*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 99

What if-The return 12


"Not every wound needs to be poked and opened, and not every wrong needs to be reexamined, or dragged kicking and screaming into the light. Better just to let the wound heal, even if it doesn't heal quite right, or to leave the wrongs in the dark, and remind yourself not to go stepping into the shadows if you can avoid it.
? John Connolly


DIG Arivuselvam thanked father james for identifying the body that lay high among the branches as that of father john and asked him to go sit in his vehicle while he discussed the situation with the police and fire department officials.

The fire dept SI came up to Arivuselvam " Sir,i don't know whether to laugh or cry for the situation is so damn weird and even for me who has nearly thirty years of service in this dept,this is a first of its kind."

It was nearly two in the afternoon and the sun was losing its battle with the kodaikanal cold and a chill passed through everyones bones and they shivered in sync and Arivu thought " Someone just walked over my grave."

Looking at everyone " Okay,now please spread out in a circle and look for evidence and if you do find any,mark the spot and call for me.Please don't touch it without my permission.All of you be on high alert and keep your eyes open for anything that looks or feels different.Now go on and make your search with every step you take."

Taking out his mobile,Arivuselvam dialled a number and waited for it to be answered and soon a deep voice with a pure madurai tamil accent " Superintendent of police Arunachalam speaking "

" Arun,this is Arivuelvam here.I am sorry if i disturbed you from your work."

" Sir,good afternoon sir.No problem sir.Please,tell me how i can be of help."

' Arun,i am here in kodai and am investigating a slightly tricky murder case and i am not even sure if it is murder or suicide.I need the help of your dog squad if it is okay with you."

" Sir,absolutely no problem sir.The dog squad had been busy the whole of last week with the madurai meenakshi amman temple pooja and now are just relaxing in their quarters.I bet they will be happy for some work and that too in kodai and away from the heat of madurai."

" Thanks arun.please send me six of the best trackers and please send ponni my favourite labrador for i think she and me make a great team.It was with her help that we tracked those highway robbers near the dindugul forest and it was also with her help that we found the bomb that was planted near the railway station.

Arun,i want them sent up here immediately for i want to search the crime scene before it gets dark and before it gets more contaminated."

SP Arun told DIG Arivuselvam that he would send the dogs to kodai immediately and then dialled the Inspector who was in charge of the dog squad and relayed the instructions and asked him to move as quickly as possible for the case inolved DIG Arivuselvam.

The fire dept SI Pandyan looked tentatively at the DIG " Sir,if i may.let us for a moment forget the crime scene,the dogs,evidence and the cause of murder for what really is the million dollar question of this moment is,how are we going to bring the body down from that height."

Looking up at the body in the tree and then at the forest surrounding them,SI Pandyan " sir,the most frustrating thing is that we can't bring a crane here for there is no way for it to be driven here."

Arivuselvam raised his right hand indicating for SI Pandyan to stop ( stop whining,stop bitching,stop complaining and use your bloody brains) and then requested him for some rope,which the SI ran and promptly handed over although with a puzzled expression ( what dig,are you now going to hang all of us and then hang yourself).

DIG Arivuselvam didn't have to be a mind reader to understand Pandyans thoughts and shaking his head " sorry,i am not going to hang msyelf but importantly i am not just going to hang around doing nothing.so,for your kind information i am going up the tree and am going to introduce myself to the dead father john."

Saying this,DIG Arivuselvam called the crime scene photographer,a free lancer and asked him to shoot close and detailed pics of the tree trunk.Once the photos were taken,he asked them to step back and then casually looked up at the tree.

Unlike most trees,the pine tree grows straight and tall and even its lowest branch is about fifteen feet above the ground and then it is up to nature where the next branches pop out.

All the police and firemen watched as one moment their boss was standing looking up at the tree and the next moment quickly ran and leapt about ten feet and with one mighty push of his toes reached and grabbed the lowest branch and hung there for a second before hauling himself up and standing on top of its sturdy and green girth.

This whole sequence had happened in about thirty seconds and it was something unexpected and so superhuman liek that all of them down below clapped and a few without even knowing it put their fingers and blew loud whistles.

DIG Arivuselvam stood like a hero twenty feet above the ground and hearing the claps and whistles,looked down and bowed with a comic flourish and all the while the free lancer was shooting not only stills but video too.

Arivuselvam slowly examined the trunk of the tree facing him and then circled it slowly and was surprised and slightly confused for there were no scuff marks that would have been left behind on the tree where he would have placed his feet while climbing up.

There should have been scrapes,gouges where the dead mans feet would have sought a grip with his feet as he tried climbing to where he lay and the same question presented itself as Arivuselvam kept climbing up and up and soon was just ten feet below the body of father john.

The wind suddenly picked up the smells of the decomposing body and travelled down to fill his nostrils and he gagged and nearly threw up at the foul stench.quickly taking out his handkerchief,he tied it tightly around his mouth and nostrils and boldly went up the last ten feet and all the while down below the camera caught every brave and daring step he made and every policemens mouth hung open in amazement and all their eyes popped out in wide screen mode.

Father james gunaseelan stood watching the supercop in action and raising his hand made the sign of the crucifix " Father,watch over this amazing soul and protect him with your immense love and mercy.He is your angel sent below to do your duty and is worth a thousand other men."


The part of the tree above him had two large branches spread out like the two leaves symbol of the AIADMK party although they had lost the symbol just like they had lost their way after losing their leader,the late Amma.Thankfully,the dead body of father john was wedged on the lower branch and Arivuselvam climbed the last ten feet very slowly and carefully making sure not to touch the body and also all the while looking out with keen eyes for any sign of struggle or shoe marks that would indicate the dead father had indeed climbed up the tree.But like the area around the tree and on the tree itself,there were no scuff marks left by the shoes of a climbing man and by now totally confused and unsure as to what to make out of this case which kept getting stranger and stranger,Arivuselvam hoisted himself up on to the other branch that was just three feet above the one on which lay wedged the body and looked down below into the grinning dead skull of father john.

The crows,ravens and other birds of flight had pecked the face clean of its eyes,nose and lips and only bits of ears remained as stubs and it had left father john with a permanent leer or sneer and for DIG Arivuselvam,it appeared as if the dead man was laughing at him and yet presenting him with a message " today i,tomorrow you".

Taking out his mobile phone,DIG Arivuselvam started shooting pics and then shot many videos of the body from various angles and after exhausting ways of shooting the crime scene,he did what a crime scene forensic person would do and that is look for visible signs of trauma on the body.

Slipping on a pair of gloves,Arivuselvam carefully examined the head for any signs of blunt force trauma and finding none,examined the clothed body for any tears or bleeding wounds that would indicate stabbing with a knife or a sharp object.Not finding anything untoward or that would lead him to a conclusion,he slowly reached down and pulled the sweater that the dead father was wearing and it moved to immediately reveal bruising around the neck which meant strangualtion and death either by hanging or someone squeezing the life out of the person.

He pressed a speed dial no and far down below on the plains of dindugul,DGP Ashok kumar answered " yes Arivuselvam,what is happening? Any news about the missing father?"

" Yes sir,we have found his body."

DGP Ashok kumar worried and then slightly puzzled " cause of death,natural or unnatural?"

" I am not sure sir.That is one of the reasons i am calling you."

" Arivu,man what kind of answer is that.Come on,send the body to the dindugul govt hospital and let them do an autopsy and then we will file the report and start investigating the case.But then you know all this better than me and don't need me to tell you what to do or even give you permission for you are in charge of the case."

DIG Arivuselvam chuckled " sir,are you seated?"

" Yes arivu,damn it man,i am seated,what the heck are you asking me that for?"

" right sir,i called you for i need your permission to move the body."

DGP Ashok kumar " okay move the body,But where is it anyway."

" In the forest just outside the town and about eighty feet above the ground and wedged in a tree branch.So,now please tell me sir,do i have your permission to remove the body and bring it down."

DGP Ashok kumar " What,tree,branch,eighty feet.Bloody hell man,surely you are not joking Arivu."

DIG Arivuselvam " sir,i have just sent you a pic of the scene.check it out and call me back."

Ending the call,DGP Ashok kumar saw the red sign on the whatsapp logo on his samsung galaxy screen and tapped on its touchscreen and it opened and he saw number three on the name Arivuselvam.He gently tapped on the name and three photos unfolded and filled the screen and announced their sizes of 1mb.750 kb,2mb.

He tapped on the first file and the photo slowly undressed itself and revealed a grinning skull of father john and far down below stood many cops and firemen all with their eyes and mouth wide open.The next pic was a top angle selfie of the handsome face of DIG Arivuselvam and the dead and grinning decomposing skull of the missing father john.

Arivu answered the call and listened as his boss gave him permission to move the body from the tree branch and the lifting out the rope that lay coiled around his body,slowly wrapped it tightly around the dead man and began to lower him to the ground.

Everyone down below watched as their boss leaned back and with muscles that flexed like steel cables dance like snakes on his biceps and forearms as he took the brunt of the dead body and yet slowly but steadily dropped it to the ground.

Then from the distance where the road ended and the forest took over,they all heard the excited yelps and barks of the dogs that had come to aid them with the crime scene and Arivuselvam smiled and thought " Ponni is here and i am sure that she will be able to get some answers or in the least point me in the right direction."

"It has always seemed to me that there are two types of people in this world: those rendered impotent by the sheer weight of evil it contains, and who refuse to act because they see no point, and those who choose their battles and fight them to the end, as they understand that to do nothing is definitely worse than to do something and fail. John Connolly

Redemption 190

Rudran thanked major sanjeev and taking the phone " Good morning sir.Rudran here."

" sir,can you please hold for just a moment " and looking at everybody " sorry,but this conversation is of vital importance and it is in regards of national security.So please forgive me while i go to renu's room and finish my conversation."

Arul looked at the expression on kandaswamy mudaliyars face " Sir,i know the feeling for we feel the same way when we are around him and all our people have been feeling this for nearly 700 years."

Kandaswamy looked at renuka and anuradha and then at arul " there we go again young man,the more information i get about rudran,the more confused i become."

