One hot afternoon, when I was young, I was spending my summer holidays with my relatives in my grandpa’s house at Sivakasi. I was having a casual talk with my grandpa after a heavy lunch. Through the door I saw a thin, white bearded old man who looked like a wanderer, limping all alone on the street. “Poor man,” my grandpa said. Something sad must have happened in his life, he explained. He told me that that old man deserved respect and love. My grandpa also told me that he has always been very glad about the unconditional respect and love that I have for him. And I was always glad that he is my grandpa!
I loved my grandpa. His name was Subbaiah. He was an active person, more than five and a half feet tall, with twinkling grey eyes and a thatch of white-brown hair. He was the best tutor for life I have ever had.
Grandpa was born in Rajapalayam to Periyathambhi Nadar and Mariammal in the year 1927. He grew up in Rajapalayam along with his siblings. He did his schooling also there itself.
Later when grandpa was old enough to work, he went to Sivakasi. His first job was in Standard Match industries as a supervisor. He worked there for a very long time but later he left that job. Grandpa then became the first counsellor of the Sivakasi town. He was even offered a MLA seat by the DMK party but grandpa refused it as he was no more interested in politics. He wanted to start a business on his own. He worked very hard for that. After saving a lot of money, he was ready to start a match industry in Sivakasi which was named as- SALCO Match industry. Grandpa some how had to shut down this business concern and again wanted to start an other business firm but this time he wanted to set his foot in a different field of business which was not explored much in Sivakasi. So he started Kumar Transport. The business went on really very well. The success of Kumar Transport made him open a medical shop in Sivakasi which is known as- Maharaj Medicals. Both these business concerns are very famous in the Sivakasi town. Around 200 employees work in these concerns. I have always been inspired by the fact that grandpa started from the scratch, soared high and shined like a star!
I used to go to Sivakasi only during the summer vacation and I never had an opportunity to spend all my time only with my grandpa as I used to be busy with my cousins and he used to be busy with his work. Once when I was in 6th standard, grandpa had planned to stay a month with me in Bangalore. That was the first time we both spent so much time with each other. After staying in our house for about one week, Grandpa wanted to go back to Sivakasi. He missed his friends and the medical shop very much.
Grandpa had many friends. Everyday he has so many visitors in the medical shop where he sits all day long. Everyone marveled at his energy, loved his gentle smile and the kind words he had for everyone.
One of my fondest memories is of listening to Grandpa relating his experiences about hunting in the wild. He was passionate about guns. I did not know about it until then. I was really surprised to know that he was such an adventurous person. Grandpa was always interested in sports. When ever he turned on the television, he watched only sports channels.
Grandpa was also good at poetry writing. Once I found a paper in his cupboard. He had written a kavithai. The kavithai which he had written was for my grandma. I suddenly copied that kavithai in another sheet of paper so that I could keep it with myself and replace the original version of the kavithai in the cupboard. Grandpa had expressed the deep love that he had for my grandma in that kavithai. That kavithai is definitely a masterpiece.
Though I lived in Bangalore, I used to keep in touch with my grandpa through the telephone. As soon as I press the last digit of the phone number, the phone bell rings and my grandpa picks up the call and answers in his cheery voice as he used to be happy to know that I am at the other end of the phone. I always used to ask him how he was and he used to tell me that he was doing well because of me. Then I used to tell him to take care of his health.
Grandpa grew older but he was always healthy. One day when he was in Sivakasi, he fell from stairs and he fractured his hand and hip. He was rushed to a hospital and was admitted there. Doctors told that he had to undergo an operation. Hearing all this, my father rushed to Sivakasi to be with my grandpa. It was really hard for me to digest the fact that grandpa was going through so much of pain and it was sad as I was not near him at that point of time. Just few minutes before the operation, I called up my grandpa and told him to be brave. He told me that he was already brave and convinced me that I was the one who had to be brave. Grandpa always had a strong will power. He was sure that he would be alright soon. The operation went on well and grandpa was fine. I called him up again that day night, after the operation. He could not talk to me properly as he was given anesthesia but he ensured that he would be able to talk to me the next day. But even the next day he could not talk to me. But I was sure that I could talk to him after he returned home from the hospital. Little did I know that that would be my last talk with my grandpa! Grandpa passed away just one day after the operation. On 17th April at 6.20 in the morning, his soul slipped away from his body. Grandpa was gone forever and I had to rush to Sivakasi with my mother. My grandpa’s house was jammed with hundreds of mourners.
A great man had died. As far as I know, he was the greatest man who had ever lived. He was my grandpa. I was thankful that God let me have him as my grandpa and that I always let him know how much I cared for him. Everyone who knows grandpa know that he was a great success as a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a friend, a business man and as a grandpa!
