May was a remarkable month for our community – a month that showcased the very values that define COMA: compassion, unity, resilience, and the joy of coming together.
Coma 5K Run 2026 – Run for Nimil
The highlight of the month was undoubtedly the COMA 5K Run 2026, held at Glacier Ridge Metro Park. More than just a sporting event, this year’s run carried a profound purpose. Dedicated to the loving memory of our dear friend Nimil, the event brought together families, friends, volunteers, sponsors, and community members in a moving display of solidarity and remembrance. The overwhelming participation, with 118 runners and walkers, reflected not only the success of the event but also the strength of a community that stands together in times of joy and sorrow alike. The sucess story has been featured in leading Malayalam news publications.
Perhaps the most touching moment came from Nimil’s family, who expressed how much it meant to see their husband and father remembered with such love and dignity. Their heartfelt words reminded us that community is not measured merely by numbers, but by the care and support we offer one another when it matters most.
ഓ….തിത്തിത്താരാതിത്തിത്തൈ….തിത്തൈ….തകതൈതൈ തോം….
May was also a month of achievement and representation. Our COMA Tuskers Dragon Boat Team made history by delivering their best-ever performance, finishing sixth and proudly showcasing the spirit of teamwork and determination. Equally inspiring was the enthusiastic participation of our youth members, highlighting the bright future of our organization.
CAPITAL CUP CHAMPIONS 2026 🏆 A historic and proud moment for the COMA family!
Columbus Tuskers achieved a historic milestone by winning the Capital Cup Championship in Maryland during their debut appearance. Remaining undefeated throughout the tournament and bringing home the trophy was a proud moment for our entire community and a testament to the dedication and talent within our ranks. Our own Subhash Nair also became the Golden Boot winner with 8 goals, including a hat-trick. One of the biggest highlights of the event was having legendary Indian football player I. M. Vijayan as the Chief Guest, and our team proudly received the championship trophy from him!
As we look ahead, excitement continues to build for the many events planned for the remainder of the year, including youth programs, sports initiatives, cultural activities, and our grand Onam celebration. Each event offers another opportunity to strengthen friendships, preserve our heritage, and create lasting memories together.
Upcoming COMA Events
Onam – August 29th
Before we know it, Onam will be here! We already see teams beginning their preparations and practice sessions for the Onam events. It promises to be a lively celebration filled with culture, tradition, performances, and reconnecting with our roots.
Stay tuned for more action, celebrations, and community highlights. Summer promises more sunshine and stories!
Thank you to every volunteer, participant, sponsor, supporter, and member who contributed to making May such a meaningful month. Together, we honor the past, celebrate the present, and build an even brighter future for COMA.
– Prahlad T. Indira
“Nammal evide paripadi avatharippichalum ithanallo avastha…” — Until Baltimore 2026
– Basil Jacob
Celebrate with the Tuskers! Use the code below to claim your free wine at Costco!
(There is no code. But now that I have your attention, let me tell you a story.)
The year was 2022. The city was Baltimore.
A relatively unknown team arrived at a major tournament featuring 16 teams from across the United States and Canada. Expectations were low. Experience was limited.
Then something unexpected happened.
The newcomers transformed into the tournament’s dark horse, defeating seasoned opponents and charging all the way to the championship match against the mighty New York Challengers. They played fearless soccer and pushed one of the tournament favorites to the brink. But a few costly mistakes proved decisive. The dream ended just short of the finish line.
There was disappointment, but no regrets. Nobody had expected them to reach the final, let alone compete toe-to-toe with one of the tournament’s best teams. Yet when the tournament ended, one thing was clear: a new contender had arrived.
That team was the Columbus Tuskers.
Over the next four years, the Tuskers became a familiar name at tournaments across the country—New York, New Jersey, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Austin, Chicago and beyond. They won multiple senior league titles, reached countless semifinals and finals, and earned a reputation as one of the toughest, most passionate teams around.
Yet one thing remained stubbornly out of reach: a major mainstream tournament championship.
