My Dear Kannamma,
How are you doing today?
I am okay.
I had a long day of introspection.
I left home by about 10 after having nice dosas made by mum (with yummy aachi tomato garlic pickle) and headed to gandhi nagar office where i spoke to sahil for a while and flipped through the paper (hoping to catch your name). I picked up my laptop and a few books (Dr.Seuss's Hunches in Bunches, Diary of Amos Lee, Big Red Barn etc) and left to the library. There i spent quite a lot of time picking books that i wanted to read and research on. I hope you remember that we are starting out a new venture - we are going to make lesson modules for kids (class 2nd to 8th) and conduct teacher training workshops for schools who wish to give their children an hour of wholesome learning every week. So I picked out books that i thought would make enjoyable lessons.
There were at the end of this selection process about 50 books. I put them in a carton and kept them aside. Out of these I pulled out about 10 to carry home with me. There was Roald Dahl's Treasury, Ruskin Bond's collected works, Puffin History of India Vol 1, Satyajit Ray's childhood days, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Sudha Murty's Magic Drum & other collected short stories, and other books. Kannamma, I wish I could read out some of these to you. I am sure you will love them.
I stepped out of the library and went to the canteen to have lunch. I ordered for a meals and an omlette and sat by myself. While I was eating i remembered a book that I saw in the library - John Updike's "S" - about a lady, Susan who lives away from her family and writes letters to her husband, children, mother, psychiatrist etc about her life and everyday events. I read the blurb and found it interesting. And I also saw another book - Daddy Long Legs, which is also in the form of a collection of letters written by an orphan girl to her benefactor who she has never met and the only image she has of him is that of his long legs which is imprinted on her mind and she decides to address him that way - Daddy Long legs. And through these letters we see the coming of age of a girl in early twentieth century America.
These two book stayed in my mind. And somehow I figured that I am in a similar situation. Kannamma, I too am away from my mother, my love, my friend, my sibling, my parent, my partner, my mentor, my source of inspiration, my wake up call, my happy song, my vodka shot, my nightcap, my lullaby...
Kannamma, I hope you realise what stuck me at that point? I decided I will write too. So what If i am away from you? I will not let you fade away from my memory. I will not lose touch with you. I will write to you. Everyday. As much as i can. Whatever that comes to mind. I will write to you everyday.
I then drove back home contemplating what to write today. And by now you know me well enough to figure out that I also wondered if you would read what i wrote and whether you would reply or if you would even read what i wrote...
I came home. I settled down to read. I must have dozed off at some point. I had a dream where I get acquainted with a little girl who frequents a potti kadai that I go to. I bump into her fairly regularly and while I get my cigarettes, she buys candies, and toffees and little knick knacks. The setting seems strange. I don't remember anybody else except the two of us at that shop. Initially I don't pay much attention to her, but slowly I am intrigued and I observe from a distance. She must have been about 10, in her pigtails and school uniform. She is a curious character herself, always trying out a new candy or digging around the shop for something new.
One day, I see her playing with a cigarette. I get a little anxious and go towards her to see what she is doing. And then i notice that it is lit and this little girl takes a puff from it. I try calling out to her but my I am unable to.
I woke up with a fit of cough, Kannamma.
After that I got some work done, sent out a few mails, had my cup of coffee while i sat and read Corridors. This graphic novel is set in Delhi and is about urban angst and alienation and the story is structured in a way which portrays the disjointed life we lead. Its filled with characters who are somehow unsatisfied with life and are always searching for something. There is a guy who is obsessed about collecting random things, a surgeon who smokes up and goes for an autopsy, a husband who goes to a tantric hoping to improve his potency, and so on. I think you will like this book, Kannamma. You will definitely get inspired by the free flowing art work. There are superb sketches of life in Delhi - crowded streets, people in a hurry, long corridors, pillars, books, faces, smoking men etc.
Will you write a graphic novel someday, Kannamma?
I went out to drop my mum at the Raghavendra temple. I then headed to Somas for a walk and a smoke. I stood at the corner with the swings and the slides and the ABC blocks and watched the guys play volleyball for a while. It was nostalgic. I am sure you agree, Kannamma.
I came back home and had a lengthy discussion with buay about life and what i am doing currently and what my plans for the next year are. I wanted to tell someone that I have planned my finances smartly and if all goes well (and I will do my best to make sure it does) I will have a decent amount in the bank and a lot more in the company.
It may not be much, but it would be a satisfying year. I hope.
I then sat down to have dinner and at the dinner table i explained to my parents about the new venture and how we are going about it and what would happen if things go well and what if they don't and so on. I also told them that I would be staying home, with them, for atleast a year. They are a little apprehensive about it but they were visibly relieved to hear the last part.
And here I am, typing this out.
I hope you had an okay day too, my dear Kannamma.
Please take care of yourself. Is your tummy alright?
I hope to see your name in the papers soon.
I will try to write everyday.
Take care.
Warm hugs and kisses,
Loads of Love,
Suresh.
PS: when you find the time, please read Pablo Neruda's "Tonight I can write the saddest lines".
