*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 70

“My Colonoscopy” ~ By Dave Barry

I called my friend, Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis.

Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said because my brain was shrieking, HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!

I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called "MoviPrep" which comes in box large enough to hold a microwave oven.

I will discuss Movi Prep in detail later, for now, suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall in the hands of America's enemies.

I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. I began my preparation.

In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water only with less flavor.

Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one liter plastic jug, then you fill it with luke warm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system a liter is about 32 gallons.)

Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.

The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be graphic, here, but have you ever seen the space shuttle launch?

This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle.

There are times when you wish the commode had a seatbelt.

You spent several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.

After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife took me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I have been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage.

I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?" How do you apologized to a friend for something like that?

Flowers would not be enough.

At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said.

Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.

Then a nurse named Edie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Edie was very good and I was already lying down.

Edie, also told me that some people put vodka in their MovePrep.

At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode.

You would have no choice but to burn your house down.

When everything was ready, Edie wheeled me into the procedure room where Andy was waiting with the nurse and an anesthesiologist I did not see the 17,000 foot tube but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere, I was nervous, seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist begin hooking something up to the needle in my hand.

There was music playing in the room, and the song was "Dancing Queen" by Abba, I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, "Dancing Queen" has to be the least appropriate.

"You want me to turn it up" said Andy, from somewhere behind me. "Ha ha," I said. And then it was time, the moment I have been dreading for more than a decade.

If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.

I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling "Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine," and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.

Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that it was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors.

I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

The author is a Pulitzer Prize winning humorist columnist for the Miami Herald.

Jannal Oram 357

Agent- a person who acts on behalf of another person or group.

Broker-a person who buys and sells goods or assets for others.

Pimp-a man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking a percentage of their earnings in return.

These are just a few more descriptions of what an agent, broker can also be called as middleman,intermediary,mediator, supplier, liaison

Today, Politics means Power and Money. This is the only field wherein a person can grow both in power, fame, and make lots of money by playing the game.

If politics means politicians from political parties, it also draws in those shadowy figures who flit between parties brokering deals between those who are in power, those who are out of power and those who are aspiring to hold power.

" Naalu kaasu earn panna thaan" were words that sent shock and shivers of repulsion in my body and they were spoken by a person who was well known to me and was his reply to me when I asked him as to why he was getting into politics.

So, power, money, greed, crime, cheating the public and corruption go hand in hand in the business of politics and it is no surprise that it draws in so many from the dark who are not only sly and sleazy but downright evil.

A minister is having a drink with his circle and sees a famous actress dancing away and turns to one of his aides ' Milege ' and the aide smiles knowingly and replies ' Throw the right amount of money and she will come' and makes the call to another broker, the pimp who makes the call to the manager who makes the call and a deal is made.

Sometimes, the actress refuses and threats of force and blackmail are used and she succumbs and does what is needed and this is just a sample of the simple truth in the corridors of power.

Santoshi Bhanwari Lal was from Uttar Pradesh and hailed from a family that had for generations been in the business of sweets and savories and were well known in and around their native place.

Santoshi Lal had been the first person from his family to have gone on to have finished his college educataion and become a degree holder and was thus considered wise and special by his family and extended family.

Not satisfied with having a presence in and around his home town, Santoshi wanted to spread his family name all over the world and so took his first baby steps and arrived in Delhi.

It took him little time to sneak and slide his way into the good books of the local politicians and then began to open a chain of sweet stores all over Delhi.

He greased palms of corrupt Government officials, local party people, police officials and soon became well known among the elite that made their lives in the capital.

But, the most important moment in his life had been one such party that he had organized himself for the local MLA of the then Congress party and he crossed paths with the famous Godman Chandraswami who was supposedly a great astrologer and Tantric.

With God, fate and predictions in his hands, the supposedly Godman Chandraswami took notice of Santoshi Lal and summoned him not for his sweets but for his wily and foxy ways and taking him under his wing, soon made him another one of his personal aides and then elevated him into his go between and also a Benami for many hundreds crores worth of his properties.

From selling sweets, Santoshi in a matter of years found himself taking messages and instructions from the Godman and delivering them to Cabinet Minsters and the Prime minister himself.

But, unlike his master and mentor, Santoshi remained in the shadows and in the background and rarely got himself photographed and thus skated his way through the 80's and 90's and all that changed after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Even from the beginning of the talks, Santoshi had gently warned his mentor that the deal was not a good one and it would have large ramifications and his words came true and the same haunted Chandraswami until his death.

