A chance meeting with Sujatha

Yes...Sujatha's demise has created a great void in the world of Tamil writings...His age never showed in his writings…he was able to captivate readers of all age groups. He wrote about subjects as varied as nanotechnology, computers and haikus, and the problems of a common man. All in a simple and lucid style. Last Pongal, I visited the Chennai Book Fair with my family. As I was passing by a stall, I noticed the septuagenarian writer inside...frail, bent double and looking very tired. I was excited to see him and didn’t want to let go of the chance to get his autograph. Leaving my family behind, I darted into the stall, grabbed the first book that came to my hand, paid for it at the counter and rushed back. I thrust my mobile phone into my husband’s hands and asked him to take snaps. My husband could clearly see that I was up to something...but didn’t have a clue as to what it was. Apparently, he had not noticed Sujatha. I just pointed to Sujatha and quickly explained things to him, and moved into the stall, with my daughters in tow. They follow me everywhere…like air. :-) Now back to my story. I bent down and told Sujatha that I was a great fan of his writings and would he oblige me with his autograph. With a huge warm smile and a nod of his head, he signed the book. I murmured a thank you and moved back. Meanwhile, my husband was clicking away snaps using the camera on my mobile phone. However, I was doubtful whether my husband would have managed to get a proper pose of Sujatha. So, this time, I don the mantle of a photographer and sprinted back to Sujatha and requested him to pose for another snap...this time with my daughters. I was too self-conscious to stand next to him for another snap. My elder daughter bashfully went and stood next to him. The younger one held on to my kurta tightly and wouldn’t leave my side. So, as Sujatha looked on at the camera with a twinkle in his eyes, my daughter standing next to him, I captured the precious moment and stored it in my mobile’s memory. I went to him to murmur a thanks once again. He looked very weak and tired and I didn’t want to bother him much. Also, I could see a couple of other Sujatha fans waiting for their turn. My daughter didn’t think much about this incident. She simply knew that Sujatha was my favourite writer, among other authors. When she heard about his demise and the tributes paid to him in the media, she realized (as much as a child could) how eminent a personality he was. She was thrilled that she had taken a photograph with him. And that, I hope, when she grows up, would urge her to pick up a book of his and enjoy it as much as I do! - Kuzhali