*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 75

Just a story-real,unreal,fake who knows but the emotion is true


She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.
As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success.
You have to laugh and find humor every day.
You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.
If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.

Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be .


REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

Journey through time

inthama karuvaattu koodai munnaadi po
thenampettai super market irangu

Chittukuruvi

It has been a long time since i boarded a city bus and travelled anywhere inside Chennai.Sometimes it is tempting for the terminus is just near to my flat and all those empty buses seem to whisper to me to come and board them as i used to all those years ago.I look at the boards declaring their final destinations and i remember how i used to sit near the window and travel from nungambakkam to parrys and from parrys to the airport and then to vadapalani and back to my final destination.Sometime during 6th or 7th std bus tokens came in and with them, one could travel all over chennai with no one to question you.Gone were those thin bus passes being jotted morning and evening like we do with th milk card.I really don't know why i sat,rode the green bus away from everywhere and into nowhere but there it was this strange flight of imagination.

Obviously lies and tall tales were told when i came home late and when i set off to school although it was a holiday and they were told so that i could get away from home and be free.Absolutely no fear,panic or any thoughts about being kidnapped or worse things that happen to kids,i roamed chennai and sometimes basu and vijay were there and i remember travelling without ticket on the electric train and getting down at the airport and climbing the tirusulam malai.

On days like those,i used to switch my breakfast for lunch and hurriedly have the curd rice or lemon rice that was packed and stuff the idlis or dosas into my tiny tiffin box.my favourite combi is idli,sugar and ghee and even now when my wife fills the plate with steaming idlis and spicy chutney,i roll my eyes and quiver my lips and well,sugar and ghee is poured and mixed and my day is done.

I cannot tell you how many times i have set in empty bus terminuses eating my idli or dosa with suger and ghee and waited for the bus to start rolling and with my head plastered on the window grill,i used to watch the world fly by.New people,new cars,bikes,new buildings away from my existing life and its lives and the road unwinded itself as if a giant black snake was slipping out of its coils and darting ahead.

My first ride on a madras city bus was probably in my 2nd std and well my cousin sisters Aruna,Asha were there to watch over me.But that changed when we came to Kothari road and i was put in Krishnaswamy matriculation school on sterling road.Since it was just down the road,i mostly walked the km distance or sometimes i would get dropped by the car that would take bindu to good shepherds and bujju to don bosco in egmore.

At present,i crave and would love to get on a bus and take a jolly ride around the city but i cannot take a single second of people staring at me.I know as an actor that i have to get used to people looking and asking for selfies but the thing is i dont take myself or my career seriously and get highly irritated when people stare and i scowl back.I didn't like it when i was a kid,growing up a nobody and i still don't like it.so,I guess a bus ride in todays chennai is a bit daunting and takes a lot of thinking before i do it.Maybe basu or vijay might join me and then i would muster up courage and ride again.

This wind in the face,this flight of escapism all got a boost and new wings when i sat on my very own motorcycle and drove like a tsunami to bangalore,to kerala and all the way to Goa and so many other places.It got better when i sat in my first car and i drove all over with music blasting away and yet now i am tired.

I would rather take a ola,uber or a fasttrack cab than drive and i even prefer to walk short distances when previously i used to drive the car.So,i guess riding the city buses would be a natural evolution and back to where it all began.

Obviously,i will sit near the window just behind the driver and will probably wear a baseball cap and coolers and watch the road unwind and the bus leap forward.No more Babu,no more grandmom,no more school,no more curd rice,no more lemon rice and surely no dosas and idlis with sugar and ghee but that brown faced and brown haired mop of a kid is still there although the natural brown is from Revlon,top speed and Ammonia free.

Redemption-153

"Some things are best left...unknown, you know? People search for answers and they don't always like what they get. Sometimes the truth is worse than the lie." ? Jennifer L. Armentrout, Onyx

They all stood like trees in a forest that stand in mute silence after a heavy storm has raced through them.They stood speechless and kandaswamy mudaliyar was the first who tried to make sense of what had hit their house and their lives and also the first to see both the twins Arul and Jothi and then he looked at Renu with a millions questions in his eyes and yet none seemed to form and come out of his mouth.

