Tiny Gestures , Lasting Ripples

 

Tiny Gestures ,  Lasting Ripples

The month of March always brings me back to the bustling Chikka Gadiyaara—the small clock tower Square in the heart of the city at the southern end of Devaraja Market. It is a ritual I never miss. Amidst the familiar row of stationery shops that have served generations, I carry fond memories of countless visits, from my school days to the present, to shops  like Gowri Shankar Book Depot and Vishwanatha Book Depot.

 

However, Adinarayana Shetty & Sons stands among the oldest, a wholesaler’s haven stocking everything from Camlin to Pilot, Flair to Staedtler. Bangalore Press Calendar to Palaniappa, Srirangam to Vontikoppal Panchangam .A fortnight ago, I visited them to buy the new Panchangam. Inside, the shopkeeper was busy attending to an old man, clearly a small shop owner from one of the city's extensions.

The elderly man, likely in his seventies, had his face etched with the deep, weathered lines of a life lived under harsh conditions. He was meticulously arranging his large consignment of assorted stationery, diaries, and notebooks. In his hand, he clutched two large bags, so worn out and colourless from relentless, heavy usage that they seemed an extension of his own skin.

Yet, it was his eyes that intrigued me; they held a quiet, intense depth—a profound blend of  vigour and utter calm.

As the shopkeeper was busy checking and rechecking the long list, I had to wait. Sensing my impatience, the old man turned to me and asked, "What is your requirement, sir?"

"Two Srirangam Panchangams," I replied, my voice reflecting the irritation of a long wait.

As the shopkeeper began reading out his items, the old man carefully ticked them off his own list. When the final item was verified, he instructed the shopkeeper to add  two Srirangam panchangams to his list, taking care to ask the cost first. As the items were about to be packed together, he took the panchangams from the shopkeeper and handed them to me.

"100 Rupees, sir," the old man said, stretching out his hand to receive the money from me , even as his own massive bill was yet to be prepared.

As he turned back to his work, he offered a smile that revealed a lifetime of toil and habits—brown paan marks staining his teeth. He was a portrait of raw humanity, a living story waiting to be told.

 

I turned to leave, but an involuntary glance back stopped me in my tracks—to cherish the moment so unexpected, which I wished to freeze into my memory

But the harsh weather of the afternoon interrupted my illusion. I snapped back to the present. Clutching my new panchangams, I hurried back toward the auto stand.

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Only those who have walked the long, arduous road of life bearing the weight of  hardship can truly recognize the feelings  of others..It takes a person  having   profound, firsthand understanding of life & a seasoned heart  to look past his own struggles and find solace in helping someone else. True empathy often comes from those who have endured the most.  I was lucky to benefit from such pure kindness & courtesy on this occasion.

 

Efficiency. A challenge . A.Symphony

 

Efficiency. A challenge . A.Symphony

The vegetables are neatly cut  & diced, the tomatoes  pureed, the tamarind is soaked  and ready to be squeezed ,  rice is boiling merrily, the rasam  simmering gently, so is the Sambhar but  with some ferocity .A South Indian meal is cooking.

Because traditional South Indian cooking avoids combining everything into one dish & the intricacy of the  cuisine rarely relies on one-pot cooking we have all three  burners of the stove active, with multiple vessels & pans  in use.!

Unfortunately , it takes a war to bring sustainable practices & mindfulness  to the forefront of our minds. Praying for a quick end to the conflict and for lasting, profound insights.

Meanwhile, the Indane IVRS keeps prompting us to try later, adding to the suspense.

Unleashing 13th Man

 

 Unleashing 13^th  Man

The new age Cricket Fan is Chaotic,loud and deeply emotional.He will abuse a Player in the first match for failure and sing  paeans for his brilliant performance in the second. These are the aficionado who ensures that  cricket is not just a sport but a daily Soap Opera with a billion Scriptwriters. The Modern day  cricket fan is a fascinating hybrid of Gen-Z, Super Analyst , a meme Lord and above all a diehard Hyper-Nationalist.. He just doen’t watch the game. He consumes it in 10 second intervals, comparing Virat’s cover drive to AI generated Precision and mourning a Loss as if it was  a  calamity in his family.The Fan knows better than the team Management , coach & selector  and firmly believes that he could fix Gill’s technical faults by screaming at the TV..He demands that he should    “ कम से कम थोड़ा INTENT तो दिखाओ  भैय्या जी “ . The New age fan just doesn’t wait:he can post a meme involving a crying child or even an apt Bollywood Dialogue.He is faster than DRS.creating a meme even before  a player reaches the dug-0ut..

