*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 115

Unknown and Nameless-19

“Love is a tidal wave--not because it sweeps you off your feet, but because it pulls you down and drowns you.”

― Jodi Picoult

' I am sorry for your loss and I am sorry for being the one to bring this sad news to you' father Peter said and clenched his hands in a sign of prayer and looked up at Pallavi.

' I had expected him to attempt something like this soon after Catherine's demise and frankly am surprised that he waited so long, but then he was always very meticulous and disciplined when it came to his work. Unfinished business is bad business, he always said, and I am sure that he must have finished up with what he had to do before he went away.'

Pallavi's voice trembled with pain and confusion and she said, ' Father, I met him just a week ago. A couple of days before, Catherines anniversary. I know absolutely nothing about him and yet I felt so close to him and trusted him absolutely.

Wiping her tears, ' and just like that he is gone.'

' Child, Ashok was blessed in that way. He could make a person feel comfortable and at ease with just a look and a smile and that is why he chose to do what he did so well and for so long.'

Pallavi unable to comprehend the words, ' father, he told me he was writing articles about the medical field and its advances and that he had a boring and solitary job.'

' He lied, Pallavi. Ashok was a psychiatrist and one of the best in the country.'

' Psychiatrist. You mean an actual psychiatrist like the ones that we read about in books and see in films?'

' Oh! He was much more than that and far superior to all that crap that comes in fiction novels. He was the real deal, child and a gifted one at that and I know of many people who were his patients and who are doing well with their lives and it is because of Ashok who really was a kind and gentle angel.'

He slowly got up and said, ' If you so desire, then be at the Kilpauk Cemetery at 5.00 pm for that is the time he will be laid to rest. But, if you are not there I am sure he will understand.

God bless you, my child. I don't know why or what the circumstance was that you both to each other but trust in that power that made it happen.'

Pallavi stood up and bid Father Peter goodbye and then slowly collapsed on the sofa and curling up began to cry silently.

She reached for her phone and called her three friends and asked them to come home immediately.

Rani was the first one to arrive and she ran to Pallavi and asked, ' Pallu, what happened? Are you okay? Is devan okay?'

'They are fine Rani and so is my son too in Oxford and so is everybody else but for Ashok.'

Rani who had been sick with worry about Pallavi and her family, froze for a second for she could not fathom why Pallavi would be in this sad state and that too over Ashok. She wondered if Pallavi had made a move on Ashok and maybe he had rejected her and which was the reason for her to be crying so inconsolably.

' Did you Ashok have a fight? Did he say something to hurt you so badly?'

It was Pallavi's turn to freeze and try to make sense of what Rani was asking of her and she went ' What? why are you f..k..g asking me these stupid questions? Why would Ashok want to fight with me?'

Wiping her tears, she looked at Rani, ' Ashok is gone. He is not going to come back again.'

' Gone meaning, out of station or out of the country?'

Pallavi screamed loudly, ' Rani, Ashok is dead. He died last night.'

Rani went numb with shock and mumbled, ' what? what? what do you mean he is dead? how can he be dead?'

For Pallavi, it was a shock to see tears in Rani's eyes for this was the first time she was seeing her friend cry and it broke her heart and she hugged her and comforted her and said, ' Its okay, Rani. It's okay.'

Rani cursed angrily, ' The bas..ard. the stupid f..k.ng Bas..ard. Why would he go and die now and that too so young and with so much still left to do in life.'

Pallavi looked at Rani for the meaning of her words and her friend looked at her and said, ' Pallu, there is something that I need to tell you and get it off my chest, once and for all for it is burning a hole in my chest.'

Pallavi nodded and said, ' What is it?'

Rani's bit her bottom lip and stared sadly at Pallavi.

Pallavi who knew Rani very well also knew that she would do that biting of the lip only when she was very scared or nervous about something.

She softly reached out and wiped the tears from her friend's eyes and said, ' I am your friend and for life. So, tell me what is causing you so much pain.'

Rani unable to look into her eyes, turned away and clearing her throat, said, ' It is okay, Pallu. It does not matter and it never ever mattered and there is not point in talking about it now.'

Pallavi turned Rani's face towards her and after looking into her eyes asked,' Is it about your feelings for me?'

Rani's eyes grew wide in shock and in fear and her lips quivered as they tried to speak, ' You know. You have known this.'

' Yes and for many years now.'

' But, we are still friends.'

Pallavi smiled, ' Now and forever.'

Exhaling loudly, Pallavi turned to her friend, ' You had this love locked inside you and have held on to it all these years while it kept burning you up and eating you up inside and yet you never once made me feel uncomfortable with your love. That shows how much you care about me and how much you respect me and my own thoughts and needs.'

Rani nervously looked at Pallavi, ' does this change anything between us for your friendship and trust is more important than anything else.'

