*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 124

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwx9xiHFIM

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day."

Words, spoken languages, prose, grammar all fail some and many a time for they are never able to express the soul's thoughts and needs and screams. Like a singer who is good at low octaves but fails and sounds bad when he or she is asked to reach a higher octave, a crescendo, words too fail but then what else do we have but the touch. Sadly, how many others can you touch and convey what you feel and the crescendo you have just crested?

So, it is but in poetry, a clever mix, use and balance of language that we fall back on and sing our hearts out whether it is in joy or in sorrow.

Many decades ago, I used to trudge back home in the shadows of elder cousin sisters and hear them excitedly point out to crows perched on pipes, ledges and branches and yell " One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy."

Me, I looked like a thin and starved burnt brown crow and all I could do was imitate their enthusiasm and look dumbly and wonder what the hell was going on.

Not to forget what the crows themselves were imagining and I can just imagine them croaking and cawing excitedly at us little school humans, "Caw, caw, caw for the three girls and coo for that little boy who looks like a crow too."

So many myriad thoughts, so many shimmering thoughts that dot my soul like the stars dot and sparkle in the sky. Then, just when I reach out to grasp them they shoot off in a blaze like them shooting stars. Now you see and now you don't.

I constantly crave and pray that I am bestowed with more memory and a better understanding as to how to capture and hold on to those gossamer silky thoughts and dreams but it is more of failures than victories.

Reading habits, amateur writing skills and day-dreaming have helped me in many ways to better my skills as an actor and that too when I have to express with nothing but my eyes, those two useless hands and that useless body.

But when done right, correctly and when used only when needed, even the slightest of body language comes to the aid of an actor, on stage or when facing the camera.

We are all actors in our own ways. we all express our souls every day, in our homes and all through our lives. some action blocks, some angry scenes, some love scenes, some tragic scenes and many of us express and act our lives with only our eyes and a subtle shrug of our shoulders and with a slight nod.

In the end, our lives are passing, fading films where silences and looks express much better than dialogues and cliched lines.

Lives, camera, roll and action.

Edhavathu puriyutha. Naa solrathu puriyutha.

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine."

Good morning. I wish you a beautiful day.

The word quote literally means to repeat or copy out words from a text or speech written or spoken by another person.

All those whats app forwards, messages, shared pics with texts of good mornings, good nights are all beams of energy, waves of positive vibrations, love radiations and most are done with pure intentions and the others, well lets now dwell too much on them, shall we? Such a short time, time like grains of sands that slip away and trickle away like water that you hold on desperately in your cupped hands and see in the end just damp stains.

Time in my view is life credited into your savings account and whether you like it or now is being constantly debited second by second and sometimes in large EMI'S.

It is a dangerous world that we are living in right now and with the fear of a virus attack hanging like the sword of Damocles over our heads and lives. But we will endure, lose many loved ones but in the end humanity will endure.

I always wonder who will sing for the other and realized that each of us has to sing for themselves and dance for themselves in the time given to them.

Like a meandering stream, river my thoughts do meander but I hope to connect the dots and not ramble too much and express better as the shores of time race past.

See you soon.

“No, the secret is that there's no reward and we have to endure our characters and our natures as best we can, because no amount of experience or insight is going to rectify our deficiencies, our self-regard, or our cupidity. We have to learn that our desires do not find any real echo in the world. We have to accept that the people we love do not love us, or not in the way we hope. We have to accept betrayal and disloyalty, and, hardest of all, that someone is finer than we are in character or intelligence.”

“Do you also believe that what gives our lives their meaning is the passion that suddenly invades us heart, soul, and body, and burns in us forever, no matter what else happens in our lives? And that if we have experienced this much, then perhaps we haven’t lived in vain? Is passion so deep and terrible and magnificent and inhuman? Is it indeed about desiring any one person, or is it about desiring desire itself? That is the question. Or perhaps, is it indeed about desiring a particular person, a single, mysterious other, once and for always, no matter whether that person is good or bad, and the intensity of our feelings bears no relation to that individual’s qualities or behaviour?”

“We were quite different, but we belonged together, we were more than the sum of our two selves, we were allies, we made our own community, and that is rare in life.”

Aaruvai jokes involving Tamil lingo..

Some have gone over me and had to Google...

1. My elder brother is an irritating fellow.

He is anna-ying.

2. What do you call hulk's child?

Pacha kozhandha.

3. Where do dentists in Chennai practice?

EEE-kaatu thaangal.

4. How did the Arctic bear slap the other one?

Polar polar nu.

5. Why is Michelle Obama considered so careless?

Ava epome Barack ah paathutu irupa.

