MY PAPPY MY BEST FRIEND,HERO AND GUIDE

HI ALL..................TODAY IS FATHERS' DAY AND I MISS MY FATHER MR.H.SAHASRANAMAN  VERY MUCH.I CAN WRITE A THESIS ON MY FATHER .HE WAS GREAT LIKE ALL FATHERS.A BIT MORE GREAT FOR ME.

I USED TO CALL HIM PAPPY SINCE WE USED READ LOTS OF FICTION ABOUT THE WILD WEST. BOOKS BY OLIVER STRANGE,MAX BRAND AND LOUIS L'AMOUR.MY FATHER USED TO BUY BOOKS ,READ THEM FIRST AND ENCOURAGED MY BROTHERS AND MYSELF TO READ THEM.

SO WE DEVOURED BOOKS ABOUT SUDDEN AND OTHER WESTERN CHARACTERS.I USED TO LOVE THE "SUDDEN "BOOKS.JAMES GREEN OR" SUDDEN" AS THEY CALLED HIM DUE TO HIS LIGHTNING SPEED WITH THE GUN IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER CREATED BY OLIVER STRANGE IN 1930.HE IS PORTRAYED AS AN INTELLIGENT AND RESOURCEFUL AND DRIFTING COWBOY VERY BRAVE AND MINDFUL OF THE LAW AND VERY VERY UNWILLING TO USE HIS GUN UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED.

THE DESCRIPTION WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT YOU FELT YOU WERE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED TO THE AMERICAN WILD WEST. VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF AMERICAN WILD LANDSCAPE,THE DUSTY TOWNS,THE RANCHES AND THE SALOONS .WEAVING MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE.OLIVER STRANGE WAS A GREAT WRITER.

AND SO WAS  MAX BRAND.TWO BOOKS WRITTEN BY HIM   I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY."ALCATRAZ" AND TORTURE TRAIL .ALCATRAZ WAS ABOUT A WILD HORSE DIFFICULT TO TAME AND THE ULTIMATE STORY OF HOW HE GAVE IN TO LOVE AND CARE. SUCH WERE THE BOOKS BY MAX BRAND.YOU REMEMBER THESE FOR A LIFETIME. THE BOOKS ARE REALLY BEAUTIFUL .THE YOUNGER GENERATION SHOULD READ THEM.

ANOTHER FAVOURITE OF MY FATHER WAS THE PERRY MASON SERIES BY ERLE STANLEY GARDNER.AND BERTHA COOL AND DONALD LAM SERIES BY A.A.FAIR WHICH WAS ANOTHER ALIAS OF ERLE STANLEY GARDNER.AND LIKEWISE WE ALSO WERE MAD ABOUT PERRY MASON,THE LOVABLE LAWYER AND HIS SWEET SECRETARY DELLA STREET. WE DEVOURED BOOKS ABOUT BERTHA COOL AND DONALD LAM.MY BROTHER HARAN STILL HAS MY FATHER'S BOOKS.IT IS A BEAUTIFUL AND VALUABLE COLLECTION.

MY FATHER  WAS COMMONLY KNOWN AS CHATHOO TO HIS FRIENDS AND OUR RELATIONS.HE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT I DO NOT REMEMBER MY FATHER NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER A QUERY OF MINE.IN LATER YEARS WHEN I WAS BECOMING A DOCTOR HE ASKED ME ABOUT EVERYTHING. HE HAD A VERY GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR TOO.I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG AND SICK I WAS ASKING FOR AN ORANGE OR IN COLLOQUIAL TAMIL "AARANJU".HE REPLIED "MUPPADHU" MEANING THIRTY  IN TAMIL. AARANJU IN TAMIL ALSO MEANS SIX MULTIPLIED BY FIVE!!!


HE WAS A GREAT STORY TELLER AND WE USED TO LISTEN OPEN MOUTHED TO HIS NARRATION WHICH SOMETIMES WERE  FROM HIS OWN LIFE.EVEN A REPETITION OF SOME STORIES WERE WELL LIKED BY EVERYONE.THERE WAS THIS REAL LIFE STORY OF A "SIDDHA " OR "ATTAINED".THE OLD MAN WHO LOOKED LIKE ANY OTHER ORDINARY OLD MAN WHO USED TO APPLY SOME SORT OF KOHL TO THE EYES OF CHILDREN AND TAKE THEM ON FANTASTIC TRIPS.AND WHEN THEY RETURNED THEY HAD CANDIES IN THEIR HANDS!!WHETHER IT WAS HYPNOTISM OR REAL TRIPS YOU NEVER KNEW.BUT THE OLD MAN WORKED MAGIC ON THE CHILDREN.