" Renuma,what is going on? Who are all these people who lie dead around us and who are these two strangers? What was the former chief minister dhanashekara pandyan doing here fighting for us? and most importantly what did he mean by prince and the child when he spoke to you?"

Renuka turned towards her dad with a soft smile " appa,i just have one answer for all those questions and that is Rudran."

Arul and Jothi embarassed that they had not been there to watch over and protect Renuka moved towards her and bowing their heads to her apologised for the delay in coming to her rescue.

Jothi " my queen,please believe me when we say that although this was expected but we did not expect such radical moves by the villian.But we are as surprised as you and your father are to see another Warrior of the light and trust us that none of us had any clue as to who he was.This is simply too incredible and beyond our knowledge and all we can do is to wait for more information from our mother."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar by now was totally frustrated with all this confusion and for a man who wielded so much power,this situation was just not to his liking.Yet,he loved and respected his daughter too much and also knew that they were in a situation that was unlike anything they had ever faced and would ever face.

He looked at renu " renuma,there are so many dead people lying around our house and compound and part of the house has been destroyed by an explosion and none of us are talking about what we are going to do next or how we are going to handle this for this is a publicity nightmare for us and our company."

Renuka's mobile rang and she answered it and then gave the phone to her dad who took it and said " hello".

" Sir,this is police commissioner rakesh menon and i was just informed about your house being attacked.I will be there in about twenty minutes and will take care of everything."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar " But mr.rakesh,who informed you about the attack on our house."

" Sir,the chief minister personally called me and informed about the situation and told me to be totally discreet about the whole thing and she asked me to personally handle this and keep the entire affair under wraps without any information leaking to the media.She asked me to work with intelligence wing that will be here by midnight from delhi and everything will be taken care off.And plus a special commando group from the local army camp will be there for your protection until all this is taken care off."

The call ended and kandaswamy mudaliayar looked at renuka again total confusion " what is going on? the chief minister has called the police commissioner to handle this and an army commando group is going to be here for our protection.how and why?"

Renukas mobile rang again and this time even she looked startled and awe struck as she heard the Indian Prime minister's voice " Miss renuka, i am sorry that you and your family have been attacked by criminals earlier tonight.But trust me for that will not happen again and we are putting you and your house under complete protection.I was not aware of you and your condition for Rudran as you know says very little and ask for even little.But i have been informed by our mutual friend about everything and trust me when i say that no more harm will come to you.This is my personal number and you can call me whenever you want.All the best and bye for now."


Renuka mumbled thank you and the call was over and she looked at her dad " that was the prime minister himself."

Kandaswamy mudaliayar shook his head with a smile " i am not surprised one bit" and his memory went back,way back to his office when he had first met Rudran.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
REDEMPTION-CHAPTER 13

He opened the door and rudran entered the personal office space of mr.kandaswamy mudaliyar and his jaw dropped at the awesome sight of the blue sea spread stretching to the horizon.

The floor was carpeted with the richest and softest of material and the walls screamed rosewood and teakwood but what caught his attention was the view of the sea.Spectrum associates was built in MRC NAGAR which bordered the sea and thus it stood ,towered over the Bay of bengal.

Rudran had seen many seas and oceans while flying and during his parachute jumps with the special forces he had trained with and yet this felt special because it was home,his beautiful hometown.

" An awesome sight,isn't it " whispered a deep voice and rudran turned and faced kandaswamy mudaliyar who was adjusting his tie.

Rudran stepped forward and gave his hand which kandaswamy mudaliyar took and shook firmly and continued " i see the blue sea everyday and yet it never fails to awe me with its beauty and splendor.there is just something hypnotic and at the same time therapeutic about the sea and her tireless waves."

He then changed from this sudden mellow poet to the powerful man he was and looked at his head of security and then pointedly at rudran.

" I don't know who you are but you must be somebody important for otherwise my head of security wouldn't be disturbing me when i am just about to fly off to delhi.Mr.shanmugasundaram what is this emergency and who is this gentleman and what is he doing here ? "

Rudran looked at kandaswamy mudaliar and whispered " this is about the incident in the mall,regarding you know who and whose name i don't want to mention."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar's body visibly stiffened and shanmugasundaram wondered if his boss had suffered a heart attack and immediately stepped forward " sir,are you okay.is everything all right."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar composed himself and then turned to shanmugasundaram " i am okay.now just go wait outside and let me speak to this gentleman privately."

