The Chettan Conundrum...

The Chettan Conundrum

Consider this situation. A malayalee family have guests from some other part of the country. The lady of the house says “ Chettan has gone to office.” She also says “My chettan and I studied in boarding school since my parents were always transferred”. For us, it doesn’t require much effort to understand the lady is referring to her husband in the first line and to her brother in the second part. But for others, this is the ultimate riddle of all.

Non-keralites are confused as to why would a lady address her husband and brother by the same word! I don’t know how they will react when we say anyone from an auto driver to a postman to a person delivering gas cylinder can be a chettan !!!

I really don’t know what I will tell them if they ask me “ok we agree. But then, who is ‘Mathai Chettan’ ? ;) Only we know “chettan” is mostly just a word attached for showing respect.

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