' Nothing has changed and nothing will ever change between us.'

She used her left hand to move the hair that had fallen on her face back to their place and looked at rani with a smile, 'You spoke to Ashok, right. Yesterday, while both of you were smoking cigars, both of you had some kind of conversation going on. I knew that both of you had spoken about something important for you were totally a different person when you came back with him.'

Both turned towards the entrance hearing voices and saw both Betty and Amara coming to them with worried looks and they were not alone for behind them came Devan and his eyes were on Pallavi and seeing her reddish eyes and the wetness of the still undried tears lingering on her cheeks and on her neck, he ran to her and sitting next to her asked concernedly, ' Pallu, why have you been crying? who made you cry?'

He looked at the three women, ' Have you girls been fighting with each other?'

She gently took his arm and tugged and when he turned to face her, said, ' We were not fighting.'

He waited for her to finish and Pallavi gathering strength said, ' We lost a friend.'

Relief spread on Devan's face and then realising that he should not be feeling so relieved when his wife was telling him that she had lost a friend, hurriedly asked her, ' I am sorry for your loss. Is this someone I know or have met before?'

Betty and Amaravathi who had remained quiet all this while, now jumped on Pallavi with worry, ' Pallu, who did we lose, babe?'

Rani seeing Pallavi's pain, answered instead, ' Ashok.'

Both Betty and Amara went ' WTF, WTF. You mean Ashok, our Ashok who was here for lunch yesterday.'

Then all four of them nearly jumped out of their skins, hearing the growl of Devan, ' Ashok. Which Ashok are you talking about?'

All three looked at Pallavi who looked at her husband and said, ' Baby, I don't think you know who we are talking about. Hell, even I met him just a few times before yesterday.'

Devan looked at her, ' did this Ashok commit suicide last night?'

Pallavi went blank and she blinked several times and looked at Rani and both Betty and Amara's eyes filled with tears and they asked Pallavi, ' Ashok. Is it true, Pallu? Did he really commit suicide? But why?'

Pallavi ignoring their questions asked Devan, ' How did you know Ashok committed suicide?'

And then it struck her and she yelled, ' your friend who was not well and who was taken to the hospital. That was Ashok, right. You went to see Ashok's body.'

“The question is not if you're willing to die for her. The question is, can you live without her?” ― Jodi Picoult

Penultimate chapter-1

We, humans, are really weird.

If you have not noticed, then maybe you should for gambling is here and online. " Rummy online" is here and doing business and has done away with gambling dens and they are doing pretty well with the blessings of the Indian government. You don't think that is weird, gambling being allowed and when we all know what gambling can do to a family and their fortunes.

I should know and I do very well indeed for many of the elders in my family gambled away all our property, fortune and sank us to the streets and many of us have still to rise from the mistakes that those adults did when they gambled on cards, horse racing and god knows what else.

But, what I ( MY OPINION) find really weird as ads about food and that too when it comes to other lives and other species.

I never saw these kinds of ads while growing up and honestly only off late has there been this rising trend of ads about non-vegetarian food items.

A hen and her cute chicken are dancing and pointing with their wings and they are singing

" Eat us, grill us, fry us, bake us for we are delicious."

WTF people. Now, why not show a woman and a baby dancing and singing the same lyrics.

I really wish there was a limit that we would not cross, should not cross and that is, stop sticking large posters everywhere in which hens and chickens are welcoming you to grill them and roast them.

We are going to any way eat them, murder them and if that guilt was not enough, then we have to make the poor things sing and dance for us.

Well, we live in a world where the wise, mighty and powerful allow Booze shops to function and earn thousands of crores while keeping temples, schools and colleges shut and also while not allowing taxi and auto drivers to work and earn a living.

what next? ads about sex and all that is there on offer?

No need, for our Indian web-series, are full of that.

Web-series are now our own means to soft and hardcore sex stuff made available and that too legally.

From ice cubes to making an omelette on a woman's navel, we have now graduated into the next level with this medium called web-series and content that is not censured and cannot be censured for they are out, free and frolicking on the web.

God these smartphones are worse than covid-19 for they really prey on you in all weird ways.

Dig your nose and somebody is making a video of it.

Scratch an itch in any place of choice and it becomes a viral video and you are a rockstar and without even knowing about it.

I am willing to bet that what happened to Mr.Nityananda in his bedroom will someday happen to us for hits, likes, shares and forwards is what is burning like the Australian bushfires.

A very wise and learned person told me, ' Bro, if you are going out, please remember to wear good underwear for you never know what might hit or when it will hit you and you don't want to be in the hospital with torn and faded undies.

Stop cursing and just stop and think.

You are involved in an accident and maybe you even die and the last thing you need is people in the hospitals making fun of your choice of old and fade undies.

worse, take pics and share it with the whole world.