After shanmugasundaram had left kandaswamy mudaliyar picked up a phone and " cancel the flight and the meeting too.yes,i am sure and tell them we will meet them tomorrow.yes,and i don't want to be disturbed until i tell you i can be disturbed."

They stood watching each other and the older man whispered " the incident in the mall is under wraps and even my own people do not know about it and that includes my head of security who just left.so,how is that you are here mentioning it."

Saying this he went behind his desk and began to open a draw and rudran smiled " sir,please.there is no need for that."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar looked up in anger " no need for what.And how would you know what i need or don't need."

Rudran shook his head " i said no need for the handgun you were about to take out from the draw you just opened."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar stared at rudran " who are you ? what do you want ? "

Rudran " i am the person who saved your daughter."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar's face showed shock,then recognition,then relief,then happiness and finally he placed his head in his hands and started crying.

After a few minutes Kandaswamy mudaliyar slowly stood up and came near rudran and took his right hand and gently kissed it and whispered " thank you sir.thank you for what you have done.tell me what can i do for you.ask me anything including my life and i will give it to you this minute.ask,just ask for i am grateful,eternally grateful to you and will forever be in your debt."

Rudran smiled humbly " i just want you to call whoever it is you have to call and take the heat of this investigation.Because it might hurt my friends career who is a honest and hardworking police officer."

Rudran explained in detail how the police commissioner was targeting ACP balaraman and how the chief minister was putting pressure on the commissioner to solve the investigation and all this because of Kandaswamy mudaliyar's connections.

Kandaswamy mudaliyar smiled and went to his desk and made a call and after a few seconds spoke in detail to someone and than said thank you and came back to rudran.

" well,that was the chief secretary of the chief minister and he said that he would sort things out and that he would directly talk to the police commissioner himself.Okay,is that all you want me to do for i owe so much more to you."

Just then rudran's mobile rang and rudran said " hello,yes sir.well sir,i have solved the problem.thank you sir.soon sir.i have some work here in chennai and i think i will be back to work by this weekend.yes sir.goodbye sir."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar " mr.rudran.was that you boss on the phone for i counted 6 sirs in just a few words."

Rudran shook his head " my boss and i can safely say that he is the country's boss too."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar raised an eyebrow " what? the country's boss.you mean the real boss."

Rudran nodded " yes,that was the prime minister himself."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar started laughing " who are you ? really.who are you ?"

I am Rudran.Assistant Commissioner of Police,special designation of the Delhi police department."

--------------------------------------------


Father looked at daughter " well sweetie,looks like you me and your mum have a lot to talk about.But please could you first introduce these two who are standing here with swords and guns in their hands.Who are they and what are they doing in our house and why did they bow to you and address you as their queen?.

Renuka threw her hands in the air " appa,the same answer as before and that is Rudran.They addressed me as their queen for Rudran is the king and their leader.All their loyalty and allegiance for me and you is through Rudran and Rudran alone."

Kandaswamy mudaliayar looked even more confused " King,king of what or what kingdom? And what did our ex chief minister Dhanashekara pandyan mean when he said that you are connected with him and that you are his blood and will come when you call?"

Renuka gently took her fathers right hand and placing it on her tummy " I was waiting for rudran to come back so that we could both announce this together to you.The connection to the man who saved us is in here and both these warriors are here because of who is in here.I think all that is happening,even though incredible is because of the prince who will be here soon."


In the outskirts of the city Dhana spoke to the Prime minister " Rudran is safe sir and he will always be safe for there is nothing on this earth that can hurt him.But what the united states did was a pretty mean thing although their intentions were decent."

Far away in the capital,The prime minister heaved a sigh of relief on hearing the news that Rudran was safe and unharmed. " But when is he coming back and what is he doing right now?"

Dhanashekara pandyan laughed gently " He is rising sir and he will be back soon,stronger,wiser with the knowledge of who he is and where he comes from ".

Across the Arabian sea and deep inside the mountain caves that ran along Pattani river,Rudran and Buddha rose out of the lake and climbed the shore on the other side.

Even in the pitch black darkness,Rudran realised he saw everything and off they went deeper into the belly of the mountain towards the womb of the holy mother seeing everything with eyes that flared green.

"Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." ------Quote from the Dark knight rises

Pine forest lullaby

The feel of wet grass bathed by dew and rain
The fragrance of a solitary forest of green and dark bark
And with that the music and song of a sweet lark
A sun that refuses to rise above the clouds
while for is warmth you shout out aloud

The pine forest of kodaikanal was just that
and just for a few brief moments
as i slipped in and out and into another pair
of footwear of some forgotten cow and its leather
i pondered if the cow,the skin had stood
and walked the grass and meadows and then i shuddered

I stood,walked on the carpet of pine leaves
that were soft,giving and nearly quicksand
no carpet felt this good,no room felt this peaceful
hundreds of tourists all around me from kerala
celebrating their onam in the cold and damp hills
and i was lost in the fallen brown leaves of the pine
they stood like soldiers,sentinels,last warriors
making a stand against man,machine and concrete
and still they laid their pine leaves carpet for me

red carpet,teak wood flooring,shiny tiles
still the pine carpet was better
soft,soothing,pleasing
and they felt the same way
as i lay suckling kicking my feet against my
mothers breasts
soft,full,nurturing and all giving

and then the assistant director barked
competing with sweetness of the lark

'satish sir,shot ready sir'

Redemption-155

"Our souls are but leaves in a storm, and only the gods know where we will come to rest." David Gemmell, Lion of Macedon


The moment Rudran placed his foot on the first step that ran up a small incline,lights exploded brightly and the visions came and they were as vivid and real and as if he was among what was taking place.Confused and groggy with this sudden onslaught of visions that assaulted his senses,Rudran looked at Buddha and then placed his foot on the next step and realised that a small girl was running before him and his every step was in her footsteps.She was tiny,no more than two or three and she ran with the gold anklets on her feet leading him on and she finally halted at a balcony that overlooked a huge,fast flowing river that looked very familiar.

The tiny girl turned and looked at rudran and then pointed to the rising,red orb of a sun that was just about to crest the clouds on the horizon.She made claws of her fingers and made growling noises and then she pointed to the sun.

Rudran held his head tightly and kept climbing the rocky steps one at a time and then they came out on to a small platform and in the middle of it,on a small table made of rock,was placed a life like statue of a woman that sat lost in thought and her eyes were seeking the light of the eastern,rising sun.

Rudran looked at Buddha the tiger ' is this the statue of the bhiksuni,the holy mother who was earlier called Thenmozhi.Was it her that i just had visions of when she was just a small girl.'

'yes,it is her.'

' But Buddha,what is she doing here so far away from the land of madurai and why is her statue here,placed to greet the early morning sun?'

'That Rudran is a story worth telling for here is a lady who went into the dark and came back as light itself.She fell and then she rose and found redemption.But this story is not only of her for it is also of you and your ancestors for in a way she is like a mother to you.'

Both sat down and Buddha continued ' Thenmozhi was the daughter of Nikantan who was the most trusted minister in the courtroom of the wise and noble king Kulashekara pandyan.But she was the darling of the king and everyone knew that she was being groomed to marry the king's son and that eventually she would sit on the throne next to him as the queen of the pandyan kingdom.'

Rudran waited as Buddha closed his eyes and then not able to bear the suspense ' then,what then?'

Buddha calmly turned to Rudran ' i could tell you but then much will be lost for it is just not possible to accurately paint a picture of a woman and that too one as strong and wise as Thenmozhi.But once you crossover,her own words will reveal what was and what is.Come,the light is falling on the passage and it is time to go through.'

Rudran stood up and watched with bated breath and excitement as the light crossed them and shone brilliantly on a hollow in the mountain.

He watched as the light seemed to hang in the hollow,as if beckoning him,beseeching him to go forward and forth into the stone wall and Rudran shaking his head in disbelief stepped forward and stood near the hollow and placed his hands on the curved stony surface and with a slight rumble,the wall slid sideways and Rudran entered on to a platform and beneath him and all around him stood a dozen monks looking up at him in shock and reverence and as if they were expecting him.

Confused,Rudran looked back and saw that the hollow wall that seemed as if it had been carved out was in fact te womb of a giant statue of Bhiksuni Mahaprajapati Gautama and it seemed that he had just come out of it along with his companion Buddha.

