By Navneeth uncle

Good Morning dear Batchappa!
Happy birthday to you from all who love you still, and from all whom you loved so much. Early last night I remembered a few incidents about you that is worth sharing with our generation today. How Muthu and I would wait for you return from the press in the evening. You would turn the corner near the book depot, in your topee and all white dress, and that would make Muthu to run all the way to collect your hat and hold your hand till you reached home. It was a daily ritual till 1950, when we had moved to Gwalior. Then when, Baiju Bawra came to Regal Talkies, and you loved the songs so much. You gave me some money and asked if I could get the record from the shop in Sitabuldi. We tried it on the old gramophone, but the spring had broken. We decided together to repair it. We spliced the broken spring together and you heard the song you loved so much. “Man tharpatath”! We shared books, Perry Mason, Sexton Blake, Leslie Charteris, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. And more. You would enquire if I had got the latest from Western Book Depot. And would go through it in a jiffy. Anni would accuse me of converting him into a bookworm! You loved flying kites and together with Jayappa you would celebrate Sankranti by flying the biggest you could get on the market. Once they flew a kite so high, we could not see it all. They tied it to a railing, and flew through the night into the next day when strong winds blew it apart!! Those were the days. Much could be written about these gallant band of my brothers. Maybe be some day I will sit with Akka and get it into a large book? ‘His last bow’, was a trip to Nagpur following Seenas wedding at Hyderabad. He and Anni had come over. We had a celebratory group with a small cake in front of him. He really enjoyed that visit, with the Ramdaspeth hospitality, and we were so sad to see him return to Nungambakkam. He remembered to call us later, to tell us how much he had enjoyed the visit. He passed away while sitting in the great hall in Nungambakka, reading a Perry Mason novel!! The last of the Mohicans. There so much more I could still write about. But if one were to write more, they would be enough to make a full length novel! Maybe some time, some day? But I want you to know, dear Appa, you are still one of the best, most lovable, stunning, handsome and generous amongst all. A brother thanks you today, for everything you embodied in yourself and shared with us.
Happy Birthday Appa!🌸❤️🌸