*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 67

Solitude

It seems the times of low tides are over for the high tide seems to be heralding its arrival and its will and intention to stay with huge waves, and they arrive and crash into my soul and thoughts, one after another, and the rest are lined up in a queue.

I folded my hands across my chest and stood on the small hill and the sun and its colorful clothes were to be and it abandoned me by slipping behind the gray cloud cover and far away over the hills, darker clouds with rain were moving in and in slow motion.

I sighed and stood all alone on the rocks only with the cooling air for company, and it brought along with it, calls and noises of birds and crickets.

Far away from the city and with an undescribable emotion filling my mind I looked down and cast my eyes wide and the spread of all the green fields laid out and thought to myself ' what would it be to spend a night up here, alone, with just a mat and pillow and with the stars as pen torches and the night sky for a blanket?'

Questions as waves come and crash into my thoughts again and again.

I look to my left and saw myself as a kid standing near my aunt as she was talking to Babu our " All in one" and they were discussing store matters for the next month. ' Rice 10 kilos, sugar two kilos ' and so it went on.

I smiled and whispered to the wind ' Yes, maybe it is time now to really begin taking stock of my life and what to do with it.'

I turn to my right and see me and my other cousin brothers dipping our heads into a bucket full of water and trying to see who can hold their breath the longest and then bring our heads gasping for breath and gulping in air.

It was a bucket of water then but it seems the very life itself is sometimes that bucket and my head is sunk deep in it and standing on top of the hill, I took huge breaths and stocked up like deep-sea divers carrying oxygen tanks on their backs.

But, I stocked up on the peace, the tranquility and the solitude of that mountain and the views around it.

Two shallow holes filled with old rainwater made it appear as if the small hill had eyes brimming with tears.

sweet of happiness or salt of sorrow, who knows. Only the hill knows who its tears are for.

I heard a tweet and turned to see a small bird deep its beak and drink the water and I shook my head ' sorry hill not tears but springs of joy and life.'

Jannal Oram 344

“He who knows not, knows not, he knows not, he is a fool shun him.

He who knows not and he knows not, he is simple, teach him.

He who knows and knows not that he knows, he is asleep, awaken him.

He who knows and knows that he knows, he is wise, follow him.”

― Bruce Lee, Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan went red alert in caution for he had heard the coughing noises that the silenced handgun had made and he turned to V.K.Singh, Additional secretary, office of joint operation, RAW who just said ' we will wait and then move if we are forced to.'

But, little did they know that one of the killers that they were hunting was the one facing down Raman.

Raman keeping his senses in full alert and his body poised on its feet turned to Sandhya and asked ' Are you okay? You are not hurt, right?'

She shook her head ' But I think he is dead sir.'

She looked at Raman ' he saved us, sir. He gave his life to save us, sir. Why? why now sir?'

Raman did not answer and instead turned and looked at Gulab and slowly crept forward with his left leg leading and told Gulab ' You are the woman from the hospital and I am sure that you were the one who struck my master on the head that nearly killed him.'

Gulab looked at him ' I feel sorry for you and your master but I think both of you are highly overrated and that ends right now.'

Raman shook his head ' we will see about that but you also have to worry about making your escape from the police that must have surely surrounded the place by now.'

But only he knew that the police had been asked to stay back while Brigadier and his commandos took operational control over the place and he knew that the death of Minister Vaidyanathan was no big deal and in fact saved a lot of people from great embarrassment and shame in case he had been arrested alive.

If Gulab felt a twinge of panic on hearing her escape being cut off, she did not show it and instead smiled and calmly said ' If you are lying that your training is stopping you from fighting a woman and someone weaker than you, it is no surprise to me for I can see that you are as weak as your master and very different from mine.'

She looked at him and then took a stance that Raman had studied briefly and recognized instantly as a Burmese style of martial art.

Raman looked at her calmly and without a flicker of emotion in his eyes and said ' please surrender and I will see to it that no harm comes to you.'

