*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 59

Wednesday on the beach

I,man walk on sands on the beach
I,man saw man on boat,more like two logs
old,rotten and tied by coir and made to float
The man stood alone and cast wide his net
and tried to catch that which wriggles along with the tides
Then one man waded into the waters and cast his blue net
fishing from the shore as if the boat was a bore or rather too much of a chore
Did they fish after seeing the film Finding Nemo
But all i heard was Magical Moments sung By Perry Como
I,man said what perry como,no way
for the song from Bobby Vinton suited the mood of the sea
and i sang along to the sea the song 'she wore blue velvet'
The sea floated gently as i hummed the blue velvet song
and beckoned me to dip my feet in her liquids
I,man removed his shoes,rolled up his tracks and marched into the waters

Blue velvet

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet were her eyes
Warmer than May her tender sighs
Love was ours

Ours a love I held tightly
Feeling the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow of

Blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm, a memory
Through the years

And I still can see blue velvet
Through my tears

URGES

This urge to write,this almost unbearable ache to tell stories,make believe tales began at a very young age.That they started leaking,flowing from my mind on to paper and now on to notepads and forums came later much later.I talk to myself,try to question myself and seek answers as to why i write,read and daydream and the undeniable and honest truth is to get away from my life and my prison that i cast myself in or rather that life cast me in.

Those days when life kept landing one terrible blow after another which in boxing terms can be called as a roundhouse punch,sucker punch i ran away as we all do and hid myself in a castle that i built for myself in my own head.That lost feeling has stayed with me to this moment and i suspect and fear that the castle,the prison will remain forever until i breathe my last breath.On a more humorous note,i sometimes wish that when i take my last breath and know that i am going to go,i can for a few moments have the power to recollect all my life in one quicksilver flash of moment and go with a smile.If only wishes came true.

The mind is an incredible thing for it is more that just a mass of white flesh which houses it and yet all things beautiful,wonderful in this awesome world has come from those folds of a human brain.

why even the evolution of life surely came from the brain as it adapted,changed its body and movements to suit its environment and to survive and propagate its line.

But we humans are the only one who can take a stand and walk away on the path that forked and move away from mother nature and say 'no,i am not here just to eat,shit,have sex and reproduce for i am much more,so much more than that'.

Writing,painting,acting etc are all urges that come from a childhood filled with good memories for some and miserable lives for some.

I have always been a solitary person,introverted soul though i try to fit in and make a fool of myself for i always end up saying something out of context or brutally honest and only now i realise that talking among my fellow creatures is a no,no.But i and most can get away when i do the same or should i say,when i put those same thoughts to words and on note,then it is accepted or at least people tend to make an effort to understand.

My journey has been inward from the moment i stared at my own reflection and squinted and then went closer and whispered to myself ' is that you.is this me.is this satish.' and now i know that it is not.My physical self is not me and i wish i could give shape to my mind for it is more beautiful or rather less ugly than my physical self.

When i was in my 4th or 5th std i participated in an essay writing competition and me and a couple of other seniors from the 8th and 10th went to another school to take part in it.well, i forgot about it until nearly a month later my class teacher called me before roll call and handed over the participation certificate and then read out a note that had come with it.

The note read ' master satish kumar could have easily gotten the first prize but lost it because of his bad hand writing and secondly for he wrote nearly 1500 words for a 500 word essay.But i see a bright future for his writing skills.'

Well,years later when prime minister Indira gandhi was killed,my english teacher mrs.malati achuthan asked us to write poems or small pieces in her memory and when a few of us had done so,requested us to read out in class.happy to say my short essay was allowed but not the short poem for she felt it was too violent and she asked me what the bloody hell i was doing by writing about the war between angels and demons.

All that wars and battles you read about and all the clashes between light and dark came from my earliest days when i too went into the dark and came back with light but sadly my light flickers and never shines brightly.


"Why one writes is a question I can answer easily, having so often asked it of myself. I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me " the world of my parents, the world of war, the world of politics. I had to create a world of my own, like a climate, a country, an atmosphere in which I could breathe, reign, and recreate myself when destroyed by living. That, I believe, is the reason for every work of art." - Anas Nin

Redemption 94

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." --Maya Angelou



Late in the night


Rudran,renuka and sharadha stared alike in horror and in sadness as Rakesh fell silent and then watched as he slowly reached for the bottle to pour a drink into his cup and she watched as he poured a very large measure of the golden stuff into his glass.

Sharadha gently touched his hand and looked gently into his eyes as if silently indicating to her husband that he was drinking too much and maybe he should stop before he got drunk.

Rakesh nodded to his wife and removed her hand ' ma'am,when was the last time you saw me drink so much in all the years that you have known me.once on our honeymoon in Alleppey when we had the boathouse for ourselves and maybe during one of our wedding anniversaries when both my parents were still alive.So,i think it is okay for me to get drunk and pour out my soul and talk about my sorrows once in while.I might be the police commissioner of Chennai but here in my house among friends and family i too am just an ordinary human being with ordinary problems as everyone else in this city who sleeps under my protection.But i guess nobody even misses a wink of sleep worrying about me or my men and the problems we face on a daily basis.'

Renuka looked at rakesh ' so what did you do next.Did you manage to find the people who were committing these crimes and go after them?'