Jothi,aruls sister " sir,there is no need for confusion for all you have to do is ask your son-in-law all the questions for which you want answers to and i am sure he will answer them honestly and frankly."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar shaking his head in disbelief " it has still yet to sink into my brain seeing our ex-chief minister Dhanashekara pandyan in our house as he went around killing all those who attacked our house.And the best part is who were those who attacked us and more importantly why are they attacking us in the first place."

All their thoughts flashed back to that night when so much blood had been spilt and so many lives lost and in the middle of it all had been the tall man with the strange markings who had stood between them and their attackers and had saved them all.

Redemption-152 page 93 posted on sep 15 2016



The tall man stood among the dust and smoke and the twins Arul and jothi launched themselves at him.

Inside the safe room,Buddha who was growling in anger suddenly calmed down and looked at renu and whined like a puppy and renu understood that the danger had passed and with her handgun raised pressed the button and the doors creaked open revealing death,destruction and a tall man who held arul and jothi by their throats and a few feet above the ground.

Renu and her parents stood with their mouths open in awe as they saw this incredible act of strength and renu rushed forward pleading " please,don't hurt them.They are part of my family and very dear to me."

The tall man looked at arul and jothi with a smile and gently placed them on the ground.One of the staff members ran quickly and turned on the backup generators and the whole house was lit up like a christmas tree.

He stood calmly staring at them and it was jothi who first saw the strange markings on the mans left forearm and knew who he was or what he was and instantly fell to her knees and bowed humbly.Arul saw the same markings a second later and fell to his knees " my lord,forgive me for we did not know of another."

In the bright light,Kandswamy mudaliyar stared hard and then smiled in recognition for he knew who the man was.

" But sir,you have gone missing all these years.But you are here,now in my house defending my family.Why?"

The tall man smiled and the glow of his face could not be masked or hidden by the thick beard that nearly covered his face " I came to protect my blood and my kin.We always come to the aid of our kind and all those who seek it.Rudran is not here and he is far away fighting for this whole planet and i am just doing my duty in a smaller way.But it is okay now and things will soon be back to normal."

He looked at renu with loving eyes " Child,watch over the new prince and through it you will always be connected to me.I will come whenever you and the child are in need of my help and protection."

He turned to leave and halted and then facing renu " tell rudran not to spare anyone when he comes back and he goes to meet the master behind all this evil.Tell him his redemption lies in madurai and all those souls that are waiting for his arrival."

Then the tall man crouched and Buddha ran to him and both hugged each other and he whispered " I will see you soon my friend after your work here is done."

The mysterious bearded stranger stood up and quietly ran down the stairs and soon vanished into the darkness and into the womb and maze of chennai.

Renuka looked at the twins and then at her dad " appa,who was that man who just saved all our lives? he looked very familiar but i could not recognise him with all that beard covering his face".

Kandaswamy mudaliyar smiled and shaking his head turned and looked at renu and everyone else " I cannot believe it and i bet you will not believe it too.That man,our savior was the former chief minister Dhanashekara pandyan".


Present day,right now

Rudran came back out after finishing his conversation with the prime minister and handed the encrypted handset back to major sanjeev bhatia " Thank you major for looking after my family."

Major sanjeev bhatia with a salute " sir,i am just doing my duty and me and my team consider it a honor that we are protecting our own and one who has done so much and given so much to our country.Sir,i will be outside if you need me."

Rudran looked at anuradha,renukas mother " Ma'am,if it is not too much trouble can i have something to eat for i think it has been nearly two days since i last ate a proper meal."

Anuradha " I am so sorry for i forgot my manners in all this excitement." looking at her daughter " renu,take him to the dining table please."

Rudran thanked her and then looked at both arul and jothi " come my friends and join me for we can discuss further plans as we eat."

Arul and jothi did not know how to react to this offer for it was unheard of for any member of their clan to sit with their leader and on whom they worshipped and followed.Both their thoughts ran to their mothers reaction if she happened to hear that they sat with their king and ate along with him.

Rudran threw his hands around both of them " listen,you are my friends and my fellow warriors.If you are going to think so much about this request then take it as my command and follow it."

With that both of them followed rudran like lambs and sat down next to him,not before jothi pushed arul away and seated herself closer to rudran who gifted her with a charming smile and she felt her heart melt like ice cream on a hot summer day.


Far away in a large colonial house set among the lush coffee plantations of coorg,Balaji looked at Dhanashekara pandyan " dhana,please dont go to madurai by yourself.Let me come along for two sets of eyes are better than one.And from what you are telling me about this character called Raja durai,he seems to be a pretty smart chap and will be prepared for all eventualities."

Dhana tilted the glass and emptied its contents of black label scotch whiskey and handing the it to balaji " pour me another one,please."

Sitting himself on the ledge of the window,he looked at balaji " my friend,there is a lot that you don't know about me and i think it is better if it remains like that for now.But trust me for when the time comes i will call on you and ask for your help.This trip to madurai is not to confront this man called raja durai but dig deep and find out what he is really up to and what he has planned for a few friends of mine."

Then suddenly remembering something " Bala,take down these numbers and please call them when i ask you to do so.You have yet to meet them and they are as much as my family as you are to me.I am going to madurai for a fellow brother who has his hands full with other problems and i go to ease his work load a bit."

Both of them sat late into the night and balaji listened in awe and shock as dhana spoke about rudran and renuka.

It was nearly 10 am when he got up in the morning and knew that dhana had already left to madurai driving his BMW 5 series and whispered a prayer for his friend and his well being.

But really,he should have whispered a prayer for those that would stand between him and his purpose.


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

What If-The return 13


The object of interest and whose arrival DIG Arivuselvam had been waiting for was Ponni,an eight year old labrador female who now jumped nimbly to the ground on her slightly old limbs and stood looking into the forest with her head raised and took in all the sights,sounds and smells that came from all around her.The five other assorted breeds of dogs stood away from her for they were still training under her and taking her cues as to what to do and how to go about it.

But before Ponni and the other members of the dog squad take steps into the forest and into the investigation,we need to step a few decades back as to get a slight look and insight into how dogs became a vital part of the security in this state and country.

The Madras City Police Dog Squad was started under Sub-Inspector of Police Kanniah Naidu in 1952. It was set up in the CB-CID buildings on Mount Road and was shifted to Egmore in 1956.Back then, Madras police was the first to use sniffer dogs for detection and tracking. It is said that the larger and stronger breeds, such as Alsatians, were imported from countries such as Germany. Two years after the squad was instituted, permanent kennels were built at Egmore. And at that point, the squad could breed and train only six dogs.

A few years of training later, the dog squad became a standalone department with a Sub-Inspector in charge of training all the dog handlers. The handlers are all constables of police. A former Assistant Inspector General of Police P. Kuppuswamy was even sent to London to study training of police dogs to initiate better management methods here. By 1977, the kennel had grown to accommodate ten dogs, nine of them German Shepherds.

In 1991, a Special Security Group became part of the Tamil Nadu Commando Force with sniffer dogs to detect explosives. In 2000, new squads were authorised and trained in Chennai before being sent out to various locations across the state. Over 100 pups were brought in and trained. In 2003, following a decision to expand the squad, 10 more dogs were added to the kennel. The dogs were allotted to be specifically trained in the detection of narcotics, explosives and crime.

The dogs are prepared for any situation and provide for the security of VIPs and VVIPs and help guard the Raj Bhavan, Secretariat, airport and bus terminus.Today, of the 21 dogs at the station,14 are trained to track down explosives, six help with crime investigation, and one sniffs out narcotics.They have been trained since they were puppies, so that they get involved with the trainer from an early age and only the trainer feeds the dog his three meals. The trainers treat the dogs like they would treat their own children.

Now that bit of history covered,we need to know why dogs of all breeds and all sizes are used by police,army and security agencies all over the world.Come with me and peek under the cover that will take you into the dog and how it sees and breathes in this world.

Pet-a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.

c.10000 BC

In what is now Israel, a puppy is buried cradled in the hand of a human. It's the earliest clear evidence we have that humans and dogs, which 2,000 years earlier had been domesticated Asian wolves, share a special bond.

c.7500 BC

A cat resembling an African wildcat is buried with a human on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This early evidence suggests that cats were first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent (where the African and Eurasian continents meet) and later brought as pets to Cyprus and Egypt.

c.3000 BC

Ancient Egyptian paintings depict house cats which were first allowed into homes to hunt mice after the Egyptians invented the idea of storing grain indoors. Cats, which were sacred in Egypt, are depicted in many statues.


Today,we have a wide variety of choices when we think of getting a pet for ourselves or for our homes.And those choices start from cats and dogs and run into creepy choices of reptiles and snakes such as pythons and Boas.
But in all these choices and among all these pets,the friendly dog is the only one who will look up at you,love you the most,more than its own life and hunt by your side and protect and defend you and your property.

I guess that is the simple reason why dogs are part of our daily life and have been a part of our lives for nearly 10,000 years or more.

Dogs bark,protect and watch over us is all good but here,right now in this story we are talking about why ponni and her gang have come to the assistance of the police and to what purpose.

The purpose is smell,sniff and detect.Yes,dogs are used in all matters of security to sniff out dangers for they possess an incredible sense of smell along with awesome sight and hearing.But i will restrict myself to their super sense of smell and how our own human smell compares with them.

Dogs are known as man's best friend. Dogs are also known for their loyalty, which is probably why they are mankind's most beloved pets. However, most dogs love their masters 100 times more than their masters love them. Similarly, a dog's sense of smell is far greater than a human's sense of smell.Dogs' sense of smell is essentially what sense of sight is to humans. Dogs interpret the world through their nose, as compared to humans, who are dependent on their sight to see the world.

When we try to smell something, we inhale air with our nose and we use the same passage in our nose to exhale that air. Therefore, all the smell that we get when we are inhaling is lost when we exhale that air. However, a dog has two different air passages, one for breathing and another for smelling. This means that dogs are able to store the smell in their nose even while breathing out the air!

