Mummy, the first child of my grandparents, was named Bimla. The name signifies 'purity' and 'innocence'. So when she was followed by another girl, Pitaji and Mataji aptly named her Nirmala which had a similar significance, viz. 'cleanliness' and 'virtuosity', and satisfied the prerequisite of rhyming.
The next set of girls came from Mansi and preserving the tradition set by her parents, she named her daughters Manjula and Anjula.
My wife also comes from the same small community of Brahmins called 'Suryadwajs' as I do. Our fathers studied in Agra College together and were very good friends. At our first meeting, I, as well as most of my family, knew her only as Binno, a name by which she is still called by our relatives. When our marriage was fixed, we needed her real name for the wedding card and were told it was Akhila. Another rhyme!
Summer of 1997, Mummy and Mansi decided to visit the US where stays Navin, Mansi's younger son. In an intimate conversation, his wife, an American, laughingly coined the term "La-la girls" for them.
Guess her name.
"Pamela"!
Out of context and not at all relevant to my earlier blog and, therefore, rightly omitted, for those who don't know the song "Sisters", here, for a laugh, are the closing lines:-
"Many men have tried to split us up but no one can
Lord, help the mister who comes between me and my sister
And Lord help the sister who comes between me and my man".
Sharing has its limits!
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