Is there a Cloud no: 999 ?

I am excited.. I can barely type..Yes, I know its a Sunday and I am sure many of you are wondering what on earth I am doing at office. But then I can barely contain myself. Good news is to be shared at once :-) Remember that engagement of my third cousin Sridhar (I
am told he is actually my second) that I mentioned in passing in one of my previous posts - it was today - and boy, what an event it was..

First things first, I think I am getting old. Would you believe if I told you that I had mistaken the function for yesterday and had landed up at their home with a BIG bouquet? I must have sensed something was amiss when I did not see even a shamiana put up besides the lack of a crowd..But then I guess I was too caught up in my own world. Of course, I have always been smart (pat on my own back) and I managed to save the situation by cooking up some wonderfully believable (or so I think) stories about how I might be busy the next day and so had to drop in and wish him on the momentous occasion. Save this small gaffe, Saturday went off well.

Sunday:
I have never really relished these social gatherings and the prospects of being the only representative for my family at the function only added to my apprehensions. The muhurth was between 10:30 and 12 noon and with an idea of skipping early, I reached
their house sharply at 10 am. To my horror, I realized that everyone had turned up an hour before me. And before I could say Bingo, I was accosted by all and sundry and asked to explain my mother's absence. Mumbling ridiculous excuses, I vaguely scanned the
crowd in search of a known face when I finally saw my savior in the form of my Chinna Thatha (Grandpa's bro) Now, I have to say a few words about this man..

C.S.Ramachandran: A 75 year young gentleman - he's one of the smartest people I have ever seen - a man capable of matching wits with ten of my generation and still coming out trumps. A well read man with a penchant for unnerving young kids in the family with difficult puzzles and quizzes, Mani pa (as we call him fondly) is simply put, delightful company.

Settling down into a seat besides him, we started our sparring session. It had been a few years since we had met and he was actually amazed that today I was giving as much as I was getting. Clearly pleased at the progress I had made, he started firing Qs on the
current political scenario, the latest book I had read and how I was doing my Hindu crossword and whether I was taking my Table Tennis seriously. Without claiming to be modest, I must admit that I was in "full form" and literally charmed him with my replies.

This was then followed by the expected tortures - I was introduced to all the obese maamis, the old gossipping pattis, my beautiful cousins (;-) and anyone and everyone I "HAD" to know. And once the engagement ceremony was over (Sridhar n Priya looked really nice together - mebbe marriages are made in heaven), the women folk got down to their favorite pastime...Making plans for the next bakra..A few of my aunts gathered around Jayanthi's payyan (that's me - as u can see I had no identity of my own) and asked him "When are you getting married?" Usually I get flustered by this rubbish and lose my cool. But today I was in full form and I ended up saying "Maami, if only you were 25 years younger, I would have had no hesitation marrying you - Lucky uncle :-)" And this I saw, made them really happy and they bugged me no more.

Watching me handle all this with aplomb, my Chinna Thatha crowned me "The most intelligent person in my generation" and this for me was the "piece d'resistance". On second thoughts, this might be a crown of thorns considering I will now have to live up to his gargantuan expectations but then.. I shall enjoy this till it lasts.. which could be the next engagament or wedding in our family :-)