Stable story !


This is a real life story. Set, far away from Mumbai’s Mahalakshmi Race course and the Mahabaleshwar mountains. Down in the deep plains is Madurai !

And there, there is this horse stable. A stable that adorns the display rack of a lonely house. Maintained immaculately by the lady of the house, and looked at longingly, from a distance by the man.

These are horses. Looking artistic to them. For the strange, inanimate objects that they are, they seem to carry life. They were mere objects on many retail shelves. But that was before they were picked up with care.

Over time, each one of them came to signify one member of the family.

There was one for the man of the house . Another for the lady. One each for the sons. Each signifying and standing for the real ! Each figure matched by the living’s characteristics. And so they were reared at home. By the lady and man. Quite unknown to their sons.

And when the daughter-in-laws came into the household, horses were added to the stable. And when a young one arrived, a pony took its rightful place. And of course, there is more space.

And when the sons, the daughters-in-law and the grandson are busy running their own courses much away from Madurai, the lady of the house dusts this stable clean. With a dry cloth. And then with a wet cloth. Wet with a tinge of a lonely tear, sweat and toil of many years, to make the family run its course.

And so, this inanimate stable which takes a life of its own adorns this house. Inanimate it is, to the rest of the world. For the man and the lady, the horses themselves seem to leap to life. Every time they look at them. And even when they don’t.

And so, this is the story of the stable. A stable that adorns the display rack of a lonely house. Maintained immaculately by the lady of the house, and looked at longingly, from a distance by the man.



This post concludes the series on ‘Horses for Courses’

14 thoughts on “Stable story !

  1. Each horse has its own story. Isnt it ?

  2. amreekandesi says:

    Sweet post!

    “This post concludes the series on ‘Horses for Courses'”

    The horse trilogy was fun to read, and quite different from your regular posts!

  3. ♥ Braja says:

    Always happy endings to horse stories :))
    x

  4. I love it when you write these posts. Takes me back many years, when little things, carefully tended, were so important. For some reason I keep visualizing a Managlore tile single storey house, in one of the older colonies, cool in the searing mid-day May sun, and someone, slowly moving around the living room, giving all these horses a careful , loving, wipe, sometimes with a sari pallu; memories of young ones springing to mind and bringing a smile, that is watched , with a flickr of recognition and a smile, by someone, resting a distance away…..

  5. Brilliantly nostalgic and sensitive. Lage raho Kavi-bhai!

  6. SGD says:

    Beautiful Kavi!
    I can almost imagine the lonely lady and the man of the house (your parents, I presume) looking longingly at the stable and thinking of their sons in faraway cities….
    Because it’s the story of many a lonely lady and man of the house!!
    Once again….beautiful!

  7. manju says:

    So touching, Kavi- almost brought tears to my eyes…

    Lovely post!

  8. KK says:

    Is this what it means when they say “Hearing it from the horses mouth”? 😉

  9. Jeevan says:

    It was very sweet and adorable the way you described your family ‘stable’ at home. Some objects are objects more than worthy to life, and your horses are one 🙂

  10. Kavi says:

    Roshini : Yes..sweet they are. Especially when you think of them or when you go back !

    Hobo : Absolutely. Each horse has its own race and own journey. And therefore, own story too !

    Amreekandesi : Thank you. So much for horses !! 🙂

    Braja : yes. This one too !

    Ugich Konitari : I am awestruck by your vivid imagination. As much by the imagination, as by the accuracy of what you write. That is exactly the way it is !

    Sujit : Thank you !! 🙂 I am going on ! No short circuit yet on the blog circuit !

    SGD : yes. Its about my home. and my parents there ! Thanks for your generous comment.

    Manju : Thank you !

    KK : I guess so ! I guess so. Straight from the horses mouth !

    Jeevan : Thank you mate ! Thank you !

  11. Aleta says:

    I thoroughly enjoyed this post and the pictures. My cousin and I used to collect horse figurines when we were little girls. You brought back fond memories and gave a lovely story as well.

  12. There was a beautiful, slow and steady flow to this story. I very much enjoyed it and will enjoy thinking about it.

  13. nsiyer says:

    Very touching and absorbing! What a brilliant way to be in touch with family members and tend to them everyday’.
    You are marvellous and opened my mental vistas.

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