Made For Each Other
Whenever Pallavi Ranganathan gets angry, the method she follows to irritate her husband is to occasionally remind him of the sugar that runs through his blood. Listening to her makes Sundar Raman crumble like a gloomy paper piece.
Sundar Raman has never remembered the word fear since Modi became Prime Minister. And that’s because both of them are of the same age sharing the youthful spirit! But whenever reminded of diabetes, his strong willpower cowers as insects made of sugar seem to crawl down his veins, tiring him down.
Sundar loves gazing at the waves as he walks down the beach every Wednesday evening.
This is the same reason that angers Pallavi every time Sundar sneaks out of home. For him, these tides that come and go at Basant Nagar beach, Chennai feels like an old lover caressing his partner’s ring finger when Pallavi roars like an ocean that rages at twilight.
Meeting Sundar at the beach, Padmasree playfully asks him, “How did Pallavi scold you today?”
Sundar sends out his signature smile like always as he whispers, carefully circling her silver ring, “Nothing much…! Just Dhom. Dhom… Dhom..” Padmasree laughs hearing him mimic the sound that a traditional Carnatic dancer makes during fast-paced movements.
Sundar Raman is a 65-year-old retired Bank Manager who enjoys life at a 12th-floor apartment in Chennai’s midtown. The Hindu Editorial, 24x7 News Channel, Coffee, Idly with Chutney powder glistening in thick Ghee, Tirupati Laddu, and moments with Padmasree are some of the things he never likes to miss.
Sundar Raman’s wife Pallavi Ranganathan is a retired 60 year old Sale Tax Officer. People often refer to her as the human form of Annapurna Devi. Pallavi owns the charity trust Arumai Orumai, which gives meals to thousands of poor souls two times a day. An embodiment of natural beauty, she listens to music while cooking as her hair dances around with the smell of fresh jasmine that she proudly wears. Sundar relates her quick strides to a dance form that increases in pace whenever she unleashes her anger on him.
Padmasree Rangaswami is the wife of a prominent scientist. The 59-year-old college professor was Pallavi’s friend from college, and Sundar’s Anupallavi ever since.
Sundar Ram knows where his wife’s anger originates - it’s the bed coffee he drinks every Wednesday morning. The bitter espresso that longs for sugar and milk is left alone, mercilessly kept on to the teapoy that he bought when they shifted from his hometown, as Pallavi would comment in displease, “You are 60 plus. You shouldn’t use much sugar now - in food and life!”.
Before Sundar would even reply, she would toss the daily onto his hands, making sure that he would see sarcastic articles like Old Man and the Sugar Sea, written by young journalists on lifestyle diseases commonly found in people above their 60s.
Sundar would then shut his eyes tight, dreaming of the tidal sea. He remembered his tradition of his eyes communicating with the sea waves before leaving Basant Nagar Beach. He would stay still looking at them, and abruptly close his eyes as the waves fill up his vision.
He once said to Padmasree, “It's not only the azure sea, if you lock your eyes on someone with devotion and all of a sudden close your eyes, their form would never leave your eyes for 10 days!”
Then Padmasree asked him, “Why doesn’t the sea grow old like us?”
He replied, “It's because the shore is just one call away.”
Chennai’s ‘Murugan Idli Shops’ are famous for their gigantic idlis. Each shining steel plate with neatly circled Banana leaves in the middle would shelter three steaming idlis and three colors of chutney which a middle-aged man would find difficult to finish.
After the waves drench their feet, Sundar and Padmasree would walk towards the Idli shop. Sundar would demand the waiter for an idli plate and a cup of fine filter coffee.
Both of them would share the meal. Their fingers would exchange chutneys as their hands met while searching for the big white rice cakes that waited patiently for them.
Both of them would pretend that they don’t notice the love that is in the air!
Once Sundar commented, “Padmasree never really shares plates. She believes it’s unhygienic when the plate that has already touched a person's lips touches another person’s lips. Scientifically she is true!”
As a reply, Padmasree smiled and asked him, “What if one kisses?”
Sundar’s face turns crimson. That was unexpected. Watching him, Padmasree says, “An elder blushes like a sunflower that glistens before dawn!”