When dogs exhale, they send air out through the slits of their nose, but the manner in which this air is exhaled through their nose helps the dogs to draw in new odor molecules. This also helps dogs capture more smells when sniffing.

You must have noticed that dogs' noses are always wet, but have you ever wondered why? The mucus on the dog's nose helps it smell by capturing scent particles. A dog also has the ability to smell independently from each nostril, this helps the dog to understand from which direction the smell is coming.

The passage through which dogs smell the air contains highly specialized olfactory receptor cells, which are responsible for receiving smells. A dog contains about 225-300 million smell receptors, as compared to just 5 million of these receptors being present in a human nose.


By now, we clearly know that dogs have a nose that can smell about 1,000-10,000 times better than a human, but how are dogs able to remember all the different smells that they have sensed throughout their life?

The answer lies in the difference between the brains of dogs and humans. A human brain has a larger visual cortex than dogs, whereas a dog's brain has a much larger olfactory cortex than humans. The visual cortex is responsible for processing visual information, whereas the olfactory cortex is responsible for processing the sense of smell. A dog's olfactory cortex is about 40 times larger than that of a human.Humans perceive the world through their vision, while dogs experience the world through their nose. Every smell is different for a dog, and each smell has a story behind it. When a dog smells a person, another dog, or any random scent, he is trying to determine the history behind it.

Dogs contain another special olfactory system above the roof of its mouth called the vomeronasal organ, which helps dogs sense the smells of objects that they cannot see, such as human emotions. A dog can tell if a person is sad or happy, and this also helps dogs know whether an animal is friendly or dangerous to them. This unique ability also helps them identify potential mates.

The power of the canine sense of smell is unique and has helped humans in a number of ways. A dog can feel if a person is sick or sad, and can even identify if someone is pregnant. With proper training, some dogs can even be trained to detect bombs. They can sense the emotions of humans and react appropriately in a time of need, and they also have been able to help in the early detection of cancer in humans, essentially saving the lives of their owners.A dog does not care how you look or dress, but if he gets good vibes from your smell, then a dog will love you. The world is truly a better place because of these wonderful creatures that we are lucky enough to welcome into our lives.


Ponni stood still and among all the smells that flowed and raced as signals and converted as thoughts in her brain,she detected one and that was the smell that told her that her best friend was here and the other alerted that he was in grave danger as were all of them.

The five other labradors who were a few years younger than her also reacted as their noses were flooded with all kinds of smells from the forest and undergrowth and among them a strange and a very primitive smell which their instincts warned them as death and danger began to whine,bark and howl as ponni was doing.The dog handlers looked at each other surprised at the strange behaviour of their pets and ruffled their heads in encouragement and led them forward.

Ponni's first reaction and that which came naturally to her dog mind was to whine and retreat back to the safety of the vehicle they had come in and cower there.But her protective instinct and her training to face the gravest of threats even if it meant losing her life urged and motivated her to race with aggressive barks and howls of warning to everyone present that something real and dangerous loomed all over the place.

DIG Arivuselvam who had known ponni for nearly two years heard the difference in her barks for they were telling him that she was scared,angry and also alerting everyone to something.

Father james gunaseelan who had been sitting by himself,drowned in sorrow after seeing father john's dead body followed the dogs for even he knew that their barks were unnatural and that meant they were alerted to something or were tracking someone.

The five dogs led by ponni burst into the clearing where DIG arivuselvam stood next to the body and she immediately went to him and sat by his side and yet her eyes and ears kept swivelling all over in a circle.

Arivuselvam sat by ponni and ruffled her head which in turn was rewarded with a wet nose and soft kiss from her and the other five dogs too joined her and he petted all of them.

Then suddenly Ponni stood up with her lips pulled back in a snarl and a deep growl emerged from her throat and Arivuselvam saw the hair on her back raise up in a show of aggression.

We call this " raising its hackles" although the correct and technical term is pyloerection.The hair from the back of the neck all the way down the tail stand up. It happens when the dog wants to appear larger and it depends on the "perceived" threat level on the dog. The bad part of this is that it happens when you have a dog that is full of defense. The more defensive the dog, the more he will pyloerect. Do you know where all defense comes from, in humans as well as dogs? FEAR. The more fearful the dog is, the more he will exhibit the pyloerection symptoms.

The two trainers who had brought the dogs from madurai were constables and one of them hurriedly looked at DIG Arivuselvam " Sorry sir.This is a rather strange behavior and one that i have not seen ponni or any other dog that i have trained do before this instance.From my knowledge i can tell you that they are spooked and really scared about something and are trying to tell us that it is not safe right now."

The sun was still bright at four in the afternoon and DIG Arivuselvam looked at the constable " There are nearly fifteen of us here along with six well trained dogs and i am not sure what it is we have to be scared about."

Sitting next to ponni " My friend,i know you understand what is required of you.So,please lead and we will follow you."

Ponni knew what was expected of her and even though she was nervous and scared,she got up and first went towards the dead body of father john and stopped a few feet away from him and began to bark at the tree and suddenly raced towards a thick growth of trees and standing at the root of one began to bark at the branches above.

DIG Arivuselvam and the dog handlers ran towards that spot and began to look for evidence around the trees and not finding anything turned to ponni who was now totally aggressive in her barks and even tried to leap into the air to bite what ever it was that in the trees.

Among all of them it was only Inspector prakasam who was carrying his handgun and at Arivuselvams request,he removed the holster from the belt and timidly handed it over.

" Sir,may i know why you are asking for my handgun.Please sir,we are all pretty nervous for even the dogs are acting very strangely and exhibiting unknown behavior."

DIG Arivuselvam placed a finger on his lips and everybody immediately fell silent.

Looking at all of them " There is only one animal that can go up trees and that can also scare the dogs for they are also part of its meal as are humans too."

Seeing the puzzled expressions " I am talking about a leopard and probably a man eater.I know that there has never been a leopard attack in kodai and so far away from the plains.But let me tell you that a leopard is the most opportunistic predator and will travel great distances for a meal.I am not sure if it up there hiding in these trees but i am going up to see for myself for i want to understand what it scaring ponni and the other dogs."

Father james nervously " Arivuselvam,please.can't we wait for further reinforcements and probably more guns or rifles."

" No father,it will be dark soon and by then our advantage will be lost and if it is a leopard then the cat will be in its element and might kill many of us.So,let me go up and see for myself what it is that is scaring the dogs for them to behave so strangely."

DIG Arivuselavm attached the holster with its handgun to his belt and then leapt to the lowest branch and hoisted himself and slowly began to make his way up through the thick branches.

But far above sat something far deadlier than a leopard and something that had been dead for a long time and which did not belong to the land of living.

Aashritha sat in stillness but the raging anger began to fill her soul and she knew that this foolish man had to be killed or else he would with the help of the dogs somehow manage to create confusion for her loved ones.

She knew it would be dark soon for then she could go down and kill everyone present there and also kill those irritating dogs who were all directly looking at her.

She did not need any reason for killing and all that was required was for her to perceive the slightest hint of danger to her family.

Ponni seemed to sense the events that were going to unfold and she went mad and forgetting her training of eight years and throwing of her leash from her handlers hands who had looked after her from the time she had been two months old,charged towards the tree and leaping up on her old limbs managed to catch the bottom bit of DIG Arivuselvams jeans and she hung from it,pleading desperately and asking him not to go up.

Arivuselvam looking down and not wanting to hurt ponni,jumped back on to the ground " Ponni,girl,what is wrong with you? why are you behaving like this?"

But now the other dogs joined ponni and all of them stood under the tree and began to bark at their top of their voices.One of them began to go mad with anger and nearly bit the handler who was holding him.

The handlers totally unequipped to handle such a situation looked at the DIG who requested them to take the dogs back to their vehicle and wait there.But ponni refused to go back and kept whining and looking up at the tree.

The evening light soon began to lose and slowly darkness began to cover kodaikanal and it began to grow darker and colder in the forest they were all in.

When the noises came,they were at first not very sure as to what or who was making the noise but suddenly the air grew freezing cold and the noises became louder and clearer.

Was it the growls of a leopard or was it the shrieks of some wild beast.But none of them had heard such noises before that and it was father james gunaseelan who was the first to make sense of what was causing it.

" Arivuselvam,even if you think of me as being silly and idiotic,i am still going to tell you something and that is i have felt like this before and have heard such creepy noises before in my life."

DIG Arivuselvam standing like a rock and without an iota of fear " Okay father,i will bite.Tell me where you have heard such noises or experienced this situation before."

The dog handlers,the police team,the fire department members all looked at father james in anxiety and he looked at them with fear running across his eyes,lips,hands and body.

" I have heard such noises when i was part of a secret exorcism."

" Exorcism.You really mean exorcism."

Inspector prakasam,SI muthu both looked at DIG Arivuselvam " Sir,what does exorcism mean.Is it some kind of exercise?"

Arivuselvam looked at inspector prakasam and so badly wanted to put a bullet in the stupid oafs gob and yet controlling his anger " Exorcism means when the church is conducting a ritual where they are trying to rid a person of some spirit or ghost that has taken over his mind and body."

Inspector prakasam's mouth opened with great difficulty for fear had caught his vocal cords "ghost,spirit.you mean pei.pisasu."

The word pei sent a shiver down everyone's spines and a primitive sense of fear now began to clutch their souls for a leopard was something that lived and breathed and an animal that could be shot or captured.But now they seemed to be facing something totally beyond their knowledge or training.

DIG Arivuselvam with a smile " Father,is that it.A ghost.Is that really your answer here.I am sorry for i don't believe in ghosts or dead things."

The crack of the branch far above their heads was so loud and like the firing noise of a gun and it scared the daylights out of everyone and all looked up as in the fading light and growing darkness, a branch broke and another branch broke and whatever it was up in the tree was coming down and coming down quickly.

That was the cue and everyone ran for their lives and screaming like kids.But he stood with his gun out and aimed up and into the darkness and along with him shoulder to shoulder stood father james gunaseelan and down touching him with her body stood ponni feeling both fear and anger.

