*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 59

It was 6.00 am and the pastel colors of the dawn had turned a milky white and blindingly bright light and it burnt the skin and like the dogs that slumbered in the little shade that is available on the beach, I too sought a little shade from the stunted shrubs that offered them only when I seated myself and beneath it.

Blue ceiling, white illumination and a few wispy clouds racing away and a few still playing overhead and then just vanished into thin air as vapor.

Like a kokku, I kept swiveling my neck in all directions and one of my oldie pals strained his neck and following my gaze, asked with interest ' Enna, what are you searching for?'

I looked at him ' clouds sir, a sign that rains will soon arrive and quench this dried and parched state. They failed us the past two years, and if they fail this year too, then Chennai and the other districts will really be, up the creek and without a paddle.'

The old man smiled ' They have destroyed all the rivers by stealing sand from them. They have destroyed all the lakes, reservoirs and tanks that have helped us with their storage of water and instead have built cement and concrete coffins for themselves.'

He looked up at the sky and shaking his head ' It will rain surely and it will be a good monsoon young man but it will not do and will not suffice for this is a temporary world now in pursuit of temporary and immediate gratification.'

I looked at him and said ' what? what does it mean? your words are scaring me, sir.'

' You should be scared for I am really scared for soon, very soon, A water can, that we buy for 60 to 70 rs today might go up to 200 or 300 rs.'

The white rays began to transcend the shrub's shade, and sensing the heat on his back that was beginning to burn our skins, he continued ' The government will not change, the people will not change and I fear the worst. The situation will turn bad, really bad and only then will people rouse themselves and rise to protest against the govt and its policies.

Every day, tv and radio ads scream at the top of their lungs about investing in a better future for our children and the next generation but it is all about money and wealth which will be null and void in a world without water and food.'

I was really scared and his words began to creep me out and seeing the fear in my eyes, he smiled ' A reckoning is nearing mankind, and it is called Judgement day. When that day comes, it will not matter whether you are a child, woman, man, young, old, rich, poor, powerful but what will matter is how strong and what a deadly predator you are. For soon, we will fight over water and food and maybe at the end of it, things will become better for mankind.'

My eyes popped out ' what? how will that be better?'

The old man smiled ' better because half or more of mankind will wipe itself out and that means less stress and strain on the earth and atmosphere. It means, less pollution of air, water, and earth, and maybe then, the remnants of mankind will come together as one and make a better world.'

I opened my eyes for it had been blinded by the bright, white light and looked at the old man who mysteriously seemed to have vanished into thin air and maybe as vapor.

I shook my head ' there you go Sat, day-dreaming again.'

Of course there was no old man, and of course, the old man was me talking to myself and me talking to himself.

Good Morning. I wish you a peaceful day.

I guess, peace triumphs both beautiful and happiness any day of the week, and in any moment of our lives. Peace is to do with our soul and the other temporary forms are to with the body and senses and vary with the vagaries of stimuli.

Sometime, long ago, nearly 9,000 years ago, one of our ancestors put his clay-covered palms on the wall of the cave in which they lay hidden from natural elements and also predators.

He or she must have done that to wipe his palms clean of the ochre-colored sticky stuff that they probably used to paint themselves for better looks or who knows maybe as a form of sunscreen.

Well, they must have seen Pigs, Hippos and other animals wallow in mud and clay and deciphered the meaning and the purpose. But, god only knows when they began to paint, to sketch their thoughts and emotions and thus have left behind their lives as memories that stand as evidence to those ancestors who are no more.

Now, please understand, that the similarity between our ancestors wiping their palms clean of clay on the cave walls with our namma ooru current temple going devotees who wipe their palms, hands and faces clean of the Pongal and puliogarai on the pillars and walls and anything that is convenient or in reach of their hands.

I wouldn't be surprised if they do it on God himself if he happens to be in reach.

Honestly, go to any popular and busy Hindu temple and sit and observe for an hour or so and you will all this transpire before you.

I think I am just about a decent actor but one who pales before most of the devotees who visit the temple.

They come so humbly and with such great body language like that of my guru Nadigar Thilagam does as Thiruvarut selvar in the film of that same name and once the darshan is over and the thiruneer is given, the drama starts and like that phrase, " Neela saayam veluthu pochu dum, dum. Raja vesham kalanju pochu, dum dum", he or she will drop the vibuthi as if it was a ticking time bomb and at the first comfortable place, nook or cranny and then it is back to their normal self. Why else would you see such huge boards pleading and informing the temple visitors to empty the vibuthi in the right cups that have been placed all around the temple, But, No and I mean a big fat No.

