Dear Sowmi,

Hope you are cracking jokes wherever you are.. Or wetting the diaper as Asha's baby.

One year since you left us?  Parted ways?  No! I don't think so.  You are with us every festival,  every Utsavam at Parthasarathy koil,  every time we eat vada, bajji or while drinking sathumadhu (rasam)  in tumbler,  while watching TV,  while listening to prabhandham...  Trust me!  I see you,  whenever I see a strongly built,  tall,  very fair,  bald man.

I see you in myself whenever I grin.. I learnt to keep grinning like a fool from you..  I know it automatically brings a smile on others face.  Usha says she remembers you whenever she takes selfie.  Vasu thinks of you as a friend.  Srikanth thinks you are full of fun.  Periamma  and you are the most complete people I have ever known.

How can I forget your temper and "poruthadhu podhum pongi ezhu"  gunam. All those autowalas whom you fought with for their atrocious rates.  Your making us walk miles to catch auto to save some odd 10 rupees.  Your chiding people who jump queues.  I wish you jumped into politics,  you would have easily won,  my charismatic dearest brother.

You know sowmi,  you are one person who talks with perfect intonations, be it Tamil or English.  I still have the Mukesh Kumar cassette you gave me..  You introduced me to few hindi songs.  "mere sapno me rani kabh"..  I love singing them in tamilish hindi.." Maere sapunomae rani kabhu aayaekithu"..

For me and for all your friends and all our relatives,  when we say sowmi,  we automatically smile.  That is all..  As my favorite Bach says.. " your mission is over",  so you have migrated to another land and I am sure we are waiting to get know ur V2. 0 Dhruv.  He is going to bring in more smiles..

I know you are muttering "please stop" and I will stop now.

Unadherumai thangai,  (erumai thaan arumai illa)
Srimathi