In our sofas, Rama and me, every morning, drive away on a Neermathalam set to Neelambari raga in Aami. A Neermathalam tree in a nallukettu somewhere in Malabar, tiled roofs rain wet in joy and despair ... open spaces of a compassionate silence. Howrah Bridge, Maidan, Victoria Memorial, Bihari hand-drawn rickshaws, slatted homes ..... me first love; and for Rama, the Neermathalam, her first love. And when Shreya Ghoshal slips into silence, sit quiet, tuck into the music, into ourselves... ah, me am getting senti over Aami. Its been near 20 years, since me kissed my first love... maybe today she is as old as me and a kiss could be proper in loveless times .... when Rama clipped in with a desire to be with her naadu, Allapuzha, kayals mating seas and her school, St. Anthony Girls High School where in Class 10 she was caned by Kunjamma teacher... is the lady around? Rama dislikes English Winglish, a hatred seeded long ago... She scored 2 out of 10 in Class 10, in English and Kunjamma teacher asked Rama to get the cane from the Teachers Room. Cane arrived, Rama stretched her right palm, got stinging fives, ... she winced in the telling... took the report card home and H. Gopalakrishnan, her father, signed the report without comment. 'He never shouted or beat us,' Rama wisped. Me never had such luck, parents never spoke softly ... me signed me report cards, faking signatures .... lets not spoil the morning. Aami had Ammamma... maternal grandmother ... like Rama had her father and mother. 'Amma never cared for school, marks; she wanted her girls and a son to eat well.... and be careful of men. Naadu,' Rama said. Naadu is green, the society is brown. Neermathalams and sacred groves, hid and hide a dirty Kerala of caste, community and women hates, going by Madhavikutty. Women were ever absent from home registers. It did not matter whether they lived or not lived. One woman died, another took her place. Madhavikutty in 2018 can still spot some greens; the rest, unchanged. Best intro for Kerala 2018 is Madhavikutty of A Childhood in Malabar and My Story. Rama hums Neermathalams .....
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Neermathalam
In our sofas, Rama and me, every morning, drive away on a Neermathalam set to Neelambari raga in Aami. A Neermathalam tree in a nallukettu somewhere in Malabar, tiled roofs rain wet in joy and despair ... open spaces of a compassionate silence. Howrah Bridge, Maidan, Victoria Memorial, Bihari hand-drawn rickshaws, slatted homes ..... me first love; and for Rama, the Neermathalam, her first love. And when Shreya Ghoshal slips into silence, sit quiet, tuck into the music, into ourselves... ah, me am getting senti over Aami. Its been near 20 years, since me kissed my first love... maybe today she is as old as me and a kiss could be proper in loveless times .... when Rama clipped in with a desire to be with her naadu, Allapuzha, kayals mating seas and her school, St. Anthony Girls High School where in Class 10 she was caned by Kunjamma teacher... is the lady around? Rama dislikes English Winglish, a hatred seeded long ago... She scored 2 out of 10 in Class 10, in English and Kunjamma teacher asked Rama to get the cane from the Teachers Room. Cane arrived, Rama stretched her right palm, got stinging fives, ... she winced in the telling... took the report card home and H. Gopalakrishnan, her father, signed the report without comment. 'He never shouted or beat us,' Rama wisped. Me never had such luck, parents never spoke softly ... me signed me report cards, faking signatures .... lets not spoil the morning. Aami had Ammamma... maternal grandmother ... like Rama had her father and mother. 'Amma never cared for school, marks; she wanted her girls and a son to eat well.... and be careful of men. Naadu,' Rama said. Naadu is green, the society is brown. Neermathalams and sacred groves, hid and hide a dirty Kerala of caste, community and women hates, going by Madhavikutty. Women were ever absent from home registers. It did not matter whether they lived or not lived. One woman died, another took her place. Madhavikutty in 2018 can still spot some greens; the rest, unchanged. Best intro for Kerala 2018 is Madhavikutty of A Childhood in Malabar and My Story. Rama hums Neermathalams .....
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