He would work for them for the next forty years, designing new models of miners' cap-lamps and of lead acid batteries and became a recognized expert across India in the latter.

In 1969, he left for the US to study for a master's in Chemistry at Oberlin College in Ohio on a scholarship, staying there with his wife and young daughter for three years and working as a lab instructor as part of a work-study program.

[2] Completely self-taught, he drew and painted as a hobby, but his talent was soon noted and he began to sell his works to raise money for charity.

In 1969, he began a series of annual 'Heritage Greeting Cards' during the holiday season, which included his own original drawings of South Indian heritage monuments and landscapes as well as a write-up by his wife Mahema about the featured scene.

In December 1972, soon after their return from the United States, a car accident caused by an irresponsible truck driver on the road between Madras and Madurai left Mahema paralyzed from the neck down.

He made a name for himself as a painter and photographer, until his eye condition took away his color vision and he transitioned to pen-and-ink drawings, since he could see the contrast of the black line on the white paper better.

He innovated techniques to compensate for his declining eyesight, while providing care for his quadriplegic wife, even managing to take her on outings and generally lead a joyful life.

His books deal with themes of how the city of Madurai shaped him during his happy childhood, and of ways to find resilience and innovative solutions to life's problems.