JANNAL ORAM-28

"The eyes are one of the most powerful tools a woman can have. With one look, she can relay the most intimate message. After the connection is made, words cease to exist. Jennifer Salaiz

Jeeva looked at the huge clock in her cabin for the umpteenth time and she was not even conscious of doing it although her new behaviour was consciously noticed by the others in the office.They felt the excitement that she was feeling for they all cared for her and genuinely loved her.There were a few who had earlier felt threatened by her arrival into the company and her youth was another reason for the gulf that opened up between them and her.But her hardworking nature and focus on nothing else but the company and its affairs won them over without even she ever being aware that there had been people who had hated her but who all now loved her nad trusted her implicitly.

Jeeva had been 22 years old when she joined K.K.Enterprises and the oldest staff member was nearly 65 years old and the youngest staff member then had been 45 years old and as is always with young and old,generations of beliefs and ritual invisibly clashed and boundaries were created.But after a few months,everyone began to admire her work ethics and her readiness to help regardless of the nature of the problem.But through it all they sensed a deep rooted sadness that seemed to engulf her face and body and soon this only led them to be protective of her and her feelings.

Sarangapani Iyengar was the cashier and chief accountant and a man who was nearly 60 years old when jeeva had joined K.K.Enterprises and he had been the first to have nurtured and harbored ill-will towards jeeva and this could be simply put down to human nature for we begin to hate that which we don't understand and that which threatens us and our way of life.

Sarangapani iyengar had been 21 years old himself when he had come to work for his K.K.Agarwals father and he had passed out with honors in B.A.Economics and in the 70's it was more than enough for it was just books and ledgers and computers were unheard of.

Even in the 90's when K.K had suggested upgrading their accounts into computers,Sarangapani had requested him not to do so for he said books and ledgers were more reliable and could not be lost like it happened when a computer crashed and all info was lost.So,they had held on to cupboards and bureaus filled with books after books but one had to admit that sarangapani was well organised and very neat with his department and thus accounts were managed in K.K.Enterprises until the arrival of jeeva.

Although a single desk top computer had been purchased by K.K,the knowledge on how to work it and its functionings were largely left to a free lancer who came in every saturday afternoon and painstakingly entered all the data into the computer and first with a floppy disk and then with a compact disk,stored all the accounts of k.k.enterprises.

But Jeeva came in armed with not only a degree in B.A.Economics but also with a diploma in computer programming from NIIT,Nungambakkam.This combo of computer knowledge and accounts along with hardwork and single minded focus was more than a match for Sarangapani who felt the rug being pulled from under his feet and the rug here means his hold on the accounts and numbers of K.K.Enterprises.

Then one saturday,the freelance computer data analyst failed to show up and when sarangapani panicked for a very important board meeting was going to take place on monday and he needed to print out folders with detailed reports of the state of the companys finances,jeeva had stepped in and helped him.

This broke the ice and the barrier that sarangapani had raised between himself and jeeva who had at that point of time had been with the company only for a few months.The rest of the staff soon warmed up to jeeva and realised that although she was over qualified for her job she still went about it without any fuss or even an iota of arrogance.

Sarangapani iyengar soon took jeeva under his wing and taught her everything that he knew about the business and in turn jeeva taught him all about computers and its workings.In a matter of a few months,there was a personal computer on everyones desk and everybody realised how easy it was to work with computers.Jeeva networked all the computers and then over a few months sat down and wrote a programme specifically for her company and now at a stroke of a few buttons,everyone could access everything about the company.


Then,when sarangapani had been diagnosed with heart problems,he had quietly gone to see K.K in his house and had told him that he would be resigning soon for his health was not allowing him function properly.

" I understand your health issues mr.sarangapani but you are the brains of the company and how or who do i replace you with?.Is your secretary hema capable of taking over from you and handling the accounts dept until i find a suitable replacement?"

" K.K. sir,you don't have to worry about finding a replacement for me for i have already groomed jeeva for that.Hema is a very good secretary but she is just that and does not possess leadership qualities.Jeeva has both leadership and a worker qualities and i confess her mind is far superior to mine and maybe even yours."

K.K.Agarwal shook his head " mr.sarangapani,do you realise that this is the first time you have endorsed somebody in your nearly 40 years of service with our company.And the incredible fact is that you are personally recommending jeeva,who is not only the newest but also the youngest of our staff members."

Sarangapani softly " Those were my exact thoughts when she joined us but now after such a short time i have understood that age and experience has nothing to do with good work or life in general and that 3 D'S Determination,Dedication and Discipline are more important and jeeva has all three in abundance along with vast intelligence."

" Mr,sarangapani,i felt the same way when i interviewed her but although her age and inexperience was a bit of stumbling block i knew she would be an wise investment for this company and it looks like your thoughts echo that of mine."


Now after all these years,everyone looked up to jeeva as much as they looked up to their boss and did so without an iota of jealousy and only hearts full of admiration and gratitude for many in the company owed their jobs to her and her hard work.

The hands on the clock stood straight,partitioning the round face of the instrument equally and announced that it was 6.00 pm and jeeva powered down her computer and gathering her handbag and lap top exited the cabin.

The office filled with " Goodbye jeeva" from older members and " Goodbye ma'am" from the younger ones and all of them got a lovely smile and a sweet and shy " goodbye" from her and they all knew that she was meeting someone and that meant love.Love baby love.

The look you have on your face when you are about to meet family members is different and likewise the look you have when you are going to meet your close friends is totally different from the look and expression you have when you are going to meet the person you are in love.For that is a very special state and a special feeling.

Jeeva walked quickly towards the bus stand where she would be meeting Raman and looked up at the skies and was disappointed for there was no sign of rain clouds.

She blushed and smiled to herself and yet cursed the rain gods " Can't you rain every morning and every evening for then me and him can use that as an excuse to take an auto and spend that time kissing each other and just being with each other without anybody casting eyes on us."

Her heart sank for he was not there and her eyes searched for him everywhere and that feeling of elation that she had felt just a few moments before threatened to dissolve and vanish and then she heard the honk of a car and saw an old green color maruti 800 stop in front of her and saw that the driver was Raman himself.

She looked at him and he looked at her and then he asked her to get in and she got in shyly and the car slowly moved away.

" I thought not at first but somehow an auto did not feel right.My driving skills are a bit rusty but i think we can manage just about okay."

He looked at her " Ma'am,destination please."

" can we go and sit in the beach for sometime for it has been a very long time since i have been there."

Saying this she looked back and saw a small basket and a thick rug along side it and she looked at him questioningly and raman smiled " our first date,so i thought it would be nice to have a small picnic.just a few pastries and medium size pizzas.will that do."

Jeeva took hold of his left hand and slowly placed her head on his shoulder " You think of everything."

Raman not taking his eyes of the busy parrys corner road,placed a soft kiss on her head " You are my everything jeeva and nothing compares to you my baby."

She looked at him and he looked at her and seeing a brief lull in the traffic,he gave her a quick kiss and kept planting a kiss on her sweet and wet lips whenever he felt a break in the traffic.


penne,unnai kanden,ennai kandukonden
un kan kanden atharpin muzhu ulagai kanden
un uthdaugalai theendiya pin thaan
suvai enna enbathai unarnthu konden
sarkaaraiyum kasakirathu,uppum suvaaikirathu
nee varum thisai ennaku ella thisai
vadakku,merku,therku,kizhakku
nee illatha kanavu ketta kanavu
nee ulla kanavum sorgathai naan kaanum nimidam
ivvalavu kaalam engirunthai
ipozhuthu nee illa ovoru nimidam oru janmam
unarugil illatha pothu naan oru sirai kaidhi
puthagagangal paditha naan
avai thooki erinthu unnai padikka thodangivitten
kalvi katra naan meendum un pallikoodathil
oru manavanagivitten
pallikoodama allathu un anaipil pazhi araiyila


song for jeeva and raman by satish

JANNAL ORAM-29

Baby,you speak and i am your echo
you are my heart and you are its beat
these waves on the shore are like your many kisses
soft,gentle,big and passionate
if this is love and if this is how it feels
then i feel more than i have felt for god
for your arms are the wings of an angel
it seems i walked a thousand years over many lives
and until now they felt like barefeet on steel knives
but now you are my oasis and you are my eternal spring
you are the light that guides lost ships on dark seas
give me your lips,breathe into me and let me live by your side


Jeeva looked at the coat on his arm as he carried the small basket in the other " raman,why the coat? I mean you could have left it in the car."

" jeeva,sometimes the coat is enough persuasion and a sign for cops not to come near me or folks who practice my profession.See,our cops are like a pack of scavengers for they will pick on young people who have just come to sit and back in their love and try to fleece them for money.So,it is better to carry this coat for it will keep law and order far from us and at a distance."

A mahindra bolero braked and both of them looked up and saw it was a police vehicle,but the man in front flashed a bright and wide smile and opening the door got out with his hand extended towards raman.

" Good evening raman sir.It has been a year or more since we met.How are things and how is mr.rangachari?"

" fine.mr.abdul" and then looking at jeeva " this is jeeva and jeeva this is Assistant commissioner Abdul shakir,cyber crimes division."

Jeeva politely smiled and said hello and after exchanging a few words AC Abdul seeing raman and the picnic basket in his hand along with a beautiful woman said by and left in his vehicle.

Stopping at a distance,he looked up at the mounted police who patrolled the beach on their horses " You see that couple with the man carrying the black advocates coat and a basket.Keep on eye on them both and see that nobody disturbs them.Okay."

The constables saluted and AC Abdul shakir left the marina with a smile on his face.

The driver, constable varadan looked at his boss in muted and subtle surprise " Iyya,is that advocate someone very big in this city.for i have never ever seen you give out an order like that and that too for a couple of civilians."

AC Abdul shakir " He is big,big of heart and big of character.But that is a long story."


Both sat staring at the bengal sea as air cooled by the vast expanse of water body came like the salty waves,one after another and gently carressed them like a mothers lullaby.

Raman took a bite of the mini chicken pizza from dominoes and looked at jeeva " Thank you for being here with me.You don't know how much it means to me and and how happy i am feeling right now.Actually,i would have understood if you had said no or backed out in the last moment."

