To Gramps, with Love…

“A picture is worth a thousand words…” or so it is said…But whoever said this missed out that which is even more important: “A picture is worth millions of emotions which cannot be read… only felt.”
Today, when I walked into my room and saw a photograph of my maternal grandfather- Nanu, as I called him- lying on the nightstand, I felt a sudden rush of emotions. I was among those who believed that why would people like to read about those non-entities whom only the writer can relate with. But today things just felt so different. All of a sudden, it felt not just right but also crucial for me to tell everyone about four very important people in my life- my grandparents: Dadu, Dadi, Nanu and Nani.
It’s all too hard to explain, even more difficult to understand how, when and why… but it is an almost undeniable fact that ever since I was little, I felt only that which can be called an unconditional attachment for “Dabu” (my toddler’s tongue chose to ‘cutify’ the term ‘Dadu’ and coin my very own version). When asked what Dadu does every morning, “EXERCISE!” pat came the reply. It was Dadu who made me drool over ‘samosia and jalebia’ and it was he who first dreamt that I would fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. He still tells me every now and again how at four, I had once asked him “Dabu, am I your heart?” I don’t remember what he had said or if he had just picked me up in his warm embrace… but what I do know is that I truly am his most pampered grandchild.
Coming now to Dadi….all nice and round, fair and glowing twenty-four seven…it’s very mean of her to have not passed the genes for flawless complexion to my sister or me (humph!). So coming back to the topic, Dadi’s what every grandma should be…She cries at the drop of a hat and then laughs at herself for crying without any rhyme or reason… She used to tell us stories of the Ramayana and those of her childhood. My cousins and I used to flock around her to listen to the fascinating tales that only grandmothers have the art of doing justice to… My cousin Niharika, and my favourite pastime activity was to play with Dadi’s loose, pendulous arms and sometimes bite her cheek playfully to show our ‘puppy love’ for her.
Next we have Nani….all I can say about her is that… well, Nani’s just Nani. She always bought us really snazzy, jazzy clothes….NOT! She always made it a point to gift us clothes which were at least four sizes too big for us…How we used to bawl and comment on these “tents”; on the flipside, Nani’s justification was fairly acceptable: they would fit us even when we grow older (Question Nani: what about wearing them now ?). Even now, every time my five year old cousin, Anika wears a mini-skirt, Nani tells her that it looks more like a handkerchief (much to Anika’s delight who teaches her that it’s the latest fashion trend!). But don’t be fooled by my granny’s sweet, charming face! What lies behind that face is the BIGGEST ‘cheater-cock’… who loovveess to cheat at Ludo, Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders….you name it, she’ll cheat at it…. much to Nanu’s annoyance!
Last but not least is Nanu…my Nanu was the bestest Nanu anybody in the world could have had. A garrulous, hearty and doting man…My sister, Mala was the apple of his eye; his ‘Bhaloo’ as he called her. If I say that I was not jealous of her because of this, I’d be lying… but in retrospect all my siblings and cousins ought to be jealous of me because I knew him for the longest time: being the eldest of them all. Be it the mutton that he cooked (yummyyy!!! his secret ingredient was his love) or the fact that not a single day of his life did he forget to feed two chapattis to the birds before he had his own breakfast, or just the way he shed a tear and then hid his face every time we were leaving…every action of his smacked of affection…Nanu, we know you don’t like it at all when Mala and I fight… we’re sorry…and even though you’re not with us today, we know you are watching us all from above… You are and always will be our guardian angel…
So to all those people out there who have grandparents…Remember that you’ve been gifted with the ‘most special angels’ of God. Only they can teach you those things that your parents can’t; only they can tell you stories; only they can be your grandparents... cherish your moments with them; care for them and take all the love that you can from them...Last but not least, make them an integral part of all your memories for they are and will always be truly yours to own and keep forever…