When the readership knocks

The Man from Madras Musings is well aware, O Chief, of the fact that you are rather fond of the Postman’s Knock, as evident from the column you write for our city’s beloved newspaper. MMM is not very certain as to how much of your readership knows that this is in reality a kissing game, but then he is aware that most of the correspondents bill and coo to you when they write letters pointing out this and that and sometimes to add variety, that and this. MMM, however, is rather differently positioned as he came to realise from some of the reactions he gets.
It was, as a famous author would have put it, the best of summers and the worst of summers. The heat was terrible and then, in the middle of it, came the rains. The temperatures suddenly dropped and that was all to the good. Our city’s administration was as usual unprepared and so water stagnated everywhere. The authorities who run our airport were also caught unawares.
MMM had to catch an early morning flight on the day it rained and having reached the airport he saw mile long queues snaking their way to the various counters and then for the mandatory security check. That was as to be expected, but what were not were the puddles that had formed at various places all along the corridors. The false ceiling, in places where its panels were still attached and had not fallen off, was leaking and it would be no exaggeration to say that it was raining inside the airport. MMM took to social media to say as much and was rewarded with several sympathetic responses. Not so, however, from someone who is employed with the Airports Authority of India, which rejoices in the acronym of AAI. He tweeted that MMM was just the kind of ‘mischievous creep who is out malign airport and nation, Jai Hind!’ That ended the matter, for no matter what the official has to say, MMM cannot take offence, there being no alternative airport to fly in and out of in our city.
But more knocking than the above was the reaction of a matron to last fortnight’s column about Silken Father’s Eatery. The elder in question, who has known MMM from the time when he was a mere MMM, called and demanded to know which so and so and such and such had written such a story that tarnished the entire world of TamBrahms. Knowing that she was at one time quite quick with a ruler, MMM had to summon all the courage he possessed to inform her that it was he who had written the offending piece. That cooled her quite a bit, fond as she is of MMM. But she had a question to ask – would MMM write about other communities, the ones that ingested onion and garlic in large quantities she asked. To this MMM had to tell her that he did write about them and Silken Father was not his sole topic; he had written in the past about the Home of the Spear Wielding Six Faced God and also its rival, the Idli Shop that was named after a synonym of the Spear Wielding Six Faced God. He had also dipped his pen in acid to write on Happy Home from Adyar and Spring Home that has now sprouted everywhere.
MMM and Matron parted on cordial terms but the conversation did leave MMM feeling like something on a skillet wielded by Silken Father. By the way, there is more on Silken Father – another matron called to ask what MMM had against the good man for after the initial hiccups the place was working well and on organised lines. Yes, the dessert was served in a spoon but being diabetic she did not mind she said.