So happy and inspired to receive these photos just now, with the messages below, from a man I now feel proud to have known for a while, Paneer Selvam:
“My daughter received gold medal from Tamil Nadu Governor Mr.R.N.ravi” then after I congratulate him profusely, feeling rather elated, I ask and he replies, “for BSC IT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, 1ST RANK”
Now let me proceed to tell you about Paneer. He was the caretaker of the Andhra power company’s plush guest house in T Nagar, BG and I have stayed in so many times, for months at a time, usually for medical exigencies.
This was after we moved out of Chennai in 2018 but always went back for so many situations. And this stay was organised by BG’s reader and friend who is a top official of the company. It was their Director’s Chennai home and one of their other Dir, who was particularly hospitable and friendly, would come and go while we were there occupying other rooms.
During this time, Paneer in addition to all the help one would require at a guest house, for long stay, including organising our meals from a nearby canteen, had got me food from his home whenever I was eating hotel food months on end and couldn’t take it anymore.
Paneer saw me buying my own Hawkins pan-pressure cooker and an assortment of utensils, and bringing back my groceries and stuff after morning walks and offered to get me home cooked food, both veg and non veg, that turned out to be nutritiously fabulous Sappad, I looked forward to twice a day, as he set it out on the table that he’d set up to perfection, along with glasses of warm drinking water – for gut health.
Several times my friends from Calcutta, Bangalore or Chennai have dropped in and stayed a few days. He would ask me what they would like and bring a restaurant like several-course non-veg meal including prawns, a variety of fish cooked in varied ways, and chicken and lamb. There was always rasam, sambar and appalam.
To my utter surprise, he would even bring me food in the hospital, as we might not like the food at Apollo he thought, after spoiling us with his home food. Other than for large groups he would never take the money, and we only compensated every time with whatever we deemed fit.
The last meal he brought us at the guest house just last year on the 9th of April 21, along with for two of our friends was 6 types of ‘variety rice’, including I think – coconut, tomato, lemon, curd, finally a sweet payasam.
The day before we left I not only gave away my almost new pressure cooker and utensils and groceries, but also bought a large Milton Hotcase for his home. So he could carry food in a glossy new hotcase.
And this caring nature, is what I can never get over – he brought it back to me a few hours later, the large carton beautifully gift wrapped with a tag on it. He requested me to write on it – a thank you note to his wife!
I was so touched, I was speechless as I wrote out the note. This quite, shy, unassuming man had taught me such a big lesson in love, nurturing, caring and pride in his wife’s work. He wanted me to award his wife personally and thank her for all her efforts in making the meals she did.
This way, he has also inspired his children with the lesson of being awarded for hard work – you are divinely rewarded!
Today, god has gifted him and his wife the abilty to see his daughter being awarded thus with such a prestigious award.
I just cannot get over how happy and proud he must be. As I’m over the moon myself, remembering all the little things he did for me at my worst times.
I’m tagging Chennai friends who I think would be happy to know this…
Chennai has taught me so many life lessons, above all both Bishwanath Ghosh and I am and will always be Chennai writers primarily, wherever we may live, as the city inspired both of us in so many amazing ways. We became writers in Chennai as it appreciates skill, talent and hard work over just money and all it can buy.
Sharing my short story on my life in Chennai, in the reputed Himal Southasian literary magazine, that’s like many such in my book Existences, which resonates with the one above —
https://www.himalmag.com/a-doctor-story-shuvashree-chowdhury/
#chennai #chennaidiaries #inspirational #motivational #awardsforexcellence #studentsuccess #educationmatters #educationforall #lifelessons #parenting #coaching #hardwork
I’m adding to this post…later in the day.
Celebrating Chennai in Kolkata: 😍this large Dosa I had especially for Paneer and his wife, with reference to my previous post, and for their lovely children, especially his brilliant daughter. May she grow to be a beacon of hope for all the hardworking parents out there who value education, skills, talents and above all hard work and guide their children towards it.
Incidentally, this Dosa was last evening’s dinner, before I received the photos and mssg in the previous post – just after BG and I watched this brilliant ‘thinking man’s’ movie “The Holy Conspiracy” starring Naseeruddin Shah and Soumitra Chattopadhyay, that I loved. All through I had a debate running in my mind as well.
The official trailer is here: https://youtu.be/s6evLRvLru8
Perhaps we were reminded of our Chennai years so much, seeing this film and so we went to this cafe’s Saltlake branch right away. As you can see I’ve still got my thinking cap on – from my expressions. 😊
This morning I woke up to Paneer’s message of the last post (please make an attempt to read it) from Chennai.
It has to be telepathy – whether science or divinity, with reference to the film link, you go and argue! 😀
#chennai #chennaidiaries #inspirational #dosacoffee #SaturdayMotivation #saturdaynight #theholyconspiracy #englishfilm #banglafilm #kolkata
Shuvashree Chowdhury 