*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 35

REDEMPTION-CHAPTER 4

"A man's ledger does not tell what he is, or what he is worth. Count what is in man, not what is on him, if you would know what he is worth"whether rich or poor." -Henry Ward Beecher


You killer but i am a killer of killers

The capacity to do good or to do evil is ever present in all our minds and we are born with certain basic primitive instincts that whispers eat or be eaten.At a certain age we come,stand and cross that one moment when we know that we have willingly hurt someone by word or action and that knowledge is our first alliance with conscience.Until that moment we are usually guided,taught what to do and what not to do and what is good and evil.The guilt we feel when we knowingly or unknowingly hurt someone is what makes us human and it this human quality that differentiates us from other species.From then on we remain innocent no more and our account and pact with god is created.from that moment on all our actions are weighed,judged and seat aside for the time will come when you are answerable for your actions.


Murky smiled a thin evil smile and then looked at his men and asked them to bring something to drink and then raised an eyebrow at rudran who shook his head.

Rudran's eyes subtly ran from left to right and absorbed everything in the one second that they scanned the surroundings and if you were to ask him to close his eyes and list out what all was there in front of him then he would have hit the bullseye give or take a few pots or small bushes that grew near the trees.But rudran knew that more than anything it was reading the man who sat before him that was very important and vital for he was the spider in the center of the web and his mind was the control center.

Murky knew rudran was studying him and scoffed " have you finished with your mind reading games for it will get you nowhere.Some of these guys have been with me for twenty years and they don't know where i am from so how will you be able to judge me in these few minutes."

But then murky had not met someone like rudran or one who possessed his brain power and training in various fields and it was one of those fields that came to his aid and that was his specalization in sociolinguistics.

Rudran stared into murky's eyes with a smile and yet deep inside his brain was whizzing at light speed and it crunched up a image.

The man who had been sent to get something to drink for murky came back with a tray containing small bottles and a glass and a bowl of salted cashew nuts.

Murky leaned forward to pick up a bottle and rudran kept his eyes fixed on him and again his brain went whizzing at light speed and threw an image from its database.

Murky lifted a bottle of feni and poured it into a large glass and then emptied a small tetrapack of tropicana orange juice into it.Picking up the glass he took a huge sip and smacking his lips " nothing like our own country arak from goa."

A mobile phone rang and the man standing behind murky answered it and then gave it to gently to his boss who whispered into it " it is done.you will have your fun tonight as planned and according to your specification.Just make sure that you send the cash in advance to the place which we will message you and be ready for the vehicle which will pick you up."


Rudran spoke " Prostitution is a very old business and i know that there is nothing one can do about it.What adult women or men do with their bodies is none of my business and i am not bothered with that unless,violence,injury or any other bodily harm is done.But what i am against is children,minors involved and forcibly pushed into this filthy trade.I know that you know that i am aware of all your activities involving sex on the wheels on our national highways and i also know that many in our department take bribes to help you clear routes.Like,i said i will interfere with adult doing whatever they want to do with other adults.But all your activities which involve children must stop now.I mean it,right now at this moment or face the consequences."

Rudran stood up and looked down at murky and then bent down close to his face and whispered " you are called murky but your past although murky and hidden or erased is visible to me.You are about 58 years old and you are from chennai.You weigh about 85 kilos and although many might think you are flabby,most of it is muscle.I know you are from chennai with that small tattoo you have near your left upper chest,very near to the heart and that tattoo of the late MGR without his cap and glasses show that you were born when he was still with the dmk and he had yet to start his own party for there are no two leaves which is the official symbol of his party.By your accent i know you are from madurai and that too from a agricultural background but after all these years here in delhi,your hindi is good yet its origins mistaken since it includes various accents from all over north india that very few will think or recognise you as a south indian and might actually mistake you from either orissa or bihar because you are also dark skinned."

Murky's face expressed shock,fear and then thunderous anger.He stood up and was about to scream something but shut up when rudran raised his hand " i raised my hand not just to indicate you to shut your mouth but also to signal those that lie hidden all over your estate.Look at everyone around you then you will know what i am talking about."

Murky slowly turned to see a red spot of light on all of his men and then raised his hand in front of his face and saw a beam bounce on his palm and knew that they belonged to a laser beam sights from a sniper's rifle.

Rudran's voice now took on a bit of growl " you think you are tough.you think you are a don with all these a...es around you to protect you and all this because you run a filthy business in which help the rich and powerful to rape and sodomize prostitutes and children.That is not tough but the acts of a dirty cockroach.so crawl back to where ever you have crawled out from for the next time we meet my boot will be smashing your skull to pulp.Maybe for a change from now on you should trade your backsides for business for who knows you might make more money from it."

Rudran slipped his ray bans on to his face and then raised his right hand and made a sign of a hand gun with his fingers and walked back to his vehicle.


Murky and his men stood frozen in fear for they did not know whether to move or standstill and so they stood like statues for a few minutes.

