*From To Sathish*-Sathish's new movie Info & Pics pg20! - Page 115

Wife: Shall I prepare Sambhar or Rasam today .

Husband : First make it, we will name it later

A frustrated husband in front of his laptop:
dear google, please do not behave like my wife...
Please allow me to complete my sentence before
you start guessing & suggesting

A married man's prayer


Dear God, u gave me childhood, u took it away.
U gave me youth, u took it away.
U gave me a wife... Its been years now,
just reminding u...

Employee: Sir You are like a lion in the office! What about at home??

Boss:I am a lion at home too, But Goddess Durga sits on the lion there !

Best Slogan on a MAN's T-Shirt :

"Please Do Not Disturb me,

I am Married and already very Disturbed"

Chapter 8

"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received " hatred. The great creators " the thinkers, the artists, the scientists, the inventors " stood alone against the men of their time. Every great new thought was opposed. Every great new invention was denounced. The first motor was considered foolish. The airplane was considered impossible. The power loom was considered vicious. Anesthesia was considered sinful. But the men of unborrowed vision went ahead. They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won." Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Opinion,suggestions,point of view,advice are all good and yet most that are directed to you are just empty words,empty breath that gush out from empty brains.People, no matter how good you are and how well you have done will say ' you could have done better rather than acknowledge what you have achieved.'

Sometimes one has to listen to his own voice,coming from his own experiences and motions.In the end one has to do what will bring joy and peace to one and go about it rather than asking or looking for advice.But sometimes a few,precious few will say just do it and i am with you.It is all the push you need,the motivation,the inspiration you were looking for.Sadly that is rare for many a dream is ground to dust,trampled on by advice and suggestions and a bird who was ready to fly sits in the tree thinking it is not meant to fly.Test your wings,feel the life flowing under your wings and soul and jump in faith,total faith in you and your creator and fly,just fly for the sake of flying in freedom.

Who are you? My wife or my friend or both and more

"You become a man when you marry not just for love but to be a partner with your wife. To be the best man you can be with her, and when you fall short, to admit your shortcomings and to constantly strive to be a great man to your wife." Carew Papritz, The Legacy Letters

Kamalam was in the kitchen and was surprised to see sadashivam wander in to her den when normally just before dinner he would be reading,writing or doing something in his den.But she kept quiet and not one punchline or vague observations she had learnt from her Alamelu paati slipped past her usual sharp and quick witted mouth.Kamalam was even more surprised when sadashivam carried the prepared bowls of food and placed it on the table and seated himself in a chair.

She placed the steaming chapatis wrapped in a soft white cloth on the table and looked at her husband ' when are you leaving?'

Sadashivam nearly fell off the chair in shock and looked at kamalam,who had a small smile on her face. 'leaving.yes.maybe in a couple of days.But how,how do you know?

' We have been together for so many years that i know your breathing patterns,your walking patterns and your gentle snoring patterns.For instance you have been walking around like a cat,treading softly and i know from the sound your feet make that you have found yourself a new passion, topic for research.I know from the way you have been gulping food down the past few days that those paintings have something to do with it.And i also know that you are planning to leave town and that trip too is something to do with the paintings.'

Sadashivam looked,stared and wondered at how well his wife knew him and yet here he was knowing very little of her.

Kamalam smiled gently ' I am not just tv serials and cookery show type of woman. Why do you think malati took up art after finishing her engineering or where do you think she got that passion from. Did you know that i was great at painting until the age of fifteen when my dad decided that i was better off helping my mother in the kitchen.That put an end to it but my mum helped me secretly and i got a degree from madurai university in arts.That was one among the few other degrees that i got but have forgotten about it.If you ever pass by madurai,then make time to go to the university and visit the arts department faculty room,for i am told a painting of mine still hangs there.If you look real closely you will see my signature at the bottom.'

Sadashivam did not know how to react to all of this and all he could do was continue to stare at his wife in awe.he had looked at his wife in awe when she finished a packet of murukku all by herself but for the first time he stared at her in awe of her talents, apart from the ones in the kitchen.

' But why,why have you not confided in me with all of this before.'

Kamalam ' Does it matter.for i am happy with my life as it has shaped up and i dont want anything more than this.I have a great husband and a wonderful child and what more could a woman want.You have been very kind and gentle with me.And even though we never had a great sex life from the beginning, i know that you have never been unfaithful to me.Yes i do flare up once in a while and i do drops lines like kamal did in PAMMAL.K.SAMMANDHAM and yet in all these years you have not once been angry with me.The only way you flare up is by retreating into your den and not having your food.'

'This is all too much to take in and yet i am happy that you confided in me after all these years.No, i have never thought less of you or have ever compared you to any other woman but yes i do find it funny when you ravage the butter murukku packets while watching those dreary tv serials.But i have always wanted you to do what ever you felt like doing and have never judged you for it.'

