ANIKKUTTAN: A PEARL AT LARGE

It all happened about 15 years back.To be precise, in 1993. I was on my usual visits to Nilambur-the land locked forest hamlet-city of Malappuram.Nilambur is one of the places where I found real eccentrics. There always had some kind of gossips about the recently invented, upcoming artists, musicians, scientists, goondas etc in our get togethers. Once, I heard a name repeatedly and as usual I ignored.


It was a December eve, I believe. We were gathered over the music shed of Kuttan alias Kuttettan alis V.T.Mohandas. The air was filled with the smoke of pot and the odour of spirit. Pink Floyd or Roger Waters were being played in the guitar. I was popeyed at the strummings and pretended as if I can understand all about western music. Then I heard the sound of a Yezdi Road King and within seconds, a young, energetic, avant-garde guy joined in the group. He was no one else than Anikkuttan alias Kuttan alias AnilRaj.


Anikkuttan, a great friend of mine had died yesterday at an early age of 43. He had liver cirrhosis. So, the news was not quite unexpected. But knowing the news, there was an unexpected storm within myself.I was taking my wife, Jisha to the hospital for a check up and driving my car. It was Manyettan who called me and said in broken words that our Ani is no more.


Ani was a man of celebration through out. He always smelt alcohol.Most of the time, his favourite brand-Caesar grape.He could talk about almost any drink in the world with pricision.Since he had always managed an overstated, flamboyant,profuse, excessive, overdone, ornate, gaudy style and mannerism, he was widely accepted among the rural folks and the city guys alike.I was no exception. Though we fought a lot-almost in every occassions-we remained very thick.


Our acquaintance bloomed into a full fledged friedship soon and he became very close with my then girl friend and later wife, my parents and every one at home. He lured everyone and made them either his company or admirers. But never tolerated criticism. That was the point we had issues. I dropped into his home and met his lovely wife Devi and eventually we became very close. Devi was less sociable and upset over his bar-companies.


He was a passionate young man and had obvious endless passions. The list starts with riding and goes on with drinks and films and ends with spirituality. Though passionate, he never liked to speak about ladies. Never passed comments. Never entertained any sort of those stuff. And made it clear many a times that "I have only one love".


He resigned from SIDKEL-a unit of Keltron at an early age and worked with celebrated film directors like Ranjith and Shaji Kailas in 4-5 films. He could not fit himself into any typical slots. He was a businessman for sometime and later did some marketing. But never sticked on. Always rolled and thus gathered no moss.


He got very disappoint over silly issues. We often thought he was finding an excuse to drink. But he was shaken with everything. He was very attached to his mother and always expected a mother like treatment towards him.


He spent money like anything and got many urchins as company. He amazed people by taking them to five star hotels and serving them drinks.We ride together to many obscure destinations and wined and dined together for many times. He threatened me for a couple of times over his suspicion that I`m feeding his wife about his waywardness. But contrary to his behaviour, he embraced me whenever we met. Almost all our friends, irrespective of their age, got slaps and kicks according to the degree of their provocation. But I was excused.

He always made liberal remarks over poeple and made them happy. Still I remember my friend Radhika`s face when he said that she resembles Nandita Das. We were sitting near the pool of Hotel Taj, Calicut and sipping beer. Laughter was our response. But she took it very seriously.

When he dropped into my home last time, he had given back some money that he owed me some years before which I had even forgotten. He bought a black cute dress for my daughter too. Apart from that, he had four pearls with him. He handed them over to Jisha and told that "we should make four rings using it". One for me and one for jisha. The third one for Devi and the last one is for himself. Jisha had kept those four pearls inside our draw and I happened see them today.I have made up my mind to make rings using those pearls. One for me and one for Jisha.The third one for Devi. But what am I going to do with the fourth pearl?