" back out and miss being here with you and lose out on this coffee and lovely pizza.No way raman."

" thank god at least the chicken pizza worked out even if i didn't" mumbled a smiling raman.

Both looked at each other and smiled and jeeva relishing each bite " God raman,this is so delicious.I am pretty sure i have never had pizza as tasty as this before this.But then it has been nearly eight years since i last went to a pizza parlor and that was to pizza corner on mount road.But that is gone now i heard and even mount road looks like a totally different area with so many new buildings and constructions."

" so,how was your day and that presentation you were talking about today morning."

Jeeva sighed " i think it went off pretty well and all thanks to a great boss and even greater board of directors."

Turning back to the sea and staring into the now dark waters " I pitched a new idea about a new direction for our company to invest in and they took it pretty well.But i will know about it in the coming months."

" what is this new direction jeeva?"

Jeeva " education raman and investing for a better future for our young and all those who are going to be born."

Picking up her cup of coffee " you know raman,the more i see and learn of our country,the more angry and frustrating i become.We have so much of resources,natural and also a vast labor force and yet we suffer and stagnate because of policies and politics managed by absolute criminals and degenerates who pass off as our government."

" But jeeva,don't you think our current prime minister modi is doing a good job and steering our nation in the right direction."

" I agree raman but at what cost.Have you noticed the sudden spurt in voilence and crime and all somehow based on faith and religion.I somehow am not able to understand this need for a ban on beef and triple talaq.It really looks like muslims are finally facing the wrath of the hindutva groups and in turn forcing modi's hand."

Raman nodded " true but then governing this vast country with so much differences in food,faith,language and culture was always going to be a challenge.I think the need of this hour is a steady,calm mind and yet a strong and gentle hand.But those kind of leaders are an extinct breed at this moment for even modi has a tainted past what with all those killings and riots that took place while he was the chief minister of gujarat."

Jeeva smiled " i wish i had been there to see the faces and expressions of all the american officials when they welcomed modi for it was the same govt who had denied a visa for him when he was the chief minister of gujarat."

" politics jeeva is one subject that has no depth nor a vertical limit.A real cesspool i tell you for all those who come into politics come with only intentions of making money or grabbing power and not one has the good intentions about our country or their states."

Raman in a very sad voice " take our own tamilnadu for example and see what state it is right now and that too in just six months after the late jayalalitha passed away."

Jeeva looked at raman " sasikala was convicted and sent to jail for four years and it makes me wonder what would have happened if jayalalitha had been still alive.Would she too have been convicted and sent to jail for that case."

Raman shook his head " 50/50 chance jeeva for knowing that lady,she would have pulled some strings at the last moment and probably gotten the case dismissed and in the process acquitted herself and her mannargudi gang of confidantes."

Jeeva shook her head in amazement and in sadness " can you imagine the majority population of a state voting for a party whose leaders are involved in corruption and whose cases are waiting for judgement by the supreme court.Sometimes i wonder what this country has come to."

Then suddenly remembering something,she hurriedly picked up her mobile phone " sorry raman.I just need to call home and tell them i will be a bit late in coming home,otherwise they will worry unnecesarily."

pressing the number 1 on her speed dial,jeeva waited and her mother answered " Mum,i will be a couple of hours late.so don't wait up for me and in case suja asks tell her that i and the entire office staff are attending a company dinner organised by our boss."

Raman waited and jeeva looked at his face " i was only lying about the dinner and please trust me for my parents know exactly where i am and whom i am with."

" you mean your parents know about us?"

" kind of and they are pretty thrilled about it."

The monsoon clouds rumbled and thundered and warned all creatures below it that she was going to rain down and bathe them,sinners and saints alike.

Raman " jeeva,i think we should get back for it is going to really pour any moment."

Jeeva looked up and her eyes thanked the dark clouds " better late than never.it looks like you got your timing perfectly right."

The rain came and as is human behaviour,the people on the beach who ahd thronged the sands like a multitude of flies now got and ran screaming,yelling like puppies and vainly looking for shelter.

Raman quickly placed everything back in the basket and taking the thick mat draped it on jeeva's head and shoulders but she gently pushed it away and stood under the pouring rain.

Raman watched in total fascination and awe as jeeva became a poetry in motion for the rain fell on her upturned face and ran all over her body.In moments the rain had drenched her and her saree now stuck to her slim and shapely body.

Raman's heart beat faster and faster and he did what came naturally to him and he gently clasped her face and tilting it up to his buried his mouth into hers.

In the pouring cold rain,they stood like two blazing fires of heat and passion and melted into each other.

Far away in jeevas house in saidapet,her parents stood watching the rain and whispered to each other "looks like a good time for romance in chennai" and true to their words,the lovers stood lost in their love and feelings for each other.

Raman's lips kissed her ears and whispered " Ma'am,i am a very good advocate and i know the law and all its sections word for word.But now i want a new law with new sections against you for it is a crime what you are committing to my heart for it cannot take any more punishment that you are dishing out."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HbKnQxd0_E

Breathless-Shayne Ward
If our love was a fairy tale
I would charge in and rescue you
On a yacht, baby, we would sail
To an island where we'd say I do
And if we had babies they would look like you
It'd be so beautiful if that came true
You don't even know how very special you are
You leave me breathless
You're everything good in my life
You leave me breathless
I still can't believe that you're mine
You just walked out of one of my dreams
So beautiful, you're leaving me breathless
And if our love was a story book
We would meet on the very first page
The last chapter would be about
How I'm thankful for the life we've made
And if we had babies they would have your eyes
I would fall deeper watching you give life
You don't even know how very special you are
You leave me breathless
You're...

What If-The return 14

"Some places speak distinctly. Certain dark gardens cry aloud for a murder; certain old houses demand to be haunted; certain coasts are set apart for shipwreck. Robert Louis Stevenson

In the dark,in the cold of the forests of Kodaikanal,DIG Arivuselvam stood still with his gun pointed in the direction of the source of the noises which his brain told him were branches being broken by something very powerful,more powerful than a leopard and actions and beahaviour so unlike the stealthy leopard which hunts,kills in mute or silence mode.

He stood in front while both father james and ponni the lab slowly began to retreat behind him and using him as a shield.At this point,you have to stop and wonder what or why Arivuselvam stands alone and why the other people ran to safety and hiding.Simple,very simple for it is a reaction,a state that we have all experienced and maybe experience more than others and that is FEAR.

You suddenly see a cockroach or a rat in the kitchen and i guess most will run screaming and i mean you lovely ladies and members of the fair sex for i have seen for myself this reaction in my wife.

So fear is a very common thing and is not restricted to all kinds of phobias,fear of losing someone we love,fear of going broke and jobless and so on and so forth and extends and permeates into all aspects of life and its living.

But what we do in such a given situation is that which defines us and who we are.

DIG Arivuselvam's brain cranked all the possibilities and included in its calculations the factor called exorcism and ghosts that father james had just mentioned and yet shrugging those thoughts away he stood with his handgun and his wolf like eyes peering into the darkness that filled the trees.

" It cannot be a ghost or an animal and if that is so i guess it must be a human being who heard us coming and climbed up the trees and hid himself and is now trying to come down and make good his escape" thought Arivuselvam.

Unlike the others,he had not retreated or backed down from the strange and creepy noises that were coming from the tree for although he felt fear his body coped with it very differently and it had been like this from childhood.

When he was in his 4th std,he had been constantly picked on and bullied by a few of his classmates and one day,Arivuselvam caught them all alone in the classroom and standing his ground,confronted them and had settled it.

He had been the first to throw the punch although the three of the bullies threw the next few and yet Arivu had not backed down and gritting his teeth had instead felt a strange calm and peace and just advanced on all three who were bigger than him.And as always with bullies,two backed off for fear of injury and also because of the strange gleam in Arivuselvams eyes and the smile that played on his tender lips and then it was the lone bully and him.

Arivuselvam had grabbed a bottle that came to his hand and smashed the bully's head with it and it was game over for then and also for the next few years nobody dared to bully him and by the time Arivuselvam was in his 10th std,he had grown tall and was a black belt holder in both karate and mixed martial arts and Tamilnadu states junior champion.

The funny things was he had felt,known and tasted fear just like every normal person and that which set him apart was the way he responded to fear and that was with fearlessness and head on.

That same fearlessness that had flowed through him in the 4th std now flowed ever more strongly and he stood like a rock with his eyes boring into the darkness.

Then just like that the noises stopped and the strange and sudden cold that had gripped them and the area of the forest vanished and even the air felt different.

Father james gunaseelan who had all this while held the crucifix that hung from his chain in front of him as if to ward off whatever came down from the tree whispered " It is gone,that oppressive and scary feeling is gone for now i think."

It was totally dark and they could see little for the moon too was covered by thick clouds.Arivuselvam took out his mobile and switched on the flashlight that was provided and thanked the maker of the phone for the thin but bright light shattered the darkness like an arrow and visibility was restored although it was just for a few feet around him.

" Father,come i think it is time you and ponni left to a safer place for it is definitely not safe for you and the others."

" What about you arivu? What are you going to do?"

Arivuselvam laughed " my duty father james.For that is what the government pays me a hefty salary and that it to do my duty,come whatever situation or however tough the problem is."

Slowly holding the light of his phone a bit above his head,he,ponni and father james slowly made their way back to the road where there vehicles were parked and also stood those that had panicked and ran instead of standing by him.

He looked at Inspector Prakasam naidu,SI muthu and the members of the fire dept " Okay,we will be going back to pick up the body for it needs to reach Dindugul govt hospital for i am arranging for an autopsy tonight.So,pick up a stretcher and follow me back to the crime scene."

Looking at the dog handlers " Go to the station and wait for me there and please feed the dogs and see that they are well rested.Whatever expenses,chalk them up and i will handle it.I want the dogs up and ready at first light tommorrow for i think we have wasted enough time on this case and we need to take this to the next level."

Hearing a whine,Arivuselvam turned and saw that ponni had sat down and was refusing to leave with the other dogs.

