Handsome

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Hands fascinate me. They always did.

Whenever my wife calls one of her cousins or aunties on her mobile and starts speaking with them, I slyly watch her phone-free left hand. That hand is never quiet. It always gesticulates. In a hundred different movements each suited to what she is arguing about...but the funny thing is that she never knew it till I mentioned it to my D-i-L and asked her to watch. And, it is only on phone. When she meets one of them face to face and talks, she never gesticulates...some psychology there...

As a rule I avoid mixing with my senior-citizen classmates spread all over Hyderabad. But the other day, I got an unexpected call from Krishna Mohan asking if he could come over and meet me after half a century. I jumped up and gave full address and driving instructions to my place. And was eagerly waiting for him. For one thing, he is the only one among our crowd who can be labeled bindaas. More importantly, I recalled vividly that he always gesticulated while he spoke and I used to watch him transfixed. Well, he didn't disappoint. As he was speaking to my wife, son, D-i-L and Ishani, I was quietly watching his dancing hands. And he too never knew he was doing it...

Talking of hands-free, I was most relieved when my son bought what he called a Bluetooth ear thing. Now I relax when he is driving with me by his side. His cell phone is never silent...either he is calling or they.

But of course, my friend N told me earlier on of an advertisement for snuff. The main point that is emphasized is that unlike a cigarette or a pipe which you have to keep holding in one hand, your both hands are free once you inhale the snuff pinch. What is not mentioned is that there is a sequel. The intake and power strokes are followed after a while by a series of exhaust strokes which will require the chap to blow his nostrils each in turn to clear the accumulated fluid which Mrs N likens to the reddish-brown mustardly juice of mango pickle. The whole world is an ashtray to a carefree smoker and is a spittoon for a paan chewer, while it is a mucusbin for our snuff-sniffer.

At KGP I don't recall being fascinated by the hand dance of any of my colleagues...they were all eloquent and didn't need any accompaniment; except Raam-da who had a stammer. As I mentioned earlier, while teaching collisions to a First Year Class, he would hold two imaginary balls one in each hand as they approach, collide and scatter away. MSS told me that he once watched Raam-da unfettered by a 3-body collision... he would use his nose to hold the third participating ball.

One evening, my son asked me to watch his performance as the Captain of his Central School on their School Day in the OAT. I took my back seat and was watching the prize-distribution by Mrs Diro who was standing and doing the honors to fifty odd kids. She would stand upright and as each kid bends and touches her feet, she would bless each with a deft tap on their head...an absolutely reflex action...Bengali moms must have been used to this ritual. This masterly performance reminded me at once of a familiar framed picture in our households of Sri Raam Pattabhishekam (coronation) with Raam lightly touching the kneeling Hanuman's head without bending:

http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gsbkerala.com/gforms/rama.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gsbkerala.com/rama.htm&h=227&w=168&sz=11&tbnid=tWoD3Y-zPRMFFM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=70&prev=/search%3Fq%3DSri%2BRama%2BPattabhishekam%2Bpicture%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Sri+Rama+Pattabhishekam+picture&docid=1S5wqtqCY2kdbM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5BWbTt7bA8bTrQeT1syjBA&ved=0CC8Q9QEwAw&dur=85

The late unlamented 9/11 mastermind was a master of hand movements...half his charm lay there while the other half in his cool demeanor.

Hands have always been used in various salutes...the Nazi thing the most kiddish. And in greetings too. I am told that Westerners are surprised by the Indian gesture of Namasthe instead of a handshake...and took it as a symbol of untouchability. I was stunned when my cousin who is a practicing physician told me that she never shakes hands with anyone because she is afraid that her 'power' would flow out to the other like Parashuram lost his to Bhagavan Raam.

Ishani's hands are always busy. Ever since she learned to sit and handle her toys and then the household knickknacks, she has always been fiddling with them, trying to open closed caps and close the open ones. It is fascinating to watch her...till the other day she learned on her own how to unscrew. That is when all screwed bottles had to be kept up and above her reach...after she opened the Vim Liquid Bottle and tasted the contents.

And finally hands in sports...and the Hand of God!

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Nostalgia

From DC 50 years ago:

"Major Yuri Gagarin will be staying with Prime Minister Nehru at his residence here during his official visit to India this month...

...After that, the spaceman is flying to Bombay where he will meet top film stars"

gps: The aam admi in Russia knew only two Indians by name and fame...Nehru and Raj Kapoor...the first for his Fabian Socialism and the next for his Awaara Socialism.


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