Phone eddu, vetti pechu, strutting around like a peacock. worse still are those who don't have the time to come into the temple and so sit on their two-wheelers or in the cars and do their thing. I wonder if they are getting God's darshan or giving the god their darshan.

Sometimes, an enthusiastic devotee will lift their hands as salutation ( hopefully) or just to say hi or wave hi and not minding others standing next to them swooning in a dead faint for the devotee has never heard of a deo or body spray.

9000 years ago and far from the dark caves and to just 600 years ago when the great master Michelangelo was creating The Sistine Chapel ceiling, lying flat on his back and to today's social platforms through which we can share our thoughts, emotions, pain in an instant.

Forget the fact that most of what we share is Tik tok, memes, pics and videos ridiculing others in power and politics and importantly killings, and violence.

Example, Many sent me the shootings in Amercia in which a man entered a place of worship and shot dead dozens of innocent devotees, man, woman and children included.

Delete, delete and a request not to forwards such tragic stuff.

Then again, you have false news of incidents and natural calamities that happened long ago as the recent Earthquake in mexico which was just a tremor and you had some people sending you videos of old earthquakes.

Well, I started to write down this thought because I think I owe an explanation as to why I write and send out these thoughts of mine and believe me it is somewhat similar to that caveman 9,000 years ago who began drawing those stick-like figures of his or her people and their environment around him.

When you wipe away everything that has to do with everyone and stand still in the morning dawn, with the stars still fighting with their diamond-like twinkles, I look up and wonder and whisper to them ' Billions and maybe Trillions of years you shine on and yet one day you too will be gone and you too will disperse throughout the cosmos.

I have but a tiny 70 or 80 years to exist and such little time to serve out the purpose of my existence and so I write for I cannot paint, draw, sculpt, sing ( god help us all) or dance. And I write so that I can share my journey with you and also because I see you. I see you all as my fellow passenger, travellers in this journey of life.

I remember those ancient train journeys from chennai to Bengaluru and back to chennai and many a time, I have been offered food, fruits, water and have likewise shared what I have had with others.

Share, pure and simple. Aiyo, podhunda sat, nee potta bladu podhum, Niruthu.

Naa nirutharen. Modalla avana, kadavula nirutha sollu.

The first time I met Raja was sometime during 2010 and it was for a mini tv series for Jaya Tv.

Raja was the cinematographer or cameraman of the mini-series called Velicham and the first thing I noticed or anyone would notice was his huge arms that said "Gym once but not now" for they had lost shape and tone along with his huge tummy.

But what defined Raja was not his huge arms but his huge smile, heart and his penchant for a constant smile and joke even when the going was tough.

We got along very well which was very easy for he was a rather a jolly good fellow, always smiling and with a joke and pun-laden comment always ready to be shot off from his lips.

2010 went away and much later and in the month of November that just passed in 2018 ( god that is nearly 8 months ago) I met him again in the Tv serial Kalyana parisu 2 and well it was the same Raja with a huge smile and tummy a little bigger than before.

If people thought me as Morose, snob, introverted back in 2010 then it was confirmed and elevated to a higher status of total silence and will talk only when spoken too.

Raja I found had become even better in his craft and thanks to him, most of our cast including me ( especially me) owe thanks to him for making us look good on the screen.

8 months and nearly 40 days of working with him was a treat mostly although he did sometimes sulk and took on my mask and seemed withdrawn but only on rare occasions.

Saturday the 15th and it was back to work after nearly two weeks in which many changes had taken place, what with the director gone, a new schedule director and a new cameraman.

I asked the director who had come to work in the serial a couple of times when there two units were required and Madan said cryptically ' Not sure sir, he might or might not return'.

With the main players gone, a feeling of loss filled my mind and reluctantly pushing it away for work is important and for an actor, it is only that and his trust and loyalty are first to the producer and to nobody else although the heart sings a different tune.

The heatwave that was burning Chennai had touched 40 and crossed it easily and at about 5.30 in the evening we were in the middle of an emotional scene, sweating bullets and blood when a murmur reached my dog ears and I looked in the direction of the director and found that he was talking with the production manager Jana and slowly but steadily a few lightmen began to gather around them.

