Bhargavi nilayam

That's me on my favorite tricycle.:)




Bhargavi nilayam

The rented house we used to live when I was 5 or 6 yrs old was a very old,tiled roof house.Later on we called it Bhargavinilayam. It had dark rooms,with lights coming only on certain rooms. I would be running from the veranda to the kitchen like a lightening because I was so afraid of the dark rooms in between. Most of the day time I would be spend outside, would go inside only if there was anybody with me. My sisters didn’t help much,they would sing songs like-Nizhalay Ozhukivarum njan….saying it’s a ghost singing in that movie. One day mother was making unniyappam and I wanted get some. Sisters were sitting on the veranda and I asked them to come with me to the kitchen. Instead they sang that song!! I can still remember the fear I had when I dashed into the house and reached kitchen in a second. And then how hard it was to go back to the veranda with the unniyappams and sisters song in the back ground. That was a scary house for a kid my age. I saw everything with a fear at that time. Darkened clouds made me scared, seeing the sparks on the lamp post in front of the house ,during windy rainy days, was another scary thing. When it rains badly sometimes the rain would fill up to the first step to our veranda and it was scarier because I used to think this is going to come inside and then we are all going to die drowning!! It never crossed the steps though!

One of the funniest thing I did was walking with my father to the New Theater to watch movies. He will get me ready and even apply kanmashi with his big fingers! Even at that age, I used to think it made me look horrible! On the way I will keep on trying to erase it with the sleeve of my dress. Anyways,the route was always this, first we will walk all the way to the small tea shop in front of the Theater. There I will get hot soft idly with chammanthy. Then very sweet and steaming hot coffee in steel glass. My father would try to make it cool by pouring it in another glass a couple of times. Even with that I would never be able to take more than a sip or two because my tongue will be so hot with all that chammanthy. So as usual he will end up drinking that for me. Then to the theater. I don’t remember any movies I saw there. I think I still follow that habit, even now. As soon as I am inside the theater I would fall asleep,it happens only for the shows after 6 pm. Then the walk back home was not funny. I would be sleepy .We would take the road in front of Police Training College. There would be no buildings on one side other than a huge wall and very old trees. The other side it’s the Police Training College. The shadows those tree makes on the road was really scary. I wouldn’t look at either side. Holding his hand tightly I would walk as fast as I could till we reach the main road. Then its back home . At night times home felt more secure somehow!! Because the outside was darker and inside was brighter! During day time it’s the opposite!