THEN THERE WAS THE REAL LIFE INCIDENT IN MY FATHER'S LIFE.ABOUT A GHOST PHENOMENON HE SAW WITH HIS OWN EYES.MY FATHER WAS YOUNG THEN AND HAD GONE TO THIRUVANANTHAPURAM  FOR SOME WORK.HE STAYED WITH SOME RELATIVES NEAR THE TOWN.THE VILLAGE HAD TWO ROWS OF HOUSES WITH TILED ROOFS.

EVERY HOUSE HAD A' THINNAI 'OR "MUTTAM" OR  PLATFORM OUTSIDE TO SIT OR SLEEP IN ESPECIALLY IN THE HOT SUMMER NIGHTS WHEN THERE WAS A PLEASANT  BREEZE OUTSIDE..THE HOUSE MY FATHER STAYED IN WAS THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET AND BEYOND THAT WAS A HUGE OPEN SPACE.THERE WAS A COOL BREEZE AND DESPITE THE PEOPLE OF THE HOUSE WARNING HIM AND ASKING HIM TO SLEEP INSIDE,MY FATHER SLEPT ON THE THINNAI OUTSIDE SINCE HE DID NOT WANT TO DISTURB THE NICE PEOPLE.OPPOSITE TO THIS HOUSE WAS A LOCKED HOUSE WITH THE WINDOW OPEN. 

MY FATHER SLEPT SOUNDLY BUT WAS AWAKENED SUDDENLY AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT.WHAT HE SAW WAS SPINE CHILLING.A FIRE SAUCER LIKE SUBSTANCE CAME WHIRLING FROM A FAR DISTANCE IN THE PLAINS OPPOSITE TO HIM.IT WENT INTO THE OPPOSITE HOUSE THROUGH THE WINDOW ,WHIRLED AROUND THE ROOM FOR A FEW MINUTES AND WENT BACK TO THE PLAINS.THIS HAPPENED TWICE OR THRICE.MY FATHER WAS FRIGHTENED STIFF,HIS MOUTH WENT DRY.BUT BRAVELY HE CLOSED HIS EYES TIGHTLY AND AFTER SOMETIME FELL INTO A DEEP SLEEP.IN THE MORNING WHEN HE WOKE UP HE WAS TOLD THAT A GIRL HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE IN THAT HOUSE SOME TIME BACK.HE WITNESSED THE ACTUAL INCIDENT AND IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE MARSH GAS WHICH WOULD BE A PROBABLE EXPLANATION.SINCE THE SUBSTANCE HAD A SPECIFIED ROUTE OF MOVEMENT IT  MUST HAVE BEEN AN UNNATURAL PHENOMENON.IF WE BELIEVE GOD EXISTS THEN WHY NOT GHOSTS?ANYWAY THAT OBJECT WAS NOT CREATING HARM TO ANYONE.FATHER USED TO TELL US ABOUT THIS INCIDENT OFTEN.

FATHER SKIMPED ON HIMSELF SO HE COULD GIVE A GOOD EDUCATION TO US .PEOPLE IN HIS FAMILY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HIS KINDNESS AND  CHEATED HIM OF MONEY FOR A LONG TIME.ESPECIALLY MY PATERNAL AUNT.WHO WAS A WIDOW.FATHER USED TO SEND HER HIS HARD EARNED MONEY AND SHE USED TO SPEND IT ON MOVIES AND OTHER FRIVOLOUS THINGS GOING NECK DEEP IN LOANS.MY FATHER WOULD PAY THE LOANS BACK.THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN.THIS WENT ON FOR A LONG TIME.THEN FATHER REALISED THE FUTILITY OF GIVING MY AUNT MONEY AND SO STOPPED IT.ANYWAY HIS CHILDREN WERE GROWING AND HE NEEDED MONEY  FOR OUR UPKEEP AND EDUCATION.AND HE EDUCATED US ALL QUITE WELL.I BECAME A DOCTOR,MY BROTHER IS A RETIRED BANK OFFICER NOW.AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER IS ACCOUNTS OFFICER IN BSNL,CHENNAI. HE IS ALSO A GREAT DRAMA WRITER,ACTOR  AND STORY WRITER.

MY FATHER WAS SO MULTI TALENTED .MY WHOLE POST GRADUATE THESIS WAS HIS WORK.ALL THE TYPE WRITING,PRINTING AND DEVELOPING MY PHOTOGRAPHS,PASTING,DRAWING DIAGRAMS AND EVERY OTHER THING NEEDED FOR THE THESIS.MY FATHER LIVES IN THAT THESIS.

