MEET NILAH'S APPA

Nilah’s Appa is a gentle, loving father and the quiet heart of their warm home, nestled on farmlands at the edge of the Nilgiris shola forests. A stay-at-home parent by choice, he has built a life full of love, rhythm, and small joys — grounded in nature, family, and food.

Their home is cozy and sunlit, filled with the smell of slow-cooked food and the sounds of birdsong and braying goats.

Appa keeps the house immaculate — with a place for everything, and everything in its place. He wakes early to collect eggs from the coop, and start simmering breakfast for the family.

He loves cooking — from jackfruit biryani to homemade halwa, coconut chutney, and ragi dosa. He’s always trying to perfect something — “just a pinch more cardamom,” he’ll mumble, eyes twinkling.

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An organic farmer, Appa works the land with care — growing spinach, millets, turmeric, and tending to cows, hens, and a goat named Vaidehi.

He is the weather man of the household. He knows when the rains are approaching and when it's a dry spell. He brews organic manure in his backyard which he claims to be a magic recipe!


Appa has a massive sweet tooth. Nilah often teases him about this.

Appa’s sweet tooth is the kind that makes children laugh and grandmothers shake their heads lovingly. It’s part habit, part ritual, and completely heartwarming.

Nilah often catches him mid-sweet moment and teases, “Appa, did the laddoos shrink, or did you already eat three?” She’s been known to write “For Nilah only” on tins of halwa — just to see his guilty grin when caught with a spoon in hand.

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Appa’s time with the farm animals is more than just chores — it’s a rhythm, a bond, almost like a quiet friendship woven into his daily life. He doesn’t just care for them — he knows them, listens to them, and talks to them.

His routine :
Early morning: He checks the coop, opens the gates, and lets them roam freely.
Midday rest: He sits under the neem tree, surrounded by goats and hens, often sipping tea and peeling bananas to share.
Evening: He coaxes them back home with a basket of banana peels and grated pumpkin.

Gentle, observant, and full of dad-jokes.
He lets silence speak but always knows when Nilah needs a story or a sweet.

Appa doesn’t raise his voice — even when the rooster walks through the kitchen.

"Good things take time, kanna — just like jackfruit!" He says it whether it’s biryani on the stove, a growing seed, or a sad Nilah waiting for something to pass.

Always has a cloth tucked into his waistband — for cleaning, serving, carrying herbs, or drying his hands. It's become his signature — even Geetha pecks at it sometimes!
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