Santoshi had made his thoughts crystal clear to the Godman when the deal was brought to his notice.

' Swamiji, getting an MLA, MP or even a cabinet minister killed is okay but not a former prime minister and especially not one from such a famous family. He might not be in power but the name " Gandhi" is too powerful to be trifled with for it holds immense sentimental value from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.'

Chandraswami had laughed loudly ' business is business and I am just a broker for this deal. I am just conveying messages from one party to another party and that's all there is to it..'

A few months later, the proverbial crap hit the roof when Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a bomb blast near Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram. The killers who belonged to the LTTE were hunted down and once that was done, the whos, how's, and why's of the assassination were debated and pursued with deadly intent and even now, 28 years later remains largely a mystery for many questions have yet to be answered.

The money trails led to many offshore bank accounts whose details at first had not been divulged by the bank officials but then backtracked and willingly came forward to help for a mighty democracy such as India was not to be fooled around with.

Among the many, a notable few were mentioned and among them were the significant ones of international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Godman Chandraswami.

Santoshi Lal raised the expensive bone china teacup to his lips and taking a sip nodded his approval to the aide who hovered discreetly in the shadows and then glanced in his general direction.

The table was cleared and now it was time for his only vice and which was the Cuban cigar.

Santoshi lit the cigar and blew circles of blue-tinted smoke and coughing gently gazed at the circles that hung patiently in the still and chilly air and thought to himself ' Each circle is a trap of my own making and yet I have no regrets for I have lived a good life.'

Santoshi Lal had just one child, a daughter who was happily married to a doctor and made her home in Delhi.

Marriage had happened according to his family's wishes and rules and Santoshi had quietly consented and had gotten married.

But, it was a marriage in name only for after the first few years and with the arrival of their child, his wife Reshma had gained weight, tons of it and also had lost interest in sex.

Santoshi Lal had not hated her for it and treated her kindly and gave her all that she wished and saw to it that his and her family were well looked after.

This largesse of heart was because he too treated himself well with bedding some of the most beautiful women that appeared on the big and small screens.

Santoshi Lal pulled deeply on the Cuban and blew more circles out of the smoke and reached to his side and picked up the small bottle and held it against the evening sun.

' One is more than enough and I guarantee you that there will be no pain. You will just drift away into sleep and will never wake up again.' the doctor had told him.

Santoshi shook three of the pills into his left palm and whispered ' better you than the Brigadier.'

Santoshi might have thought twice before taking this extreme step if he had been in India but then again with Modi in the center that would have been tough.

The BJP Government was not his friend and much of his contacts had disappeared after they had come to power in 2014. The simple reason for this was that the Prime Minister was painstakingly clean and could not be corrupted in any way and was too far removed from brokers like him.

Santoshi Lal was taking this extreme step because he knew what would happen if he was arrested. He would be tortured so badly that he would eventually confess to all that he had done and also all that involved everyone else and that would have massive consequences and send ripples through the fabric of Indian politics.

He would then be produced before the courts and be remanded to police custody and sent to Tihar jail where his good friend and former finance minister Chidambaram was being held.

Santoshi popped the three pills into his mouth and gulped down the last of the tea and leaned comfortably into the high back Georgian era sofa and waited for death to arrive and he felt it in the tightness of his chest first and then felt his fingers going numb and smiled and whispered ' doctor, you are right for it does not hurt at all.'

Jannal Oram 358

Almost everything about a human creature is ridiculous, except its ability to suffer bravely and die gallantly for whatever it loves and believes in. The validity of that belief, the appropriateness of that love, is irrelevant; it is the bravery and the gallantry that count. Robert A. Heinlein

Raman sat on the white sheet of the bed with Jeeva and the others gathered around him and all turned as the door opened and Dr.Saraswathi entered and politely chided all of them ' Raman needs to rest and he will not be able to do that while all of you are here. Please, finish up quickly and let the poor man rest.'

She came to Raman's side and enquired ' enna hero sir, how are you feeling today?'

' I am perfectly okay doctor. I just need to leave and get back home and I can do all the resting and recuperation there.'

Dr.Saraswathi removed her glasses and placing it in her coat pocket looked at him in a way that reminded him of his chemistry teacher and said ' Ram, you are young and in great physical condition but still the beating your body has taken is not to be taken lightly.

She gently touched his bandaged chest bruised ribs, twisted ligaments in the right knee and shoulders and a nasty head injury and it is the last one that I am worried about.'