MY YOUNGER BROTHER HAS INHERITED THE ARTISTIC TALENT FROM MY FATHER.MY FATHER WAS ALSO A POET AND WRITER.BUT THEN THERE WAS NOT MUCH SCOPE FOR PUBLISHING AND HE NEVER SENT HIS STORIES OR POEMS FOR PUBLICATION.ONLY ONCE HIS STORY WAS PUBLISHED IN A TAMIL MAGAZINE.BUT HIS WRITING WAS GREAT.TALENT WASTED.AND NOW  MY YOUNGER BROTHER IS DOING HIM PROUD.MY FATHER WOULD BE HAPPY IF HE HAD CHANCE TO SEE THE SUCCESS STORY OF S.L.NAANU ,MY BROTHER.

MY WORKED FOR TEA BUYING DEPARTMENT OF BALMER LAURIE AND COMPANY IN KOLKATA.HE COULD SPEAK BENGALI LANGUAGE LIKE A BENGALI.

MY FATHER COULD TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH PERFECT ANGLES AND EXPOSURE.HE REALLY WAS BEYOND HIS TIMES.I DO NOT KNOW IF HE HAD A COMPUTER WHAT MAGIC HE COULD HAVE CREATED.THERE WAS NO COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY AT THAT TIME.HE USED TO TAKE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS AND ENLARGE THEM AT HOME.THERE WAS THIS HUGE ENLARGER AT HOME.AND HE HAD ALL THE SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR DEVELOPING AND PRINTING PHOTOS TO ANY SIZE.THERE WAS NO PHOTOSHOP AT THAT TIME.EVEN THEN HE CREATED MIRACLES LIKE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE EXPOSURE CREATING THREE OR TWO IN ONE IMAGES OF A PERSON.IMAGINE THERE WAS NO COMPUTER AT THAT TIME!!!HOW DID HE DUPLICATE OR TRIPLICATE PHOTOS OF A PERSON IN ONE SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH? GOD ONLY KNOWS.PHOTOGRAPHY WAS HIS HOBBY AND HE ALSO WAS A PART TIME PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER FOR SEVERAL ORGANISATIONS AND FUNCTIONS.AND EARNED EXTRA MONEY FROM HIS PASSION FOR HIS FAMILY.

BUT IRONICALLY  WE DO NOT HAVE A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH OF MY FATHER NOW.ONLY A FADED PICTURE TAKEN FROM A PHOTO.

HE WAS A GREAT PAINTER TOO.HIS PAINTINGS STILL HANG IN SEVERAL HOMES IN KOLKATA.. HIS PAINTING OF DHIKSHITAR AND THYAGARAYAR HANG STILL IN MY MUSIC TEACHER AMBI SIR'S HOUSE IN KOLKATA. HIS PAINTING OF BHARATHIYAR STILL HANGS IN BHARATHI TAMIL SANGAM IN SOUTH KOLKATA.THAT ARTISTIC TRAIT ,MY NIECE BHARGAVI HAS INHERITED.

AT THAT TIME BEFORE SUCH A LONG TIME HE HAD A DIPLOMA IN RADIO AND ELECTRONICS FROM A LONDON INSTITUTE.HE USED TO REPAIR OR MAKE RADIO BOXES AT HOME.HE COULD ASSEMBLE A RADIO BOX.AND WE WOULD HEAR BINACA GEET MALA AND SONGS ETC FROM ALL INDIA RADIO.ALSO HE EARNED SOME MONEY FOR HIS FAMILY FROM THAT TOO.THEN CAME THE AGE OF THE BLACK AND WHITE TV.HE BOUGHT ONE FOR US AND HE STARTED REPAIRING TV SETS TOO.BY THAT TIME HE HAD MOVED TO CHENNAI AND WE HAD A BLACK AND WHITE TV IN CHENNAI.

HE GOT A JOB IN THE INSTITUTE IN LONDON BUT HE DID NOT GO BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEND MONEY TO OUR PATERNAL AUNT.HE DENIED HIMSELF AND KEPT HIS SISTER AND HIS FAMILY BEFORE EVERY THING.

EVEN BEFORE I APPLIED FOR A MEDICAL DEGREE MY FATHER HAD HAD HIS FIRST HEART ATTACK.THAT WAS IN MY NATIVE PLACE KALLIDAIKURICHI AFTER AN ALTERCATION WITH MY PATERNAL AUNT.