That is the only thing that I noticed in that silly and clumsy video of Mr.nityanandas's video and that was his silly underwear.

Am I weird?

I guess I am. If you are reading this, then you are my friend and so you are a part of my weirdness too.

Have a great day.

The first thing I should do after this lockdown is to buy some new undies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDfiU6UaNjE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OLoaL179cw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atXlUl48qT0

Ninety-nine point ninety-nine per cent

I knew I was a dreamer, and a crude sort of poet, that at best can pass off himself as an amateur, and I realized it, very early on in life. Even when I was 5 or 6, I began to see, dream, understand and make sense of life, this voyage that was given to me and the purpose behind it.

There were many a time when I lost it, and lost the purpose of the gift that had been bestowed on me, and ran off the road that I was on and found myself wallowing in many a ditch and pit. Then, I realized that I was not entitled to anything and that things are not cheap and are not freely handed out.

But, I have always had this knack of gifting myself " Me time, alone time, self-time" and spent all that time in taking care of myself and servicing my own damaged mind and thoughts.

Each tough, rough and sometimes mentally exhausting situations were placed in my mind as puzzles and pieces arranged properly and in order.

It did not matter that I had scr..ed up, really scr..ed up things and messed up my life and that of others too and what began to matter was that I learnt from it and walked away with a better handle on life.

Our body is one of the most perfectly designed engines and one of the most intricate ones and the only one that has been designed by mother nature to heal itself and make itself better.

Mind. It begins with the mind and ends with the mind and what happens in your brain.

You could be still and lost in a coma and yet if you are strong of mind then you will master that situation too.

You could be taking the last breath, realizing that it is indeed your final moments and yet even there, if you can remain calm and go in peace with your final breath, then, nothing like it I say.

I have learnt the hard way for most of my adult life that ninety-nine point ninety-nine per cent of our problems is because of failing to control our mind and EGO.

I have also learnt that most of our problems can be solved with two words. Thank you and Sorry.

Which word to use is left to your choice.

Do you remember those final exam days and the questions that carry the maximum marks?

You are told to answer the question in 50 or 100 words.

But, in life, the most important questions with the maximum marks are mostly made up of simple words.

I am sorry. I am really sorry. Please, accept my apologies. I love you and I don't want to lose you. I realize that you have feelings too. Sorry, I really f..ked up.

Then again, the more important answers are these.

I forgive you. I have forgotten it. F..k it, that is behind us now.

It is okay that you hurt me but it is you and that is why it is okay.

I know that I ramble but I also hope that I make some sense with my rambling thoughts.

And in case you are getting irritated with me, then your answer to me should be the one given down below.

I forgive you. I have forgotten it. F..k it, that is behind us now.

Lots of love and my best wishes. I wish you a great day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu5c3BEIPM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJV4pU5xl6A&list=RDBJV4pU5xl6A&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3i-2sEiZSc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1HufYvcLvY

Unknown and Nameless-20

“There will always be a reason why you meet people. Either you need them to change your life or you’re the one that will change theirs.” – Angel Flonis Harefa

Pallavi and Devan looked into each other and their looks and their need to understand were not stopped by their eyes and proceeded to enter each other's minds and thoughts.

Both of them realized that the Ashok they were talking about was the same person.

Devan's face took on a vague look. It was the look of a man being pursued by something that was unknown to him.

' Please, Pallu. Tell me when and where you happened to meet Ashok?'

Pallavi could see that her husband was under a tremendous strain, and her instincts to protect him brushed away her own pain and shock that the death of Ashok had wrought on her and she told Devan how and under what circumstances she and Ashok had met.

Not only Pallavi but Rani, Betty and Amara were mystified and confused by Devan's rueful smile and his words,' The ba..ard won. The poor, sad bas..rd finally won and after all these years, he managed to finish his unfinished business.'

' Unfinished business' Pallavi echoed Devan's words and then she recollected Father Peter saying that Ashok never liked leaving anything unfinished and that he had held on for more than a year after losing Catherine just so he could finish treating his patients that were under his care.

Devan looked at her with surprise, ' Why did you say the words, unfinished business?'

Pallavi told him about Father Peter's visit and the conversation that they had had about Ashok and his life.

' So, he finally did become a Psychiatrist.'

' Devan, why did you say unfinished business and what did you mean by saying that he finally won after all these years.'

' The unfinished business between me and Ashok started during our years in MCC College. Ashok was doing BSc Psychology and I was doing BCOM and the poor guy always had problems paying his fees. He had lost his parents at a very early age and was living with his grandparents and then, they too passed away.'

He looked at all of them, ' God only knows how he made it through school and to college, but he made it and the few times when he had problems in paying the fees, I helped him out. Many years later, he mailed a cheque to me for the amount but I tore it up and then we lost touch over the years. And then, I finally meet him after nearly 20 odd years but I guess it was too late.'