I and Shilpa who is acting as my wife stood in the position waiting for orders and when none were forthcoming, I looked at one of the lightmen and asked him what was happening and he said ' cameraman is not well sir. some problem.'

I rushed to the director and production manager's side and enquired as to what was going on about Raja and they all looked very confused and unsure of what to say for they were not sure of what they had heard.

Kirti who plays my daughter stumbled out of the room and towards me with tears flowing like rivers down her cheeks and I grabbed her hand and asked ' Hey, what is wrong? why are you crying ma?' and she looked at me and answered ' dead, he is dead.'

' who is dead?' I asked and she said ' Raja sir is dead. He committed suicide today morning.'

I looked at her, totally frozen in shock and although I had heard clearly what had been said, my mind, my soul could not process it and I felt a heaviness in my chest and my tummy felt queasy and sick.

Earlier that day, Raja got himself totally drunk, drove up to Muthukadu bridge and jumped off it and into the water and drowned himself.

Drowning in sorrow and unable to handle it he drowned himself in water.

Sunday dawned and late in the afternoon, I made my way to pay my respects to a fallen soul.

I could go on but don't want to.

R.I.P Raja and I hope he finds the peace and happiness where ever he is right now.

Dying is easy and it is living that is tough. If those who have gone on are called dead then we the living must then be the undead.

Jannal Oram 303

The very mention of the name of their sworn enemy sent varying degrees of emotions in everyone who was gathered there and yet all of them, Kavita including turned to Raman who stood up slowly and addressed Mallika Vaidyanathan, ' amma, I guess we both know it was too much of a gamble and a risk for not expecting your husband to turn up here at the same time that you and your Grand-daughter make their arrival into this minister's enclave. He is but just a few buildings away and the news must have reached him the moment you, Bharat and Kutt Jeeva entered this house.'

Mallika Vaidyanathan stood up shivering, nervous and at the same time with a tempest playing on her face and she spoke angrily ' It does not matter Ram for I will not have anything to do with that man. Husband, yes. But, only in name, and not in my heart.'

Bharat looked at Raman who nodded understandingly and turned to Kavita ' Is there any other way out of this house apart from the main entrance?'

Kavita with a smile ' yes. There is a way through Appa's office room and which leads directly to the parking area. If we leave now, then Mallika amma can be taken through without having to encounter the man she is trying to avoid.'

Raman smiled and slowly picked up Kutty Jeeva who was fast asleep on Jeeva's lap and said ' Kavita, take Bharat and Mallika amma through that door along with my family while I go say hi to Mr.Vaidyanathan and also keep him occupied.'

He looked at Mallika Vaidyanathan ' amma, your husband has come not to pay respects to Vijay who he helped to murder but to see what he can do about this situation with his Granddaughter and probably see if he can intimidate both you and Bharat. But, let's bowl a googly and see what his position is and we will take it from there.'

Looking at his family, Jeeva, take our parents and wait in the cab and I will join you shortly for we need to be at Vijaya hospital to meet AC Damodaran and Mohan.'

Shaktivel slightly worried ' Iyaa, please don't unnecessarily antagonize him. This is a foe that does not need a reason to strike at anyone at any time. Please, also remember protocol and do not forget that he is a high-level cabinet minister.'

Coming closer, he looked at his son, ' Remember your name Iyaa. Remember why we named you and who we named you after.'

Raman smiled and looked at his dad ' I know Appa and I will go as Gothanda Raman but also as the next avatar.'

Shaktivel looked at his son with confusion who smiled an evil but beguiling smile, ' I will also go as Krishna for this Kali Kaalam and there is no time to play games or show mercy for our enemies and I think it is high time that they were put down and trampled into the earth.'

Just as Raman laid his hand on the door to open it and to go out to meet Vaidyanathan, Mallika Vaidyanathan hurried towards him and pulling him down, whispered something that made him look at her and then with a smile he nodded and thanking her, exited the room.

Gandhi- what is in a name

One of the most important reasons for the Congress party to have lost so badly in the recent Lok Sabha elections 2019 is the name, Gandhi. The fact that the average Indian today is wiser and knows very clearly the difference between Mahatma Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is very obvious in the verdict they just delivered against the Congress party and in favor of the BJP. Forget Mahatma Gandhi for Rahul Gandhi will not stand comparison with the legend who was nicknamed " Frontier Gandhi ".