Murky was the first one to relax and he bent down and picked up the glass he was drinking from and in one gulp emptied the contents.

He turned to his men and faced them " That bas***d is really a scary and tough son of a bitch but a worthy adversary.Learn from this and understand this lesson that when a battle starts it does not end with one skirmish or an engagement with the enemy.This is just the beginning but we will see who will be left standing in the end and whose boot will be crushing whose skull.Cancel all arrangements made and return the cash to our clients and tell them that the next one will be on the house but not until a few days before we sort this man and the problems he is causing for us.Make the calls and destroy all the phones.Call our local contact and ask him to be ready to supply a steady numbers of use and throw sim cards and cheap mobiles which cannot be tracked.Use public transports and change them as much as possible.But i am warning you that no moves should be made against this Rudran without my orders.If anyone dares to do so then you know what will happen to them."

Murky slowly sat down and poured another drink and then reached for a mobile and punched in a number.

The phone rang and a voice said " yes."

Murky whispered " it is me.I wouldn't be disturbing you if the problem wasn't this serious.I need information about a police officer.I mean all the information about him and his entire family going back generations.This is a very serious situation and so get on it immediately."



"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." Sun Tzu, The Art of War

you sounded like software engineers (specially guys) whose life revolve around work. ???????????????????????????????????????????

REDEMPTION-CHAPTER 5


"In order to survive in a world of instinct,
its' alternative is to hunt or being hunted.
Reject this, then be prepared to be hunted."
Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut




Instinct is the most remarkable feature of the natural world: second only to the existence of life itself.
It is the force powering behaviour in animals.We may argue and dispute about whether something evolved or not, but the one thing that is beyond dispute is the fact that instinct exists, and that there is no evolutionary accounting for its existence.
Looking at the lowliest forms of life the viruses and phages, we see the viruses entering cells, and taking them over, turning them into virus factories. We know the details of how they do this - how they shed their protein coats, invade, and take over the genetic machinery of the cell and compel it to produce more virus material. And so on.

The biochemistry of much of this is well known, but there is one thing that will forever elude description. The WHY of their action. The REASON for what they do.

WHY do they enter the cell? WHY do they take over the genetic machinery?

There is no obvious compulsion for them to do so, yet they are driven to do this, somehow, and by something that cannot be identified. It can be called, even at this level, some form of INSTINCT.


Hunter or Hunted


Rudran drove away quickly and he knew all his men would have made good their escape the minute he had turned and started walking towards his vehicle.But more importantly he knew Murky would not launch an attack on him or his men and would bide his time and choose the right moment.Although the man was pure evil he also looked smart,very smart and would soon make his move.He knew his men would have had ample time to make their way out of the estate and so he now turned his entire attention to what murky's next move would be.

But rudran knew what his next move was going to be and that would be going back home to chennai to do some digging and hopefully come up with some information on who murky was and who and all were involved in his operations.

Rudran stopped near a dhaba and before he could even roll down his window,the dhaba owner Kuldeep singh ran over to him and saluted him stiffly.

" saab,kitne din oh gaya.How are you saab.Please come,i will ask my wife to make your favourite aloo parathas with ghee and dal makhni.come saab,my parents have come from amritsar and they will be happy to see you."

Rudran was not in the mood to meet anyone and had stopped at kuldeep's dhaba for a chai but then he could not say no to one who had worked under him and had recently taken VRS to look after his wife who was now recovering from breast cancer.

Rudran removed his glasses and placing them on the dashboard got out of his vehicle and walked towards the dhaba with kuldeep.

Rudran looked at kuldeep " listen,i hope your wife is doing better now.if there is anything i can do,please don't hesitate and call me."

Kuldeep held rudran's left arm and said " bade saab,i am okay.i still have money leftover from what you personally gave along with the collections from the department.My wife is much better and she is helping me in the kitchen and my sister's two sons have come from amritsar to help me.so,nothing to worry about."


Kuldeep had built a three bedroom house just behind the dhaba which faced the road and his parents came out hearing their son hollering for them " pita,maa "


Rudran bowed and whispered "Sat Shri Akal" and kuldeep's father gently clasped rudran's hands and looked at him with lot of love and respect and bowed in return softly saying "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh "


Even though Rudran protested his plate was filled with hot,steaming parathas and fresh mint chutney and achaar.A bowl of curds was placed near his plate and then they all sat around him to watch his reactions as he ate.Rudran's eyes misted over at all this show of love and he looked down at the paratha's and remembered him and bhairav sitting and eating hot chapattis from the same plate.He remembered the one time when his lunch spilled out and bhairav gave him his lunch and forced him to finish it.

Rudran's brain cranked overtime and remembered the whispers of his brother as he had faced murky for the first time and knew that the past was going to clash with the present moment and somehow he had found a dimly lit path in the thousands of other paths that ran away from him into the darkness.He had caught hold of the edge of the thread which would slowly lead him to the knot that was behind bhairav's disappearance and he knew that this was not the time for hasty actions or reactions and only small and slow steps would lead him to solve the puzzle or at least give a few clues that would point him in the right direction.

