Friday, May 18, 2007

Dear Appa and Amma

Dear Appa and Amma

The George Washington on the 1 dollar note never looked more ugly. Ray Romano's jokes fell flat. Rahman sounded Cacophonous. My Manager as usual barked. Why? The 8000 miles difference between us never felt so long in this whole year than today. I miss you both on your wedding anniversary.

Its ironical that in all these 25 years of life I manage to remember only a handful of days. Some of them draw a smile, some embarrassing, some heartfelt, some just fine and so on. Its amazing how one person can shake the foundation of another. Like in the Karan Johar movies people do not become onion-eyed, wobbly, utter paragraphs of "how-much-i-love-you" tall tales and exaggerate them. Its like a mutual understanding between the parents and their wards for their mutual love and respect that they share.

I will start with Amma...because I started from you. Don't worry....I am not going into the "I-can-never-repay-your-nine-month-suffering"..because we both know that I cant :-). Its a pity that your soulful rendition of "Gokulatil pasukalellam" found an audience in the four walls of our house as my lullaby. Whatever little musical talents I have, I owe them to you. I still remember how you panicked when I came home in my first standard with a shirt which was red due to the injury to my head (probable cause of insanity?). I still remember how much you struggled to teach me the difference between the roman alphabets "b" and "f" and how every time I would make the same mistake and look at you innocently like Puss-in-the-boots. Every time I would screw up my maths paper and come home shuddering how you were going to be upset with me. You never had problems with brother Girish as he was one sincere kid who would finish his homework and lessons while I was one naughty brat who would run away to play cricket when unattended. I still remember the days when you woke up the whole night when I looked like on the verge of death finding it hard to breath due to eosinophilia. It seemed more painful looking at you than suffering through it.

To appa....you gave me a name and made me what I am. The streets of Gandhidham would tell the stories when you would carry me to Chawla cafe and buy my favorite Thayir vadai. In spite of the meager salary in the earlier days you would buy us Tinkle, amar Chitra katha, Chandamama which helped me spin yarns for the history paper and essays (and now in my blog :D). You were such a chain smoker that I and girish would make trains out of the Wills packets in the drawer. You taught me my unforgettable lesson in self control and will power when you gave up your almost 25 years of smoking because you didn't want to set a bad example for us as we grew up. I have just one grudge against you....that you work even now even though there is no need for it. I guess its hereditary problem as grandpa worked till the age of 70 and you seem to follow suit. I am pretty sure that my wards are going to have the same problem with me as well :D.

The day when I got placed in the campus, I felt like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption. Now that may sound like very exaggerated, but for whatever we have been through in these years, it did seem like a redemption. The order that I received was a testimony for your sacrifices and not for my skills or talent. The first time I got a saree and Shirt-pant for you both, it felt like I had conquered the moon. Every time when I call you, you ask me if I eat properly or not. I realized after a long time that I have been such an insensitive prick as I have hardly asked you if you take care of yourself. I would never know that "Why do all the moms on the world never seem to take care of themselves"?

They say that "A good marriage is at least 80 percent good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust." I now know what it means. Here is to your marriage anniversary...and many more to come.

Your loving son
Harish

Good News: This is not a story. My parents are indeed celebrating their wedding anniversary on May 19 :-)
Bad News: I turn another year older on May 20 :-(

57 comments:

Nivi said...

"I will start with Amma...because I started from you"

There were some great lines in this post.. but this bowled me over.. THe power of simplicity ...I think thats your signature. Awesome line. Superb dedication.

Way to go!!! and happy bday :)
first to comment!!!

Aditi said...

an eventful weekend then.. happy anniversary to your parents and happy bday to you
=)

Heidi Kris said...

Happy Anniversary to your parents and Advance bday wishes to you.. and i guess its gonna be 1 year completion since u went to the US of A isnt it??

Aravind said...

maapla nice post da.

tamizhla namakuu theirnja word ...tuck nu nyabagatuku varala ..yes got it "feelings"..

Idhu enna senti summer eh .. spidey 3 and now shrek 3 also more senti..
no offences meant .:-)

Padma said...

unga amma and appa blog padipala? if so i guess they will be very happy:).. and Happy anniversay to ur parents
advanced happy birthday to u:)..
BTw seets enga?:P
Reply to ur previosu post:P
u can tell me the truth and the same funda today also:P..absolutely soemthing is there:P

Sat said...

Sweet :)
Your parents would lvoe it if they read it
And advance b'day wishes boy....

Lavs said...
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Lavs said...

Happy anniversary to your parents and happy birthday to you. Do print this post and send it to them....

Subramanian Ramachandran said...

man u are awesome with certain lines...like the opening one, appuram to Amma, "I will start with Amma...because I started from you"

HAPPY WEDDING DAY TO APPA AMMA and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

God Bless :)

nandoo said...

i have been thinking since may started... aio may vanthudichu.. manduku wish pannanum.. may vanthuduchu..manduku wish pannanum.. :D pakra ellar kittteyum solradhu idhu thaan.. please remind me on may 20 plps.. :D but i guess now there is no need...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDU....

prithz said...

