My first profession, as a sub-editor in one of the largest publishing houses in India, was challenging. Even after getting home from office I had to spend time to prepare a school textbook, the first task assigned to me by the company. One day I reached home exhausted and had to do plenty of work at home too. And my niece with her friend from Lakshadweep came to meet me.
My niece had studied up to tenth standard in Lakshadweep as her parents were working there. Then, she came back to Kerala with her family to pursue higher studies. Later she got an admission in a college in the city. Her friend from Lakshadweep had also got an admission in the same college. So they were staying together for a while until the college opened.
My niece and her friend needed help from me in learning and comprehending English lessons. Though I was busy with my office work during the evenings, I agreed grudgingly to extend all possible help to them. So every evening they used to learn lessons and write essays on their own while I corrected them. Sometimes I enquired about her life in Kalpeni Island and how the people fared there.
She smiled and explained everything in her Lakshadweep Malayalam accent. Their life in the island was calm and peaceful. The pace of life in the island was very slow compared to the life in the mainland. People knew each other and helped each other. There was camaraderie, friendship and perfect harmony among people. Fish and coconut were available to them in abundance.
Unfortunately, one day she bade goodbye to my niece. Her relatives had come from Lakshadweep to live in Kochi. A week later when I reached home from office, I could see some strangers sitting in the drawing room. Soon I realised that the people were all from Lakshadweep and one of them was my student. After exchanging pleasantries, we had tea and snacks. When they were about to leave my house, they gave a heavy packet as a gift.
Later my mother curiously unwrapped it and saw to her bewilderment some hard dried sticks which looked like dried okra. Out of curiosity, I contacted my elder brother and sought to know about the contents inside the packet. Laughing merrily, he explained that those were dried pieces of tuna. It had to be soaked in water for hours before use.
As we were not used to such types of fish, we lavishly gifted it to many of our neighbours. But we valued it so much because they had given it to us out of their love. Even after many years, her family still remembers me and inquires about me whenever they visit Kochi. Their hearts are as pure as the natural Lakshadweep islands.
T K Nandanan
Email: nanduthejus@gmail.com