Perfect Surprise

The eve of Safdar's noolukettu ceremony, I had taken Nandu out to the caterer's and had a plan to surprise him with a new dress for the function. This is the conversation that happened while coming out of the caterer's place.

ഞാന്‍ : എടാ, നിനക്കു surprise എന്ന വാക്കിന്റെ അര്‍ത്ഥം അറിയുവോ?
നന്ദു : അറിയാം.
ഞാന്‍ : എന്താ?
നന്ദു : പെട്ടെന്നു കിട്ടുന്ന prize!

Today he was showing me some of his homework. This is something which happens once in a blue moon. So I took some interest and tried to bring some improvement to his English writing. After a long discourse on the difference between being correct and being perfect, I wrote a question for him from his text book and asked him to write a perfect answer for the same. He took the book to next room and came back after a minute or two.

അച്‌ഛാ, ക്വെസ്റ്റ്യനില്‍ perfect എന്ന വാക്കും കൂടി എഴുതി തരുവോ? അല്ലെങ്ങില്‍ എന്നിക്കു ആന്‍സര്‍ perfect ആക്കാന്‍ പറ്റില്ല.

Safdar Sudev

... thus was the little one named on his 28th day since birth.

Safdar is a Farsi word (صفدر). Many around me call it a Muslim name, but I call it a human name of Persian origin. It translates to courageous in English.

All that was incidental. But my affinity for the name was because of the admiration for Com. Safdar Hashmi, the revolutionary and writer who is most known for his street theater movement. Most importantly, his vision of a People's Cultural Movement.

By the way, Safdar was also the name of one of the main characters in the my first (and hither to last) drama. (Thirasseelaykkapuram - which Raghu and I had scripted for NITC Staff Club). I also had a student at GEC Bartonhill with the same name who incidentally happened to be the College Union General Secretary.

Sudev is a mashup of SUdheera (my house name), DEepak and Vinita. It was very difficult for me to accept any special rights as father when it comes to second name.

Sudev, by chance, also happens to be the name of a descendent of Harishchandra and a great grand father of Rama (Info from Sri. Harikrishna, NITC).

So that's how he will be known - Safdar Sudev. At home, we will just call him Aju.

Along with the naming ceremony, there was also the rituals of a noolukettu. Here are the photos and a video.

Safdar 28