The naming of things

They watch tv together – Malayalam channels in general and Idea Star Singer, a reality show, in particular. They find the anchor woman Ranjini pretty, rivetting and yet hilarious. Her affected Malayalam accent makes them call her a ‘foreigner’. They gasp at her chandelier earrings and laugh at her ‘acting’.
The other day n came home from grandma’s and said, “Ammu’s tv isn’t working… "
"Hmm," I said, staring into my comp.
"It’s ruthless,” she added.
I looked up and asked, “What? Ruthless?”
Amit, overhearing us from his desk, said, “Ruthless? But how can a tv…”
“Yeah,” she said dismissively, continuing to fiddle with the scab on her knee, “Fully ruthless, it is.”
Mom had been complaining about her tv and how it was on its last legs. Maybe n meant it wasn’t working and was therefore tormenting her? Ruthless that way? My child was a po-et and I didn’t know-et?
This morning while having breakfast, from out of the blue, she said sleepily, “I told you, no, Ammu’s tv is ruthless. It's not that. It's hopeless. It’s a hopeless tv.”
Ah, I see. The penny drops.

Comments

Priya said…
Ani,

This is priceless - there were so many of these from Revati and Nishaad but I never wrote them down and now they are lost - thanks to my brain which is a sieve - can't seem to retain anything.

-P
Haddock said…
come to think of it I wonder why they keep that girl with the accent (put on?) as the anchor.
My father in law tells me that in the latest version she is being axed.
Now I wonder who the new one will be.
oh what a pity i say. my mom keeps looking at her clothes and thinking up dupattas for me. how will we live without her suni-chaettaah?

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