Column

My family is in a state of panic. And no we are not Republicans, in fact we’re not even Americans. Except maybe on days when they show old Clint Eastwood re-runs. My mother was sweating profusely. Tissue after tissue proved futile and lost the battle against the torrent of perspiration. My father in a flagellant disregard for AmbumaniRamadoss’snoblest act (if you don’t count his giving up of the age old application of coconut oil on the scalp), smoked cigarette after cigarette like it was the last evening off before the ban.

The smoke mixed with sweat, to provide haze of uncertainity which could easily have been the set of an ancient Bollywood film. My wife as is her wont hid under the bed, refusing to come out. Now there’s a time and place for this kind of behaviour, Like on one’s wedding night. But today I thought it seemed far too age inappropriate. By this I mean the age of the bed, which was built around the time of the Simon Commission and has, i’m told on good record by Mrs. Simon, survived and outlived both Mr. Simon and the commission. However, the bed could fall faster than the sensex and in today’s economic climate that’s saying something.

When I returned home after the satisfying day spent in fruitfully walking the dog, I was surrounded by all this anxiety. But why were they all in this state of panic? What has triggered of this irrational display of tension? And why were they all wearing matching T-shirts?

Apparently about the matching T-shirt there was no answer but, for the rest the reason was obvious. The world’s greatest serial since cornflakes, Kyuki Saas be Kabhi Bahu Thi, had closed down.

The Virani family had covered 1000 years of family bonding and estrangement, with fires, murders and plastic surgery, Arguably the greatest scene in televison history is — couple of fully clothed characters in full make up and jewellery, enjoying a good night’s rest wearing sherwanis and saris. Well it’s all over. However one serial shuts and another opens. Tune into Barak Obama everyday, 7 days a week on CNN. Estimated to last for the next 8 years.