Sitting down on his haunches,he gently stroked her head " I thought you were a bit scared and were not comfortable with this case.But if you want to stay back and help me,please you are welcome ponni."

Ponni,the golden female lab stood up and give a loud bark in reply as if to say she was ready to hunt if he was ready.

Arivuselvam looked at father james " sir,maybe you should return to the church.I can have one of my men drop you off if you want them too."

" No arivu,i will stay here and wait for you and we will return together if it is okay with you."

DIG Arivuselvam nodded and was about to return to the crime scene when he saw the two civilians sanjay and meera and walked up to them.

" I am sorry folks but your phones and cameras will remain with us for now but i promise you that they will be returned safely very soon,once our technicians are done with it.You can leave and please report to the station at 7.00 am."

Turning to muthuselvam " SI,take down their statement and also take some photos of their licences or any other identity cards they are carrying.Make a note of the hotel they are staying in and see that a constable is placed outside their room."

Looking at the others " okay gentlemen,back to the scene and to the body of father john.And for god's sake please behave like police officers and not like some kids from a kindergarten school."

Totally embarrassed and feeling very guilty,the men of the police dept and fire dept meekly followed their boss DIG Arivuselvam.

SI muthu looked at constable rajkumar " Go along with these people and stand guard outside their room.Do not leave until further instructions for then it will not only be your head but that of mine too."

Then he quickly ran and caught up with the others and joined the Inspector and DIG adn they made their way back through the darkness and came to the body.

But there was no body to be found for it had vanished into thin air.

In the darkness with all their flashlights shining from their mobile phones,they all searched in vain for the body and could not find it anywhere.Spreading out in a widening circle,they continued to search and after nearly ten minutes came back together and stood in a huddle looking at DIG Arivuselvam for answers.

He looked at ponni who ran here and there but eventually came back and Arivuselvam knew from her body language that she had lost the scent and had no clue as to where the body was as of now.

They all stood around him and in their lights from their phones illuminating his face and thoughts,Arivuselvam stood with his hands on his hips looking down at the pine leaves covered ground and then looked at all of them with a smile " All of you go back for there is nothing to be done as of now.But i want all of you here in this very spot bright and early and at 6.00 am.If any of you fail to show up,it will mean an immediate suspension of that person and then he will have to face me and also face the real DIG arivuselvam that only criminals see before they die or go to jail.Is that understood? Am i clear with my instructions? Dismissed."

Inspector prakasam and SI muthu " sir,what about you? shall i make arrangements for your stay in one of the hotels."

" No,me and ponni are going to stay here,right here tonight and if needed will sleep in the vehicle.Now,you drive father james back to the church and hand over the vehicle to Inspector Loganathan and give him directions to this place.Understood."

Father james who had heard all of this " Arivu,it is not safer for you to be here,not in this dark and especially not after what we all heard and witnessed and felt in our souls."

Arivuselvam remained looking into the darkness of the forest " What did we see or hear father james? Honestly,what? see,blind fear and panic will only make us see ghosts and strange things in harmless shadows.

Let me tell you a story that my grandad told me when i was very young.In a small village,a rumor began of ghosts and spirits haunting a lonely stretch of road just outside the village and that which bordered the cremation ground and very soon rumors became facts.Nobody dared to step out of their houses after dark and this went on for a long time.Then the village school master took it up as a challenge and declared that he would walk the road and also spend the entire night by himself out in the open.

Later that night,dressed in his usual nightwear, a cut banian and dhoti,he ate a good dinner and carrying a comfortable chair walked out of the village and settled in it on the very road that was supposed to be haunted.
Throughout the night,he walked,slept for a little while and then walked again and it was soon nearing dawn and he went walking again.

They found him the next morning with blood dried on his mouth and chest and he had been dead for a few hours.The look on his face was that of a man who had seen something that had scared him so much that he had a massive heart attack which had ruptured some artery.

But then everybody realised that there was no other injury on him which would indicate that he was attacked by a ghost or an animal and it was concluded that the poor man had died of a shock when his dhoti had got entangled in some thorns near the road and which would have led him to think that some evil entity had grabbed it and was about to attack him."

DIG Arivuselvam looking at father james " so you see it is only fear.If one can control fear and still function then forget ghosts one need not worry about almighty god himself."

" Arivuselvam,there are lot of things that are beyond our intelligence and reasoning.But that does not mean you have to treat them or take them lightly."

' I am sorry father for i did not mean any disrespect and also i am not disputing your views.I mean to do my job in the best possible way.A man was murdered and then his body vanishes into thin air.Ghost or no ghost,there is a reason and a motive for these action.I will find the motive and i will solve this crime and neither ghost nor god will stand in my way."


High above in the darkness and among the branches the spirit of the gentle Mani smiled in admiration and pride at these brave and bold words of DIG Arivuselvam and thanked god that he had made it in time to stop his mother from killing him and all the others.

He sat in anger and frustration for the tricky situation his mother had placed him,shalini and their son rahul in and wondered how best to contain the situation.He had a little time for he had removed the body of the dea man and had taken it far deeper into the woods and had buried it deep underground where no one would be able to see it or reach it again.

But mani also knew that this police officer would not stop and would only stop when he got the answers to his case and this was now his biggest problem and one which he would need to discuss with shalini before deciding what to do next.

His thoughts also went to the blind father Ronald who might just be able to get him out of this tricky situation.

Father ronald sat in his eternal and permanent darkness,waiting for his quiet friend to return to him.He always felt a warmth in his soul even though his faith warned him that which lived even when it was dead.But father Ronald knew that this spirit was not an undead one and that of an angel which meant no one any harm,not while it had lived and not now while it was alive and undead.


Flashback what if chapter two page 51 Posted: 10 January 2014

From the darkness and into the darkness.Everything dies and everything is dying and in various stages of death.The countdown begins with the first beat of the tiny heart inside a foetus.It is as if the first beat is like a gong which starts a race,a race of life and when the participants run towards the finish they dont recieve any medals or sheilds but only death.No matter what you do,what you have done or what you thought you wanted to do death waits and wins in the end.


It is a strange world and a quiet world.A world devoid of colors and speech and only when the child calls or only when she feels he needs her does she rush to him.She realises that something bad had happened to her in the hospital when she went into labor.She cannot even remember when she died just that one moment she was in the hospital bed tired after delivering her son and next she was her in this strange world.She saw and suckled him only once,gazed at him for a very brief time and held his fingers just for seconds before she slipped into the darkness.It took her sometime to realise that something was wrong with her for she seemed to be cut off from everything.

Aashritha,her name is the only word that is seared,branded in her memory and she holds on to it as much as she holds on to the child.She remembers everything from that night when she first met him.It was about 11.30 p.m in the night and just a faint moon cast shadows on the burial ground.It had been a few years since she had crossed over into the world beyond the living and into the world of the undead.However sad and frustrating it was,one thing she was happy about was that she did not feel the same things which she felt when she was alive as a human being.She did not feel hungry,she did not feel tired or sleepy but the one emotion that tugged and mauled her was a sense,a memory of betrayal and that something terrible had been done to her.It was at about this time she heard the cries of a child and she came to the spot from where the noise was coming.She saw a child sitting next to man who lay on the ground drunk out of his mind.The child clutched at the mans shirt and tried in vain to wake him up but to no avail.What it was she did not know but the child drew her to him and as she neared him he looked at her and gazed with curiosity at her and then smiled, a most beautiful smile that melted her and she rushed to him.She sat next to him but very carefully but also brimming with shock and curiosity on how the child was able to see her beyond the doors that separated her from him,beyond the doors that separated life and death.The child must have been about three years old and seeing her it slowly crawled towards her and touched her.Something awoke in her,something she had felt when she was alive,senses she had felt when she had touched her new born son,senses she had felt when she had suckled him,she felt all this and more which she she shouldn't have felt now that she was dead.She picked the child up and he squealed and chuckled and she held him close to herself and he with his tiny arms hugged her gently and in that moment,a moment where darkness was lit by the pale moonlight,in that moment when life and death came together a circle broken now circled itself and closed itself in perfection.And the magic began followed by death and mayhem.

Companion piece about fear for What if

Searching the Brain for the Roots of Fear-By Joseph LeDoux

You are taking a walk in the woods pleasant, invigorating, the sun shining through the leaves. Suddenly, a rattlesnake appears at your feet. You experience something at that moment. You freeze, your heart rate shoots up and you begin to sweat a quick, automatic sequence of physical reactions. That reaction is fear.

A week later, you are taking the same walk again. Sunshine, pleasure, but no rattlesnake. Still, you are worried that you will encounter one. The experience of walking through the woods is fraught with worry. You are anxious.

This simple distinction between anxiety and fear is an important one in the task of defining and treating of anxiety disorders, which affect many millions of people and account for more visits to mental health professionals each year than any of the other broad categories of psychiatric disorders.

Scientists generally define fear as a negative emotional state triggered by the presence of a stimulus (the snake) that has the potential to cause harm, and anxiety as a negative emotional state in which the threat is not present but anticipated. We sometimes confuse the two: When someone says he is afraid he will fail an exam or get caught stealing or cheating, he should, by the definitions above, be saying he is anxious instead.

But the truth is, the line between fear and anxiety can get pretty thin and fuzzy. If you saw the abovementioned snake at a particular rock on the path of your walk, and are now at that spot, the rock may stand in for the snake and elicit fear, even though the snake itself is nowhere to be found. In modern life, many fear states are like this they are brought on by things, signposts or signals that stand for harm rather than things that are truly harmful. After the Sept. 11 attacks, for instance, many New Yorkers felt uneasy at the sound of low flying airplanes.

How do things come to symbolize threats? Remember Pavlov's dog? When the bell rang the dog salivated because the bell had previously been rung as the dog was being fed (actually, it wasn't a bell, but no matter). The dog's brain formed an association between the sound and the food, and the sound came to elicit salivation in preparation for the imminent food. As the snake and Sept. 11 examples above illustrate, the same thing happens in dangerous situations.



