Vishu- Recollection of pages which were believed to be lost

It is the first time in my life that I m not going to wake up to see the sacred light with Vishu Kani. A sad demise of a family member this year and I am left with nothing else but thoughts. Ever since I was a kid I didn't know why I was not at all shattered by an early morning wake-up call from my mother at the end of second week of April each year. I have never felt the same sort of freshness in any of my academic exam mornings. Who would disagree with that?

I can’t remember the year or my age when I saw the first vishu kani. It would be a disastrous lie if I point out a number in terms of year. I am prompted to write this with a little more than zero inspiration but with a hand full of memories from my dear motherJ. Probably I have nothing else to do this year for vishu and all I could do is to sit before a zero brain box, watching the nonsense version of gentleman’s game. It was a purposeful decision that I made to ask my mom regarding my childhood and vishu.  She told me a few as well. After all recollecting something which is withering from  mind would sometimes do good with the thoughts. So the following are two incidents from my childhood which brought a smile on my face today.

My mom, she had a terrible Vishu once. She said it was when I crossed a boundary. As most kids do I had that irritating (not for kids J ) habit of asking too much questions starting from one end to a probable infinity. What made it worse was that my mom didn't know where she should stop. It all started with nothing. I just wanted to know why we are setting up vishu kani.  As we all know a genuine answer won’t satisfy kids my mom told me that “it is because we will get too much of fruits and vegetables during the month and we want to see it on this particular day”. I followed it up. “Who is giving all these items” . She said, your grandpa, dad and father in laws will get them from their friends. It was just OK.. but “Why are we  having raw rice and the holy text. “This is the starting of the year and we should keep it as well”, she said. “What…..- so who is January”. That’s what my anganwaady(pre-primary) teacher taught us. The answer was a true one. “It is English calendar, and we celebrate vishu during the beginning of Malayalam calendar”. Hmm.. “So where can I see a Malayalam calendar”. It was a trap J. My uncle came to me and said he would show one and took me away from my mom. She doesn't remember when exactly I stopped asking the questions to him.

The second one was rather bizarre. I almost tortured my parents to death before many of my relatives. Who knows the exact list? I can still see a pathetic look on my mom’s face while saying this. It was when I was 7. I was a brother already and was trying to possess a stupid maturity. She didn't tell me how worse it was.  Vishukkaineetam, was special on those days, still special J. There was even a competition among friends that who had achieved the highest total after the school reopens.  The competition was limited to boys , because I still remember a girl would say, “ My papa(dad) gave me 500 rupees,  with a lot of air taken in while saying  500.” So no girls allowed, It was boys’ zone. Those numbers are like 36 required of last over with Dale Steyn as the bowler (now don’t say that u need to become De Villiers or yuvaraj). I could remember that I was the topper with an amount of Rs. 438(according to my mom). I was on seventh heaven I achieved the title.  Once my mom went to get some medicines for my sister and to a bad luck she forgot her purse at home itself. I would carry my wealth wherever I go during those daysJ. And you know what could have happened.  I generously gave my money to my mom making her promise that she would return it from father upon reaching home. And guess what, I was not able to ask because my dad was not on a good mood that day. And when I asked him the next day, he said “your mom didn’t give it to me”, and said to ask her. I knew she don’t have any and the amount she had was used for some other purpose. I was sad, really sad. I don’t have anyone to complain. Whenever I did they laughed at me. And that day came when we went for a marriage when most of my relatives came. I was still like the Srilankan team member after each world cup finals. One of my uncles took me and asked what happened. I said I didn't get my 438 back. The story followed by that. He was little funny that he told me to go around tell all our relatives like a mass petition signed. That was the apt judgement for me. I went on, on and on, till my dad came to me gave me 500 rupees. I was happy and asked him “why 500”. Dad told me “This is interest for what we got from your aunts and others”. By the way I became a bank on that day.

 You know Vishu has been special to people in many ways. Each year may present us some surprises, some gifts, some new relations, some loses, and the “some” continues to become “many” after a while. I don’t know you people celebrated vishu in the past, but apart from some crackers being spread, how many of you have felt the feel of having all together looking forward for an year of expectations and joy . I won’t boast that I am a divine human who feels this all the time,but I felt that I missed it sometimes. This can be a confession, sorry, is one. A thought of five minutes made me ask my mom what I was to them, even if the incidents don’t feel to be an entertaining read, I decided to write it down.

I wish all of you a happy Vishu and let us this year of brings you a lot of joy and surprises. Spend some time with your parents and siblings. I would be mighty pleased if you ask your mom or dad what you were during your earliest of vishus . It is your decision how to make it this year and I leave it to you. Enjoy and stay safe.