The Name

Anand uncle was an intern working under my father in office. This was when my father worked in 'The Gulf'. Along with work, he had some hobbies too.They were, watching wrestling matches on T.V, eating chicken fry, singing old hindi songs with his colleagues on a glass of beer and missing his home back in Kochi. Well, now that he is in Kochi, he is busy missing his flat in 'The Gulf'.

My mother was four months pregnant then.

"I hope it's a girl this time" she said "I always wanted one"

My older twin brothers, who were already ten then, looked offended by her comment.

"It's not about you dear!" She looked at them apologetically "Our family had given birth to a string of boys for a long time. It would be good to have a little sister for a change"

"Girls are boring!" One of my brothers retorted.

"And they wouldn't be able to share their things with a sister" my father said "We would have to buy separate things for her"

"Like you made yoursons wear second hand clothes of your brother's children, you miser!" My mother voiced angrily.

My brothers looked startled and an awkward silence prevailed throughout their breakfast. That was too many relevations for a day.

Anand uncle was declaired employee of the month. It was well deserved, as my father said, he was a bright young man who was really hardworking and sincere to his job. He was also a good natured and amiable person, and had an air of innocence around him that earned him a lot if friends and made him his employer's blue eyed boy.

My brothers were immediately put to work. My father had invited Anand uncle for dinner ,and so the flat needed to look the part for playing the ever-neat home.

The guests reached exactly at the time they promised to come. Anand uncle looked exactly like the image of a stereotypical software engineer, a lanky man wearing thick frames and neatly dressed in well ironed full sleeved shirt and pants. With him came his newly wed wife, in contrast, short and slightly stout, but looked as happy as her husband.

My father and his intern talked a lot about various topics over a glass of juice. At the same time, my mother and his wife became instant acquaintances. She also spoke a bit to my brithers, starting with the common questions about their studies. Then my father remembered that a wrestling match was to be telecasted in the television that night.

"Do you follow wrestling?"

Anand uncle tried to feign an interest, but in vain.

"Okay,let's keep this interesting. Let's keep a bet!"

His intern's face brightened.

"If the player I pick wins, you must invite me to your home" he continued "If otherwise...well, how would you like to keep it?"

"Will you name your third child after me?" Anand uncle's eyes glittered.

My father was startled by the unusual request.

"I thought it would be nice to have a child named after me!"

"Okay then, pick your player"

" The one with long blond hair" he picked randomly

The game proceeded. It was too violent for Anand uncle's liking, who generally dod not follow any kind of martial arts. Still, he had an awkward grin plastered on him as my father occasionally shot a smile at him while enjoying the match. His only respite was the smell of deep fried chicken coated well with red chilli, pepper and various other spices he did not bother to know about that my mother and his wife jointly cooked in the kitchen.

Finally, the game concluded.

"Well" my father said, biting into a bright red chicken leg "Anand is a pretty common name, but I wouldn't mind naming my child with it!"

Anand uncle had a smile so wide that his whole set of teeth and his gums were visible. That was some benefit to extract from a game.

"You are happy now, are you?" My father patted him so hard on the back, it almost knocked him off his couch. But that seldom affected him, who was busy imagining the reaction of his colleagues in office. He could not wait to tell them how he got his boss to name his child after him.

About five months later, my parents received their third child exactly on the due date, perhaps the only time it emulated the punctuality of its namesake.

About twenty years later from that incident,at my home on Kochi , I was busy playing video games with my nephew. It was an intense game of bike racing and I managed to beat that five year old again as usual. But my mother halted that feeling of triumph in me.

"Fancy playing video games with a toddler! You are to be placed for a job about two years from now, hopefully!"

"He was feeling bored, Mama! It is you who told me to babysit him!"

"Ok now. I have some work for you. Just arrange the furniture. The house needs to look neat! And please change your clothes and look presentable!"

My father had told us that Anand uncle was coming to visit us . He now worked in a bank in The United States, and his family, of his wife and two children were settled there.

Anand uncle still had a wide smile, but was now slightly stout with greyinghair.His wife, as my mother thought has not changed much in appearance.Then came two teenaged boys who looked very much like their father.

"You've grown so much!" They said, seemingly startled at the fact that I was not actually Peter Pan. Then they handed over a large packet of chocolates that made me happy.

My father tightly enbraced his former intern and both of them lapsed into a conversation. So did my mother and his wife. My parents sent their children to talk to me, but not before badgering them with questions they answered in American accent.

Finding it hard to start a conversation with the two children I rarely met, I asked them some generic, obvious questions about their studies......and about whether they liked Kerala. Both of them replied, but not without a constant startled expressions. It is not very often that you find a girl named Anand.