How are you doing today?
I am okay.
I had a long day of introspection.
I left home by about 10 after having nice dosas made by mum (with yummy aachi tomato garlic pickle) and headed to gandhi nagar office where i spoke to sahil for a while and flipped through the paper (hoping to catch your name). I picked up my laptop and a few books (Dr.Seuss's Hunches in Bunches, Diary of Amos Lee, Big Red Barn etc) and left to the library. There i spent quite a lot of time picking books that i wanted to read and research on. I hope you remember that we are starting out a new venture - we are going to make lesson modules for kids (class 2nd to 8th) and conduct teacher training workshops for schools who wish to give their children an hour of wholesome learning every week. So I picked out books that i thought would make enjoyable lessons.
There were at the end of this selection process about 50 books. I put them in a carton and kept them aside. Out of these I pulled out about 10 to carry home with me. There was Roald Dahl's Treasury, Ruskin Bond's collected works, Puffin History of India Vol 1, Satyajit Ray's childhood days, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Sudha Murty's Magic Drum & other collected short stories, and other books. Kannamma, I wish I could read out some of these to you. I am sure you will love them.
I stepped out of the library and went to the canteen to have lunch. I ordered for a meals and an omlette and sat by myself. While I was eating i remembered a book that I saw in the library - John Updike's "S" - about a lady, Susan who lives away from her family and writes letters to her husband, children, mother, psychiatrist etc about her life and everyday events. I read the blurb and found it interesting. And I also saw another book - Daddy Long Legs, which is also in the form of a collection of letters written by an orphan girl to her benefactor who she has never met and the only image she has of him is that of his long legs which is imprinted on her mind and she decides to address him that way - Daddy Long legs. And through these letters we see the coming of age of a girl in early twentieth century America.
These two book stayed in my mind. And somehow I figured that I am in a similar situation. Kannamma, I too am away from my mother, my love, my friend, my sibling, my parent, my partner, my mentor, my source of inspiration, my wake up call, my happy song, my vodka shot, my nightcap, my lullaby...
Kannamma, I hope you realise what stuck me at that point? I decided I will write too. So what If i am away from you? I will not let you fade away from my memory. I will not lose touch with you. I will write to you. Everyday. As much as i can. Whatever that comes to mind. I will write to you everyday.
I then drove back home contemplating what to write today. And by now you know me well enough to figure out that I also wondered if you would read what i wrote and whether you would reply or if you would even read what i wrote...
I came home. I settled down to read. I must have dozed off at some point. I had a dream where I get acquainted with a little girl who frequents a potti kadai that I go to. I bump into her fairly regularly and while I get my cigarettes, she buys candies, and toffees and little knick knacks. The setting seems strange. I don't remember anybody else except the two of us at that shop. Initially I don't pay much attention to her, but slowly I am intrigued and I observe from a distance. She must have been about 10, in her pigtails and school uniform. She is a curious character herself, always trying out a new candy or digging around the shop for something new.
One day, I see her playing with a cigarette. I get a little anxious and go towards her to see what she is doing. And then i notice that it is lit and this little girl takes a puff from it. I try calling out to her but my I am unable to.
I woke up with a fit of cough, Kannamma.
After that I got some work done, sent out a few mails, had my cup of coffee while i sat and read Corridors. This graphic novel is set in Delhi and is about urban angst and alienation and the story is structured in a way which portrays the disjointed life we lead. Its filled with characters who are somehow unsatisfied with life and are always searching for something. There is a guy who is obsessed about collecting random things, a surgeon who smokes up and goes for an autopsy, a husband who goes to a tantric hoping to improve his potency, and so on. I think you will like this book, Kannamma. You will definitely get inspired by the free flowing art work. There are superb sketches of life in Delhi - crowded streets, people in a hurry, long corridors, pillars, books, faces, smoking men etc.
Will you write a graphic novel someday, Kannamma?
I went out to drop my mum at the Raghavendra temple. I then headed to Somas for a walk and a smoke. I stood at the corner with the swings and the slides and the ABC blocks and watched the guys play volleyball for a while. It was nostalgic. I am sure you agree, Kannamma.
I came back home and had a lengthy discussion with buay about life and what i am doing currently and what my plans for the next year are. I wanted to tell someone that I have planned my finances smartly and if all goes well (and I will do my best to make sure it does) I will have a decent amount in the bank and a lot more in the company.
It may not be much, but it would be a satisfying year. I hope.
I then sat down to have dinner and at the dinner table i explained to my parents about the new venture and how we are going about it and what would happen if things go well and what if they don't and so on. I also told them that I would be staying home, with them, for atleast a year. They are a little apprehensive about it but they were visibly relieved to hear the last part.
And here I am, typing this out.
I hope you had an okay day too, my dear Kannamma.
Please take care of yourself. Is your tummy alright?
I hope to see your name in the papers soon.
I will try to write everyday.
Take care.
Warm hugs and kisses,
Loads of Love,
Suresh.
PS: when you find the time, please read Pablo Neruda's "Tonight I can write the saddest lines".
No comments:
Post a Comment