6. Why do people take binoculars to a wedding?

They can see their doorathu sondham.

7. If Black Panther sits down he never gets up, because...?

Okkandha forever.

8. What do you call it when your elder sister gives you a place to stay?

Akkamodation.

9. Why did the king's stuff turn into sand?

Because the amaichar said, "Aagantum Manna."

10. Where did the Mallu girl go when she became angry?

Ava Cochinu poita.

11. What do you call it if the dogs are so attached to you?

Pawsam.

12. I married a pizza.

My children are kutti pizzasu.

13. Why did Batman shout, "Aeiouuu"?

Because avan vowel manidhan.

14. Which writer asked his son to donate his eyes?

Kanna thaa son.

15. What happened to those oranges left in the freezer?

Orange-i poochu.

16. Why was the spy staring at the sea?

Avan Wave paakaraan.

17. Most people who do CA love mutton. Why?

Because they are aadu-eaters.

18. A jealous engineer can never design a proper circuit. Why?

Avanuku Wire ah eriyum.

19. Why were the tourists staring at the hammer instead of sight-seeing?

Avanga suthi paaka vandhaanga.

20. My dad's brother is a big joke.

You could call him Periya-pun.

21. What do you call a piece of cotton falling from a high altitude?

Punjee Jumping.

22. Your friend poked you.

You poked back.

You've poked each other 158 times in a row.

Pozhudhu-poke.

23. Did you know that Bruce Banner smelt good after getting exposed to the radiation?

Gamma gamma nu irundhaaru.

24. Why are the articles in English known as orphans?

They are an, a, the.

25. A scientist shows his awards and achievements to his friend.

Scientist: These are all my awards in physics.

Friend: These are arranged so randomly!

Scientist: Yes. My field of interest is en-trophy.

Vaanathai Pola 201

The police commando team who were in charge of Minister Kavita's security sat relaxedly under the huge tamarind tree chatting and playing games on their Android mobile phones. They all knew that it would be late in the evening before the minister and her bodyguard returned from their trip to Perumalvaram.

The constable who had supplied information to Jagatratchagan about the Minister's movements and location stared hard at the SMS he had just received from his bank and which had informed him that 10 lakhs had just been deposited into his account.

His face was just one big smile and then another message arrived and it said, ' 1 crore if you kill her.'

He calmed himself down and gingerly tapped the touch screen and sent a reply, ' Okay Iyaa.'

Jagatratchagan looked at the message and then looked at his father Mookaiah Thevar, ' even if she manages to escape the attack in the forest, she will die the moment she steps out of the forest.'

Unknown to the traitor constable, two other members of his team got the same I crore message and they too responded ' Okay Iyaa.'

The deep and strong blood ties and bonds they had to their Thevar community notwithstanding, the strong ties and bonds to money was an added cherry on their top and all three traitors sat, watching and waiting for the time when the Minister would step out and the moment when they could fill her with bullets.

Suddenly, the pesky noise of a vehicle filled the air and six looked in the direction of the road that led towards them from the main road.

They sat and watched as the source of the irritating noise made its appearance in the form of an autorickshaw and stopped a little distance away from them and saw an old man slowly get out of it. All the six police commandos watched as the passenger handed some money to the auto driver who refused it and said, ' Baba, kaasu vendaam' but was finally forced to accept it by his occupant who then slowly turned around and tapping his stick on the ground in front of him vanished from their sight as he turned the corner and towards the gates that protected the forest from the city.

One of the police commandos asked the others, ' hey, adhu Aghori baba thaane. That blind beggar who sits outside Meenakshi Amman temple?'

A few of them agreed but all agreed that a blind beggar posed no interest to them and they went back to playing games and sharing videos on their phones.

Just ten minutes had passed since the arrival of the Blind beggar when they heard the police siren and immediately came alert and all stood up clutching their automatic rifles.

They saw a white Suv with its blue siren screaming " alert, make way" halt and all six of them saw Deputy Commissioner Karthik jump out of the vehicle and seeing them used his hand to call them.

All six of them ran quickly and saluted him and stood before him in full attention.

DC Karthik looked at the Sub-Inspector who was the commando team leader and asked him what they were doing her and who they were guarding.

The SI replied, ' Sir, we are in charge of Minster Kavita Duraipandi Arumugam's security and under the express permission of the Commissioner himself.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik''s face filled with panic and his eyes quickly scanned all around and he asked the SI, ' madam enge? why are you not with her?'

The Sub-Inspector replied, ' sir, she has entered the forest with her own personal guard who has come from Chennai and they have gone to visit the temple in Perumalvaram.'

Karthik was taken aback and he asked, ' but how did those two manage to get permission to enter this protected forest?'

