictions I had, slowly eased and I was allowed carry on in my own way.The results of my academic field was below par,and when I reached my final year in the school the marks I got in the 12th standard exams was average and I could get only 56% which was in those days relatively a good performance.60% marks will be  an achievement in the final year in the school.My uncle got 65% a few years earlier and he got his admission in to the Christian college Tambaram.It was a very good college in those days.

It was time for me to leave my grand parents since my father wanted to come out of Tambaram and put me in to a college in the city. Leaving of my grandparents was a great blow to me since my grandma was very much attached to me and to leave her made me mad.But since she was very old my dad did not want to give her problems in staying with her.I left Tambaram with tears  and missing my grandparents pained me very much.I got my admission for preuniversity course in Vivekananda college Chennai.My dad took a room in Mandavali.It was an outhouse and we took occupation of the house in 29th May 1957.I started my college in the month of june 1957.To go the college I had a cycle and I had a lot of friends in the college.We started taking food in a hotel near Mylapore.Kalyani hotel was famous for homely food.Life was going on and I had a very good time in the college with lot of friends.Slowly and steadily I was able cope up in the absence of my grandparents.I used to phone them up regularly and talk with them.Life was going on smooth and I had a good time with lot of friends.