Thursday, June 29, 2006
Raja,
This day, when I saw you, 22 years before, after all the years of struggle in my life, I felt I am finally blessed with something so beautiful, a happiness I never ever felt in my life. Since then, you gave me so much of happiness as a child, as a boy and as a man. I remember the days you first walked, called me applu, your fear of crackers, your love for road engines, your saying your name is amechi, your cry when we left you for the first time in Sishya, your refusing to go to school because Nataraj is beating you, your acting in annual school day programs, your thrill of first flight, your writing the exam at Vanavani, various days I dropped you in school and waited for you in school, being with you when you wrote your entrance and jointly attending counseling, sitting with you in Venkateswara for admission, waiting for your semester results, so many holidays together, your only dance I saw on Ma’s birthday, waiting for you to come back home on countless days, your fondness for gee masala dosai in Balaji Bhavan, sitting with you to apply for visa, the sheer joy of seeing you leaning on the wall of bus stand on 2nd March and leaving you on 3rd March at Madya Kailash junction when you said Bye (for ever).
Every year, this day, first thing I give you the birthday card, just to hear you say, thank you applu and shake hands. Where are you da, please come and say thanks applu and shake my hands.
Raja, Eeshu, Deyee, Ma, Dude, Zorro, Base, Machan, Amechi, Ramesha and with how many more names, your immortal soul was called, answer one call now.
Why did you make me, ma, Gani, Snow White, Shags, Ganga, Ram, Priya and I don’t know how many more to love you so much, you thought you had enough of our love to leave us.
We realize now, the meaning of happiness, YOU.
This is a call from the souls of your applu, ma and your darling brother and Snow white who all loved you more than anything else. Answer us.
You can’t read Tamil, so I am writing this in English for you.
“Inbutru Uyer Koduthen unakku
Uyer vittu thunbam thandhai enakku
Uerutti valartha unnai
Advan karaindu nitram ezhum kadalil
Sidaikku neruppittu unnai karaithen
En kanneeril karaithirundal
Kan moodi unnai kathiruppen
Sitrarival engum thedugiren unnai
Agatharival kan moodum nall anre ariven unnai
Kathirekkiren, natkalai ennikkondu “
For me, you are there da in Gani and now you have given me an adorable daughter.
I received a message from Gani, I am very very proud of being the Applu of you Two. The days we spent together are too precious for me. No regrets.
Applu.
