SUBBHA RAO

Tall, extremely well built, a waist rendering belts of any size insufficient, square face, patches of gray hair on a bald head, half-sleeved bush shirt revealing trunk size arms, white cotton pants, indistinguishable from a pyjama in its flare, signaling his presence by his cacophonous voice, Subbha Rao could be seen and heard from any distance.

Shortcomings in academics if others could make up in plain common sense, Subbha Rao’s academic acrobatics were aggravated by inability to summon his Intelligence when sought after, or proved inadequate for the occasion. The greatness of Subbha Rao rested on his enormous abilities to carry on his day to day work with his limitations.

Having been endowed with an endearing quality, he could win over anybody with his harmless charm and disarm even his diehard critics. His double frame would always win empathy. Despite his age and because of his innocence, he could mingle freely even with youngsters half of his age permitting them to crack jokes and providing them material to laugh at. His burly body was often the butt end of wit. Fear to hurt any sensibility, always weighed in his mind.

‘Born with Silver spoon in mouth’, the adage goes. Subha Rao had an in built amplifier in his umblical cord, which added volumes to his decibel level. As the acoustic system had no volume control, one often would get his ear drums jarred if ventured to go near and provoke him to talk. Mellowness and mellifluous music were miles away from him and he would not even meander towards them.

As he had to buy clothes in metres multiples of ten, leftover cloths, if any, would be added to his waist and short sleeves, rendering his pants and shirts present a strange sight, deviating from the initial measures in inches and angles. The size of his foot wears being 14, even valuable shoes and sandals remained safe in temples and marriage halls, as no feet would be available to fit into them.

When retired, he became a member of the grandpa group, where they discussed about the abundance of Avakkai and Ashta Vinayak, Cardiology and Cosmology with equal ease and ignorance, as the intelligence level and available time permitted.

Subbha was greatly attached to his wife and used to constantly dote on her. When she was to be operated upon for a malignant growth on her neck, Subbha Rao was visibly shaken and she survived the operation for hardly two years. During her struggling last days, Subbha Rao was always attending to her, looking into her every need without exasperation and found solace in serving her. However, obesity and attendant ailments, failing instinct to survive following his wife’s death, lack of a well cultivated hobby with resultant boredom hastened his end, though he reached his early seventies.

Subha Rao’s imposing presence and intruding voice would often haunt me when I am in a reflective mood and like Wordsworth, I bear in my heart, the voice, that is ‘heard no more’.