Will You Walk With Me? The Final Part

Dear Malathi,
Thanks, Malathi. In fact I had half mind to include about my adoptive father in a walk, which I originally intended to be a light writing. But something told me to pour out whatever I have in mind, and not look into form, propriety and other things.
With you my friends, I have the freedom to pour out whatever is there in my heart. In this walk, I just exercised the freedom.
I was involved in a messy legal case involving some lands in our village. For two and a half years I was running from one court to another and it was only by 1980 did we come out of it fully. The portrait function was in 1978 and we had to strain ourselves to our limits to organise that function. At that difficult time the only silver lining for me was the opportunity to speak at that function about the man whom I loved. When the District Judge told me that I would have made a good lawyer, I felt so sad that I did not even smile or thank him for those words.

Just 4 words-Hats off to you!

thanks a lot, Malathi.
regards,

Originally Posted by Malathijagan

Dear Sridhar,
This again was a piece that would have made every ones eyes go wet. Yes, our walk through memory lane with you was an emotional one too. Even we got back to our child hood memories. But I wonder if we would have been able to reproduce our memories the way you did. It was a very rich tribute to your father. Especially the lines you quoted from Shakespeare while offering eulogy to your departed father shows how much influence he would have had on you to receive such a tribute.
Just 4 words-Hats off to you!
Regards,
Malathi

Dear dear Sridhar,

After a long time, I got to read something written by you! No no, it is not because of your writings or anything to do with you. It is only because of my own hectic life here and me! Previously, I used to get all restless and irritable when attending things at home and real life because I could not rush to my virtual life! I have decided to change that as it is not fair on others nor is it good to neglect your duties! After all, I am reading the Chitvish column on Gita and Karmayoga is all important and all pervasive!
But, oh ho....I have missed out on a very delectable pleasure.
This walk with you was really impressive. You are writing so beautifully. I don't know if I have missed out on the previous walks. I shall check soon. I am rushing to write this fb as soon as I finished reading your initial post, did not even check out on the other fbs!
I think you have made me turn a little green with envy. I envy your love for your city where you were born, live, work and flourish. I loved the way you wrote about your dear uncle. So, you have been induced to English language and constructive thinking from a very very young age indeed. How many young boys would spend their spare time pouring on law and watching the court proceedings? You are lucky to have been offered such an opportunity. Though I envy you for it, I envy you more because you did not shun all those activities and run off with your mates to watch the latest flick in the cinemas! You are indeed blessed.
But what is nice about you is and for which I should really envy you is..your ability to share all that positive energy with us and make us a part of your thoughts and life. Just reading your lines inspires me to get up and look at my world in a positive attitude.
Yes, instead of envying you, I should learn to see what beauty exists around me and even if I can write few lines about it, I will be blessed too!?:)

L, Kamla

Dear VaralottiR,

I thought you would love this address for many reasons, mainly that it emcompasses the initial of your adoptive father. I walked with you on patches of this trek and enjoyed the experience totally. Walking tours always bring out the philosopher in a person. Wth each step, one reconnects with the earth, with the famous and infamous persons who have tred the same path, with the blood and tears (of joy and sorrow) that have stained the cobbles, and often the dreams of the people who walked before us.

In all those respects, your walk was perfect. You embodied the soul of Madurai.In holding our hands like a father would guide his child, you taught us again that a friend is one who walks seven steps with the other. You pointed out the beautiful, you pointed out the not so beautiful. You paused at the famous points and you lingered at the not so famous, yet so significant personal locales. Your walk had a mystic soul to it.

And I loved the way you paid tribute to your adoptive father.By taking on his name as your penname, you have almost immortalised it. And when we read your account of reading out his briefs, we get glimpses into an apprenticeship that would have many uses in later life. I must do a humble namaskaram to the soul of your adoptive appa. Most fathers wold force their sons to follow their careers. Your father put his personal whims aside and helped you choose a path that would serve you better in a changing world.

