Daddy's girl!

The other day, C and me managed to smuggle some time and snuggle into a restaurant overlooking the enthralling Marine Drive. While we were busy relishing the yummy palak rice and schezwaan potatoes, there was this family of four (mom, dad and two daughters) occupying the table next to ours. Their conversation that we got to overhear set rolling a kaleidoscope of vibrant memories in me. Besides the fact that they spoke Tamil (actually tamil of palakkad origin, which I relate to largely), the father on that table, reminded me so much of my own dad – In constitution and Character.

My father, or appa as I fondly refer to him has and continues to be my hero. My Daddy’s strongest kinda image. A space scientist by profession, he has donned various roles ranging from that of a professor to an advocate of Knowledge Management systems!

A man of average build and oodles of assertiveness… that’s him! Back in my early teens (not toooo long ago) I used to proclaim that the there were just two men on earth who looked handsome despite sporting a moustache… One was Arvind Swamy (the cryptologist in Roja!), the other being my appa.

I distinctly remember that all through our childhood, I was beaten only once by him; and that too when I really really fussed eating my breakfast. He hit me with my grandfather’s walking stick. As luck had it… the area turned a bit blue in colour (honestly vis-à-vis my mom’s beatings…it was anything but painful). However, I made such a ruckus, even faked mild unconsciousness. (He he)

He loves blue colour, to the extent that during a particular period, all the shirts he wore complied with some or the other shade of Blue! Until recently he never paid much attention to what he wore. Meetings, lectures, or just a casual movie at the theater, it wasn’t hard to spot him in a (blue) tee-shirt, sporting a shoulder bag (they then became executive briefcase kinda thingie!) and his signature smile.

In the family circles, his witty sense of humour is much talked of. During one of our visits to my mother’s native (a town called Tirunelveli in Tamilnadu) we were relishing sharbath by the street stall. The number of houseflies whizzing past the drink was bogging us down. Appa was quick to suggest to the vendor (la juicemaker) , if he ever considered keeping a glass of sharbath dedicatedly for the houseflies so that they don’t bother customers coming to the stall. One can only imagine the expression on the vendor’s face!

Another popular incident that often does the rounds is that of his stay at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. At that point of time Appa was so sickened with the ubiquitous Aloo figuring in almost anything edible, that he was craving for a simple sada-dosa. Contrary to the current scenario, people up north (or shall I say West, considering it was Ahmedabad!) related only to masala dosa. So any dosa meant only masala dosa; dosa stuffed with the holy potato gravy! He tried explaining to the waiter time and again what he wanted, with very little success. Finally, he asked the waiter to get him –‘Dosa ka Cover’ and no points for guessing the results that yielded. He indulged in a hearty meal!


Now that brings me to his favorite meal menu. A globetrotter that he’s been, his meal preference is still so predictable – A crispy dosa, (masala dosa at times), curd rice and a cup of steaming hot coffee (the sacred trinity?). I admit at times it can be a put off to plan a dining expedition at a specialty restaurant, which doesn’t serve any of the three. Not that he would ever oppose, but then I know heart in hearts he yearns for the sacred trinity!

A Movie and cricket buff, he could watch almost any match or movie on earth. Lets say there’s a match played between Patiyala and Palakkad at Perth, he would still watch it despite the time zone difference. He has this innate ability to sit through any movie. Vijayakanth (a senior Tamil actor, having the shiniest set of pearls) is his favorite action hero.

Behind this tolerant, soft-spoken self was a tough-taskmaster. His Avataar as the Hitler in the NITIE campus came us a surprise to us. Besides being an academician, he also functioned as the Placement officer at NITIE. NITIE is a green Pasteur for Industrial engineering minds and handsome bodies. Almost every professor’s daughter (even the plain Jane types!) could boast of at least one romantic proposal from the hunks on the campus. We (Sis and me) were the only barred souls. Very few had the cheek to get to the Hitler’s girls I guess.

Now a parent myself, I would want to believe that I am grown up now…but would never want to outgrow being appa’s girl!