The 'Antony' Legend...

A little part of me died today. A little part of me…but large part of my childhood memories. Antony - my much celebrated ‘Butler’ passed away this morning. It’s hard to articulate what I am feeling right now - sad, distant and a constant rush of memories - precious ones!

Why all this fuss? For your domestic help? (A “Butler" isn’t a commonplace term I have come to realize and has a certain level of unfortunate snob attached to it) Well, for one - he was family or maybe even closer. When someone has watched you from the time you were a little girl or waited eagerly to get a first glimpse of the guy you want to get married to and celebrate and mourn all the joys and sorrows in between - aren’t they family? 

One last call will never be good enough! He used to call me every Sunday after I got married- to check on me, find out if I was eating, had slept enough and was taking care of my health. He didn’t call me this Sunday and a fleeting thought passed through my head, and I made a mental note to call him and find out - but never did. And I will regret that all my life. 

I know he’s gone up there to make heaven a more delightful, organized and tastier place! Coz that’s just the sort of thing Antony would do. I feel blessed that our family had the chance to have such a long association with him. He was quite an extra-ordinary personality -from making the world’s best Apple Pie to the only person I have ever known to have made homemade ‘cookies’ for our very priviledged dogs - he always made sure our fussy tummies found their delight (be it for the two-legged creatures or the four-legged ones). He was truly our Mr. Jeeves - he would know how to fix a tough stain, know why certain bugs came at a certain time, predict the weather, know the best spot for the gebras and chrysanthemums, tuck in the most perfect bed or even discuss politics! 

He’s helped us pack our boarding school ‘tuck’ (I bet some courier companies would have benefited from learning his ways), shown us the true meaning and magic of a warm chicken soup, taught us to train a dog (read dragon) and helped draw our attention to the smaller, more joyful things in life - a lady bug, a carefully nurtured baby apple/peach in the garden, the squirrel's nest, a perfectly baked cake, the true ‘aroma’ of freshly baked cookies et all. 

He saw through it all - the crankiness, the wailing me, the fussy eater, the times I used to secretly feed Tuffy half my food, the times I have acted brave about going to boarding school but cried inside the bathroom, hated some company and so used the oven warmth as an excuse to avoid going to the sitting room. He saw it all, knew it all - but never intruded. He played the silent, strong rock! 

I will miss you Antony. The last image I have of you waving Goodbye while we left Munnar is a physically frail you, but a strong-willed personality inside. You have been an experience  - one that no one else will understand. You have and will always be a critical part of our lives.  The Antony Legend will live on... through the stories you left behind, the fond memories and the learnings! 

I know you will meet Tuffy up there (yay)- and that 2 of my fav people will be watching over! 

RIP

To Susy, With Love

For the amount of time we spend together - talking, bullying each other, eating, driving around, grumbling, watching good ol' mal slap stick comedy and just about most of our daily chores (and because you're one of my closest, most awesome friends,) I thought it would be befitting to dedicate this post to you! 

Happy Birthday Susy!! I am trying to not make an obvious hint at how old/young you turn today (so my non-existent readership don't know your real age - I hear it's rude to disclose the age and jazz). However, here are 26 reasons that make you so special! (Had to restrict it to 26 to make it significant) 