He knew he had not taken a single day off since he had taken up his appointment as a deputy commissioner of police in the capital and thought to himself that this would be the right time for a small break and also go see his mother.He had not been back home for nearly a year now and the last time he had been in chennai was for the first year anniversary of his father.


"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected ."
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

REDEMPTION CHAPTER 6


"And then it happens all at once and unexpectedly. That is how things happen, I suppose. You pack your bags and find yourself walking yourself home." Shannon L. Alder

I was born in bangalore to a telugu family who spoke more kannada than telugu.After being orphaned my aunt brought me to chennai and i picked up tamil.English medium school taught me english and basic hindi which i kind of am pretty decent after all those countless hours of watching hindi programmes in doordarshan.married to a malayali and i must say i am decent in speaking malayalam.See where i am leading to.jack of all trades and king of none.

Even though my native place is banglore,right from the first moment i entered madras aka chennai,i knew i was coming home.Maybe my brain responded better to new stimuli and maybe it wanted to kickstart and adapt quickly to the new place,new people,new family so that i wouldnt be left behind when life and time moved on.I took to chennai with my whole heart and soul and knew that i was home.My aunts place was huge and back then our house was in mahalingapuram and bang right next to Iyappan kovil.you bet,madras was very different then and today i gawk whenever i travel for work to new areas and wonder how chennai changes its spots like a chameleon.Growth,population,well the city is expanding in 3 directions but for the the sea.

Back during summer holidays i used to dread going to bangalore for it meant going back to a place far from home and going back to a place which meant memories of death and destruction.They say trauma is overcome by the brain with amnesia and well selective amnesia in my case.Banglore then,banglaore now is a scary trip for my senses but for a few who are part of my soul.

The afternoon when we had to board the brindavan express was a matter of joy that i cannot express in words but i used to feel worried that we were going to miss the train or somehow our seats are going to be taken away a phobia,a malady that torments me to this day when i go to see a film,armed with tickets,confirmed tickets.

Leaving banglore,touching kuppam,andhra pradesh and leaving that behind in a puff of smoke from the coal engines,i used to wait for the boards to change into tamil and yes,soon jolarpettai junction used to appear magically and the smile spread from ear to ear on my smoke filled face,from standing near the door and from trying to squeeze my head through the narrow grill.Basin bridge and the familiar smells or rather stink of the city was i hate to admit the best fragrance that i ever inhaled for it meant i was back home,far away from and other life and memories of another family.

Entering the house,i used to run around and make sure if the house was okay,my shelf of the cupboard was not taken over by aliens and i ran around the house announcing that i was back.But for the yells and screams of my thin voice,silence usually reigned as the trees and compound walls of the neighbouring houses looked down at me and frowned,so what if you are back.

Even now,i cannot go back to banaglore without my tummy going queasy and i remain a stranger then and a stranger now.So where is home,but chennai in whose streets i have grown up and in whose streets i have found angels residing with arms and wings wide open.




BACK HOME,BACK TO THE PAST,BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN


Rudran spoke to his team on conference call and told them that he would be not be available for a week or so and warned them to be on high alert and immediately inform him of any movements from Murky and his gang.Then he told them that he would be catching the morning 10.00 a.m flight to chennai and told them what to do.They all whispered okay and rudran ended the call and stared into the silence and loneliness of his apartment.

He sat quietly for a long time and then whispered to his lost half " bhairav,i am coming home.I love you.now and forever."

He made two calls,one to his house and requested Babu,their man friday who had come to work for them when he was fifteen years old and had been his dad's constant companion and bodyguard and was now more of a family member and his duty was now to care for his mother and the house.Babu had his own room and there was one room kept aside for the nurses who cared for their mother, who was lost to the world and to herself.The remaining three rooms were for his mother,one for himself and one which worked as a study,library and had been used as an office when his dad had been alive.

Babu broke down on the phone when he heard rudran was coming back " chinniyya,vaanga,seekirama vaanga.Neenga illama intha veedum sari,naangalum sari,anaathainga mathiri irukkom.kalaiyile.mothala namma vandiya anuppidren.'

Rudran smiled " babu,athellam onnum venda.naa,airportle irunthu call taxiyile vandhudren.Car anuppavendam.sudden,theva patta,enna pannuveenga.okay."

Rudran made the second call and a gruff voice answered " ACP Balaraman speaking."

Rudran answered and then had to keep the mobile faraway from his ear for his friend was yelling at him using all the bad curse words one can think off.then it suddenly stopped and rudran wondered what had happened.

He heard Balaraman order everyone out of his cabin and laughed loudly thinking and imagining what his friends staff must have thought and how shocked their reactions must have been hearing their superior officer scream dirty cuss words.

ACP Balaraman " sorry da,hearing your voice gave me so much joy that i forgot i was in a meeting and started yelling at you for not being in touch with the rest of us for such a long time."