Worlds may change, fathers dont. The landscapes may change, but the soul of Maurai wont. Thanks for teaching us that.

regards
Vidya

My Dear GFs,

Let me welcome two of the finest ladies in IL who appropriate to their nature and stature head the Finest Posts Forum of IL.

But before I reply to them, I just want to add a post script to my post.

I walked the same route today. I thought I wont be able to do it as I had driven the car for four hours today. But then in the evening I felt the need, I had the call and in a few minutes, had a bath and was ready to go. The paths today were crowded and the traffic unusually high. During Chitra Festival we have a trade fair of sorts in our Tamukkum Grounds. (Madurai people call it as "porukkachi")
Well, that's not the point now. As I walked by the Penniquick complex, Samajam, American College, and walked over the AV bridge, past 155 Vakil New Street, apart from having the usual thoughts, I was thinking of you all. All those who responded to my posts in all the four episodes. I could almost hear your voices. Someone praising R, another melting while hearing about Penniquick, somebody appreciating the man who gave me my life.... All of you were with me throughout the walk.
I am not joking, GFs. You might be tired and feel pain in your legs. Ask your DHs to come to you with a bottle of iodex or a tube of Moov.

love,

Dear, dear Kamla,
You were very conspicuous by your absence. For a moment I thought my standard of writing has down so much that you decided not to visit my forums any more. And I was trying my level best to improve my writings and when I opened the net today, lo, your reply was there. You made my day, though, it was pretty late in the day when I saw your reply. But a response like this will make several days in one go.
But I fully appreciate your domestic responsibilities. I know the wonderful role you are playing as a Mother Grand and as a grand mother.
Typical of me I stretched a single walk of mine into four episodes (quite used to writing serials. (but sridhar, don't make this a mega serial - indhu's warning))
One thing I learnt pretty early is that God gives us nothing but Blessings. How can a being so full of love can even begin to think of cursing us or sending evil in our way?
But then how the distinction between a boon and a curse came in? To paraphrase GK Chesterton's (His article, On Running After One's Hat) A boon is a curse understood. And a curse is a boon not understood. The difference is only in understanding.

I think you have made me turn a little green with envy.

Next time when I have the chance to redraft my CV (when I send to a prospective client or a publisher) I think I should add this statement and then attach your CV to mine. I wll get what I ask for just like that.

It is nice of you to have stated that I rightly decided to opt for pouring legal cases instead of going for some movies. As an explanation to this statement I draw your attention to the last few lines of the concluding episode (this thread) of the walk. ("Varalotti, you have started promoting your threads again." - voice of my conscience)


Whatever exists is beautiful. Existence is beautiful. Existence is bliss and beauty. Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram. To see beauty around you will not be such a difficult task for you as you already have a beautiful heart and you can easily recognise its reflected image.


love,

Dear Vidya,
I read your reply again and again. I read it fast at first. Then slowly. And then very slowly. I should call you a magician. The words used in your post if taken separately may not mean much. But sitting in the order you have chosen and sitting in the sentences you have ordered them to sit,they started weaving a magic, a haunting effect, which I am afraid will be there for a long, long time.

Wth each step, one reconnects with the earth, with the famous and infamous persons who have tred the same path, with the blood and tears (of joy and sorrow) that have stained the cobbles, and often the dreams of the people who walked before us.

I too had similar thoughts but could not find an apt expression for them to manifest properly. Being a perfect wordsmith and a more seasoned writer you have done that well.

To such a poetic piece of prose I do not even think of attempting a line by line reply. Instead moved by your post, I am narrating one more touching incident in VSR's life.
The only weakness he had was playing cards. Every evening he would spend an hour in his favourite club playing Rummy. (Remind me, I'll post a thread about a very interesting legal case he handled regarding his club. And when I was in III B.Com, a few months after his death, the lawyer who taught us Mercantile Law, recounted that case. And that lawyer M appeared on the opposite side and lost the case. Yet he told the whole class with pride in his voice, that he lost to my father and that was the greatest victory in his career)
When he was nearing 70 he decided to kick that habit. But how to fill up the time? You remember my friend R? He was distantly related to us. R's father had borrowed some money from my adoptive father. My father called R's father and asked him to teach Thiruvaimozhi to a class of two - my father and me.
The class will be in the evenings, my usual playtime. At that time I did not relaise the worth. But believe me vidya, that was like handing over a locked box of priceless treasures to me. Later, much later, I was able to find the key open the box and am still counting and valuing the treasures.