Rakesh looked at his watch and then at renuka ' I mean no offense,but before i answer that,don't you think you should call your folks and inform them where you are for it is nearly midnight and they must be worried about you.'

Renuka 'oops.God,i was so engrossed in your story that i completely forgot that it is so late.'

Just as renuka got up to make a call,Rudran whispered something in her ear and she stared at him for a second and then catching his expression,she nodded and went away and spoke to her parents.

The three of them could hear her say that Rudran would be dropping her off and that she was having dinner at the commissioners office and asked them not to worry about her and that she would see them tomorrow morning and talk more.

Renuka came back and sat down and with a smile looked at all of them ' no problem.they are not too worried for they know rudran is here with me and both my parents trust him and know that i don't need any more protection other than him.'

Rakesh looked at Rudran who had remained silent as he had narrated the tale from all those years ago. 'rudran,penny for your thoughts.I can hear your brain clicking and ticking in the light that is flaring in your eyes and yet you remain quiet.'

Rudran smiled sadly ' sir,you mentioned the name palam swamy.I am wondering if he is the same person that me and renuka met in the crematorium and is the coming of the dog Buddha have anything to do with all this that is going on.For, i am somehow sure that everything is happening for a purpose and i am beginning to suspect that even my arrival to chennai has something to do with what has happened in your life and what might happen to all of us.'

The minute Rudran spoke those words,all of them saw rakesh straighten up and he grasped rudran's hand and stared into his eyes as if he was trying to read what was in his mind.

' A Dog and that too one which is named Buddha.Please,bear with me and describe this dog which you just mentioned.'

Rudran ' well to begin describing him is very easy for he looks more like lion than a dog.He is huge,jet black and has some kind of orange or tan colored markings on his neck.And sometimes i think i see a kind of green light flare up in his eyes.'

Rakesh looked at them and shook his head 'unbelievable.'

Then he looked at all of them ' that dog which you described now nearly fits the description of the dog that i met nearly 30 years ago.'

Renuka looked at rudran ' weird.But what about this person palam swamy.The old man we met at sadashivams funeral.You mean he and the old man who mr.rakesh met all those years ago in the temple is the same person.But how is that possible for then he must be nearly 100 years old or maybe more.'

They sat in silence,each lost in their own thoughts,trying to make sense of all that had been revealed.

Rakesh suddenly looked up ' i think it is better that you listen to the whole story for maybe then we can make sense of what happened and why it happened?'

"It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story." Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Redemption 95

FLASHBACK-1985 PART FIVE


Rakesh was buttoning up his uniform when his mother came in and asked him what he wanted for breakfast and he told her that he would like a couple of slices of toast with jam for he was not in the mood for a proper,heavy breakfast.

Devaki looked at her son and slowly sank to the bed with a worried look on her face ' rakesh,i didn't understand half the things that holy man in the temple was talking about.You have been here for just one day and already it looks like you have your work cut out for you.I am not sure why but i am very worried for your safety.'

Rakesh laughed loudly ' woman,were these the words you told your husband when he went way to the border to take on the pakistani forces.I know you didn't then why brave words for one man and worried and fears for the other.'

'Son,there is a difference between a husband and son and what a woman and mother feels for both of them.But let me swear to you for i know it is true that a mother will risk her life for her child and if push comes to shove she will always choose her child over her spouse.It does not matter how much they are in love.You are not capable of understanding this mothers words and maybe one day when you become a father you might get a little of what i am trying to tell you.Do you think i slept a wink when your dad went away for those wars with pakistan and china,not at all.I spent every waking moment praying to the lord to bring him back safely.Now i have to start praying for your safety and i am sure my god will protect you and keep you safe from any situation that might harm you.'


The door bell rang and devaki left rakesh to see who was at the door and after tucking in his uniform properly he came out to find his mother trying to make conversation with a young woman,dark but striking in appearance.

Devaki looked at rakesh ' there is something wrong with this child for she is not replying to any of my questions and keeps staring at my face.'

Rakesh looked at the young woman ' Enna venum '.

The girl instead of looking at his eyes seemed to follow his lips and then as if understanding what he had just spoken immediately showed some actions of sweeping,washing and rakesh realised that the woman was deaf and dumb.

He smiled at her and signaled with his hand to wait while he spoke with his mother and turning to devaki ' amma,the poor thing is handicapped and moreover since you must have spoken in malayalam,found it difficult to follow your lips and that is why she kept staring at your face.'

Devaki's gentle soul felt terrible for the woman and she gently took her hand and asked her to step in to the house.

The girls face brightened and with a lovely smile she entered and folding her hands,paid respects to both of them.

Rakesh looked at her and the at his mother ' keep her mum for it will be helpful for you and probably the money you pay her will be of use to her,although she looks pretty fit and healthy to me'.

Devaki agreed and turning to the young woman made signs with her hands and asked her how much salary she was expecting and the girl shrugged and indicated that she would happily accept what ever they gave her.

Hurriedly finishing his toast,rakesh got up and gave a big hug to his mother and was about to leave when he suddenly turned to the young girl and asked her what her name was.

The girl with a smile took out the pink rose that crowned her head and pointed to it and rakesh mouthed ' roja'
and the girl waved her hand and asked him to try again and rakesh mouthed ' Malar' and the light lit up the girl's face and she happily nodded.

