Reluctant Technicians - Mayabazaar and Padaiyappa - Shocker! - Ethiopian Journey - Blog post No - 53

I bought a TV and a VCD. It met the approval of our expert, Dr. Azaz Ahmed. “Why don’t you buy a 2.1 stereo system”? It was a logical suggestion. In a place, starved for entertainment, it is better to have a stereo system that will enhance the viewing experience.

I went to the market and bought a 2.1 stereo system for around 400 birr. The next day I went to the market to get a technician to get it installed. This is where the trouble started. First of all it was like an Italian talking to a Greek. What I said was Latin to the guy and what he said was Greek to me!

Out of sheer frustration, I took my stereo system to the market. The technician’s face brightened, He gave a winsome smile and nodded his head. At last, there was bright light at the end of the dark tunnel! I fired “Sintenum (how much)” “Sidisiti meto (six hundred)”. My mouth fell open. Six hundred birr for a stereo system worth 400 birr!

My selling and convincing skills were futile. The entire batch of Bahirdar technicians had ganged up on me! A small urchin dragged me by hand to a dilapidated shop. My hopes were rekindled. The old technician in the shop nodded his head. His quote, “ Set’enyi meto (nine hundred) birr”. I almost tore my hair out!

Azaz Ahmed had a laugh, when I recited him my experience. He told me what to get and from where. And he illustrated how to get the stereo system installed. The total material cost incurred by me, 15 birr! The technicians, Padma, me and ably assisted by Pranav and Sahithi. To date I wonder! Was there a cartel formation, or was I the goat (bakra) about to be taken to the ceremonial sacrifice?

Now the house looked like a home! We were hosting a small get together lunch. I dangled the ultimate carrot to the Telugus! I told them “I have Mayabazaar CDs”. Maya Bazaar is the best Telugu movie ever made and it was a movie that Telugus loved to watch again and again.

That was enough; the guests were very prompt in arriving for the get together! We had a great lunch. But trouble was brewing! Our VCD would not play Mayabazaar.

Bala and I went to the shop that sold us the VCD. There was no problem with it. The recording format was not compatible! We were thoroughly disappointed. Bala had a bright idea. “Why don’t we play it on Chidambaram’s desk top?” We gate crashed into our neighbor’s house, woke him up and requested (rather asked him) to see if the CDs would play on his desktop.

Luckily for us and unluckily for him the CDs did play. Bala took the matters into his own hands “Chidambaram ji, we want to see Mayabazaar and there are eight of us, is it okay?” Chidambaram was taken aback by this direct frontal attack.

He silently nodded his head and eight of us, four from our family, Bala and his wife, Suresh and Dr. Naidu piled on, crowded Chidambaram’s drawing room, watched and thoroughly enjoyed Mayabazaar. The puzzled, quixotic expression that Chidambaram sported on his face is still imprinted in my mind! He was totally clean bowled by the Mayabazaar googly!

Bala and Suresh even though Telugus by birth had spent considerable time in Chennai. They could speak Tamil quite fluently. They were huge fans of Rajanikanth. During a discussion, I told them that the Rajanikanth’s movie Narasimha was my favourite. “Ours too!” they squealed in delight. They told us that Nagappan, an Indian teacher in POLY had “ CDs of Padaiyappa the original of Narasimha”.

Nagappan was a strict person and more or less kept to himself. This time it was Suresh who tackled Nagappan. Nagappan told him point blank that he would not lend his precious Padaiyappa . Suresh was very persuasive. Somehow he convinced Nagappan to lend Padaiyappa movie CDs.

Very solemnly Nagappan gave Suresh, the precious Padaiyappa movie CDs. It was as if he was giving Rajanikanth himself. He had the look of a father bidding farewell to his loving daughter! There was a catch. Suresh had to return the CDs by 6 am, the next day. Suresh, Bala and Vasavi rushed to our house. It was a Saturday evening.

We saw the movie and it was over by 10:30 p.m. It was too late for Bala and Vasavi to go home. Padma, Vasavi and the kids retired and we saw the movie again. It got over by around 2 a.m. The three of us crashed into the sofa and slept!

Knock, knock! I jumped up! I looked at the clock. It was 7 a.m. The entire house was silent. But there was persistent knocking at the main gate. “Who could it be?” Our milk maid usually comes only at 8 a.m. and it was a Sunday. I opened the main gate and had a shock of my life! I would not have been more surprised if I had seen the Prime Minister of Ethiopia!

Standing next to his bicycle and impatiently banging the main gate was a grim faced Nagappan. I was dumb folded! I was speechless! His voice grated “Suresh and Bala are here?” I simply nodded my head. I was overawed. “I went to their homes. Their houses were locked!” He accused.

My head was spinning. This man got up and went sharply at 6 a.m first to Suresh’s house and then to Bala’s house. Not finding them, he cycled six kilometers to my house. No wonder he was impatient and on pins and needles!

I slowly climbed out of that awful feeling. I invited him inside. He was on tender hooks. I woke up the groggy eyed Bala and Suresh. Both could not comprehend what was happening. I ejected the second CD (at that time we had only video discs and a movie came in two CDs) out of the VCD and silently handed over the precious Padaiyappa movie CDs to Nagappan.

Giving us all a withering look that would have burnt lesser mortals to ashes, he left in a huff. The three of us slowly sank down heavily on to the sofa. We could have been statues for all that mattered. It was only after a couple of hot piping teas that we recovered and could talk.

Nagappan gave us a scare of a life time. We vowed not to borrow from anyone who is touchy and possessive. One more such incident and it would be curtains for at least for one of us. We could die of a massive shock!