' Sir, why does she need permission when the entire state forest and all its departments fall under her power and along with all the tribals and Adi Dravidar communities.'

And in a very relaxed manner he informed Karthik, ' sir, they are not alone but are with an old man who I think is acting as their guide for today.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik yelled so loudly that the Sub-Inspector's spirit jumped out of his skin and took of with the birds that took flight after being scared by the loud screams.

' Old man. was he a blind old man?'

The SI smiled and said, ' no sir, he was fine and could see clearly and also in great health.'

Then his face creased and his brow furrowed and came forward in doubt and question, ' Sir, why did you specifically ask if the old man was blind?'

' Because I am after a blind beggar who might be an important witness in the killing of Superintendent Manohar who was murdered in the early hours of today and left to hang outside the temple gates.'

The SI's face filled with fear and he slowly turned and exchanged looks with his team commandos and turning back looked at Deputy Commissioner Karthik and asked in a voice filled with fear and doom, ' is this blind beggar called Aghori Baba by any chance?'

The blood drained from DC Karthiks face as he nodded with apprehension and he asked, ' yes, is he here?'

The Sub-inspector nodded and then shook his head and raised his hand and pointed his finger towards the forest.

Deputy Commissioner Karthik asked, ' he is in the forest, in the same forest that the minister is in?'

The SI nodded and Karthik immediately grabbed his phone and called the Commissioner.

Vaanathai pola 202

The two forest guards whispered their greetings and opening the gate stepped back to allow the blind Aghori Baba space to enter the forest and watched as always with amazement, the man tap his stick and walk unerringly towards the ancient temple that was on top of the mountain in Perumalvaram.

Commissioner Davidson answered the call seeing it was from deputy commissioner Karthik and asked, ' Did you manage to locate this blind beggar?'

Standing at the edge of the forest in the clearing that separated wild from the so-called civilization, DC Karthik spoke in a voice that was filled with panic, anger and frustration.

' Sir, we have a situation developing here, and which in my opinion, is very serious and which needs our immediate intervention.'

A puzzled Commissioner Davidson went alert the moment he heard Karthik use the words, " situation, serious" and said loudly, ' Karthik, Collector Vinay is here with me and I am putting you on speakerphone. Now, calm down and tell me what is going on and more importantly where are you calling from right now?'

' sir, I am calling from the entrance into the forest of Perumalvaram and the reason I am here is because of this blind beggar who I followed here and who has entered the forest.'

DC Karthik turned his attention to the road and saw a jeep with Inspector Naseer arrive and closely followed by a truck full of armed police commandos.

Commissioner Davidson realizing that Karthik was unaware about the mysterious movements of criminals who were converging on the tribal village called Perumalvaram realized something terrible was afoot said, ' Karthik, listen to what I have to say very carefully. We just got news that a few groups of armed individuals are making their way towards the forest you are in right now and they are not coming through the main entrance where you are right now and instead are attempting to enter the protected zone via other hidden and secret passages and we have been monitoring them through a couple of drones. I will send one of the drones to land where you are and you can see the videos on it and we will co-ordinate our movements from there.'

He then paused and said, ' I have already issued orders for a full battalion of armed force to proceed towards the forest and I am sure we will have this under control in a matter of hours.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik responded enthusiastically, ' Very good sir but I am sorry for I have to disagree with you at this moment for we don't have much time to plan and leave alone to react to what the situation might throw at us.'

' Karthik, stop worrying about the blind beggar for how far and how fast can he walk in the forest. We will surely get him and we will find out if he knows anything about the murder of our colleague Manohar. From what I have seen from the drone footage, these men are about 30 to 40 km away from the village and they are all on foot and it will take them at least a couple of hours before they reach the village and by that time we will be already in place to handle them and also move forward to intercept them and see what they are up to. In my opinion, I think this is just a diversion that has been created by Jagatratchagan and his father.'

Karthik's voice was now in a full-blown panic as he realized the full extent of the danger the situation now posed to him and to their department.

' Sir, sorry sir but in my hurry to keep you posted I forgot to inform you about the most important piece of information and also why I used the words serious and situation.'

Davidson looked at collector Vinay who shrugged and looked as puzzled as him and then asked., ' Karthik, what is it?'

' Sir, Minister Kavita is here right now and she has just entered the forest and is headed towards the village of Perumalvaram and with just one personal security guard for protection and along with an old man for a guide. And they are on foot and unarmed.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik clearly heard the Commissioner's chair fly back and ram against the wall making a loud noise and realized that the man had stood up and was now under great duress.