Rudran " sorry bala,i was really busy the past few months.and i was not using my mobile for we were on a assignment."

ACP balaraman smiled " you don't even have to tell us for we know what assignment it was.Bloody hell,apart from you,i doubt if anybody could have solved that case so quickly and so quietly and then keep quiet about it and let someone else take the appreciation and compliments."


Rudran smiled for he knew that there was just no fooling his colleague from the police academy.He spoke quietly and calmly and told him he required some help in a case he was following and that he was coming to chennai that next day morning.

Acp balaraman promised him all the help and then asked rudran to promise that he would come home for dinner and see his newborn daughter.

Rudran promised and then requested balaraman not to talk about this to anyone.

He stood under the shower for a long time with his hands resting on the wall,letting the cold water wash away the tiredness of his body and soul. then pouring himself a cup of steaming black coffee into a large mug Rudran sat watching delhi from the fifteenth floor of his high rise apartment.


I've spent too long away from home
Did all the things I could have done
Gone are the days of endless thrills
I know I'm not the only one
So long, I'm goin', goin' home

I saw the streets all ripe with jewels
Balconies and the laundry lines
They tried to make me welcome there
But their streets did not feel like mine
So long, I'm goin', goin' home

I want the sun to hit my face
Through oak trees in the open lot
Forget about the things you want
Be thankful for what all you've got

So long, I'm goin', goin' home
So long, I'm goin', goin' home
So long, I'm goin', goin' home

Teacher telling story...

A cruise ship met with an accident at sea, on the ship was a pair of couple, after having made their way to the lifeboat, they realized that there was only space for one person left.

At this moment, the man pushed the woman behind him and jumped onto the lifeboat himself.

The lady stood on the sinking ship and shouted one sentence to her husband.

The teacher stopped and asked, "What do you think she shouted?"

Most of the students excitedly answered, "I hate you!"

Now, the teacher noticed a boy who was silent throughout, she got him to answer and he replied,
"Teacher, I believe she would have shouted - Take care of our child!"

The teacher was surprised, asking "Have you heard this story before?"

The boy shook his head, "Nope, but that was what my mum told my dad before she died to disease".

The teacher lamented, "The answer is right".

The cruise sunk, the man went home and brought up their daughter single-handedly.

Many years later after the death of the man, their daughter found his diary while tidying his belongings.

It turns out that when parents went onto the cruise ship, the mother was already diagnosed with a terminal illness.
At the critical moment, the father rushed to the only chance of survival.

He wrote in his diary, "How I wished to sink to the bottom of the ocean with you, but for the sake of our daughter, I can only let you lie forever below the sea alone".

The story is finished, the class was silent.

The teacher knows that the student has understood the moral of the story, that of the good and the evil in the world, there are many complications behind them which are hard to understand.

Which is why we should never only focus on the surface and judge others without understanding them first.

Those who like to pay the bill, do so not because they are loaded but because they value friendship above money.

Those who take the initiative at work, do so not because they are stupid but because they understand the concept of responsibility.

Those who apologizes first after a fight, do so not because they are wrong but because they value the people around them.

Those who are willing to help you, do so not because they owe you any thing but because they see you as a true friend.

Those who often text you, do so not because they have nothing better to do but because you are in their heart.

One day, all of us will get separated from each other; we will miss our conversations of everything & nothing; the dreams that we had. Days will pass by, months, years, until this contact becomes rare... One day our children will see our pictures and ask 'Who are these people?' And we will smile with invisible tears because a heart is touched with a strong word and you will say: 'IT WAS THEM THAT I HAD THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE WITH'.

REDEMPTION-CHAPTER 7

"There's something I firmly believe in: the people who have the ability to change something in this world. All, without exception, have guts to abandon things important to them if they have to. They are those who even abandon their humanity if they're pressed hard to outdo monsters. People who can't throw away something important can never hope to change anything!"? Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan, Vol. 6


Patience,that one simple word embodies all that can be done and all that is undone.In one impatient word and in just one action arising out of impatience,many battles,many wars,millions of lives have been lost forever.Sometimes the consequences of these impatience does not shake or upset our destiny and the destinies of many others that are liniked to us.But sometimes they do and one act of impatience can upset a whole applecart.

During world war two,hitler's nazi germany was winning the war,when he foolishly went ahead and invaded russia although knowing winter was around the corner and this single act of provoking and betraying the russians even though they had both signed a pact of non-invasion led to his eventual downfall.Only a century earlier napoleon had daone the same mistake of invading russia and suffered huge losses.History teaches us,warns us with many stories and legends about loss and grief from a single act of impatience.

But then impatient men are not just impatient and are generally hotheaded,ego maniacs and think too much of themselves.