 

So, I take it upon myself  to guide prospective fans on how to play the beautiful gentleman’s game in this post. But with a warning , I played some cricket,  just the leisurely  calm vintage  type a long  long time ago. Cricket has  evolved  a lot since then. It is getting boring faster with every new “Creative”  Rule meant to boost interest .

So, Here we Go ! without further digression . And I promise that there will be no  ads popping out awkwardly , at most inappropriate moments.

GUIDELINE 1: Get yourself a tattoo.It might not be difficult to locate a  parlour .You will normally find one  squeezed between bakeries and drycleaners  or such other shops in the busy market area. or you can enquire with  one of those Jazzy  “Walking Art Gallery” types too for directions

 

GUIDELINE 2:  Get a Hairdo, .Creepier the better, even if you don’t have a bushy thick cover. The aging  Super stars do it all the time! to present a lush look to  their balding  pate

This  should  be simple  & lot easier on your purse . All you need to do is visit the friendly neighborhood Bar…..r  , err…  Hair Stylist & watch  TV.while he snips away. Rest assured this will be more entertaining   than watching Manjrekar in the post  match summary  or on occasions better than  watching the on-field tamasha itself. .

 

GUIDELINE 3 : Buy some cricket franchise Tees.

Original team jumpers cost a fortune. Unless a pumped up dude on the turf decides to twirl it over his head for no good reason ,& lets go …….and you are the lucky one on whose head it falls. To get T-shirts at bargain prices, you can haggle with  vendors  on the footpath   around the railway station & bus stand or outside the stadium   . You can buy  T- Shirts  of your favourite Franchise team that have  “Kolkota   Night Rides”, Lucknow Supari Joints”   “ Son  razors Hyderbad ”  .printed on them.  They are the cheapest.

 

GUIDELINE 4:Get yourself a cold Drink. and settle down in front of your T.V. You can even hold a placard Reading  “ Don’t Disturb” on your left hand and keep tossing popcorn/chips  into your mouth with the other from the tub(Drum ) held between your knees,

If you are the  Fizz type , it is okay too. But when you tell others about it, remember to pronounce Bindu fizz as B I R A   R I S E (pronounced as  RiZZzzzzz)

 

 If you have come this far, you’re amazing. You are the most experienced Cricket reviewer  around.You are even better than  Athar Ali  Khan & Anjum Chopra in the same box

 

GUIDELINE 5: Watch a Night  match (you have no option actually! Literally no  cricket match is played during day time these days)

This is the most challenging  step. For one thing, it starts late evening & ends very  late in the night, like 11:30 PM. ! But still, remember your goal: you want to learn to play the “Gentleman,s” Game. So motivate yourselves. Sip Bindu  Fizz  in little quantities  till the match starts. Once the match starts, watch players closely particularly the “Stars” for any new inventive  clowning     (Hint: Glamorous  players wear   bizzare looking shades and have more taped fingers)

Watch closely how the guys  near the boundary ropes engage themselves with  screaming fans or how the bowlers exult , indulge in   Gymnastics, or shriek in agony & practice it.

Congratulations! You have learnt the nuances of the game, and eligible to play one or the other     PLs. You are very likely the best cricket analyst in Asia. .