Year after year, they came painfully close. So close that tournament organizers jokingly called them the unluckiest team on the circuit—a team talented enough to beat anyone, yet somehow unable to get their hands on the biggest trophy.
The near misses were tough on the players. They were tough on the fans.
But through it all, the Tuskers never stopped believing. They kept showing up, kept training, and kept waiting for their moment.
Then came May 2026. Then came a return to Baltimore.
The city where the journey had begun. And this time, the story would have a different ending…
Baltimore 2026: The Tournament Everyone Wanted to Win
Months before kickoff, Baltimore 2026 was already generating buzz. Many of the best teams from across the United States and Canada had confirmed their participation, and the competition was expected to be fierce. But there was something even bigger.
For the first time ever, the legendary IM Vijayan—Indian football icon, Padma Shri recipient, Arjuna Award winner, and a name revered by Malayalees around the world—would attend as the Chief Guest and personally present the championship trophy to the winning team.
That announcement alone sent excitement levels through the roof. Suddenly, this wasn’t just another tournament. This was the tournament.
Social media exploded. The stakes were so high that several teams recruited top talent from across the country and even from India, including former Santosh Trophy players and ex-national team players, all with one goal in mind—bringing home the trophy.
Meanwhile, the Tuskers took a different approach.
Captain Shibu and Chief Strategist Pradeesh quietly believed that this was finally their year. That confidence quickly spread through the entire squad. Unlike many rivals, they didn’t recruit guest stars. Their message was simple:
“We have enough talent in this room.”
The team trained relentlessly. Every practice session had a purpose. Every player pictured the same moment—walking up to receive the trophy from IM Vijayan himself. The players often joked that maybe fate had delayed their championship for a reason.
“Why win it earlier, when we can receive it from IM Vijayan?”
Behind the jokes was something deeper. For the first time in years, the team wasn’t just talented. They truly believed.
The mission was simple:
Travel to Baltimore.
Play Tuskers football.
Meet IM Vijayan.
And make sure the trophy came home with them.
The Journey Begins
Finally, the day had arrived. The Tuskers set off for Baltimore in two SUVs carrying enough confidence, ambition, and passion to fuel the entire tournament.
For a change, Aslam arrived with the rental vehicles only an hour late—an achievement that gave us hope for the rest of the trip. In hindsight, that was probably a sign.
The journey was anything but relaxing. Tactical discussions became so intense that at one rest stop the team even practiced throw-ins without a ball. To confused onlookers, it probably looked like a group of Indian men practicing a new form of yoga.
The conversations continued late into the night at the Airbnb. When I woke up the next morning, what initially looked like the opening scene of a Bollywood group dance in the Airbnb lounge turned out to be our Chief Physio Pramod enthusiastically leading the team through its morning stretching routine.
The day began with an unsolved engineering problem—operating the Airbnb’s induction stove. Despite having enough engineers on the team to launch a satellite, tea remained elusive, as nobody could figure out how to turn it on. With caffeine abandoned and kickoff approaching, the Tuskers headed to the field.
The quest for glory had officially begun.
Rain, Cold, and an Old Rival
Baltimore welcomed us with rain, wind, and temperatures hovering around 40°F. The organizers cheerfully announced that games would continue rain or shine.
The Tuskers spent most breaks huddled inside SUVs with heaters running full blast. At times, the vehicles resembled emergency warming shelters more than team transportation.
The opening match against CKSC Warriors Raleigh brought a welcome surprise.
Historically, the Tuskers have had a peculiar tournament tradition: lose the first game, then spend the rest of the tournament trying to recover from it.
This time was different. They played attractive attacking soccer and earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory. It was an encouraging start and perhaps another sign that Baltimore 2026 had a different script written for us.
A comfortable 2-0 win over St. Jude FC followed, securing first place in the group and a quarterfinal berth.