1. You were (and still are) bravely commissioned as my Co-Pilot! Without the wink of an eye, you hopped onto Mustang, didn't even put on the seat belt until I insisted and asked me to drive along! The confidence you showed, the motivation and the constant reassurance in me and Mustang is heart-warming! We've come a long way from chanting Gayatri Mantras, exploring the villages of Malakpet, abusing the auto-driver villans to even singing together peacefully and trying stunts near Novotel - it's been one fun drive! :)
2. I have always killed my friends with my stories. But, you listen to my work stories so much, and feel it so much -  you even dream of my work and my managers! 
3. You let me cook new dishes and so cutely watch over my shoulder (with a stool sometimes) to see if I am doing the right thing.
4. The days I try super hard to laugh a lot, talk non-stop and play the fool - when the rest of the world thinks I am snap happy - one look and you ask me what's wrong! (There's just one other person who can do that and unfortunately, he's trying his hand at an MBA in a far away land!) 
5. You can look me in the eye and ask me those difficult/awkward questions!! (Ones that have helped me make major life decisions!)
6. It's easy for me to explain stuff to you. You understand my biiiig complicated family tree! :) (including what I refer to each one of them as)
7. I feel reassured with you around when I am feeling hill! :) :) 
8. Moti Chur ladus, Dairy Milk Silk, a nicely done closet and some light showers is all it takes to get a big wide grin on your face! 
9. When I am excited, make a funny sound, speak in jumbled, broken sentences and say 'you know what I mean'? You know exactly what I mean!! (Poor you!)
10. Your stories are as boring as mine! You give me competition!! (Insert evil laughter - Bwahaha!) 
11. You humor me by listening to (and believing) my zillion gut feelings - about your wedding, about the weather, about the traffic, about Ankesh going to Mohali et all
12. "Parbath", "happy deny", 'air traffic control", "hmmm", "I'll kill him" - individually mentioned, all make perfect sense to us! 
13. Tickling and bullying you makes me eye-sparkling happy! And even in my lowest lows, doing that and getting you to react gives me sadistic pleasure! 
14. Sometimes, when I am sad and not feeling nice - by just being there and sharing that silence - perfect! 
15. You make me a shopaholic!!! ('Aswathy, drop what you're doing and come here right now - I have found you the perfect wedges!)
16. Deva Sneham - you know that song!!! And sing it like a tape recorder every time (well, most times) I ask you to! <Hugs!>
17. I absolutely love the way you glare at someone when I ask you to! With so much dedication and conviction! (Even without asking me for the reason!!) 
18. You're a "I am who I am" person and you're God Damn proud of it! No show! No frills!  <Respect>
19. You anticipate the times I am going to chinigyfy and do little things to ensure that I am fine!! (like when I am back from Mohali, after I put down the phone after a certain-kinda conversation etc)
20. We share cough syrup! :) :) (and you share the same excitement towards it)
21. You have officially taken up the post of my eye make-up artist, fashion advisor, mirror and critique! (and you do a fabulous job of it!)
22. In so, so, so, so many ways, you remind me of Ges and My Mom (together!) 
23. There's no one else in the world who can so patiently and neatly drape a sari for me the way you do! (Considering the fuss I make and how un-corporative I can be!)
24. If I want to stand in front of the mirror, wear my heels on, put the ferry lights on around the dresser, and comb my hair - you understand it perfectly well! (and don't question it)
25. On a cranky day, you humor me and read out jokes for me! Not one, not two - but at least 15 of them (haha!) including the ones with an image and a joke below it!!

    25.5. You're the only one in the world you calls me Aswa!! (and gets away with it) 

    26.  Because you're a mad one, just like me! We can sing (bray) together, laugh uncontrollably for hours, talk every night like we're long lost friends, do funny Bharatnatyam steps in a funny half-sari in the middle of the night and still wake up in the morning and appear sane to the world! 

Here's to all the good times so far and looking forward to the superbly exciting years ahead of us! I know I annoy you like crazy Susy Q and I understand completely the times when you want to run away! But unfortunately, you're a special one and so you're here to stay!! All I have to say is  - you can run, you can hide, but you can't escape the chingyfying and tickling! It's here to stay! :)

This one's for you Susy, with all my love! :) Happy Birthday! 

For All the Right Reasons

Today happens to be  a Monday, and quite an ordinary one I must say! It isn't a short week (no holidays..Bah!), nothing I am particularly looking forward to and nothing I am dreading either. However, something about today seems different.

I think consciously or unconsciously, I am beginning to re-vision my perspective about a lot of things. And for all the right reasons!

Today, I feel nice. I feel humbled. I feel petrified.

