Thatha, I miss you

Author: Anu Karthik / Labels: , ,

Jan 23rd 2010


Thatha, I miss you. It has been over two years that you are no more, but I think of you still as often. Sometimes I can't believe you are no more. Staying so far away I never saw at the end you and so have never found closure. I always have images of you alive and I am happy in a way to have you such in my memory.


For someone who has a very poor memory of her childhood, I have very distinct memories of my times with you. I remember you as a strict grandfather who chose to dote on his granddaughters in secret. I look back in awe how you traced out the abcs in beautiful cursive in the three ruled notebook and had me write over it. I owe my good handwriting to you. I remember our times at the temple every evening when you went to chant your vishnu sahasranamam, the time I lost my silver anklet while playing in the garden and you hid it after finding it and made me search in utter fear for a whole hour before giving it to me. I think back with fond memories how you took us to appu ghar when we visited you, bought me a ball and a doll in delhi not knowing hindi. I remember that we took dance and then singing because you wanted us to. It is a different story I excelled in neither at that time. 


Thatha, I remember with tears when you got the stroke and appa rushed to see you. Seeing you paralyzed was a shock as you have been more active than anyone I know. More than anything I think it killed you and appa that you lost your independence and freedom. It burns a little to think how you spent all those years just lying sometimes staring into space. That sharp mind of yours wasted. I remember hugging you and feeling you suddenly like a child next to me. Thatha, I miss you so much!


When I found out I was expecting Vrushab, next to sharing the news with Karthik and of course appa amma and anitha, I longed to tell you! I regret you never got to see him, to hold him in your arms, to have him feel your stubble, run his baby fingers on your bald head. He would have pulled your glasses surely, I know! I cry sometimes because I was never able to see the pride in your eyes, hear your laughter as I relate his antics to you. You must be watching him from above right?  He reminds me of you in more ways than you know and I think of you so much more. 


I envy all the people I know who have their grandparents alive. But I am at peace for not all know a grandfather like you.


4 comments

R.I.P. Phone

Author: Anu Karthik / Labels: ,

Jan 17th 2010


Time: September 2008, flashback


K: Anu, this is the best phone. It looks really good. See how it is sleek and thin and will serve you well. Now you take this and I will take the Samsung Glyde. 


This is how Mr. K cheated me into getting this dumb phone (Gleam something it was). This was a little over a year and a half ago.


Time: Jan 10th 2010, present


A: Appa, yeah I am just getting dinner and lunch for tomorrow ready, packing our lunch boxes. It is back to work tomorrow.
Apps ( K's dad): What is kuttu doing? Give the phone to him.
V: Baa Baa Bu. Um? Ummmm... Kaput!


[He threw the phone into hot milk that I had left on the counter for cooling for purposes of orakuthufying. So much for that].


Apps ( K's dad): Hello Kuttu, enna panre..blub blub blub....


And I watched in dismay as my phone and what little gleam left it in drowned in the hot milk. I tried to retrieve it and in the process burned my fingers [the milk was hot] remember? 


After drying and leaving in a rice bag for a couple of days, it powers up, oh yeah! But starts calling people on its own and gets voice activated and I hear " Say a command".


I did say somethings you don't want to hear and buried it and my anger at the father and the son who joint handedly left me phoneless :(





4 comments

Information & Blog Overload

Author: Anu Karthik / Labels: , ,

Nov 30th 2009

Have you ever tried to look up something on google, only to be returned with 35,000 search results? The one time I don't mind that is when I look myself up :) It is a different story that only 10 of those search results pertain to me, but who is counting. And the one time I absolutely hate it is when I am looking up a recipe. C'mon really how many ways can there be to make a simple daal or a sabji?

But then I can just pick the first recipe I feel reasonable and go on. But noooooooo. I have to read at least 10 to make sure I have the best recipe possible and have not missed any *secret* ingredient. Just like women, who have to check out the sarees in all the stores in the surrounding area before they come back to the very first store and pick the very first saree that caught their eye. Easier if we did that in the first place right :P But then if we did not look *thoroughly* how can we be assured that that one is the absolute best? Something men will never understand.

Back to the point, and then in the process of this recipe lookup, I stumble upon some blogs that are just amazing. I need to swoon looking at the template and in some cases the photos of the food, and in many many cases at the passion and zeal with which many of these people maintain their blogs. Preconceived notion again, when I see a simply amazing blog that is well updated, in my mind I make this excuse "This person surely must be working on this full time, and not work outside the house, maybe does not have kids, or else how come?". And how I am proved wrong again and again. Many of them are working full time with more than one kid and do this as a hobby to my wonder. The factors I sometimes use in my life as excuses, fuel these individuals to do more! It just means, 24 hrs is all everyone got - what you do with yours and what ranks high up the priority list, is your call!

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