Despite the victory, the match came with a serious setback. Star center-back Abu, known as “The Wall,” suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
Disappointed but undeterred, Abu immediately shifted into coach mode. His key recommendation was moving Ashley into central defense. As it turned out, that decision was nothing short of brilliant.
Ashley brought composure, discipline, and stability to the back line, turning a major setback into one of the tournament’s defining tactical adjustments.
Everything seemed to be falling into place. Except for one thing. The formidable New York Challengers.
Our old rivals. Our arch-nemesis. One team we desperately wanted to avoid in the early knockout rounds. For years, our paths had crossed at the most inconvenient moments possible.
Despite the relief of topping our group and seemingly avoiding them, they still finished second in theirs—setting up, as fate would have it, yet another quarterfinal showdown.
When the news broke, Captain Shibu summed up the team’s feelings perfectly:
“Nammal evide paripadi avatharippichalum ithanallo avastha…”
And just like that, the stage was set.
Quarterfinals: The Statement Game
The Tuskers didn’t merely beat the New York Challengers. They dominated them.
Leading the charge was our own “Columbus Messi,” Subhash, who delivered a tournament-defining performance and scored the only hat-trick of the competition. The final score was 3-1, but the result represented much more than victory.
For years, the Tuskers had often approached elite opponents as underdogs.
Not anymore. They controlled the game, attacked relentlessly, and played with the confidence of a team that knew it belonged.
For a brief moment, it felt as though the tournament had already been won. Then Pradeesh reminded everyone that there was still a semifinal to play, and a final to survive. The New York hurdle had been cleared. But the journey was far from over.
A Meeting with a Legend
Before the semifinal came a moment we had all been eagerly waiting for—an encounter with none other than the legendary I. M. Vijayan.
What struck us most was how humble and approachable he was. He patiently posed for photos, shared stories, and spoke with everyone. I was especially surprised when he recalled playing in my hometown nearly three decades ago against our local team—the very team I played for.
The look in his eyes when I mentioned it, however, was interpreted by Sajid as saying:
“Ninakkonnum ithu nirutharayille?”
After the photos, conversations, and nostalgia ended, reality returned. A semifinal awaited. And we still had a championship to chase.
The Semifinal: When Heroes Are Made
Standing between the Tuskers and the final was the formidable Diamond FC Canada, a team known for their pace and relentless attacking play.
They attacked from all angles with quick passing and movement, constantly pressuring our defense and forcing us to scramble to contain them. In a moment of frustration, our defense committed a costly error that led to a penalty, gifting them a goal and the lead.
The first half ended with a sense of uncertainty and the dream that had seemed so close suddenly felt fragile.
Then came halftime. And then came Pradeesh.
Every successful team has someone who can deliver the right speech at the right moment. Whether the team is winning, losing, or trying to operate an induction stove, Pradeesh somehow finds the right words.
His halftime talk restored the one thing that mattered most: Belief.
The second half told a completely different story. The Tuskers fought for every ball and every inch of grass. Subhash struck twice, the second coming just before the final whistle to score an equalizer that sent the crowd into a frenzy—and caught the attention of one particularly interested spectator. Standing on the sidelines was IM Vijayan himself, who appeared to have quietly started rooting for the Tuskers.
The match ended 2-2. Which meant only one thing: a Penalty shootout.
And a new hero emerged. His name was Anish, an ex-striker who had volunteered to play goalkeeper for the tournament for the very first time.
After making crucial saves during the shootout, he stepped forward to take the decisive penalty himself. Still wearing goalkeeper gloves, he calmly buried the ball into the net.
Game over. Just like that, the Columbus Tuskers had booked their place in the championship final.
The Final: Heart Over Hype
Waiting in the championship match were the hosts, MD Strikers. They had talent, home-field advantage, and a passionate crowd behind them. On paper, they were the perfect team and they entered the final as clear favorites.
But then something happened that wasn’t in the script. Pravi happened.
Quiet, polite, soft-spoken, and still wearing his trademark glasses and beanie, Pravi looked less like a soccer star and more like someone from the Tuskers IT department who had accidentally wandered onto the soccer field.