' Karthik, you realize that this is not looking good right now. On one hand, we have a witness who might even turn out to be a suspect in the murder of a police officer and who just happens to be in the same vicinity of minister Kavita and then we have several groups of armed individuals numbering 60 and more and who are heading towards the village and most probably with the minister as their target.'

' Sir, that means Jagatratchagan is bent on avenging his only son Selvam's death by attacking Minister Kavita who was present when Selvam along with his thugs launched an attack in that five-star hotel.'

Understanding the predicament that they were in, Karthik jumped in and said, ' sir, I have nearly 25 armed police commandos including the minister protection detail and I think it is best that I proceed immediately into the forest and reach her before anything bad happens.'

Madurai Police Commissioner looked at Collector Vinay who nodded and said, ' Don't worry about permission Karthik for I will handle it and one more important fact is that the minister herself is the one who is in charge of tribal and state forest department and I doubt if she will have any objection in us entering this protected land.'

' Okay, sir. I am going to head in and I think it is better if we leave one team guarding this entrance and also alerting the forest department and the fire department about the situation in case we need help.'

Commissioner Davidson thought for a second and then said soberly, ' Karthik, you will not have cell phone coverage once you enter the forest and will be out of touch but we will do our best to monitor your movements via our drones. All the best young man and take care.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik smiled wolfishly, ' over and out sir.'

Turning to Inspector Naseer and the other commandos he quickly updated them about the situation and told him, ' Naseer, you will remain here with five commandos and guard this entrance while the rest of us will enter the forest and track down first this blind beggar and then from there we will intercept the minister and bring her out to safety and take it from there. Right now, our mission is the minister and her safety and if anyone tries to come in our way, shoot first and ask questions later.'

He looked at them and yelled, ' Do you fu..ing hear me, loud and clear?'

The cops responded in unison, ' Yes sir.'

The forest of Perumalvaram stood in silence and stood waiting and watching as nearly two dozen fully armed men marched into the forest and the forest guards manning the single gate could do nothing but stand by and watch them go and then reluctantly abandoning their posts, followed Deputy Commissioner Karthik and his commandos in case they needed help.

Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in.

Little did men and the outside world know that the ancient land of Perumalvaram needed no protection or outside intervention for it could look after itself.

He stopped and whispered to the trees and to all his people, ' kill only if you have to. We need people to confess and we need to bring people to judgement. But, you are free to break legs and arms and bones that may cripple these evil men that dare enter our land.

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

Vaanathai Pola 203

“The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence that makes no demands for its sustenance and extends generously the products of its life activity; it affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axe-man who destroys it.” -Gautama Buddha

They had been walking for more than thirty minutes when both Radha Krishnan and Kavita who had been following the mysterious old man and guide, saw him stop and raise his hand indicating them to stop and then both watched him do some crazy stuff.

At first, he closed his eyes and stood still with only his shut eyes twitching furiously as if he had been suddenly possessed and then they watched him slowly sink to his knees and opening his eyes looked at the sun and began to whisper some strange sounding names.

Radhu looked at Kavita who shook her head and whispered to him, ' those names are from an ancient dialect of the Tamil language but I recognise a few of them.'

It was Radhu's turn to raise a hand and doing that he strained his ears and then looked at Kavita and said, ' can you hear anything baby?'

Wondering what he meant by that, Kavita shook her head and replied, ' nothing Radhu, I hear nothing.'

He looked at her with bewilderment and said, ' Nothing, I too hear nothing.Isn't that strange that in a forest filled with birds, animals, reptiles and insects we are hearing nothing.'

Kavita looked at him confusedly, ' but didn't we hear noises of birds and insects until a few minutes ago or was that my own imagination?'

' No, baby, you were not imagining anything for I too heard noises made by a variety of birds and clearly heard the noisy crickets and other insects but not now for they have all fallen silent and suddenly.'

Palam Swamy opened his eyes and looked at Radhu and said, ' the forest has indeed fallen silent for it has changed its mood and stance along with its inhabitants and this is our cue for us to quicken our pace and reach a safer place where we can make a stand if need be.'

He looked at Radhu, ' warrior, be on guard for strangers have entered this ancient and holy land that belongs to the race of gods who descended from the heavens on top of the mountain towards which our path is leading us to.'

Radhu's only worry was for the safety of Kavita and in an angry voice he confronted Palam Swamy, ' sir, we are just 30 minutes away from the entrance and I think it is better that we make our way back and do this trip some other time when it is a lot safer and with more protection for the minister.'

Palam Swamy shook his head and said with an angelic smile, ' I doubt if it will come to that for the God of the mountain who watches over this sacred and ancient land will not stand by and do nothing.'

