Happy Father's Day

Happy Dad's Day!

Appa, I have taken this long to write a blog dedicated to you, but at heart I was planning for one always. Today seems to that special day when I shall do just that.

Appulu. You were a special person in our lives. We used to enjoy your charming and kind nature always.

You always had a pleasant smile and I wonder how you managed to always do that even when you were in great pain.

You lived to make others happy and you also enjoyed your life to the fullest.

I remember the days when I used to get lost in the ragas you sang. You would be so absorbed in those divine Hindustani ragas like Bhopali,Durbari, Bilawal, Shivranjani,
Bhairav, Bhairavi, and those beautiful Pahadi dhuns you used to sing strumming ever so gently on the taanpura with eyes closed as if in deep meditation.

How we all, as children would surround you to soak in that pure and unblemished voice of yours, so full of devotion.
And to think that you learnt your basics just by listening to all greats while they performed at temples, sabhas, concerts, etc., anywhere.
You would go to Bombay, Nagpur, just anywhere for the love of Hindustani music and of course cricket.

The times when you would come late at night, wake us all up and give us a bar of cadbury's chocolates to eat.
The times when you would take us to the numaayush, exhibition so famous in Hyderabad in the months of December-January of each year.
You would allow us to eat chaats, ice-creams, take rides on the giant wheel, buy us tickets to see the bike-rider who went around in circles in a well, never losing his balance, the magic stall, the pink floss candies and what not. We would wait for such moments and these are memories we have of you from childhood even though you are
no more with us now.

I learnt such a lot from you. I learnt to type neatly without making mistakes.
I learnt how to draft business letters, thanks to you, from an early age. I remember I had applied for a job in some motor parts company in Ranigunj, Secunderabd.
I was excited when I got a call to attend the interview. When I saw you walking into the owner's cabin I din't know how to react.
I dint know you knew the owners. All others were called and I was the last to be called in.
The owner said I want you to write your biodata in front of me and I wrote it out. He could not just believe that a 16 year old girl would write so well in English. That was the year 1970. You taught me how to use good English and how to draft simple to complex letters. Yet I was not given the job as I was considered under-age.

You used to play the Tabla so well and keep the rythm to the songs I would sing. You always requested me to sing
Aaja re main toh from Madhumati,
O sajna from Parakh,
Allah tero naam,
Tu jo mere sur mein from Chitchor,
Radha na bole na bole from Azad?
songs from Anarkali, Mamta, Woh kaun thi, Sharmilee and many more such melodious songs sung by Lata Mageshkar.
Your magic fingers would make the Tabla come out just right for a particular song.
How we would all enjoy music together.
Appulu those were the days and the memories of it are still sweet even now.
In your lifetime I wish I had said how much I cared and loved you but I never did that.
I do that everyday and ask for your forgiveness for my scolding you always about your chain smoking habit.
You were patient and never reacted to such behaviour from me. Perhaps you were a realised soul even then?
I wonder. But Appulu I do follow tolerance to a large extent in my own life for many years now. I keep myself calmer.

You were a good human being with a lot of affection for everyone you met. There was no bias. You treated all of us equally and kindly and affectionately.

You were talented yet you wore not those things on your shoulders ever.
I am still learning through the memories I have of you, dear appulu.
May your soul rest in peace.

Mahalakshmi