Nair and fam Masala.co-Part One

On a Friday afternoon, Mr. Devraj Nair got up late from his small nap and sat on his bed. He seemed lost and tired and looked at his wife’s photo kept on the side table. Just then, as he was looking at the photo in a thinking state his grandson passed by his room. Devraj got up from his bed and went to the bathroom. His grandson who was walking on the corridor felt something and looked at his grandpa’s room for a while. He stood there as he heard heavy footsteps and then a fall sound. It didn’t sound good and he ran to his grandpa’s room. He came inside and saw that his grandpa was fallen on the floor, not moving at all. He had passed out as soon as he came out of the bathroom. He called his aunties and grandma who were they’re in the kitchen. As soon as they heard him screaming and crying, they left their chores and knifes, aunties came running and grandma took the walking stick and slowly came out of the kitchen. She heard her daughter in laws crying loudly. As one of them came down and told grandma that grandpa had passed out on the floor. Grandma couldn’t balance this fact and fell to the wall and fell dragging down. She cried and asked God, why is this happening to him first you took away what he loved and now he is alone and wants to make me alone. She cried questioning her existence and looked at her grandson who was standing on the top floor in front of the inside balcony.

They took him in the ambulance to the hospital immediately. While everyone was calling all their relatives and then grandpa said “Call my son, Call my son.” Listening to this everyone was shocked. All his other sons felt agitated and his daughter frowned. Then grandma spoke “Do as he says.” While everyone looked at each other no one took the action. Grandson was holding his phone and was stumbled on a certain dilemma about what should he do.

Nephew narrating,

We reached the hospital really quick and everyone just jumped out of the ambulance, while grandma was looking at grandpa and I was sitting there quietly. After sometime, the stretcher came and slowly took grandpa out and shifted on the stretcher. They took him to the ICU to diagnose the heart’s condition and operate it. All of them were waiting outside the ICU scared and tensed. All I was doing was looking at their faces and wondering how to react because it was difficult to accept that I didn’t knew what to show on m face. Grandma was sitting beside since my sister left to accompany her dad who was doing the official procedures. My grandma placed her hand over my hand and asked me “Beta did you call your dada?”. I couldn’t hold it and asked her something “Grandma, I have grown up, showing no respect for you and grandpa then why do I have to come with you all this way, after all that’s happened and the way you just threw the family and let my mom and dad suffer? I don’t understand and why should I even call him when aunties are not liking this idea?” Grandma replied “You know Grandpa was feeling sick since yesterday and I thought to call your dada and give him to talk with him. Though all the bad things have happened but you can’t change the fact that he had loved your dad the most. Even me but to be very honest about myself, Ego in a family is like a slow poison that consumes you and detaches you with the people you need to be with. If that night I had stopped your dad and Mumma from leaving this house then any of these wouldn’t have happened.”

Grandson continues,

So, there you see that my grandma was so miserably missing my dad and at some point, of time even my aunt started to miss him. Family is a bond that is created by many feelings and an acceptance towards it. When the acceptance factor falls short you end up being an egoistic self-centered person who only cares about himself, though might be for good reasons but it will remain the same. My name is Knish Nair and children this is a story about how family matters.

Asking my grandma about how did we end up in such a state where we were soo self-sufficient, my grandpa Dr. Devraj Nair was an entrepreneur that erected this massive masala industry Nair&fam Masala. Though my dad didn’t join it but he does a big IT company SyncFOAM solutions. He made sure that my grandpa’s success didn’t overshadow him in his entrepreneur journey. I till that time didn’t knew why would dad do such a thing and why doesn’t my grandpa hold any credit to my dad’s success? And why did my mom always made sure that I visit my grandpa and grandma irrespective of what has happened to us. It’s strange though I knew I didn’t know the whole thing. Age is not just a number but a development phase where you develop different emotions and try to go deep with it. So, was the situation with me at that very moment. I had questions to which I had imagined a rude answer and a cinematically storming off moments. But when I heard the story from the beginning things changed and thus, I believe that you should know it to.

