Master story Teller!
For
many years in my childhood my Papa told me a story each night before I went to
sleep. He told me all the Panchatantra stories, Akbar-Birbal stories,
Mythological stories, movie stories and in the end he made up his own stories.
Both of us loved murder mysteries. We saw action thriller English movies
together and had loads of fun. He was an absolute movie buff and watched a
movie almost every weekend.
He had
a great skill of making up stories and a unique style of writing. When he wrote
the biography of his own father “IT HAPPENED,” there was lot of
opposition because it was his take on my grandfather’s life and also he had mentioned
a lot of people who were relatives and friends who might have not liked it. But
he did not care. He told me it felt cathartic.
His
second book was a collection of short stories and poems titled “HYDERABAD
JERSEY TALES.” The stories were humorous, free flowing and fantastic.
Anything could happen in his stories, the twists and turns were unbelievable,
but that was Papa.
Long
back he had written a murder mystery titled “A CHAIN OF COINCIDENCE,” it
was a fascinating tale where three different lives get intertwined due to a
murder and then confusion and chaos ensues. Beautifully written. Alas! This
manuscript got lost at some point in time. I have a good mind to recreate this
story with whatever I remember. He has already penned three short stories
titled, E-CAR, CHANDRA and U-T-30.
Humor
hangs on the tip of his nose!
Papa had this habit of pulling people’s legs. He was very naughty. Once he came to know what the other person was sensitive about, he would joke precisely on that issue, thus angering them. Then he would have a good laugh. I would be so furious. “Why do you hurt people?” I would demand. He would go on laughing infuriating me further.
Many
years back, my brother Sai who was 6 years old, was crying, he wanted to go to
the movie Sholay. Papa lifted him and took him to the main road and
showed him a big poster of the film. The poster had flames in it (Sholay means
flames). He said, “The movie got burnt, see for yourself”. Sai got convinced
and stopped crying.
When I
was in 9th grade, I had lost three months of classes as I had gone
to New Delhi to perform at the inaugural ceremony of ASIAD 82. When I returned, Half
yearly exams were staring at me in a weeks’ time. There was no time to copy
notes, understand and then prepare for the exams. I discussed my problem with
Papa. He gave me an idea. He said, “Why don’t you read out your notes and
record it in a cassette. Keep listening to it through the night. It will get
into your subconscious, next day you will be able to recollect and do your exam
well. I believed him and did exactly what he suggested, but did miserably in
the exams. This experiment failed. I was so annoyed with his idea and guess
what, he was laughing at me.
Loved
to engage with children!
He
loved children. Apart from telling stories he would play games with them which
included caroms, table tennis, shuttle badminton, cards, monopoly, Chinese
checker and what not. I remember the long afternoons during summer vacation
when we would all play caroms or cards or any board game for hours and hours.
Children adored him. All my cousins fondly remember the many hours he spent
playing fun games with them.
Experimenting
in the! Kitchen!
He
loved good food and insisted that every meal be properly made. He wanted the
table laid well, the food displayed and served properly. Whenever my mother was
out on some work and he and I got an opportunity, he would try experimenting a
new dish in the kitchen. I would sincerely help him and we would come up with
some concoction of his wild ideas and in the process the kitchen would become a
messy disaster. Then when Amma came back and saw the kitchen’s condition in
horror, she would be angry with us, we would retreat to our room and once again
he would smile naughtily.
A
beautiful Life!
He
studied in New-Delhi and Hyderabad, worked in Jamshedpur in the TATAS, when the
entrepreneurial bug bit him he returned to Hyderabad and started a company,
when that failed he went to the middle east to earn his buck. He ended his
innings as a scientist in Birla Planetorium and a member of the Pollution
Control Board. He married his love, loved his children. Was through and through
a family man. So loved by his siblings, cousins, relatives and friends.
Travelled many times to the USA where his beloved son lives. Loved electronic
gadgets, loved to drive his car. In the last decade of his life he turned a
writer and published two books, celebrated his 50th marriage
anniversary and his 80thbirthday.
A Beautiful
Mind!
Papa
was broad minded and a progressive thinker. He strongly believed that women
must be empowered and given the freedom to choose their life partner and their
career. He thought a lot about vibrations and made the VIBRATION THEORY.
According to that our thoughts create powerful vibrations which spread around us.
These vibrations can be felt and experienced. He was very curious about what
happens after death. Where does the atma go? Way back in the 80’s he got
together with Prof Srinivasan and his good friend Ramana and they did a
procedure where in you contact ghosts and ask them questions.
Well
now Papa solved the mystery of death!
A
Handsome Man!
He had
a golden, shiny, bright complexion, big paw like soft hands, beautiful feet. He
had a medium height and was in the mold of Guru Dutt- a
hero of the yester years. He had large bulging eyes, broad forehead, straight
nose and a charming smile. I salute him. Will miss him.
-Dr.Lalita Anand