Radhu felt like banging his head against a rock and it was Kavita who asked Palam Swamy what he meant when he said God of the mountain and asked him if he was recollecting some old mythical fable that had now become faith and was practised as a separate religion.

Palam swamy smiled, ' come my children, let us be away for the God that I just spoke about has descended from the mountain and is now walking the forest and he is not alone and he is never alone.'

He smiled and winking an eye at Kavita, ' myths, legends, fables and ancient stories all have roots my child. There is no smoke without fire and believe me when I tell you that the God of this land was born of fire and was made in the heavens above.

All three quickened their speed and soon they were far away from where they had been ten minutes earlier.

Radhu looked at Kavita and raised an eyebrow and she repeated some of the words that Palam Swamy had mumbled while on his knees.

Radhu heard the words and raising both his eyebrows said, ' Kavin, pagalon, are these same curses or names?'

Palam swamy smiled, ' no Radha Krishnan, they are the names given to the Gods of the mountains but all of them started with the one called Azhagan.

He stopped abruptly and spread his hands and waved them all around, ' this very ground which you walk upon is the very ground that the great God once walked proudly as a child and as a man. But then the story of Azhagan is the story of his mother Avini.

The blind Aghori Baba tapped his stick and slowly made his way to where Radhu, Kavita and Palam Swamy had stopped and lingered a little while earlier and smiling to himself and whispered loudly, ' I guess there is no other way around it other than face them.'

The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun. Napoleon Hill

Flashback

Your light is my light

your sight is my sight

and in your soul and in your actions i will burn bright

my story is mixed with your story

and we are forever inseparable

the song of azhagan will be the song of avini

Avini felt her child and saw the light of her child fill her senses and out beyond in the forest stood more lights and they stood watching her and avini knew she was not alone and was never alone.

Tears of joy filled her eyes and they filled her soul and she whispered to her son ' i have been alone and yet i loved you,ached for you before you were born.i have carried all these dreams and visions of you even before the spirits of the forest breathed you into me.I am ready to die now for i am content but i will live my life for you,i will breathe for you and die for you.I am beautiful because you are beautiful and so i will call you that.I will call you Azhagan.'

He gently put his arms under her and placed her on his lap and whispered " mother,mother i have come back.I am here and i am scared and don't know what to do.Please dont leave me alone for i will be truly lost without you and will follow you for i have no purpose or will without you by my side."

The eyes flickered open in her blood streaked face and avini saw the light of azhagan and felt his strong arms around her and tried to speak,but the blood from her throat spilled out of her mouth and she coughed and nearly choked with it.

Avini whispered " azhaga,my son,dont be scared for you are not alone and will never be.Take care of yourself my child.I know i dont have much time so let me thank you for coming into my womb and bringing life and light into my life.Thank you my son.I am truly blessed and the only thing that saddens me is that i have never been able to see you with my eyes and now i go with that one wish left unfulfilled.But then i guess one cannot wish for everything good to happen to only them."

Azhagan screamed in pain and the green light that had died down when he had sat besides his mother now rose like bonfire and it entered avinis body.the green fire took hold of her body and entered her soul and it worked magic on her and now even her eyes shone with the strange green light.

Avini felt the pulse of power from her sons body and she recognised the familiar touch and time fell away and her mind raced back in time to the genesis of her and azhagan.

Avini smiled " i see you azhaga.i see you are the light,the same light that entered my body.You are more beautiful than i thought and imagined you would be.Listen to me my son for you are not alone and were never alone.There are forces and lights that will protect you and guide you when you call for them.I love you my son.I have loved you,thought about you and loved you more when you came into my body.Please dont worry and cry for me for i die happily now with your face as my last memory.azhaga.'

That was the last word that slipped out of avinis lips as the life slipped out from her broken body.

Vaanathai Pola 204

Having learnt that the man they were after had just entered the forest gave Deputy Commissioner Karthik wings to fly on and with that adrenaline rush he marched into the forest with his two Sub-Inspectors Anil and Kailasm one step behind him and they were followed closely by the armed police commandos.

He spoke as he walked, ' In life, there might be co-incidences but not when it comes to crimes and that too when the case concerns a murder. If this blind beggar is here and if he is a witness in the murder of Superintendent Manohar and now if he is here at the same time when Minister Kavita is here then it cannot be a coincidence.

The two forest guards ran ahead and joined DC Karthik and asked, ' Iyaa, what is this about murder and the Blind Baba being involved in that matter?'

DC Karthik snarled, ' why do you want to know the details about this case?'

If his reply was meant to scare the forest guards it didn't for the men looked at him and the senior of both of them smiled and said, ' Sir, Aghori Baba being involved in a murder. Unbelievable sir and one more thing, he is here today because it is Pradosham day and has been coming here for those two days for many a year now.'