Beat The Grass To Startle The Snake

"Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence."
? Hal Borland


One day, in the county of Jian-zhou, there was a man who lost a precious object. The local magistrate Chen Shu-ku, was called in to investigate. He questioned several people, but no one could tell him who the thief was. So Magistrate Chen laid a trap for those he suspected. "I know of a temple," he told them, "whose bell has great spiritual power that can tell a thief from an honest man. Since my investigation is at a standstill we must employ the supernatural powers of the bell to solve the matter." The magistrate had the bell brought to the courthouse and displayed in the rear chamber. Then he had the suspects brought in to testify to their guilt or innocence. He explained to them that if an innocent man touched the bell it would remain silent, but, if a guilty man touched the bell it would ring out. After lighting incense and chanting prayers, the magistrate had curtains erected around the bell. Previously he had instructed one of his assistants to secretly smear ink on the bell after the curtains were closed. Each suspect was then told to place his hand through the curtain and touch the bell. As they withdrew their hands Chen would examine them. Everyone's hands were stained except those of one man, who confessed to the theft. He did not touch the bell for fear it would ring.


Rudran knew he was marked and that all of his movements would be carefully watched,monitored and information gathered.But there are certain things that only certain departments in the government can do,for example carrying a handgun into a plane.However a criminal is connected,how much ever money he spends in bribes,he just cannot carry a gun into a passenger plane and that happens only in the rarest of terrorist cases.But rudran was a cop and a super cop with connections.All it took was a single phone call and he was informed that his handgun would be in the cockpit with the pilots and would be delivered to him in case any emergency rose.

Rudran got himself a seat in the first row of the economy class,just outside the first class cabin and was busy reading the morning newspaper.The back of his head was buzzing as his instincts were screaming that there were eyes on him,watching his every move.The flight got delayed by about ten minutes because of the late arrival of a gujju family and they came,a fat dad,a fat mum and two fat children.Thankfully their seats were in the last row and they seated themselves with loud noises and eventually the stewards manage to get the loud man to switch off his mobile,which the man refused to do until he was told that it was required by law or he would be thrown out of the flight.The man hurriedly quietened down and hunkered into his seat and was further chastened by the glares of his wife.


Rudran was wearing wrap around dark trendy coolers and had traded away the ray bans which was so typical of the glasses which cops and men in the armed forces used and which was a dead give away in his case.Further he had not shaved from yesterday and the stubble was now threatening to grow all over his face.He had deliberately done this so that he could pass of as a normal and average person.But he also knew that apart from balaraman,nobody should get wind of what he was going to do.

The nearly two and a half hour flight passed very quickly and soon the captain was announcing that they would be descending from the skies into chennai kamaraj domestic airport.The word chennai brought back memories in a flood and they were all from the time chennai had been called madras and from the time Bhairav had still been alive.

Rudran a pro at this cat and mouse game walked out casually and waited patiently for his luggage,which consisted of his small black suitcase.After collecting it,he quickly walked towards the airport authority heads cabin and collected his handgun which was sealed in a small compact metal case and only he knew the combinations for it.Thanking the official rudran casually walked towards the car booking counter and told the guy that a small tata indica would do for he was travelling alone.He came out with the receipt and stood in line as cars came rushing to pick up their customers and rushed off towards the exit.


Rudran's mobile rang and he answered it "yes patel.how many of them."

The man on the other side " three sir and i have already given information about them to our people and they are waiting for you to leave,so that we can follow the people who are following you."

Patel was the gujju fat guy and the lady who played his wife was a head constable from the intelligence wing.The children were patel's two sons and they both had played their parts naturally for they had no idea what was happening.

Patel " saab,i will be visiting a few temples and will catch tomorrows' flight back to delhi.see you soon and all the very best.Please call me if there is going to be any action."

Rudran smiled " thank you patel, and no, there is not going to be any action as of now.This is just reconnaissance mission and you will learn more once i get back to delhi.So,enjoy your sightseeing and return safely."


Rudran next made a call to balaraman and gave him the descriptions of the three men who were tailing him from delhi.Balaraman replied that there were people from a private detective agency ready to follow all the three men and told rudran not to worry.

Rudran " bala,it is of the utmost importance that none from the tamilnadu police dept should be aware of what was going on for then news could leak back to delhi from the local contacts.That is why i asked you to hire a private detective agency to tail these men without using your people."

Rudran got into the taxi that came to pick him up and told the driver where to go and settled in for the long drive since it was afternoon and the road was packed with vehicles.


A drop of water is the first of a trickle that soon oozes and flows as a spring.The drop leaves the earth and starts its journey,running away from where it all started.It flows down a mountain,it joins a pond,it runs with a stream and flows with the river and soon joins the sea.But however and where ever it goes,flows it turns to vapor and rises to the skies and maybe just maybe it falls on the very spot where it oozed out and started its first gurgle.

All that we are,all that we become is a process that starts from our home and only back home does one find peace and another one finds misery.

All those nights I've spent alone,
Uninspired, so tired and wasted.
There's lots of times I'd have telephoned,
I couldn't find the words to say,

I'm coming home,
Lord I'm coming home
I'll make it short,
I'll make it sweet,
Make it up to you and me.
I'm not the same guy I used to be,
What can I do to make you believe,

I'm coming home,
Oh I'm coming home.
I'm coming home,
Yeah I'm coming home.
Only seems like yesterday,
You and I were sayin' goodbye,
Now I'm just a few miles away
Gonna see you tonight.