For me, the most significant fact and at the same time the most significant difference between Mahatma Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, is that the former spoke little and the little that he spoke were pearls of wisdom while each time Rahul opens his gob it is romba kashtam and he has his own party men and also his mum, shaking her head in despair. Off late, the Congress party men seemed to be afflicted by Parkinson's disease at the rate of them shaking their heads and sometimes banging their heads against each other and also against the nearest wall.

Well, one should pity the poor man, for on him was thrust the entire hopes of the Congress party along with the immense legacy of Nehru and Indira Gandhi and obviously it was and is too much of a burden and too heavy a weight to carry on his rather timid and unprepared shoulders.

Right at this moment, the Congress party is running around like a chicken without its head and the future looks bleak and dreary and they have only themselves to blame and no one else.

Prudence and common sense dictate that one try a new tactic or plan when the old one has failed you, not once but twice. Rahul failed in 2014 and fared worse in 2019 and worse, he has now become the laughing stock of Indian politics and among his own party people.

Yet, they persist, some still are persisting and maybe the reasons are ' Better Rahul than Modi', better to stay here and scavenge on the dying bones of Congress', better congress for we have been here so long and it is a bit late in the day to change vehicles'.

A joke or not, a popular viral trend or not, a favorite topic for meme, tiktok or not, sadly and funnily Rahul remains the face of the Congress party and that is sad.

Does it mean that there is nobody else to take up his place? Does that really mean that there is not one person with a clean image and who is at the same time popular among the masses in the Congress party?.

Image. If there is one manifesto, one single most important point that led to the drubbing of the Congress party then that point is the difference between both the leaders Modi and Rahul.

Forget all the petty accusations and religion and caste-based issues and in the end, you are faced with one question and that is, who will better serve India and the answer is obvious and that is the result.

For Modi comes across as a tough and seasoned cookie and before whom Rahul comes across as bumbling kid with a goofy smile as an apology along with his sulking expression.

Man or Child and India decided that this vast country needs a Man, not a bumbling child.

Jannal Oram 304

Raman walked out into the large hall that held Vijay's body and although he caught a glimpse of Minister Vaidyanathan standing there paying respects along with a few of his cronies, he deliberately ignored him and standing on the opposite side bid goodbye and walked away carrying Kutty Jeeva who was still fast asleep on his shoulder.

Minister Vaidyanathan with an angelic expression followed Raman who stopped at the front portico for it was vacant and remained vacant with the arrival of Vaidyanathan who came to a stop next to Raman and on his left side and on the shoulder that held his Granddaughter.

He stepped out and like a hawk, fiercely peered around the large car park and disappointed at not finding the person who he had so obviously come to meet, now turned and faced his Raman.

' So, Mallika has taken the back entrance of the house and is probably already in the vehicle, ready to flee. That begs the question, as to what you are doing here with my child instead of fleeing with the others.'

Raman smiled, ' trying one last time to reason with you and appeal to your human side, obviously.'

' So, I am not human now I suppose. why is that Raman? what is not human about me and if that is so, what then is human about you?'

Raman smiled sadly and taking a deep breath exhaled it and calmly looked at Vaidyanathan straight and square in the eye, ' you are nearly 25 years older than me and yet here we are debating what is human and what is not and how much humanity we both possess.'

He turned his face away from the minister and spoke in a general direction which prompted Vaidyanathan to snigger, ' human, A great man, and yet you seem not to have the courage to face me eye to eye.'

Raman with an angelic smile whispered ' stupid B.....d. Is your head so up your A..e that you have lost your brains somewhere there.'

Vaidyanathan stepped forward with a growl, ' how dare, you talk to me like that? you know what I can do to you at this moment?'

' I repeat stupid B.....d for you are forgetting where we are and that there are many eyes on us and even some mobile phones taking videos of this meeting between both of us. To answer your first question, won't people read the signals and decipher our enmity if we talk straight and eye to eye without masking our emotions and realize that something is transpiring between us. Secondly, there is not a damn thing you can do to me at this moment or any other moment for you tried and lost and will try again and lose again.'

Raman stepped away from Vaidyanathan, ' you asked me about humanity and I will answer that question. But, before I do, do me a favor and carry your granddaughter for a second.'