Devan looked at Pallavi, ' So, it was Ashok who has brought about these changes in you, is it?'

Pallavi looked at him uncomfortably and not knowing what to say or how to reply to this rather pointed and direct question.

But, she did not have to worry for long for Devan reached out and pinched her cheek lovingly and said, ' I am glad that you met Ashok, for now, he will be happy and in peace knowing that he helped us both and in the process repaid his debt to me that was never a debt but that was done out of love and friendship by me.'

Pallavi smiled and cried at the same time and said, ' What he did for me and you were also out of love and friendship, Devan.

Later that evening, they all stood around the grave and watched his coffin being lowered down and all of them whispered: " rest in peace."

Pallavi dropped dozens of white roses on Ashok's coffin and dropped many tears too that splattered on the shiny new wood and slipped and slid their way down the sides.

" Hopefully a few of my tears will find a way into the coffin and remind you of my gratitude and my thanks for gracing my life" Pallavi whispered to herself.

Author's thoughts

I am sorry that this story turned out this way but in a good way but also a sad way.

Stories mostly have good endings. Happy endings and they end by proclaiming " and they lived happily ever after."

Our own lives are stories but there is no guarantee that all of them will have happy endings.

I think each and every day is a story by itself. Each and every moment is a chapter in that story.

In the end, it is not about the ending but what happened in-between the start and the end.

It is about how many good moments we had and how we survived through the bad moments.

“Yesterday is history,

tomorrow is a mystery,

and today is a gift...

that's why they call it present”

“A seed refuses to die when you bury it, that is why it becomes a tree.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo

A story, like a seed, plants itself in the soil of my brain and lies there, dormant but not dead. It burrows into my flesh and soul and finds a place in the soft recesses of my brain, and sits there feeding of all the signals that travel along the millions of neural pathways that make up the information highway of my own CPU.

A story that I begin to write, takes root in my brain and is similar to a seed taking root in the soil of the earth. When the time is right, and the soil is fertile and wet, the seed comes alive, sprouts and emerges into the outside world with tiny leaves and standing on a slender stalk and braves the elements that surround it.

This is how my stories are born. From seed to a stalk, to a tender plant, they rise, flourish and soon become a young tree.

Vaanathai Pola is now 150 chapters old and stands as a young tree that has weathered my mood swings, my laziness, my boredom, my nonchalance and most importantly has sustained itself with my meandering thoughts.

All the pieces, characters of the story are there on the board but for the spider, the villain, the person responsible for the brutal attack on Brigadier Rajashekar that has put him in a coma.

But, unknown to him and unknown to even the Brigadier, Radhu aka Radha Krishnan has come to fight, save, protect and defend his father in the name of Shinogai.

But, little did he know or expect to meet someone who would fill his empty soul and fill it with love and care.

Little did Kavita know that the storms that raged and ravaged her heart in Jannal Oram would clear and that the darkness that covered her soul and the pain of losing both Vijay to death and Raman to Jeeva would be cast aside by the light and the love that Radhu would shine on her.

She took his pain away and he took her pain away and both filled the emptiness with their love for each other.

In the end, this is what love is.

Living for someone for whom you care about. Living for something, a purpose that you care about.

You know what I am talking about and I will give you a very average, shallow and daily event.

A beggar comes begging and you give him or her some money and whether you like it or not it makes you feel good and better about yourself.

Just imagine, you doing something even greater, bigger and a purer kind of action for someone you care about and ones who deserves your protection?

Life is for living.

Living for those you love for only when you live for them they will live for you and give you back, ten times more love and light.

I repeat myself and repeat that " Life is like a mirror and a dog."

What you show you will get back and also the mirror never lies.

I repeat myself that these are my own confessions, my on-going dialogue with you all and with life.

Vaanathai Pola 151

IndiGo flight 6E-7199 took off with a slight delay of twenty minutes 20.10 pm from Chennai Kamaraj domestic terminal and landed in Madurai airport at 21.10 pm.

Madurai airport was first used in 1942 by the Royal Air Force during World War 2 and was converted into a proper airport in 1956.The first passenger flight was a Fokker Friendship aircraft on the Madras to Madurai to Trivandrum to Madurai and back to Madras as Chennai was once known.

It was notified as an international airport in 2012 by the central Government and two chartered flight from Malaysia were the first flights to land in Madurai from outside the country. The first commercial international flight began on 20 September 2012 by SpiceJet commencing its maiden service to Colombo.

Kavita was the first person to get off the flight and to get into the Government vehicle that was waiting to whisk her away to safety.

A huge smile filled her face as she recognised Madurai Police Commissioner, ADGP Davidson Devasirvatham sitting in the front seat and in plainclothes and greeted him warmly,' David sir, what a pleasant surprise? How have you been?'