Kamalam ' I know and want you to know that i totally appreciate it.We had no choice but to accept our parents decision and got married.I dont know how to measure or rate our marriage but i think i can safely say that we have done well and are doing well.But let us leave that aside for a moment and talk about you and where you are off to.My only worry is that you might not eat properly and that in turn will affect your health.Whenever you are confronted with some problem that cannot be solved,you let it consume you and affect your daily routine and that only adds to the problem rather than solve it.I just want you to look after yourself and that is enough for me.I know my husband is one of the smartest men around and i know he can look after himself and yet i worry.I worry because you are all i have and for want of a better word, i love you and care for you very much.'

They sat man and woman,husband and wife,two friends talking well into the night and it made them both realise how important it was to talk.talk from the soul and discuss thoughts and emotions.All it took was the effort to talk and it brought them closer,much closer than before.Duty is good.Responsibility is good.But when both are combined with the need and a passion to fulfill both of them then that must be love.Oh,then what do i know about love.

Uravugal thodarkathai unarvugal sirukathai

Oru kadhai endrum mudiyalaam

Mudivilum ondru thodaralaam

Ini ellaam sugame

Un nenjile bhaaram

Unakkaagave naanum

Sumai thaangiyaai thaanguven

Un kangalin oram edharkaagavo eeram

Kanneerai naan maatruven

Vedhanai theeralaam verum pani vilagalam

Venmegame pudhu azhagile naanum inaiyalam

"You become a man when you marry not just for love but to be a partner with your wife. To be the best man you can be with her, and when you fall short, to admit your shortcomings and to constantly strive to be a great man to your wife." Carew Papritz, The Legacy Letters: His Wife, His Children, His Final Gift

This was a really nice, heart-warming chapter.

Thank you spain. The few reviews i get is all that takes me to write more and want to write more.Be well.

Chasm of life and death

Life and death are two edges of a chasm
and in that chasm of living we live many times
and in that depth of the chasm we die many times
kicking,screaming a infant we come branded as alive
but that is just the start and you will be and feel alive
again and again many times and die and feel dead many times

the first kiss of the lips of the girl you love
the first pure friendship and you are willing to lay down your life
the first true dawn and you realise that there is so much more
and that you are a speck and yet a vital part in it.

the first heartbreak,the first betrayal,
damned if it does not feel like death
the first death of a loved one and many more to come
and each one leaves you dead and yet you live on undead

that minute when you hurt someone in perverse pleasure
and carry that guilt like christ carried the cross
christ for sometime and you forever until the last

Life and death are two edges of a chasm
and in that chasm of living we live many times
and in that depth of the chasm we die many times
welcome to live and die everyday
welcome to the chasm called life
dark,deep,wide and yet so much more

Chapter 9


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain


Boundaries,restrictions,fences,cages,rules,schedules are chains that bind our body and mind and those which reduce us all to mere slaves.slaves to the grind of life.Money,passport,overseas travel,foreign locales.No my dear souls, i talk about lesser,easier things that are in reach of you,me and any common man.When was the last time you went up to the terrace and slept on a blanket watching the night sky.when was the last time you lay under the sky with its many gems and saw a shooting star streak in the night sky.When was the last time you ran through rain,getting wet and not giving a damn about people who stare at you and shake their heads.we live in fear,constant fear about what people will think about us and what opinion they will form about us.Damn them and their thoughts.they are sheep,cowards,fickle minded creatures that straddle the fences and forever neither here nor there. Be the wolf,be the shepherd,be yourself and for god's sake be honest to yourself.Family,friends,bonds,love are all good but what about the one that resides in your own residence of the soul.Run,sing,dance,fly,swim,write,draw,visit,travel,read,think,ponder.For heavens sake,for the sake of you and your life do something and do it for your own pleasure.Now is the time for yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. today is a gift and that is why it is called present.Be present in the present and don't be absent.



The first step of an adventure


Sadashivam had never felt so alive and never ever felt such happiness as he was feeling now.He was going on his own,driving all the way to madurai and nothing to stop him.He looked at his wife and then they both hugged and both felt that they had hugged for the first time and sadashivam felt the tears on his skin through the shirt.

He gently lifted her face ' Tell me not to go.Tell me to be by your side and i will do so willingly.'

Kamalam wiped her tears and said 'stupid old man.These are tears of joy.I am happy just to see you so happy and excited.I wish i could go with you but i hate car travel and am sure i will throw up all the way to madurai.but if you are going to spend a lot of time there,then maybe i will join you for a few days.'


Sadashivam nodded ok and placed the small suitcase in the boot.The laptop and the small carry bag that carried his breakfast and lunch,he placed on the backseat.
Sadashivam wanted to leave the city very early so as to beat the traffic which would start by 7.00 a.m and since he was taking the NH 45 (National Highway 45) GST ROAD (Grand Southern Trunk Road),he knew that the roads would be congested until he left chengalpattu.

