A thunder clap, a lightning bolt…

Padmasrinivas · Aug 11, 2010

A thunder clap, a lightning bolt…

The steady drizzle put paid to the little ones’ hopes of playing in the ‘tot-lot’. The house was filled with the cheerful chatter of Arun’s friends as they built castles and towers with Lego blocks. Shyla was used to the squeals and squabbles of the kids and enjoyed their innocent baby-talk.

Lost in the sudoku, she suddenly sat up on hearing Arun declare ‘It’s mine!’ What is it they say about possession being nine-tenths of the law?
She did a quick mental flip to the time when these very words marked a huge turning point in her life…

Little did one think that a normal day was about to be turned upside-down for all concerned.

‘This is my house, I will do as I please and no one has any right to question my authority here!’ thundered K. Periappa (her father-in-law’s older brother)…

Now that was a deafening thunder clap that cleaved the harmony of the joint family. In the six-odd years that followed this outburst, the younger generation moved out, some even to other cities, countries…

How often one hears someone use the possessive ‘my son got the job that he’d set his heart on…,’ with pride, and share in their joy, we do understand that this ‘my’ or ‘mine’ is not about conceit or selfishness, but there is simply no other way of saying it…

Then came the news of the cloudburst and flash floods in Leh, the loss of lives, locals and tourists alike stranded with homes being washed away… seems like it needed a calamity of such huge proportions to drive home a point…

An invitation for a family get-together arrived from K. Periappa. Those who were in town dropped in, more out of curiosity, holding no rancour or ill-will towards the grand old man. He sat tall, looked everyone in the eye and said ‘My eyes have been opened. I stand humbled before you. I have realised that nothing in this world is permanent. Please be large-hearted enough to accept my apologies…’ a lightning bolt, indeed!

Words that touched the hearts of everyone present.

My grandfather (there I go again!!!) used to say that one day, we’d have to leave behind whatever we ‘possess’ in this world… believe me, for many years, this made no sense to me at all… I think I can see a little glimmer of the truth now, when the veil of illusion lifts momentarily…

Padma Srinivas

Arunarc · Aug 12, 2010

Why this thought all of a sudden Padma dear......
When the eldest member of the house suddenly come and tell sorry to all is a real shock of the life na......
But this is the truth one day or the other we have to leave all that we possess with pride. This world ties us in so many bonds but these too will have to be broken when you leave for ever this world.

meenasankaran · Aug 12, 2010

clap:clap What beautiful penmanship! It was such a pleasure to read your post Padmaji.

//Now that was a deafening thunder clap that cleaved the harmony of the joint family.//

No one can understand this more than I do for I was born and brought up in a joint family myself but let me stop here before I give into nostalgia and bore you all with the many adventures and misadventures of my joint family childhood.

You are right about one thing for sure. There is nothing like a little (or big ??) tsunami or earthquake to put things in perspective. Staring at a huge wall of water almost 10 feet high rushing and roaring towards you, who can possibly worry about trust funds, diamonds and division of property? :bonk

Once again, great post!:thumbsup

Padmasrinivas · Aug 12, 2010

Dear Aruna,

You made my day by being the first one here...

I'd actually wondered if this was too serious a topic to write about, but then, having started, I decided to go on anyway...

There have been too many such incidents I've heard recently, which set off this thought in my mind...

Thanks again, our EQ Aruna...

Love,
Padma

Padmasrinivas · Aug 12, 2010

Dear Meena,

You can well imagine my joy to see someone of your stature stopping by to write such an appreciative comment...

I would love to share your nostalgic moments in a joint family...

Thank you for such a wonderful fb, Meena dear...

Love,
Padma

ambika04 · Aug 12, 2010

Dear,

Thats a thought evoking post from you.Yes what we havent learned in our lifetime a milli second tremor teaches us where we stand!

Padmasrinivas · Aug 12, 2010

Hi Ambika,

My first interaction with you, I think...

Such a sweet fb, thank you so much, dear!

Love,
Padma

Cheeniya · Aug 12, 2010

Dear Padma
A thread like this is worth waiting for an eternity. You have shown how brevity can be the soul of wit through this short essay which has been not written but sculpted like an exquisite figure. I am proud to be a Moderator of a Forum where such beautiful thoughts are penned in enviable language. Please accept my Pranams, Padma!

When lightning flashes across the sky, it illuminates the whole neighborhood though for a second but that second is enough to catch the perspective for an observant person. Lightning and thunder are ordinary occurrences for an ordinary person but they can also make extraordinary people conjure up magic. This was a tale of a normal family feud but the narration makes it gripping and touches our heart.

This thread reminds me of Satyajit Ray’s Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder), a beautiful film about the lives in a small village in Bengal during the Great Famine. The distant rumblings of the World War make lives go topsy-turvy in the village. It took me several days to shake off the gloom that the film cast over me.

This is one of the best and most poignant threads that I have read in this Forum.
Sri

mithila kannan · Aug 12, 2010

Dear Padma,
K.Periappa I think is a gem of a man.It requires great stength of character and courage to apologise to the younger generation,whom he would have caried on his shoulders.Your narration made me remember a similar incident that took place in my in laws family,many many yeas ago and three brothers who were ideal brothers separated and two of them never spoke with each other till they breathed their last.
The 'sakuni' in this episode was nothing other than the words,my son,your son .

My son is my son,my dear he can't be anybody elses son but when possessiveness on your child enters the scene , the lovely game called life is spoilt from then onwards.
Now I know that nothing is mine.The body that carries my soul,that is my real house(again my,you just can't escape this word) is not mine.It can be made lifeless anytime and this lovely house which I am cautiously protecting is not mine,I have realised it.
Lovely,thought provoking post,my dear Padma.
love
mithila

Padmasrinivas · Aug 12, 2010

Dear Cheeniya sir,

Your words transported me to another realm and it was with an effort that I came down to earth... shows one is human, still striving to go beyond to another plane...

You may have guessed that it was a painful catharsis of sorts, had to get rid the anguish on two levels... one for the pain of separation and the other for the guts and courage it took for the patriarch to accept the mistake...

And I know it was worth the effort when our Cheeniya sir writes such a beautiful comment...

My heart is full and I have you to thank for this fulfilling emotion, Cheeniya sir...

Love,
Padma