An Ode For The Immortal !!

"An Ode For The Immortal"... Is there anything which is immortal in this world??? YES.. they have named it "MEMORIES"... and now am goin to dedicate this blog to ONE MAN who made my eyebrows go up with his dedication towards Family and Work, who always stood first in the line to help others, who never had uttered the word NO in his lifetime when people seeks his help... and I absolutely feel proud in saying that am his SON.

In 1944, he was given birth as the fourth Boy to a couple who can hardly meet their basic needs of such a big family. My Dad lost his mom when he was 3, and was brought up by his maternal uncle since his dad had to take care of his other three sons.

He use to be a bright student in his school and also had a great vocabulary at a very small age and that helped him to get a double promotion when he was in his 6th grade(My dad kept telling me this, when i was young). His interest was more towards the technical side and cos of the financial situation of the family he opted not to do a graduation in the universities of that age and so he ended his academics with a Diploma in electronics.

It was the time where the Wipros, Microsofts, Infy's, Reliances's..etc was not heard at all. Major employment opportunites were always vested with the State and Central government of India. My Dad wasnt betrayed of one. He joined IAF(Indian Air Force) at the age of 20. His first posting was in the north east part of our country and since the weather in those places was almost freezing in a severe winter, my dad opted to go back to Chennai. His father eventually sent him back to the same place in the next immediate train without even giving him a chance to enter the house. And i guess that incident made him a gritty person that one would admire!!

The days which i lived or moments which i shared with him can be easily counted.. I never had an opportunity to live and see the way he lived until my age of 20. Till then i had a glimpse of my dad only on the weekends.. Since he was working away from the city where we lived in... The day he retired in 2003, i took over the responsibilities from him and only from then he lead a peaceful life... Till then his schedule was.... getting up in the morning at 5 and work til 6 in the evening with a lunch break of 1/2 an hour in between.. and this went on from his age of 20-60. TOUGH MAN.. AINT HE?? and thats why i said... i dont have the committment which that Man had in him.

But i had the privilege of living and spending time with him in the last five years.. which he enjoyed the most, but never expressed it outside.. But i felt it in me! and that was a proud moment too... i made my dad to sit back and relax and just enjoy his retirement life. afterall the old man deserves this much atleast from his family after being drained out completely working for the same family for 40 plus years!!!

One fine day morning on Oct 29th 2008..when i thought it was just another normal day... My dad thought otherwise... "Its enough for me out here in this world" and decided to reach the footsteps of God. Well... eventhough we know that its a natural thing for someone to give birth in this world and at the end of it death separates us and parts us from our family and friends and the unknown people... The heart rejects to accept the fact or truth or whatever you may call it as... and thats why i said My dad is immortal since he will live with us in our memories.

One thing which surprises me and makes me to feel proud about him till date is that.. My dad stood on his own income right till the date he saw the sunlight... and not many in this world accomplishes that... and i never ever intended to break his prestige in that issue.

He always lived upto this saying..which he use to say repeatedly.
"Innar seidhaarai oruthal avarnaana
Nannayam seidhu vidal"

I will miss those days when i was 4 yrs, where i use to go with him in his cycle to the shops and invariably i will end up coming back home with a chocolate and that happened till i grew up to 15 and his cycle grew to a TVS 50 XL. I will miss those sunday rides to my uncles place with my Dad by sitting in front of him in his TVS 50, where in a lengthy stretch he will make me to hold the accelerator and ride it.. i dont get that fun when i drive my car right now. I will miss those days where he took me to chepauk stadium to watch India playing... and i dont think i will ever visit the ground from now on.. Least bothered to see it without my dad's presence next to me. I will miss him next to me when we sit on a sunday afternoon to play cards with my mom and sister and i wont be having anyone fulfilling his place where i use to scratch his thighs and tap him on the shoulders with love and affection.I will personally miss the pleasure of calling "Appa"... I will miss the cigarette smoke which he constantly emitted. Couple of days before his demise he was jokingly telling me when i was pulling his legs that... he has never beaten me till date and he told me not to force him to do so... and he has never ever hit me hard till date!!.... We, in our family will miss him at this crucial juncture in our lives which is about to take a step further towards another stage.

I wonder why such injustices happens in this world... My dad worked his heart out for 20 long years to bring me up. But i got the opportunity to keep him well and serve him only for 5 years!!! and am feeling bad and guilty about it... dont know how am i goin to compensate that!!

I pray to God for few things.....I want to erase the voice of my sister from my mind who screamed over the phone to call me back home not knowing what to do when she saw my dad gasping for his final breathe... and pls erase the visuals which i saw outside my house when people were hovering around like bees!! and the scenes of my dad lying unconscious in the bed.. so i need my sisters sweet voice to be set back in my mind...and I want my dad's good memories pasted in my mind till the last breath of mine.

You all might think why am i writing a blog on such a happening.... well... i wish to shout out loud to the whole world saying" I have associated myself with such a gr8 person in my lifetime and i can proudly say that.. My dad lived like a King.. and will remain so".....

I have lots to write about him..a 60 yr struggle cant be written or expressed in one page...and i can keep goin on and on and on and on........ but i wish to keep few in me ...to be treasured in me forever.

We Miss you Appa!!








R Muralidharan.