Christie in Tiruchirapalli

We left Tirupati with a lot of apprehensions. Both Niyati and self attended Siri's marriage which continued till 15th morning. It was raining very heavily on Tirumala hills and continued to rain the next morning. We reached Sapatagiri guest house at about 630 am and started packing. The sound of incessant down pours out side made us more nervous. We had 6 more days ahead to spend away from home to visit Sama in a place we never thought we'll ever visit - Thanjavur. Compounding all future apprehensions was the language problem we expected as we left the group of my friends Krishna & JVS and their family members who were from Andhra and adept in all South Indian languages. Even Brundaban and his family along with Jaya Nani and her family who were to catch a train only 20 minutes earlier to us left the guest house at 7.30 AM. With all efforts we could come out with our luggage to heavy rains at 8.10 AM to find a Taxi- and one we could locate within 5 minutes but were totally drenched and soaked in rain. He was good enough to carry us through ATC-99, the venue of the marriage where we said good bye to the newly weds and their parents and went down the hill.
The train was half an hour late but became late by one hour and 15 minutes and that increased our pulse rate. We were supposed to be reaching Chennai Central at 1.15 pm and move to Egmore to catch a train at 3.30 PM.
I had heard of Trichy and its NIT being one of the best technical educational institutes in the country but never set foot in in this part of Tamilnadu. We have come to Madras and the traditional Hindu places like Rameswaram, Kanyakumari and Madurai etc. along with CMC, Vellore many times but this side was never thught of.
When Sama took admission in SASTRA University, I went through the map to know the location of Thanjavur and came to know from friends who have come there that its located near Trichy. While deciding to come here, I couldn't think of a friend who could help me find accommodation within my range of spending and guide us move to Thanjavur. Sama came to help and informed that a friend of hers Jenifer from SRM days was now staying with her parents at Tiruchirapalli and that she has already mentioned the name of Jenifer's father as her local guardian both in the University and also the hostel where she was putting up as a Paying Guest. Even the hostel warden allowed her inside only after talking to Jenifer's father. That very day I had taken details of Mr. Jesudas, I had called his mobile and requested him to find our accommodation in a hotel in Trichy. He stays in BHEL Training Centre Colony but traveled twice to the city to book the hotel for us and talked to me while finalising it. Our train reached at 930 PM in Trichy and when we were expecting only Sama, we found Jenifer, her brother Samuel and above all Mr. Jesudas waiting for us. Even the he took us in his car to the hotel and saw that we were comfortable, arranged for our dinner and then left. Jenifer was not studying the same subject as Sama, but through a mutual friend they had good friendship as Jenifer saw us moving to Sama's room in SRM , Chennai almost 4 years back with Mama our daughter with Down's syndrome. She has a sister Christie almost of the age of Mama and has Down's syndrome. That probably helped Sama and Jenifer to keep a bondage in SRM that eventually became very helpful to the former when she decided to take admission for her Master's in SASTRA, Thanjavur. That probably was the only reason I could make a phone call and request Mr. Jesudas, whom I never met or talked in life-to arrange hotel accommodation for us at Trichy without the slightest hesitation. I can tell that our Down's children only unite families and that too beyond regions, States, religion and economic status.In a cool and practical assessment, our children with Down's syndrome are great bridges in National Integration.
While in our hotel room, Mr. Jesudas asked me frank questions to know out attitude- all practical ones related to next day's visit to Thanjavur. Once he came to know that despite being doctors both, we didn't have enough to spare for taxi or other private modes of transort, he called someone in Thanjavur and asked my daughter Sama to note down the number. He advised us to take a bus to Thanjavur next morning, get down at SASTRA to visit the institute and take a bus to Thanjavur and while in New Bus Stand call the number. The number belonged to one Mr. Edwards who used to be a student of Mr. Jesudas long back but now he runs a school in Thanjavur and remained in touch with him.
Myself and Niyati failed to know what Mr. Jesudas was talking over the phone in Tamil other than a few English words he used while talking, but from the reactions in his face, my apprehensions for the visit to Thanjavur next day had vanished. Once Sama noted down the name and phone number, I knew that tomorrow we'll be visiting a new place where we have someone whom we can count on.
We informed Samuel. Jenifer and Mr. Jesudas that we will visit Thanjavur during the day time and will reach their home while returning back to Trichy in the evening. We met Christie, Mrs. G Thresa Gunaseeli and 3 friends of Jenifer who have become close to Sama.
Mrs. Theresa Gunaseli is a renowned Chemistry teacher in Holy Cross Higher Secondary School, Trichy while Mr.S Jesudas is a very respected Physics teacher in RSK Higher Secondary School, Tiruchirapalli. Christie is their first child, Jenifer, the middle one and Samuel the last. Being both teachers the Jesudass have always encouraged their children in academics and now Jenifer awaits to joina US Universoty for her Masters while Samuel has got into NIT, Trichy.Its a lovely family who are very sensitive to friends and relations and are very happy to have Christie.I personally have a feeling that its courtesy Christie and Mama that Sukanya and Jenifer are friends and that led us to befriend the honourable Jesudas family despite not having any earlier contact and take pride that Mama and Christie in a unique way expound and spread global friendship and harmony.

From Christie & Family

From Christie & Family

From Christie & Family