To the most beautiful person, of my world !!!!!

I called my granddad 'achaachan', which literally meant dad's dad, when he was technically, my mom's dad! Mom says its he who taught me to call him 'achachan'. He had only 2 grand-daughters- me and my cousin. May be as I was eldest, who made him 'feel' granddad for the first time, I was his favorite. He was born in 1908 (ooohh!!! That was almost one century back!!!). I know the year so well, cos he used to work as Head Constable in, British Police(before 1947) and later in Indian police. But, he never had that 'police-moustache' which was so common, that days!) He was always clean-shaven!.

I don't know how he served so many years in Police!!!. Cos with his character it was impossible to handle criminals!! Mom says he asked transfer to Railway Police, so that he can have more peace at heart, there !!(may be crime was less in Railway!!). He told me tons and tons of stories, but not even a SINGLE police-story!!! His (and my) favourite was numerous Ramayana and Mahabharatha stories. In fact since I remember, till, I was 15, I slept only with him. He was 69 yrs old, when I was born!! It was because, he married at the age of 40! I loved him(still do!) more than anyone in this world...(more than my parents!). Whenever I think about him, what comes into my mind is the smell of lifebuoy soap(old one!) mixed with some ayurvedic oil, which he used to massage into his knees. He always smelt that. My mom used to scold me telling that, I cant sleep, unless I get that smell in my nostrils!

Early morning at 5 am, he would wake up and after a strong Brooke-Bond green label coffee (for me, too!), start watering coconut trees and roses and every single plant in our somewhat big compound!!! That too by drawing water from the well, himself (he was 73yrs,then). There was a small bucket for me, in which he would pour one mug, for me to water smaller plants. By 8 am, we would have finished watering every single plant! Then we will have breakfast, and he retires to his old house, which was in the same compound, with me. That old house, was thatched with coconut leaves and he used it as his resting room. It was built by his dad(again another century back!!!)

My mom was a child-beater, like every mom. LOL!!. She used to punish me for small things, even when I was 2 or 3 yrs old. One day , when I was 4 or5 , she tied me in a window-sill and thrashed me like hell. (I don't remember what offence, I did!!). I screamed aloud, cos as I was tied up, I cudnt even protect myself using my hands. Next thing, I remember is achachan running towards me, from his 'rest-house'. He grabbed mom's cane from her, pushed her away so hard that she almost fell and freed me...!!! I remember that day, when achachan's eyes turned bluish-grey (it happens, when he is extremely angry!!) and he roared at amma, with glaring eyes!. He didn't eat anything for 2 days and didn't speak to amma for weeks. Anyway after that incident amma, didn't tie me up, again!!! (but she continued ,beating me!!!).

At 15, when I moved to my dad's home, I saw achachan cry , for the first and last time in my life!!! He died on May1,2004, when I was attending a job-interview, which I got on the 10th day of his demise. He was 96, then, and had lost all his memory. When I visited him, on his death-bed, my aunt used to ask me to cut his nails. Astonishingly, he didn't allow others to touch his nails, (used to get really irritated and angry!!!). Eventhough he didn't appear to recognise me at all(used to look at me blankly), he never flinched when I took his hands in mine!!!

I didn't cry, when he was taken for cremation. Not even a single, drop of tear came from me, cos I know he would never die inside me, as long as the smell of lifebuoy soap and oil, is there! I can exchange my parents in my next birth, but I need my same 'achachan' again!!!

PS: He named me 'swathi'.

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