The other guard added, ' sir, I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding here for this Baba is a very gentle soul and he wouldn't hurt a fly. It is not only shocking but hard to believe that he could be involved in a murder and that too of a police official.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik stopped and everybody behind him too stopped in a hurry, gently colliding with the ones who had been walking before them and he stared ferociously at both the forest guards.

' Several groups consisting of 50 to 70 people and all armed with deadly weapons are right not making their way into the forest and maybe at the whim and fancy of this supposedly blind beggar called Aghori Baba and they are all moving towards the point where this states cabinet minister is right now.'

He stepped closer to both the guards and screamed into their face, ' Answer me you bloody idiots, what should I do now? worry about a suspect or do my duty and protect our minister who also happens to be your boss?'

Both the forest guards realized that the police officer indeed had a valid point and also a duty to fulfil but in their hearts they knew that he was barking up the wrong tree.

Caught in the heat of the moment, stunned and put into place by the Deputy Commissioner's angry outburst, both the forest guards stood in silence and it was in that silence that their training and instincts took over and kicked into gear.

Training that they had from the time they were just toddlers and instincts that they had been born with like the various other members of their clan who all dedicated themselves to the service of the forest and Mother Nature.

Both looked at each other and both slowly turned and facing the opposite directions lifted their heads and sniffed the air and the smell that entered their nostrils left them shaking in their forest boots.

Deputy Commissioner Karthik, who had been watching this sudden and strange behaviour grabbed one of the men's shoulders and shaking him with force asked, ' What is it now? did you hear something?'

In quiet and in absolute silence, they stood and heard the noises of dried leaves being stepped on and twigs being crunched under powerful feet and all of them looked in the direction from where the noises were coming and coming directly towards them and waited with racing hearts.

The tall grass parted and a man taller than the grass stepped out with a thick white cane in front of him and all of them heaving a sigh of relief began to breathe once again.

All of them watched as the tall man walk towards them and come to a halt with a distance of ten feet separating him and them.

He stood with his head bent, a saffron turban covering his head and his thick flowing locks of hair flowed in waves and fell on his shoulders and joined his thick beard that covered his face along with the black glasses.

His body was covered with a saffron cloth and around his lower body was another saffron dhoti and his feet were encased in shoes.

He stood there with his head bent down and leaning on his stick and all they could see were his fists, nose and a bit of cheek.

They watched as he slowly raised his head and with a smiled spoke in flawless English, ' Deputy commissioner Karthik, I presume? Welcome, young man and I am glad that you have arrived in time for it will help serve both our purposes and personal goals.'

DC Karthik slipped the safety of his handgun and aiming it at the Baba roared, ' I have been searching for you from early this morning and now that I am finally meeting you, I have to confess that I am at a loss as to how to describe this providence, your bad luck or my good luck.'

He raised the Gun and said, ' Mister, you are under arrest.'

The Blind Baba stared in the direction of DC Karthik, ' Deputy Commissioner Karthik, IPS. Full name Karthik Subramaniam, son of Ram Subramaniam and Sita Subramaniam. Father works in the revenue department and mother works in the income tax department and you are their only child. '

They all watched as the blind man suddenly turned and sniffed the air and smiled and returned his gaze back on Karthik and continued, ' tell me Karthik, you were a quiet and a mediocre student until your ninth std and then everything changed. Something happened that year and that something is still following you in hot pursuit to this day and this is the reason for your recklessness and unethical behaviour.'

DC Karthik's face had turned pale and he mumbled, ' how the fu.k do you know what happened to me back in the 9th std?'

The blind baba smiled, ' later, we will come to that a little later and I will help you understand yourself better but at this moment I want you to apologize for you rude behaviour and beastly tactics.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik lowered his handgun wondering what the blind bas..rd was rambling about and asked, ' Rude behaviour, unethical behaviour. what do you mean and wtf are you referring to?'

' Come close young man and I will tell it to you in confidence' and still smiling, ' or are you just scared of a blind beggar and who you have followed into this sacred land to arrest and drag me away.'

Deputy Commissioner Karthik did not hesitate one moment for though he was by nature, reckless and hot-headed, he surely was not lacking in courage and least of all he was not worried about taking on a blind man.

Placing his handgun in its holster, he barked a command, ' all of you stand down while I go and handcuff this arrogant bas...d and you will do nothing while I arrest him.'

Saying this, he marched forward towards the blind baba and as he neared him swung his right hand with an open palm to land a heavy slap on the man's face but it met empty air and before he could react he found himself being gripped by the baba's hand and lifted off the ground.

