The Karate Kid - A. C. Murali - of our Times

The last time I met him was during our family's Rameswaram trip in 2011 March, Nayra was yet to arrive Sumathy was not at home when we arrived past lunch time, so Murali Mama took us out to his nearest Best Snack Outing for a quick bite Once we finished, he put out his woes about everything which is going ON in his life, which is not going straight and how his ****, has transferred loads of his money to her Mother's account et al. He, then talked about his Son very priudly - Abhishek (wish to meet him sometime) and then towards the Sunset time he bid us good-bye - and with a smile gave me a BIG Hug. I never realized that, that would be his last hug to me but I left with fond memories This Chap got into our lives during the mid-70s when he came visiting his Sister and Brother-in-law Dr. Chandra Mohan, professor in Zoology, Andhra University. He used to be quite a handsome chap and has his own witty ways to charm us kids into becoming good friends. His visits used to match mostly with his Nephew and Nieces birthdays so that he can have some good time He then stayed on for a week and then moved back to Chennai to his mother's place. It was early 1977 when we heard that he might not come down for that year's holidays. We were wondering why and then we came across a shocker that Big Auntie(his mother - who was so beautiful) was gruesomely murdered for some stupid diamonds on her self This changed our perspective about Money in those days. Then passed on a few more years with him almost becoming family and then we all grew up. Those were the early days of our Father's Demise and then till about 1984, had seen him regularly. During which time he got married to this childhood love - Sumathy - who ruled his choice of leading a good life. Times passed, we shifted away from the colony, then I shifted away from the city to another each time going further away from all those whom I knew, along with him. Cut short a long story - 2011 Rameswaram trip - we decided to meet him in person, 100% so, the plan worked very well. Met him in person at his mother's house, spent a good 4 hours having a nice calm dinner on a street hawker's paradise with him chuckling all the way about the 1970s at Sea Sands with Raji as she did not know. He spoke so much, showed his Kid Abhishek's pictures and spoke so much about him, his doing the first shave to his kid etc... Never will I ever see another person so charming, so ecstatic about his skills in dancing & karate, so loud about his girl friends and so.... Farewell Murali Mama, this is not a late Farewell - just reminding me of your days with us. Never did I realize that someone so happy-go-lucky would suddenly go away in the most bizarre of manner Love you till I live!!!