Commissioner Davidson Devasirvatham smiled humbly and replied, ' I am doing well, ma'am. How is sir doing now? Has he recovered completely from the heart attack he suffered?'

His Police eyes turned surprisingly soft with care and gratitude and he told Kavita, ' Ma'am, he really had us all worried there and I and my wife had a prayer meeting in our church and prayed for his health and recovery.'

' Thank you, David sir. Maybe it is because of well-wishers like you that appa somehow managed to defeat death in the final moment and returned back to us. Even the doctors had given up all hope of him surviving the attack, but thanks to all the prayers from friends like you, that God decided that it was not his time and that it was too soon to take another soul from our family and sent us back.'

' I am sorry for your loss ma'am, for Vijay sir was truly a great soul and we were all secretly rooting for both of you to take the party to even greater heights than what Amma left behind.'

Kavita smiled through her sadness and memory and asked him, ' you are a commissioner now and so there was no need for you to be here with me. You could have sent someone else, a junior officer perhaps.'

' Ma'am, whatever I am today is because of your father, Minister Arumugam Iyaa. I consider it a privilege to meet you again, for now, you too are a Minister and not the young child I met all those years ago. But apart from that, it was a personal request from both DGP Tripathy sir and...'

' And Commissioner Vishwanathan. He really is bent on doing his best to protect me like you are doing right now.'

' It is my job and honour ma'am and also because of the situation that is threatening to escalate into a crisis that will be very devastating to the state and to the Chief Minister and the party.'

' Don't worry, David sir. I will do my best to talk to both of them and convince them not to go on the warpath.'

Commissioner Davidson Devasirvatham's eyes looked troubled and Kavita looked at him, ' Something is bothering you, what is it?'

' Ma'am, in my experience, when a predator crouches and sits still, it means, that it is waiting for the moment to launch its attack and does not mean that it has gone to sleep or has become lazy and distracted. In fact, that is the most dangerous moment of all for that is when it will spring on its hapless and unsuspecting victim.'

He looked at her with totally alert and sharp eyes, ' Ma'am, do you remember that protest last year on the Indigo flight by members from the Bharatiya Forward Bloc demanding that Madurai airport be renamed after Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar.'

' Yes, I remember that incident from last year. But, what has that got to do with our current situation, David sir?'

' Ma'am, just as I said about the predator crouching low and before making its move.'

Kavita's eyes opened wide in realization and as her mind began to connect the dots and incident and she whispered, ' You mean that some of the Thevar leaders are hatching a plan to topple the Chief minister?'

' Or maybe something worse.'

' What could be worse than this move for we cannot afford to lose our Chief Minister for he has really been doing a great job and more than that he has somehow survived and has held on to power these past four years.

In fact, there is a wide consensus among ourselves that in the coming elections he will be the only person to be featured as the party leader for somehow he has managed to earn a good name among the people for doing his best even when faced with the most difficult of situations.'

Commissioner Davidson Devasirvatham nodded, ' that does sound terrible but I feel that something else is being planned, something big and nasty.'

Kavita looked at him, ' like what?'

' A civil war.'

' Civil war?'

' Yes ma'am. A civil war whose sole purpose is to make Madurai a state by itself and if that begins then all the major districts will want the same.'

Kavita went numb in shock and mumbled, ' Bloody hell. But, is that even possible, David sir?'

' Ma'am, if enough people are killed, if enough blood is spilt and if enough public property and private property is burnt and destroyed, then anything becomes possible and becomes possible to avert even greater loss of life and property.'

She leaned forward slowly, ' Does the Chief Minister know about this?'

' Yes ma'am. The CB-CID has been reporting to him and he has been personally monitoring the situation the past two years.

' So, what do I do now?'

' What you have been sent to do ma'am?'

Kavita smiled sarcastically, ' what is that, David sir?'

' Talk, observe, read, absorb and learn as much as possible as to what's going on their minds for both father and son will be doing the same when you meet them and please remember that they are better and more experienced in playing these mind games than all of us.'

' So, there is an ulterior motive to me being sent to meet both Mookaiah Thevar and Jagatratchagan and if that is true then there is the chance that I might also be forced to face danger, real and deadly danger.'

Commissioner Davidson Devasirvatham nodded, ' If it turns out that way, I will be in front of you for that is the least I can do to repay my debt that I owe your father for all that he has done for me and thousands of other police officers and to the department in general.'

The distance from Madurai to Chennai is nearly 463 km. But the distance between two souls is zero. Null and void. For, Radhu, as if sensing her fear, rose to his feet and made the call to Thangamani master.

The phone rang once before the call was disconnected. Thangamani master waited and just as he expected his phone rang twice and again the call was disconnected and then he rose to his feet for his phone rang thrice and which meant that Radha Krishnan was ready to come out and was ready to be unleashed upon those who would unleash terror on innocent victims.

