I Voted..

With my weekends getting consumed from the demons & devils of releases and deployments, I made a point that next time I had a gala time,  I would pen down and pracharify to the whole world :), so u see,  whom should I turn to!!   my closest and the dearest ones :P

Voting!! for many would mean changing the government, bringing in change!,  sending home the undeserved and all the usual blah, blah.. For me it’s another family masthi!! this is the 4^th time I was voting and before every time we went to the voting booth, we would have argued and screamed and fought over the entire subject of whom to Vote and not to.. But this time it had been 4 months that we brothers had met since last Christmas…  and with the releases stacked up onto the weekend, my chances of travelling to Mysore for the very purpose was bleak.. :(  so on a Friday morning, bidding a painful farewell  to my brothers and to the lovely Honda City cruiser :), I headed towards my office!

The message on Balaji’ s face said it clear, I need to slog the whole day and the slogging continued to the next day. Me had taken a nap threatening my team to get me a clean build early morning and Subir the Architect!! had to politely agree... Waking up from a semi hard Sofa at the office with all the cramps and aches and as I was just coming out!  he he he.. thank heavens for that one moment and my luck changed entirely.. :).

The early morning release went with crystal clear precision, and I was promised that I can leave by afternoon, and my luck continued even further, Ramesh Sahebru.. my all-time fav.. cab driver..  called me offering to drive me to Mysore with zero cost!!! on one condition that I had to attend an uninvited and unknown pre-nuptial wedding ceremony in Srirangapatna on the way.. now, u see, would  Manju.  ever say no to such an offer!! :) :).. We finally left home to Mysore in the evening!

With the sun setting on the horizon, with the cool breeze blowing into my ears, and with memories of the day fading out of my mind, I knew I was miles away from Bangalore. We reached the marriage hall by night fall, and guess what, The Wedding hall was named after me… :) Yes in this part of the world, every 3^rd person is called by my name…  and every corner of the street holds a hoarding with my name as in like Manjunatha Bakery, Manjunatha Saloon, Manjunatha Family Resto & Bar.. :).. Manjunatha This n Manjunatha That, I had even seen my name written on an ancient temple in Dharmasthala… :)

I got off and headed straight to the dining hall :) :) n blv me, not even a single spec of shame crossed my mind!. With the dining hall yet to get propped  up. i was offered a seat in the Kitchen! And that is where the action all started. With all the simmering Sambars and the Holiges and heaps of Pallavs and Appalams and Kosambri’s around waiting to get served.. my mind was in a Black n White movie era of  “Mayabazaar”  song scene “Vivaha Bojamanu”. The difference! Mr SV Rangaroa had the privilege to munch over and I, here had to simply stare and drool over.. :)

with the guest not willing to have a early dinner I had to starve further, that’s when Prakash – the Sambar specialist, started to hummm “Kanadhanthe Maya Vadhanu” I offered him to sing louder!! And it all started off…  with the kitchen turning to an instant orchestra.. Guru –Palavmaker, started of with “Kuladhali keelyaavudho Hutchappa “ and the plates and spoons were transformed to drums and sticks instantly!! And wait more to come.. Namma Ramesh Sahibru :) started off with the infamous “Babruvahana” dialogue of a dual role Rajkumar.. and then the mungaru male dialogue by Raju, The Upendra’s Kantha!! Kantha.. Here I have to specially mention Mr. Kalloli something Kuttan!! The only Mallu in the group started off with Mohan Lal Proposing to Kalyani… and what a fun.. though I dint understand the lingo.. the sheer expressions on his face tickled my nerves.. and guys next time you ppl propose to a gal, get equally drunked!! ;)

What I did all the time was to laugh, gigggle and riggglee… I learnt a new way of living at that very moment… :). The men I mentioned above whose income don’t cross 4 thousand a month, come smiling to the work, get their hands burnt and simmered, feed 100s of ppl at a time and get back with a sense of accomplishment! And We with a 6 figure salaries to our accounts, sitting under an air-conditioned ventilators, with all the comforts of life, still Cribb n Cribb n Cribb!!

And not to forget, I had that special treatment at the food. When the guy sitting next to me had one Holige.. I was served with 2, when he got 1 scoop of palav.. I had been twice :) :).

Sensing this, he asked me desperately, “Are you here on the Groom’s side?”.. And I gave him a unwilling Smile!! :)

So, treated to a Goudara Madhuve  OOOTA, and wishing the unseen couple A Happy Married Life, I continued to home Happily..

After all these incidents, the next day, mine was the 3^rd VOTE to get into the Voting Machine!! :)