Humble Ritu

Recently I was amazed to see a “Chinese New Year” wish on FB by one of my friends Ritu. I never knew that she went to China. She was with her better half for around 5 years in Singapore. But what’s the connection with China except for the “local” Chinese noodles that she had from the restaurants in Kerala? No idea. Did she relocate there?

Instantly I asked her that question?” You in China? Our Communist China???”.

Her reply was as follows - “No Ashwin. We Singaporeans also celebrate the Chinese New Year”

What humbleness!!! What modesty!!! Such a trait can be found only in her.

I remembered one such incident that happened a few years back. She was one of the first persons in our friends group to have a mobile phone way back in 2002. She took her dad's mobile phone when she went for the MBA project work at Kochi. One day while all of us were travelling back from Kochi to Trivandrum in a crowded train we still remember her talking over the phone on top of her voice

“Hello…Hello..”

“Uncle …can you hear me… kelkunnundo.... kelkunnundo..”

“Uncle….Ithu daddy alla….Ithu daddyude molannu…”

“Uncle….Daddyude molu trainil aanu…kelkunnilla…kelkunilla….”

Santhosh, Manoj, Kuttappan, Vinesh and I walked out of that compartment before she completed that conversation

Santhosh's Marriage Proclamation

I was cleaning up my mails last week when I found something quite interesting. It was my mail to our college group announcing Santhosh's marriage. Here it goes......

Oru nananja mazhakkalathu avan avante chetak start cheyyan nooki. (One rainy morning he tried to start his old chetak scooter) No chance man!!! Especially during rainy days...Athu start cheyarilla (It didnt start)…After a 45 min herculean effort it started and but the rain stopped. What coincidence!!!

His parents asked him to wear a raincoat as it may rain again but he refused as he wanted to show off his new shirt to a few "friends" in college.

But as soon as he passed the gates of the college the rains started again and obviously his chetak stopped. So he was pushing his so-called "two wheeler" to park it near our MBA dept. Just then he saw a girl coming in his opposite side with an umbrella. Santhosh expected her to share the umbrella with him so that he too doesn’t get wet . (See he doesn’t care about his scooter at that time!!!).

But just as she was near him Santhosh slipped and fell down (don’t ask me why…) with the scooter on top of him. The girl just looked at him not knowing whether to laugh or to help him. But unfortunately for Santhosh, 2 or 3 boys from Electronics dept came and helped him. Santhosh thanked the boys unwillingly and asked them politely to leave.

Once he saw that the boys have left, he asked the girl “Kuttikku enthegilum pattiyo?” The girl just ignored that comment and went away…

He did not see the girl for the next 1 week. After a week, when our entire friends group were having lunch at Lords restaurant  he saw her again with 2 of her friends. Seeing her order a Chicken Biryani, Santhosh too went to the waiter and asked him to change his order from Chicken Kothu Barotta to Chicken Biriyani. Kuttappan too was there trying to say some jokes he found at the internet. Ritu was the only person who was laughing at those PJ’s. Kamala was too busy looking at the chicken piece which Nitya & Manjusha had brought. No wonder both had a bad stomach upset the next day. But no one noticed the silent love story that started blossoming.

The very next day they met at the college library and again at college canteen (if you feel this is again coincidence then better meet your doctor…). Avide evideyo vechu avar hridayam kaimaari. (They exchanged their hearts somewhere there)

And after that Santhosh started humming love songs and poems. Remember he used to sing songs for the girls in our class!!! Pakshe manasinte ullil aavan paadiyathu avalku vendi aayirunnu…. Athode kavithakale snehikkunna kavitha santhoshinte swantham Kavitha aayi. Kaanamarayathu avale nooki avan punchirichu……(But deep in his heart he sang for that girl alone...and soon Kavitha came into his life..I cant translate that more)

He kept it as a secret for 8 long years. And since I brought the exclusive media coverage rights for the episode 5 years back, I am presenting it across to you.

In short, Santhosh is getting married.