Rakesh turned to his mother ' her name is malar, but sadly she will never hear anyone calling her by that name'.

Saying bye to his mother, rakesh climbed into his car which had just arrived and left with his mind filled with thoughts about how the whole day had started but then his police brain turned its attention to the case of the missing children and worrying how he was going to go about solving the case.

Chennai's disappearing military hotels
[The Indian Express]
Ashwin Rajagopalan
The Indian Express
4 April 2016

Velu Ambalam, founder of Velu Military hotel, in Chennai, was a legend. And the cooks there will tell you this story if you are ever among them. The story goes this way: Ambalam used to live a couple of streets away from their Eldams Road eatery. But, he had to get a whiff of their signature Meen Kuzhambu (fish gravy) every single day each time as he walked towards the restaurant. If he didn't, he would storm into the kitchen, dump the gravy cooked for the day, roll up his sleeves and make the Meen Kuzhambu from scratch. These extreme measures and leading by example have clearly paid off.

It's been over two decades since the founder of Chennai's most iconic military hotel' passed away, but the Meen Kuzhambu remains as flavoursome as ever. While Bengaluru's military hotels have not shed the military' tag, in Chennai, the military suffix seems to be fading. The popular theory is that the concept of Military hotels goes back to the Second World War when quite a few of these hotels' (it's still local parlance for restaurant' in Chennai) sprang up to cater to the large numbers of floating military personnel in the city.

The name stuck and became synonymous with restaurants serving non-vegetarian food, just as Udupi Hotel' became the term for vegetarian restaurants, regardless of where the cooks themselves hailed from.

Velu Military hotel was certainly not the first off the blocks. Velu Ambalam moved from Melur, near Madurai, and set up the first Velu Military hotel in 1955, on Eldams Road. The staff at this restaurant proudly reminisce about how even though MGR (MG Ramachandran) and M Karunanidhi might have been on opposite sides of the political fence, they both shared a penchant for Velu's unique brand of home-style food.

One of the staff members volunteers to hunt for a framed photograph of Velu Ambalam serving MGR. He comes back a few minutes later, empty-handed. I'm not surprised; this is not a restaurant that proudly displays any accolades and it's certainly no fine diner.

There's virtually no parking, the interiors are somewhat rundown (there's a new floor being added, though), and yet, the restaurant continues to be a magnet for regulars and foodies seeking authentic flavours. In the 1950s and '60s, restaurants like Velu were a haven for single men who relocated to Chennai from other cities and villages within Tamil Nadu in search of better job opportunities.

For me, these flavours at Velu are similar to popular restaurants such as Chandran Mess and Amma Mess, in Madurai. Most of the masalas' are hand-ground in traditional grinding stones' (they seldom use factory-made masala powders) and most of the dishes border on fiery. Their standard meal, served on a banana leaf, includes their signature Vanjaram Meen Kuzhambu (with seer fish), a mutton gravy and a chicken curry along with the regular accompaniments. All this for just Rs 100!

It's the extras that are the true stars. From scrumptious liver fry to brain fry to a spicy prawn masala (that I can vouch for), you can keep adding extras to spice up (literally) your meal. It's dishes like these that set Velu Military hotel apart.

The restaurant is now run by Velu Ambalam's grandson, Selvakumar, and there's also a branch in Chennai run by another family member. Apart from occasionally catering to A-listers in the Tamil film industry, the restaurant used to parcel' large quantities of meals to film units in the past. Gajapathy, the manager at Velu, talks about Velu Ambalam's other contemporary Anjappar, who was also one of MGR's favourite cooks. He started a small eatery (what locals called a mess') in 1964, in the Royapettah area.

While the Velu brand has chosen to retain its Military hotel tag and not move out of its comfort zone, Anjappar has branches all over the world and is positioned as a Chettinad' hotel. Traditional Nattukotai Chettiars might not be pleased, but quite a few military hotels have morphed into Chettinad hotels, since the term has become synonymous with spicy non-vegetarian food.

Ponnusamy Hotel is another Chennai brand that was established around the same time (1954); it has grown into a chain from modest beginnings. Although Ponnusamy never used the Military moniker, the flavours and the menu are quite similar to Velu. From rabbit fry to quail roast, there's enough to shock conservative taste buds. Restaurants like Ponnusamy and Anjappar also have room for their own version of Chinese cuisine on their menus. That's not something you will find at Velu Military hotel.

Military hotels are a fading phenomenon in Chennai. Quite a few of the nondescript neighbourhood military hotels have rebranded themselves as Chettinad hotels, while the non-vegetarian Tamil Nadu cuisine scene is slowly being taken over by chains such as Junior Kuppana, Anjappar and Dindigul Thalpakati Biryani.

Velu is one of those rare exceptions that still takes you back to a time when military hotels were the ultimate destination for Chennai's die-hard meat eaters.

