November 9, 2015.



85-year old, cancered friend Srinivasan stepped into a Meru for Santa Cruz Airport. Flying to an Old Man's Home in Coimbatore. Yogi Nagar will not see anything of him, a slip away, said Rama watching Malayalam film Achchan, with Tilakan, the Perunthachchan of  Malayalam films. In the intro shots, Achchan in bed, in a crouch, bum up, head hidden in pillow; caretaker, Rahitan walks in; film of an old and a young. Like Major Maman (Major Madhavan Menon), Srinivasan, bubbled living; a chartered accountant, did not make it to the company's board, made it to the door of the board room; kept aside phone calls for wife and two daughters; 'ennoda ushir (my life)' he said his friends in Tamil denying himself parties and a few rums; today earns a pension of Rs.25,000. Twenty years ago, his wife Kavita became a black and white pix in the wallet; one daughter went to US, a second looked after him in Yogi Nagar. Achchan Tilkan, sent his wife to a son in US to oversee birth of a grandchild; wife a framed, garlanded pix on the wall; second son in Bengaluru; Tilakan and keeper Rahitan aka Gopalakrishnan (Sasi Eranjikkal). Srinivasan, always a front-bencher strung with every university gold medal worth competing and claiming; a chartered accountant and a mechanical engineer, mentioned in company annual reports; with a pix interviewed in the front page of Economic Times; Srinivasan every one chanted or he thought so. On the youtube, film, Achcan rolled as Rama went on with her telling of Srinivasan; Rahitan gets a job as Block Development Officer; US son books a room for Tilakan in an Orphans Home; Tilakan drives Rahitan to be a BDO; stays at home; shuts the door, alone. Srinivasan is Achchan, remarked Rama; two same stories; one on youtube; another in Yogi Nagar. None checked whether Srinivasan became an orphan at Orphan's Home; his daughter called on Sunday and on Sunday no calls are taken; Srinivasan is without a mobile; left it with daughter; has none to call; Achchan never calls. Achchan does not talk the film. Rahitan offers a drink, spoons kanji to Tilakan; thinks of killing the old man; has not a heart; Achchan becomes Rahitan's father. Will anyone feed Srinivasan: yes, he has money, funds in banks; no fun alone being with cancer, says Rama. None knows. Srinivasan is a back-bencher with gold medals in custody with second daughter at Yogi Nagar;  some time left for trees, birds, suns and moons; but, Srinivasan will be strapped to pain killers, not an address to his name; for a future mention. Film ends...Rama is crying......for Achchan and Srinivasan....