There is always darkness and fear before the sun lets loose its arrows of light and protection.

There is always darkness before the door is opened and fire and heat are let loose to do battle upon cold and evil.

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

They stood watching me pack and get ready for my trip.

They looked at what I was packing and pointed out to me that I was forgetting the clothes that they had gifted me for my trip and I said, ' they look so dull and ordinary and I doubt if they will work in all the situations and places I will be going and also spending time in.

Then I decided that it was not nice to hurt their sentiments and feelings, and packed what they had gifted me and saying goodbye, left for my trip.

It was a long trip and a voyage filled with fun, excitement and partying. I found many like me who had chucked what they thought was their dull and drab and unnecessary gifts away and had decided to wear the glitzy and glamorous clothes of their choice and I soon became one of them.

But, the glitz and glamour soon began to fade and wear away and in fact tore into my skin with their fabric and one day, I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to change and change into the gifts that They had presented me before I left them.

The moment I decided to wear my gifts I began to feel a whole lot better, and also, I felt a strange peace fill my soul and I was again one with Them whom I had abandoned and had turned my back on.

I smiled and I felt the smile light up my existence and I offered my hand to the ones who raised theirs for help and I opened my arms to the ones who needed to be comforted and when they lay their weary heads on my breast, I felt strangely light and also felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders and saw to my surprise that my arms were wings and my legs were pillars made of stone.

Casting away my Ego, I raised my own hands for help and a shoulder to lean on and found many who offered their hands and shoulders for support and even went further and spread their wings to cast a shade over me and I rested in their shadows.

Many decades later, I returned back to Them and stood before Them with an open heart and an open smile.

' Any regrets?' They asked and I shook my head and said, ' No.No regrets and thank you for the gifts that you packed for my journey as a human being.'

They remained silent and I whispered, ' Anything else?'

It raised its hand and said, ' R.I.P.'

I opened my sleepy eyes and woke up from the dream and whispered, ' R.I.P or go in peace. WTF, God, even your simple words are more complicated than that maths syllabus from my 4th std.'

Vaanathai Pola 152

Radhu looked at Thangamani who shook his head, ' No, the snake has not made an appearance for the past two days. But, he called me to inform me that he was meeting a few of his relations who have come to Chennai on some personal work.'

' No, Mr.Thangamani.I don't for even a moment believe or trust anything Sekar says and his arrival here just before the Brigadier was attacked is too much of a coincidence and I am a person that does not believe in such kind of things.'

' What do we do now, Radha Krishnan?'

' No. please, you will not do anything and you will not get involved with these affairs for your job is now to take care of the three kids.It would have been great if they were not here and somewhere far off and safe from this dangerous situation.'

Radhu looked at Thangmani, ' I wish I could stay back here but Kavita needs me right now and once that is done I will be back and I am sure that the Madurai situation will be resolved quickly and peacefully.'

' Don't worry about the kids and just take care of yourself, Radha Krishnan.'

' Mr.Thangamani, I cannot help worrying about the kids for I have become very fond of them and I wish I had met them under better circumstances, in a better life and surely with me in a safer line of work.'

Thangamani master saw Radhu's eyes flare up and go on full alert and then they relaxed and he said aloud, ' It is nearly eleven in the night and the three tiny demons have come out to play.'

Both of them turned and saw three heads peeping out of the corner wall and looking at them and realizing that they had been found out, all three came out and stared angrily at Radhu.

As always, Meenu took the lead and folding her hands across her chest and raising her chin which Radhu knew by now was her habit and posture she assumed when she was going to make a point and when was going to speak her mind.

' When the big demons can come out, why not us, the tiny demons join them?'

Radhu glanced at Thangamani and said, ' Maybe it is time we started locking the doors and keeping these pups inside so that we can go about our work in peace.'

Appu, the tiniest one, spoke and his already squeaky voice, quivered and trembled with emotion, ' Radhu master, please don't leave us.'

Radhu went down on his knees and looked at Appu and gently tickled his small pot of a tummy and asked, ' why not, little demon?'

' because we will miss you and when I miss someone it hurts badly here' and pointed to his tiny chest.

Before Radhu could reply to Appu, all three of them jumped on him and held on to him with their tiny arms.

Radhu held them and they held him and together they held the moment for a long time and then he whispered, ' I am not leaving you three and I am going out for two days to look into a new project and find out if it is safe to take on or not.'

He flicked his fingers twice, loudly and said, ' Two days and they will be gone like that, and in that time, all you have to do is eat, play, sleep and watch tv and before you know it, I will be back and here with you.'

Pappu the wisest and also the quietest one looked at Radhu, ' Master sir, is it okay if I ask you something that has been bugging me for a long time?'

