When he spoke...

, , 27 comments
My dear little one,
How much you have grown! You will still remain my little one even then… the little girl I pampered, many a time secretly, the one I used to pat to sleep, take to school and run around with too.
At this time, I cannot help thinking of the time I held you in my hands for the first time – you were a tiny, sleeping baby, but fresh and beautiful, and I remember how my eyes filled with tears of joy as you opened your tiny mouth and yawned, then slowly opened your eyes and blinked. And as though you already knew me, smiled too!


And oh, the joy when you held my hands and showed me you could walk! And chuckled as I looked astonished, speechless, that the dear girl has already made her first steps.
Remember how you held my hand as we proudly walked out of the Principal’s office after getting your LKG admission? These memories are still etched in my heart.
As you grew, and asked your parents for the chocolate or mint they would refuse to buy, remember how I would take you out and secretly buy you 5 Star? Or perppermint? I can never forget the little hand that would hurriedly reach for mine as we neared that main road we had to wade across with difficulty.

Time flies fast. I grew old, and when we walked, now I had to hold your hand if we had to cross the road! You became the confident one, leading me across, taking charge of things. I knew you noticed every time I left your hand immediately after I knew we were safe, but pardon me, child, my little ego refused to acknowledge that I needed help.
Even those days are gone now – I lie in bed all day, waiting for you to come back from work, safe and sound. And to hold my hand and reassure me, encourage me, talk to me. Come, Mithu, the old man needs your warm hand.

Grandfather.


P.S: Our lovely babe's been celebrating her birthday. Join me in wishing dearest ol' Chennai a very Happy Birthday!!! Miss you loads, far away here!!

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very Beautiful Narration.
Enjoyed lot..

Inder said...

happy birthday !!!

Harish said...

u'd make a good thaatha :D

Harish said...

Excellent

Kausikram Krishnasayee said...

this is bad i have lost words.... the only comment i keep typing in your blog is "good one" :P
so again
GOOD ONE

Aravind said...

nicely written!! Loved it :)

Vani Viswanathan said...

ven (or is it venu?,
Thanks!

Inder,
To Chennai!

Harish,
You mean paati? :P

Vani Viswanathan said...

Harish, Kausik and Aravind,
Thanks a lot! :)

Dheepa said...

Hi Vani

Very touching narration! I was moved

Got so nostalgic and got reminded of my grandfathr who passed away 5yrs back..!!

And also Wish yu many more happy returns of d day !!

Cheers
Dheepa

Asha said...

I was thinking of a mini celebration for my baby who's turning 10.. and this got me reminded of her baby days... Grin. Perhaps I should write her a letter like that grandpa did yea?

Anyways, that was nice. :)

Ramanujam said...

good one!
belated wishes Chennai(Madras)...

Vani Viswanathan said...

Dheepa,
Welcome, and thank you.
Why are you wishing me a Happy B'day, by the way?

Asha,
That would be brilliant! So your girl can read it some years later, when she'll understand things better! :)

Thanks, Ramanujam. :)

Anonymous said...

Terriffically brilliant, yet simple! I'd have to pitch along with Dheepa and say that you did remind me of my grandma too, you, making me wanna go back and post one about him again.

Relished it at always,

Saggistica

P.s : Do you have anything againt replying in Orkut scrap? :P

Anonymous said...

typo * grandpa not grandma :)

Harish said...

no.. thaatha :D

Arun Sriram said...

Lucid and wonderfully expressive.. too good!

Subramanian Ramachandran said...

:D suddenly it occured to me that i havent visiting ur blogs for quite some time.... will return to read the blog posts ( i think i've missed two of urs including this)

Subramanian Ramachandran said...

* havent been

correct the grammar in previous post :D

Subramanian Ramachandran said...

ok as i said i returned to read your post

woww..lovely...ennapa ore senti-feelings post ah irukku, ramya blog visit panniya ava ithe pola oru senti story eluthiruka..athu kooda romba nalla irukku........... nice to know that teenagers (????) ippadilam story eluthareengannu

good good

Vani Viswanathan said...

Saggistica,
Thank you! Well, nothing about replying in Orkut, but yeah, mostly I take my own sweet time!

Harish,
Hmph!

Arun Sriram,
Welcome!
And thanks!

RS,
Thanks!!
>>nice to know that teenagers (????) ippadilam story eluthareengannu

Why, are we unfeeling creatures? :P

Dheepa said...

hi vani

Was reading the post in a hurry! Guess i misread the last lines... amd assumed its ur bday :-)

Cheers

Dheepa said...

hi vani

Was reading the post in a hurry! Guess i misread the last lines... amd assumed its ur bday :-)

Cheers

Subramanian Ramachandran said...

cha cha naan apadi sollalae vani........ podhuva intha age la pinky stories than podhuva eluthuvanga.. some 6 years ago and all.

Sandhya Ramachandran said...

kalakkeeta di!!! Very true!!! I was just thinking of apost for my grandpa and look wat i found here!? now wondering... adhu ezhuthanama vendama? Brilliant narrative! :)
*hugs*

Anonymous said...

Are you planning to write the scripts for future episodes of Arattai Arangams? ;-)

Vani Viswanathan said...

dheepa,
haha! ok :)

RS,
We're girls who are nearing the end of our teenage lives, so you can expect more maturity ;)

Vani Viswanathan said...

yeomanly,
thanks!

sandhya,
go ahead and write it!! :)

tm,
Ok, for one I can't understand what's the connection between this post and arattai arangam.. funny thing, while one congratulates us for writing this while we're just 'teenagers', another wonders if i'm going to script arratai arangam soon!