Vaidyanathan had not obviously been expecting Raman to do what he had just done, and gently took Kutty Jeeva who whimpered for being moved and tenderly patted her to sleep on his shoulder.

' Human.Humanity. you asked me what it meant and this is exactly what it means Mr.Vaidyanathan. Take a look inside, and see for yourself the body of the son who is lost to his parents. See. the brother who is eternally lost to his loving sister and a dear friend, taken away not by death but murdered by you who now lies waiting for his final farewell. All this is because of you and only because of you and it all started because of your love and need for this child that you carry now on your shoulder so lovingly and tenderly.

You asked me what human means and it means that at this moment I stand before you fighting not only for this child but for her father and grandmother and many other lives. But you, you only think about what you need and what you can do to satisfy that need and care two hoots about how you get it and care less than that about the lives you take and destroy for that purpose.'

Raman's face took on a savage and terrible look as he stepped closer to Vaidyanathan and said ' what if somebody murder's this little child and snatches her away from you? How would that feel and what would you do in return to those who murdered this tiny life?'

Vaidyanathan glared first and then an evil smile filled his lips ' I will hunt them down and kill every one of them and then I will go after their families and slaughter every one of them. Man, Woman, and child. old and young regardless, I will hack them to pieces and stop only after their entire bloodlines are wiped out of existence.'

Raman returned the smile, though, his was filled with understanding and kindness and the reached and took back Kutty Jeeva from Vaidyanathan and whispered, ' well said and that is exactly what I am going to do to you and to the others involved with you. But, I am a human and I will stop with only those that were the cause for all these deaths and not hurt any other innocent lives.'

He moved forward and then stopping, thought for a second and turned to Vaidyanathan ' if that makes me human, then what does it make you? what are you and who are you is something that you know and have known for a long, long time and I think that is started from the time you were born.'

Raman looked up at the blue sky ' So much suffering. So many deaths. So many tears and all for your means and ends. Well, all that will come to an end very soon.'

Vaidyanathan shook his head in disappointment ' dei lawyer, you are getting emotional and not thinking straight. If your wife's sister committed suicide then it is her problem and your problem. yes, we did molest her and forced her to pose nude and I had that done to use those photos to blackmail you. If Vijay is dead right now, then that blame has to be put on that stupid girl Poornima who drove the car, and followed me and Santoshi Bhai. We did not ask her to follow us and yet they did and so were killed. Nothing was planned or done in cold blood but were just preventive measures that went wrong for you but worked out okay for me.'

He gently stroked his Grand Daughter's head, ' Bharat thinks he can take away my wife and child from me and run away to America. But, little does he know that the word has been put out and soon he too will join Vijay up in the other world.'

Sighing sadly ' Appuram enna, Mallika will come back to me with her tail tucked between her legs and life will go on. And before all that, you will be gone and maybe some of your family members too. But, I will think about it and maybe spare that crippled father-in-law of yours and maybe the women too.'

If he expected a reply to his words, Minister Vaidyanathan was a bit disappointed on seeing Raman just walk away towards the car without even a glance.

Nearly fifteen feet away, Raman spoke into his shirt pocket and into his phone that was on call and said ' Brigadier Sooryanarayanan, will that do sir? '

Good morning. I wish you a beautiful day, a peaceful day and a great Sunday.

wisps and tendrils of entrails

It is not possible to put down in words all that a soul feels. Sometimes, unasked, uninvited, they whisper and just when you lend your heart and ears to their subtle voices, they drift and vanish, these whispers made of wispy thoughts of angst.

Sometimes, I think that Alzheimer's is creeping on me and so I rave and rant and try to hold on to that beautiful thought and emotion that would have translated itself and without any input of my bad poetry and prose and would have written itself.

Not to be and thus over the years and decades, so many stories lost, so many meandering thoughts have washed away in the flow of daily life and daily needs.

Yesterday, the gray sky had but a single puncture and from it leaked the orange rays of the rising sun and in the fast receding darkness and in the rising light, I stood with the fading moon hovering overhead.

I closed my eyes and thought, ' who needs who, who is clinging to who, who mad who and you and me?' and the puncture of the skies now tore itself and an outbreak of startling gold leaped through, bathing me and all that it saw.

The sun in all its true golden splendor hung over the horizon like King Midas and touched all of us and turned us to into its color.

93 million miles away. An ordinary, medium-sized star in its middle age and yet it was the center, the womb, the point from where all of us and all of the solar system sprang out from.

