I could see no promising clouds in the sky. The day was unusually warm, no it was hot! I had to travel to my cousin’s home and be a part of the Birthday celebrations of his baby girl- her first birthday. The baby won everyone’s heart with her smart smile, days before her arrival in India, her dad was so keen on sending each stages of her growth to all his relatives. She wore a snow-white gown and twin-tooth cheer!
As usual everyone ate sumptuous lunch, cakes, chocolates and I could find kids amazed to receive gifts from the birthday girl [in Kerala, it’s not a custom to receive gifts in a birthday party, but just give]. The baby’s gestures were so attractive that none could really leave the place just like that. I was happy, but definitely missed out something throughout.
Right from my childhood I was more accompanied by elders rather than those of my age. So I have that habit of being in the company of old people. I love to chat with them, listen to their comments and learn about their fantasies. This day I was pretty sure about a person, the birthday-beauty’s grandpa, whom I could not miss. He is a thin, tall man who spoke little but always maintained a calm posture. He resembled my grandpa so much that I had a greater inclination towards him. He was seated in the front veranda of the house and welcomed me with a vague smile [had a haircut and I am sure he would have not recognized me!]. He tried to engage his grandchildren who found only strange people around. He held balloons and talked to them, still maintaining that calm feature of his!
Slowly he recognized me and took the initiative to talk. He appreciated my blog and smiled that very pleasing way. I felt that hollowness all again. He was quite next to my grandpa. I have always seen him dress up in the simplest way possible. Though his financial capacity is far ahead. I wanted to chat with him for long, but I failed repeatedly. I had to adjust with the little interruptions. Each time I sat near him to speak to him, one or the other engagement blocked my mission! I could find that he was also waiting for someone to chat with him [ my brother stole the heart of a Tamil-beauty and there exists a language problem in each get-togethers of both the families!].
Meanwhile, his wife was getting along with everyone far better. Seems she was already familiar with the language. But my analysis proved wrong when their daughter, my cousin’s wife [my sister], told me that her dad is no alien to the language.
I returned home with that vacuum lingering in my mind as I could not bid farewell to him! I was sure about typing up all that I felt, but not least sure about how to frame it. Was it that I missed my grandpa? Was it all about my homesickness that came along each time I returned to my campus? Or the weather that just kept me dizzy? All I can surely speak to you is about the absence of promising clouds and the little beauty who celebrated her first birthday!