Chennai had expanded with leaps and bounds and now people travelled from as far as chengalpattu to reach chennai for work.It was made easier with the suburban railway network and MRTS railway network.And add to that the thousands of buses which scurried all over chennai and if well planned, a person could reach his place of work and return to his home in a well choreographed dance movement.


Sadashivam had heard many a friend of his complain to him about he time it took to leave the city and the suburbs if one travelled late in the morning or late in the day.For example if you left chennai to travel to bangalore say about 8.00 am,then you can take it for granted that you will reach sriperumbudur say by about 10 .30 a.m.and then from there to the outskirts of bangalore,Electronic city, a distance of about 270 kms can be travelled even in a small car in about 3 hours for the roads are that good.But then to travel into bangalore,the remaining 20 odd kms will take minimum two hours.So leaving the city and entering another city consumes most of the time taken to travel.So sadashivam calculated that he if he left early and was out of tambaram then he could really relax and enjoy the drive,without any worries about traffic and lights.


Sadashivam was not very deeply into religion and rituals but then again he was not an atheist and firmly believed that something,somewhere in the vast cosmos had kick started the game of life.He had never advocated for the warring parties of god and no god and thought it was silly and really childish for a person to fight over god.It was like fighting over what came before the big bang.Obviously no one knew and would not know for another few generations, to say the least and so it was left in the air.Sadashivam wished people would get on with their lives and leave god to himself and just enjoy his creation and the fact that we were created
in the first place.Maybe sadashivam thought that evolution had taken a dark turn when it came to evolving life into the pinnacle called HOMOSAPIEN.


The only god sadashivam ever worshipped to and that too very rarely was to the elephant god Ganesha.There was a small temple,two streets away and it was where kamalam went regularly to do her monday and friday pooja.Sadashivam debated about stopping at the temple for it would mean leaving his planned route and moreover he would need to park his car in the next street and then walk it up to the temple.But in the end Vallabha ganapathy,the name of the god in the temple won over his mind and so sadashivam stood with folded hands and prayed to him.As usual sadashivam found it funny to pray or ask for anything and yet for the first time he prayed to god to watch over kamalam and himself.And then even before he could stop himself his lips prayed for the late prabhakar and his daughter pallavi.

Sadashivam wondered about his prayers and then looked into the eyes of the god and kept looking.The temple was empty but for the few people went about cleaning the premises and then the priest came to him and offered him some prasadam.Sadashivam took it and saw that it was a packet of vibhooti advertising the temple and also advertising the business man who had contributed the packets and included with that was a small photo of lord ganesha.Sadashivam thanked him and was about to leave when the priest requested him to sit for a few minutes before leaving, since the good time for the day would start sharply at 6.00 a.m.

It irritated sadashivam to be wasting time and it went against his very nature,following rituals and belief in good times and bad times when all it took was faith in god.But still not wanting to hurt the priest's sentiments in any way sadashivam sat for a few minutes and that few minutes was all that it took for Buddha to reach the temple.Well we wonder why some things happen at certain times and wonder what if we had been there earlier or gone a bit later and we wonder how certain events transpire in our lives. Accidents happen in the blink of an eye and they kill,maim,destroy in a split second and the surviving victims lament that if they had passed the place a few seconds earlier then they would have escaped being hit by the lorry driven by a sleepy or a drunk driver.


Sadashivam came towards his car and there stood buddha and he looked as large as the car itself.Sadashivam did not know what to make of it and both stood looking at each other and sadashivam blinked and broke first and spoke first ' i am off to madurai and i am getting late.so if you could somehow let me know what it is you want from me,then maybe i can be of help.'

Buddha looked at him and quietly sadashivam opened the front passenger side door and buddha jumped in and settled himself comfortably and looked at sadashivam as if to say ' well,what are you waiting for.I obviously cannot drive a car for they do not hand out licences for dogs.so get on with it and lets go.'


Sadashivam shook his head and smiled to himself and at life in general and thought 'well,you live and you learn and you go on living.'

Buddha turned to him and stared into his eyes and for the first time sadashivam saw the markings on the dogs huge neck.It looked similar to the one the young man had on his left forearm and again sadashivam tried hard to recollect where he had seen that design.He knew it would eventually come to him and so did not let that puzzle trouble him or weigh on his happy mind.

Off they went,travelling towards madurai leaving chennai behind and one part of a life behind. Off they went in search,research and soon lot more than that would be revealed and much more would come in search for them.


The first step is everything and the steps after that are routine and well mundane.But to take the first step towards a goal,towards a decision,towards an ultimatum is everything and really difficult.

"The first step is the hardest in every journey of dreams. There is nothing else to fear unto whosoever has shown the tenacity to begin; because, once having started, the hardest part of the mission is the one lying behind." Moffat Machingura, Life Capsules