I've been alone and I live the pain,
Reach for you in desperation.
I was wrong, I'll take the blame,
I need you back now I just can't wait,

I'm coming home
Yeah I'm coming home.
Coming home,
I'm just coming, coming,
Waiting it out.
I'm just coming home.


BRYAN ADAMS

REDEMPTION-CHAPTER 8




All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.

We meet them at the doorway, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
Impalpable impressions on the air,
A sense of something moving to and fro.

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

My body is a machine and it has four limbs and ten digits.My heart beats,pumps blood and my lungs breathe.action,work a non stop factory and to power it i eat,drink and consume other things which breathe and are alive or were part of something alive.from rice to wheat to greens to vegetables and to fruits,they were alive once hanging of their parents.Plants,birds,animals,fish all live,thrive are eaten and die.All that energy goes to keep us alive and to make us tick and tock.Energy,that which powered and powers is never lost but transferred and transformed to something else.But it remains as energy but in the form of a memory,a dream or sometimes a nightmare.


Remains of the day


Bhairav had gone up the mango tree like hanuman and rudran had found it really difficult to match his pace but steadily kept following him and then not realising the branch was dry and brittle,had placed his little weight on it and had crashed to the ground.No bones had been broken but for scrapes on his knees and elbows,one which kept bleeding and his parents had rushed him off to the nearest clinic.Bhairav was asked to stay back and he had howled and screamed his anger not for being left behind but for being separated from rudran.For nearly an hour he had stood motionless near the window waiting for them to come back and had rushed and hugged rudran when the door had opened.

Rudran opened the door and stood and remembered bhairav racing towards him,eyes fille with tears and arms wide open to embrace him and rudran raised his arms to take his soul in and only grabbed empty air.But both his palms were gently held and kissed and rudran realised it was not his bhairav but Babu,their one man army who stood before him.

Babu looked at rudran " I see you have not forgotten that incident with the mango tree and the clinic."

Rudran shook his head " never,not until my last breath leaves me."

Babu took the single suitcase and laptop and went off towards rudrans room and the son went towards his mother.

She sat near the window through which the afternoon light illuminated her calm,beautiful face but which was strangely empty and devoid of any emotions or memory.

Rudran slowly sat down by her side and placed his head on her lap.A few minutes later he felt her fingers slowly gripping his hair and stroking his head as the bonds of the womb rekindled some lost memory and he heard her whisper " bhairav,you have come back."

Rudran's eyes filles with tears in joy and in sorrow for he wanted so badly to be bhairav and he so badly wanted his mother to see him for rudran.

He whispered " yes amma,i am here,for now."

Rudran's mother " don't climb that mango tree again.i am going to ask your father to chop it down."

Mother and son stayed like that for some time and then hearing her snore gently he slowly removed her hands from his head and quietly made his way to his bedroom.

Hearing his mobile's ringtone,rudran picked up and said hello.

Acp balaraman " they have followed you to your house and now know where you live.Two have stayed back and one has gone off on his own,presumably in search of a hotel which has both lodging and boarding.I think you are going to be followed and monitored constantly on a shift basis.So can you now tell me what is going on for if they have reached your home,then i can place some cops there officially for your security."

Rudran " no,balaraman no.not right now and not so soon.we will give it a few days time and watch what they are up to and then if it is necessary we will take action.but please until i give the word,don't rush in for the matter involving these guys is deep and highly volatile.Trust me when i say this that these people and their leader are not someone you want hunting you or messing with you.That is why,even us meeting in public is something which we should avoid for now.for then they will start monitoring your activities too."

Acp balaraman " who are these people and what the heck have you gotten yourself into now.I really hope you can handle this for you are the only i know who is capable of outwitting any master plan or criminal."


Rudran smiled " bala,i am treading softly and very carefully not because i am worried about these guys who are after me but for the simple reason to find out how deep their tentacles extend to and into what all other activities they might have dug their claws into.Thank you for doing this for me and i will give you an update soon about what i am planning.Bye for now."


Rudran made a call and whispered orders and his men replied " okay boss."

"The day misspent,
the love misplaced,
has inside it
the seed of redemption.
Nothing is exempt
from resurrection."
Kay Ryan, Say Uncle

REDEMPTION-CHAPTER 9

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.---Aristotle


I am,i just am for i am everybody and what everyone feels is me and part of me.I am love.I am anger.I am jealous and devious.I plot out of anger and vengeance and i plot because i am the one left behind.But then the real I,the real me shines brightly from the darkness and all that is negative is left behind for a voice whispers beckoning me into the light,saying it is okay to be afraid.It is okay to feel lonely and lost for in the end all of us are lost and travelling towards the light,the light that whispers and guides us towards it.