Gulab smiled ' Harm, to me' and laughed with a child-like sound and said ' I am sorry, advocate for it seems that it is I and my master who have been doing all the harm that is going on.'

She too used her left leg and crept forward and said softly ' who do you think shot those two idiots in the car that night on the Delhi highway? Not my master advocate but me. I was the one who pumped bullets into the car and one into your friend's eye for good measure and after I am done with you here, me and my master will kill the rest of your family and then vanish back into our world.'

Gulab had deliberately taunted Raman to make him angry and irritated for she knew that angry and frustrated people make mistakes and sometimes in tough situations, one mistake is all that you need to end it.

Raman heard her loud and clear but failed to show any reaction and remained calm although deep in his mind, he felt the stirring and rumbles of the Volcano that was his rage and sorrow. He focussed on his breathing and pushed everything away and concentrated solely on the woman in front of him.

But, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan roared his anger and sprang to his feet for he had heard through Raman's mike that lay under his shirt, the woman saying that she had been the one who had murdered his only daughter, Poornima.

V.K.Singh tried to calm him but the angry father pushed him away and ran towards the restaurant.

Raman knew that there was no way that this woman would be able to take him down in a hand to hand combat for he knew that however good she was, he not only outweighed her by nearly 30 kgs but was also much taller than her.

She was smart and would have calculated the odds and yet if she still proceeded to fight him, then it surely meant that she had a hidden advantage which gave her confidence and Raman's eyes had already taken stock of her clothes and knew that she had some sort of knife, hidden under the sleeves of her jeans jacket.

Gulab was not a fool and she had been taught well by a great master and who had not only trained her in direct unarmed combat but also how to kill with deadly weapons.

Real fights, as I have mentioned earlier, in other stories are not fought over many minutes like depicted in films unless both the opponents are equally matched in physical proportions and training.

Street fighting is done within moments and sometimes is over in just a few blows.

Gulab punched with her right arm and swiped at the same time with her left arm and she threw both the blows with full power and confidence and with two knives sliding out of their holsters that were wrapped around her inner forearms.

Raman had expected it and was prepared for it and moved his head to the left and avoided the first punch that was aimed at his eye and stepped back slightly as the woman's left arm swiped with the other knife at his stomach region so as to disembowel him and leave him incapacitated.

Both had been fatal blows and meant to kill but both missed and she saw him still standing there and with an angry yell leaped once more at him slashing from left to right and right to left and at the same time using her deadly feet in kicks to his groin region.

She was blindingly fast and her arms moved like the blades of a fan in full speed, and yet, Raman calmly avoided all her strikes and waited for the opening and the perfect moment.

It comes, an opportunity and all you have to do is wait and have enough training to have that patience to wait instead of counter-attacking yourself and tiring yourself out in the process.

In a fight to death, everything comes in handy and so did the simple fork that Raman had picked up as he had thrown the table at Gulab and now as she swung her right arm to slice his neck, he twisted his body and let the arm cross him and then moved into her and using his left arm grabbed her left arm and shoved the fork deep into her right eye and stood breathing into her face and said ' an eye for an eye and your life for my friends life.'

The last thing that Gulab saw was a sharp shiny object coming towards her and yet she could not move for she was held down by his immense strength and her last thought was ' Jamun' and the fork entered the eye and deep into her brain.

Lights out and life over.

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "why is the bride dressed in white?"

"Because white is the color of happiness," her mother explained. "And today is the happiest day in her life."

The child thought about this for a moment. "So why is the groom wearing black?"

An older man, not in the best physical condition, asked the trainer in the gym, "I want to impress that beautiful lady. Which machine should I use?"

The trainer replied, "Use the ATM machine outside the gym!"

Good morning. I wish you a beautiful day.

