 |
A Recent photo of Lakshmi Akka and me taken against the backdrop of the house by its present owner |
Circa 1968- Three little girls in Grandpa KVG' s house in a small lane in Malleswaram, Bangalore were innocently playing a game of a Russian witch Baba Yaga threatening hapless humans in her clutch.Lakshmi was the Ring Leader playing the Witch.....me an obedient follower trailed by the youngest of the trio...little Nandini. All that I can remember now are the grunts and blood curdling yells of Ugh Ugh Russian Blood that we emitted energetically with a lot of warlike movements in our effort to simulate Baba Yaga's fierceness and fury. Today, I wonder how KVG thattha allowed all this frightful din and noise... the meticulously strict man that he was and the generally mild children that we were. Maybe he had gone out on his endless shopping expeditions and we chose the moment to run riot. The Game ended but not the Game of Life.
My association with Bangalore continued with my relocation in the city after marriage. My parents once wanted to trace the house and wander into Memory Lane. This was way back in 2001, twenty five years ago. We succeeded in locating the house, even a very old neighbour who was living in the area since Grandpa's times. Forgotten faces were recognized, old memeories and events were shared over loving plates of snacks and hot, filter coffee. Appa and Amma were also there to jog memories and nudge mental recall. We came away, satisfied and happy that a souvenir of our very esteemed and affectionate Thattha was still existing in the house in 4th Main, 7th Cross, Malleswaram.
Cut to 2026... almost 60 years later. Lakshmi Akka recently was in Bangalore on a visit. We decided to trace and look up Thatthas house. In our heart of hearts, we secretly dreaded the very realistic possibility of the house not existing there....being ruthlessly destroyed and replaced in Bangalore's relentless pursuit of sleek modern structures. Somehow, twenty five years later after my last visit to the house....this search became very significant and meaningful.....thirty years ago, the vicissitudes of life had not visited us.....the house had still been a haven of Happy Memories. Life had flowed like a river in thirty years, tossing and tumbling against sorrows and grief over loss of dear departed ones. We waited on the shore, sombre and silent hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of the little house, a window to a fleeting memeory of an event or occasion centring our parents and grandparents.
Imagine our joy and profound surprise to find the house exactly as I had last seen it , twenty five years ago, in the same 4th Main, 7th Cross, Malleswaram. There were a few anxious moments when we walked past the house, almost missing it among the innumerable cluster of structures that had come up next to it. But I walked back, somehow the house seemed to be pleading with me to recognize it and be welcomed into its warm presence. I was confused and distressed that perhaps our shelter and last brick and stone connection to our earlier generations was also finally gone. I finally looked up at a window and instantly a mental jigsaw fell in place. I recognized the window from distant memories and knew this was the HOUSE where Thattha lived; housing sweet and shared memories of abundant joy and happiness, of vacations, picnics and festivals ; of Sundaresan Chitappa's wedding, KVG Thattha's Shasthiabdhapoorthi. The list was long of events embracing the warmth and happiness of life, of emotional plentifulness, of feasting and festivities; all symbolizing the Ebb and Flow of Life.
As I stood before the ancient house, I was at once ecstatic that the house had been discoverd and humbled by its powerful message of Life. Great was the joy and happiness that its warm interiors had exuded. SMALL SPACES CREATE A LARGER THAN LIFE MEMORIES THAT NURTURE AND NOURISH OUR SPIRIT AND SOUL. HAPPY MEMORIES OF SHARED OCCASIONS GIVE US SOLACE IN OUR SORROWS. As we left, with a final wave to the house and its present owner, I was eneveloped with a profound feeling of CLOSURE; of having finally come to terms with the reality of Life with the Gnana laden lines of Bhaja Govindam:
Punarapi Jananam, Punarapi Maranam
Punarapi Janani Jatare Shayanam
Ih Sansaare Bahu Dustaare,
Kripaya Palaya Pahi Murare