In the hospital,

“Grandma I do want to know the answers of the questions that I have in my mind. This might not be a big deal for anyone but I believe you understand that it’s going to be not just this moment but for life it’s going to staying with me, history and to why and how will I react to certain things and how do is share my say with my family. You understand I want to know from the beginning grandm

a, I want to know.”

Grandma took a deep breath and looked at me and started,

Knish the story of your grandpa isn’t just about him, to understand why has he become this and whatever prestigious empire he has made you need to know this, that this firm itself is a part of our family the addition in the Nair ‘&fam’ was done by your grandpa but the initiation was done by his dad your great grandfather Dhuruvam Nair. Back in the time, in Kerala when British were ruling our country, they had forced all the farmers to crop out the indigo more than the veggies. Indigo wasn’t that easy to agriculture because once it was sown it took time to grow and after the growth it spoils the whole agricultural ground. Since the ground was spoilt the farmers were left hungry and had to give away their share to the British empire because the veggies weren’t produced at all for a longer period of time.

One afternoon, a close colleague of Dhuruvam at the farm, passed away while farming the indigo and this enlighten the very cause that Indigo is harming the health of the farmers who are farming it. Dhuruvam was ambitious and came up with an idea of cultivating masala for the British Empire. Since, Madras and most of the northern areas of India were enjoying this trade of Masala that East India Company was bringing, he thought why not produce the same here and this will be a hit in few years and be a big market even after the well sought for independence. So, secretly around one corner of his house he started cultivating one batch of masalas that were Haldi, Laal Mirch, Dhaniya powder. In a period of some time, he came up with the masalas and brought it to the palace of the king who was ruling that particular part of place. He tasted it and gave a node that this will be a huge hit in the market at that time. So, that’s how Mr. Dhuruvam Nair started ‘Nair Masala.Co’.

Though the name was decided he needed people to work for him and to teach them to continue doing the process for a continues period of time for that he needed to build a certain kind of trust and for that period of time the only trust that the citizens wanted was ‘Freedom’. It was a difficult challenge to imbibe the soul of his objective into the minds of the people, but before that he himself had to understand that ‘How’ is he going to these visionary things. He sat for a long time on different places, saw different people around and saw the struggles that were being faced by the farmers he understood the real cause and effect of the need of freedom. He went back to the farm and sat in front of it. His mom had just finished packing her things to return back home when she saw her son was sitting there on a tree log, tensed. He was wondering that how could he make his vision believable to the people and that they work with him, just then his mom came closer to him and asked him “Appu, what is troubling you for long?” He replied “Ah Amma I can’t think of a way that how should I help my kin here. I have seen them I have seen you struggling for hours to produce this poisonous crop that is ruining your health. I can’t see that as a mere spectacle. I have to do something; I made the masala and the king loved it and he wants me to produce this for the trade how could I do that.”

Amma spoke “If something has to be done then why not do it?”. Dhuruvam replied “You are not understanding Amma, in every eye here I see is the need of freedom from the clutches of the British and if I completely just do it for the sake of the need then it will be something like I will be doing only for the British. And that’s what I don’t want I want my masala to be the number one for Hindustan alone.” Amma thought for a while and said “Appu if you believe in a vision that is going to do wonders for the people around you, Nature will give you the sign and will tell the solution. You just have to wait for the right time and keep your eyes, ears open so that you don’t miss those signs. Trust on your belief Appu it will be all fine. Now come before it’s late, already the sun has set and it will be dark soon.” Dhuruvam didn’t quite understand what his mom meant because it was too deep to be understood but he surely knew Answer to his problem is surely somewhere around him. Just then as they both were going the climate was slowly becoming breezy and small drops of rain were showering.