' Yes, you sweet little monkey. you can and so tell me what is on your kutty mind?'

Pappu looked at Radhu and then at Thangamani master and then at Meenu and Appu and asked, ' Master sir, does it hurt as badly as it hurts for us kids when the person who loves them, leaves them even for a short while, even for two days.'

Radhu's eyes shone with his tears that glittered like diamonds and pearls and he looked down unable to answer and overwhelmed by his own personal sorrow and memories and Pappu, the tiny wise soul, sensing his pain, slowly lifted Radhu's chin and said, ' You don't need to answer me for we can see the answer clearly in your eyes and we know it now.'

Radhu gathered all three of them and held them again and then whispered to Meenu, ' they both are in your care. Be careful and always have Thangamani master in your sight and please don't talk to strangers and if you do happen to notice anything funny, report it to your master, immediately.'

Three kids and one adult watched as Radhu walked away into the night and became the night himself.

Radhu did not leave through the main gate and instead made his way to another part of the large compound and scaled over the high wall like a monkey and landed softly on his toes like a cat and then silently made his way to the waiting car.

The old man got out of the car shaking his head, ' Not a week since you left Kumbakonam and here you are, neck-deep in trouble.'

Radhu smiled, ' Like I always tell you, trouble is my first name and last name.'

The old man stared at Radhu, ' Like I always warn you, you cannot save everybody for sometimes people die and we have to let them go and be in peace. Or else it will consume us and there is no turning back from that kind of darkness.'

Radhu got into the car and looked up at the old man, ' Turning back. That part has come, gone for I am not going into darkness but I have become darkness myself. There is no turning back.'

The old man's eyes softened, ' It is five years now. You have to let go of this anger, my boy.'

Radhu looked up at his old friend, ' They might be gone but new souls have filled that void they left behind and I am not going to lose anyone again, not while there is life in me and I can do something about it.'

He looked at the old man, ' Watch over them, please.'

' I will. All the best and happy hunting.'

The universal appeal of Hindi film songs

Youngsters today would be amazed to know that Hindi film songs — the pet craze of all Indians no matter where they live, what they eat, how they pray — were in 1952 actually banned by All-India Radio. Reason: Dr B V Keskar, the then Minister for Information and Broadcasting, felt that Hindi film songs were vulgar and westernised.

This inspired the birth of Binaca Geetmala on Radio Ceylon — a one-hour programme, every Wednesday evening, of top Hindi film songs. Millions of Indians tuned on to Radio Ceylon on Wednesday evenings. Sri Lanka had hit the entertainment jackpot, thanks to Hindi film songs.

India reversed its ban, and Hindi film songs returned to the centre stage of entertainment with the birth of Vividh Bharati in 1957.

The Keskar episode highlights the irresistible appeal of Hindi film songs, which know no expiry date and no borders. Magic, nostalgia, national integration — call it what you will: There’s a memorable song to celebrate every occasion, every mood, every event, every season, every family role (that of a mother, father, grandparents, uncle, aunt, son-in-law, daughter-in-law).

Hindi film songs can electrify with their exuberance. They can charm with romance, drip with melancholy or take lofty philosophical wings. They can spark religious fervour, inspire patriotism. Through them, you can relive old love and friendships, heal wounds, recall old festivities and revelries, the glories and embarrassments of your boyhood and adolescence.

Nehru and Ramaiya vastavayya

A personal anecdote on the memories that music kindles. Whenever I hear Ramaiya vastavayya, the Shree 420 hit, I think of Jawaharlal Nehru. Ridiculous? Let me explain. Early in 1956, PM Nehru was to address a public meeting at Lal Bagh in Bangalore. I was then a schoolboy — smitten, like thousands of others, by Panditji. He was late, and a huge crowd waited patiently. The authorities entertained the crowd with songs from Shree 420 on the public address system. Ramaiya Vastavayya blared out several times. The PM arrived. His charisma was overpowering. His speech was a trifle cliched. But the audience clapped with delight every few minutes.

Whenever someone mentions this song, the image that comes to mind is not that of a feisty Raj Kapoor or a bubbly Lalita Pawar, but of a dapper rose-in-buttonhole Jawaharlal Nehru whom I saw for the first time in flesh and blood on a balmy Bangalore evening.

Says Gopal Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, “There is no human emotion that Hindi film lyrics haven’t dealt with”. Old Hindi songs remind you of occasions happy and sad, of parents, of sweethearts, of triumphs, tragedies and heartbreaks, of crises faced and overcome, of weddings and funerals, births and deaths.

Even purists of Carnatic music get besotted with Hindi film songs. Stalwart singer Madurai G S Mani has said that when Mughal-e-Azam was released in 1960, he loved the music so much that for a few weeks, he watched the last shows of the film every night. He would walk home after the shows because buses would stop plying before 1 am!

