Preacher's breaches! (oorukku upadesam!)

Cheeniya · Apr 29, 2007

Preacher's Breaches!

I just couldn’t believe my ears!
Suri calling me after forty long years! Alex Hailey in pursuit of his root is kid story compared to how Suri tracked me down after four decades. Considering our age, we played down our emotions while exchanging pleasantries and comparing our family sizes. About the latter, Suri was closer to Abu Ben Adam than me!

Suri and I were together in school for eight long years and shared the same desk in every class. Our friendship was so intense that not seeing each other even for a day would drive us to such despair that would put Damon and Pythias to shame! After the excitement of meeting such a dear friend after four decades settled down to a manageable level, Suri suggested a get together of a few classmates who he had been able to track down. I readily agreed and an auspicious day was marked straightaway for our momentous meeting.

There were six of us there all bearing the tell tale marks of the vicissitudes of our journey through life. Each one had a gripping tale to tell and if I had been a gifted storyteller like many of you in IL, I would have had every one of you eating out of my hand narrating the stories that were exchanged that evening. Since no one is aware of my limitations more than I am, I would merely sum up our lives thus far as just run of the mill stuff. Our actions at various stages of our lives were certainly not above board but were not bad enough as to be ranked as skeletons in the cupboard. To tell you the truth, much of the animated conversation that night revolved more around our escapades than our achievements in our respective spheres. In fact, when Suri narrated the good time he had with a young stenographer of his some twenty years back, we could feel a stab of jealousy as if it was happening now. Those of us who did not have as good an escapade to narrate felt a bit embarrassed and attributed it to a lack of opportunity.

The drinks that we ordered for the evening were expensive and classy. After all it was celebration time and we were not to crib about the expenses! They also helped us to loosen up a lot and more stories of escapades livened up the proceedings. Hearing all these, I could not help feeling that the positions of respectability we were all enjoying now were so much at variance with the kind of bohemian life we had in the past. But to be honest with you, the position of respectability is more like a crown of thorns than a halo and left to ourselves, we would be happier without it. It cramped our style and placed lot of restrictions on our thinking and actions. When the bearer came to take our order in an attempt to wean us from the liquid to solid diet, I ordered for my favourite vegetable sizzler and ginger gobi.

At the end of the party which was almost close to mid night, we were all quite high. We agreed to meet more often and one of the more adventurous even suggested a getaway by the beachside for old time’s sake. When he winked at us, we all knew instantly what he had in mind and grinned in broad agreement! It was a bit surprising that there was not even a hint of protest from anyone. Finally, as we got into our respective limousines, we had intense feelings of nostalgia and feverish expectations. We drove back home to continue with our dull and eventless routine. The whole house was asleep when I tottered in and soon I was sleeping like a child in the comfort of my bedroom.

When the day dawned again, I woke up early as usual and after my fitness routine, I had my refreshing bath and after paying my customary devotions to God, I made my entry into the drawing room. The recollections of my early life had taken me quite a distance from the reality of the present and I had difficulty in adjusting myself to the sage-like image I had created at home and outside. My daughter barged in dragging her son with her and complained that he was not saying his prayers regularly and even removed his sacred thread at times. She was anguished that the grandson of a venerable and erudite person like me should choose to follow a bohemian life style! I pacified her and took the boy aside. For the next one hour, I gave him a long lecture about our culture, the family heritage and the right and the wrong. And I found it quite an effort to focus on my lecture with my mind drifting to the visions of the ‘getaway’ I was planning to have with my friends!

sudhavnarasimhan · Apr 29, 2007

Dear Cheeniya sir,

Wonder of wonders no one has posted an fb still...am wondering.....what happened.....have u crossed certain limits...he he!
Well i usually await the other interesting fbs and then join in.....but i just got tempted to jump right in!

Well it was a good article as far as the meeting of old benchmates, classmates etc went! I too had bumped into a classmate 2 years ago in B'lore an dwe immediately set out tracing the rest of the group and everyone obliged to get together for just a couple of hours at a restaurant on my behalf! Well i must say we did enjoy meeting each other and catching up, but with the exception of only me( my hubby was here in Germany, i set out on home holidays alone!) , all the mobiles kept ringing , its either the kids or hubbies asking the friends when they will get back...the kids had to be dropped to dance classes , sports or picked up etc etc etc.....I realised that the 2 hours or so they spared to get together was TOO LONG to be away from family!

So we women think on those lines and not on the lines that you have jotted down your get together....and obviously not on the future get together ur mind was dwelling on when you were supposedly teaching cultural values!

I do agree we Grow up and change , but do thesefollowing lines really are true from your heart!

"But to be honest with you, the position of respectability is more like a crown of thorns than a halo and left to ourselves, we would be happier without it. It cramped our style and placed lot of restrictions on our thinking and actions"
Do you believe so!?:idontgetit: Time for some soul searching maybe....lets see what the others have to say!

Cheeniya · Apr 29, 2007

Dear Sudha
Have I stirred up a hornet's nest? The mild mannered cheeniya has shocked you with his revelations?

I have always maintained in my posts that the one thing I hate most is hypocrisy. When men meet after a long gap particularly if they had been very close certain liberties are taken while they unwind. I do agree that it is far different from the nature of bonhomie that ladies enjoy among themselves. I dont think I have suggested anything sinister in our proposed get together. I have made it cryptic just to keep my readers guessing! Maybe that has turned out to be an irritant!

I do mean what I have said about the aura of respectability. It is as difficult as keeping on smiling when you dont feel like it. Men are prone to excesses when they unwind and when they have this crown of respectability, they feel crippled. Havent you heard of the middle class dilemma of having to keep up a standard of living when you cant afford it? Its something like it. I think the chances of my being misundersood are high here because the members , being predominantly women, might look at the working of a man's mind from a woman's point of view soaked in traditions.

