Dear Yama/Chitragupta -
How are you all doing? How is the temperature and weather patterns there? It has been a wild swing here so far. No one is sure how this is going to go. All we know is that it is not in the correct direction. Ennamo!
Two years ago, I wrote to you about how countries are turning into regimes. Well, guess what happened south of the border - they elected Trump again! He has literally taken things into his own hands. You know how Chuchu would have reacted to this, right? Probably, would have agreed that it's all for good. Nesamani Ponnaiah!
How is Chuchu mama doing? How is he shaping up? Is he eating well? Has he put on weight? What is he eating nowadays? I hope he is consuming more than a handful. Speaking of food, we've been cooking up a storm in his remembrance. Today, Praneetha made his beloved Kollu rasam - you know, the way he liked it, that perfect balance of turmeric and pepper that he would always critique until we got it just right. The potato fry we made had those perfectly golden edges with a garlic twist, which he would inspect with the scrutiny of a quality control expert. And finally, the infamous cabbage pakoda along with aruci appalam and Balu mama's pumpkin/kothavaranga vaththal. The spread on thaiyyal ilai.
Chuchu, did you hear that? We are cooking your favourites. Have your favourites changed? Are you eating non-veg or not? There are some very interesting non-veg dishes you must try. I remember how you were always curious about the fish fry but never quite took the plunge here. This is your chance - explore freely!
Speaking of exploration, there have been quite a few new music directors and a lot more fresh Malayalam and Kannada movies that you would absolutely love. On the music front, I was able to procure some old Jesudas albums that you used to listen to - remember how you would close your eyes and hum along to "Harivarasanam"? How is the access to music up there? Do you need to pay subscription charges, or do you just wish and get the song played in your head? Wouldn't the latter be awesome? Well, let's see if someone can vibe-code it.
Which brings me to the big revolution of this past year - AI has taken over the world, not literally, but in ways that would have fascinated you endlessly. Well, now we have machines that can write poetry, compose music, and even help cook recipes! You would have been both amazed and slightly suspicious, wondering if these machines could really understand the human heart the way you did. I am not entirely sure where this will all lead. A lot of experts are forecasting different outcomes. Antha aandavanukku thaan velichcham (Only God knows the truth).
BTW, how is Sarathy mama and Gopu mama thatha? Convey my regards to them. I hope they're all enjoying endless sessions of carom board and vetrilai-chewing philosophical discussions!
Now, about our Disney trip for Skanda's 10th birthday - we went back to the same Florida you loved so much in 2014. As we walked through the Magic Kingdom and other parks, so many lost memories came flooding back. We narrated much of our recollection to Skanda, telling him how Chuchu thatha had been like a child himself on those rides, how your face lit up during California Soarin' as you soared over the landscapes. On Skanda's first ride on California Soarin', he loved it - and then on subsequent repeats, he liked it less.
There were several rides that we didn't try in 2014, thinking that you wouldn't have managed them physically. But on second thought, you would have managed them just fine - your spirit was always stronger than your body suggested. They were fantastic, and you would have thoroughly enjoyed them. The Rattoutuile, the Star Wars, and the Avatar adventure - you would have been narrating your own commentary throughout, making everyone around you smile. You can read more about this trip in my letter to the Stork.
In fact, wherever we go to a new place, my first thought is always "Chuchu would have enjoyed this." It is hard to process sometimes. You would have really loved experiencing these places. I am sure you are now travelling to all corners of the globe with all your new friends up there. Or even beyond - other worlds, galaxies, and universes? Are there other life forms out there? At least more intelligent than we hate-filled, war-mongering, ignorant, and self-centred humans? If they do exist and you can communicate with them, please ask them to stay away from finding us. It is not going to do any good for them.
Appa was here in Canada for about 10 days recently. He is back at Shruthi's place now. He somewhat enjoyed his short stay here - though you know how he is with expressing enjoyment, always keeping his cards close to his chest. Well, he did part with his cooking recipes - the protein nuts ball/bomb; his nuts dosa/idly batter. I am planning to incorporate those in my daily food schedule. You may have liked it too. On food matters, Skanda and I made our favourite Paneer Biryani for the rest to enjoy. You should have been there to taste it - it came out really well! And then, Shruthi and Skanda baked cake for Naren's birthday.
We dropped Appa back at Shruthi's place and spent 10 days with them afterwards. Adhiyan has become quite the chatterbox, just like Shruthi was at his age - you would have gotten such a kick out of his endless questions and observations. He dances beautifully too, with that un-selfconscious joy that you always had when you heard good music. We had a wonderful time there. Skanda and I had hoped to take Adhiyan to the swimming pool to teach him some basics, but given how easily he can fall sick, we decided to save that adventure for another visit. Inji is doing better health-wise, though he's not quite himself yet. We couldn’t stay for Adhiyan’s birthday as Skanda wanted to be there for his first day of school. We left the day before Adhiyan’s 4th.
What else has been happening? Amma invited all your friends (she's calling them besties! :-D ) home for lunch recently. They all made different dishes and spent hours talking about you, probably sharing stories we hadn't heard before (or even repeating some of the memorable ones), laughing at memories that stretched back decades. It was a true celebration of your life - the kind of gathering you would have orchestrated yourself, making sure everyone had enough to eat and felt included in the conversation. I wished I could have been there too. It would have been absolutely wonderful to be part of that circle of stories and shared affection.
And speaking of Skanda - he's back in school now, starting 5th grade! He's reached double digits, Chuchu mama, and I keep thinking how proud you would be of the young man he's becoming. He's also continuing with piano, and his teacher is consistently amazed by his progress. Sometimes when he plays, I hear echoes of your humming along to those old Jesudas songs. His swimming has advanced so much that he went snorkelling in Key West - can you believe it? Your grandson is swimming in the ocean depths! He also started his 3rd year at Stouffville Academy Drama. And ... He is going to start learning தமிŕ®´் from your sister! He's done with the York Region's regional class as the dialect taught by teachers is not the same as what he hears at home.
But I am sure some of your stardust is swirling around him, guiding his thoughts and nurturing that wonderful combination of practical wisdom and childlike wonder that you embodied so perfectly.
Well, about me - I am chugging along, navigating this ever-changing world, trying to make sense of where we are all heading. Some days are harder than others, but I carry forward the lessons you taught me about finding joy in small things (“Soru thaan mukkiyum”), treating people with kindness, and never losing curiosity about the world around us.
You know, Chuchu, four years have passed since you began this cosmic journey, and while the missing you never gets easier, the gratitude for having had you in our lives grows deeper. You live on in every meal we cook with extra care, every story we tell about the old days, every moment when we choose kindness over convenience - just as you always did.
Well, you take care of us, and we will keep taking care of each other in ways that would make you proud.
Until we meet again in whatever form this universe has in store for us.
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