Dearest Usha,

I write this letter to you to share with you and to this whole world about ours "yours lovingly" moments, "not talking to you moments", "nee yaaro naan yaaro moments", "Pragati computers moments" ;) and "hey! avan enna paathaandi moments"..

I am starting this with a huge smile and am sure I am going to end it with lol moment.

So, where was I?  The day my dad thought am too much trouble to my very pregnant mom and dropped me on your laps at Teynampet, Postal colony.  You looked down at me, with hands on your hips as if saying, I am your big sis and you got to listen to me and me alone.  It was then I started to blindly adore everything you adored and hated everything you hated.  If you fight with opposite flat Kokila, then I didn't talk with her too and if you found Ayyar mama's son Sekar is a good boy, I prostrated on his feet and worshiped him.

If you had toothache, I took leave.  We got our first bell bottom suits.  My dad's gifts for us. Your's green striped and mine, Navy blue stripes...

Ah! how can I forget Ravi's wedding?  Periamma got me both of us the same colour pattu paavadai.  navy blue with orange border.  My first pattu paavadai and the huge jimmiki (ear rings), which was perfect for you but oversized for me, yet I wanted to wear the same design, same size..

I remember us always clone twins, soaping our faces together, looking at the mirror, wondering who is fairer.    As you stepped in to teens, you slightly got busy with your friends and found me little younger, while ruthlessly followed you, whether you wanted me or not.  I know, I know am such a dumb ass with no tact.

Somehow, after I stepped in to my teens, you started to consider me as your equal and we discussed about everything.  Boys.. that good looking lad in your computer centre.  The handsome boy in my maths tuition   Lovely ain't it?  and how can I forget Dr. S's son? Who always followed me and made sure that I reached school and following me back home in the evening - my personal body guard.

Meenakshi College, your principal, her eccentricities and my brilliant sis, who believed that reading out the lessons loud will keep away the distractions and walking that huge hall at the backyard of our house in Vadapalani.  The red oxide flooring, you walking too and fro and studying loud. While I didn't share your belief and read my lessons silent.  The advantage being,  I can day dream as much as I want, till you ask me questions and pinch me or twist my ears.  After being punished, I was made to walk and read loud too and I kept looking at my feet and carefully measured every step and forgot to read at the same time and when I still was not able to answer the questions, you decided it is sheer waste of time to teach me and devoted your time on other cousins to my biggest relief.

All our cousins (too grown up for me), I remember Sesha, Madhu, Vasu and you murmuring about UFOs and murder mysteries(I remember Hitchcock name and H.G. Wells Invisible Man), Didi's comedy show, Giant Robot and till today, whenever I hear these words, I remember those days, when we sat together, you guys talking and I listened to it raptly. Couldn't understand much, as I was the youngest member.  But, I should say that you were the guys, who invoked in me the interest in literature and books.  A big thanks to you all!

Whenever Srikanth and I come home, periamma, put one extra glassful of rice to cook and we used to laugh about it (remember, I was barely 35 kgs and Srik was 20 odd kgs.  We were very poor eaters.  I request Srikanth a.k.a Srinivas Vijayaraghavan to revive his blog by writing a blogpost on these flashbacks and he might have lots to share about you, Vasu and Sita Periamma)..

Ah! all those group photo moments... You are a pathetic lier usha.. you always led me to believe that I looked gorgeous and when I look at the photos now, I find that it was a lie and I look like an ugly duckling next to you, the most beautiful woman in our family.

One of those group photos, you in brown sari, Sreeram athimber, and me in Saffron coloured standing next to you and Ravi and Manni, Sita periamma, sridevi manni, Vasu and lovely lovely neices and nephew (now all of them married and a couple of them made us grand aunts too, at such an young age like ours :P)


The day arrived, when Sreeram athimber came to see you, I was at office. When I heard that you spent your first conversation at Marina Beach talking about buffalos and cows, I couldn't help but laugh and laugh.  What a weird conversation to have with a fiancee...

When Sure came to see me, I trusted you to take a peep at him and tell me if he is handsome or not.  I missed to tell you that, I already took a look at him from the balcony, even before you saw him.  The yellow and maroon sari (contrast to Sure's lavender and baby pink - OMG weird colour, yet looked good on him) you draped me in and you taking so much pain to cut the mangoes crisp, without making them pulpy and that fragrant coffee(till today Sure is a big fan of the coffee you make), as Sure's family didn't believe in eating sojji and bajji.. Wow! only you can be so caring and little bossy too :)

Usha, when I think about those days, to me it is a huge smiley... beautiful memories.  We lost our thatha, patti, athimber and periamma but I can never cry over their deaths.  They gave us so much life, they are still part of us and I atleast dream about vichoor paati and seetha periamma once a month.  Their life was the most colourful canvas, where we all kept adding colours and it became one huge myriad of sunny colours, too too happy and cheerful.  Whether we will be able to provide our kids, such a joyous life is doubtful.  When compared to ours, their lives are bleak like Scotland winter.

Have I ever told you that you had been a wonderful Sis? I refuse to call you my cousin.  You are always my sis and however the world terms our relationship, till the day we leave this world, I will call you my sister and the only person whom I can pick the phone and talk to 24*7..

Love you loads di...

Yours loving 'younger' sister,
Srimathi

PS:  There was one jealous moment in our life, when we went to Radha's wedding and you had lunch with out calling me with Viji (?our second cousin), she was your age and I was not aware of that and waited for you and when I called you, you told me that you had already with Viji.  I cried a little and didn't have my lunch at all :(  Now it sounds so silly, yet another beautiful memory got added.