Rangaanveshane

Mai aur meri tanhayi
aksar
ye
baatein
karte hai...

My early memories go back to the small house in Jayanagara, Mysore – the home I was born in - where we shared the compound with three other families – Puttswami, the landlord & his family, Auto Gopi & his whimsical wife Vasantha (I faintly remember their daughter as Sunitha) and Bhatt, the cook, & his family. Very much a Malgudi (an imaginary town planned by the great R.K.Narayan), Jayanagara, one of the old localities, was a hub of myriad activities with literally everyone knowing everyone by their names! The playground of my childhood, Jayanagara, remains etched in my heart.

Ranga was probably my first friend! To borrow a phrase from Raja Rao, he was neighbouring house (pakkada mane) Ranga for us all. We both were of the same age and classmates for a while. Moments spent with him remain the best. !

Be it goli (marbles) or buguri (spin top) or tikki aata (a game played with folded cigarette packs/the top side of match boxes piled within a circle and competitors trying to garner these packs by dislodging them out of the circle by throwing a flat stone) Ranga was a master. He was our lord saviour each time one of us sent the ball atop a roof playing gulli cricket with our exam carboards making for the bat. Literally a manga (monkey) Ranga could climb any facade.

From then to now there is, obviously, a sea change in what I am. I have some how managed to preserve myself from almost a lost position. Today, as I sit in my pleasant chamber with the world at my finger tips I think,

Where is Ranga? What’s he up to? Sorry! No idea...

Ranganodige adi beleda aa kshanagalu avismaraniya. Gonneburuka Ranga ootikyatadante ellandaralli hatti biduttidda. Badakalu sharirada avana kalugalige ellillada vega. Avanu oodahattidare naanu dummanna susto sustu! Kadeya barige Ranganannu sandhisiddu sumaru 1996 ralli anta nenapu. Saraswatipuradalli sikkidda. Adu goodangadiyalli. sigaretina hoge suruli-suruli bidutta nintiddava avane Ranga. Of course, naanalli hodaddu gutkha kollalikke. Avattu sakhat harate hodedidda. "Diploma course madtidini sunilaa. Nodtiru, innerede varshadalli duddu-duddu...", attyutsaahadinda matanadidda.

Aamele nannade jeevana 'kati patang'. Dari tappida jeevanavannu sari hadiyatta taruvudaralli saku-bekaaytu. Iiga Pai dhanigala international city Manipaladalli kulitu vishwadaadyanta chaduriruva nanna geleya-gelatiyar patte hachchuva hara saahasakke aniyaagiddene. Avarell IT mandi sikkaru, adre nanna Ranga?!!!

choti si ye duniya
pehachane raaste hai
tum kabhi to miloge
kahin to miloge
to poochenge haal...