THE CURIOUS CASE OF RUNAWAY GRANDFATHER.....

Many have asked me how a Malayalee family ended up getting settled in Bhopal. Yes, it was work that brought my grandfather here and subsequently settle, but why would he search for work in a land far away and live with people whose language was Hindi to him?

It all started with a slap. A slap in the courtroom where my grandfather had filed a case against his neighbour for stealing an important stuff. The stuff here is irrelevant. What matters here is the stealing. My grandfather filed a case before the magistrate and when the accused was brought before him, he bluntly denied stealing the stuff. Since all the evidence  produced was to his benefit, the magistrate declared him as not guilty and just then, my grandfather lost what they call self restraint and reasoning . He sprinted towards the accused and gave him a thunderous slap, which my grandfather once told me was right below his right ear. And then he ran the race of his life.

People those days didn't have the macho attitude that men these days pretend to have. My grandfather at 22 was like a scared Pomeranian and so was his family. Anticipating arrest for contempt of court, his mother packed his bags and asked him to run away and never look back. And he did run away. All the way till Kashmir, were he worked as a Hotel waiter.

But Kashmir is Kashmir and he was already a scared boy. A sight of police would cause temporary paralysis. So he ran some more. Ok took the rail! Bhopal happened and he became a hospital ward assistant. From washing soiled bed sheets, to dumping used diapers and bandages, he did it all. A whole year passed since the slapping incident and yet he anticipated arrest. I shouldn’t call my grandfather lame, but yeah.

And then Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, wanted clerks. Anyone and everyone could join with no requirement of a background check. If only those people tasted recession.  My Grandfather joined BHEL and now could converse in Hindi with the help of sign language. Now he was leading a secured life and like every mother whose son has finally found a decent job, his mother too found him a bride. My grandmother. They got married and he recommended her to his department. Just like that she too became a part of BHEL. Jobs were seriously growing on trees.

A house was built. A home was made. Three kids happened who too eventually got married and had kids. One of them being me.

And what did I become? A lawyer. My grandfather ran away from the law, and I joined forces with law.

IRONY. Maybe Destiny?

P.S- Last week was tiring!!!!!! This week shall be good. Little brother and grandmother coming down. :)