Welcome Back Gautams
It is nice to see again the smiling faces of Gautam, Malar and Sidarth (B-101), or Sid for short. They are here on a holiday from California. In 2008 they moved to the US on reassignment, initially with a promise to return in two years. Three such two-years have passed, and there is no trace of their return. So we should reckon they are there to stay. Our best wishes wherever they are. Srishti's loss is Cupertino's gain.
We learn that Arindam Bhattacharjee and family (B-201) too have recently relocated to California. Yes, I was intrigued of late by the absence of his high-end Audi from our car park. It was a star attraction. We learn the Arindams stay in the same area as Siva Paturi and Prashanti - about 20 miles from Gautam's. Watch out, a mini Srishti is fast growing in California. Right now we have Krishnamoorthy/Hema in Saratoga, Aunty and me in Santa Clara (whenever we are in US, that is) Gautam and family, the Paturis, and now the Arindams, all within a radius of 20-25 miles. The mini Srishti meet that is almost regular in Gautam's place with Krish, Hema, Aunty and me in attendance until now, should hope to add two more families. Personally I don't remember having had interactions with Arindam, but I do recall having a nodding acquaintance with Sagarika - more with her infectious smile.
Speak about the Gautams and no mention of Sidarth will be a dinner without a dessert. Already a six footer at 18. I expect Sid to grow a few inches taller in the next couple of years. You name any Srishti resident, and chances are he can tell his block and apartment number. Yes, when Gautam has difficulty in relating some of the residents in the Yahoogroups when they omit apartment number in their communication, Sid comes to his rescue. Yesterday at the dinner at our place he recited Skanda Shashti Kavacham (slokas of Kartikeya that shield one from any evil) for full fifteen minutes, without fumbling at any place. Did he learn it the hard way? No, Gautam used to play the CD during the drive, and he picked up. Nice to see Sid back brimming with self-confidence. Considering some of the challenges that were in-born, (which, last night, we felt somehow had now become non-existent), Sid now attends a vocational training school and commutes the distance in public transport, all by himself. Bravo Gautam and Malar. Malar, we know you sacrificed a lucrative job with your engineering background, just to be with Sid in his trying times. Glad he is way past it.
Personally for me, I always benefit from Gautam's visit. Last time he helped me to design a blog of my own, and also to organize certain other things in my computer. Yesterday he fixed my desktop that had of late begun to disobey my commands. Now i can delete with ease all my old junk - to make way for new. Second, last week with all fanfare I bought a smartphone with no clue whatsoever on how to use the various apps. Yesterday he gave me a brief on some, and weeded out others that he felt either I did not need or were beyond my capacity - aap ka matlab ka nahin, to use a polite Hindi expression. Thank you Gautam for being realistic. I bet, when you relocate to Bangalore on retirement, your hands will happily be full with troubleshooting assignments in Srishti.
V.V. Sundaram
B-703
12 Dec 2014
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