We actually know a tremendous amount about what goes on in the brain when stimuli present during danger become memory triggers for the danger. To make a complicated story very simple (though not inaccurate) a region in the brain called the amygdala connects the two events, forming an unconscious memory of the association. When the neutral stimulus (the rock or the sound of an airplane) later occurs, it automatically activates the amygdala like the original danger did, eliciting fear, and also triggers worry anxiety. The automatic nature of the activation process reflects the fact that the amygdala does its work outside of conscious awareness. We respond to danger, then only afterward realize danger is present.


Every animal (including insects and worms, as well as animals more like us) is born with the ability to detect and respond to certain kinds of danger, and to learn about things associated with danger. In short, the capacity to fear (in the sense of detecting and responding to danger) is pretty universal among animals. But anxiety an experience of uncertainty is a different matter. It depends on the ability to anticipate, a capacity that is also present in some other animals, but that is especially well developed in humans. We can project ourselves into the future like no other creature.

While anxiety is defined by uncertainty, human anxiety is greatly amplified by our ability to imagine the future, and our place in it, even a future that is physically impossible. With imagination we can ruminate over that yet to be experienced, possibly impossible scenario. We use this creative capacity to great advantage when we envision how to make our lives better, but we can just as easily put it to work in less productive ways worrying excessively about the outcome of things. Some concern about outcomes is essential to success in meeting life's challenges and opportunities. But at some point, most of us probably worry more than we need to. This raises the questions: How much fear and worry is too much? How do we know when we have skipped the line from normal fear and anxiety to a disorder?

Fear and anxiety are in the brain because they helped our ancestors and theirs cope with life's challenges. But when these states interfere with our ability to survive and thrive, one has an anxiety disorder. These include phobias, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome, generalized anxiety disorder, among other conditions. While fear plays a key role in some anxiety disorders (phobia, post-traumatic stress), it takes a back seat in others (generalized anxiety).

Pathological fear and anxiety are due to alterations of the brain systems that normally control fear and anxiety (structures such as the amygdala). A tremendous amount has been learned about the normal system from studies of other animals. This gives us a good shot at understanding the pathological forms, and developing ways to treat and maybe even prevent them. Indeed, recent research in animal models are giving us new clues about how to treat problems of fear and anxiety in humans, both pharmacologically and behaviorally, and helping us figure out how we can pull people back once they've crossed the blurry line.

JANNAL ORAM-30

"Anyone who is in love is making love the whole time, even when they're not. When two bodies meet, it is just the cup overflowing. They can stay together for hours, even days. They begin the dance one day and finish it the next, or--such is the pleasure they experience--they may never finish it. No eleven minutes for them.
Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

Jeeva arched herself against him and both drenched in the cold rain felt each others arousal completely and both let their hips join and feel more of their heat that their bodies were generating.

She looked at him gasping for breath " you live alone right" and raman nodded and then leaning back,looked at her with smiling eyes " are you sure".

" Raman,at this moment i don't know what i am not sure about but i am very sure about one thing and that is for you to make love to me."

Throwing his coat around her,raman walked back to the car holding her hand and quickly got into the car.Now away from the pouring and bone chilling cold monsoon rain,they sat looking at each other and this time jeeva leaned forward and took his face and kissed him softly while pushing her tongue and tasting him.They both sat sat kissing like this and the rain kept falling in its own tip tap rhythm.

" Straight to my place right " raman asked and jeeva with a slight blush nodded yes.

Ten minutes of heavy rain and chennai looked like it was flooded by a tsunami and there was standing water everywhere.

raman knew that whether it was Radhakrishna salai or santhome road to saidapet,traffic and water would slow them down and maybe,just maybe jeeva might change her mind about going back to his place.

As if reading his thoughts " i want to be with you and it does not matter even if it take a couple of hours before we get to your house."

Now it was raman who blushed and tried to hide the smile that bloomed on his face.Seeing it,jeeva " i love you raman.Truly,madly and deeply."

Driving the car carefully and steadily,raman turned to her " marry me jeeva.Let us not waste any more time.let us get married soon.I cannot imagine living even a moment,let alone days and weeks without you in it.I did not know how lonely my life was until you came into it.I have been in love with you for nearly two years now and i am kicking myself for not telling you about it and wasting so much time."

Even with raging passion and hunger for his body filling her soul, the part that loved and always worried about her family shone through " Not now raman.Not now, for we are just in the first stages of preparation of my sisters wedding and i don't want anything to disrupt that and i mean even my likes and dislikes."

" wow,you are pretty clear with what you want and don't want but have you given a thought for yourself and what you want and need?"

Jeeva smiled sadly and looked out the wet and flooded world of chennai below and above and remained mum and raman knew that he had touched a raw nerve,a memory that still lingered as the sadness in her face and hurriedly " Sorry jeeva,i meant no offence and i just have your best intentions in my heart."

Looking at him " raman,i understand your thoughts perfectly but i have worked so hard for my family and i don't want it all to go to waste and mean nothing when all it takes is a little time and a little patience."

Jeeva whispered softly " a little time and little patience and yet those two little words can make or break a soul."

Raman knew immediately that this was jeeva talking about an old memory,an old flame,something which had hurt and scarred her terribly.With one hand on the steering wheel,he used his left hand and took her hand and kissed it " Little or forever,it does not matter for i will wait for you and wait patiently for you to say yes and also decide the time.I promise you this and also swear to you that i am not going anywhere and if at all i am going then it will be with you by my side."

" Thank you raman for understanding my feelings."

Then the silence of the car was broken by jeevas mobile phone and seeing it was her sister suja calling, answered it " hi suja."

Suja in a slightly panicky voice " Jeeva,me and my boyfriend are in a bit of trouble.We were driving back home in his car for he wanted to drop me in our street as he always does and on the way we got involved in a small accident.We are both sitting here in the alwarpet police station and the cops are bullying us a bit.We are trying to sort it out and it might take some time for me to get back home and so please tell mum and dad not to worry,okay.bye.I will call you back later."

Raman looked at jeeva worriedly " is everything okay?"

She explained to raman what suja had just told her over the phone and raman nodded and halting at the IIT junction traffic signal,switched on his right indicator and drove into the kotturpuram road and headed towards the alwarpet police station.


Stopping outside the police station,Raman made a quick call and then slipping into his black advocates coat entered the station with a worried jeeva next to him.

There are certain people that cops are a bit wary of and high in that list come lawyers and more importantly lawyers who are high up the food chain and who also look like they know and mean their business.

Raman and jeeva entered and immediately saw suja sitting on a bench with another young gentleman and both had worried expressions and suja catching sight of jeeva ran towards her and the young man obviously her boy friend followed her and Introduced himself " Hi ma'am,i am mohan."

With the introductions finished,Raman looked at mohan " Please tell me what happened and don't leave out any detail."

Mohan nodded " Okay sir,we were on our way back and i stopped at the citibank atm on ttk road and after drawing some cash was heading down eldams road to hit teynampet junction to turn right on to mount road and head to saidapet to drop suja,when a cyclist came in the wrong lane and hit our car.I immediately got down and saw that he had a head injury although it was just a scalp laceration and those kind of injuries bleed a lot and just need stitches to stop the blood flow and yet to make sure there were no other internal injuries,i immediately rushed him to the nearby apollo emergency treatment center near nandanam and got him admitted.Then i returned back to this station for the accident happened under their jurisdiction and filed a complaint but they are refusing to give me an FIR and also are trying to harass me for money."

Raman shook his head and looking at all of three of them " this is the deplorable state we find our law and its officers in.Rather than appreciating sunil for doing his duty,here they are trying to fleece him of cash and make a quick buck out of it.But not to worry for i can handle this.Just sit down and relax and we will soon be out of this place."

Raman left them and walked towards the room which mentioned Inspector and to his surprise,the Inspector himself walked out and looking at raman " Mr.raman right,AC Abdul sir just called me and asked me to help you out.Tell me sir,how can is serve you."

Raman pointed to both suja and mohan " they are my family and they are here simply because they did their duty although the accident was caused by the cyclist who came in the wrong lane."

Inspector Velraj was stuck for a proper reply and then looking at the head constable who had taken the complaint muttered " My fate and bad luck that i have to work with these cretins who don't know who to harass and whom not to harass."

The head constable nervously adjusted his pants and came up to the inspector and before he could say a word,Raman turned to him " Head constable,both those people who you were troubling are doing there internship in stanley medical college.Now tell me,do you want to antagonise the doctors of the govt hospitals and also incur their wrath.Tell me how much time it will take and how long they can drag out an accident report or an autopsy report without which you cannot go to court and finish your case.Can you function properly without a govt hospitals co-operation or active support."

The blood drained from the faces of both the inspector and the head constables and only now they realised into what deep trouble they had landed themselves in and the head constable meekly " sir,please dont use big words.I think they both misunderstood my words.You waiting sir,two minutes i will finish formalities and you can all be on your ways.Okay sir,now i am coming,just two minutes."

The inspector who had been unaware of the accident for he had been in his cabin when both mohan and suja had come into report the accident now knew that he was stuck and screwed for raman had come in with AC Abdul,cyber crimes division and more importantly both suja and mohan were doctors in a govt hospital.

" Mr.raman,please take them and leave and i will personally complete the formalities and send a constable to your house to handle the rest if necessary.Actually,there is no need for a case or an fir for the accident was actually committed by the cyclist and he has just suffered a scratch on his head and nothing more.So,you can leave now and you have my word that nothing more will come of this."

Raman reached into his shirt pocket and opening a burgundy colored leather book,took out his card and gave it it the inspector " thank you sir and you can contact me in case there is any further complications or anything that needs to be discussed."

Returning back to where jeeva,suja and mohan were waiting " It is okay.No problem.Mohan,you can take your car and return home and i will drop both suja and jeeva for my house is just nearby."

They were slowly making their way back home and suja pinching jeeva's arm " You criminal.you got a fully grown up lawyer under your sleeve and you did not mention one single word about him."

Jeeva smiled " I was just waiting for the right moment baby" and throwing her arm around suja and kissing her cheeks " i am glad you are okay sweetie for you had me really worried when you mentioned that you were involved in an accident.Thank god that everything worked out all right in the end."

