Close Associations

Somewhere between the expanse of civilization and the lights of heaven, I was blessed with this unique human in the form of my paternal grandmother. Her pet name was Pattu ( denoting silk), we fondly referred to her as ‘Pattu Paatti’. True to her name all her actions were soft as silk and she was endearing to all around her.

She would kick start her day with the practice of offering morning prayers to God and inculcated the same in us. This infused positive stimuli. She used to go round the Tulsi plant which was planted on an elevated mud structure compared to rest of its clan. She cleaned the space around the Tulsi plant and adorned it with beautifully designed kolams ( rangoli) and lit a lamp both in the mornings and evenings. She pronounced this particular plant to be divine and she said it comprised of many healing properties. Pattu Paatti, after her completion of prayers gave me sugar candy that I eagerly waited for and relished.

Her Kitchen was typically orthodox, the moment she brewed coffee, the whole house wafted with the aroma of piping hot filter coffee. There were many neighbours who met her early morning just to sip into this brisk elixir concocted by her. She welcomed all of them and served them without an iota of fatigue. In doing so she left a precious deposit of herself in the lives of all who contacted her.

Pattu paatti had an instinctive flair for self help. She never relied on

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any other inmates or maid for washing her clothes. She kept herself active by soaking and washing the long 9-yard fabric with care. Once they dried no one was allowed to touch and she folded them meticulously enough, that even an Iron boy would be stranded to stare at the folded sari.

A multi-tasking, Pattu Paati, during her leisure not only taught me god shlokas but also narrated many tales in Tamil and English. I was fatally attracted to her stories that she delivered with a fascinating choice of words.

Sometimes she rummaged through the old photo albums and relived the bygone days with her sheer narratives of each picture.

She was a great singer and her musical genius was amazing. She garnered rapt attention from the neighbours who thronged her in large numbers to listen to her.

She explored the newspapers to the fullest and kept track of all its events. She cooked many delicacies and wooed me no end. Years transformed into decades and I became more and more attached to Pattu paatti, the old world charm who always carried with her an aura of positivity.

But then time is fleeting as much as it is bewildering. She had to breathe her last after a massive heart attack. I was inconsolable owing to the magnetic bond that we shared. But time is also a good healer. Her proximity to me brings forth emotions that are ever comforting and classic in nostalgia.