I am given to understand that the parents on this photograph kept trying till they got their heart’s desire of two sons. That reminded me of my parents’ desire to keep trying till they got a daughter.
The next photograph is circa 1967 when all the siblings were still single. From left to right Arvind the son my parents got immediately after me, our father, Padmini the daughter that they kept trying for, our mother, yours truly and Barath the number three of the family. Three brothers and a sister finally and you can imagine what a privileged position that is to be! I have always told Arvind that life for the two of us would have been very different had he been born a girl!
Between the four siblings we produced five boys and three girls! I shall save a post for those eight for another day.
Fast forward circa end 2012 when the four of us siblings got together again at Chennai where Arvind and Padmini have settled down. From left to right, Arvind, Barath, yours truly and Padmini. Not a great photograph but enough to show that the fourth generation, ie the grand children of the siblings have come into the scene. Six grand children are missing, being in the UK, Bangalore and in Delhi. Four boys and two girls away, leaving two boys and two girls with us at the reunion. Totally six boys and four girls. Two children, my son Ranjan and Padmini’s daughter Nitila have no children. The ratio has improved but still not the ideal fifty-fifty, but I don’t think that there is any scope for that in the future.
When the whole family including all the sons and daughters in law and all the grandchildren get together again, I hope soon, I shall write again with photographs.