MY FATHER..A PROFILE

WHAT IS MY EARLIEST REMEMBRANCE OF MY FATHER WHO PASSED AWAY IN 1983 AT THE RIPE AGE OF NINETY-FOUR? Well, I don't know. He was a handsome man of the orthodox type..A bright namam on his forehead and a tuft which was lush in his younger days became wisps of hair as he neared eighty or so. We ,papa, my younger brother and myself used to play with his tuft , twisting and knotting as we pleased. And he would enjoy it.I remember two things : going with him to the Congress Exhibition and Park fair, which were annual affairs where he would buy some toys. Once he took me to a Cricket match when I was about ten years; may be less. There are two things I remember about that visit. To quote my dad: "A tall handsome man in blue turban: ( Maharaja of Patiala)
"bald man" --Wazir Ali and hefty Mohd.Nissar.
Ours was a big family and at dinner we always sat together, on the floor while the cook on Raghavan would serve us..Father liked good food but was careful about the quanity he ate which was one of the reasons for his longevity.We were a happy family.
Life is not always a bowl of cherries as I had imagined. My sister of 18 years
fell ill due to weak heart condition and passed away --in 1941. This left my parents totally wrecked and this tragedy was followed in 1946 by my elder brother Sundar who was brought to Madras from Poona where he was an Ordinance Officer. He died due to pneumonia complications. Both my father and mother were heart broken. Father almost stopped doing court work and our house which was filled with laughter suddenly was immersed in gloom from which it took all of us much time to recover..
(shall continue)