My Musings

Sridhar Subramaniam. Sridhar passed away suddenly on 21 June 2007 at Chennai. He was the only son of Indira, eldest sister of Vijaya. He was 45 (born 24 April 1962) The phone call came at 7PM that evening. Most unexpected and thus most unbelievable and shocking. We were numbed and stunned. First we relayed this saddest news to Ashok and Arvind (Arvind was in Delhi, about to leave for Bangalore from there.), and Krithika who was in AshokNagar. Arun, Gayathri and Sowmi were with us at Karpagam Avenue. Then we informed Bombay. Vijaya and I then rushed to Malar Hospital, Adyar where Sridhar had been admitted earlier in the day because of chest pain. The pain came at 1 in the morning and he was taken to Malar; it was a mild attack, so the doctors said. He was “all right” by 12 noon and he even joked and talked normally. But it was just a minor reprive; there was a massive heart attack by 2-30PM from which Sridhar couldn’t come out of. He passed away at 6-45 PM, 21 June 2007, Thursday. When ...

ON BECOMING A THATHA. When I was born in August 1941, I became a SON to my parents and a THAMBI to all my elder brothers and sisters. When I started getting younger brothers and sisters, I became an ANNA to them. When my brothers and sisters got married, I became various relations to different people. When Rama was born in 1957, I got a new relationship - i became CHITHTHAPPA. With Uma coming, I became a MAMA. My marriage was in 1971 and I became a HUSBAND. When ARUN entered our lives, I was a APPA. Sudha was born to Sugavanam, and I was a PERIYAPPA. From Vijaya's side, I became ATHIMBER also. My next promotion came when Santosh was born - he started calling me THATHA. Many followed to call me THATHA. When Arun married, I became MAMANAR. I became a direct THATHA on 17 May 2006 when Sowmya was born. And again on 17 June 2006 when Aditi was born. Same individual, but a series of new relationships. A natural corollary of Life. I am glad to be called by different relations by differen...