The new experiences..

We actually came to India on the name of enjoying our ‘holidays’ (!) together. Instead we ended up in leading a very non-holiday life and that too in two different homes. Honestly in the 2-3 days while we were together, the only decision we took in unison was to cut down our next annual leave to 15 days. We are exhausted that much in these 2 weeks. Our parents’ homes are more than 100 kms apart, and we both ended up shuttling between them, and that too, one person at a time. And result: my hubby is down with fever in his home and me (also with fever) in mine! This was not at all the vacation we planned!!!

 

But I shouldn’t complain completely about it. In fact, before getting fever, while we were shuttling, we sure had some nice time. While he was in my home, every day we went to see the latest Malayalam films. Keerthichakra, Classmates and Yes,your Honour. A tiny review from my side:

 

Classmates: I had lots of expectation on this film. But it let me down. I think the problem was with me, cos I over-expected! I had read and heard a 1000 reviews on this film!!

 

Keerthichakra: I liked the movie. It wasn’t just another movie on Kashmir Issue (Nasir, I hope u r reading this!). But the rape and murders killed my spirits, though I know that things more horrible than that, happens there.

 

Yes,Your Honour: Actually we went to see Pothanvava, but ended up with Yes,your Honour! As it was completely out of the blue, I really liked this film. I didn’t have a single clue about the theme and every next scene was a surprise for me!!!

 

And then he went back. After two days it was my turn, to shuttle to my in-laws. They live near Karunagappally in Kollam, district. And its more than 100 kms from my home. One thing was that we both are strictly prohibited from driving, by our parents, mainly cos the first day when my hubby tried to drive, he got scared by the infamous Trivandrum way of overtaking-through-right-and-left-simultaneously! In fact he couldn’t move his car an inch in the hefty Trivandrum traffic. I don’t know if that was good or bad, cos after that we had to depend on some body or other for our transport. But for long distance, we leaned on our K.S.R.T.C Super Fasts.

 

Now my in-laws are in Vallikkavu, the H.Q of Mata Amritanandamayi Ashram. Its just 5 minutes walk from my home, there. I first saw Mata Amritanandamayi when I was 16, and going thru the toughest period in my life. At that time, I never thot that after 12 yrs, my home will be just near her Ashram. I don’t know her personally but my eldest sis-in-law was her classmate, and I was told by her that Amma knows every member of my husband’s family, including him. But I didn’t know that I was going to get more surprises that day.

 

My hubby took me to the Ashram along with my sis-in-law. She went to the Engineering College under The Ashram (she is an Asst.Professor there), while a devotee of Amma, who was my husband’s friend, took us to her. We went through the back door, as the front door was completely filled with people. While she was hugging me, I heard my husband’s friend tell Amma “Amma, this is Sajeev, Achuthan’s son”. And suddenly she told “Oh! You changed so much, I couldn’t recognize you. What are you doing now? You have become a total motta!!!”

 

And then she began to tell about the times, when she used to study with my sis-in-law and used to come to our house (when my hubby was a toddler of 2 yrs!!). And I was sooo surprised, mainly cos her memory was very sharp. She knew exactly what all happened 30 yrs back. She even remembered how many times, she visited our house. She told what she used to sing, then. And for some solid 5 minutes, they talked about all the incidents that happened 30 yrs back and there I stood with my mouth dropping to the floor. She told him that next time, when she comes to Ireland, she would visit our home. (Btw, she was in Ireland, last November!) Then somebody told her that I was his wife, and she smiled and hugged me again. I don’t know if she ever thought that I was there, when I was just 15 and my hubby was 18 and when we were total strangers!

 

I was in a daze when I walked home cos, to be honest I didn’t trust my sis-in-law completely, when she told me that she was Mata Amritanandamayi’s friend and classmate. And to hear it directly from Amma, was something else!!!

 

The next day it was another spiritual journey. Now my mom-in-law wanted us to have a baby soon. Every day she was telling me that, and I was going on nodding. Then she told me that she wanted us to go to the famous Mannarasala Temple. Now this temple is famous for the serpent Gods who can bless childless couples with children. She believes in the temple, mainly cos, her own sis-in-law had seven still-born children and only after going to this temple she got her eighth (only) son, alive!

 

So the next day, we (my hubby, my mom-in-law and me) went.

 

It was one of the coolest temples, I saw. By cool, I mean literally cool. Cos of the dense forest-like“kavu”, the atmosphere was very cool even at noon. And the temple stood on acres of “kavu”, which made it so different. We spent almost 3-4 hrs there, and I scanned everywhere for snakes, but I couldn’t, see them. As per my mom-in-law’s wish, we enquired about the vazhipadu to have children.

 

It was the famous Uruli Kamizhthu and Uruli Nivarppu. But we were told that for us, who are going to have our second wedding anniversary next month, are not permitted to do that. In fact to do that, couples have to be childless for a minimum of 5 years and also they have to talk to the Mannarassala Amma (the main priestess there), before they get permission to do so. So we came back, after getting the Nilavara Payasam!

 

 Now after my spiritual encounters when I reached my home, I got fever, and today my hubby is in hospital cos he is having high fever.