The MD Strikers’ defense had spent most of their energy containing Subhash and, in the process, lost sight of Pravi. That turned out to be a costly mistake.
Pravi first produced an assist that seemed nearly impossible. After dribbling past multiple defenders, he delivered a perfect pass to Subhash, who calmly finished to give the Tuskers the lead.
But Pravi wasn’t done yet. Minutes later, he produced a touch of magic of his own, weaving through the MD Strikers’ back line before finishing beautifully to make it 2–0.
For the first time all tournament, the favorites looked rattled. But they weren’t finished.
The MD Strikers pulled one back early in the second half, setting up a tense finish.
What followed was one of the most intense stretches of soccer the Tuskers had ever played. Ashish, Ashley, and Rakesh turned the Tuskers’ defense into something resembling a military checkpoint. The MD Strikers kept coming, but they simply could not find a way through.
Then came the dramatic final minutes.
Rakesh, who had been outstanding throughout the match, went down injured and was clearly in pain. Teammates urged him to come off. Determined to see the game through, he refused to leave the field and insisted on continuing. That decision would become one of the defining moments of the tournament.
Moments later, the MD Strikers launched one final attack. Their striker unleashed a shot that appeared destined for the back of the net. It seemed beyond Anish’s reach.
For a split second, time stood still. Tuskers stopped breathing. Everyone was convinced the ball was going in.
Then, out of nowhere, Rakesh, who had been limping moments earlier, launched himself into the air and cleared the ball with a perfectly timed header. Seconds later, the final whistle blew.
For a moment, nobody moved. After years of near misses, heartbreaks, and “maybe next time” conversations, it took a few seconds for reality to sink in.
The Columbus Tuskers were champions.
The scoreboard read: Tuskers 2 – MD Strikers 1.
Then the emotions arrived all at once. Some players celebrated. Some cried. Some simply stood there, trying to absorb the moment.
Among them was Abu, now serving as coach after his injury. Hugging every player, he said:
“They may have been the better team on paper, but you played with heart. You played with passion. You played like there was no Plan B.”
And he was right. The Columbus Tuskers were champions at last.
The Dream Fulfilled
For Captain Shibu and the rest of the Tuskers, receiving the championship trophy from IM Vijayan was a surreal moment.
Five years earlier, building a championship team had been little more than a dream. After five years of chasing that vision, the Tuskers had finally arrived—winning it all in the city where their journey began, in front of the legend they had long hoped to meet, and against the tournament favorites. With no regrets and nothing left to prove, they stood on the stage as champions.
Adding to the celebrations, Subhash received the Golden Boot after finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer with an incredible eight goals. By this point, there was a real possibility that the tables had turned and IM Vijayan had become Subhash’s newest admirer.
The celebrations lasted long into the night. A DJ took over, and the Tuskers danced with absolute confidence and very little rhythm. After surviving rain, injuries, penalty shootouts, and years of disappointment, nobody cared.
The journey home was very different. The SUVs were quiet. Instead, everyone sat back, replaying the weekend in their minds and savoring the feeling of finally reaching the summit.
When the players returned home, they were welcomed as heroes. Some even reported noticeably higher levels of respect from family members. While the study is still inconclusive, early evidence suggests that winning a tournament championship may, in fact, improve one’s standing at home.
This wasn’t the end of the story. It was the beginning of a new chapter. The Columbus Tuskers are no longer the dark horse, the underdog, or the team that always comes close. They are champions, and they intend to stay that way. And after Baltimore 2026, everyone knows one thing:
The Tuskers have arrived!
To stay up to date with the Columbus Tuskers and follow their latest news, matches, and events, follow them on Facebook => Tuskers
— Basil Jacob
Behind the Pages of Beyond Limits
— Deepa Menon
Writing Beyond Limits took two years. Some days, it felt like healing. Other days, it felt like reopening a wound.