You will find these scenes on page 122 of the last volume of my posts in this forum and they appear in chapter 16 and 17 of the story "AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE"

The day hurried for some and crawled in slow motion for others.Balaji sat near the shore and let the waves play catch me with his feet.The touch and go game the water played were soothing to his aching heart and lost in his thoughts he did not hear dhana come and stand near him.Realising someone was near him balaji looked up and saw dhana and hurriedly stood up.It had been many years since they had said goodbye and those years in passing made for an uncomfortable presence between them.Balaji came closer and said "dhana,how are you?".Dhana smiled his magic smile and hugged balaji tightly and all the ache and pain that balaji had been feeling vanished instantly.He felt his spirits lift as the darkness that lavanya had cast on him receded in fear.They both sat next to each other and let the waves touch their feet.They both giggled like children and the years fell away and the setting sun struggled in the west to shine brighter and to do the impossible,rise from the west to get a glimpse of the two friends who had met again,but spoke very little.Alagesan appeared out of nowhere and placed a tray with two glasses,a bottle of scotch,a ice bucket with ice cubes and a bottle of cold water.Dhana fixed two drinks and balaji took one and the glasses clinked cheers and both sighed in the same breath after taking a sip and stared out into the dark water reflecting the black sky. Balaji looked at dhana and said " i feel i have finally come back home.thank you."dhana chuckled and said "you are going to make me cry,say that again like nadigar thilagam shivaji and i will laugh,really laugh.balaji cleared his throat and said "amma,ennamma" and dhana started roaring in laughter.

Hidden in the darkness,the handpicked special forces policemen stood guard over their leader without intruding into his privacy.For them it was a great relief to see their boss relax and it was the first time they were seeing him drop his guard like this and be totally relaxed.This alone gave them initiative to patrol the area and see that he and his friend were not disturbed.The late evening slowly slipped into the late of the night and the friends sat making small talk,but generally silent and just enjoying their bond of friendship.

It was nearly 10.p.m and suddenly balaji turned to dhana and said " if i ask you to do something for me,will you".Dhana nodded "sure,what do you want". balaji opened his mouth to ask him but shook his head and said "no,forget it,not now for it will be too late".dhana calmly looked at balaji and smilingly said "bro,i am the chief ministerand what use is this position if i cannot fulfil what my friend wants.so just tell me what you want." balaji leaned towards him and whispered something and dhana laughed aloud and "ada paavi,people stand and wait for hours for grants of money,land and other favours.and you were worrying about this."dhana turned towards the darkness and like magic his chief of security stood "sir".dhana told him where they were going and off the man went and made calls and a few minutes later their car was ready to leave to where ever they wanted to go.

Although pleasantly drunk both looked calm and steady and kept giggling like children in the back of the car.Dhana kept pointing out new landmarks of chennai and the major changes which had changed the landscape of the city,starting with it becoming CHENNAI from MADRAS.The security chief turned towards dhana and said something and dhana said "thank you.that will do for now.".dhana told balaji that the place which he wanted to go was no longer there but they had a branch nearby in ELDAMS ROAD,TEYNAMPET and would that do. Balaji said ok,as long as the food tastes the same like it would use to when we were in college.

Started on Eldams Road by Velu Amabalam in 1952, Velu Military soon grew to be famous for its excellent cuisine, reasonable prices and personalised service.The owner then opened a branch on Valluvar Kottam High Road and this rapidly became popular. It was a no-frills place , no neon signboard, no A/C, no cushioned chairs, no parking facility. And yet, there would be traffic jams on the road outside the restaurant at lunchtime.
The name resonates in old-timers' memories but the restaurant on Eldams Road is now somewhat run down, and its property on Valluvar Kottam High Road has been leased out. Over the years since these hotels first came up, the non-vegetarian scene in Chennai has changed considerably with luxury hotels and specialty restaurants mushrooming and palates too growing more sophisticated.But the military hotels have survived. Some have woken up to ongoing changes and expanded their fare to accommodate Chinese and north Indian food.The newer menus though, seem to be a somewhat forced concession to the times.
The smell of fried fish lingers in the air, and mounds of steaming rice sit on plantain leaves on the tables.The rice is surrounded by scarlet chicken fry, all kinds of other fry and varieties of kuzhambu. No one looks up from their food. Here, to be absorbed by taste is all that matters.

As ordered by dhana,the cars carrying his security all fell back a few hundrend feet before they reached the hotel and only his car slowly halted before the entrance.M. Mahesh Kumar, owner of Velu Family rushed up to dhana "sir,vanakkam sir.we are honored sir,very honored.please come.Since it was dark and late in the night,and being a week day,traffic had thinned and there was not much crowd around the hotel.So quietly dhana and balaji entered the hotel and found a place in the corner and the table nearby had been cleared out and none were allowed to sit there.Dhana sat with his back turned to the crowd and somehow managed to remain invisible.Huge plantain leaves were laid out on the tables and then food fit for kings just flowed to their tables and they dug in.Balji mixed the rice with his favourite chettinad chicken masala and exclaimed " aha,aha,machaan,ithu sappadu.god i have been dead eating that bland karnataka food which had coconut in everything and even their sambhar tastes sweet.Dhana looked at balaji with great affection and said "bala,i never knew how much i missed being called machaan and how much i missed being with you and eating like this,the way we used to do in college.Just then Mahesh Kumar, owner of Velu Family slowly came to their table and "aiya,food okayva.vere enna vennum sollunga." dhana shook his head "enough,this is too much,bala do you want anything else."balaji said no

.Mahesh Kumar said " sir,we were only given half an hour notice before your arrival and still my mother rushed to the kitchen and made this RAVA kesari for you.please will you taste it for that will make her very happy." dhana said " why are you still standing here.just go get it and we will not just taste but finish the whole damn thing." Mahesh rushed out and rushed back with a tray holding two big cups of rava kesari and tasting it both dhana and balaji closed their eyes in sighed in ecstacy and said " heaven,nectar,beautiful and soon they had wiped their cups clean and before he could control it balaji burped loudly and immediately said " sorry,god that is so embarassing." Dhana said "remember shrek,better out than in i say."

