Aachi Athai : the large hearted one !
What can one write in a few paragraphs about this person who had no haters and one who influenced the entire family, my dear Aunt, Aachi Athai (otherwise known as Mrs.Lakshmi Subramanian) ? My late Father's Sister who was a core influential figure in our lives till today and will continue to inspire the next generation. A simpleton at heart and always cared for everyone else except herself, generally speaking. Worried sick of not just the immediate family but of neighbours, friends, Colleagues, Drivers, Domestic Help, Vendors and the list goes on. Selfless person with a heart of gold ! The one lasting memory for me that characterised her, before anything else, is probably during one of the school summer holidays spent at Virinchipuram, the home of my grand parents. This was the time when most of the Cousins got together and we were a raucous bunch of kids swarming our grand parent's home, the Temple, the nearby river stream ('Aaru') and the immediate ...