As the rain drops were becoming faster and climate was becoming moody, the palace guards addressed the king inside the court that it was raining. King upon hearing this called his secretariate who was a British “Since, the weather is becoming cold and lazy let’s have some wine and ask for a lavish lamb dinner.” The secretariate agreed on this and made himself comfortable on the seat. Inside the kitchen the head chef and his associates were discussing to leave early since, it might rain vigorously and will be difficult to return back home. They were wondering about their wives and children because most of them wives were working in the field. They were also concerned about the field because it was heavily raining which could damage the crops in the field. As the food was being prepared for the king and his court-men then one of the King’s courtiers Aru Narayan who was meant to be people’s man and brought king the most sought-after issues of people to him. Aru Narayan stood in center of the court and addressed the king “Honorable King, as you can see the rain and it’s strong force, is concerning the farmers about the land loan that they have to give.

The issue is big since the rain will damage all the crops and there will nothing to give so there is no way that for few months ahead, they wouldn’t be able to give any loan. So, I request you that let those who work in our palace be freed earlier so that they can support their family. And It would be very helpful if you give the poor farmers a bit of compensation so that they don’t go down on their finances till the weather is favorable.” Listening to his courtier he was falling weak a bit about his people, seeing this one of the British secretariats stood up and revolted against this by saying “Honorable Aru Narayan may I speak? So, you as being the king’s favorite you should be only thinking about the king alone. Let me put some logic in you, if the crops are destroyed and nothing left for the production the kingdom in whole and the prestige of the king will fall. Hence, if the name of the king is at risk his empire is going to be in the death risk. So, tell me who’s important king or the kingdom. So, now do I think I have my made my point. Let the king be happy and for the record when the weather is done all right let the farmers produce twice the amount with no relaxation needed since I don’t know how many months are, they not going to work. Get the orders done really quick. Come on go now.”

That was some real embarrassment faced in front of so many people, hopes of returning home quick for the people who were working in the palace were lost and no support for the kingdom was achieved. This deeply saddened Aru Narayan, he looked at the king in a notion saying “You have become a stone that is only worshipped but you have forgotten to be what you are, a human being”.

Dejected by the king’s acceptance to the British secretariate’s request, Aru Narayan walks towards the kitchen where he saw all the chefs and servants waiting for some hope to leave early to their families, though they heard everything about the conversation between him and the king. They still had some hope left on their beloved Aru Narayan. He walks inside the kitchen without making any eye contact with anyone and stood at the center. Everyone gathered around him waiting for him to talk. Aru Narayan raises his head and looks around each and everyone’s faces. He stars “I spoke to the king realizing the climate condition which is disastrous and the safety of your family members but to no avail he is least bothered about it. Am sorry I couldn’t do anything about this nor take any action on my own because that will eventually cause trouble to you alone. Am sorry.”

Then one of the chefs came forward and spoke, folding his hands “Swamy, you thought of helping us and most importantly thought about our family as your own. Who would think about us and our welfare in this whole palace, it’s you? That’s more than enough sir more than enough.” Then another chef came forward and spoke “Swamy, I do have one favor to ask you.” Aru Narayan immediately came near him and asked him “What do you need tell me?” holding the chef’s hand. With at most compassion received the chef continued “I want my family to be safe thought I know they can take care of themselves but since I am not with them, I need them to know that I am ok and safe. So, that they don’t worry about me.” Aru Narayan replied while tears rolled over his eyes “I will do more for you, I will go to the village and stay with the people till the matters are at rest. I won’t return back to the palace till my people are safe and sound.” Everyone kneeled down to touch his feet but he refrained that action by holding their hands and said “I am doing this because it’s my only job”. He comes out of the palace and walks through facing the strong winds and rain gushing over him. He starts searching for his horse. Every horse which is been used by the people in palace were moved to the bigger shed so that they are not affected by this storm. But Aru Narayan’s horse came slowly towards him. It is said that if you decide to do good for the people then nature itself shows it up to help you. He sits on his horse and rides towards the village. As he rides, he witnesses that as the road is nearing to the village it’s becoming marshier because of extreme rain water absorption thus becoming slippery and difficult for the horse to move. He sees his horse struggling and makes it stop to a nearby tree which is near to the entrance of the village.

