At the Back of My Mind...

...Went to the paediatrician today - Rishi is complaining of weakness in his legs for quite some time now and of late, even in his hands. Though he does not give a minute's rest to either of them when he's awake, I think it troubles him in the night so we took him to the doc. He's asked us to do a blood test on Monday just to be assured and it's playing on my mind. Hope all turns out fine.

I don't like strangers who like to ask me too many personal questions but I keep meeting them every now and then. Now, I've got to tell you what happened when I went home last time, it was quite an adventure which could've turned out quite bad. I was supposed to catch the Friday train starting at 9 p.m from City station(I came to know later that it is 8:55). As usual, office held me up till 6:30 and by the time I reached home, ate and started for the station, it was 7:20. I was going alone with a real heavy bag and I knew it was going to be a close call. It started off badly with a mini jam right after I boarded the auto. When P called me up at 8:25 I was still at Richmond getting badly nervous and sticking my head so much outside the auto that the driver had to warn me. He also gave me a sermon on the pros of starting off early to which I could do nothing but meekly nod. My mind had already started thinking of the possible alternatives, if I could return safely back, facing an angry P... When I finally landed in front of the Railway station, it was 5 mins to 9. My platform being at the other end of the station, the driver offered to take me to the back gate which I never knew existed. Thankfully the traffic was kind and when I hurled myself towards the platform, it was 9. There was some confusion in locating the platform and when I pulled the weight and crossed over to it, I realized that the train was just leaving the station !! I managed to pull myself in line with the last coach(the official's) and shouted at him if I could get in. He asked me where I was going, paused for a second when I answered and said, "get in". I cried that I couldn't - the train was becoming faster now - he pulled my bag in and then I did the impossible - jumped into the running train! Ha! I was like a zombie for some time but when I regained my senses, figured that there was no link from there to the other parts of the train! The fears started setting in - what kind of a guy was this, what was I going to do if he turns out bad??? I think the guy(50 years may be) read my face plainly and said, "don't worry, you're like my daughter". Felt a bit better, especially after he kept repeating these words. Then he got to asking my life history, (including how much I earn and all that) told me so much of his and finally Mandya came. I had nothing to give him except for mangoes. Before leaving he smiled and asked me if it was my first experience of that kind and I was like, "of course,what do you think!!". I still can't believe that I actually reached my place that day!

Don't think I can continue on the biography now . I'm feeling like a big writer and I don't have the right mood today!

New Age...

All set to bid goodbye to twenties...When I think of thirties, I think of Shab and Lakshmi. I had once complained to Lakshmi that Shab tries to be very exact with her age, like saying 27 and a half instead of 28. I was 23 and a half then and didn't mind calling myself 24. Lakshmi had smiled and said, "people tend to do that when they are nearing thirties...". Hmm...it's alright with me I guess. I've had grey hair since I was 18 and I don't think I'll grow wiser...

SeeTaTTe gave us an unexpected visit today. Really a surprise visit. She had called up some time and all that but I never thought she would really want to visit us. Even now I think it's more for Aayi and Amma's sake that she came. Any case, it was nice to have her. Rishi started off with his old stories in no time, V and her husband came, we cooked some good food and it was nice. Got to inform Aayi tomorrow that we indeed touched her feet. I don't know why she thinks we don't even do that much. I would gladly do it to any elder actually...

Postponing the biography by yet another day. Otherwise I may not start my thirties with a fresh face!

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

Finally I have the broadband connection back and that too when I had almost given up on BSNL. I hate the way they advertize to get new customers and neglect their old ones. It's the same everywhere actually - don't these banks have different rates for old and new loans? "Tirupati Kshoura" we call it...

Anyways, what I want to do for the next some days is to write my biography as I remember it. I always have the habit of thinking of the past and thinking fondly of it most of the times. My present is not so bad I admit but it's not so happy either, I must say. I mean, there are worries here and there I constantly keep feeling unhappy about the monotony of my life though I just don't seem to have the energy to make it eventful. One bright spot of course is that I haven't given up yet. OK, so the point is that I should write about this past and make myself happy. Here I go...

I was born about 30 years ago in a small place in N.K, both my parents hailing from there though my father migrated to S.K in 1972 to be a teacher in a small place there(which I shall refer to as 'my place' henceforth). My mother recalls that day as having been the first rainy day of the year and it seems it rained very heavily. I used to be quite proud of this fact for no reason. My father is the eldest of his family and as is the trend, his parents weren't too pleased with a girl child. Then to compound the problem, there came the naming fiasco. I was expected to be named Maadevi(custom says that the first girl should be named after the grandmother and the boy after the grandfather) but after my mother's side relatives rejected it saying too old fashioned, was named something else. My grandma of course got very angry and for years never called me by my name, though I don't remember her having been unduly severe on me as such.

Little more on my parents today....My father has 3 siblings and all of them are settled at or around the native place. My father came through a lot of hardships which wasn't uncommon for many in his generation - studying against his father's wishes and finally getting a job as a Kannada teacher in my place at the age of 20. He was one of the first few to have come out of that place and there have been many after him. I've inherited quite a few things from him - fondness for stage,music,sports and nature, my nose, my early grey hair, my laziness, procrastination, I don't know what else...But I think he's ahead of me in all the aspects that I mentioned above!

My mother is the fifth of the seven siblings - 5 men and 3 ladies, mostly settled outside. Same struggle story there too, though because of lack of wherewithal. My grandpa was a poor teacher stuck in the court battles trying to recover his small property from tress passers. Children were hardworking and very united and with generous help from the well-to-do uncles, the sons came up quite well in life. Sisters were adored very well but I'm surprised that they actually gave my mother away in a not so well-to-do family. Must've fallen for my father's good nature which was given more importance in those days at least...

Enough for today I guess. A hard day's labour awaits me tomorrow and I'd better get some sleep....Goodnight!