The Sun had nine children and then the number was reduced to 8 for Pluto was banished and was banished by humans who need to table, categorize, arrange neatly, plot everything that they see and that included nature and creation themselves.

Pluto, may have been cast out of the planets category but its father and mother, the sun still holds it along with billions, maybe even trillions of other small and large bodies that orbit around it and holds them strongly in its gravity.

Just like the Sun, Love. too is a nuclear reactor, an object of undefinable gravity and you and me orbit in its hold and so we go round and round and around that we love and cherish and that which holds us in its power.

When the sun sets briefly, when love loosens its grip slightly, be the sun then and be the love that holds others in your gravity.

The sun and stars and all things aside, never forget that you are the sun yourself and that you are a light bearer too.

Smile with light and love on your lips, twinkling in your eyes, radiating as crows feet and laugh lines and see the light reflected from those who orbit around you and you will know that you were never the moon or just a planet but the star in the center. Be well.

“Did you ever wonder if the person in the puddle is real, and you're just a reflection of him?”

A morning like no other and just a dream, a vision

what would it be this dream,

a vision for the future

one vision or a mission for all mankind

you step out from the burning tiled floors

you escape and slip out from the concrete jail

walls built with cement and steel

bonds built with blood and bone

vines that have crept around your soul

helping you breathe and also

stopping you from breathing

Vision, dream, a tale, a fable

every morning when i slip out

of the coils of life

I shed the skin, avatar of this life

and step out on this green carpet

spread on and on

touching the horizon

but then there is no horizon

shoes this side, socks to the other side

the morning dew or is it the night dew

I use my foot to brush the green shoots

and diamonds of dew drops fly away

are they just dew drops I wonder

or tear drops from the sky

the full moon is still yellow

s

till cold and desolate

the dew drops must then be tears

from the stars

of angels, of gods, of fellow souls

long gone

or are they the tears of joy or sadness

of friends and family departed

A firm foot onward and the soft velvet grass

gives way and softly, very softly

taking care not to crush the grass

I prance, pounce and move on

all of them from the grass to the dew

the stars and the moon along with the rising sun,

they sing and you join the chorus

, and join the wolves in their howls

.a long moan, plaintative call

It is the only life I know

the only life I will ever know

in this ego, in this role

so sing, dance, cry, laugh and live

Aaj ... aaj ek hasi aur baant lo ... aaj ek dua aur maang lo ... aaj ek ansoon aur pee lo ... aaj ek zindagi aur jee lo ... aaj ek sapna aur dekh lo ... aaj ... kya pata, kal ho naa ho'

Jannal Oram 305

' Loud and clear and proof enough for me Raman. Yet, my hands are bound by protocol and so I have to move against him carefully and methodically. Let us not forget that this state's party is in alliance with the central government and that means, any crime of whatsoever nature can and will be brushed under the carpet and forgotten.'

Raman heard the words of Brigadier Sooryanarayanan, but reached the proximity of Bharat and Mallika Vaidyanathan and so did not reply and instead gently transferred the still sleeping form of Kutty Jeeva onto her dad's shoulder and his sharp eyes caught and approved the security men that now hovered around them three.

Bharat looked at them and then at Raman,' Thanks to your friend and mentor, Mr.devarajan, we have been well protected by his men. Just until tomorrow and then we are off the U.S.A and where I think we will be a lot safer than here.'

Raman looked at Bharat, ' I hope so and we will all breathe a lot easier knowing you all are safe and out of danger. But, forgive me for saying this openly, Vaidyanathan threatened me and declared that none of us are safe, regardless of the country we are in. I really don't know what to make of it Bharat.'

Bharat nodded, ' That man is crazy and I am sure he is prepared to do anything and to go to any extremes to take away my child from me and that is why I have taken some protective measures back home.'

Seeing Raman's anxious look, Bharat said, ' I have a close friend, whose family are all in the security business and also do a lot of, private, contract work for the Government and more importantly work closely with the FBI. I already told them my situation and what happened here and so things have been worked out and taken care of. All of us will be totally protected and secure.'

Jeeva came and joined them and Bharat looked at both of them, ' I think both of you were always meant for each other, destined for each other and I only wish both of you had met much earlier.'

Looking at Raman, ' Sir, I think you are a blessing, a privilege for all of us and I am so glad and happy to have made your friendship. I remain in your gratitude and you can call on me at any time for any help and I will come running.'

