Stories Without A Conclusion

The topic on which I’m going to write is something that I’ve kept postponing as I myself is a little puzzled about the whole matter. Vettekorumakan temple inside my illam, sarpakavu, Narasimhamoorthi temple, poojas for Brahmaraksas, Thekkekunnu (where the dead bodies of family members are creamted)… There are many places near the compound of my house that are mysterious. Each of these places has a numerous tales to speak out. However, in many of these places, only family members are permitted. So outsiders are not much aware of what is happening inside. Even in some places like thekkekunnu, females are not allowed to enter. Therefore, when outsiders say that they saw figures resembling the deities that are worshipped inside, it is truly a matter to wonder.

“I saw a dream yesterday. I was standing in front of your illam at night. I could see the front door opening. From there, a dark stout man with a beard came near me and told me,’ Don’t worry. Everything will be ok. I’m always there with you”- when our servant, who is an Islam follower told this, I was enthused to hear the whole story. He confirmed it is Vettekorumakan, our family deity, who came in his dream. It can be called as an infatuation of a cancer patient. But one thing is sure, after this dream, his health has improved rapidly.

Another story as told my father is an incident he had seen directly. A couple of years back, when my dad and his cousins where sitting near the gate of my house at night, a man in cycle was going towards our illam. After a few minutes, he came back sweating and shivering. When my dad and uncles asked what the matter was, he pointed towards illam and told, “I saw a dark man with so many dogs. I’m scared. Can anyone please accompany me?”… They understood the matter. He was carrying meat with him. Also the description is exactly that of Vettekorumakan. My dad asked him to throw away that packet. The man did so and went through the same place and did not find anything scary.

It is believed that Gods will roam around at night. Because of that, no one used to sleep in the verandah of my illam. Once, a relative of mine slept to know the reality. At night, he woke up and saw a person standing near him. It seems that person asked him why he was sleeping on ‘the way that I travel at night’…

I’ve just narrated only three of the stories. I grew up hearing many tales like this and the first story I told happened only one month back. You can call it miracles or fascination of minds depending on your faiths and beliefs as I’m still searching for a conclusion on this…!

Six Months.... So Fast

Hello Koyikode,

Can you believe I’ve been with you for last six months? No na… Well, my joining letter says so. When I stepped in to your world on 20^th January, I was a simple village girl who never knew the etiquettes of city life. Huge flats, flashy lightings, fast food corners, trendy clothing styles… Everything was so new to me.

A land known for hospitality, a place famous for art admirers, a city known for foodies (How can anyone blame these people as they are getting the best biriyanis, porottas, halwas, fish items etc!), a town that has the most sincere auto drivers… This place can be described with many phrases. However, only after reaching here, I could understand you sound more pretty with the name ‘Koyikode’ as called by your natives rather than the printed name Kozhikode or Calicut, the name given by foreigners.

On this occasion, I should also say that I’m grateful to Mr. Radhakrishnan KG or RK, my boss for trusting and appointing me as the Social Media Executive of Webnamaste.

Remembering:

Webnamaste- My dearest office

Avani- My uncle’s house that gave me warmth and all the love more than I expected

SBT ATM, Vattakinar- An ATM which never denied money for me

City Buses- Green colored buses Athira, Vishnu, Golden, Jawan, etc for helping me travel.

Mananchira- A lake that always kept silence without taking the pride of being a soul around which the whole city revolved.

Palayam- The market place providing all the essential goods for the citizens to survive

Sopanam- A veg restaurant that offers Biriyani for 30 Rs and Gobi for 10 Rs

Railway station- For being a venue of my meeting with my best friend

SM Street or Mittayitheruvu – Get jeans that costs only Rs 150 from here. Not only jeans, you can find many quality items especially on Sunday market here.

Focus Mall- One of my favorite hangouts

Big Bazaar- For making me crazy with its huge collection of teddies

May Flower- The chiratta biriyani of this hotel is awesome

Beaches- No words to describe

Modern Coolbar- For giving me yummy mango juice

Dominos- For serving hot pizzas especially when it rains outside, lovely

Ojin Bakes- A place to hide from heavy showers and to have a nice coffee

Happy Creations- The mobile hub that presented me a Nokia X2 cell phone

Sonali- An air-conditioned bus which takes me home on my weekends

Also there are so many people who have entered and rarely some who have exited from my heart. Some characters can break your heart, while others can heal it. Luckily, in my office, I’ve a group of good friends-Amith, Ayesha, Basabi, Jishnu, Nikhil, Nimiya, Roshna and Shahan-whom I can always count. Also thanks to:

Muthashan, Vallyaphan and Cheriyamma- For your guidance and help

Appu and Alaka- My brother and sister; remembering all crazy things we’ve done here

Anoopettan- A close friend gifted to me by Kozhikode

Vibinettan- Also known as yoyo, who always love to be in touch with everyone he meets

Uncle- RK’s dad for his care

Laxmi- My college mate who belongs to Calicut, now working in Bangalore (though whenever we plan to meet, it’ll be cancelled because of some or other reasons)

Many more names of people and places are left out. If I continue, you’ll get bored. See, I forgot to mention about the Press Club, the sight of which reminds me every day that I’d a life of journalist once. It is already 12 o’ clock. I’ve miles to go…Let me have a nap!!!

Regards

Village Girl

Ethnic Thinking

Are we really concerned about ethnicity? I really don’t have a clear idea about it as I’d seen people recollecting memories very nostalgically about their native, while some others hate their own homeland and instead they love the place where they are born and brought up.

Once I was surprised by my cousin’s kid, who is just 6 years, saying that he belongs to Phoenix, a place in USA. He studied his KG in United States. When he sees US flag, he’ll proudly say,”That is my flag”. No one can be accused for this. How can we blame a child who had to spend his initial schooling years in an American school that injects the sense of pride being a US citizen? Also, his parents have a limit to make him understand that they are aliens in US and will have to return to their own native one day.

Another instance I could see is my Banglorean friend who married a Keralite, always tells me that she has to transform into a Malayali. Though, she tells all these, I know she can’t leave behind her roots. Even today, she yearns for a life back in Banglore, the IT city of India. I used to tell her that she must not shed her ethnical identity as she always in her inner mind will remain as a Banglorean. She is not the only one with this story. In India, when a woman is married, she has to leave her home and settle down in her hubby’s native.

We are truly attached to the surroundings where we are brought up, no matter whether it is in your own country or abroad. You may get accustomed to the new place when transplantation occurs. However, you always love to go back to the place that you consider as your home. Because, home is where you remove all your masks and be yourself. It is the same reason why everyone is attracted towards their home as the element of belongingness that we carry cannot be relocated.