The tale of a wise monkey

    Kishkindha Kaandam (2024) in my opinion has really set a benchmark for the Malayalam thriller movies made in recent times. The premise of senile dementia itself is a relatively untouched topic and to weave an emotionally charged thriller out of this theme is nothing short of sheer talent. The tagline of the film "A tale of three wise monkeys" had caught my attention and as I was snacking on a bag of Britannia Little Hearts biscuit, an old story with both a monkey and a bag of Little Hearts being the main characters came back to my memory.

It was the year 2002; My grandparents, parents, siblings and I, along with my uncle and his family, aunt and hers all decided to go to Mysore, Karnataka for a little vacation. It was on a white Toyota Qualis. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that 15 people including the driver traveled in that SUV. I can still feel the gusty wind and cool breeze hitting my face as we started ascending through the winding hair pin bends. As the temperature started to drop, I started seeing an uptick in the monkey population. I think it was one of the very first time I had really seen or rather paid attention to them. Their nimble mobility and agile nature really caught my attention. 

As we stopped to have food, the sight of a shiny packaging caught my eye. It was a bag of Britannia Little Hearts. These heart shaped sugar coated biscuits were a wonder back then. It was a really unique offering as its only competition back then were Lays potato chips and Kurkure corn puffs. It is a sweet biscuit but comes in the same air filled packaging potato chips typically come in. 



During my childhood, my grandfather really spoiled me. When going back home after visiting them, he used to always buy me a toy or a chocolate. And just like his usual routine, he bought me this big bag of Little Hearts. Including me, there were a total of 6 children. Not only did none of them get a bag of Little Hearts, I told them that I wasn't even going to share mine with them. I still remember the jealous look they all gave me at that time. But that moment was short-lived. Everything happened so quickly that it actually took me a bit of time to completely comprehend what actually happened. I was sitting on my grandfather's lap in the front passenger seat. The front passenger side window was slightly opened, and all it took was that tiny gap. A monkey jumped into our moving car and grabbed the biscuit bag right off my hand. After holding on to it firmly, it jumped out of the car and then climbed up a branch. Both that monkey and the bag of Little Hearts were never to be seen again. 

Along with losing those Little Hearts, I learned a valuable lesson that moment. I realized the perils of greed and the importance of sharing. Decades have gone by since that event and unfortunately last year I lost my grandfather too. Every time I see Little hearts or a monkey anywhere, I tell this story. Almost everyone that knows me knows this story too, and those who I will meet in the future will certainly at one point hear this story from me. As I witnessed an episode of instant karma, that event continues to serve as a reminder for me to remain humble and share everything. 

-Rithin.

Hues and Dews Poetry 


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