I see everything


"That was the problem with training to be a spy and developing your senses to the point that I had. Now, I was constantly alert -- even when I wanted to relax, I couldn't. I was always waiting for someone to jump out and attack me." ? Maya Bode, Tess Embers


Hard training to become a great police officer and even more harder training in bringing all his senses under control and to react to any given situation with the correct and appropriate response was rudran's forte.He had been born as a creature who was slow but methodical,careful but swift and unrelenting when the need or situation arose.Thus was his spirit and mind and they both were honed with all the training he got in the police academy and the few training sessions he had when he had been sent abroad.But rudran never stopped learning and spent lots of his free time watching videos on you tube and reading lot of books on crime and the minds of criminals who commit them.Rudran knew that there would come a time when the biggest threat the nation and the world would face would be that of crimes in the name of god and religion.He knew there would come a time when religions would plot,clash and murder each other led by fanatics who were in the grip of some euphoria or self induced belief that they were reincarnations of the gods themselves.

The next day rudran decided to go for a long delayed shopping for some clothes since his wardrobe had begun to show its age and lagged a bit behind current trends.He wanted to pick up a pair of new jeans,a few formal trousers and shirts.Shopping was one thing rudran hated and hence did this once in a blue moon and did them all at once.He had heard about this new mall which had opened in Velachery called phoenix mall and headed there late in the morning.Although it was a weekday,the traffic had appreciably thinned and he reached the mall by 11.30 a.m.He had planned his shopping at this time for he knew the shops would be more or less empty and he could go in,finish and be out in about an hour or so.

Rudran knew that every movement of his was being watched and vice versa every movement of those watching him were being monitored in return.Rudran still hadn't decided what to do about the rats who were tailing him but trusted his senses and waited for the right moment to present itself.As of now he wanted to know what they were capable of and how much of a threat they posed to him.

phoenix mall was huge,really huge and on par with the malls in mumbai and delhi and had multi level parking tiers for vehicles.Rudran parked his car in basement 1 and reached for his handgun but stopped and thought of all the metal detectors in malls and knew that there would definitely be detectors here too.He thought of taking the slim seven inch steel blade which lay in its sheath for it gave immense sense of security in situations where guns could not be used but decided against that too.

Rudran thought " what the heck,these goons following me are not going to launch an attack on me in public and if they did so then they must be more stupid and foolish than they appeared to be."

He made one call to acp balaraman " bala,i am here at phoenix mall and i am going in to buy some stuff.I want you to ask those men who are working for you to keep a close eye on my vehicle and ask one person to remain vigilant and to never take his eyes of my car.There is just the slight chance that they might rig a bomb to it or worse vandalize it for that scares me more,since my handgun is in the dashboard and you know what a bitch it is to explain to our superiors how one had his weapon stolen.So,if they approach the car,please call me immediately so that i will have time to react.bye."

Life style, the huge showroom stretched before him and soon swallowed him into its bosom filled with clothes of all colors and fashion and rudran felt lost in the sea of it all.His eyes honed in on the levis jeans section and he went straight to it and picked out three regular size jeans and avoided the slim fit and tight fit sections.Not for him the testicle crushing fashions and he really wondered how people managed to walk at all in those skin tight jeans leaving nothing to imagination,be it man or woman.For him fashion stopped at the door called functional,practical and clothes that let him breathe and move quickly when he wanted to.

Rudran heard the loud noises of voices behind him and knew even before he turned that two of the voices were drunk and the other voice was that of the person who worked on the floor helping customers with choices.

Rudran did not want to get involved and yet duty called and he turned ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of who and what and how to react if the situation got ugly.But his eyes widened and his body stiffened when he caught sight of a few red stains on the jeans of one of the men who was raising his voice.The stain was fresh and it screamed blood and now rudrans radar worked overtime and scanned the entire shop.His eagle eyes picked out the two men who were following him and behind the coolers his eyes rapidly took in and fixed the exit points.There was only one entrance and an exit parallel to it but in the far off corner,two doors were marked with emergency exits and rudran took in all the information.


Rudran knew the blood did not mean anything but then his instincts were never wrong and slowly placing the jeans back on the rack he casually backed into the men who had finished their arguement and were moving towards the cash counter.The young man who had tried to help the drunken guys was muttering to himself " bloody drunks and that too early in the morning."

Rudran stopped next to him and also muttered " drunken idiots."

The shop guy turned to rudran ' yes sir,and all this hype and arrogance for two cheap jeans and shirts which are already on sale with 50 percent discount."

Rudran nodded in agreement and then slowly walked towards the far end still keeping his eyes on the drunken guys and the two men who were following him.But then he made a call to balaraman and whispered " bala,i need to get out of this shop without being seen by those two who are following me.So call those private detectives who are tailing them and ask them for identification for they looked suspicious and create a diversion,just for a minute."

Rudran saw that the two drunk guys were leaving the cash counter and knew that they were heading towards the car park for he had seen the car keys in one of the guys hands and knew it was for a mitsubishi pajero.He wanted to get to the basement parking garage before they could get there and hide and see what they were up to and if necessary follow them to where ever they were going.