He gets down of his horse and moves towards the village’s entrance. He stood for a moment near the gate and looked behind at his horse. He nodes looking at his horse and looks forward. He deep breaths and continues to walk entering the village. The horse looks at his master turns back and rides back to the palace. Aru Narayan struggles to walk through the mushes that were getting more slippery as the storm felt never ending. After passing through the hurdles, he finally saw some of the known citizens in the village and they held his hand and guided him for the further road. He stood for a while and looked at the sky and said “The palace has refused the help and there is no time to swoon ourselves with the disregarded message let’s begin the process of helping ourselves first and make sure all the people in this village are safe.” As he said one of the houses crumbled down due to weak bases which couldn’t handle the force of the storm and flowing water on the ground. This created a fear in everyone’s eyes and Aru Narayan senses this.

He patted on a boy’s shoulder and said “Let’s begin the work boys come on! Gather all the children with their mothers on one side and put all the old people on the other side. I will assign some boys to collect all the available strews and tree branches and make a shed out of those so that they are safely placed.” As he said this one of the house wife and came in front and said “Our husbands are in palace and are struggling by not seeing us and not been able to get out of that place without food they will be hungry and will be working around the clock. We as their wives can’t sit around here just doing nothing, we will also make sheds at certain places around here so that there is no crowding and everything will be at place.” Every housewife who heard this felt enlightened and came forward to help, they formed the group. Aru Narayan approved of this and all of them started working to create the emergency sheds.

Everyone was busy putting up the sheds, Dhuruvam was also helping Aru Narayan to assemble the Men to carry on the work as soon as possible. The sheds were put up but the rain didn’t go off. The waters had destroyed the houses, markets and with it all the crops were also destroyed. There were pregnant women and old people who were left starving and Aru Narayan didn’t have a clue that how could he take care of them just them his eyes fell on Dhuruvam who was passing through the clogged-up waters to reach his small factory. He then came out with some baskets putting up on his head and calling out some boys and telling them to pass this to the women who are sitting inside the shed and tell them to hold it for a while. Dhuruvam had stored some crops for his masala testing and for his home. The quantity was enough for almost three days. Aru Narayan looked at the efforts taken by Dhuruvam and realized that he had something to lead to, he had the sparkle, he had the radiance of a leader. Preparation of the food was done and everyone rested in a hope that this disaster settles down.

After four days, there was sunshine after the storm, the water on the ground was slowly drying and birds started to chirp. Kids got up from their sleep, listening to the birds chirping, came out of the sheds and rejoiced under the sunshine. All parents got up from their loudness and playing sounds and realized that the storm had gone. Everyone was happy, Aru Narayan came walking with all his volunteers who helped him and spoke “The storm has gone and the sunshine has shone over us, I thank everyone who has helped this village to get over this calamity and all these boys with me for handling this situation. Main thanks and from which we need the blessings from is all the wives and women who have risked their lives and helped us by making these sheds, Thank you.” Everyone rejoiced and danced forming circles. They caught Aru Narayan by his hands and joined him in. Everyone was dancing and his eyes fell on Dhuruvam who was tirelessly cooking food for the people while also smiling looking at all the people dancing. Aru Narayan came forward to the kitchen side and stood near Dhuruvam. Dhuruvam didn’t realize Aru Narayan is standing next to him, as he was going back to the kitchen only then he realized of his presence. He said “Ah am sorry sir didn’t notice your presence here. I was just enjoying myself with the glory that my people are celebrating.” Aru Narayan replied “You have a way of savoring your devotions to the people of this village while everyone was doing what I instructed to them only you and only you thought about the food for the people taking concerns for the pregnant ladies and old people here. That was a phenomenal feat.” Dhuruvam chucked and said “I own a small masala market and I as a farmer knows the importance of producing the crops for people to eat and how important this is for ourselves also. I had the masala’s made and the crops were taken from my field, I had to do what I had to do.”

