This is continuation from Part 2. Please complete part 1 and 2 first!
(Date: Back to present,April 3rd 2011)
The uncle who had borrowed the newspaper returned it. I looked at the watch and it was just past 12 noon. I went through the rest of the paper and the last pages were filled with posters of those movies to be released soon. I was all excited to be back home from work and i will be there until Vishu (April 14th, New year according to Malayalam calendar). I dreamt of what will be special at home for Vishu? "There could be the customary fire crackers which i really enjoyed and then there would be nice food and new movies coming on television. Then there would be…..Would be….?? Uh..Is that all?"
It reminded me of these festivities way back when i was a kid. Then festivals like Vishu and Onam meant get together of the whole family for about 5-10 days of extreme fun. The courtyard used to be filled with kids playing with loud noises, the elder women at home enjoying the cooking part with gossiping while the elder men spending their rare holidays together discussing their tough working hours, aspirations of building new houses, and so on. Evenings were fun with all jumping and swimming in the big pond and at night all the kids slept in a same room. The grand parents always had pleasant gifts for us and we always had an innocent smile in return.
But now can i, or you dream of such a holiday?? I wish i could! The person whom i had met a long way back in the same train had talked of the changing times and how televisions were starting to influence the household lately, and had referred to peoples keen interest for the Onam season, just because new movies kept on coming in the satellite channels. Back then i had called him an old man, and had told him that he felt the time was changing just because he was getting old and it was not that people had stopped enjoying festivals. He just smiled at me and hadn't replied then. I was happy then to see his mouth shut because i was more interested in that film magazine. Later he had said "Good bye young man. Happy Onam. Good luck…" and had got down at his station.
Now it makes me feel like the time has changed too and peoples interests have shifted poles. But who is to blame for all these? Does a guy sitting dumb in front of the movie celebrating the hero's success and laughing out at even the lamest of jokes know that this is not the right way to celebrate a great festival like Onam. Is it just about Kerala or have the people whole over the world changed too? Do you enjoy the movie songs now? If yes have you listened to classical music?? Have you seen the classical dances? Do you even know what Kathakali is? Is it true that world is changing or as i had told that stranger, should i just assume that i was getting old too??
But for that stranger, whose name interestingly i never asked, would i have had these thoughts too? Was it just a waste of my time to listen to him? More and more questions arise and many remain unanswered. I might never see him again and my questions might remain unanswered for the length of my life.