Cast Away

In the film Castaway, Tom hanks is really that and manages to survive all alone on an island for nearly four years. But, he has a trick up his sleeve that aids him in his survival and also is present right until the end with Hanks. A coconut trick. Tom Hanks paints a face on a coconut and proceeds to talk, laugh and share his daily life with it and we the audience too fall for it and go with the flow and not making too much noise or giving thought about the coconut in the room.

We feel and are touched to the core of our souls when we see Wilson the coconut, drifting away and out of the reach of Tom hanks desperate hands, and our eyes turn moist when he cries for Wilson back on the raft and then decides to give it all up and is finally saved by a whale. The film was a huge hit.

Three years earlier, James Cameron touched us all and made cry babies of all of us through his film " Titanic" and in the climax when Rose slowly removes jacks frozen and dead fingers from the raft that she is on and sends his body into the depths of the Atlantic.

Wilson is a coconut while Jack is a human being and yet we were moved and moved to tears and that is because of emotion and the connection we make with it. Fixation and a relationship are born.

When people sometimes probe my mind with questions about emotions and facebook, I answer ' sorry, I am not very active on facebook and have very limited friends.'

I will this by saying that if Tom Hanks can get emotionally attached and manages to carry on a four-year relationship with a coconut that has a face drawn on it, then people can have any kind of relationship on any kind of social platform specially on facebook.

All the betrayals, all the slights, rejections, needs, lust, passions, unfulfilled dreams are focussed on some of our facebook friends and the reality is that there could be really a man behind that woman and a woman behind that man.

What of facebook requests with profile pics of children and movie stars?

Why is that and why do they do that?

Forget tom hanks and his four years stay on an island for many are going through life and that too for many years living on that same island and sadly have no Wilson the coconut to talk to.

I confess that I too talk but funnily and creepily my Wilson is up and inside my own coconut.

Naan pathi thengai paathi.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28AvPa7HxTM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdQIY6lSOWg

Good morning. I wish you all a beautiful day. All the best.

Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha

ஐந்து கரத்தனை ஆனை முகத்தனை

இந்தின் இளம் பிறை போலும் மெயிற்றனை

நந்தி மகன்தனை ஞானக் கொழுந்தினை

புந்தியில் வைத்து அடி போற்றுகின்றேனே

Growing up with Ganesha from idol to Garbhagriha

Even at a very early age, we seem to know a bit about what is right and what is wrong and once you realize that you have done something wrong, a feeling of guilt and dread fills your soul and quietly, sneakily, like a proverbial cat sneaking up towards the milk, I sneaked up to The Room. Yes, God's room. As is the norm in lower and middle-class families, Mahalakshmi and Ganesha took up a lot of importance in our house and as did L.R.EASWARI with her songs of " thaiye karumari and mariamma".I am sure my elders were not well versed with devotional songs and thus their extent of bhajans started and stopped with Easwari singing about Easwari. Mahalakshmi for cash and Ganesha for breaking the barriers that stood in the way of money coming in.

With a heart beating fast after stealing my kutty cousins share of chocolates or the odd 5 or 10 Paisa back in 2nd and third std, I felt great relief with my bloated and obese friend, Lord Ganesh and he never ever stopped smiling with his benevolent eyes. Today, I know a little more about what faith means and it's far-reaching eccentric implications and yet back then I had no clue as to what faith was or such a word as spirituality existed. God, for me, meant Ganesha and when filled with guilt over a crime committed it meant running to him for forgiveness and in the firm belief that he would forgive me. While that was good and worked great for those days of innocence and childhood, it is now very different in an adult body and with adult problems.

Head bath, new clothes and constantly looking at the clock as words, technical terms like " Nalla neram, Rahu kalam and Yama gandam " were thrown at my ears and all was well when the big steel plate was handed over to me by my aunt and with a stern warning " be careful idiot and don't drop Ganesha. Bring him home safely"

I nodded my brown head filled with brown hair and off we went in the car to bring Ganesha. After the selection process, one lucky Ganesh idol would be chosen as the wails and cries of the others would be heard in my ears and hurt my soul and I would whisper with my eyes that all of them would find a home reminding them that I too had found a home for myself and they would too.

