Mythili The Full Moon And Breeze In My Life-part 3a

Mythili the full moon and breeze in my life-part 3

Remembered the yester years-friends

why today is not as happy as old days

Hundred relations have sprung up

yet where is the peace I am searching for

I was promoted to Deputy General Manager and we moved from the security and comfort of a typical middle class home in Hyderabad to Pune; a spacious and well furnished flat in an upmarket locality, though without a lift facility.This helped shed some weight gained with Sona Masuri,Avakai pickles and Rasalu mangoes at Hyderabad.
My daughters were 12 and 10,a crucial stage in life when bench marks are evolved in character and grooming.As usual I was travelling for fifteen days a month and the responsibility was taken over by Mythili.
Moving to Pune was daunting in some ways and I used to go with my daughters till the school bus stop.The girls were not happy as their friends made fun of them.I found an ingenious method of hiding behind a wall on the next street which had a direct view of the bus stop.Somebody noticed me and passed on the information to Mythili.She in turn passed on the information to my daughters.I faced a tsunami from the combined force of three agitated females.
At work, I had an officer who lost his wife in a motor cycle accident [she was the pillion rider].He married the girl’s sister who also died under mysterious circumstances.Though there was no evidence,the needle of suspicion pointed to this officer.Mythili used to refer to him as JACK THE RIPPER.She was constantly worried about my safety and was relieved when I got rid of him without any collateral damage.

Enjoying Masaldosa,coffee followed by a film in the Poona club was something we looked forward to on saturdays.Mythili and daughters became voracious readers thanks to the library in the club. .A good lunch in Shreyes hotel with Shrikant and a leisurely stroll, window shopping in the East street were a delightful experience. Poona was a city which combined elegance,fashion and simplicity those days and somehow those were relaxed days inspite of extreme pressure in office.Poona grows on you.

I made my first trip to the U.S. during my Pune stint. I also lost the most inspirational figure in my life- my father during this period.
We shifted to Goa in 1986 after my promotion to General Manager-sales.We were allotted a beautiful bungalow with a huge garden on an elevated area and a sheer drop of 150 meters, leading to a famous beach. Langurs[monkeys with black face and long tails]and snakes lived in peaceful co existence. Mythili who had a lifelong abhorrence for snakes had a few sightings, particularly when she found a snake curled around the tap in the bathroom.
I had the opportunity to be President of our recreation club with around 600 members and a generous budget for activities.

We organised a music competition with extra marks for singing in a different language apart from mother tongue and double extra marks for singing in a language of another zone.I also gave my name much against the protests of Mythili and children.Sitting in the bathtub with water up to my neck level, I practised Venkatachala nilayam, a Purandaradas kirtana in Kannada.My wife and children felt I was going overboard and exchanged sympathetic looks with each other. On the appointed day I became a little nervous as a result of such active discouragement at home.I explained my predicament to Gomes, my colleague in the committee.Half an hour before my chance, he gave me a cup of strong coffee which tasted different. I was virtually floating in the air when I entered the stage.Lord Balaji appeared before my eyes and I sang with devotion which even Saint Purandaradasa would have envied.After the program, when the chief judge asked the audience to guess the winner, “Our president” echoed in the hall, much to the surprise and delight of my family, The secret , I understood later was a generous mix of Brandy with the coffee.The prize went to others who chose out of zone songs to get the extra marks.
In another event, Mythili and I danced to a folk song carrying bundles of straw on our heads.Mythili's avid interest in dance came to the fore in this program when she danced with graceful movements..On Childrens day I participated as a Sardarji doing Bangra dance and a Sardarji as a vaishnavaite priest carrying Tulsi water in a tumbler.My Bangra dance was closely supervised by Mythili.The Sardarji exceeded his brief by offering tulsi water to the student judges and shouted out as bribing the judges. The programme was a thumping success.
We bid good bye to the land of sunshine and song, Goan hospitality and the different roles I had the opportunity to play in staff welfare activities. Mythili enjoyed our beautiful home by the seaside and had thrown many parties with South Indian food, made the way only she could.
Officially it was very tough period of immense stress and strain. Mythili was understanding, helpful and tolerant of my temper tantrums during this difficult period.
As a family, we had come closer thanks to the cementing forces of music and dance.

In our farewell party my colleague the VPF expressed his unhappiness to our MD at our departure as this would result in loss to the rummy team as Mythili and I always lost because we played the game for fun.
Next move- New Delhi where new adventures awaited us.

 

What a beautiful way to say that life is like a bouquet with flowers as well as thorns.Allow me to use this quote in my snippet on an interesting snippet yet to come.The same daughter now makes sure that her daughter is accompanied upto the school bus stop. of course times have changed as far as security issues are concerned.
Wait for three more episodes of the highs and lows of life with Mythili.
Regards.SLN

 

Dear Satchi,
Work life balance has gone for a toss.Even when family members are free they prefer the company of social media instead of spending quality time with the family members.Situation will become worse in the days to come with sophisticated on line games,play stations etc.
Regards.SLN