Pallavi Ranganathan practices her dance lessons at the dance academy in Saidapet, which has a smiling jasmine as its logo. The practice would happen from 4 pm to 7 pm, the same time when Sundar Raman visits Basant Nagar beach and meets Padmasree.
Pallavi knows about Sundar’s and Padmasree’s friendship. She once expressed her dislike about the matter in front of her children.
Sundar and Pallavi have two daughters. Both of them are married and settled in the USA, working as IT professionals in Silicon Valley, California.
Both the daughters did not take Pallavi’s concern seriously.
The elder one said, “You shouldn’t make a big deal out of it, Mom… This is a common thing in America. Dad needs a close friend… Otherwise, you both would get bored while always speaking to each other. It's good for him to go out while you go for your dance classes. Otherwise, he would be a cholesterol baby, watching TV all day.”
The second daughter added to her sister’s words, “Dad loves you a lot, and supports your hobbies and in life. Also, it is common here for two people who couldn’t become couples due to some reasons to meet once in a while. Once try viewing this as a healthy relationship Maa..!”
Pallavi replied, “That is not the issue dear… Why does he waste time wandering at the shore when he can practice yoga? He can also accompany me to the academy. There are cooking classes for me as well.”
”Or maa you could just walk with him on the beach. Problem solved!” Like removing a bug from software, the girls provided a way to erase Pallavi’s concern.
Pallavi disliked the sea. She always wondered why the seashore was filled with sand that got inside your shoes. The sea would drench your legs with tiny salt crystals that stick in between your fingers. A dancer should take good care of her legs. And the sea never receives her guests without salt, water, and sand.
For Padmasree and Sundar, walking on the ground of the sea is a paradise all over. The sand would caress their feet and their shoes. The sea would smile at you trying to walk through the wet sand that feels like old memories sticking on to you harder when you try to wash them away.
Once Padmasree’s lace broke as the waves tried to take her shoes away. What’s more surprisingly fun is what happens at the footwear shop. Before the salesman could try guessing her foot size, Sundar Raman said, “It’s eight!”
As Padmasree lets out an expression that says how did he even know.. even I would not be able to remember these things, Sundar proudly said, “Math’s my subject, don’t forget that.”
Padmasree asked, “And Pallavi’s foot size would be..?" “Ten,” said Sundar.
Smiling, he added, ”As you walk by the beach shore, my mind measures your footprints on the sand. I can also measure the wet prints Pallavi leaves on the bathroom floor. Mathematics is magic. Nothing is impossible when it comes to Maths!”
“What about life’s calculations?” Pallavi asked him again.
Sundar remained silent.
Once, Padmasree asked him, “Does Pallavi ask about me when you return every Wednesday?”
Even Sundar wanted Pallavi to ask him about his beach strolls. He would have expressed it then. Whenever Padmasree’s name came in front of them, Pallavi would split the topic of conversation to Padma Subramaiya’s new performance, Sri Sri Ravishankar’s art of living, and others.
I first saw Sundar and Padmasree together at the beach on a lazy Wednesday.
My first impression was them to be a good old couple enjoying their retirement days and moments at the beach.
What is commonly seen in married relationships are official attachments and agreements of love. What holds a couple together more than friendship are mutual understanding, cooperation, and responsibilities.
But they were not like that.
How are they endlessly keeping up conversations?
An elderly wife and husband would never have topics to speak about this focused, holding this conversational flow. Kids, health, diseases, income tax returns, travel, car, petrol prices, vegetables, prayer, birthdays, weddings… the topics that a couple discusses and laughs about reduce as days pass by.
For Sundar and Padmasree, topics come out of nowhere. Yesterday’s raindrops, evening sunflowers, new songs, husband scaring her using cockroach’s scientific name, Pallavi screaming as the teacup falls from his hand and breaks, the lady doctor’s beautiful hair at the medical camp, Bahubali, Kurti, Medu Vada… comes out as they tirelessly speak every Wednesdays.
The sun slowly sets down the sea. It’s beautiful. Them too.
Murugan Idli shop’s Idli on the left… Jacobs Kitchen’s Onion Vada on the right…. As I stood there in confusion asking the tides where to go, I saw Sundar and Padmasree walking to the other end to drive back to their homes.
Walking close, their hands kept moving like waves, gently touching and drifting away.
Adapted from Vinod Nair’s Mindattam