The parable of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is worth recollecting here. It is about two friends who are on their way to a religious discourse. On the way they see a call-girl. One of them decides to go to her while the other goes his original way. The chap who deviated from his path was very repentant and was lamenting how he would have benefited by attending the discourse. The fellow who went to the discourse was ruing over his decision thinking how his friend would be enjoying. When the day of reckoning came, the chap who went to the call girl reached the Heaven while the one who attended the discourse went to hell!

Please do not think I am trying to justify my actions or thoughts. I am only telling you that no action per se` is either commendable or condemnable. The emotion underneath is what determines the value of any action.
Sri

Kamla · Apr 29, 2007

Dear young Cheeniya,

Reading this pasted a big grin on my face.

First of all Sudha, the reason of no FB is all the naughty ones seem to be otherwise engaged today, for some reason. The young'uns on the board maybe a bit hesitant as to how to react..?!?! Speaking for myself, had to attend homefront first before I can open up IL!

As usual, Cheeniya, it is not a surprise that your posts bring smiles along with it. This time it also reminded me of an old Hindi movie I have seen, Shaukeen! Three 'over the hill' guys (Ashok Kumar, Uptal Dutt and AK Hangal) want to play 'truant' and go a on a vacation and fall for this young pretty thing (Rati Agnihotri) who really has them dancing to her tunes. A very tongue-in-cheek and a humorous movie.

Nothing wrong in wanting to enjoy one's second youth, but looks like your first youth was full of unfulfilled musings and I am sure that the second round will be just that too?!

As your friend, all I want to remind you is 'it is not what you do that is important, it is the way you feel' So Cheeniya, you are young and vibrant and be just that and carry on with the moral science lessons to the young grandson. He may not know you now, he sure will understand when he is all grown up...afterall, he is your grandson and has surely inherited the genes:mrgreen:

L, Kamla

chitrajan · Apr 29, 2007

Dear Sri,

Well, Well, Well !!!!!!!! From Vishwamitra, we jump straight into Yayati's skin. Though we know Vishwamitra had succumbed to Menaka finally, this long jump is great indeed. Enjoy yourself and I look forward to the Great Escapade

Another good one from the jolly old man :tongue !!

Chitvish · Apr 30, 2007

My dear Sri,
If Sudha feels shocked by your innocent revelations, I wonder how she will react when I write the following ?

Dear Kamla,
you are right, the "young and naughty ones" in this forum were busy with family last evening - not only that, I did not want them to get a shock after reading what their ammamma wrote in her reply to Cheeniyah - inadvertently, I wil be falling in their trap !

Dear Sudha, you have carefully avoided mentioning the gender of the classmate to suit you. How long are you going to be bothered about an image, Sudha? Just relax like how the senior citizens in this forum are doing ! You will become "eternally young" !

Well, Sri, I had the "pleasure" of studying in a co-ed college & the rest, you can guess. There was one particular lecturer , who was handsome & "dashing" & became an instant hero with us(me, included ). He was a very shy person. I used to study his subject "vizundu vizundu" & was always the top scorer. So he had to talk a few words about my brains in class which just zoomed me to the seventh heaven straight !
Well, wishes are never horses ! Our lives took different turns. 5 yrs back, when I was travelling to Madurai by Vaigai, I was waiting, who would be my co-passenger. Lo behold, my "ex heart-throb" came & promptly plonked himself (only) next to me !!
Oh, in a few secs, I was transformed into the young college student C ( only in spirit !) & we non-stop "jabbered" all the 8 hrs in the train. Well, my decent present image prevents me from revealing what exactly transpired between us in the train; you know that I am modest, prim & proper ! I assure you, we never crossed the "fair limits of decency" :mrgreen:
So, finally all was well that ended well & we parted ways, with the assurance that these 8 hrs would see us through the rest of our lives. He had a white beard (a la A B ) which charms me always & I mentioned that he was less handsome in his younger days !

Sudha is still young & has a long way to reach our ages. So she is a kid, still, Sri.

Love,
Anonymous.

Kamla · Apr 30, 2007

Well well Anonymous, Sudha is young but I am innocent !!!To my woe, I don't know any charming professor and if I did, I am sure I would not have the luck of meeting him in train or plane:idontgetit:...........jusss my luck!

Well, your story brought back memories of our own IL's romantic story , A Meeting by Aarthi! How come you gals have all the luck of such romantic meetings in the train? All that I get to experience in the Indian railways are mosquito bites and late arrivals

Some are surely blessed!

L, Kamla

Chitvish · Apr 30, 2007

Kamla, my dearest friend,
You seem to forget that I am a "preacher" in my religious forum !
Oops, I seem to be inadvertantly justifying Sri's title - oh, no !

Well, Kamla, next time you travel, do not worry about mosquitoes or bugs. Look out for romance ( I mean, mild harmless flirting, nothing more! ) in the train - may your wishes fructify !

Am I going overboard, K ?
Love,
Anonymous.

Kamla · Apr 30, 2007

Anonymous...if you don't go overboard, who else will??:mrgreen:

Ok, I will remember and look out for romance on my next Indian railway payanam, only, who will look at me??:idontgetit:

L, Kamla

Chitvish · Apr 30, 2007

Sri,
This is strictly not for you - please do not read.

Dear Kamla,
Inform me , when you plan the next travel by train in India. Since I have not shown your photo to anybody so far , I will see to it that the only preacher travels with you !
The rest will be history in your life, K, I assure you. You will thank me eternally !!
If not to give you a pleasant experience in life, what is this friend for?
Love,
Anonymous.