"THIRUMBNGAE" - In Retrospect

It was a cold Saturday morning of December 2001 in Chennai. It has been 4 months since I moved over to this city from GOD' s own country. Its about 7am and the sun had barely begun its journey across the sky or maybe in that side of Anna Nagar. I was ensconced in the warmth of the Kurl-on mattress and struggling to get myself up from the bed.

Ammayi (mother's sister) called out from one side "We are going out. Will be back in the evening. Breakfast is there on the table. Bhagyam will be coming.Give your clothes to her for washing" Rubbing off the sleep from my eyes, I replied "Yes! will do that. No probs”. I woke up and marched towards the table eager to sip on the steaming hot coffee and draw as much warmth from it. Taking up the idlies 4 the belly and switching on the idiot box, i skimmed thru tamil channels. Since I loved tamil songs, learning that language was my passion, though it seemed eluding always.

The other day when I tried to haggle with the shopkeeper over the price of a fancy item, i asked him "kodukkamaattiyaa" and in return he gifted me a deep stare with a brow-beating look. Ammayi warned me that in Tamil it is considered as lack of respect and advised me to ensure it by adding suffix "ngae" or "ngla" with all the verbs. Then you are safe or else more stares and frownings would be there for you in the offing !! I made it a habit to insert "ngae" wherever possible - okngae, byengae etc etc

Clock struck 11 and Bhagyam arrived, took the broom stick and started her usual work with sweeping first. I remembered ammayi saying once that Bhagyam is basically a telugu descendant but in Chennai for years etc etc

I kept my clothes in the bucket outside the house. Before getting on to the sofa again with the remote, I thought to inform her about the clothes to be washed.

In Malayalam, "thirumbal" means to wash. Lot of similar words in these two languages - so it should be "Thirumbal" in Tamil too. I presumed so.
Unaware that in Tamil it means "to turn", I approached her.

Me: Bhaagyam Thirumbngae (Bhagyam, pls wash)
Maid turned back and asked: Sollungae (Tell me pls)
I felt happy that she understood my requirement.

Me: Directing to the bucket with eye gestures I again told "thirumbngae"
Maid again turned 360 degree.

Supposing that she didn’t hear properly, I again told the same with slight modifications
Me : neengae thirumbanoumngae (You have to wash pls)

She felt irritated as she was making 3-4 round-turns
Maid: ethukkaaka thirumbano? (What for I should turn back)

I wondered how stubborn she is. When ammayi tells, she would obey it and do the job. But when I tell her to wash and that too with the so-called polite "ngae" suffix, she is questioning me! Maybe rather it is a question of prerogatives.

Me: Neengae thaan thirumbanoumngae.(You only have to wash pls)
Maid:Athaa thirumbeettaen llae ( That is what, I turned right?)

Me: eppo thirumbeettaengae? neengae thirumbaleengae. (When you washed? You haven’t washed)

Maid: Sari, ethana vaattee thirumbanoumnu solreengae? (ok, how many times do you expect me to turn back)

Oh she is asking how many times she should wash. I was happy - oh at last I could convey the matter successfully. Sporting a proud look on my face, I replied very professionally
Me: Oru vaatti thirumbiyaal pothumngae. (Just one time wash is enough pls)

She got irritated and bellowed
Maid: Ethukku? Nakkalaa? Kindal Pandriyaa? (Why? Are you playing? Teasing Me?)

I noticed Bhagyam taking a tight grip on her broomstick and raising it a bit higher.
I could smell that something has gone terribly wrong. The position vector of broomstick is varying and moving up in an exponentially curved path. I had a premonition – I must safely position myself - taking 2 steps back, I politely questioned her with placative gestures
Me: Neenga thirumba maatteenglaa Bhagyam? (Wouldn’t you wash pls Bhagyam?)

Maid: Yo....enna nenachae nee...romba pesaaathe... and it was just a prelude to the Verbal Volcanic Eruption !! The castigation followed with more and more "stuffed encomiums" which I had never come across till then!!!

Oh my GOD! My big eyes were welled with tears. First time getting severe scolding from the house maid and that too for asking her to wash. I didn’t miss any "ngae" also in my conversations with her. So what could be wrong despite giving much respect. I felt embarrassed as she kept on shouting and on higher decibels to be heard from far off streets.
Not daring to take any more chances, I went to the back yard, carried the bucket of clothes to the main hall and kept in front of her.

Letting out a sigh, i blabbered
Me: thirumbngae......bucketngae.......thirumbanoumngae...clothesngae..washngae

A silence descended over the house. Bhagyam with a smile asked me "thuni thoykkanoumaa ??"

Couldn’t get what she said but I replied "hmm..YES....YESngae".
And what followed in the evening was the exaggerated narration of the maid's "THIRUMBNGAE" story to my ammayi and the explanation of the word meaning "thirumbngae". The whole family bursted into laughter.

The very next day when I was waiting for the green signal at the traffic junction in the wee hours, a splendor-guy stopped with a screeching halt beside me and what was in store for me was the golden opportunity to apply my newly learnt word
- THIRUMBNGAE !!!

He asked with a call-centre cadence : Hey Boss, How to go R.V.Nagar?

I retorted in a laconic manner "Left thirumbngae straight right thirumbngae straight R.V.Nagar"

Signal has turned green. Putting the gear back into First I raced off from the junction tearing the curtain of morning fog and swirling it all around. While the December fog was busy rushing back in all thru my sped-off ways to claim the paths it has been so rudely and roughly displaced off, with an aura of pride I set my eyes on the distant glowing dim neon street lamps and whispered with a Duchenne smile
"Hey THIRUMBNGAE is not a bad word after all"

Sasneham Sanbalas