Mylai Memoirs

Tanjore Theeni

As I cleared my 5th standard quarterly exams in first class (scored 63%), whole of my family was elated. Even the loud arguments that were resonating in the home for past few days vanished with this results issue. Everybody in the home were concerned about their kids' results.

Acha (Father) took me on his shoulders to Kalathi rose milk and bought me 2 glasses of rose milk to celebrate. Well it took me a while to understand that celebration wasn't the main reason and the main reason is about to be revealed. He slowly started "Chinni, We want to get you married! Padmanabha Murthy's son, Raghava chettiar has cleared 10th std and is going to take over his business. They wish to get him married to you."

I got shocked; I dropped the rose milk vessel on my dress and stared at Acha for a moment... Because I knew what marriage would mean. No more sleeping with Amma, No more fighting with cousins, No more rose milk with acha, I won't be able to become lawyer like Vijaya Shanthi akka in all those movies, cause I'll have to go do packing in his provision stores business. And the next moment tears started rolling down my bubbly cheeks, I started crying on the pavement holding Acha's hands as he laughed loudly.

Acha bought another rose milk, paid for the broken glass while I was still in tears and then said "Chinnu, calm down! Nobody is getting married right now. I'll bring a prince to get you married and surely not till you become lawyer." I was confused.. and as he wiped away tears left on my face, while I slurped up the rose milk, asked him, "Then why did you say marriage??" without even taking the staw off the glass. He laughed again.

He placed me on his shoulders again and as we walked home, he said "Acha got transferred to Peramur Panchayat office as Head Clerk. Other relatives don't want me to go there. Though it's a very small village, I want to take it up as it's only temporary transfer, So we will all be going to Peramur for about an year."

I didn't know how to respond to that statement. As I went home, I was made aware that the other kids were also informed of this in the mean time and all were equally sad. I sort of felt happy that they were playing all my favourite games to keep me happy till I leave. The guys even agreed to tie the swings in the yard for me to play.
As the day of departure approached, Amma informed us that we are going to stay in Tanjore, as there are no good schools in Peramur. Also, Amma and Acha will be at Peramur while me and Anna will be at Tanjore with my Grandparents.

We packed and bid goodbyes to the teary eyed folk and boarded the bus. After reaching granny's place, I was enlisted in the St.Joseph's Girl's school which happened to be right beside the house and anna was enlisted at a school 2 miles away, Don Bosco. St.Joseph's, apparently takes only till 7th standard and Anna was in 8th.
Amma and Acha warned us to behave our best before leaving for Peramur. We blended well with the grandparents. Granny makes the best of savouries and Grand pa lets me sit on his lap while he recites the best bed time stories ever.

The only thing that separated granny's and the school was a small wall, which was hardly a wall. It was more of a barricade they place in fields to keep the cattle away. Even a small girl wearing Paavada Chattai (Paavada Sattai - A traditional dress worn by Indian kids) like me can easily jump over it.
I preferred jumping over it to walking around as it took additional time and I was lazy as such. After about a week of school, one Tuesday, when I was in my history class, A nice aroma swept in. It was the aroma of my granny baking some sweet. Unable to refrain myself, I immediately got up and asked teacher for permission to go drink water. He told me to use the school facilities, to which I told that "I just got well from fever sir, Doctor uncle told me not to consume anything outside" as innocently possible. As he let me go, I ran to granny's and looked out. She's making Adhirasam (A South Indian Sweet with flour and ghee).

Even before she asked anything, I told how her cooking has dragged me home. She smiled and said "Even, I'm upset. All the snacks and savouries I make, can't even feed my children while they are fresh" and gave me few pieces to taste. I emptied them in no time and ran back to classroom.

After about 2 days in the middle of Maths lecture, I could easily sense that my granny is freshly roasting corn. I got up immediately excused myself for restroom and jumped the wall and went to the kitchen. Granny has already separated the roasted corn seeds into a plate and was waiting for me.

This has slowly become a routine. The next day there was Jamun and the next there was halwa. Next day she roasted ground nut seeds and served them with jaggery. Then there were aappams, and the list goes on. As I made a few friends in school, she would pack some snacks to pass on them also.
As the summer approached, she made a big pot of buttermilk and kept it on the wall and used to call each of the teachers by their name and serve them. They all grew up in the same village and she has affinity towards everybody. A glass of buttermilk with lime and mint was heavenly for the teachers at mid summer after all the teaching they do from morning.

My granny thus, became popular throughout the school. Not just the teachers, but among the students too.

She fought with the political leader (younger to her by 7 years), for making all students stand in sun for 2 hours on August 15th for flag hoisting. She shouted out to him "Dei Kesava, You have been shouting all the morning about Independence and Freedom, I couldn't understand a word of it being 65 years old. They are not even 15 years, If you stretch more, they will faint on the ground. Give them the candies and send them home"

Kesava, despite being the political icon in the city couldn't talk back to my granny. That day her stardom rose even higher. As the time passed on she became a little restless and started interfering in the classes too.
She used to sit near the wall breaking almond shells, questioning the lessons. She questioned our maths teacher as to why we should be knowing and I quote "Why does my Chinni need to know the speed of two trains going on parallel tracks on opposite directions?" and in history classes she opposed the teachings about wealth of old kingdoms as she felt that the real wealth is all hidden underneath and the statistics my teacher held were all wrong.

The teachers being close to her in one or other ways couldn't talk back. If they try try emphasising the importance, she would quote "I have lived 65 years happily, without knowing all these. Don't spoil the kids' minds".

Finally, all the teachers waited for my granny to go out and ran to my grand dad explaining the situation. My grand dad instead supported her and questioned the teachers "If you people cannot explain something to 65 Year old woman, who never left her kitchen. How can you handle 65 kids?" and laughed away.

The next week on Sunday as I was helping Granny make some savouries, Amma has come. I happily ran to her followed by my granny. Amma after exchanging pleasantries with Grand dad and mom (my Grandparents), hugged me, gave me a kiss and asked me about school.
As I went explaining she was happy that "The thirtham here must have some magic, they made my Chinnu get much bubblier cheeks." And turned to my granny and asked jokingly, "What have you been feeding her?"

My granny has just told about breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and talkative me started yapping about everything else, I said continuing granny's statement "Well, also, Adhirasam, Laddu, Jamun, Halwa, Corn and other food items which god gave us to eat as snacks" . Mum was horrified, then she talked to teachers and understood of granny's interference also. To my extreme upset, She immediately talked to our Head Master, Grandparents and other teachers and levied strict restrictions on my food habits and has put a ban on jumping over the wall.

The next day when Amma left for Peramur, Granny rolled out a paper and started packing snacks. When I asked the reason she stated "If there's a will, there's a way" and gave me the packet

This went on till the end of Year until Acha got transferred back to Chennai and to our sweet home at Karaneeswarar Koil Street.

Nevertheless, I still miss those savouries and sweet love granny had for me..