Rudran " bala,now.ask your men to stop and frisk those two guys."

A few seconds later the guys from delhi were stopped by four tough looking men who were ex cops and now working as private detectives.Current or ex,tamilnadu cops are unmistakable for anyone else and the two guys meekly stood while they were frisked and let off after a few minutes.It took just twenty seconds for rudran to move and vanish into one of the exits which led down to the basement car parking and he leapt the stairs three,four at a time and since it was still early in the day,found that the parking bay was filled only with forty to fifty cars.From left to right he scanned and saw a black pajero in the far end off the parking lot.Black body and black windows for they were completely covered by sun proof black window film.The car park had huge pillars to support the mall and rudran hid himself and waited for the elevator doors to open up.

Two minutes,three minutes and after waiting anxiously for nearly five minutes the elevator doors opened and both the drunken guys came stumbling out and lit up cigarettes when no smoking signs screamed warnings everywhere.Rudran crouched behind rows of parked cars and made his way behind them,slowly and quietly.

One of the drunken guys opened the front door and handed over the covers to some one sitting in the rear seat and got into the drivers seat himself.His companion suddenly became alert and rudran knew then that these men were up to no good and were in all probability dealing drugs or something far worse.

Far worse it was,for when the man opened the back door,rudran caught a fleeting glimpse of two or more pairs of feet but the scary part was that they were bound by wires and they looked to be covered in blood.


Rudran's mind raced,computed and came to one plan and now decided what to do,executed it.He rose slowly but still crouching looked for the exit sign and knew that the pajero had to pass him.so,he waited and waited and when he heard the vehicle's tyres squealing he got up,clutching his chest and slowly walked right into the path of the pajero which tried to avoid him but then angrily braked and the tyres screamed to grip the cement floor and left its footprints as it skated to just a few feet away from rudran.

The driver got down screaming vulgar words angrily " bas***d,couldn't you find a better place to have a heart attack."

He bent over rudran and tried to roughly grab him by his shirt so as to drag him and throw him to the side.But all he saw was rudran's right hand fingers straighten like iron bars and stab at his throat,with a speed that would have put a rattle snake to shame and hide its head feeling inferior about its speed.The man collapsed and rudran used his left hand to support his weight and kept it hoisted while his right hand went back to clutching his chest to show he was suffering a cardiac arrest or a heart attack.

The guy sitting in the front passenger seat now swearing got down " dei,yennada panre antha saavra naayoda.thookipotuttu vayenda."

Muttering in anger the man came towards him and rudran rose.The man saw his partner being thrown aside as if he was a paper bag filled with a few kilos of groceries and then the last thing he saw before getting his lights knocked out was seeing a tall man in coolers stand and then placing his weight on his left leg swinging his right leg in such great speed and power.Crack,lights out and rudran was running towards the rear of the car.

Rudran knocked gently and the rear door swung open in anger with a guy protesting " whats your problem guys.you had your fun with these two,now let me have my fun in peace with the other one."


Rudran took in the mans pant,which was half way down his thighs and he sat over a woman.he took in two comatose women and he took in the woman whose skirt had been pulled up and her panties were about to be pulled down.

Rudran reached out and grabbed the man by his hair and yanked him mightily out of the vehicle.Two thunderous rights to the jaw and two rib crunching punches with his left fist left the rapist unconscious and he would be out of action for a few months.

Rudran hurried to the woman and pulled down her skirt and covered her lower part and then untied her hands and legs and tore open the the cloth which covered her mouth.then ignoring her he checked on the other two women and found they were barely alive and he saw blood on their thighs and realised they were not over 16 or 17.

Rudran reached into the unconscious guys pocket and taking his mobile called ACP balaraman and told him what had happened and requested him not to mention his name anywhere.

Rudran then rushed back to the girl who whimpered in fear and whispered " please,don't give any description about me.just tell them that two or more men attacked these guys.okay.you will be all right."

Rudran raced back the stairs and crouching entered the floor of Lifestyle showroom and picking two jeans and shirts stood before a mirror and then went into the changing room to try them out.

The two men who were following him heaved a sigh of relief for they had been slightly nervous and shaken up when the cops had frisked them and had let them go warning them not to loiter suspiciously around.


The ear splitting noises made by the sirens of ambulances and police vehicles reached the ears of everyone and that of rudran who stood smiling nodding to himself.He hoped the three women would recover and go on to live normal lives which he knew was just impossible.

The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Two hours non stop writing.splitting headache for concentrating so much.But i hope it was worth it.

Firstly visualise what i want to write it.Then the technical aspects of how to go about the content and then add emotion to it and finally bring the chapter to a logical conclusion and yet leave it open for the steps towards the next chapter.

Hi people,

If any of you feel that some of the stuff that happens is too violent and does not suit this forum,please write to me and i will avoid too much detail in my further chapters.Be well.