Worlds may change, fathers dont. The landscapes may change, but the soul of Maurai wont. Thanks for teaching us that.

thanks, vidya.
love,
sridhar

dear varalotty sir,
enna sir athukulla '.' vaichuteengale. ' thodarum ' illiya? definitely we are ready to walk with you sir. please sir, start again

infact i wanted to ask you how you got your pen name and got the answer in the final part. it was very emotional to read the part of your relationship with your uncle.
we expect yu to start another pack of your memories in 'Will you walk with me?'

regards
geeth

dear geeth,
enakku , podanumnu asaithaan. anna romba neram nadantha ellarukkum kaal valikkume? So I have suspended the walk for the time being. We'll continue it later. In life everything is a thodarkadhai.
I have also written a thread on how Varalotti the village got its name. The thread is entitled Varalotti On Varalotti.

we expect yu to start another pack of your memories in 'Will you walk with me?'

We will continue the walk some other time. Thanks for the fb, geeth.
regards,

Dear Sridhar,
I started reading and I just lost myself My association with Madurai is strong.I was born in Madurai but my parents moved out immediately as my father was in a tranferable job.After my marriage my tryst with Madurai started ,my eldest SIL was living there.Her FIL was a well known lawyer-Venkata varadhan.We visited Madurai very often.I loved going to the Meenakshi temple,Koodalazhagar temple,Pazhamudhircholai.Visiting Meenakshi temple is always a treat.I used to stand in front of the shops and savour the vast,mammoth halls.I used to think,the flower vendors must have earned punyam to be associated with Meenakshi as the garlands made by them adorn her every day.
I was with you in Vakil Pudhu theru,I was with you in Avani Moola Veedhi,what a wonderful walk it was,something I would not want to come to an end.Please continue to take us on those walks,I request you.
Regards.
mythili

Dear Mythili,
Glad to know that you are a "madurai ponnu". I am your lateral inversion. I was born in Chennai (Isabels, Mylapore) and moved over to Madurai three months after my birth and then have been staying in Madurai all these fifty years.
That name Venkata Varadan surely rings a bell. Let me think it over.
Yes, you are right, watching the flower vendors decorating the flowers had always been a treat to the eyes. I am not sure whether they think it as a divine job. For them it is just a means of livelihood.
If flower vendors have done so much punyam, how much should the battacharyas have done to do abhishekam to God, to touch him , to decorate him. Yet, I find in most of the cases, what they are doing is a mundane job, at least as mundane is my drawing a balance sheet.
Thanks a lot for being with me, Mythili. And thanks for offering to come again. Very soon, we'll resume our walk.
regards,

Originally Posted by mithila kannan

Dear Sridhar,
I started reading and I just lost myself My association with Madurai is strong.I was born in Madurai but my parents moved out immediately as my father was in a tranferable job.After my marriage my tryst with Madurai started ,my eldest SIL was living there.Her FIL was a well known lawyer-Venkata varadhan.We visited Madurai very often.I loved going to the Meenakshi temple,Koodalazhagar temple,Pazhamudhircholai.Visiting Meenakshi temple is always a treat.I used to stand in front of the shops and savour the vast,mammoth halls.I used to think,the flower vendors must have earned punyam to be associated with Meenakshi as the garlands made by them adorn her every day.
I was with you in Vakil Pudhu theru,I was with you in Avani Moola Veedhi,what a wonderful walk it was,something I would not want to come to an end.Please continue to take us on those walks,I request you.
Regards.
mythili