In 1953, Rafi’s immortal song Man tarpat Hari darshan ko aaj (from Baiju Bawra) took India by storm. It was written by Shakeel Badayuni, composed by Naushad, sung by Rafi, Three Muslims had masterminded the most eternally brilliant bhajan of Indian cinema. It did more for national integration than tons of speeches and exhortations.

Raj Kapoor told me in an interview way back in 1965 that hundreds of foreigners were trying to learn Hindi so that they could appreciate Hindi film songs better. I was a bit sceptical of this claim then. But more than 40 years later, an English economist asked me whether I could recommend a Hindi language manual. Why I asked. He said he loved Hindi film songs but didn’t understand the meaning, he would like to learn the language. I remembered Raj Kapoor’s words — he wasn’t exaggerating.

Over the years, melody in music seems to have given way to rhythm, aesthetics to electronics. “Dang badal gaya, rang badal gaya” (The style has changed; the colours have changed.) remarked lyricist Anand Bakshi. “In earlier years, the orchestra gave singers a rest, today we sing to give the orchestra a rest,” said Lata Mangeshkar in the late 1990s. Talat Mahmood was once asked why he quit singing for films. His response: “Romance is out, violence is in. Melody is out, western pop is in. How can I sing about beauty in a disco?”

But A R Rahman has a counter to those who decry the fading away of melody in Hindi film music. “Music has to keep moving with the times,” he contends. “It can’t be static, it must reflect trends in society.”

Melody does glow now and then in today’s cinema but it’s a rarity. Today’s orchestra-powered music has its devotees, but for millions of music fans, there’s no substitute for the mesmerising melodies of Naushad, Shankar Jaikishen, S D Burman, C Ramachandra, Madan Mohan or O P Nayyar.

Romance is out, violence is in. Melody is out, western pop is in. How can I sing about beauty in a disco? – Talat Mahmood

Hindi film fans will remember that many years ago, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said that some Pakistani soldiers had told Indian counterparts in jest “Madhuri de do, Kashmir le lo” (Madhuri Dixit was a craze in Pakistan). An article in Pakistan’s best-known daily, Dawn, remarked, “Let’s ask for Lata Mangeshkar instead. We have Noor Jehan already, so both queens of music will be in Pakistan.”

Which are the best, the greatest-ever Hindi film songs? It takes courage to even pose such a question. How do you pick a few from thousands of gems? However, it is possible to list around 40–50 immortal songs of the 1950s. the richest and the most resplendent era of Hindi film music, from top composers like Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishen, C Ramachandra and O P Nayyar, who were at their best then, along with Lata and Rafi.

The writer is a member of Rotary Club of Madras South, RID 3232.

The writer Mr.Madhu also happens to be a very dear friend of mine and so I took it upon myself to share his thoughts with all of you here in our forum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1DZxkiMjRo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIkFW78x6UA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J1nr0-2O60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3buMKP2-GI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5VMz3T7Wp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQY6f1T5YO0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dO_MS9tZ5E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nst90u9Dvw

Vaanathai Pola 153

The vehicle with Madurai Police Commissioner Davidson along with Minister Kavita reached The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai, Madurai and entered the compound and came to a halt at the entrance.

Davidson got out of the car and in a worried voice informed Kavita that there was time to move into a safer hotel and that was situated more closer to the city and which would offer better protection in case of an emergency.

' Commissioner sir, Answer me honestly. Do you really think that Jagatratchagan will attack me here and even before he has heard what I have to say to him and his father?'

She shook his head, ' I don't think that he is so hot-headed that he would kill the messenger that is bringing him the message, which is an appeal for peace and that which has been sent directly from the Chief Minister himself.'

' Ma'am, I would agree, and then too, reluctantly and under normal circumstances. But this situation is not normal, for you are not only the messenger but one of the reasons that led to his only son and heir, Selvam's death.'

' I don't think Jagatratchagan would tip his hand so quickly and try to quench his thirst for revenge by attacking me for he will only do that if he is absolutely sure of the result.'

She pointed to the six-armed police commandos, ' Most certainly not when they are there outside my cottage to protect me.'

She smiled calmly, ' good night Commissioner sir and it is really nice to see you again after such a long time.'

Commissioner Davidson bid her goodnight and left and Kavita was shown to her cottage and after washing her face she came back out and looked at her protection detail and said, ' Come, join me for dinner for I hate dining alone.'

Inspector Kumaresan, the head of the commando team thanked her and said, ' Ma'am, the commissioner will flay us alive and hang us from the tallest tree if we broke protocol and moreover we have our duties ma'am and which is to protect you and that takes precedence over everything else.'

Kavita surveyed the room and said, ' Two entry points. One for the guests and one for service. Place one of your men at each point and sit in that table and eat something. That is an order and my orders take precedence over your orders.'