Oru Swapna Veedu

You may think why I blog on such irrelevant subjects which has very little relevance whatsoever. But my dear, this has my own aspirations and desires fulfilled and unfulfilled, so let it be there.
In the beginning there was One Madrasi, One Madrasi brought another one, then another one, then a generation, generations and now stands at the gene of Mallu which is a beautification of Malayalee derived from the species of Madrasi. Ooomph! Let me take a glass of water.
Earlier the Malayalee life existed from One Onam to the next Onam. OR you can put it this way, one Nattilpokku to the next. Good number of men, married and unmarried, lived ‘ bachelors’ in rented ‘rooms’ those days, wife and kids back in Kerala. Mobile phone, not yet born STD calls very costly, the only link with the dear and near ones was the blue coloured ‘inland letter’ weekly update.
I am talking about the period before the emergence of the term ‘Mallu’. In fact, ‘Madrasi” was the term Vadakkans in Delhi used to refer to us—Malayalees. Malayalee men who could not make it to Air Force, Army and CRP in that order were flowing to Delhi for a living. They had already made their presence felt in the Jute Mills of Calcutta, The Cloth Mills of Bombay and the Auto Industry in Chennai. Women from Kerala, spread to the North and everywhere in the Health Sector. Catholic Priests and Nuns were already there with their education and health care mission.
A house made of dream
Bhaskaran Master landed in Delhi in the sixties. A under literate, Bhaskaran left Payyannur, with the sole purpose of having three full meals for himself and Vayaru Niray Bhakshnam for folks back home, then the ‘God’s most neglected country’.
Bhaskaran could find a job in a “Kerala Hotel”. A Dhaba owned and operated by another Malayalee, who put his foot at the Paharganj Side a decade or two ago. “Kerala Hotel”. was situated near the then ‘Hindustan Times Block” in the outer circle (opposite Statesman). This ensured Bhaskaran three full meals a day for a dawn to dusk job. Bhaskaran’s job in the “Hotel” and his hunt for better pastures continued side by side.
Through a regular Dosa Sambar customer, Bhaskaran got a ‘decent’ job in a Multinational company near CP. A peon in a Multinational was a lucrative job those days. Good salary and bonus, Bhaskaran used to earn over- time and conveyance as extra income from the job.
Soon, Bhaskaran bought a Bicycle and took a room on rent in Lakshmi Nagar for residence. The Cycle remain with Bhaskaran throughout his Jeevitha Yathra. There was a story going around those days about one of Bhaskaran’s adventures.
Oru Avadhikku Nattil pokan,
Bhaskaran could not get a birth in any of the south bound trains. He packed his ‘Petty’ with necessary items and bound it on the carrier behind the Bicycle, and pedalled the three thousand miles (5000 kms) through the Chambal kadukalum, Vidhya Malakalum, Kadum, Nadikalum, Kattu jevevikalum. On the28th day he reached Payyannur. By then his PL got over. The next day morning he along with his cycle boarded a train from Kerala and landed back in Delhi.
Edakkalathu Enno
Bhaskaran got married. He had four kids during his journey, all girls.
Bhaskaran’s acutely needed more space to live in. He dreamed of having a house, that would be his own, his Swapna Veedu.. Bhaskaran, managed a 100 yard plot in Lakshmi Nagar, then a catchment of Yamuna, and started his house building. He constructed a single room and kitchen, then another room and a floor above were added one by one. He built his Swapna Veedu – Dream House brick by brick. Much of the house building work was Bhaskaran’s on. He seldom depended on an outsider for white washing and painting his house. All he did himself. He loved his house as one of his daughters.
He saved on his meals and clothes. (Bhaskaran was never shy in his outfit the ‘Official Khaki’ that was the identity of a peon those days). Khaki clad Bhaskaran, his bi-cycle and the house became one in as much that each one existed for the other.
Before coming to conclude Bhaskaran saga, let me peep through another old timer Malayalee’s life.
Devassy disembarked GT Express at the Paharganj side . He was a Matriculate with a “Type and Short hand” Upper Certificate(Then Type writing/short hand was a highly sought after technical qualification with Lower level and Upper level exams conducted by state authorities for a certificate). “HR” was not a familiar term those days. Various Company agents waited at the Railways station to tap the qualified, English Speaking “Madrasis” for the ‘Steno’s job. By one of such act, Deveassy could also place himself behind a “Halda” type writer in one of the many large “holes’ in CP. Devassy later on underwent a UPSC test and got a job in the North Block and become a Central Govt employee. A “Steno Typist” to be precise.
A year after, when Devassy visited village with a new status- a “Kendra Sarkar jolikkaran”- a very valued profile. His marriage happened in the village with a reasonable(?) and attractive ‘Sthree dhanam”. Devassy’s Father was kind enough to allow Devassy to utilize his dowry for a cause. So he bought a piece of land in the Western side of Delhi for 5000 rupees. Devassy took a loan and added to all his savings, started building a house. He could then move out of his Sarojini nagar sub-let one room-accommodation to the West Delhi pocket. Devassy built a reasonably big house. Years passed by and his family grew bigger by the size. He was an ardent believer, so, in spite of scarce DTC service, and the nearby Church being the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Devassy seldom commit a deadly sin missing Sunday Mass, without sufficient reason. Though very often, he failed take Thresia, his wife and children for their inability to get ready on time.
Much water has passed through Yamuna. Devassy retired and become a full time evangelist and presented himself for the Charismatic works of the Church. His children also grew up and settled in life.
A few years back Bhaskaran died. He had married off all his four daughters. They all were settled separately. its heard from a reliable source that Bhaskaran’s daughters unitedly deciced to sell off Bhaskaran’s Swapna veedu and divided the booty amongst them.
In the case of Devassy, he can not walk without the help of a stick now. His vision poor, his church activities also become difficult these days. In fact Devassy is now living with one of his children.
His children are finding the old house of no much use.

Swapna Veedu polum thakarnnu veezhan oru jeevitha kalam mathi !