A Date with The Maharaja...
Once upon a time in Tirunelveli, there lived a little chubby, roly poly girl...her handsome Grandpa's adorable pet. One of their favourite hang out joints was at the Main road...drinking in the sights with her kajal-lined big eyes -- of Mama Pig throwing a party in the gutter for her piglets, cyclists pedalling as if in no hurry, kids running around barefoot with katrikai-mittai (a sweet that left your tongue a wild purple colour!) and appala-poo (finger-chips Maxi Size); wooing strangers with her baby talk and toothless grin...Thatha and her little one were indeed a beautiful pair to watch.
So it was no wonder when He came to them and stood silently. Just as Thatha was explaining His name, He wrapped his hands around her and lifted her up into the air. While Thatha tried to maintain his balance and try to save his little girl, she gurgled ever so cutely and clung to Him & his friend. And then the walk began.
Down the roads they went, the amused little one and her Huge Handsome friend, with her frantic Granpa running behind, trying to keep pace with His huge strides. After walking down all the main arterial roads, He finally stopped in front of Thatha's shop. While Thatha expressed his gratitude in a materialistic manner, she looked up at Him in awe, caressed His hands and her eyes whispered a thousand "Good-Bye"s and "Let's meet tomorrow"s to Him.
*Sigh*
I guess that's when my love affair with those Tuskers began...Till date i haven't really been able to place a finger on this blind affection for them. Every time we go to a temple and i see an elephant,i have to rush to him and spend at least Rs10 in making him bless me. It could be her too :)
That dark skin and the wrinkles, the watery eyes and those big ears; they all remind me of Thatha! The way an elephant can swing you on its trunk, so can my Thatha...well at least he used to when he was younger...i still remember the times i used to run to the kitchen early morning to see Thatha exercising, and on seeing me, he would show his muscles just like those weightlifters and let me swing from his arm...that was when he was in his 60s & i was a toddler...now as a 85 year old with a memory that is still in that era, he is my little kid.
Sometimes when i look back, i guess i am in love with them more coz of my Thatha than anything else...Somewhere in my mind, i have made the connection between them.
Maybe that explains my hatred towards those mahouts who beat elephants....the reason why my eyes glisten and my heart beats faster everytime i see an elephant, be it on TV or real life...
the reason why i want to earn loads of money so i can somehow in someway give back to them , what they gave me - a smile and a beautiful memory.
They say Elephants can remember...
... so can little girls who refuse to grow up.
So it was no wonder when He came to them and stood silently. Just as Thatha was explaining His name, He wrapped his hands around her and lifted her up into the air. While Thatha tried to maintain his balance and try to save his little girl, she gurgled ever so cutely and clung to Him & his friend. And then the walk began.
Down the roads they went, the amused little one and her Huge Handsome friend, with her frantic Granpa running behind, trying to keep pace with His huge strides. After walking down all the main arterial roads, He finally stopped in front of Thatha's shop. While Thatha expressed his gratitude in a materialistic manner, she looked up at Him in awe, caressed His hands and her eyes whispered a thousand "Good-Bye"s and "Let's meet tomorrow"s to Him.
*Sigh*
I guess that's when my love affair with those Tuskers began...Till date i haven't really been able to place a finger on this blind affection for them. Every time we go to a temple and i see an elephant,i have to rush to him and spend at least Rs10 in making him bless me. It could be her too :)
That dark skin and the wrinkles, the watery eyes and those big ears; they all remind me of Thatha! The way an elephant can swing you on its trunk, so can my Thatha...well at least he used to when he was younger...i still remember the times i used to run to the kitchen early morning to see Thatha exercising, and on seeing me, he would show his muscles just like those weightlifters and let me swing from his arm...that was when he was in his 60s & i was a toddler...now as a 85 year old with a memory that is still in that era, he is my little kid.
Sometimes when i look back, i guess i am in love with them more coz of my Thatha than anything else...Somewhere in my mind, i have made the connection between them.
Maybe that explains my hatred towards those mahouts who beat elephants....the reason why my eyes glisten and my heart beats faster everytime i see an elephant, be it on TV or real life...
the reason why i want to earn loads of money so i can somehow in someway give back to them , what they gave me - a smile and a beautiful memory.
They say Elephants can remember...
... so can little girls who refuse to grow up.
posted by Kumari at 6:03 AM
9 Comments:
Totally adorable and sweet! Needless to say, it brought back memories .. *sniffles* :)
@Megha: Thankoo Thankoo...and hope to run into you at some place which is not the Information Superhighway! :)
That was beautiful!:)
ammukuttz
No wonder someone remembered me... most of the characteristics are satisfied here ;)
Totally Awww! And Katrikai-mitai, *sigh*
Like some retro song I remember goes, 'Anda naal nyambagam nenjeelay vandaday, nanmbare!'
:)
Soups, I just had to say... I totally love that song !!
That was so sweet.... Awesome and Elephant..oops Elegant. :-)
@Ammukuttz: Thankoo sweetie :)
@Vig: Hmm..don't always try to squeeze your big bulk everwhere :p
@Soups: You like katrikai-mittai? Whoa! it's been along time since i found a fellow mate for that :) Thanks! Yeah..nice song!
@Mandoo: hehehe...u r the oliphaunt :p
@Vp: Thanks! Will def. check that link out :) naah, just like kids would say back then "My thatha Shtrongesht" :p
" earn loads of money so i can somehow in someway give back to them"
...you should buy them out from hideous mahouts and then, you can let 'em loose on my (yet to be bought) forest on the gentle slopes of a (ytbb) mountain in the konkan coast along with my (ytbb) pack of wild horses, bears, hippos, giraffes, monkeys... :-P
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