But, then, as now I still wonder why we bring him home, decorate, worship, celebrate and then drown him in water.

Only much later did I learn the story of Ganesha and how he boldly stood against all gods to guard his mother as she bathed and had his head chopped off by his father, Lord Shiva. And they say mega serials are bloody and brutal. But just because his head was replaced by that of an elephant does not mean the slim, young boy should be portrayed as a God with a swollen belly. Never made sense then though I kind off attributed the huge tummy of his to all the sweets he must have been gifted by his devotees.

During the months of February, March, and April, I see many youngsters going around the idol of Ganesha and many more staring at him with ache and fear and I know somehow that day that those students are going to face the dreaded subjects of maths or physics and I gulp and thank my lucky stars that I am not one of them.

Like them, I too fervently whispered prayers during those dreaded exams and made promises of breaking a coconut if I scraped through and although it took me a few years to do so, I did eventually break a few coconuts and fulfilled my promise.

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi and I will go to the temple as I do regularly, and pray to him and also wish him well. No offerings of coconuts, for now, I only offer him prayers, love and my soul for safekeeping.

A tiny human in tiny clothes. A bigger child with new found pants and shirts. A teenage boy with first signs of facial hair. Adult,middle-aged and with Gray filled crown I now look at the same old benevolent eyes of my childhood friend and whisper " so many years we have traveled together and so many moments when I held you close to my breast and carried you carefully home. All I ask is stay by my side and those who reside in my soul for the rest of the voyage. Clear all the obstacles and most importantly our fears and let me rest for a little while."

Maybe, it is age or just better understanding of how life really works for nowadays I feel the need and urge to pray more for others than for myself for that seems rather childish and downright petty.

As a child and until my teens and then that rare time a few years ago of which I share the pics, I brought home the god for worship and for that single day of celebration. But now, I start the day, every day with him safely residing inside my soul rather than just rest on my breast when I brought him home as a small idol of clay.

The clay has over the years merged with my flesh, blood and bone and has taken residence in the temple of my soul. You, me and all of us have that one place, sacred place called " Garbhagriha " or inner sanctum which we do not share with anyone and I mean anyone and that place where we meet and talk with It, God. You know of what I am talking about.

I wish all of you and your families a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.I hope the benevolent god showers more luck, love, peace, and happiness on all of you.

Jannal Oram 345

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan came rushing into the restaurant with his hand gun's safety off and ready to shoot dead the person who had murdered his daughter and anybody who stood by her and for her and the only other person he had in his mind was Vaidyanathan, Home minister, Tamil Nadu.

He came inside and rushed towards Raman who stood holding the mystery woman, his left hand gripping the back of her neck and in his right hand, he held the bloodied fork that he had just used to kill her by plunging it deep into her left eyes.

The Brigadier watched with anger and fascination as Raman slowly let go of the dead woman who crumpled to the ground like a sack of clothes and watched as blood dripped, drop by drop and mixed with the Red of the carpet that covered the floor of the restaurant.

' Is she dead?' and Raman replied 'Yes' and then both of them turned around hearing the coughs and painful groans and Raman handing the fork to the Brigadier went and fell to his knees by the fallen Vaidyanathan.

Raman saw the three flower buds blooming blood from the minister's body. The first bullet had gone into his right side of his chest. The second bullet had gone into his stomach and the third had entered the center of his chest region and by the way, he was coughing up blood, Raman knew that the minister had just seconds to live and felt moved by what the evil man had done in the last moments of his life.

' Why did you fling yourself across us and take the bullets, sir?

Vaidyanathan smiled and blood began to well and drip out of both corners of the blood and it was bright crimson red blood and straight from the lungs.

' Even I can now boldly go before God and say that I too have a good deed in my account son.'

