I was just a little kid then. Playing, having fun and frolicking about were simple obsessions of "then" life. I did full justice there. Needless to say, my parents’ anxiety was on higher grounds. My academic performances were not all that great. But then, I guess I always managed to move on inch by inch, class by class without any external support. I was a happy child then.

I might have been in the second or third grade when my mamma and pappa were talking about how it was time to perform the holy ceremony of the sacred thread adornment. I had no clue what the talk was about. All I figured was that it was a ceremony. And that meant my cousins would all come over. That would be fun.

The night before the ceremony, I had decided to ask my mom all about it. If it was going to be all that much fun, then it was worth knowing about it. So before I went to bed, I asked my mom –“Amma, poonal na enna? Upanayam na enna?” (What’s the ceremony all about?). And this is what she had to say...

“Good for you da kanna”. You are an Iyer boy. All Iyer’s, benefit by having adorned the sacred thread. Once you wear it and say your prayer’s regularly, you would get the best things in life.

“Would I get to run faster than anybody in my class?”

“Yes Kanna, if you pray for it, you will be able to.”

“Would I be able to score more marks in mathematics and science and English?”

“Yes Kanna, if you pray for it, you will be able to.”

“Would I get extra pocket money every month?”

“Yes, I guess that too could happen.”

“What! You only guess?”

“No. No. It would increase. Only I didn’t know the exact amount.”

“Oooh! Would I also be able to beat up all the class bullies? I certainly want to break a tooth or two of Mani’s mouth.”

“What? You are being bullied in class! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Uhm! Uhm! Uhm! Uhm! I forgot to.” And that was the quickest I used to think during those days. The conversation ended. My mom asked me to remind her to speak to the class teacher.

But the bright sides of things were completely shining a different life for me. This was all I could ever have asked for. ”Wear some thread, do pooja daily and I become the super hero by daylight. Ha! Mani would certainly have it now. I don’t even have to bother my mom to let my teacher know. Ha ha ha! World, here comes Iyer the Great?

                                                                                    ---tbc