AFTER HIS FIRST HEART ATTACK,HE WAS VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HIS FOOD AND ATE VERY LITTLE. AFTER RETIRING FROM KOLKATA  HE SETTLED DOWN IN CHENNAI AND STARTED REPAIRING RADIOS AND TV SETS AS A HOBBY.I WAS STUDYING THEN.I HAD COMPLETED MY MEDICAL DEGREE AND WAS DOING MY POST GRADUATE STINT THEN.I WAS IN KOLKATA AND  MY FATHER USED TO CONCENTRATE AND TAX HIS BRAINS A LOT WHEN HE STARTED REPAIRING SOMETHING OR OTHER.AND IT WAS THEN THAT HE HAD HIS SECOND AND MASSIVE HEART ATTACK.

THEN DR.PRATAP REDDY WAS IN H.M.HOSPITAL IN ALWARPET,CHENNAI.WHEN MY FATHER HAD HIS MASSIVE HEART ATTACK DR.REDDY SAVED HIM BY DEFEBRILLATING HIM THIRTEEN TIMES ON THAT DAY. I REACHED THE HOSPITAL AT NIGHT. 

THERE WAS THIS JUNIOR DOCTOR THERE WHO GAVE HIM ALL WRONG MEDICINES AND THE HEART RATE WENT FLAT ON THE MONITOR.THE JUNIOR DOCTOR DID NOT LISTEN TO ME AND I WAS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING.BUT I RANG UP DR.REDDY AND HE SENT HIS SENIOR ASSISTANT DR.SATHYABAMA .SHE SOMEHOW REVIVED MY FATHER I WILL REMAIN EVER GRATEFUL TO DR.REDDY AND DR. SATHYABAMA FOR SAVING MY FATHER AT THAT TIME.

NOW THERE IS NO H.M.HOSPITAL AND DR.PRATAP REDDY IS FOUNDER CHAIRMAN OF APOLLO HOSPITALS.

MY FATHER WAS WELL FOR SOME TIME AND I THOUGHT I SHOULD NOT GIVE HIM ANY TENSION SINCE I WAS JOBLESS.I WAS WAITING FOR MY POST GRADUATE EXAMINATIONS.MY FATHER USED TO SEND ME MONEY AND MY BROTHER HARAN WHO HAD A BANK JOB THEN ALSO USED TO HELP A LOT. HENCE I WENT AND JOINED AS MEDICAL OFFICER IN THE COAL FIELDS IN BINA PROJECT,MIRZAPUR, UTTAR PRADESH. THIS I HAVE MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER BLOG.

THERE WAS NO EMAIL THEN.I USED TO WRITE LONG LETTERS TO MY FATHER AND HE USED TO READ THEM AND READ THEM OUT TO MY MOTHER.I HAD WORKED FOR SOME TIME IN BINA PROJECT .THE LETTERS DID NOT REACH EITHER WAY IN TIME.THERE WAS A LONG DELAY IN RECEIVING LETTERS.AND WE HAD NO TELEPHONE AT HOME.THE STD RATES ALSO WERE VERY STEEP.AFTER SOME MONTHS,MY FATHER DIED SUDDENLY OF A SILENT MASSIVE HEART ATTACK.I ONLY GOT THE NEWS AFTER MY FATHER,MY DEAR PAPPY WAS CREMATED.I REACHED CHENNAI FOUR DAYS AFTER HE DIED.I DID NOT SEE HIM AFTER HE DIED.SO I STILL FEEL HE IS WATCHING ME AND GUIDING ME.

MY LAST LETTER ALSO REACHED OUR HOME WHEN MY DEAR  PAPPY WAS ALREADY GONE AND I RECEIVED THE LETTER.IN THAT LETTER I HAD DESCRIBED ABOUT MY WONDERFUL TRIP TO THE COAL MINES AND THE DEEP UNDERGROUND FACE OF THE COAL MINE.

HE DID NOT SEE ME PASS MY POST GRADUATE EXAMINATIONS AND BECOME A SURGEON. HIS WISH WAS THAT HE WOULD SIT IN A RECLINING CHAIR AND TALK TO MY PATIENTS BEFORE ADMITTING THEM INTO THE CLINIC.BUT HE PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY WITHOUT ALLOWING ME TO DO HIM PROUD AS A SUCCESSFUL SURGEON.

WHEN I THINK OF HIM I CRY. BUT I HAVE THE FEELING THAT HE IS ALWAYS WITH ME.

I CAN GO ON WRITING ABOUT MY FATHER,MY WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD AND TEENAGE YEARS.I CAN WRITE A WHOLE BOOK ABOUT MY WONDERFUL PAPPY. BUT I AM ENDING IT HERE SINCE IT IS ONLY A BLOG.MAYBE SOME DAY I WILL WRITE A BOOK ABOUT MY PARENTS.