Childhood friends never run out of smiles, tears, stories and steam, Lekhu and I, we spoke this evening, we cried, we laughed.
We both felt very sad talking about Raachy, she passed away 2 years ago. Raachy was, Lekhu’s aunt, so very tall and lovable, I remember Renju her son a cute little kid and we all adored him, he was the first boy at their place. All her aunts were smart women, professors; who followed Achachen’s footsteps and held the torch of education high. I am so proud to write here my Lekhu is also a rank holder, Professor with a PhD, was an amazing lecturer.
Irony is she is the eldest of 3 sisters all PhD, and granddaughter of a renowned professor whose 3 daughters took up the noble job of teaching. House full of Professors 6 ladies in a row.
Lekhu you know what I really miss now; the zeal of Achan, he was a great teacher than a Police Officer with an IPS.
One day at school, Lekhu told us Momammen got married to Meenachechy, we all wondered why there was no pandal at home. The first real fairy tale of our times. The handsome prince Momammen, (Alumni of TKM College of Engineering, Note the point: I # tag) who sang so well, took a tiffin carrier away along with the owner, adorable Meenachechy.
Lekhu told us very clearly it was an act of ardent love. I don’t think we knew much to analyze and debate like current media with the dummy of a tiffin carrier. But we were all eager to see the charming prince and princess. When we met them finally we all felt so morantic, that’s the best we could talk about being romantic.
Today out of sheer curiosity I just typed in Google “Sweating of Palm” and I got loads of information including surgery for Hyperhidrosis. Thank God we never had this information in our times to confuse us.
I want to thank the handkerchief we carried all the time we had competitions, Lekhu’s hand would sweat so much, as if a sprinkler head, had just burst by a bad hit from a cobweb rod. I can still feel the dampness. I took it as my moral responsibility to hold on to her hand like a wiper and kept it under control until her name was called and she would glide to the stage and start performing in front of the mic. She was magic. We girls would stand still; until she finished her singing and then we would clap so hard until our feeble palm became red and sore.
Lekhu’s Achan had a close friend, Engineer Sudhakaran Mamen, a great admirer and close friend of Dasettan, who possessed an Akai reel to reel tape recorder, and Lekhu used to tell us, it sounded like Dasettan was singing live in front of you. Amazing!!!.I don’t think I cared much about the device than imagining the feel of Dasettan live. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t admire Dasettan. I cherished our Radio with deep golden brown net in front which sat on the Radio Mesha or table at home. We tuned to Aakashavaani and chalachithra ganangal the only source of entertainment. But believe me that was paradise.
Dasettan and Prabha Chechy were regular visitors at Lekhu’s house. Unlike now we never indulged in gate crashing for selfies and were not inclined to be invading fans. We just adored the songs and singers and considered both divine.
Till date the masterpiece song, “Chakravarthini ninakku njanente shilpa gopuram thurannooo—-(ചക്രവർത്തിനീ നിനക്കു ഞാനെന്റെ ശില്പ ഗോപുരം തുറന്നൂ) which brought our school many laurels, belonged to Lekhu, than to the great Dasettan. I adored the semi classical song, I still get goose bumps remembering the stages she rendered the song and I can sing the whole song in my soul.
Lekhu’s voice was our asset, any throat issues had to be dealt with care. We practiced my Valiammachy’s Ottamooli (heavenly remedy), gargling warm black tea without sugar– kattan chaaya -This worked like magic; it helped more than the salt water gargle. We all still practice the same tested, tried and proven home remedy.
I can never forget, accompanying Lekhu as a care taker!!, to Kundara Alind for a competition, She was representing her college and I was at TKM College doing my engineering. My parents would never say “No” to Lekhu, when she asked them to send me along. It was a plot we masterminded, with butterflies in our stomach, both of us, I was not participating in anything, but there was someone else who was, for English Elocution, who wanted me to be there…..
There was yet another song I can never forget “ Piya Bina, Piya Binaaaa, it was a heavenly experience. The Masonic Hall song!! Whenever she sang the song my headmistress Late Sr. Mary Evangelist would call out for me saying Lekha is calling you Binaaaaa….. Now I wait for my Sisters call.
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