MAHESH the owner had a huge smile on his face and when dhana turned to him and thanked him,he folded his hands and bowed saying that he was blessed to have the chief minister grace his humble hotel and if it was okay could he bring his mother out to meet him.Dhana said okay and mahesh rushed in and a frail old woman but distinguished accompanied him to their table.Dhana stood up as did balaji and folded their hands in namaskaram but the old woman tried to touch his feet and dhana jumped back "what is this.you are like my mother and how can you touch my feet".The old lady said " i wanted to touch the feet of the man who has brought back pride and respect to my state.i wanted to pay my respects to my leader who makes me raise my head and proudly say,i am a tamilan from the land of tamilnadu." dhana hugged the lady and said i am just doing my duty and i dont need thanks for that.he posed for photos with them and everybody who worked there and everyone tried to touch his feet and kiss his hands.Dhana's security chief came near him " sir,we have to leave now for crowds are gathering and soon it will be uncontrollable and a few tv crews have already arrived."So they left in a hurry and as they came out of the hotel a huge roar went up cheering him.Dhana waved to all of them and surrounded by his security team he neared his car.One popular news channel somehow thrust his mike into dhana's face and asked him to say something.Dhana took a deep breath and smiled " chinese,korean,continental and so much more but nothing will beat namma tamil sappadu." And into the night the cars sped away carrying dhana and balaji.


Sorgamae Endralum Athu Nam Ooru Pola Varuma
Athu Ennaadu Endralum Athu Nam Naatukkeedaaguma
Pala Thaesam Muluthum Paesum Mozhigal Tamizh Poal Inithidumaa

Redemption 96

FLASHBACK-1985 PART SIX

Rakesh watched madurai covered in green and although the color was pleasant to watch it did not do anything to shake his belief and convictions about politicians and specially actors who had turned politicians.The green leaves that sprouted on poles,took root on buildings were the the two leaves political symbol of the AIADMK which was the current ruling party of Tamilnadu .Yet,the man with his white fur cap and dark glasses had the unshakeable faith of the masses and when compared to the earlier party was a whole lot less corrupt and was one of the safest states to be in the country.Though small in stature,the man had been a giant in the film field and was now a colossus in the field of politics

Many had thought that he would not survive when he fell critically ill and had to be flown to America for treatment and his then his recovery pictures in the hospital bed were enough for his party to sweep into power with absolute majority.

Rakesh wondered how the man would have fared in his own land of the gods for no actor there had ever attained such fame or was ever considered for a political position.He shook his head wondering a how a Malayali born in Sri lanka had become the chief minister and that too with his fair skin among the Dravidian culture.Truly,Tamilnadu welcomed everyone with open arms and a open heart which remained childish and innocent to say the least and yet showed their greatness and immense kindness.He wondered when he was going to meet the man himself and maybe that would be sooner than later.

ASP Rakesh menon got out of his vehicle and reached for the briefcase which contained the bulky folder which Vaidyanathan had entrusted with him the previous day and when the constable offered to carry it for him,Rakesh told him that he would do it himself and quickly walked to his office and found his secretary Padma arranging some files on his desk.

She looked up and after wishing him informed him that the Commissioners secretary had called and that he was supposed to meet him at 10.00 am in his office and not to delay for it was an urgent matter.

Rakesh nodded and then looked at his watch and saw that it was just 9.20 am and since the commissioners office was in the next block knew he had enough time to be there and requested padma to get him a cup of coffee.

Just as padma left the cabin,rakesh asked her if the journalist he had meet the previous day had called and made an appointment to see him,to which padma shook her head and said that nobody had called.

Rakesh sat forward and wondered why the commissioner wanted to meet him urgently when he had met him just last evening and decided that some union minister must be flying in from Delhi and probably wanted to go over the security arrangements with him and other officers.

It was 10.00 am and rakesh entered commissioner Joginder singh's office and after saluting him,sat and faced the commissioner.

'Rakesh,the reason i called you is that i want you to handle this case of double suicide.The bodies were discovered just a couple of hours ago by the forest patrol near the edge of the town.I want you to go there immediately and take over the case and see that everything is done by the book.The ASP of that jurisdiction is on leave,attending some wedding in Madras and will not be back for a couple of days.So,work the case until he arrives and we will take it from there.

Rakesh looked at his boss ' okay sir.I will leave right now.'

Commissioner joginder stared hard at rakesh ' I got a call from the Forest dept saying that the tribal people who live deep inside the forest had complained that they heard vehicles come and go and also heard loud screams and yells.I am not sure what to make of all this,so take it step by step and since this is your first case,i hope you solve it quickly.All the best.'

