Mother's Day

“Amma mazhakkaarinu kan niranjoo… aa kanneeril njaan nananjoo…”

Ee adutha kaalathu enne ettavum adhikam vedhanippicha paattukalil onnaanu ithu. Kaaranam mattonnum alla, njaan ente jeevithathil aadyamai ente ammaye karayicppichatha enikku orma varaaru…

4 varshangalkku munpu…

Padikkaan njaan athra moshakkaaranaayirunnilla, ennittum enthokkeyo kaaranangalaal 10thu kazhinju ente academics graph thaazhekkayirunnu…thaaznnu thaaznnu engineering kazhinjappol percentage 70-sil ethy nilkkunna avastha… May be 10th kazhinju ente padithakaaryangalil ellaa theerumanaagalum entethu maathramaairunnathu kondaavam ithu sambhavichathu… ethayaalum oru white collar job kittaan ee percentage okke mathy… angane Aug 2005-il njaan engg passaayi… but without a campus placement…ente classmates palarum pala vamban companykalilum placedaayirikkunnu…

Angane kurachu maasangal kadannu poi… oduvil oru divasam enikkum kitty oru job!! Aarum kittaan kothikkunna Reliance industries-il!! enikku valya santhosham onnum thonneela… ente swapnangal muzhuvan IIM-s enna swapnalokathilekku parichu maattappettirunnu appozhekkum…

Oct 2005…
Oru divasam amma ente aduthu vannu…
Amma: mone ninakku joli kittiya vivaram nee entha njangalodu parayaathe? Ninakku joining letter vannu…
Njaan: kitty, pakshe…
Amma: enthu pakshe? Aatte enna nee bangalorekku pone?
Njaan: amma, njaan aa jolikku ponilla… enikkum placement kittum ennu prove cheyyaan maathramaanu njaan avide interview attend cheythathu… allaathe pokaan vendiyalla!!
Amma: eda, ividororuthar oru joli kittaan vendi kashtappedunnu, appozhaano ninte ee ahangaaram parachil? Nee kaaranam baaki ullavarkkum oru avasaram nashtapettille? Nee enthaayalum ithinu poikkonam!!
Njaan: Amma enthokke paranjaalum njaan ee jolikku pokilla, ente swapnam MBA seataanu… so I am writing CAT, this November…

Amma onnum mindeela, ente roomil ninnu purathekku nirakannukalode engotto poi… njaan mind cheythillla… anveshikkaanum poyilla...

CAT exam results 2006 Jan-il vannu… athu adichu kittiyappol njaan ente ammede vaakkukal orthu… ippo CATum illa , joliyum illa… santhosham aayi gopiyetta, santhoshamaayi...

Ammede vaakkukal sheriyaayirunnu ennu thonniyappoya nimishangal… veendum joliye kurichaayi chintha… ente bhaagyathinu NeST-il oru joli sheriyaayi. Avide kurachu naal ninnathinu shesham, infoparkil ACS ennoru companyilekku maari…

Varshangal kadannu poi... ithinidayil pala CATum, XATum okke ente kayyil ninnu vazhuthy poi…

Oduvil 2008 CATiloode enikku ASB-Coimabtoreil admission kitty… IIM-enna ente valya swapnam ASB-il othungi… othukki ennu paranjaal mathyallo!!

Ithrem naalinidayil njaan ethrayo lakshangal shambalamaayi vaangi… ennittum njaan ente ammakku oru mottusoochi polum vaangikoduthillallo eeshwara!!

Innitha CAT, MBA ennokke paranju njaan veendum joli kalayaan ponooo… adutha joli kittumbozhenkilum ammakku enthelum vaanganam…

(picture shown above was designed by me for smashing magazine; u can find it under the title 'Mothers Day' in the following link http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/30/desktop-wallpaper-calendar-may-2009/ )

The one bedroom flat...

This is actually the extract of an inspiring email which i got recently...
ONE BEDROOM FLAT
-WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN ENGINEER.
As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Engineering and joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come true.

Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India.
My father was a government employee and after his retirement,the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.

I wanted to do something more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.

Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight.Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts forall my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going throughall the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.

In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get any more holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbours to look afterthem, we returned to USA.

My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then shes tarted feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing.

After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children.

Every year I decide to go to India… But part work part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India ... The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one to do the last rites the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed.

My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children.After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my wife's joy we returned to India to settle down.I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up duringall these years. I had to return to the USA...

My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India... My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife I would be back for good after two years.

Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA... I decided that had enough and wound-up everything and returned to India... Ihad just enough money to buy a decent 02 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.

Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode.

Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying in India, had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more.I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM.

Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing.This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright. Well atleast they remember me.

Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbours again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them.But the question still remains 'was all this worth it?' I am still searching for an answer.................!!!

START THINKING IS IT JUST FOR ONE EXTRA BEDROOM??? LIFE IS BEYOND THIS …..DON'T JUST LEAVE YOUR LIFE ……..START LIVING IT …….LIVE IT AS YOU WANT IT TO BE ……