Onam News..!

Gadget shopping, when the festival discounts are at a full swing is a great idea. It turns out to be even more exciting when it is raining heavily outside, the credit card machine doesn’t work and one has to run in the rain to withdraw the amount from the ATM. I rush out of the ATM with the withdrawn amount, having Papa waiting outside and he notices me carrying the money in my hand in exactly the same way as it had come out of the machine. The whole series of affairs is at its peak of glory when I have to put his handkerchief (which is nearly close to the dimensions of a bead spread) on my head (I know it doesn’t help, but I do it for Papa) when it’s raining cats and dogs, the way we can’t see each other, but I still can make out each and every word of Papa on how to fold money safely after coming out of an ATM and not provoke onlookers in the queue, as it is a bad, bad world.

Back home, it’s a cozy, happy Onam with Papa, Mummy and Ammamma (grand mother). Papa is still on the ‘dispersing wisdom ‘ mode.

Papa: “You should practice to drink tea or coffee. Wherever you go, you will be offered either of these, and you shouldn’t be fussy and ask for juice or horlicks”

Me: *STARE*

Papa: “why cant you drink TEA like everyone else” GRR

Me: “‘ Why cant everyone else drink Horlicks ?”

The conversation ends there, and Ammamma laughs away hysterically, totally unaware of the fact that we all know that she drinks Junior Horlicks 1-2-3.

Back to office,and Onam celebrations back home gets into the pages of graceful yet painful memories as the claws of nostalgia firms its grip hard on me, so much that inspite of work piling in my bucket, I manage to sneak out of office and go home just to sleep on the couch. The frequency of STD calls to home are aggressively high and the bills are alarming. I guess Papa is partially true when he says that Airtel survives just because of me. I never take a look at my watch when I make a call to home or friends, because even during financially tough times, I think time spent for relationships which are priceless should not be measured.

Onam was special this time, as I had my grandma accompany us to our home, when we went to visit her. I persuaded her to come with us, and she did. Her face is still the perfect circle, the reason why we used to assume that she is the daughter of the then ‘Circle’ Inspector, (stale joke I know), and she gets softer each time. Her culinary expertise is phenomenal that even water is tasty if she boils it. I might be the mark of disgrace to the family in this area, as my mom and sister have invariably inherited the great culinary skills of my grandma.
I am glad Papa has not tasted any of my dishes, as once he tastes it he will cut my side of the branch from the family tree.

That’s all this time :). Have a nice weekend, folks!