My First Photograph

The Blogger's First
 Photograph

Our house was enveloped in a festive atmosphere. Everybody in the house was busy. Our father was telling time and again, “Chimbi, get ready, quick.” Our manservant Balakrishnan was also running here and there, calling me, “chinna saami seegram wango" (little sir, come quick)

My mother was also running after me to catch me for a head bath, which I tried to avoid as far as possible because the sheekai shampoo with which my mother washed my long hair irritated my eyes.

She caught hold of me at last and dragged me into the bathroom, though I struggled to get free.

She dried my hair and plaited my hair in the front of my head and left the remaining hair loose at the nape of my neck. She decorated colourful flowers on my plaited hair.

Next it was the job of Balakrishnan and his sister Radhqa to dress me up. I was put into black half-knickers, and the tapes fastened across my shoulder so that the knickers would not slip down.

It was that memorable day when I was to be photographed for the first time in my five years of life. I had to be photographed on that day at any cost because we were to visit Tirupati for my tonsuring ceremony before having a darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Of the seven holy hills. 

My older brothers Janakiram and Narayana Rao, who were fourteen and twelve years of age by then, were also dressed in their best clothes.

My father ordered Balakrishnan to lock the doors properly and took out our Baby Austin car from the garage.

We trooped to Vadivelu Photo Studio in Pondy Bazar in our car.

The photographer of the studio accorded us a royal welcome. He seated me on a wooden seat and enveloped himself in a huge black cloth. "Smile!" he screamed from the black mask.

I gave an ear-to-ear smile displaying my uneven teeth, some of which had recently fallen.

The photographer must have been shocked. Maybe he saw the gateway of a huge cave with scattered little boulders when I opened my mouth. “Little sir” hold your mouth as tight as possible," he cried impatiently from the black mask.

I was aware that I looked ugly with a wide smile. 

I pressed my lips together as tightly as possible.

It was a five-minute nightmare.

After our return from the photo studio, my little brain was tormented with the thoughts of the outcome of my photo. I could neither eat well nor sleep well. Three days elapsed with that state of mind.

Finally came the day I had been waiting for.

After our return from Tirupati, I was happy to see my first photograph, which came out good.

Looking at my photograph with pride, I gave a wide-open-mouthed laugh.