Catching up

Alternate title: Eavesdropping is fun

I returned home from work and happened to walk in on a conversation between the missus and the visiting m-i-l over their respective cups of filter coffee. From the names and locations, I gather it was about their friends,acquaintances and relatives from Srirangam, TN. The song Malayoram veesum kaathu was playing mildly in the background. The whole conversation happened, of course, in Tamil. But here is a translation that attempts to retain the flavor.

malayoram veesum kaathu...

Wife: Are you talking about the Narasimhan mama who parts his hair in the middle? (nadu vagudu narasimhan)

M-i-l: amaam, the same person. He insisted that I visit them and took me home. paavam...

W: When I had visited in 2009 with paatti, we'd met Kannan bhattar. He still remembers us and enquired about everyone.

M: mmm...araaro paadinaalum aararo aagadhamma...

W: How is Amudha ma?

M: ul moochu vaanginene...Amudha now runs a shop opposite the temple, selling juice, milk, flowers and thulasi leaves. paavam, she has lost her aambdayan (husband)

W: paavam. What is Sumathi up to?

(Original: Sumathi enna ma pannradhu?)

M: Sumathi has been married off to someone in Uthamarkovil. She even has a kid... malayoram veesum kaathu... Arthi's son has joined engineering.

W: Oh! How is Kamala mami doing?

M: Kamala mami suffers from amnesia. paavam she is like Surya in the movie Ghajini.

(Original: Kamala mamikku amnesia di pavam. Ghajini Surya madhiri irukka.)

W: Is the shop where Rajesh mama used to drink panneer soda still around?

M: Oooh yes, still around. Saw it on my latest trip too. Alas, Dhitti Anjaneyar temple has been relocated...tch

W: Is Paru chithi's friend Vidhya's house still intact?

M: Yes it is. Vidhya is in the US. Her parents are very aged.

Talk then shifts to Mysore.

W: Why did Vasu mama leave Mysore for Srirangam?

M: kuthalathu thenaruvi... Cost of living high di...Srirangam is anyday cheaper. With only his pension, they had to leave. Nurse mami is in the US, visiting her son.

W: What's the news in Prema's household?

M: Sindhu has completed her MBA!

W: Oh...very good!

M: She is in Bangalore now.

W: What does she do?

M: The thing that Miss World and Miss India contestants do...

(Original: adhaan di? indha Miss World Miss India ellam pannuvale?)

W: Modeling?

M: Yes, that is what she does. She has even become Miss. Bangalore.

W: Who, Sindhu? Miss Banagalore? Doesn't she have a rather flat/wooden face? (mara thattu moonjiya irukkume?)

M: No, that's Sandhya. Her elder sister.

W: I'm not convinced. (Calls out my name) Google 'Miss Bangalore Sindhu'...Why did she get into modeling after an MBA? [By this time, I'm sitting with my laptop, typing this up in real time.]

The clock struck 8. The conversation died down, Ilayaraja/SPB/Mohan were dismissed with the click of a remote. Thirumadhi Selvam, a tear jerker soap came on. The m-i-l, who till now sat facing her daughter, turned her chair 180 degrees and faced the screen; their entertainment started while mine ended.

P.S: If you are still reading, Google returned no favorable results for "Sindhu Miss Bangalore". The missus's suspicions were spot on after all.