Vaidyanathan reached slowly and touched Raman's cheek with his bloodied right hand and gasping for breath whispered ' I can look God straight into his eyes and say that I protected an angel of his who will go on to do more greater things in his lifetime. That is more important and you are more vital than my pathetic life.'

Raman watched sadly as the lights began to dim in the old man's eyes and the breathing became slower and slower and with one final gasp, he looked at Raman ' Please forgive me sir' and Raman with a great sigh nodded and looking at him said ' I forgive you. Go in peace sir and be in peace with your child, Sudha who is waiting for you.'

He did not realize it but he had begun to cry and the tears fell on the minister's cheeks and even though he had no strength left in him to say words, his smile froze in happiness.

Happiness, that there had been a person, another soul, a better man than him to cry for his departure.

Raman remained on his knees holding Minister Vaidyanathan's hand and was not even aware as armed military and police commandos gathered around him and around the hotel.

Jamun aka Dhanraj Malik got out of the auto near the small bridge and watched with dread as a crowd began to form around the entrance of Taj Connemara and its color was black and khaki.

His soul told him to rush into the hotel and try to rescue Gulab but his training and instinct took over and warned him that the situation was dangerous and any attempt on his part to enter the hotel premises would result in him being captured or worse, shot on sight.

Raman felt a movement and turned to see Police Commissioner Vishwanathan standing next to him and smiled and watched as the commissioner knelt by his side and both stared at each other and Raman said ' A few months ago, I was a nobody, a common lawyer traveling on a bus to work. My goal and my destination I felt was the love of my life, Jeeva and I was just on top of the moon after getting her and her love.'

He looked sadly at the commissioner and said ' All I ever wanted was a normal life. A loving wife to come home to and maybe one or two kids and that's it.'

With his eyes brimming and shivering with tears, he looked pathetically at the commissioner ' why do these things keep happening to me, sir? '

All the army commandos and Police commandos watched quietly as Police Commissioner gently hugged Raman and held him to his chest ' Because you are Raman. Because you can do what others cannot and because you are blessed with a soul that is strong enough to take all the hits that life throws at you and still stand tall and fight on. For, yourself and for others who need someone to fight for them.'

He gently wiped the tears away and thought to himself ' God, he looks like a small child.'

Raman slowly got to his knees and looked at all of them and said hurriedly to the commissioner ' Sir, can you arrange a vehicle to take me to Anna Nagar crematorium. I have a funeral to attend and I promised Mohan's parents that I would be there and I always keep my promises.'

“Nothing erases the past. There is repentance, there is atonement, and there is forgiveness. That is all, but that is enough.” ― Ted Chiang

Jannal Oram 346

'she is gone and you are never going to see her again' Jamun told himself for he knew what the outcome would be the moment Gulab had mentioned Raman and yet he hoped against hope that she had just been arrested and not killed or shot dead.

Finally, his training and patience won over and he made his way home and away from where Gulab was and he went away knowing well that the situation had changed drastically and that he was on his own and without any backup.

' But why is my heart so heavy and why does it hurt so badly?' thought Jamun and he told himself ' I loved her and I love her even though I know that there is a very slim chance of her being alive. I found love in the strangest of places and in the strangest person and now she is gone and I am all alone again.'

The killing of a State cabinet minister and that too a very popular and high profile one is a matter of great significance and turmoil and it was treated thus.

Everything had been caught on tape and as you readers guessed on CCTV and you guessed right. But, is there any place in public where there is no CCTV'S and where we citizens are not being watched or should I put it in a more sinister way ' Being monitored.'

Obviously, Taj Connemara has CCTV coverage and so it was captured in great detail what had taken place and the manner in which Minister Vaidyanathan had been murdered.

Raman looked at Sandhya ' Ma'am, I am sorry but things did not go as planned.'

Sandhya looked at him ' I came in feeling angry with the minister for having my Karuppan killed and now he is dead and gone and I am left feeling grateful for having been saved by him.'

She looked at the Vaidyanathan's dead body and whispered ' he saved me by giving his life and with that, he also saved my sons life too.'