You can begin your internship TODAY with the  World Cup Final ,but continue to watch  I, C, T, M or any other ……..PL matches on TV every day  to hone your skills  so that you are ready for  that grand  spectacle, the latest edition of IPL  but if you feel   dozy  at any point of time  you can keep poking  the Buttons on the TV Remote , flick through channels  and watch  sublime   shows Like  “Crime Patrol”:, “Tele Shopping” , “C I D” or .Zombie Kaadhali”

Beyond Sustenance ………..A Symbolic Act

 

Beyond Sustenance
                  ………..A Symbolic Act

Prelude: Having spent the best part of my life among teenagers & kids I have learnt that in a world increasingly fractured by personal disagreements, the act of sharing a meal remains one of the most effective rituals for reconciliation. It is a simple (ancient) practice that transforms "us vs. them" into just "us ", breaking down barriers, and creating  space where,empathy takes precedence over conflict. Sharing food is not just about consuming calories

The added “Fluff” & descriptive nature of the narrative  have more to do with expanding a relatively common  incident and transforming it into a “Read Worthy” story than  offer a comprehensive gastronomic critique of the cuisine

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The chemistry among our group was legendary & the rapport   incredible.Two among the group had developed a very close friendship People were sometimes even envious of their closeness.. They  swapped sun glasses,wrist watches  & sometimes even T-shirts & Bikes  every now and then and always moved together  And Yes, their physique  was  identical too. They weren’t relatives either

But then, suddenly a crack appeared. No one  had any idea of the reason what caused it The relationship became strained . Gossip was rife among other friends  regarding  the reason for the split  and soon everyone was talking  about the great fall out .

Days passed . Each one vigoursly  avoided  any conversation which referred to the Other. Any move by common friends  to help them break the impasse  was spurned. We were forced to remain helpless by standers  in the   unfortunate situation.

Having picked them up as young boys & mentored them for years, I was proud to see them excel in their own fields of interest. Like the others  I was perturbed by  this sudden spat . After careful thought I  weighed the decision in my head and then  finally decided on trying it out though I feared that  it could  prompt some  embarrassment among the rest of the  friends  & lead to  uncomfortable moments. But I was sure that I had made the correct decision under the circumstances

  They arrived. Separately ! as expected .Apparently, they two former buddies were doing their best to avoid facing  each other.I somehow managed to position  myself  between them even as they  ignored  each other and  weren’t prepared to  do anything about it. It was very clear they were here only at my behest to spend an evening with our other friends .

 They  did their best to  keep distance. But the rest the evening went beautifully with Cherished memories, nostalgia, camaraderie and some scrumptious food,

After some friendly Banter over soft drinks and snacks the group converged on the large dining table in a circle and waited for it. Soon, the cook came out. He first brought out the snacks, salad, pappad, sundry  vegetable accompaniment.

   Cooked Rice came in next ;  delicate , fragrance wafting through the air, the cooked grains  a texture as light and soft as jasmine buds.

 

A  dozen hands unmindful of any Dining etiquette   shoveled generous quantities on to their  plates, taking care to create craters atop the heap, in anticipation of what the chef promised to bring in next, the culinary marvel that he boasted about, the flavorful Moringa/Shallot Sambhar.Swirling in the fumes  in front of him, the cook placed his  culinary masterpiece on the table.The air wafted from over the dish and into our nostrils  & hit our senses.

 

The cook then brought out the curry. He had decided to present Roasted Baby potatoes that day. A few  grumbled at the choice but I knew I need not bother. Once it was served on  to their respective plates, I knew we would not have enough of it

I myself popped a few golden roasted baby potatoes onto the top of my rice mound. They rolled  down the slope  and settled on the periphery of my plate like stringed giant beads the glistening oil traversing paths  across the surface  of my steel plate. I picked up a  potato  and it  cracked   at  mere touch. The Crispy chunk  huddled into my palms like golden  nuggets and I popped   them up into my  mouth. Even as I chomped on them cheerfully, I could  see  signs  of merriment  permeating the air around . The mood was upbeat. Was the remedy at work,?  I smiled to myself, between morsels of Rice, Baby potato , flavorful Moringa Sambhar. &  steamed rice.

Tangy  rasam arrived next & was passed around . Rich and aromatic, I could tell the cook had surpassed himself. Shreds of coconut floated around the surface, adding to the flavor. Tiny clusters of mustard sat on  curry leaves like sailors on  a canoe . I managed to scoop up  a few  and crunched on the leaves.

