"Akka!"

Aww, gosh, now, I sound like that abominable serial on Sun TV- Chithi!
But, truly, my intention was to explain the sense of joy the right side of my cerebrum registered irrationally today, when some one called me "Akka!" Not "Aunty," not "Madam", not "Amma," but that one syllable of hope: "Akka!"
I don't know what it is with us Ramyas, with or without caps, but all I can say is we are going through a phase when we are considering the geriatrics of living, advancing age and such. We ponder over the transition between the states of being "Akka" and "Aunty," reminiscing about the days when aunties were other people. Not us. There is a certain stage in life when you shift saddle from Akka to Aunty, and believe me you don't ask kids whose head reaches your knees to call you 'aunty.' They do it all by themselves.
Now that you know how it is, I guess you have figured out the existential nature of the questions that plague us. And why I am happy when someone actually called me "Akka," spontaneously!
The sequence of events of that miracle are as follows:
I decided to walk today, from my office, to Hotel Taj Connemara, which is about 2 kms away, at about 4 p.m. to attend a press conference. Usually I take my bike/ an auto/ hitch a ride with someone/ the bus/ in that order. But today, since the auto driver demanded 35 bucks, I decided to walk.
Was it hot or what?!
But I felt the heat only until I crossed the subway at LIC to the Arts College side of the road. I was walking close to the stage, that they call the pavement hereabouts, in readiness to pole vault onto it, when this voice happened: "Akka!" A boy on his Hercules MTB was pedalling on the wrong side of the road and wanted me to give way to him. Ordinarily these types would have got a mouthful or two eyes full from me, but this time, I just smiled.
No, its more like a grin. A wide grin. Like a cheshire cat, from ear to ear! Like Garfield, my favourite cat.
Which is why, after the press conference, I decided to walk back to office! You never know, eh?!