Having a farmhouse off the East Cost Road (ECR) on Chennai – Mahabalipuram route is no big deal these days. Every family worth their proverbial salt has one – or is coming up with one soon. Even I do own some property there. Rest of the Chenna-ites are ambitiously working towards it.

I had an appointment to visit the man in the picture on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, again in his farmhouse off ECR. As I drove past the huge wrought iron gates gaping out of a 12 ft granite wall I was confused. There was only a modest house hiding in think foliage. Paint flaking off and worse still no demarcated parking space. I found it more troublesome to avoid parking under any coconut tree.

Finally when I did get out only I noticed the vast stretch of land under the palm fringed sky. I was surrounded by coconut trees - thousands of them. I picked up my jaws from the floor and rushed inside. I clearly had the task of a chasing a fast receding sunlight.

Well it was a modest old fashioned farmhouse indeed. I was to profile the retired and settled couple. She, a doctor in her late sixties and he an engineer in his late seventies. Dusty wooden handicrafts stalked all over the house hinted the African connection. I was right. The couple had returned from 27 years of service in Mozambique. This property was bought 22 years ago - a sprawling 18 acres of sandy land sandwiched between ECR and the Bay of Bengal. I took permission to explore the house and surrounding for available sunlight for the photo session.

Discovered more 'n more artifacts and rugs piled up all over the unused corners – all with a stamp of African tribal art. Deciding to shoot outside the house was for want of some sunlight and I had made up my mind to highlight the presence of trees trees in his life – in Africa as well as in his expansive farmhouse and I deliberately layered him within the overlapping shadows on the wall of his house.

He is lost in a pensive mood – thinking about some answers digging deeper into his sojourn in the dark continent.

Vijay and Arun are identical twins and completely adorable. I just let them unwind with a huge dressing mirror. Thought it might just multiply the fun. It did indeed. I am so proud and happy about this picture that I have used it in my business card.

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Hearing has become feeble for him. He is mostly lost in thoughts even when intensely looking at you. Understandably so, as he is only a few years away from a century. She was healthy at 82.

I wanted to break the POSED feel of the picture and suggested she talk to him about something. “Why would I talk to someone who can’t even hear me?” she was quick to retort in curt words. I swallowed mine.

Loneliness assumes a new meaning and dimension in twilight years I suppose. Maybe it looks scarier than it really feels. Maybe not!

View all images from this shoot here.