Raman smiled, ' Thank you so much, Bharat, for those kind words and I promise you this that I will take care of all this nasty business and sort it out as soon as possible and then we can all go back to our normal lives.'

Jeeva and Bharat looked at each other with a new kind of love and respect and then Jeeva gently hugged Bharat and placed a few kisses on kuttyJjeeva and went back to the vehicle where their parents were waiting for them to come.

Mallika Vaidyanathan looked at Raman's eyes searchingly and with an ache that tugged at his soul, ' Raman sir, the very first time I met you, and from the first step you took to enter our home and into our lives, I knew that my husbands days were numbered along with his life.'

Raman looked away for he was not able to hold her eyes that held so much pain, and only turned to face her when she took his hands and slowly looked at his palms and whispered, ' such beautiful hands, so strong and rough and yet gentle and loving in their touch and they hold both life and death in them.'

Slowly tightening her grip, she chanted ,

"Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata

Abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham"

Paritranaya sadhunang vinashay cha dushkritam

Dharmasangsthapanart- hay sambhabami yuge yuge

"Whenever, O descendant of Bharata, there is a decline of Dharma, and rise of Adharma, then I body Myself forth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of Dharma I come into being in every age."

Drop by drop, his palms began to fill with her tears and then she looked at him, ' It will be you. It will these hands that will take my husband's life away from his body.'

Slowly, letting go of his hands, she wiped her eyes, smiled, took a deep breath and said, ' Please, I beg of you, let it be quick and painless. Please, grant me this wish my child. This is the only wish I want, granted, and I know that you have it in your power to do so.'

Raman nodded, ' If it comes to that, I will do, what you have asked of me. Go in peace now and please stay in touch.'

Raman walked away towards the vehicle and getting into the front seat, told the driver, ' Vijaya hospital please.'

Thalaivaa, Thala -1

Just, a few buildings away and right next to Krishna sweets is the small tea kadai, potti kadai, bunk shop all put together under one roof and it is the place where I buy biscuits for creatures of wings, paws, and tails. For, many a year now, I have been feeding the crows near my Gym with Bikkis, and they are so tuned and conditioned to my arrival and departure, that, the moment I get down and activate the security alarm of my car, they begin to arrive and then set about cawing their lungs out.

They bloody well know, that they will be fed, only on my way back from the gym, and so after the initial chorus and opera ballads, they scatter, although some of them fly up to perch on the tree, that towers over our complex, and from that vantage branch continue to caw, and try desperately, to catch my attention as I work out on the third floor of the gym.

The moment, I step out of the gym and on to the road, some of them, the more frustrated ones dive down and brush me softly with their wings and then gather around the car, a chorus of caws now in high and full pitch.

The clever, slumbering dogs know it is time and slowly make their way towards my direction and halt and wait in the distance for their share of biscuits.

Sometimes, when I have run out of biscuits, I walk up to the bunk shop I mentioned in the beginning and after purchasing the bikkis, feed some of the dogs that belong to that piece of land and also the impatient crows who have followed me to the shop and then fly back with the news to their kith and kin, ' crow people, he is coming and he has a bag full of biscuits. Get ready.'

A few days ago, an auto pulled up and the driver got down to have a tea and I was there feeding the dogs and looked at the large sticker of " Ajith aka Thala" smiling from the front windshield.

You know me, always curious and even more curious for the autorickshaw driver was an old man, in his 60's and hence the question to him.

' Anne, thappa eduthukatheenga. But, unga autola yen Ajith oda padam. Enna kaaranam.'

' Sir, Puratchi thalaivarukku appuram, namma Thala thaan saar bathil. adhe sirippu. adhe nalla manasu. adhe dharmam gunam.'

I said ' Ok, but ethukku padam ellam stick pannikittu.'

The auto driver replied, ' sir, kannukku theriyatha, puriyatha kadavul padam otradha vida, therincha nalla manushanoda padam otradhu evvalavo mel sir.'

I looked at him with a smile and asked, ' arasiyalukku varuvaara unga thala.'

The auto driver shrugged, ' Vantha nalla irukkum saar. Nallavanga varanum saar. superstarukku vayasu romba. Inimele vantha kooda healthu problema irukkum. Namma thala, youthu. vantha neraya nallathu panrathukku time irukkum.'