Raman sir, if I had died then imagine what would have happened to my son. My family would not have accepted him for they knew that I had been a prostitute for many a year and would have branded my son a b.....d.'

Raman remained quiet and then looked at her and said ' if something like that had happened I would have taken care of your son like my very own. In the future, if there is any problem, any emergency, come to my place and stay with us.'

She looked at him totally shocked and then took his right arm and looked at the palm that had some blood on it and using her saree's edge gently wiped it clean and said ' My Periya Karuppan said that you were an angel and I think he was wrong for you are no mere angel but a God in disguise for only a God can say and do such miraculous things.'

Raman was about to turn and move away when Brigadier Sooryanarayanan stopped and him and clicking his heel saluted him ' Thank you Mr.Raman. I would have been proud to have you as an officer in my team and I wish God had blessed me with a son like you.'

Raman was about to say something but the Brigadier stopped him ' No son. All of us heard her tell you how she had killed my child and your friend and we all heard it loud and clear.'

Looking down at the dead Gulab, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan smiled ' I doubt if I could have beaten her in single combat and most probably would have died in the process. That is why I am grateful to you and will forever be in your debt for what you have done for me and for my daughter Poornima.'

Raman looked at both the Brigadier and V.k.singh who now stood in front of him ' This is not over gentlemen, and by no means will it be over until we get this woman's partner and most importantly the man who had fled the country and now sits somewhere far away and continues to plot against us.'

V.K.Singh replied ' not for long. not for too long for we have a fix on his location and soon we will move on him.'

Commissioner Vishwanathan glanced at Raman ' I have ordered the vehicle to come to the fort after the funeral service is over.'

Raman looked at him ' Fort' and the commissioner shrugging casually ' The Chief Minister wants to meet you.'

V.K.Singh placed a hand on Raman's shoulder ' Don't worry beta, we will be there and so will the defense minister.'

Commissioner Vishwanathan smiled and joked ' Chief minister, defense minister, Raman sir, engeyo poiteenga.'

Taking his phone out ' my turn now young man. Can I have a selfie with you?'

Jannal Oram 347

“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.

You must travel it by yourself.

It is not far. It is within reach.

Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know.

Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and land.” -Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Raman got into the car and was about to close the door of the police vehicle when Commissioner Vishwanathan stooped slightly and looked at him through the window ' Good job Ram. I am proud of you my boy.'

' sir, the work is only half done and it gets more dangerous now for we don't know anything about these people or where they are going to strike next?

' I know Raman and I promise that we are going to use all our resources in finding out where and how many people are behind these attacks and now we don't have to worry too much about budget and money matters for with Minister Vaidyanathan himself being assassinated, the Government won't hesitate to give my department all that I demand.'

Raman edged closer to the window and looking up at the commissioner said ' sir, remember how we were wondering about what the assassins I killed yesterday in the hospital were doing?'

Commissioner Vishwanathan nodded and Raman continued ' I think the reason they were there was to just make sure that Mohan was really dead and done with for I think the man from Delhi is tying up all the loose ends and that is why Vaidyanathan himself was killed today.'

' I know Raman but we will talk more about it when we are in the presence of the Chief Minister and the Defence minister. Finish up with the funeral and go home and rest and I will see you in the evening.'

Raman left in the police vehicle with an armed escort guarding him in the front and rear and he left Egmore and headed towards Adyar.

An Inspector with many years of service in the crime branch and state intelligence was in the front passenger seat and he slowly turned and smiled politely at Raman who smiled back and seeing the policeman hesitate ' Please, no formalities. Ask and talk freely.'

' Raman sir, I just wanted to tell you that I and the others from the dept are proud of you' and shyly put out his hand which Raman took and shook heartily.

The Inspector Cyrus Parthiban's eyes opened wide and he nodded appreciatively ' wow, what a grip boss. Seriously, for I am reputed to have a bone-crunching handshake and let me tell you that I am nothing.'

