The Final Countdown

The last minute visits to the shopping malls, the frantic phone calls to check if all have been invited, the frequent queries thrown at the mirror on the wall and the non-flattering responses received, the beauty parlor enhanced million-dollar walk to the mandap, the early morning driving lessons on empty Chennai streets with half-closed eyes, the sweltering summer heat, the mails i never check, the delicacies i still haven't eaten, the moments spent jostled in a crowded Ranganathan Street with Amma & Chithi, those fights with Appa for the remote control and the arguments as to why 'Metti Oli' is bad for health, those silent dinner conversations on the floor as the dinner table is cluttered with all kinds of junk, those Sunday Morning 'house- cleaning rituals', the 'Thundan' & 'Thundi' bonding of father and daughter, fights with Amma for all those plans never implemented, early morning Amma's coffee coupled with Appa's Taminglish "you're not enthirichifying???", the points to prove i am not plump just well covered, the visits to Besant Nagar and late night talks with Shiva, the phonecalls with Ammukuttz, the giggles and the chatter, the burnt bhindi and salty coffee, coffee with PTM at Ispahani, Sundar's jokes that make you roll, Ugen's sesky looks and husky voice, rathish philosophy, story discussions at beach, sweet corn at Verona's, bike rides with Jenny, huging 3 dogs at one go and being somthered by them, wearing saree to office n making heads turn, watching Thalaivar's movies at Udhayam theatre with Dhana n gang, screaming n throwing tickets on the people in the rows in front, those fights with auto-wallahs for that 5 rupees and splurging a 25 bucks for a Rs 10/- worth watermelon juice, the inane talks with Di at office FC, those fan mails for poems posted, the judgements and the punishments, those handsome hunks and the cute chicks, amma's tomato rasam and maida burfi, those hours spent at Landmark choosing and choosing to find a card that fit the pocket money, those fancy slips at Naidu hall that Amma never let me buy, the POndy bazaar pavements and those trinklet shops, the rains that never disappoint to disappoint, watching takeshi's castel with Amma and giggling at Bug bunny, going for those adive-filled walk with Thatha, lying on Grandma's lap and listening to her sweet voice telling me to wear dupatta, sitting on teh terrace ina circle with cousins and Athai feeding each of us curd rice and maa-vadu, running barefoot on the road chasing butterflies, closing my eyes on grandma's pillow and fallinga sleep the very next moment...


Too many memories to carry and too few suitcases allowed...
I will MISS this place...wish i didn't have to leave...