Story 1:

Two of my really close friends finally won the battle many of us fought. They saw through the many long (and sometimes baseless) astrology discussions, swam past the ocean of tears shed, fought the fleeting and most annoying "clarity issues", kept their heads high above the cultural differences yet kept their feet firmly on the ground when it came to respecting their own. I am in all honesty at a loss for words.

There's this big huge lump in my heart that's travelling up, and don't get me wrong..it's a good lump. One that makes you so happy that you can't say much but quietly let a baby tear slide away.

N and D, I am really happy for you guys and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for showing that patience is a virtue and great job on going through this entire phase so gracefully! Big Big Big Hug!

I have my fingers crossed and I am not uncrossing it yet (if there's such a thing), because like I have always been told (by N, of course)..that "It's not over until the Fat Lady Sings".

Story 2:

Lini's back! After her wedding and guess what!? She's back with a skip in her step and a spark in her eye. Well, yes, she refers to herself as Lavanya now...but, what the hell..as long as the spark doesn't fade away, I am glad!

From being the perfect bride (I mean it) to effortlessly handling the many saris, rituals and people, she was a real beautiful sight to watch at her wedding.

I always told everyone around me that I can't believe that she's married. I saw her today, heard her stories, laughed with her, pulled her leg, made others pull her leg, watched her lick the last grain of curd rice on her plate ... and you know what, I CAN believe she's married and I CAN believe she's happily married to the husband! I mean, I can't imagine it being any other way!

Lavanya, I am happy for you..like heart-warming happy! Be prepared to be the "Guide" when the rest of us come to you to ask how you managed to be so "beautifully" detached and involved at the same time. My theory is that good things happen to good people, but I am all ears for any other gyan as well.

Here's to more love, laughter and happily ever afters!!

Every time I hear of the trouble and the pain that other friends go through, or sometimes think of the mess I go through myself, I always think that all of the pain and sweat would be worth it if it can make someone else (someone I know of course) happy. I am always looking out for that someone, so I can smile to myself and know that universe is trying and not conspiring!

You both (L and N) have given me a big, giant serving of that belief! Congrats! You guys have featured in my daily dose of gratitude that I send to the Big Dude up there!

Belief and Faith Reinstated!

Me

True Story (Sigh!)

Hmph!

Bah!

Life Lesson #1 - There's No Place Like Home!

Life is full of lessons, but the most important ones are the ones we learn when we are least expecting it! The best lessons to me are not the ones that are taught, but the ones that are experienced instead. 


The clock just struck 1:40AM as I sat down to write to this post. (ok fine, figuratively, it "struck", I just looked at my laptop screen to check out the real time). Today has been very interesting, right from the time I woke up. 


I retired to bed late last night (read 3:00 AM). We hosted a dinner at home and had our favourite people come over. As always, it was fun - Mansion House, Singing, Cooking, Mojito's, "Iron Nail" episode and the dogs being the highlight! 


I woke up at 7:30 - bright eyed, excited and looking forward to meeting family at Cochin. Achan Amma, Sree Mama, Kanchana Ammai and I are all set to go to Singapore for a family holiday! (Thrilled to bits! ;D)


Ankesh and Cyrus landed up at my place at 9:00 as promised and we headed out to Ofen for a quick breakfast after which Ankesh & Mustang graciously dropped me off at the airport! 


Mini lessons learnt here:

• Waking up early on a Sunday Morning is not bad at all. It's kinda fun on the contrary
• Iced Tea after an entire bottle of neat Mansion House - Bad Idea 
• 2 cups of awesome Hot Chocolate can make up for not-so-great breakfast
• It is possible to talk non-stop for an hour (even when you are running on few hours of sleep) and still manage to keep the person driving awake. Ask Ankesh - he'll vouch for it

Anyways, (I have drifted enough already)..coming back to the story. I landed up in Cochin International Airport at 1:30PM...The following are the events over the course the day and some of the biggest life lessons I have learnt.

13:40 hrs: Greeted at the airport by beaming Achan and Amma. That look on their faces (as well as mine) - priceless!