A wistful and aching look filled his eyes ' Thambi, brave, strong and righteous men like you should be in the department and should be in the corridors of power leading us, guiding us to glory.'

The driver Head constable Kannan scoffed sarcastically ' sir, please continue to do what you are doing and where you are doing for you are doing a great job. If you had been in the department like what my senior here is telling, you would have been transferred a hundred times and finally, you would have landed in jail as a criminal.'

Raman laughed but Inspector Cyrus angrily turned to the driver ' Kannan, what do you mean by that?'

Kannan smiled ' sir, our corrupted seniors and politicians would have driven Raman sir to a breaking point and seeing his nature it is obvious that he would have taken a machine gun and shot dead all the corrupt elements in our dept and in the govt dept. Then, he would have been arrested and thrown in jail.'

Inspector Cyrus Parthiban mumbled embarrassingly ' very true Kannan. From the time of Puratchi Thalaivar Mgr's films where he played the role of an honest cop to namma superstar in Moondru mugam to thalapathi in theri to namma Surya in Singam and Chiyaan in Saami, nothing has changed in our dept or in the govt.'

Kannan mumbled ' it does not matter sir, for even if a thousand Anniyans arise in our society, they will eventually lose out and accept defeat for namma makkala thirutha mudiyathu sir.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKYW3ej9aNs

https://www.hotstar.com/tv/4-the-people/s-267/anandan-arrives-at-the-hostel/1000062160

https://www.hotstar.com/tv/4-the-people/s-267/anoop-shows-up/1000062247

Jannal Oram 348

55.3 million people die each year.151,600 people die each day. 6,316 people die each hour.105 people die each minute. In Chennai, 165 people die every day.

Both the cops were totally fascinated to have a civilian riding with them, and that too one who was not only highly connected but an honest person to boot. Inspector Cyrus has caught a sneak peek and had seen the Police commissioner himself holding Raman like a child in his arms and knew that there was a great story in all of today's happenings.

Sitting sideways, he looked at Raman ' Sir, don't mind please but why the Anna Nagar crematorium?'

Head Constable Kannan driving the vehicle spoke with his eyes glued to the road but his full attention on Raman via

the rearview mirror ' Sir, we all saw you doing the final rites for Vijay sir and through the news and papers, we learnt a lot about you and your friendship with the Minister's family. But, now you are going to another funeral, it seems.'

Raman laughed loudly ' Good point and rightly observed Mr.Kannan for off late I am either with dead bodies of criminals or at the funerals of my loved ones who have been snatched away too soon. Way too soon.

But, to answer your question, I am going there to attend the funeral of a close family friend called Mohan who was in a coma for a long time and passed away yesterday.'

Inspector Cyrus exchanged knowing glances with Head constable Kannan and Raman said ' Yes, Vijaya hospitals and yes, where I was attacked yesterday and had to defend myself like I had to do today.'

Inspector Cyrus thought to himself as he turned back in his seat ' yesterday, today and it seems that time does not matter for the outcome is the same and which is death, to all who face you and take you on in a direct fight.'

Far away, Malik aka Jamun was thinking the same and was wondering how to end Raman before the heat from the police department became too much to bear and even for him,a master assassin, there was only so much he could do and he knew well his limits for he had been in the business for a very long time.

Seeing a mobile store, he requested the cab driver to stop and returned after purchasing a new mobile and placed his old sim card into it and switched it on.

The cab driver suggested him to charge his mobile with the car charger and plugging it in, Malik aka Jamun waited and he did not have to wait long for the call came and even though it was unlisted, he knew it was Santoshi and he answered it.

' Dhanraj, I am sorry but it is bad.'

' Are you sure Santoshi Saab? are you absolutely sure that she is gone?'

' 100 per cent sure and I am sending you a pic of her body sent by one of my informant in the crime department.'

Jamun heard the WhatsApp notification noise but did not open it and instead stayed silent and thoughtful.

