The Rainbow of the Setting Sun

Jpatma · Jan 9, 2009

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

Iam becoming your fan, u choose lovely topic (more of my interests) and lace it up with beautiful language and thoughts and make an apparel to covet.

Well, I haven't seen any of the movies you had mentioned , but the concept of love by the aged (prefer to call it mature love) needs mentioning. I remember the movie that fascinated me was " Mudhal Mryadhai". Though iam not over heads and heels over Shivaji's acting (find him at times over acting -well that was the era),loved the feeling presented & the mutual love between him and Radha. You can also see as one gets older, one tries to do youthful act stealthily. In the movie he tries to lift a stone to show his vigour and vitality. Emotions of love was captured well .
Yes ! the concept of mature love resembles a river that has finished running & flowing & tearing thro' the mountain and has reached the plain and now it flows serenly. So it lacks the lust .

Softly, as groping fingers
Clasp, enmesh, entangle,
Each into each arthritic palm,
Unspoken is the affirmation,
The wordless message transmitted,
Never to be unsaid.

But i must mention this which is a true incident that happened in my neighbourhood. There was an old man (say X) in his late sixties and his wife mid sixties. One fine morning she was found dead hanging in the tree. Reason for the suicide: the old man was having an affair with his Indonesian maid who must be half his age. Now the maid has become the mistress of the house at the cost of death of his wife.

One of my priniciple is not to be judgemental ,however, i was wondering why? what caused this to happen ?

This type of age old romance tarnishes all mature love. Since negative news and acts receives more attention, this has caused the youth to look at mature love with scepticism or they term it as acts of viagra.

Love is the principle which creates,sustains,human relations with dignity and depth. Old age is no exception.
May God bless you.
Jaya

Cheeniya · Jan 9, 2009

Dear Jaya
Thank you for your warm comments.
Talking of mature love, I should have mentioned Mudhal Mariyadai first and foremost. It was a moving tale indeed. I can't entirely agree with you that 'as one gets older, one tries to do youthful act stealthily' Of course you have a point there but it is not universally applicable. Trying to do youthful acts stealthily may be in the agenda of a man when he is in the gray area between youth and middle age but as he reaches a stage when such acts can make him an object of ridicule, he gives up all his pretensions of youth! That's when he starts thinking how to make the best use of his senility!

Your comparison of mature love to a river flowing through the plains before it merges with the ocean is just great. I have seen during my pilgrimage to Badrinath and Kedarnath the River Ganga as Bhagirathi and Alaknandha converging at Devaprayag. What an awesome spectacle it was! When we see these two rivers flowing down the mountains with great fury , they remind us how tempestuous youth can be! And again, when we encounter it as a quiet river in all its serenity as it flows through the final stages of its long journey, we understand the dignity and serenity of old age.

That short verse speaks volumes about love at old age. A marvellous piece indeed! The incident that you have quoted is just an aberration and should not be taken as something that could happen every other day.

I'll end my reply quoting your own words:
Love is the principle which creates,sustains,human relations with dignity and depth. Old age is no exception.
Sri

Jpatma · Jan 9, 2009

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

Wow ! i was thinking of rudraprayag ,when i was writing the aspect of river & the picture of alakananda, Mandakini , Bhagirathi were in my mind.
River girggling and its flow at times tearing down the mountain--- my my i have no words to express it.
My husband and i had gone for Char dham yatra and the rivers and the mountains in uttranchal fascinates me so much. Its been 2 years ,still i think abt with emotions that i can't explain and I call it as Sakshath Divinity .
Thank you for concurring with me on the aspect of the river.
May God bless you.
Jaya

sundarusha · Feb 4, 2009

Cheeniya sir

I got a video of 'Fanny' through an inter-library loan and watched it with my husband. Fortunately,the print was rather very good. It was indeed a superb movie.The actors, the settings,the music--everything was too good. Oj da has recollected the last scenes very accurately. Kindly recommend more movies that you liked.I might be able to check them out from the library.

Viswamitra · Apr 5, 2012

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

Another wonderful post describing the plight of an old man in the movie who lost his loved one to a younger person followed by your narration of how the age only deteriorate the skin color but not the feelings. Fanny is immediately placed in my wish list of movies to be watched.

Love is the feeling of the soul that never changes by the deterioration of our body. More we practice love, stronger it becomes. It is like a moon reflecting the light from the Sun whether we are in the morning or evening of our life. As a matter of fact, it is highly visible and beautiful in the evening of our life.

Viswa

shyamala1234 · Apr 5, 2012

Dear Sri,

I like the sentence...age may numb the body but not feelings.

When young it may be more physical but age advances it is companionship and feeling for each other. I visited one aged couple's house. She gave me and her husband coffee.....she asked him gently if sugar was enough, if coffee is hot enough.....he in the gentlest tone said it is perfect. They may not talk all the romantic dialogues in the world, may not celebrate wedding anniversaries with roses...but feelings for each other is wonderful.

Cheeniya · Apr 5, 2012

Dear Viswa
A Rainbow caused by a rising sun may be as luminous and pretty but most of us being saddled with the chores of the day lined up before us have no time to watch it. But by the evening, we are in a more restful mood and our eye for beauty gets restored. The first reluctant stars make their appearance as though to judge our mood. When they find that we start looking at them adoringly,they signal to others to flood the sky!

The evening of the life kindles our aesthetic sense which has remained dormant during the labours of the youthful day. It is only when the relentlessly possessive sun releases the sky from its strangle-hold that the real magic of the sky unfolds before our tired eyes.
Sri

Cheeniya · Apr 5, 2012

Dear Syamala
What an awesome example you have given us! The light talk about the quality of the coffee served is indeed soaked in the purest of love. If the same conversation had taken place some three decades earlier, the husband would have growled that he was not diabetic yet and another spoonful of sugar would not make them bankrupt! Growing together in love makes even the mundane happenings of life worthy of being cherished for a life time, whatever that is left of it!
Sri