My father who is 92 years old has been frequenting the Jayanagar Shopping Complex daily for the past 30 years just to spend a few happy moments with other elderly folks who come there for similar reasons. He says it is the fourth batch of elderies that are current there now – the other three batches having expired gradually, one following the other. Perhaps in his group he is one of the senior-most who is strong enough to walk up to the complex unaided. He sits there with others and chats up the political and social scene of Bangalore
The news of death among one of their group is fairly common occurrence. It so happened that one day somebody brought the news to the group that ‘Venkatachalaiah expired!’ So the group pooled in their funds and bought quite a big heap of flowers to be showered on the deceased.
As the group of elders headed towards Mr. Venkatachalaiah’s house and as they were in its vicinity, they found the said Venkatachalaiah coming out of the house and heading towards the Shopping Complex. They confronted the man with the news that he was supposed to be dead, and it was then that it struck them that it must be some other Venkatachalaiah. They felt relieved and the whole group including Venkatachalaiah headed back to the Shopping Complex. And upon arriving there, the heap of flowers was divided between the whole group, and of course, Venkatachalaiah got a portion too. The flowers were meant to be offered to God during the following day’s regular worship.