As I had hoped, the food was cheering up the mood all around.. I almost thought I saw the two  exchange a faint smile  , but wasn’t too sure.

Friends scattered in small groups were indulging in animated banter .

The two embittered former friends chose to join  groups which were farthest from each other

. But the mood was upbeat.  The mollifying repast had indeed lifted our spirits . And then it happened

One of the embittered duo  approached the other ,sat down next to him and offering him the Dessert Bowl with Dry Jamoon &  Ice cream  Said “Here,try this, very tasty” The other  looked over, smiled and accepted the concillatory offering . The  group whooped in delight and  cheered  the  success of the “ Dessert Reconciliation ” gambit

 

कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्

 कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्

During the Kurukshetra war Dronacharya’s son Ashwatthama, committed several unforgivable acts. He attacked the Pandava camp in the dead of night & killed  the five innocent sons of Draupadi while they were fast asleep. He then used a powerful forbidden “astra” in an attempt to kill the unborn baby of Uttara (Mrs. Abhimanyu)

Lord Krishna cursed Ashwatthama to live for 3,000 years as an lonely wanderer, suffering unbearable pain  from festering wounds on his forehead. He condemned him  to roam the earth without peace or companionship. He was the only person  to be punished with such a dreadful curse by Lord Krishna  for his gruesome  acts, while many other characters guilty of treachery & deceit  escaped with Admonishments & minor punishments (curse) by the Lord.

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People around me  believe that I possess an intense sense of Likes & dislikes and that I practice the latter trait in a brutal manner on  selected parts of my body  while exercising. The thumb on my right hand is supposedly the regular victim because I have been found using it for stabbing the channel button  on the TV remote incessantly.  I must confess that I find it  both stimulating  and entertaining. During one such carnage I chanced upon a spiritual discourse on compassion and its effect on our character.      

The discourse was so absorbing that I could feel myself  displaying certain traits that were being discussed in the telecast. My first horrifying thought was the fear of forgetting my nemeses and accepting them as my friends.

 Before long I noticed that many of my friends too exhibited varied reactions to this alarming  issue like sadness at not being able to enjoy superficial luxuries.(But, I suspect budgeting  was actually the  notable fear for many)

 While I am terrified  of my strange fear of forgetting adversaries, it appeared meaningless  to some others. The  fear just doesn’t seem to go away and I’m unwilling to remain passive to their attitude.

 Presently, soul-searching ( read Day dreaming) is my only occupation. I even consider that I have become a better person now ,after watching the TV guru.So I have decided to revisit the list of my detractors (Quite a long one) in an attempt to trim it.

 After a few  MSGs  certainly not out of any great sympathy, I have managed to shorten the list to some extent. But,having failed in  detecting even a shred of credibility in a couple of cases even after great effort, I have exercised my option and  conferred  on them the right to remain un-deleted on my list.

 Now you may wonder what all this has got to do with the story of Ashwatthama & the Kurukshetra war. Well, let me elaborate,

 I’ve now labelled the last two recalcitrant names in my list as ‘Ashwatthama’ 1.0 & 2.0. They are the ones whose attitudes I am unable to disregard. When even  Almighty Lord Shri Krishna could not restrain himself from punishing Ashwatthama with his harshest  curse, is it not too much to expect  a mere mortal like me to defy God and  be more  large hearted & benign ?. It is unthinkable that a human can even try to tamper with God's wisdom. I Presume that I now have the clearance &  there lies my attempt to becoming a nobler  person and still  having the pleasure  of  maintaining  a couple of antagonists. While  I struggle with  my eccentric fear of forgetting foes, it appears inconsequential to some others either due to lack of foes (really ?) or more desperate concerns. In fact, many feel relieved that they could forget (without forgiving ie) and continue pretending to be  honest.

 It is fair to assume that there are several Ashwatthhama variants running around in everyone’s life. ,There is really no need to ashamed  for not absolving such persons. After all we have Devakinandana, Dwarakadeesha Lord Sri Krishna as  source of vindication, guiding us in our attempt to become  embodiment of dignity.