മാര്‍ച്ച് 30, 2007

ഒ. വി. വിജയന്‍ ഇന്നു മരിച്ചു. എനിക്ക് സങ്കടം വരുന്നു. ഖസാക്കിന്റെ ഇതിഹാസം ഒരിക്കല്‍ കൂടി വായിക്കണം. ഞാന്‍ വായനയെ സീരിയസ്സായി കാണുന്നത് ആ പുസ്തകത്തിനു ശേഷമാണ്. .. കാല്‍പ്പനിക പൈങ്കിളി കഥകളില്‍ നിന്നുമുള്ള യാത്ര. ആദ്യമായി വായിച്ചപ്പോള്‍ ഞാന്‍ എന്തൊരു വിഡ്ഡിയാണെന്ന് എനിക്ക് മനസ്സിലായി. വായന എന്താനെന്ന് ആദ്യമായി അനുഭവിച്ച പുസ്തകം. Afterall the classics that I had read, here was one that really felt classic. The first time i read it, I felt like an idiot unable to grasp at anything. The second time i read it - I saw colours. the third time I read it, I wanted to commit suicide. I couldn't sleep in the sweating reamins of the story- my bedside was haunted by Allahpichcha Mollaakka smelling of sweat and attar, Ravi with his stepmother breathing heavily, the ladies were sweeping and pouring hot water at my feet. My room smelt of raw human sweat and dirt, sweltering in their fast humid breaths.

I never read another book of O.V Vijayan. It would be fair to say that i was scared. I was scared of being disappointed. Maybe i should read them now. His cartoons that made me stare longingly, hoping I had it me to give birth to strong words and strokes. The time I went all the way to Kochi Art Gallery- hoping to just smile at him and see him in person. I didn't. The second literary person, i wanted to see thus passed away. Both having belonged to Calicut, both having been my favourite authors- the other was Basheer.