My Kanadaka Ajji.............

When I am emotional , all the good and bad things which happened to me,comes rushing at me and hit me big time, like a car hits a roadblock! I get happy for no reason and sad for reasons I know truly have had impact on me........One such memory is of my Kanadaka ajji (Ajji who wears spectacles)
My Kanadaka Ajji....... My mom's mom (maternal grandmother) is one of the person who has a big impact on my life... She would call me, mom, my masi (chimmi) as "Ammi" and call Ashok and Hari as "Appu".She was like Ma Annapurne (Goddess of food).No one had ever left hungry after going to her home.No one can even compete her culinary skills, her perfection and her extra touch she would have, which would make a simple supper super special. Hearing the news of our arrival for vacations, she would be prepared with home made Kodballe, Chakli, Rave laadu, kobari mithai (khobari wadi). She took good care of everyone when we would be there,especially my dad.Though she was shy, she would enjoy the jokes and actions my dad would do, to make her understand. But no matter what my dad said jokingly, she would stand by my  mom's side always... 

Me and Ashok hugging Ajji... Pic taken in Mumbai

Me and Ashok having pillow fight... Ajji laughing on us and saying, "Ammi look at them"

                                                                                                                                                               Ajji was deaf, she could not hear anything. But that did not stop her from being the perfectionist she was. She could do all things which even normal person could not do sometimes. If I said I would be coming at 6.00 pm, she would be ready, with opened door at 5.45 pm... She would come to the gate, go inside the house...she would easily get worried if I was late by even 2 mins. She used to like everyone to be at home and enjoy however they wanted to. She would be a crime reporter for us. Since she used to reada lot of paper,she would tell us which area what crime was reported. Also she would ask me and my cousin sister to get back home early before dark... She would be scared and she would love to say "Ee desha sari illa" (meaning this land is not good). Sometimes, when we got bored staying at home, she would give my mom some money and ask to go for movies and name few of suggestions too....

At dinner time,sometimes she would make us all ,including elders, sit in a circle, and hand feed us the food (in kannada we call it "kai tutthu"). Extra care taken towards me since I do not like ghee and everyone did. She would always proudly show everyone the casserole I and Ashok bought her when she had come to Pune.We had got that so that she could keep her ragi balls (ragi mudde) in it.

Once my mom wanted to surprise my granny by simply showing up on door without prior intimation (granny would be well informed of our schedules,when we would be coming, when we would be going,etc). The picture still so clear in front of my eyes, my mom hid behind me and when granny came in the room, she was surprised and she ran to my mom, like the baby runs towards its mom after putting its first steps..

After settling down in Bangalore for a while, and getting decent pay from my second work, I had asked my mom to buy a new saree for ajji, she liked narayan peth sarees, famous in Pune... She had this fantastic selection of sarees and would prefer always cotton sarees since they were comfortable to her... She was like a  princess in her own rights,we used to tease her as " Muru Tukadda Rajkumari" meaning a princess who would weigh just as much as 3 flowers of mogra and anything beyond that, would become hurting to the the body.... My mom informed me that saree was green in colour, one of my ajji's fav colour and i could imagine her happiness in eyes.. For her, it was not a mere increase in count of number of sarees she had, but the proudness that she would get when she touched the fabric, enjoy the emoition attached to it that her grandchild has got something for her. I was ecstatic that this would be my first gift to her after I had got job in ANZ.

Mom arrived and so did the saree..but there was a little change in the scenario..... I could not see anything in my ajji's eyes since her eyes had closed for ever... I was in shock and could not believe that she had passed away.. Grief had surrounded us everywhere... I just kept the saree on her before she went away physically from my eyes forever.......

Her presence, her grace, her kindness, her love for everyone would be the one thing I will carry with myself to grave.... But I learnt from the experience that, Who knows what would happen in future...if you want to do something for someone, do it immediately..... and ever since I also started following it.

Dedicated to my beloved granny........................