The huge tiger stepped forward and roared loudly and the monks fell to their feet and both Rudran and Buddha stood watching them.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Thaiyal Nayaki and my grandmoms godrej bureau


New clothes came with festivals and one's birthday and that was it unless we had to travel to bangalore for some wedding.So,new clothes came with diwali and i think telugu new years day and sometimes if the gods were king,something for pongal too.

I guess everyone knows by now that i worship lord shiva and i am kind of partial to him.Maybe because i grew up and orphan and maybe because i was attached to my dad who was also as moody,gruff,stern and an introvert that the three eye god is.Honestly,he is not and i can vouch for that.

But i brought in my personal god to this article for even back then my connection with him began and he clothed my naked childs body.Well,i am alluding to Kailash textile showroom,T.nagar opposite to the old Rajakumari theater.So,you can see that even back then i ran to Kailash for clothes and needs as i do now.The reason being the credit limit that my aunt,my guardian had with the showroom and thus it was in this particular showroom that all clothes,mufti and uniform included were stitched.Yes,the first pant i wore,first safari suit that blue one and yes even my kurtas and pyjamas that i wore to high school in Besant arundale.

Green shorts and white shirts for saraswathi vidyalaya,khakhi shorts and white shirts for Krishnaswamy matriculation school,sterling road and white kurta and pyjama to well,you know which.I think the final batch of clothes that were stitched for me were a set of cream,white and blue kurta and pyjama set that mimicked my then favourite hero kamalhassan and my all time favourite film " Salangai oli"

My late grandmom's bureau was the place for my worldly belongings and she occupied the top three shelves and the bottom most shelf was allocated by her for my sparse collection of clothes and i did wonder about how the top three racks sank in agony at the weight of all those silk sarees and the hidden bottles of mcdowell whiskey that the old lady secretly swigged from and i did too starting from my 9th std and added water to the bottle to maintain the quantity and i meted out the same watery treatment to my late uncle and to his collection of booze in the only air conditioned room on the first floor.

Years,decades have passed by and the bureau itself was lost in translation and it stands lost for about 15 or more years.Yet,one thing has stood the test of time and one relic that called that bureau its home still lingers on in my pooja room and that is the small idol of the Goddess Shakti in her form of Thaiyal Nayaki as she is worshipped in vaitheeswaran kovil.I picked her up and brought her home in the late 1980's when i still lived under my aunts protection( not in all honesty) and she came home with me after me and some friends rode down to vaitheeswaran kovil to witness some naadi joshiyam parlor tricks.

She has stayed intact and stands in the center of the shelf and has stood the test of time and faith.When she first came home,she must have been lost and clueless for along with her i stocked smokes,booze etc and didn't bother too much about it and i wonder what Thaiyal nayaki made of my habits.

But like kailash showroom clothing me,Thaiyal Nayaki too has stuck by my side and i too have remained steadfast in my love for her.I sometimes do ask her if she is doing okay and she says 'much better than your bureau' and i smile for my grandmom has turned to dust and her bureau,rusted and melted and probably alive in some other avatar and hopefully again as a bureau,holding some kids clothes and all his worldy possessions.Life goes on.

Redemption-pause,ponder,converse and set forth


Hi people,
So,here we are at the cusp of the 156th chapter of Redemption and soon the time portal will open and carry us all to the story of Thenmozhi.If you are wondering ' satish,there is so much happening with rudran and renuka and he has yet to meet the real villians and here you are taking us back to Thenmozhi,our heroine from the last story',then let me explain why i felt that she has to come back and at this junction.

The story of Azhagan and Avini began as a small knot and a homage to all mothers and their children and from there i added layers and layers and stepped back and it took shape and then i added the history of cholas and pandyas and the story was born.I stepped back and brought sadashivam,Buddha,kamalam and the circle was complete.Then i stepped back again and went back to the previous story and brought back Dhana aka Dhanashekara pandyan and well everything fell into place.

But i wanted to write the story of Thenmozhi,sing her song of love and tell her side of story and justify her motives and thoughts.Should a soul be punished and condemned for one single fault,for loving a person too much,for wanting the best for her son.