Although it was 1985 and the number of vehicles were not as high as it is now in 2015,the roads were very narrow and it took rakesh nearly half an hour to reach the spot where the bodies were found.
(number of cars sold in India was 32,000 and the number of vehicles sold in

The inspector and the few others rushed to his car and hurriedly saluted him and requested him to follow them for the spot where the two bodies were found hanging from the tree was about ten minutes walking distance from the road.

Rakesh asked the Inspector to show him the person who had discovered the bodies and he pointed to a middle aged man who came forward and saluted Rakesh.

He told Rakesh that he worked for the forest dept and that he had been on his morning rounds patrolling the boundaries when he happened to stumble upon the bodies hanging from the tree.

Rakesh asked him his name and the man replied 'kandan'.

Rakesh looked at the inspector and the rest of the police team and asked them to walk the area looking for any clues or evidence and gave them strict orders not to allow anyone in without his permission.

Then he turned to kandan and asked him to lead the way to where he had found the two bodies and followed him.

As soon as they were out of sight of everyone Rakesh looked at Kandan ' tell me about yourself'.

Kandan smiled shyly ' sir,nothing much.I am a 10th std failed student and got this job because of my tribal background.Married with two children and i live here on this land and hopefully i will breathe my last on this very sacred land.'

Rakesh stopped and laid a finger on his lip and whispered ' so,i am guessing that you can read tracks and footprints pretty well.And i am also guessing that you know much more than you are willing to say.'

Kandan nodded ' sir,not much escapes these eyes of mine and yet i remain blind for i fear for the safety of me and my people.'

Rakesh clasped kandan's right shoulder ' what is more important to you kandan? live,eat,breathe and die,even if it means to do all that in fear and as a coward.If that is so,then that is your choice but i am not like that for i would rather die this instant if it means losing my life for the good of others and for the truth.'

Kandan smiled ' Brave man,but you will not be so brave when you have a family to protect and look after.honestly,if your family's lives were on the line,then would you still stand by what you just said.'

Rakesh shrugged his broad shoulders 'good question and maybe one day i will answer that for you.But right now,tell me what you see and i swear no one will know that you have spoken to me.Okay'.

Kandan looked away for a second and just when rakesh thought the man would back away and play it safe,he turned and looked at the ground ' It did not rain last night so the ground is still fresh with the events of last night.Three vehicles came in last night,two were four wheel drives and so you can guess that they belong to either the Mahindra or Tata motors company and the tracks of the third vehicle is longer,much longer than the tracks left by the other two and so i am guessing it is some foreign vehicle like a benz or something for an ambassador and fiat have much smaller wheelbases.
I say four wheel drives for two tracks have gone over this muddy surface with little effort while the third vehicle found the going a bit difficult and even got bogged down at a few places.'

Rakesh remained silent and followed as kandan kept talking and leading,reading the ground before him.

They followed the tracks and soon they ended near a long tree and even from the distance rakesh could see the two bodies,one man and another woman swaying on the branches which were bent with the burden they were carrying.

Kandan stopped at the tree ' eight to ten people were here last night and a few of them have climbed the tree,obviously to help hang the two who are no more.You can see the scuff marks of slippers on the trunk and you will find more on the branch from which this couple are hanging.'

Getting no response from rakesh,kandan turned to see the police officer staring at the the dead with a shocked expression.

ASP rakesh menon was staring at the dead faces of the journalist vaidyanathan and mrs.meena dhayalan.

How our inner EGO sometimes misjudges people !

A lady in a faded grey dress and her husband, dressed in a home-spun suit walked in timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office.

The Secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Harvard.

"We want to see the President" the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day" the secretary snapped.
"We'll wait", the lady replied.

For hours the Secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the President..

"Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave", she said to him. The President, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple.

The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on this campus".

The President wasn't touched...He was shocked. "Madam "he said, gruffly, " we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery !"

"Oh no," the lady explained quickly" We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard".

The President rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then exclaimed, "A building ! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs ? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard".

For a moment the lady was silent. The President was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University ? Why don't we just start our own ?"

Her husband nodded. The President's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment.

Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the University that bears their name...Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

Most of the time we judge people by their outer appearance, which can be misleading. And in this impression, we tend to treat people badly by thinking they can do nothing for us. Thus, we tend to lose our potential good friends, employees or customers.

In our life, we seldom get people with whom we want to share & grow our thought process. But because of our inner EGO we miss them forever !

Redemption 97

FLASHBACK-1985 PART SEVEN


Rakesh looked at both the bodies and remembered them as they were,alive,sad,scared the day before when they had come to meet him and now seeing them like this, something came over him and as his legs started shivering,he realised that for the very first time in his life he was feeling fear.A tremendous fear that froze his body and soul and he knew that he was facing a danger that was beyond his capabilities and comprehension.

Kandan gently touched rakesh's shoulder ' sir,this is what we the common man face everyday and we have learnt to turn a blind eye to these evil acts for otherwise it will be me and my family who will be hanging from these very branches'.

Rakesh looked at him and was at a loss for words for the IPS training had not told him what to do in these kind of situations.

' sir,this is the moment i was talking about a few minutes before and i am sorry that you are facing the very question that you asked of me.But let me tell you that these matters involve powers that even you cannot reach out and touch or question for then ...'

Kandan left his sentence unfinished and yet rakesh knew what they meant for he had filled in the blanks.

He thought to himself ' if they could reach these two in just the night,then they can reach me and my mother.'