13:40 - 14:30: Some more non-stop talking in the car. Topics covered: Shopping Expeditions, Pongal Dinner, Packing Plans, Chat's Goa trip, random hoardings, jumping a signal and consequences, humid weather etc

14:30 - 15:30: Lunch and Malayalam Movie at home! Felt like heaven! 

15:30 - 16:00: Ma and Me gossip time! ;) Quickly exchanged news, stories, updates and other interesting tid bits.

16:00 - 17:30: Slept like a baby! (With dreams as random as "calf-muscles)

17:45 - 19:00: Randomness. Driving, arguing, phone calls, blouse shopping, opinions, stronger opinions etc

19:10: Land at Velliachan and Velliachetan's place (They are home alone coz Veliamma s in Mumbai for 2 weeks)

19:15 - 21:30: Achan and Velliachan decide that it's ok to drink because I can drive back home. Didn't even realize that I spent 2 hours laughing away at old stories, going through photographs, getting advice, giving advice, arguing about maintenance costs in the city, discussing movies, politics and family (of course) secretly stepping out with Velliachetan for a quick drive and alone time.

Achan and Velliachan are in "High-Spirits" by now!

21:30 - 22:15: Dinner time around the table! 

22:20: Bye-Bye's and GoodNight!

Technically, the night would have ended here! But, Velliachan and Velliachetan decide that since I am in town, it's time to celebrate - The whole gang decides to drive, pick up loads of ice cream and wake Sree Mama and Kanchana Ammai up! 

22:30: Velliachetan and Velliachan drive in front. I follow closely behind with Achan and Amma (driving the Verna in Cochin's fun!)

22:35: Fast Fast stop and pick up 2 big boxes of ice-cream

22:45: Arrive at Sree Mama and Kanchana Ammai's place

22:46: Surprise!! (It was so much fun!)

22:50 - 00:00: Achan, Velliachan and Sree Mama decide to have one more drink (to give the ice-cream company). The rest of us have just the ice-cream coupled with arguments about the family, fraternities, entrance exams, yester-years, exchange rates and the like! 

00:05: Planning for the next day. Bye Bye's  and Good Nights (For Real this time!)

00:15: Back home after an awesome drive back and an even more awesome day! 

Important Lessons Learnt Today (about the family):

1. Laziness is the middle name of everyone in the "Maharaj" family; and you know what, we are God Damn Proud of it! We work hard in our respective offices, some of us even wake up at 4:00 AM and jog (for the last 30 years)...but when we are at home..and have our legs stretched out.. We are lazy, plain lazy! 

2. We don't listen to instructions too well and we don't like to either!!

3. We love healthy discussions about life, politics, the society and religion! To put it simply, We all love to argue. But what we love the most, is to argue when we have NO clue what we are talking about!

(Quotable Quotes from a discussion today:)

"Language is not a mode of communication, it's a mode of thought!", 

"Let's start a scam!"

4. No one I ever get married to is going to be "good enough" for Achan, Chetan, Velliachetan and Sree Mama. Accept it. Fact of life. (Was told to me very seriously)

5. No one in the world loves you as much as these people do. Be it the ice-cream celebration, the extra peg they all have in your honour, the sparkle in the eye, the beans poriyal and prawns fry, the never-ending advice or the endless bullying - All of it makes every minute with family a treat! 

4. We are the MAD ones and we stand testimony to Jack Kerouac's famous Quote 

"the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!"

5. And finally, there's no one like family and there's no place like home! You gotsta love 'em.  

(True Story!) 

@God: Thanks for the Madness!

Ever grateful. Thank You! 

Can't wait for tomorrow! Sleepy & Exhausted, but Excited Nonetheless! 

Ta.

Happy Birthday Cha! :)

Happy Birthday Cha! This one's for being the coolest, super fun,  most good-looking, most supportive, and most huggable and 'hand-holdable' person in the whole world!

                    Here's to your spirited self and your ever-youthful attitude! Happy Birthday!