A Cottage in Swami Hills - 15. Medical Centre Kalyanam

A COTTAGE IN SWAMI HILLS *

15. MEDICAL CENTRE KALYANAM

Till 1963, our life revolved around "The Pharmacy" in case of any ailment. Weekly visits were , other wnormal as even sneezing was considered to be a fit case to see Dr PVR of The Pharmacy. In 1963, a change happened in our street. The last house which was dilapidated and housed some Typewriting Institute was getting renovated and painted. Soon, the board "The Medical Centre" was hung and with a lot of gusto the inaugural function was celebrated. We attended it. It happened that Kalyanam who was the grandson of Ramamurthy Sastrigal (and adopted son) passed B.Pharm and had decided  to start his venture. Kalyanam (short for Kalyanaraman)  was handsome 24 year old looking business like. His shop was well lit with all cupboards neatly labelled with the names of drugs. He welcomed his customers with a broad smile. He had brought a lot of new products which were not seen so far by us.

My grandfather and myself made a habit to visit The Medical Centre as a part of daily walks. Not that we had anything to buy. We simply halted there for a few minutes and chatted with Kalyanam. Kalyanam looked to me very different from the business men and shop keepers. he had a good command of English and was well versed with the current affairs. My grandfather could take up any subject and chat with him. I was a spectator and learnt many things during that time.

"Everything has been shown in our films now. Only final act remains to be shown" my grandfather would one day declare thus about Tamil films. " If you want to do reform you should take care that you do not end up with bringing up all the Kuppai on the top and leave it there to rot"   he would criticise the socialist policy of the Government next day, Some people like the Headmaster of the Banadurai High school Mr K G Krishnamurthy- with his luminous vibhuthi- on his forehead were there  to take up the debates further. 

Kittu of "The Pharmacy" noticed the visits with curiosity and once murmured when he crossed us on the road "Sarma sir, you seem to like this new shop now a days". After all, they were competitors. It is also true that the monopoly of "The Pharmacy" had to end at some time. Kalyanam was qualified , young and suave and naturally attracted lot of customers.

Kalyanam was an eligible bachelor and I think lot of proposals must have come for his marriage. In a few years, he got married and expanded his business. One of the diversifications he did was to take up sale of agricultural products like insecticides. This was innovative and new because all other Pharmacists only got into cosmetics and health products. It is now not permitted to sell insecticides and drugs in the same shop but probably in 60s it was alright. 

 After my grandfather passed away, our contacts remained unchanged. Even after he shifted his shop to new premises just opposite, I visited him during my visits to Kumbakonam. We discussed everything under the sun and Kalyanam used to spend a good half an hour. He went to the dealer meetings at Bombay and always admired the business men of Gujarat and Maharashtra. 

He was highly critical of the misuse of the pesticides and fertilisers.Often he used to tell me "Sekar, if you give steroids to a ten year old girl she will look like a fifteen year old girl but that does not mean she will lead a healthy life". 

After 1992, I did not meet him. he might have shifted to some other place. He was a member of Ramchandra mission and was doing a lot of meditation. probably, he joined them. 

Kalyanam remains in my memory as a youthful business man bubbling with enthusiasm and cheer.

  

     Cottage in swami hills refers to the house in which we lived in Kumbakonam. This phrase was used once by my grandfather when I asked him that as some  people go in summer to Kodaikanal and Ooty where they have a cottage whether we would also be able to go and stay like them one day. My grandfather replied that he already has a cottage near swami Hills (swamimalai) and he referred to his house as the cottage.