It is not a joke but seriously a superhuman feat if one is able to lift an adult male weighing between 75 to 85 kilos clean off the ground and that too with one hand and that too effortlessly and with a beautiful smile still on his face.

Most of the men panicked and stepped back at this superhuman display of power and watched their superior being dangled in the air and looked at each other in total fear and confusion.

But it was their superior himself who squeaked, ' you are but just one person while I have my full squad of armed policemen with me and they will shoot you to pieces. Put me down this instant or I will give the order to fire their guns at you.'

The blind baba smiled, ' why did you wrongly assume that I am alone when in fact I am not?'

Deputy commissioner Karthik's eyes sought all around and catching sight of no one in the immediate vicinity squeaked still dangling in the air, ' There is nobody here and I have everybody here.'

They heard tiny sounds of leaves and twigs breaking and all of them turned in the very direction that the Blind baba himself had walked towards them and then the tall grass parted and out stepped the largest lion any of them had ever seen.

This was not a lion that sat sadly and lazily behind a cage, in a zoo and this was not the lion that was made to turn tricks on tv and films but this was a real lion and they all could see with their very own eyes why a lion is called the king of the forest.

All of them realized one thing and that most important fact was that this was not an ordinary lion but an extraordinary specimen, a giant among its species.

The lion stopped and looked at all of them and roared.

A lions roar is unlike any roar and it is a deep bass sound that is not only scary in its emotion but in its force and suddenly dark patches appeared in the crotches of many of the armed policemen whose hands began to shake uncontrollably and some of them dropped their machine guns and began to slowly back away.

The blind baba stared at Deputy commissioner Karthik and then turned to the lion, ' Hi Buddha you fat kitten. Is the situation under control?'

Buddha the lion roared and answered.

The blind beggar called Aghori Baba slowly lowered DC Karthik to the ground and with a smile told him, ' If it is just glory, medals and promotions that you crave then I will help you get them for the situation calls for it.'

Then he pointed to the cell phone in Karthik's shirt pocket, ' Take that call and all will be made clear to you.'

No sooner had he finished saying those words, Karthik's mobile rang and he picked it up and answered, ' sir, okay sir.'

Then with a look of total amazement on his face he stared at the Aghori Baba and asked, ' what sir? but sir, okay sir.'

The call ended and he looked at the blind man, ' Commissioner Davidson told me to apologize to you and asked me to request you to take over this operation and we have to follow your lead and orders.'

Totally confused, he asked the blind baba, ' who are you, mister? who are you really?

The blind baba smiled and said, ' come, young man, follow me for we have a few thugs to take care off.'

He whispered to Buddha the lion, ' hey you fat fur ball, are you just going to sit here or are you coming with us?'

Buddha the lion looked at his with irritation and then leapt on to him and to all their amazement, they watched as the blind baba easily tackled and handled the giant lion that stood more than eight feet tall and towered over the blind man.

Their jaws dropped collectively to the ground as they watched with fear mingled with amazement as man and beast stood hugging each other for a few moments.

' Down you big kitten and stop licking my face with your sandpaper tongue. It really hurts.'

The police team along with DC Karthik and the two forest guards followed the blind man and the giant lion and they slowly made their way deep into the forest.

Far away in Madurai, Commissioner Davidson and Collector Vinay stared at each other and at the phone through which the call had come from Chennai and from the Chief minister himself a few minutes ago.

Commissioner Davidson shook his head, ' who really is this blind beggar who is called Aghori Baba and why is our chief minister addressing him as iyaa and sir?'

Vaanathai Pola 205

The man who we know as Junior and the one who had initiated the deadly attack against Brigadier Rajashekar slowly sat down on his bed looking at his watch and saw that there were just a few minutes left for the time to be 12.00 noon and time for his departure.

He had been informed via an SMS that a car would arrive at his house at exactly 12.00 noon and he would be driven to an yet to be disclosed location and once there, matters concerning the Brigadier would be brought before the Seniors.

He was called Junior because he was the youngest of them all and also because his membership into this secret club was just one year old. He knew that he would have to survive at least two years before he was considered a permanent member and was acknowledged as a Senior by the others.

The secret club consisting of the seniors always numbered seven and Junior had been brought in for one of the seniors had suddenly died succumbing to a massive heart attack.

He stared at his open palms and saw the invisible stains of blood and evil that was visible only to his eyes and wondered if it was worth the sins that he had committed in the name of his secret club and for the sake of wealth and power.

His wife came in and seeing him sitting there fully dressed remarked lovingly, ' hi handsome, still here? I thought you had some important meeting that you were going to attend and yet you are still here and from the look on your face, you are moping right now.'

