Remembering dear Jayalakshmi Anni today. Our second mother, and the first to RadhaP. A Masterchef par excellence, she used to conjure delights with fish and prawns. She was with us till she moved to Bhopal and later to Chennai. Her love and care abides. RIP dear Anni. We are still yours!!🙏

Celebrate Batchappas 109th birthday today. He still is one of the greatest gift we ever received from the Almighty. He lives on for ever in our hearts and minds. Happy Birthday dear Batchappa. For today and always.🌸🙏❤️🌸

राधप्पा को समर्पित:

प्रेम, प्राण, गीत, गन्ध, आभा और पुलक में,
आप्लावित कर अखिल गगन को,
निखिल भुवन को,
अमल अमृत झर रहा
तुम्हारा प्रेम अविरल है।

दिशा-दिशा में आज टूटकर बन्धन सारा-
मूर्तिमान हो रहा जाग आनंद विमल है;
सुधा-सिक्त हो उठा आज यह जीवन तुम्हे समर्पित है।

शुभ्र चेतना मेरी सरसाती मंगल-रस,
हुई कमल-सी विकसित है आनन्द-मग्न हो;
अपना सारा मधु धरकर तुम्हारे चरणों पर।

जाग उठी नीरव आभा में हृदय-प्रान्त में,
उचित उदार उषा की अरुणिम कान्ति रुचिर है,
अलस नयन अंधकार दूर हो गया है।

🙏🌷🙏🌷🙏🙏🌷

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!🌸❤️🌸

Remembering dear Jayalakshmi Anni on her 102nd birthday today. She was our mother, long before Radha came on the scene. A lovable soul she cared for all, fir Batchappa, and also for Muthu and me in the early turbulent years. A masterchef & a great cook, I still can taste the fried fish and curry she could conjure up for us. Gone now, but not forgotten. May her love bless us all. Rest in peace, dear Anni. You are not forgotten. 🙏❤️🙋🏻‍♂️