'sir,i will just tell you this and then i am going to back and wait for you on the road and act as if i have no clue to what is going on.But before i leave,a word of advice.Don't trust anyone,i mean anyone.Not in the dept or anyone who tries to befriend you or advice you for they will be coming with a message from the people behind these evil actions'.

Kandan left and rakesh stood wondering what to do and how to go about this case.He could easily close it as a case of suicide by two lovers or he could dive in throwing caution to the wind and do what had to be done.

He remembered his oath to protect and defend and slowly his mind gathered strength and sanity and then rakesh looked up at both the bodies ' i have failed you.I failed you by not being there to save you while you were ruthlessly murdered but i swear on god and i swear on my life that i will bring those who did this to justice.It does not matter how long it will take but i will not back down from seeking justice and revenge.
Only after i see these bas***ds behind bars who did this to you will my soul have peace and Redemption.


The rest of the police team arrived and rakesh ordered the bodies to be brought down and then he told the photographer to shoot every bit of the scene and to personally deliver them by evening.

The inspector shuffled to rakesh's side ' sir,it is a clear case of suicide.That journalist vaidyanathan must have been carrying on with this woman and maybe that is why the husband has disappeared.I think even the case of this womans son is linked to their love affair.

Rakesh turned and faced the inspector and thought ' if only i had my handgun with me,i would have gladly put all the bullets in this bas***ds face'.

But he knew that this was not the time for anger or outbursts and with a sarcastic smile nodded ' yes,it could be a suicide and yet we have to follow the procedures and wait for the post mortem report.All right'.


Sitting in the backseat of his vehicle,Rakesh stared at the life of Madurai as it whizzed past him and he slowly started to visualise the whole case in an investigation point of view.

1- two people he had met were dead and both had come to meet him in his office and that proved first and foremost somebody had been following vaidyanathan and mrs.meena and had decided to strike and take them out.

2-The people who had done this must obviously now keeping a watch on his movements and how he was going to handle their cases.

3-Did anyone know about the folder which vaidyanathan had given him in secrecy and which was now under lock and key in his office.

4-Having his mother around was not safe anymore and soon she could become a liability or worse used as a pawn to control him.

5-how to investigate this case and the others without raising suspicion when it was only his second day as a police officer and that too in a city where he knew no one or had no one to turn to.



The answer came a few minutes after he entered his cabin with the telephone call.

Rakesh answered ' ASP rakesh menon speaking.'

The voice was that of a male,deep and rich in madurai tamil and it didn't give a name.

'Rakesh menon, you will hear me out for this is the only time you will be hearing me.If i have to call you again,then it means trouble for you and your family.So listen to me very carefully and please don't interrupt.'

' i know the journalist vaidyanthan gave you a folder in secrecy and i want you to hand it over or else .'

Rakesh ' or else,what.You will have me killed and you will also have my family killed.That's it.'

The voice replied ' yes.'

Rakesh smiled ' Do you know who you are talking to and do you know the extent of what i can do after i trace this call?'

The voice laughed ' i know but i think you don't know what i can do or the reach of my powers.For if you knew it you would not be talking this way.To trace this call,you need a warrant or a judges written letter and by the time you get it and reach the address,only an empty house will be there to greet you.You are answerable to your superiors,but i am answerable to no one and i am the law here.

ASP rakesh,meet me tonight with the folder at the spot where you found those bodies today and be there at the stroke of midnight.Or,better still send one of your constables to deliver it if in case you are too scared to come alone by yourself.'

Rakesh wanted to say many things but then he had always been a man of action and of few words and true to his nature,he whispered ' i will be there' and ended the conversation.

Far away the man who had just spoken to rakesh looked at his men ' the minute he leaves home,enter his house and search for the folder for i doubt if he is stupid enough to bring it along with him.Just because he is a cop,he thinks he is god and let him come for then he can see the real god as his life leaves his body.One more thing,kill his mother and make it look like a robbery gone bad.'

He watched as all of them left and then turned to his main man ' markandeya,i think the fires are going to get another feast.Ask them to be prepared for our arrival.'

Markandeyan AKA Murky nodded ' sareenga Iyaa' and left and joined selvam who was waiting outside ' thambi,be careful for this is a police matter and these things have a habit of always going bad.'

Selvam nodded ' okay anna.i will be careful and alert.see you later.'

Redemption 98

FLASHBACK-1985 PART EIGHT


"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves 'who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it?s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. " Marianne Williamson



Assistant superintendent of police rakesh menon stared at the phone and in his own private way stared at his own soul and a smile broke on his lips and whispered to himself " what the bloody hell am i worried about? you live only once and it better be a good life and here i have an opportunity to break a case and bring these criminals to justice.If it does not work out and i have to die,better still than wearing this uniform and living as a coward and retiring as one.But if i am going to die then i rather go down fighting and take a few of them with me."

His main worry was his mother and deciding to do something about it,he pressed the buzzer and waited for padma and when she came in asked her to inform Inspector shanmugavel to immediately come and see him.

After about twenty minutes Shanmugavel entered his cabin and rakesh asked him to sit down and enquired if he wanted a cup of tea or coffee which was declined.

" Shanmugavel,i just got a threatening call regarding the case that we were discussing about yesterday evening and i think who ever it was meant business."