The idea for this book arrived quietly, but it refused to leave. Some old part of me, the one that had learned to shrink, asked a question I could not ignore: What if I told the whole story? Not just the beautiful moments that fit into photographs, but the messy, painful, tender ones too: the hospital days, the long nights, the moments when I could not imagine the next breath, and the slow rebuilding that no single snapshot can capture.
I began by reading myself. I opened old journals, revisited memories, and gathered fragments: a sensory detail, a line of dialogue, a feeling that had stayed with me. Each chapter first arrived as a memory. Then, slowly, I shaped it into prose. The process felt like hiking: choose a route, take one step, then another, even when the summit feels impossibly far.
Some scenes came easily, like skydiving, my first breath underwater, and the moment at Everest Base Camp, because they lived as bright photographs in my mind. Others were harder. The hospital, the pain, the fear, the days I wanted to stop. Those memories asked me to sit with things I thought I had buried. I learned that the body remembers differently from the mind. Sometimes I had to close my eyes, feel a detail again, and then give it words.
There were many rounds of revision. I wrote, rewrote, and rewrote again until the sentences sounded like me. I wanted the voice to be gentle but honest, to hold both fear and quiet stubbornness. Editing taught me to be firm with the writing, but tender with the person who had lived the story.
The fall that once threatened to end my story became part of the reason I could write it. It forced me into a new kind of attention, where smaller details mattered, and each step forward counted.
I am grateful for the people who held space for this book. Friends, family, and editors read early drafts, asked hard questions, and encouraged me to be more specific in places where I had been vague out of self-protection. Some passages were difficult to share, but I knew truth was the only currency worth spending. Writing this book asked for the same courage that led me back to the mountains: show up, keep moving, and trust the process even when the outcome is unknown.
When the manuscript finally became finished pages, I felt both grief and relief. Telling the story had been an act of reunion with myself, bringing together the frightened woman I once was and the woman who had learned how to keep going.
If there is one thing I hope readers feel when they open Beyond Limits, it is this: courage is not the absence of fear. It is a series of small, stubborn agreements with yourself to move forward, even when the path is uncertain.
Thank you for walking with me. Writing this book changed me. I re-realized that freedom has less to do with being fearless and more to do with learning how to begin again, and again, and again.
If the story resonates with you, I would be grateful if you read it, shared it with someone who may need it, or left a review.
Beyond Limits: From Fear to Summits is available in the US, India, and globally on Amazon and also across platforms, including Apple Books, Walmart, Flipkart, and more.
— Deepa Menon
Summer Break (വേനലവധി)
— Sunitha Subramanian
ഉച്ചയ്ക്ക് 1.30.
സ്കൂളിന് മുന്നിൽ ആളുകളുടെ തിരക്ക് കൂടിക്കൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. അകത്ത് എന്താണ് നടക്കുന്നതെന്ന് പുറത്തുനിന്ന് കാണാൻ കഴിയില്ല. പക്ഷേ ഇടയ്ക്കിടെ ഉയരുന്ന കൈയടികളും കുട്ടികളുടെ ശബ്ദങ്ങളും കേൾക്കാം. എന്തോ വലിയൊരു ആഘോഷം നടക്കുന്നതുപോലെ.
ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ ഞാനും ഭർത്താവും മോൾടെ അഞ്ചാം ക്ലാസ് Clap Off നായി കാത്തുനിന്നു.
പെട്ടെന്ന് സ്കൂളിന്റെ വാതിലുകൾ തുറന്നു.
വളരെ സന്തോഷത്തോടെ കുട്ടികൾ വരി വരിയായി പുറത്തേക്ക് വന്നു. എല്ലാവരും കയ്യടിച്ചും പാട്ടുപാടിയും അവരെ പ്രോത്സാഹിപ്പിച്ചു. ചിലർ ചോക്ലേറ്റുകളും ബൊക്കേകളും സമ്മാനിച്ചു.
“Last Day of School!”
