Respected Madam/Sir,
Salaamalaikum from Mathrubootham. What is the news? Here, after many decades, one surprise meeting happened. I will tell the story. Please share story with youths in your esteemed newspaper.
Yesterday I was thinking, oho Christmas is coming, I will buy some gift items and all for nearby Christian fellows in the housing complex. Advance itself if I purchase means what is the need for taking tensions on December 20, 21 and all? Zero need for tension. Even Mrs. Mathrubootham said, old man first time in whole married life you are doing something with planning. Now I can die peacefully.
I said what a waste Kamalam, you should have said so before no? 10-15 years back itself I would have done planning, hahaha. Thankfully, I jumped into the lift and sodamaker cylinder just missed my head. Just 2mm gap.
I went to one nearby gift emporium and put 3-4 items in the shopping basket. Then one customer service fellow came and said uncle, just give me the items. Too much rush is there. Whether you want gift wrapping? Ok, no problem, I will do gift wrapping and everything and keep and you just come to counter when we are calling name, check and do payment, ok? Ok.
I said, thank you kanna , whether such service you will get from online website? Never.
Like that, like that, I went downstairs and waited near delivery counter for name call. Suddenly, salesman called one name and mind went into flashback like anything. “Mr. R. Dayanantham! Mr. R. Dayanantham!” Oh god, is Dayanantham, my old school friend from school days?
Madam/ sir, whatever I say about R. Dayanantham will not be enough. Firstly, he came from very struggling family background. That means he is struggling? Nonsense. He is first rank every time. From English to Tamil to Long Jump, first rank means Dayanantham. Teachers and parents all said he will become IAS or IPS or even CM 100%. Then we can tell everyone we went to same school as Dayanantham.
I looked at him. Very smart. Nice shirt-pant and black shoes. Maybe IAS officer or CEO of multinational. I approached carefully and said excuse me, whether you are Mr. Dayanantham from school days, myself J. Mathrubootham.
He looked at my face, then laughed and laughed and gave one big embrace. I said my god Daya, what are the updates? I haven’t seen you since decades? He said we will go to nearby hotel and talk in relaxed mood.
Madam/sir, what you are thinking? He is magistrate? No. CEO? No. MD of PSU? No, no, no. Madam/sir, he is retired accounts manager of one small factory in Hosur. I said Daya, what is this, we all thought you will become Chief Secretary of TN government?
He said, Mathrubootham, do you know how much tension there is in IAS and IPS? Why to take all this tension in life. So I took normal job in normal company, worked normal timings and retired normal age. I have super family life, small house, normal retired lifestyle. Any worries are there? Zero worries, Mathrubootham. Maybe fridge is smaller, maybe TV is not 3,000 inches. It is ok.
Madam/sir, my whole life philosophy changed in that moment. After immediately making plans to meet Daya weekly basis, I went home and told Mrs. M that today onwards I want only normal things. No tensions. Just normal, simple things for normal, simple lifestyle.
She said ok, then I will make normal vatthakuzhambu only, no time for adai avial. That is ok?
I said 100% ok. But actually, normal can also sometimes give tension, we must think about it.
Yours in normalisation,
J. Mathrubootham