She sat down by his side and asked, ' Is everything okay? do you want to talk about it?'

He turned hurriedly and looked at her, 'nothing to talk about and nothing to worry about for your husband is on top of everything.'

He leaned into her and gently kissed her lips and said, ' I hope I have been a good husband to you and a good father to both our children?'

She kissed him back and said, ' Good husband, great friend and a even greater father.'

She went back and studied his face and said, ' are you sure everything is okay? maybe you should skip this meeting and stay back and rest your weary soul.'

Even the mere suggestion by his wife to skip the meeting filled his head with fear and composing himself with great difficulty, he shook his head, ' No, cannot do that for otherwise the whole meeting will be a waste and a loss of precious time and energy of many other senior officials and they won't look kindly on it.'

Both of them heard the honk of a car and both of them got up and saw a black mercedes parked outside and Junior's wife whistled loudly, ' A merc and that a top end one. Wow, mister you surely are climbing the rungs of power.'

He kissed her and said, ' all for you and for our children.'

Gently pressing his lips on her head, he said, ' Don't wait up for me dinner for God only knows how long this meeting might drag on and I suspect that it might last the entire day and then into the night.'

She hugged him gently and said, ' From the looks of that car, I bet that whatever food is being served at your meeting, it will surely be a lot better than what I dish out.'

She stood watching him leave the bedroom and then stood by the window and watched him leave the house and then saw him look up at her and wave and she too waved back lovingly and blew him many kisses.

But, little did she know that it would be the last time that she would see her husband for he had not just left the house but he had left her life and their children's life forever and never to return because he was a dead man walking and with but just a little time left to live and breathe.

Flashback to Vaanathai Pola 158

The man had been sitting in his study, waiting for his men to report back and saw with a growing fear that the time was nearly 3.00 am.

This was a strange situation and one which he had never face before and he knew that it was time to get in touch with the others.

He picked up his mobile and called his Senior and began to speak.

' Why didn't you inform me or the others about the situation before this? you should have called us the moment those men you sent after this Radha Krishnan disappeared?'

After thinking for a few moments the senior spoke, ' The cops think it is Radha Krishnan's body that was found in that marshland near Velachery. If that is true then who attacked our men and why?'

Junior's voice revealed his panic, ' That is what I have been trying to find out and also at the same time trying to take out the Brigadier, his sister and the others in the Flock. But now they too have disappeared and their phones have all been switched off.'

' Even the good doctor?'

' Yes sir.'

Senior spoke in a soft voice that was filled with anger and accusation, ' You have erred and terribly so. Present yourself at the cabin at lunchtime and me and the others will decide how to move forward and also decide your future.'

The word quote literally means to repeat or copy out words from a text or speech written or spoken by another person.

All those whatsapp forwards, messages, shared pics with text of good mornings, good nights are all beams of energy, waves of positive vibrations, love radiations and most are done with pure intentions and the others, well lets now dwell too much on them, shall we. Such a short time, time like grains of sands that slip away and trickle away like water that you hold on desperately in your cupped hands and see in the end just damp stains.

Time in my view is life credited into your savings account and whether you like it or now is being constantly debited second by second and sometimes in large EMI'S.

It is a dangerous world that we are living in right now and with the fear of a virus attack hanging like the sword of Damocles over our heads and lives. But we will endure, lose many loved ones but in the end humanity will endure.

I always wonder who will sing for the other and realized that each of us has to sing for themselves and dance for themselves in the time given to them.

Like a meandering stream, river my thoughts do meander but I hope to connect the dots and not ramble too much and express better as the shores of time race past.

See you all soon.

“No, the secret is that there's no reward and we have to endure our characters and our natures as best we can, because no amount of experience or insight is going to rectify our deficiencies, our self-regard, or our cupidity. We have to learn that our desires do not find any real echo in the world. We have to accept that the people we love do not love us, or not in the way we hope. We have to accept betrayal and disloyalty, and, hardest of all, that someone is finer than we are in character or intelligence.”

“Do you also believe that what gives our lives their meaning is the passion that suddenly invades us heart, soul, and body, and burns in us forever, no matter what else happens in our lives? And that if we have experienced this much, then perhaps we haven’t lived in vain? Is passion so deep and terrible and magnificent and inhuman? Is it indeed about desiring any one person, or is it about desiring desire itself? That is the question. Or perhaps, is it indeed about desiring a particular person, a single, mysterious other, once and for always, no matter whether that person is good or bad, and the intensity of our feelings bears no relation to that individual’s qualities or behavior?”

“We were quite different, but we belonged together, we were more than the sum of our two selves, we were allies, we made our own community, and that is rare in life.”