ആർത്തുവിളിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് കുട്ടികൾ ഞങ്ങളുടെ അടുത്തേക്ക് ഓടിയെത്തി. അവരുടെ കണ്ണുകളിലെ ആ സന്തോഷം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ എനിക്കൊരു നിമിഷം എന്റെ കുട്ടിക്കാലം ഓർമ്മ വന്നു.
ഞാൻ പഠിച്ചിരുന്ന കാലത്ത് ഇങ്ങനെയൊരു Clap Off ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ല.
എനിക്ക് last Day of School എന്നാൽ Last Day of Exam ആയിരുന്നു.
അവസാന പരീക്ഷ കഴിഞ്ഞ് പേപ്പറുകൾ കൂട്ടിക്കെട്ടി ടീച്ചർക്ക് കൊടുത്തു പുറത്തേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങുമ്പോൾ കിട്ടുന്ന ഒരു പ്രത്യേക ഫീൽ. കൂട്ടുകാരോട് ഒരു “ബൈ” പറഞ്ഞ് ബാഗും തൂക്കി ബസ് സ്റ്റോപ്പിലേക്ക് ഒറ്റ ഓട്ടം.
കാരണം വീട്ടിൽ വേനലവധിക്ക് കസിൻസ് വരും.
കളികളും കഥകളും വഴക്കുകളും ചിരികളും നിറഞ്ഞ രണ്ട് മാസം.
ബസ്സിറങ്ങി ഒരു കിലോമീറ്ററെങ്കിലും നടക്കണം വീട്ടിലെത്താൻ. പാർട്ടി ഓഫീസിന്റെ അരികിലൂടെ ഒരു ഊടുവഴിയുണ്ട്. അതിലൂടെ നടന്ന് കുറച്ച് താഴേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങിയാൽ ഒരു ചെറിയ അരുവി. അതും കടന്നുവേണം വീട്ടിലേക്ക് പോകാൻ.
ഉച്ചസമയം. പാലക്കാട് അത്യാവശ്യം ചൂട് കാറ്റ് അടിക്കുന്ന മാസമാണ് മാർച്ച്. ഇപ്പോഴുള്ള ചൂടൊന്നും അന്നു ഇല്ലാരുന്നു. അത് കൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ആ ചൂട് പോലും നമ്മുക്ക് ഇഷ്ടമായി തോന്നും.
അരുവിയിലെ വെള്ളം കല്ലുകളിൽ തട്ടി ചെറിയ ശബ്ദത്തോടെ പോകുന്നത് കണ്ടു കൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ കാൽ നനക്കും. ആ തണുത്ത വെള്ളം .. ഹാ… എന്തൊരു സുഖം!
ചിലപ്പോൾ അരുവിയിൽ ഗപ്പി മീനുകളെ കാണാം. അരുവിയുടെ അടിയിലുള്ള മിനുസമുള്ള ഉരുളൻ കല്ലുകളിൽ ചവിട്ടുമ്പോൾ ഒരു പ്രത്യേക രസം ആണ്.
അരുവിയുടെ ഇരുവശങ്ങളിലും പന്നൽച്ചെടികൾ (Fern) വളർന്നുനിൽക്കുന്നുണ്ടാകും. അവ കൈയിൽ വെച്ച് അടിച്ചാൽ മനോഹരമായ ഇലയുടെ ഡിസൈൻ തെളിയും.
വെള്ളത്തിൽ നിന്ന് കേറി പാടത്തിന്റെ വരമ്പിലൂടെ നടക്കുമ്പോൾ എരിക്കിന്റെ കായ പൊട്ടി അപ്പൂപ്പൻ താടികൾ ഇങ്ങനെ കാറ്റിൽ പറക്കുന്നതുകാണാം. ആ കാറ്റിന് തന്നെ ഒരു പ്രത്യേക മണമുണ്ട്.