In the rear view mirror,Raman saw how protective jeeva was about suja and smiled in pride and then jeeva caught his eyes on her and her lovely lips mouthed " Thank you raman." and she saw his lips pouting and mischievously blowing a kiss at her reflection.

That night both lay in their beds with their thoughts full of the evening kisses and also full of anticipation of the moment when they were going to be alone with each other.

JANNAL ORAM-31


She lay watching the moon play hide and seek behind the monsoon clouds through her window and listened as the whole world around her finally succumbed to the night,sleep and clocks that govern our bodies.But jeeva could not sleep at least not for now for all her thoughts were full of Raman and their relationship and laws of nature have no effect on those that are in love.

The man who she had thought of as soft spoken,kind and gentle had shown a hint of steel that also made up his soul when he had dealt with the policemen and suddenly jeeva thought it would be great to see him in action while he was in court and before the judge.

She wondered what would happen if she lost control and ran across the courtroom and took him in her arms and kissed his mouth that was talking law and justice.Stifling the loud laughter that threatened to erupt from her soul,she took the bed sheet and covered her mouth with it in caution,in case the laughter did come without any notice and woke up suja and her million questions about her and raman.

She lay her head on the pillow and gazed at the soft and dull yellow moon and the face on the moon looked like the face of raman's and jeeva wondered how many women like her were at that moment dreaming of their lovers.

Her mobile vibrated for it was on silent mode and she saw it was raman and hurriedly answered it with a hi.

" sorry to disturb you.I guess from the muffled and low note of your hi,you are in bed.I am in bed too but all i can do is stare at the moon and hear the rain and imagine both of us on the terrace together."

" advocate,what do you think i am doing here near my window,the same as you.But it is nearly 12 in the night and you are still awake.Why?"

" jeeva,honestly,i have not been sleeping well for sometime now although i don't feel tired or anything like that.In fact i feel more energetic than before."

Jeeva with concern " raman,what is the problem? why haven't you been sleeping well these past days?"

Raman " please,whatever i am going to tell you is very serious and i don't want you to share it with anyone else.Promise."

Jeeva clueless and with a bit of hesitation " Okay,promise.But please what is wrong?"

" Jeeva,i think my house is haunted by something very evil and it has been disturbing me for quite some time and i have no clue as to how to get rid of it.Any ideas?"

Jeeva totally shocked and lost for an answer " raman,what are you serious? you mean a ghost?"

" yes jeeva,i am not sure if it is a ghost,a witch or what they call mohini but it comes to me while i am sleeping and while i am awake and working and does all kinds of evil and naughty things to me and i have become a slave to her."

Jeeva now understood who he was talking about " that is nothing to what i am going to do when we finally start living together,married or unmarried."

Raman in a serious tone " Chee,behave yourself and in the proper tamil manner.This is not the way a grown up woman talks to an adult man.For then she might find herself in a lot of trouble."

They spoke and spoke and it went on for an hour.

" Jeeva,i love you very much.You know,more than anything,all i want is for you to be happy and safe and live a life without worries or trouble.And for that i am willing to do anything and sacrifice anything."

" I know raman and i trust you and believe every word you are saying but let me tell you about a thing called life which has its own rhythm and rules and just when you think you are well and safe,something will pop up and crash the party."

Raman read and understood everything that jeeva spoke and did not speak " Listen jeeva,the past is the past and our love is the present.I understand and i mean it when i say i understand for all of us have reasons to do what we do and need to do.Sometimes sacrifices are made voluntarily and sometimes we need to do it for we are forced to do it.Life is not meant to be a journey of solitary confinement but it is meant to meet,mingle and journey together.So,friction,fights,misunderstandings are naturally bound to occur.Hearts are broken,lives are lost and destroyed.

But baby,i am here,right here and right now in this present and my heart is full of love for you.My arms are meant to protect you,to hug you and make love to you.So,whatever is the past,let lie in the past and don't let it ruin your present for we have such little time as humans and such little time to love each other."

Raman heard her soft sobs and panicking " Oh god,jeeva what is wrong.I am sorry if i went overboard with my thoughts.Please forgive me."

" You stupid man,don't ever say those words forgive me for there is nothing for me to forgive you for or be angry with you for.I am crying because i am angry with life for keeping us away for all these years.Where have you been raman,where were you all these years?"

" I am here jeeva and i am sorry that i was not there for all the times when you were lost and lonely.But i will never let you feel that way again and i would rather die before that."

Lovers talk,lovers whisper and lovers love for in this life love is just that,the most beautiful experience and a state to be in.

Redemption 191

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't. Mark Twain

Rudran didn't realise how famished he was until the moment the many items of breakfast started coming in a steady supply from the kitchen.Rudran used a fork and served himself a couple of fluffy bulls eye omlettes and it disappeared into him in seconds.Taking a couple of freshly baked wheat bread slices,he painted it with a generous dollops of yellow butter and sighed in pleasure and looked at everybody " I don't know about those people who go on and on about fats,trans fats and calories but i think they have no clue as to how delicious bread and butter taste."

All of them stifled smiles and wondered at his words for here was a man who probably was one of the most lethal and dangerous human beings on the planet and yet he was enjoying his breakfast like a little kid.

Renuka gazed at him with immense love and seeing him back and in one piece was such a relief that her eyes moistened with tears of joy and her mother Anuradha gently gave her a hug and both looked on at Rudran who just ate and ate as if the world was coming to an end.

Rudran looked at renuka's dad " Sir,i have a huge request to make and the prime minister told me that in case my request did not work out,then he would personally make the call and talk to you about it."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar looked at rudran " My boy,forget the request of the prime minister or maybe from even the most powerful human being on this planet for it matters nothing for your word is more than enough for me and my family."

He looked at his renus mum anuradha who nodded her agreement " so whatever the request is let me tell you beforehand that we agree to it."

Rudran thought for a second and then picking up the napkin,gently wiped his lips and then placing it back on the plate looked at Kandaswamy mudaliyar and Anuradha " Both you and the rest who aere here know what all we have faced and been through these past few months.So,under my advice,both me and the prime minister feel that this wedding would be safer to have inside the Raj bhavan which is the State Governors place."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar " okay,but when and what about all the arrangements that need to be done for the wedding?"

Rudran clasped kandaswamy mudaliyars hands and the old man felt a surge of energy course through his body and it electrified him and he looked at his future son-in-law as he spoke " Sir,I am sure you must have dreamnt of a grand wedding for renuka and trust me for i want that to but right now it is just not possible for it will be like placing crosshairs on our backs and faces for all those who hunt me and my friends.And add to that,my work requires total anonymity for there are those who will not hesitate to move against you and your family and even friends to get to me.And sir,what more could a wedding require than the wishes and blessings of their loved ones for they are the most important and valuable gifts to have in this life and in this world."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar sat still absorbing every word of rudran's " But how is this going to be done or rather worked out."

" well,tommorrow news that the governor is not keeping good health will be leaked and then later in the evening it will let known that the prime minister is worried about his health and might make a quick trip to chennai for a few hours to meet the governor and wish him a speedy recovery."

All of them looked at him and rudran smiled " the small thing of their friendship and that they went to school together will also be highlighted and that should ease any doubts or questions that will be raised and also not make his visit an official one for he frankly told me that the state of tamilnadu is running around like an headless chicken and it is up to the people of the state to choose a proper and wiser leader and not be led by personalities and film images."

" rudran,do you know something that we of this state don't know or aware about" asked renuka and rudran shrugging his shoulders " Renu,is it that difficult to understand and also forsee an election in the next few months.It has been nearly seven months since the late chief minister passed away and it is now abundantly clear that the people want change and a government that is actually doing their work and not a puppet government that is being ruled from bangalore and with a party that is now spilt into three or more parties.The people are tired of all these scavengers and i can safely assume that DMK will sweep the polls and come back to power with absolute majority."

A smile broke on his face " although,there is a slim,a very slim chance of mr.Rajinikanth joining the BJP and campaigning and also winning the election.But that is a big if and even very remote possibility."

Rudran looking at the face of Kandaswamy mudaliyar " sir,treat me like your own and ask me anything that you want and i will answer them as best as possible.You have my word."

Kandaswamy mudaliyar looked at rudran,then at renu and everyone else " so much has happened and all of them seem like a fairy tale.But even more than the incredible fact of the prime minister conducting your wedding in the governors place,what is even more unbelievable is who came to our rescue that night when we were attacked and who single handedly took down each and everyone of those attackers and then stopped for a moment to bless your child and addressed him as the future prince."

Looking at arul and jothi " even these two who are sworn to protect you and us,went to their knees and addressed him as their lord."

Now staring right into rudrans eyes " why did mr.dhanashekara pandyan come to our rescue? who is he and how is he connected to you and all of us.I guess there is a long story behind this story and i voice my thoughts as doubts for head is bursting with all these questions."

Rudran leaned back in the chair and looked at all of them and then staring at his plate for a moment turned to arul and jothi " did he have any markings on him?" and they nodded yes and then he turned to renuka " renu,even that is not confirmation enough but your answer will confirm my doubts and then i think i might just be able to answer partly your dads questions.

Renu,tell me how you felt and more importantly how our child felt when mr.dhanashekara pandyan stood close to you."

Renuka without hesitation " the baby responded and i felt a strange glow and heat in my womb and even if my words sound funny let me tell that i think it was communicating in some strange and unknown way with mr.dhanashekara pandyan."

Rudran sat digesting the information and then looked at kandaswamy mudaliayar " sir,dhanashekara pandyan and me are related by blood and that is the only thing i know of as of this moment.The hows and whys will have to wait for a better time and for the moment when you are prepared to believe and understand my words and our story."

Totally confused and having not gotten a proper reply,Kandaswamy mudaliyar pressed on " what story rudran? and about whom is this story about?"

Rudran gently patted the old man's hand " a very old story sir,very old and long before your time and the story is about a blind mother and a boy who went into the dark and came back with light.But it does not start there for even me or Dhana and all those who have come from the light have no memory of where it all started or rather when it all started."