Tham Tharee kitta

Kichu maama kichu mama not two persons, 1 friend of my father was there. When he used come to my home, my father used to complain about me saying this guy is playing kite & bambaram and was wasting his time. So Kichu mama told that in his house Miruthangam class is ongoing every weekend and he will make me to join the classes. He called me and said “Parupa, naama aathu payan nee….ethavathu intha carnatga samacharam ellam kathukanum, from coming Saturday onwards morning 7am veetuku vandhiru…”. I was thinking pochuda they have planned to kill my weekend sleep. But at that age I wasn’t able to oppose ippo mattum ennavam….but kuralachum kodupen :) So I was forcibly pushed to miruthanga class and started going to it. Saturday morning 6am used to be waked up for bath and a hot coffee would be served. I used to wear a white dhothi and T-shirt…naane thaaan …and go to the class. As it was my first day, I was given the top priority. My Guruji called me and had to get his blessings with fruits & fees for that month. It was the Guru thakshanai. Pillayar Slogam was the first thalam taught to me. Still remember it “Thoom thoom thaaka thakeeta….” Guruji was sincere in one thing, after teaching he used to write the thalam notes in a notebook for every person and give for practice. I thought ok now this is my route oru periya miruthanga chakrvarthiya ayuda vendiyathuthu thaan. But the interest got down and turned towards Karate…that’s a whole lot of different story.

Though the classes were conducted in Kichu mama house, Guruji was treated as their family member. He used to get time to time hot coffee from Kichu mami and I used think enaku koduka mattalanu. If I start first to play my master used to take long hours and used to scold me for stiff hands. One bad thing was everybody used to be there around and it was kind of embarrassing feel. We Tamil guys are very famous for hitting 1 person if first hit was given in the crowd. So slowly these elder guys and oldies used to comment “Thaambi appadi illapa ippadi methuva methuva”. I live in a colony and was kind of gang lead for a group. So when few of these elder guys who stay near my home used to be there, it was kind of “maana prachanai” for me. So I started thinking how to skip this part and escape. From next week onwards I used to tell my master that I am totally free and would like to watch other’s play and finally show my talent. Master used to think “Agaa...What an interest is there with this fellow” But I know the truth of why I prefer to learn as a last person. So after getting early and going to class I used to sit in the class for 3-4 hrs just for the sake of avoiding those big brothers. They used to play well and the session would be sometimes good as competing with fellow persons. Sometimes I used to enjoy and sometimes I used to crib my soga kathai. Like this it was moving for years and then 1 fine day my master told me to buy own miruthangam. So I got that and shelved it. My father used to scold for buying the instrument and not playing it. I decided that I will make him to repent to scold me like this. He used to go for night shifts to his office so he used so sleep in the morning. So when he starts sleeping I used to practice mirudhagam with dum dum dum sound. Then he stopped commenting and I was relived from the pressure.

Next peer pressure started. All those guys who come to class does something in front of my mother and my mother started asking me when I will do like them. So next I had to think what I should do to cover up this. My school annual function was going on and my Tamil teacher Kalyani was in search of a background score when a ghost enters into the drama. The music was to just give the scary effect and it was only “Daama daama daama” sound. I thought this would be the right opportunity to lock my mother’s peer pressure. So I went voluntarily to my teacher and said I will perform the background music as I am one miruthanga vidwan :) Then went home and exaggerated as I am performing something in the annual function. Finally the peer pressure reduced. Ippadiyaga en miruthanga saga was on going. Then public exams were nearing and I started saying that I have to pay full attention to my academics and would like to take a break of this class. Actually ellam peela thaan but just oru build up. That break from miruthanga class which I took for public exams is still continuing and my parents forgot asking me about it. Aha…