പോകുന്ന വഴിയിൽ കുറച്ചുദൂരെ ആയി ഒരു പൊട്ടക്കുളമുണ്ട്. അതിനരികിൽ ഒരു കണിക്കൊന്ന മരവും ഉണ്ട്. വിഷു കഴിഞ്ഞാലും പൂത്തുനിൽക്കുന്ന ഒരേയൊരു കൊന്നമരവും അതായിരുന്നു.
അതിനെക്കുറിച്ച് നാട്ടിൽ ഒരു കഥയുണ്ടായിരുന്നു.
ആരോ ഒരിക്കൽ കണിക്കൊന്ന പൂ പറിക്കാൻ പോയപ്പോൾ കുളത്തിൽ വീണ് മരിച്ചുവത്രേ. അതിനുശേഷം അർദ്ധരാത്രിയിൽ അവിടെ അനക്കങ്ങൾ കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ടെന്നു ചിലർ പറയുമായിരുന്നു.
സത്യമാണോ അല്ലയോ എന്നൊന്നും അറിയില്ല. പക്ഷേ ഞങ്ങൾ കുട്ടികൾ അത് വിശ്വസിച്ചിരുന്നു.
ഉച്ചസമയം ആണെങ്കിലും ആ സ്ഥലത്തെത്തുമ്പോൾ എന്റെ ഹൃദയമിടിപ്പ് കൂടും. അതുകൊണ്ട് അവിടെ എത്തുമ്പോൾ നടത്തത്തിന്റെ speed ഞാൻ കൂട്ടും.
ഇപ്പോൾ ആലോചിക്കുമ്പോൾ ചിരി വരും.
പക്ഷേ അന്ന് എനിക്ക് പേടി തോന്നുന്ന സ്ഥലം ആയിരുന്നു അത്.
അങ്ങനെ നടന്നു വീട്ടിനടുത്തെത്തുമ്പോൾ ദൂരെനിന്ന് റേഡിയോയുടെ ശബ്ദം കേൾക്കാം.
“നമസ്കാരം പ്രിയ ശ്രോതാക്കളേ… ആകാശവാണിയുടെ സംഗീതവിരുന്നിലേക്ക് ഏവർക്കും ഹാർദ്ദവമായ സ്വാഗതം…”
അതും കേട്ട് പടികടന്ന് അകത്തേക്ക് കയറുമ്പോൾ മുറ്റത്ത് എന്റെ മുത്തശ്ശി (Achande achamma) വടിയും കുത്തി പ്ലാവിലകൾ പെറുക്കിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നുണ്ടാകും.
എന്നെ കണ്ടാൽ പല്ലില്ലാത്ത മോണ കാട്ടി ഒരു ചോദ്യം:
“എന്താ കുട്ടീ… പരുഷാ തീർന്ന? സ്കൂളു പൂട്ടിയോ?”
അപ്പോൾ എന്റെ മുഖത്ത് വിരിയുന്ന ചിരി വിവരിക്കാൻ വാക്കുകളില്ല.
കാരണം ആ ചിരിയുടെ പിന്നിൽ ഒറ്റ ചിന്ത മാത്രമേ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നുള്ളൂ.
“ഇനി രണ്ട് മാസം മുഴുവൻ കളിക്കാം!”
ഇന്ന് എന്റെ മക്കളുടെ കണ്ണുകളിൽ അതേ തിളക്കം ഞാൻ കാണുന്നു.
നാട് മാറി.
കാലം മാറി.
സ്കൂളുകളും ആഘോഷങ്ങളും മാറി.
പക്ഷേ വേനലവധിയുടെ സന്തോഷം മാത്രം ഇന്നും അതേപോലെ തന്നെ.
അല്ലെങ്കിലും,
നാട് ഏതായാലും…
കാലം ഏതായാലും…
വേനലവധിക്ക് ഒരേ നിറമാണ്.
എല്ലാ കുട്ടികൾക്കും സന്തോഷകരമായ ഒരു വേനലവധി ആശംസിക്കുന്നു.
— Sunitha Subramanian
