Re-visiting Hyderabad

21 June 2008

Two months have passed since chittappa left us.Time is flying so fast.Though I can not clearly remember my association with chittappa and chitti during my childhood days at Secundrabad, I remember bursting lot of crackers during the first Diwali after their marriage.True to his name chittappa was ever smiling and I have never seen him getting angry. Chittappa and chitti are my role model and a source of inspiration not only to me but every body who knew them.I can never forget the care I received from them when I had health problems way back in Delhi and US.They drove all the way from Edison to Jersy City and my stay with them made me recover in a couple of days.Such was their nature,ever ready to help the needy even without asking.It is very rare to find such people.I was very happy when my husband was transfered to Hyderabad as I knew that chittappa and chitti were always there to take care of him and enable me to be with my favourite chittappa and chitti often.During the last two years I made frequent trips to Hyderabad and spent lot of time with chitti and chittappa.My husband would drop me at Vikrampuri while going to office and pick me up while returning.We would be sitting and talking about every thing on the earth .Chittappa could relate to every body right from old people to small children.His knowledge was so wast that the person listening to him would never get bored.He never used to sleep in the afternoon,he used to play chess by himself on the computer. I will be going to Hyderabad next week to wind up and will miss his reply to the door bell"COMING". I consider myself very fortunate to have Lakshmi chitti and Pattabi chittappa as my aunt and uncle and am sure that they will continue to shower their love and affection and blessings as ever.

Latha Vasudevan.

And from a sister-in -law...

I fondly remember the days I spent with my sister and my brother in law. He was a wonderful person. I have never seen him shout at any one. He was always smiling and calm. He was there for our family whenever we needed his support.

When my son in law Vijay passed away on June 4th 2005, he came to Bombay to be with my daughter Raji and stood by her. He consoled her and asked her to be bold and express her views without any fears. He was a man of integrity and staunch principles in life, who was loved by all and respected. We remember him for all his goodness and advice.

Vasantha Natarajan

From Kasturi

It is raining very heavily and the atmosphere is quite gloomy. Although three months have passed it is very difficult to accept that Anna is not with us anymore. But here I am making great efforts to tell myself to come to terms with the reality . I can't imagine a Hyd without Anna, or why Hyd a world without Anna.

Let me not cheat myself. I have to accept the truth that Anna will not be there with us .

But memories of Anna will always remain fresh in all our minds at all times. Anna must have visited Mumbai several times. But each time he came he use to miss the way and
in the process discover new roads and gullys that we were not aware of. There was a period when his purse would always be pickpocketed when he came to Mumbai. But after all this he would never complain. He would smilingly say "maybe he needed it more than me".
The more we write about him the less it is.

Kasturi