Do i have to start with Awwwwwwwww!!! again! Bowled me over again. Written so perfectly! The power of expression :)

And hey, my parents' wedding day falls this month too. Naanum indha maadiri oru post podalaam nu paathen. neenga mudhintel. I guess i'l ask them to read ur blog. :)

Wishes to Your parents and yesssssssssssssss Wish you a Happpppyyyyyy Happpyyyyyy Bday!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

orey azhugaachiya varuthu.hmm,next time i call home i'll be the first to ask my parents "have you eaten?"'-)

kuttichuvaru said...

sooper post machi!! about missing their anniversary, well, tats the price we pay for this life here..... it has been 4 yrs since I celebrated Diwali or birthdays or anniversaries with my parents :-)

wonderful dedication to ur parents Harish!! Happy Anniversary to them and Happy Birthday to u!!

Revs said...

hey
first of all a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to ur parents.may they celebrate many more anniversaries and may we get to read many more such great blogs..
and secondly advanced HAPPY BIRTHDAY..have fun!!:):)

Ganesh Ranganathan said...

Beautifully written....Happy Anniversary to your mom and dad...

Anonymous said...

First of all, Happy Wedding Anniversary to your parents and Happy Birthday to you, Harish! :)

Yet another lovely post from you! As usual, excellent :)

Vidya said...

You have such an amazing way of writing. So much that it pulls me into reading more and more, one sentence at a time and then I am hooked!!

Many warm wishes to your parents. I can't help much with your agedness, however! :D

Vidya

Nithya said...

Awwwwww (Prithz style :D)..That was a damn cute post :)

Did your parents read this post by any chance ? If yes, I am sure they wuld've shed "Anandha Kanneer" like the 'typical parents' in a typical Karan Johar film :P :D

And here's wishing your parents a very very happy wedding anniversary...25 yrs..Ammmazing :)
And age ellam reveal panna maatelo ?? :P

And Advance Happy Happy budday blogger buddy :) ...Hope you have a great day and a great year ahead...Here you go - a budday present :D

http://www.winerelease.com/Other/NYFeb2004/
50thBDcake.JPG

Vidya Natarajan said...

ouch
tht was one if the most touching post i have written
so good and so true too
and lemme wish ur parents a happy anniversary!
and u a big happy birthday
dont worry of getting older
getting old makes you wise ;)
u just remind me of me, and ur brother reminds me my all perfect brother too!
awesome post
and my wishes once again!

Krithika said...
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Krithika said...

happy birthday!!! :)n happy anniversary to ur parents!! tats really emotional.everything will be fine.we shall hope so :)

G3 said...

Awesome post asusual :-)))

Happy anniversary to ur parents :-))

Advance wishes to you :-)))

Seekiram andha listla unga kalyaana date-aiyum add pannidunga.. :P

Anu said...

Gr8 one yet again!!!

So true how we feel like we hve conquered the moon on getting them somethin...jus to c them feel ever so proud even when we get them the smallest of things.

Also true abt the way "mom's jus never take care of themselves!!!"...a thousand times i tell her to take care of herself first...no she wouldn't listen.

I still remember the days when my dad used to get me champak n gokulam every month and a big slab of dairy milk on the salary day...now we can buy a dairy milk everyday but it dosent taste the same anymore.

Beautiful dedication to the 2 ppl who have given us just abt everythin....

keep them coming!! n advanced bday wishes :-)

Arunkumar said...

Very nice post.. as usual..

Happy Anniversary wishes to ur parents and Many Happy Returns to you in advance..

Well done again Harish !!!

Priya Iyer said...

that was beautifully written....simple, yet deep and touching...

i m sure your parents would be touched if they read this.

wishing your parents a very happy anniversary and a happy birthday to you.

KK said...

Awesome post dude!!!
Yenakkum intha maathiri yezhutha kathu kodupa... unna paarthavathu naan urupudrananu paarkanum...

Wishing your parents a very Happy anniversary!!

Happy B'day Machan :) Have fun!!!

prithz said...

Happy Birthday!!! Wishes for all ur hopes and dreams to turn a reality :)

And hey, awesome look for ur blog!!! Completely in tune wid the kinda of stuff u write :) Good work!

Unknown said...

thala belated b'day wishes! Didn't know abt ur b'day. Anyway wishes again! :)

SKM said...

Happy Birthday today(may 20th) Harish.Wish you all the best.

convey our congrats to your parents for their Anniversary.

yethanaiyavadhu anniversary idhu?

unga kalyana thedhi yeppo solla poreenga?

Nithya said...

Hey Happy Budday ^-^
Hope u have an spppppppplendid day :)

Drops of Ocean said...

Happy Anniversary to your parents and a very Happy Birthday to you! :)

Gayathri said...

Beautiful!
Happy Birthday!

Priya said...

Wishing you a wonderful birthday today:)

A beautiful post harish and wish your parents a great anniversary!!! Being faraway is hard, but all those cherished moments which brings back tiny joys will keep you going..

brute said...

happy b'day bro..:)

Anonymous said...

hey really great post. Happy birthday!!

Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said...