Aru Narayan was fascinated by his insightful behavior. Just then few soldiers from the palace came on their horses in front then the king’s chariot also appeared. Everybody stopped dancing and stood still looking at the chariots with all envious eyes. Aru Narayan looked at the chariot from afar and came forward. The chariot stopped and then its doors were open by another soldier. Firstly, the English subordinate general came out of the chariot and stood for a while looking at all the villagers. As the general walked aside, then the King came out of the chariot and saw Aru Narayan. The King addressed Aru Narayan and said “Aru Narayan why are you standing there with him in such a condition go to your mansion and clean yourself and assemble in the court now.” Aru Narayan replied “No your highness, I shall stay here until the situations are in under control and report to you about the events for the record to you as soon as possible.” King exclaimed “Good and impressed as always!” with a smirk on his face. The King took a deep breath and addressed his fellow citizens in this village “I am deeply relived by the fact that unity does make life better and makes everyone around to work as one for a greater tomorrow. It was an honor to see such brave people in my village that took up their charge to protect the village from this unforeseen calamity. I bless all of you and also let you endeavor the fruits of your hard work.” Everyone stood their calmly and expected some support from The King but the only thing that he did was appreciate their effort in controlling this calamity.

The King continued his speech “As you all know that due to this unforeseen disaster, we have suffered huge in producing the goods for the English and thus as per their demand I herby request you all to produce three times it’s goods that you were regularly producing that is 3 times the indigo and 3 times the exquisite crops. I hope that you will do the honors by producing what they require and make sure that the kingdom comes to back to normalcy.” Everyone stood their shocked. All the farmers stood still just imagining the amount of time that would take to produce all that. Aru Narayan just felt pity for all of them and looked at Dhuruvam who was standing behind agitated and angry. He could see his angry as he was clinching his and looking at the King. All the old people who were sitting inside the shed were holding on to their daughters and daughter-in-law’s. The King concluded “So, I hope that you have heard the orders and now I shall take my leave here. If any doubts about any need that any of you might have you can ask Aru Narayan, he will be very happy to help you all.” English subordinate looked at all of the worried faces and smiled silently, just then rain started pouring. The King was rushed inside the chariot and everyone were seated inside the chariot. The chariot turned back and moved back to the kingdom.

All the people in that village stood up silently. It was a painful thing to see where their happiness was crushed in just few minutes. Aru Narayan could help but stand helpless for his people. Dhuruvam Nair was holding his anger and looked at his mother who was standing under the shed. He realized that his father passed away because of continues farming of the poisonous crop including the indigo and nothing changed because no one raised their voice for the injustice which was going on. Just as he was thinking all this one of his co-workers fatigued due to extreme hard work, he did for so many days and fell down. And his mom coughed as usual and spit out the blood. He couldn’t hold this and walked in front.

“Till what time are going to stay silent or have we gone blind to realize that our King is not ours anymore. He is doing all these things with money in his mind and orders been obeyed which are coming from those English rulers. Do we have to suffer like this?”

Dhuruvam was interrupted by some old man “Oh another youngster is raising his voice now and want us all to die like some puny animals.”

Dhuruvam looked at him and said “These puny animals saved you from the rain not because you are an old man because keeping up the responsibility of each and every person living in this village. And I took this responsibility as person also your life too.”

That old man bowed his head.

Dhuruvam continued “I have a plan. Since none of us is ready to keep our life at stack for the very thing that we naturally with full pride deserve what I say is let’s announce an offer, a settlement that we won’t do what they will be asking us to do.”

Everyone was shocked and looked at Dhuruvam with worried expressions. Then some murmuring started between trying to understand this statement. Sensing the confusion Dhuruvam states “I had started a masala company which produces masalas with highest organic value. These are the same masala with which I made the food during the calamity which we were facing.” People agreed to the fact that it did made the food taste good. “So, I ask you all who are willing to work with me and I also ask Aru Narayan to support us through this settlement that we shall produce masala in good quantity and export it to the northern part of this country. Since, we all know that the demand for such masala is high in northern states and thus the export value will increase this village’s economy. We all stay working here itself for ourselves and also earn money for what we work with full pride.”

There was silence for some time and then some of them came first to support his idea and few looked at how many are actually supporting this idea. Then the number of supporters slowly increased and then the whole village was now supporting him. As his mother looked at him the sun rose through the clouds and fell on him giving the people of this village, a leader.