' Dhanraj, we have worked together for nearly twenty years now and it has been a good run till now. I think it is better to step away and walk away from this assignment before you to are lost to me.'

' No Santoshi Saab. I cannot back away now for I have yet to finish the job that you gave me and I will finish it regardless of my partner's death.'

' Dhanraj, the heat on the streets is on a different level and nothing like you have encountered before. The former defence minister who is now the Finance minister is there right now and I think they will go all out to get you.'

' Santoshi Saab, even you, my boss, have no idea as to how I look now after all the plastic surgeries that I got done and also please remember that I and Sharmilee always used different disguises for our assignments. So, the Tamil Nadu police along with the central Intelligence team can search and hunt for me as much as they want but will not catch me and I mean never.'

' Okay, what do you plan to do now?'

' lie low for a few days and then strike rapidly creating chaos and confusion and if I get the chance I will kill this Raman and if it is possible, wipe out his whole family.'

' Dhanraj, anger does not go well with you.'

' Santoshi Saab, Raman took away the only family that I had and so I will take away his family from him and let him wallow in pain for a long time and then, when he is weak and vulnerable , I will kill him, blow by blow and break bone by bone and maybe, just maybe then I might be done with my revenge and anger.'

' Dhanraj, I am now in Belgium and I am not sure how long I will be here. The only way that I can help you is with money which I can transfer from any one of my accounts around the world.'

' Santoshi Saab, I have enough and I don't need any more money for this assignment. But, when the time comes, I might need your informant's help and if that can be arranged, then that will suffice for me.'

Raman got out of the car and Jeeva ran towards him and into his arms and slowly the others joined him.

Hearing another vehicle entering, they all turned to see a black BMW enter and halt near them and then all of them watched in stunned and sadness as Kavita got out and looked at all of them ' All of you were there for me and my brother. So, I thought I would come and be with you' and looked at Raman who greeted her and thanked her.

But, it was Jeeva who stepped forward and hugged Kavita tightly and whispered lovingly in her ear ' you too are part of our family and there is no yours or mine for we all are one.'

Raman's heart leapt with pride seeing Jeeva's kindness and whispered to Kamakshi ' amma thank you for bringing this woman into this world and gifting her to me.'

Kamakshi's heart too leapt with pride for her Jeeva but the emotion was mixed with worry and fear for she was also perfectly aware of Kavita's strong feelings for Raman.

All of them, together, and as one family entered the crematorium. From the empty parking lot, Raman understood that the place was empty and thanked god for the small mercy and slowly walked towards the small platform that was about two feet high and climbing the few steps went and stood near Mohan's parents.

Mohan's dad Venu looked at Raman ' just a simple Arya samaj ritual and a few chants from the Bhagwad Gita and it will be over.'

Raman looked at both of them ' Over. Does that mean that we will not meet again?'

Thulasi smiled sadly ' how can you even think that Ram when we have begun to think of you as our own son and were hoping to see more of you and your family.'

' I have no words with which to thank you for these words and your love, but I promise that I will be a good son and a great friend to both of you.'

As the priest began to chant a few Sanskrit shlokas from the Gita, Jeeva, Kavita and the others joined Raman and Mohan's parents and they stood in silence and Raman heard her whisper, not as sound but as beats in his heart and soul' bye Raman and thank you.'

Jeeva felt something caress her cheek and then Kamakshi felt a strange sensation in her chest and mani felt it too and all three of them looked at each other and then all of them looked at Raman who was looking at the sun through the window with tears in his eyes.

He looked at all of them and smiled and said ' she is gone but she is not gone.'

Jeeva and her parents were startled and confused and Raman pointed to her tummy ' baby, I am sure it is going to be a girl and as agreed, she will be called Suja.'

Kavita did not realize that her hands to had slowly gone over her womb and she looked up to see Jeeva looking at her and also knew that Jeeva had heard her mind, loud and clear and which had been ' can we have a son and can we name him Vijay?'