Hayya hayya! Wishes 2 amma and appa! :)

Belated bday wishes 2 Harish! :D

Sat said...

oye...blogoda new look...loved it :D
had a blast on ur b'day?

Truth is stranger than fiction; engayo kelvi pattu irukken...engene maranthu pochu...help!

Heidi Kris said...

Hey pudu template.. damn cool.. looks too good :)

golmaalgopal said...

Belated b'day wishes....and belated anniversary wishes to ur parent... :)

blog pakkam thala vechu padukka mudiyala... ambuttu aanis....dho varen oru round idhellam pudingittu :))

have a gr8 year ahead.. :)

D LordLabak said...

I thought it was a story until I came to the part where you mention your brother's name. Never mind. Belated Happy Birthday to you and anniversary wishes to your parents.

Janani said...

Hey tht was so cuteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
The first time I got a saree and Shirt-pant for you both, it felt like I had conquered the moon.

Even I felt the same and on the other side their faces shone with pride.

And the template is really cool. Kalakeeteenga ponga

Porkodi (பொற்கொடி) said...

hey belated bday wishes! :-) and unga parents wedding anniv mudhal naala?? that's so nice :-) avanglukkum wishes sollidunga!

Harish said...

@Nivi
Me too loved this line.Thanks for the wishes yaar.

@Aditi
Thanks a ton yaar.

@Heidi
Thanks yaar. Yes...seems just like yesterday :-)

@Arvind
Thanks maamu....none taken :-P

Harish said...

@Padma
Thanks yaar. Sweets ellam India vanda appuram vaangi taren...if you all are prepared to meet the devil :)
As for your next qsn...I remembered a famous line "I could tell you...but I would have to kill you" :-P
Kidding...naan appavi. Nambunga pa :-)

@Sat
Avanga innum padikkala :-(. Have asked them to read.

@Lavs
I did the same and have asked them to read.

@RS
Thanks a ton for the wishes and everything sir :-)

Harish said...

@nandoo
Wish I was there with you all :(

@Prithz
Thanks yaar. Ur dedication post was awesome. For once we exchanged writing styles :-)

@Sangs
I am doing the same :-)

@Kuttychuvaru
Man....Thats so cruel. I guess you should be the one who should have put this post.

Harish said...

@Revathy
Thanks a ton yaar.

@Ganesh
Thanks yaar

@Aparna
Thanks yaar. The words "As usual" scare me...and inspire me :-)

@Vidya
That was a heartwarming compliment. This is what keeps me going. As for agedness....well...neither can I :-)

Harish said...

@Nithya
I have mailed to them and asked to read. Your Bday cake couldn't fill my stomach...but it did fill my heart with happiness. Be prepared for a real cake from my side when I land in india buddy :-)
As for age...well...I completed 26 years of existence on earth.

@Zanychild
"getting old makes you wise"
Many thought the same....until they met me :-)

@Krithika
Thanks a ton yaar :-)

@G3
Thanks yaar.
Ennapa...naan nimmadiya irukiradu ungalukku pidikaliya :-p

Harish said...

@Anu
"now we can buy a dairy milk everyday but it dosent taste the same anymore." I should have added this to the post. Wonderful lines :-)
Thanks yaar.

@Arun
Thanks a ton pal :-)

@Priya
Thanks yaar. Yeah...I really hope they love this.

@KK
Comedy pannade maamu. Irundaalum unakku sense of humor and nakkal jaasti :-)

Harish said...

@Prithz
Thanks yaar. Just wanted a different look this time :-)

@BSK
Thanks a ton yaar.

@SKM
Its their 27th Marraige anniversary. Ungalukku sollamaya kalyaanam panna poren. Will take me minimum another 100 posts to tell :-)

@Nithya
Thanks for remembering this poor soul yaar.

Harish said...

@Sindhu
Thanks a ton yaar

@Gayatri
Thanks a lot yaar

@Priya
Thanks yaar. Very correctly said there.

@Brute
Thanks a ton Bro

Harish said...

@Anand
Thanks a ton Sir.

@Pons
Thanks a ton for the wishes yaar.

@Sat
aama...inge oru gundu vedichchu kaamichaanga :-P
sema vetti Bday. If not for blogworld and friends...it wld have been damn boring.
teriyala...engayo padichada nyaabaga...suttuten :-)

@heidi
Thanks yaar

Harish said...

@Gopal
Thanks Maamu.
Maamu...ippove ippadi Blood kakkara...uhummm...kashtam daan po

@Deepa
Hee hee..Thanks a ton yaar

@Janani
exactly said. Thanks yaar.

@Porkodi
Thanks yaar. Kandippo solren.

Suchi said...

Beautiful :)
Belated wishes to your parents, and to you! Have a great year, do all you want to, see all that you want to see, live life as you want to!!

Hell's Angel said...

wow that was so creative to wish them by dedicating a post to them.. very nice..
btw naalu kazhudha vayasu aaidutha??

Harish said...

@Suchitra
Thanks yaar :-)

@brinda
Evan kannaku paathaan :-P

Gopi Sundharam said...

Simple, elegant, touching, heartful, nutchunu irukku.. !

Priya Iyer said...

a rather belated very happy budday... hope u had a great day!