Mini Srishti Day

Mini Srishti Day

The Upanayanam of Srikant-Sudha’s son Srivatsa, a private function though, can easily qualify for a mini Srishti Day because it had most of the ingredients of a Srishti Day – camaraderie; joy of meeting and greeting each other; getting to know of Srishti-ites you have seen but not known; and, no less, an orientation on who’s whose who. Equally, you have an enjoyable time together at the breakfast or lunch table – or both.

The attendance was good, but the turnover more brisk, it being an auspicious day. Many had more invitations to honour. We spotted a senior-couple rush to the venue, mark their presence, hand a gift, wave a quick hello to the Srishti gang and slip away at lightning speed. I bet, before alighting from the car they must have instructed their driver to reverse the car and keep the engine on. A real Bollywood style guest appearance.

A variety of information emerged from group discussions – I hate the term gossip. The Hema-Krish duo of B-Block, off to California next month, would move to a new house there, still farther from ours in San Jose. It was not deliberate, they reassured us, but driven by closeness to grandchildren’s school. Krish clarified, as consolation, that Gautam, the third Srishti-ite, would equally be farther, but the meeting of the trio would continue as hitherto, to enliven the spirit of Srishti, outside Srishti.

Mr Janardanan, the peppermint-uncle to the Srishti children, and picnic-organizer to the upward of 40s, shared with us of a proposed day-long trip to Sivasamudram dam/falls, and a few temples en route, the chief attraction being that he had pulled the right strings to get the closest view of the turbine-functioning, dam, falls, and what have you, which to a normal man access is denied. In addition, a special lunch would await the group at the Guest House after the tour. (We hear since that the 12-member group had a wonderful time on Thursday, 19 May, and the sound of the generous waterfalls is still ringing in their ears.)

Now it was time for Asheerwadam. The Srikants had specified, “Only your Blessing, please”, and everyone bestowed it liberally, but with an accompanying gift (not excluding us).

The unanimous verdict on the lunch served was that henceforth the caterer should be permitted to add in his business card: “By Appointment to all Srishti functions – private or public”.

Guests without a vehicle had meticulously managed to tag along with someone to return home. We were the only exceptions. Seeing our inability to persuade any auto chap to take us for the short distance, the young couple at B-603, with their kids of 6+ and 2+, kindly offered to accommodate us in their car although my cool-operator friend Narayan had already ensured his seat. Thus, the young family of four squeezed themselves in the front, and offered the three of us seat at the back. The pleasure of keeping a 6+ on one’s lap ceases at the forty-fifth second. Thereafter you yearn for your destination. With both the boys on her lap fighting for the window seat, and the young lady’s own concern to get the return-gift home in one piece, she braved the ordeal with a great spirit of accommodation. And at the driver’s seat, the young man’s discomfiture was no less. Each time he moved his hand to shift the gear, he found himself moving his son’s leg instead. But then good manners are made up of petty sacrifices they say, and that is precisely what the young couple did for us.

Long live Srishti spirit.

Sundaram Uncle

B-703

21 May 2011