In My Perspective

I was sitting on the beach, alone, my mind wandering without any volition, when I became aware of a crimson red spreading across the western sky, and the shadows becoming lengthier. The hot aggressive sun had turned mild, calm, soothing and painting the ocean with a tint of red and orange. The sun was about to take a dip in the water. I loved to watch the sunset. It was more brighter than the sunrise, and more vibrant. My friends used to ask me why I didn’t like a sunrise – isn’t it wonderful to see the sun tearing the darkness and heralding a new day? May be, but for me, the sunrises were over. It was time for sunset! I am retiring from Binani Zinc as Advisor(R&D), after a long service of forty one years… Forty one years were indeed a long time. A major part of my life. My mind flipped back. I saw myself as a youngster, a middle ager, an old man. I remembered those days when I was a mere boy of 16 years old. I had just passed the pre degree exam. My father, wh...

This day would always be etched in our memory as an important day. That was the day we, Two of my colleagues and myself, were leaving for Iran on an overseas assignment given by our company. As directed on our tickets, we presented ourselves at the Cochin Airport , Nedumbassery, with much expectations exactly at 8.00 a.m. for the boarding formalities. After x-ray screening of our baggage, we paid the airport fee and moved to the check in counter. Mechanically we went through all the instructions at the immigration and security check, and exchanged whatever Indian Rupees we had for Dubai Dirham. A wad of Indian notes in our pockets would have raised our self-confidence level to greater heights. But strangely, these new notes gave us little confidence. We were not sure whether we got the exact value for our Indian rupee. A long waiting at the Departure lounge followed. We could see through the glass partition, flights taking off and landing, and wondered at what time...

      A   shrill sound tore through the darkness and shook me up.   It took me sometime to realise that it was the alarm clock that broke my deep slumber.    I had set it at 5 O’ clock to wake me up.   It was   November   5th, the day we would be going to Thirunelli in Wynad for immersing the ashes of my parents in the Papanasini.     It was at Papanasini   where Lord Rama, who after conquering Ravana’s army in Sri Lanka , had offered obsequies for all those persons killed in the battle. I washed my face , brushed my teeth, and sat down at the table for my usual morning tea. “No tea till will be served until you’ve had your bath.”   It was   my wife Vidya.    “You’ve to observe certain rituals on this day”, she added.   “Damn it”, I muttered and walked to the bath room.   The shower damped my ill-mood.    Later when I was leisurely running the comb through the sparce hairs that remained on my shining pate faithfully after all these years, I was shocked to see a disiccated man stari...

As usual my wife   was   glued to the TV screen where her favorite serial Manasaputhri was on, and I, resting to regain my breath after my usual evening brisk walk.   But my mind was nowhere in that room .   It fluttered without any direction! Summer is almost over, and monsoon is in the offing.   The rains will come in June.   Then it will be only one more month before it reaches July.   Soon it will be July fourth .   The much awaited day when   Unni, my five year old grandson will be visiting us.    He is now in Abu Dhabi with his parents.   We are all eagerly waiting to see him. Yet a strange anxiety haunted me.   How will my daughter and son inlaw in Abu Dhabi   feel when they return home in the evening after their son Unni left for India? I wondered aloud to my wife.    “Surely they will terribly miss him.   They will feel emptiness, boredom and cheerless."   her reply was quick.   Perhaps she had experienced similar emotion when our daughter went abroad after marriage.   ...