Pink Angavastram

Listening to probably one of the best songs ever “kaatril endhan geetham” by S Janaki, picturised on Sridevi and Thalaivar Rajinikant. The movie is called “Johny”. The world is so much better because of Mr. Jobs !! Can listen to the song and write my blog at the same time. 🙂

Sitting in “Kovai Express” on the way from Salem to Madras.

So here is one of the sub stories from yesterday… Sampath chitappa’s pink Angavastram

Sampath Chitappa is my father’s younger brother. Looks a lot like Appa and sounds a bit like him… And he was the first to arrive when Appa had his cerebral haemorrhage and never hesitated to stay when we needed help.. He also stayed all the way till Appa turned to ashes – teary eyed at having lost his brother. He still gave us instructions on how to mix the ashes in the river.

He loves children and can play with them for hours, but will speak harshly to his wife ! He and Appa stayed together when Appa joined MES in Bangalore. He drank a bottle of rubbing spirit when he was young because he liked the smell and then drank diluted cow dung as its antidote. He also joined MES along with Appa. He followed Appa in the electrical line.. Climbed a pole once and was almost electrocuted. Got badly burnt, and survived to tell the tale.

Fractured his leg once, arm once – bore the pain and got a “puttur kattu” done.. It’s a bone setting system where no surgery is done, but it’s unbearably painful. And then the most fascinating thing happened with Chitappa – they had “vibhuti” fall from Sai Baba’s photo and my near “nastik” Chitappa became a devout Sai devotee. I still remember, in our Dehu Road home dad had a big picture of Sai Baba in the puja room and Chitappa would comment “why the photo of a magician along with the Gods?” and 15 years later he went over to the same camp !!

Amma and Chitappa have always had an on and off relationship… Because he will either tease her or say things in his abrupt manner and Amma has never come to terms with that. But it’s the same Chitappa who made Amma stand next to his daughter-in-law to take a family picture yesterday !!

A study in contrasts is Sampath Chitappa. The Pink Angavastram was bought for him by Aravind for his wedding and it fitted him well – brought out the contrast, a rough demeanour on the outside but a pink sentimental heart inside.