Tuesday, October 26, 2010

What's in a name?


 
"You better change my name, else am not going to school anymore!" Every time I go to a new school, or every time a new teacher joins my school, every time I take part in an inter school competition, this is the statement I used to nag Bawa with.

In a country rich with Biju, Shiju, Shyju, Byju and Sindhu, Bindhu, Sudha, my name sounded like an opera in 'Utsava Parambu'! No one missed to say "What?", "Come again", "Err, what's it", "Lebanon?" together with expressions inexpressible with words. I still remember a granny who went brooding "vaayil kollatha oro peru idum" (in simple English it means "new generation, duh!")

I nagged my Dad to this extent that once he almost got the papers ready to change my name in the Gazette.

 It was in the year 1996, I believe, we decided on the name 'Aneesha' (thinking back, I find it too odd a name for me!), and that is when my Big Brother (Dad's Bro's Son) enters the scene. (some background information: He is the one who tagged me with the name 'Lubuna', and where he got the name from is still a mystery..). When Bawa told him about the issue, he stared at me and then at Bawa, at me and Bawa, at Bawa and me; finally he said, "you don’t know the value of your name, one day you will think about me and thank me for choosing this name for you!"

Years sped by, as the clock turned to the marital phase the circumstances blessed me with a new name "Liya"! I love this name, it has the essence of "Lubuna" and "Kuttu" in it, together with a charm of its own.

Today, sitting at my hazy office in Qatar, am thinking of you Big Bro and thanking you.

Whenever I introduce myself as 'Lubuna' here in Qatar I am greeted back with sincere, innocent smiles exclaiming "Lubuna?! Masha Allah", followed by squeaks and cheers praising THE NAME!

Thank you Big Bro! I love you! 

10 comments:

Sbb said...

I like your name...but i always thought it is LUBUNA :-)
:-( I am disappointed as well at the same time..."Lunku" is equally impressive, it has the essence of lubuna and kutty for me and may be lubuna and kuttu for Bawa..
"lunku"... :-(( no thanks for that name that your big sister coined for you ?? :-S hehee

Senorita said...

where is my comment?

Lubuna Jeffin said...

thanku simba :)... how can I forget about Lunku!!! and how can I limit my gratitude with just a thank you???? ")


senorita: may I know which senorita is dis?

justonelife said...

I think Luttapi suits you better ;)

Lubuna Jeffin said...

justonelife sugar nun!

RAVI said...

Yesterday my 3½ years son told me to change his name because somebody told that his new born brother has good name than him.
I am sure he also will thank me for this name.

Lubuna Jeffin said...

@RAVI.. He sure will, and he sure has a name too rare :)...

rMs_000 said...

"I am greeted back with sincere, innocent smiles exclaiming "Lubuna?! Masha Allah""

Prrrrrrrrrrrr !!!! Gomedy of the year !! :P

Lubuna Jeffin said...

ramshidey... nee gomedycho!

annz said...

This is really sweet:-) btw whose idea was "liya"...?

Even myself guilty of asking you "Lubuna?" first time we met:-) "I told you also, that it is a weird name"

But it sure is different, i don't have a friend with this name and that makes you very special:-)

cheers to LUBUNA !!!