Stories from 24B - Part 1

Dear 24b makkale,

Love you all. Mmmwaaah. Nopes, I am not drunk. I am just getting nostalgic. Its been two days since i came back but am yet to get over the hangover from my overnight stay at 19B....Of course, we've shifted houses within the same floor and this new apartment is more spacious, airy and brighter when compared to 24B but then it doesn't smell quite the same.. After all, there are way too many memories, stories associated with that house.. Been reminscing a lot these last couple of days and thought I'd ink it down somewhere for posterity...But then pen and paper are out dated hence using this virtual space..I know this might mean nothing to everyone else but us but then who cares... Its my blog...Shall write it all in a series with each part dedicated to stories involving two people... I obviously start with Balaji and Kakka...

Love
Ramki

Remember

* those initial days when we were just 4 of us - Chetti, Kakka, Venki (now Funky) and I with Seetha Mama playing visiting guest - and how we heard first time around about the great 'nalla payyan' Balaji who would later join us and turn our world upside down

* when Balaji, after unilaterally assuming head of the house duties, divided responsibility to all of us - Hari and Kakka to buy groceries, Seetha mama and Venki to help in cooking and I to do the dishes

* the chips bought from Nilgiris, the parcels from Balaji Bhavan for Balaji since we ate at Kai-yendhi bhavan and the podis that Balaji used to specially import all the way from Srirangam :-p

* the long Sunday trips Balaji took all the way to Valsaravakkam just to have his haircut done

* those frequent surveys we used to take to see who was Balaji's current favorite in the popularity chart. There used to tremendous churn at the top with Hari, Venki and later on SPV trying their damnedest to get into Balaji's good books as voting day approached whilst poor ol' me always ended up last till Cartoon arrived :-p

* how Balaji used to sleep early at 9:30 every night and then crib about the volume as the rest of us watched TV till midnight

* when Balaji cursed in a fit of rage during yet another of our domestic squablles that i would never get into the IIMs - Purely the IIMs ka loss :-))

* Balaji's awe of Infy and how he used to report every damn news about Narayanmurthy to me religiously considering all he watched in telly was only CNBC (and of course any channel which said something about Suresh Kalpathi)

* Balaji's moralistic comments about the "character" of Tamil heroines but his curiousity to still know the latest gossip in Kollywood. Btw, the last movie Balaji had seen at that point of time (1999) in a theatre had been, wot, Raajathi Raja ? :-p

* the time when Seetha mama brought home some Simran and Jothika CDs and how Balaji stayed up lateeeeeeeee that night..Hahahaha..Seriyaana yogyan po ;-)

* Balaji's famous "kosu appudhu da Ramki" :-)))))))))))))

* the jollu that Kakka used to uttufy on seeing Shriya in SS Music (Alohaaaaa) and how this continued even after his marriage and his moving to the US of A

* the informal competition between Kakka and Chetti on who had the biggest tummy and how proud Kakka used to be when we declared Chetti winner by a long margin

* the crazy plans of Kakka to hook up with either the landlord Ramakrishnan's daughter or our erstwhile 19b neighbour - I forget her name ;-)

Balaji,
I owe you so much esp: for all the weight I gained from 68 to 76.5 kg in those 11 months...Not to worry coz someday when i am rich and famous i shall not forget to mention you in of the CNBC interviews i will give.

Kakka,
TV watching, be it movies or serials, will never be the same without you :-( Kausalya and Chennai miss you lots !

....So many more memories....Next in line Chetti and Seetha Mama....