Love is so tragic and the opposite of hate.All of us have this potential to love and hate the same person and it is just circumstances which dictate when and why.But can any of us rise and look at the larger picture and work for the greater good brushing aside our wants and needs.

Can a soul redeem itself and find peace and salvation that will wipe away the guilt and the memories of the lapses that led it to fall and can it rise to atain Redemption.

The next few chapters are of thenmozhi and her side of the story and i hope you will welcome our heroine back and tolerate my pausing rudran and renuka for a little time.

I am a man and i will never know what a mother feels when she carries a baby in her womb and then delivers it.But my soul is my womb and i carry lot of stories that are my children and i want to deliver all of them,safely to your care.Every word that i write is a beat of the babies heart.Every song and memory is the babys walk and talk.so,by creating thoughts and words from my soul,i too am a mother in a poetic sort of way.

I wish you all the very best and give you the best of my love.Be well.

Redemption-156

Time moves.Time flows and countless lives come and go.Actions,reactions and memories of them linger and they come together to form a story that will reveal the complete picture.One life,one soul is just a piece that has a place in the puzzle.It is the culmination of a very long voyage and now the baton is being passed and it is time to run the race again.


Enter light,Exit darkness

Rudran wearily stepped down from the platform and slowly made his way down the steps and the monks stood up in awe and gently came towards him with their mouths in wide smiles of joy and relief.They touched rudran gently and felt him as if they wanted to know if he was real or just a figment of imagination.Then they all parted and before rudran came a very old man and from the color of his and the look of him,Rudran could make out that he must be their oldest,wisest and the monk who led them all.


The monk stood with shining eyes and they sparkled as they travelled all over Rudran and their sharp gaze finally rested on the pendant that lay on his chest.The monk recoiled in shock and also amazement and then suddenly closed his eyes as if he was trying hard to recollect some old memory.He opened them with a gasp of surprise for he had recognised the pendant and who had worn it earlier.

The old monk gently bowed to rudran 'child of the stars,angel of the light,my soul knows it and yet it is so unbelievable that i ask you this questionand i want you at answer it without being offended.'

Rudran folded his hands and bowed to the old monk 'Bhante,ask of me anything and i will answer and be assured that every word of mine will be just the plain and simple truth.'

The old man smiled and then slowly stepped forward and gently lifted the pendant that hung on a chains of beads around rudran's neck ' could you please tell me where you got this pendant or who gave it to you?'

Rudran smilingly shook his head and remembered the old man who had picked him up from Pattani airport and who had travelled with him into the forest ' another bhante like you.He too was a buddhist monk and looked very old although he moved like an young man.'

The monk eagerly ' did he have a name other than bhante? did he say what his real name was?'

Rudran casually nodded 'yes.He said that he was also addressed as Luang Ta and Ajarn but he specifically asked me to address him as Luang Pu Thuat.'

Silence filled the air and all the monks stood still as if the name that rudran had just mentioned had somehow electrified their bodies.

They all softly whispered the name "Luang Pu Thuat" again and again and then the chief monk took rudran's hands and gently kissed them " child,you are indeed a miracle and your coming has reinforced the other miracles of our master.'

Rudran ' i am sorry but i have no clue as to what you are talking about.what miracle and what master?'

The old monk looked at rudran " child,the bhante whom you met is none other than Luang Pu Thuat,one of earliest masters and teachers who performed many miracles and was one of our wisest and noblest human beings this earh has seen.'

Rudran held up his hands ' wait a minute,what do you mean one of the earliest masters?'

The old man looked at rudran ' son,Luang Pu Thuat also known as Luang Pu Thuad, Luang Por Tuad, Luang Phu Tuad
lived over 500 years ago.'


"What I have learned from the year past is something about miracles--miracles of healing and answered prayer and unexpected happy endings. Each came quietly and simply, on tiptoe, so that I hardly knew it had occurred.

All this makes me realize that miracles are everyday things. Not only the sudden, great good fortune, wafting in on a new wind from the sky. They are almost routine, yet miracles just the same.

Every time something hard becomes easier; every time you adjust to a situation which, last week, you didn't know existed; every time a kindness falls as softly as the dew; or someone you love who was ill grows better; every time a blessing comes, not with trumpet and fanfare, but silently as night, you have witnessed a miracle." Faith Baldwin, Many Windows, Seasons of the Heart