To dear Rini, welcome!!

Dear girl, welcome to our family and like I said we come in all shapes and sizes and come with our idiosyncrasies but with all this we make a family.  I promised I would introduce you to the family and here you go.

Ashwin needs no introduction so let me start with your parents in law.  Ranjit and Lakshmi, Lux (as Ranjit calls her) are childhood sweethearts with another aunt of mine from my father’s side playing the cupid.  So they grew up in love with each other and married in 1987.  You will soon see Ranit dancing to “roop suhana lag hai, chand puranam lag hai, tere aage o jaanam…” so don’t tell me later i did not warn you.  Lakshmi is a very smart and capable lady, you she will giggle through this dance and that is how they both are.

There is the uncle in law, Rohit, who is at best described as quiet but is rather loving.  He loves to laugh at his own jokes and he takes his own time telling them.  Knowing him he will be with Lux and Ranjit helping in all the arrangements for your wedding as he did for my sister’s.

Your grand parents in law would have loved today, the day Ashwin got engaged to his Rini.  Well, some things are not meant to be but I am sure they are smiling their blessings down on you.  My valiamma, your grand mother in law, was a sprightly lady, full of humour and jokes and full of love for the family.  As for Appumama, you would see him in Rohit, was a man of few words, a smile here and there.

Then comes Vijayamma, who loved hugging and kissing all of us and I would wait to see when he is going to start the process on meeting him and while saying good byes.  He was passionate about the environment and Zoology, the subject he taught as a professor.  His wife, Rajamai, is a retired professor too from the Calicut Medical College.  As I write this she is in the US with her son.  She is our go to person when we have illnesses and want to take a second opinion.  Always ready to help.

The other ammamman is my dear Chandramama, a retired journalist, he has a fiery temper but loves all of us from the core of his heart and he shows it.  He is there for us whenever we need him emotionally and other wise.  Indirammai is a retired math professor and is a fighter and a lady with a lot of determination.  My sister Deepti gives her due credit for her math scores as Indirammai gave her lessons in math.  Now Indirammai loves the whatsapp and loves it with a passion and sends messages with a passion too.

Then comes my mother, a true Leo, grrrrr!!  Strong and determined as she is she loves animals and plants, loves going to sanctuaries and gardening.  She can argue fiercely with you about politics and cricket and she can tell you how Deepti and I can do better.  she is what you see and takes you for face value.  When she asks you if you want anything, ask for it, else she will assume you do not want it.  My father, an advocate, was a simple soul, who loved to laugh out loud and loved to discuss politics with Vijayamma and Babumama and God help us, if they were arguing against each other’s ideas or thoughts.

Then there is this gaggle of cousin aunts and uncles in law and cousins in law and describing them will take another blog in itself and I would like to spare you the details.

Rini, a warm welcome to you into our family, you will be treasured by us.