Mundane Musings

 I can't start 2021 without paying obeisance to my father in law, who passed away on December 28th 2020 due to kidney failure. He passed away at a ripe old age of 90, almost 91. I knew him only in his twilight years, as I married S only when Uncle was 81. He was a distinguished man with his precise words and genial attitude which acted like a magnet to the people around him.  I remember him narrating interesting stories about their family during the 1900s and about the city with its myriad transformations. What made chatting with him so enduring is his remarkable memory and his choice of words. One could get a picture of the city or of his life at that time without the poetic exuberance. Every word spoken was measured yet descriptive.  When my own father passed away in 2008 rather unexpectedly, my grief was limited to myself with no knowledge of what was happening to my once alive father. My brothers and other male relatives conducted the last rites as per our customs and...

A courier guy who glanced past me into my house wanted to know if her body had been brought back. Without even asking who "her" was I replied with that slight clenching of my stomach muscles that she would be probably brought back in the afternoon (which because of sudden findings has now got delayed further more). Beautiful Sridevi.     Pic courtesy: Santabanta I have been strangely affected by Sridevi's untimely death. Since hearing about it yesterday there has been a sick feeling in my stomach. There have been very few deaths of celebrities that has disturbed me this way. When S had informed me about it early Sunday morning, I just didn't accept it. He had received a forward and I discouraged him from doing so himself without verifying the source. The news of course was all over the internet and on TV we soon learnt. Questions were buzzing about in my head. How could she die in her early 50s? How could she go when this talented actor with such an expres...