Inspector shanmugavel waved his hand " sir,these calls are done by cowards and they will keep coming again and again and sometimes you will get to hear threats made by ruling party MLA'S,MPS and even ministers warning us about consequences if we arrest anybody.I have been in this job for nearly 10 years and have faced this situation and i generally just ignore it and just carry on with my job."

Rakesh nodded " Right,but my instincts tell me that i have to take this threat very seriously.The reason i called you is that i want you to place a few constables as security to my house starting right now for my mother is all alone in the house.Please don't tell anyone about my request and make it seem as if they are just patrolling the area.Tomorrow morning if things remain as they are now,i will make a official request to the Commissioner myself and we will take it from there."

Inspector shanmugavel said he would get it done immediately and after saluting rakesh left,leaving him in preparation as to how to go about tonight's meeting.

He looked at his watch and seeing it was nearly 11.30 am decided that the first course of action was to ensure the security of the folder that the late vaidyanathan had trusted him with.He got up and left his cabin with the folder in his briefcase and informed padma that he was going home and would be back after lunch.

Getting into his vehicle,he asked his driver to take him to the nearest Indian bank branch and once there opened an account with a safe deposit locker and placed the folder inside.He knew it would be safe there for the time being and that he could now go to the meeting without having to worry about it falling into the wrong hands.

From the bank,rakesh headed home to see his mother and he wondered what or how he was going to tell her about what was going on and yet he knew that he had to warn her and keep her informed that things could be a bit scary until he solved the case.

Getting out of his vehicle,rakesh was relieved to see four police constables outside his house and they all stood in attention and saluted him as he came near them.

Rakesh acknowledged them by returning the salute and entered his house where he saw his mother watching something on doordarshan and placing his cap sat next to her.

Devaki took one look at him and getting up went to the tv and after switching it off came and sat opposite her son.

" rakesh,is everything okay."

Rakesh shrugged " for now mother but i want you to remain calm and listen to what i have to tell you and please i dont want you to panic."

" mother,i have been given a case that involves a bit of danger and i might have to work the night shift and i most probably wont be back for dinner.For your safety,i have placed a few police constables as security and they will remain here until i come back and i might request for an extension of security for a few more days depending on how this case is going to work out."

Devaki was not a stupid woman and she was a wife of a general and now a mother to a son who was a high ranking police officer and she looked sharply at rakesh " has this got to do anything with what that holy man told us in the temple today morning."

" sorry mother,but at this point i am really not sure what is what and i can only make these connections after i have finished my investigation."

" This is your second day on the job and just your first case and already we have security around our house and moreover you mentioned that we might be in danger because of your investigation."


Rakesh gently gripped her hand " god,so many questions.But i am sorry to say that for now i dont have any answers to your questions and even if i did i would not be able to answer them for my department rules don't allow it."

Devaki looked up as a soft hand touched her shoulder and rakesh turned to see their new maid Malar and remarked ' are you happy with her?"

" she is a real darling and very hard working.It took an hour or so but we kind of have hit upon a way to converse with each other.The child is really bright and after a few minutes she told to go relax and then served me breakfast.I have to admit that i have never had such tasty dosais and chutney and then she told she me to go relax while she prepared todays lunch and i think she has come to inform us that it is ready."

Rakesh looked at malar and making sure that she could read his lips spoke slowly and asked her if she wanted an advance to which Malar smiled and shook her head,refusing it.

Rakesh then told her that she could leave and come back the next day morning for work.

But Malar insisted that she would stay back until night and leave after he came back home from work.

Rakesh thanked her but he was worried about her getting hurt and told her it was okay and asked her to go and come back the next day.

Malar stood for a second looking at both of them and then smiling brightly agreed and left.

Rakesh turned to devaki " amma,i missed breakfast so i think i will have an early lunch.Please set the table while i finish making an important call."

Rakesh went into his room and booked an std call to his dad general unnikrishnan and a few minutes later was connected to his office.

Rakesh spoke in whispers and explained the whole situation to his dad and father and son spoke for a long time and then having hit upon a plan,rakesh said bye and ended the call.

He stood staring out of the window and spoke angrily " whoever you people think you are,one thing you are surely not and that is immortal.You will pay for what you have done and i will not stand by idle while you carry on murdering innocent children and people who cross your path.There is a reckoning for everything and it will be so tonight."

His brave words joined his breath and floated across madurai and the energy carried itself deep into the forests and it reached a spot.

This was a place which even the wildest of animals avoided and most of the tribals stayed away for it was rumored to be haunted by spirits and ancient legends and many tales had been passed on by generations that evil gods made their homes deep insde that land.It was a place that lay shrouded in darkness and secrecy and it was virtually impenetrable and it would have appeared as if the very forest conspired to make a fortress of itself.

It was dark in the forest even though the sun was high in the sky.The mighty trees covered the land with their thick vegetation and did not allow the sun to reach the land.

Something moved in the darkness and the forest and all its inhabitants fell silent as the darkness inside the darkness stirred and then it opened its eyes and it glowed green.

Inside the temple of Madurai Meenakshi Amman, palam swamy woke from his meditation and felt the stirring and disturbance in the air and his heart froze in fear and he whispered to himself " blood will drench this land tonight and heads will bloom as flowers on the trees."


The boy who went into the dark and came back with light.