Raman smiled ' I have a thick skull doc and so no concussion, at least not from such small knocks. It will take more to really put me down and keep me down.'

Shaktivel's voice was full of concern as he spoke to his child ' Iyaa, doctor solratha kellunga please. Evallavu thaan thaanguveenga.'

Dr.Saraswathi had not been introduced to all of them and Jeeva did that and when she introduced Shaktivel as Raman's dad, the elderly doctor smiled and looked at both father and son and said ' Madurai mannoda vaasam innum pogala.So sweet.'

She joked ' I too have a son and I am not sure if he is calling me mum or bum and it all depends on his moods.'

Again the door opened and the doctor, Raman and all of them turned to see the dean of the hospital hurriedly entering the room. It was obvious that he was a nervous wreck from the way he approached them and came straight to Raman.

He stood at the foot of the bed in which Raman lay in and said ' Mr.Raman, the Chief Minister is on his way here right now. The chief secretary called me to inform me about his arrival.'

Raman groaned and looked at Dr.Saraswathi ' doc, help please, and tell everyone that I need to rest and that I am fast asleep.'

Grabbing her arm, he pleaded ' better knock me out with some morphine or chloroform, please.'

She looked at him with eyes wide open ' sir, he happens to be my boss and the head of this state. please, ennoda velaikku bomb vekkatheenga sir.'

The door opened and Raman wondering how the Chief Minister had arrived so quickly was taken aback to see his Sensei former DGP Devarajan walking in with his head still bandaged and looking weak and frail for he seemed to have lost a lot of weight.

Before anyone could move or react, Raman moved and got out of the bed and with feet close to each other, bent to his waist and greeted him by saying ' sensei' and all Devarajan could do was bow a nod with his head as an acknowledgment.

Raman knew the reason was his master was still groggy from the head injury that had been inflicted by the woman he had killed.

Dr.Saraswathi watched Raman as he gently hugged the older man and helped him to sit on the bed that he had lain in just seconds ago and had been laid with pretty serious injuries that though not life-threatening were horribly painful.

The most excruciating pain and discomforting pain are bruised and cracked ribs and twisted ligaments and yet here was her patient moving around as if he was completely normal.

But, she knew that he was normal for the swellings around his shoulder and knees and the purple bruises around his chest were visible proof for even a layman and then her instincts took over and she rushed to Raman and told him off in a stern voice ' Raman, please just lie down and rest and don't cause us and yourself more grief by aggravating your injuries.'

Raman felt irritation and frustration that someone, even a doctor who was caring for him would have the gall to come between him and his master but the flash of fire in his eyes died down instantly and he told her ' doc, pain is pain and it is just a state that needs to be overcome. I am not dead or on my death bed and I assure you I will recover from this current state. So, stop worrying and say hello to my master.'

The dean who was ready to drop dead in panic anticipating the Chief Minister's imminent arrival said ' Mr.Raman, it was a miracle that you survived the blast along with the others sir. Please lie down and rest your body.'

Devarajan glared at the dean who nearly fainted under the withering glare and the voice that growled ' Dean, this miracle that you are talking about has a name and it is Raman. It was that Raman who saved all the others and himself.'

After conveying to the doctor to shut up and be quiet with his eyes, they now ran all over Raman and he said in a soft and tender voice that most people use when talking to a child or infant ' god, you must be hurting pretty bad, Ram.'

The clamor outside the room reached them and both master and student and all the others turned towards the door for they knew that the Chief Minister had arrived.

Moms will be Moms... Doesn’t matter who you are. Here is some Mom talk.

Issac Newton's mother-- "But did you wash the apple before eating it?"

Archimedes's mother-- "Didn't you have any shame running naked in the street from? And, WHO is this girl Eureka???”

Thomas Edison's mother-- Of course I am proud that you invented the electric bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed !!!"

Abraham Lincoln's mother-- "Now that you have become President for heaven's sake get rid of that shabby tailcoat and stovepipe hat, and buy yourself a decent outfit."

James Watt's mother-- "If you just keep watching that damn lid lifting and dropping, rice will be burnt. Turn off the stove now."

Alexander Graham Bell's mother-- "You have installed this new silly thing in the house alright, but I do not want girls calling you at odd hours."

Galileo Galilei's mother-- "What use is seeing that goddamn moon with your telescope if it does not help me to see my mother in Milano."

Samuel Morse's mother-- "Make sure your school report card doesn't have only dashes and dots.”

Mona Lisa's mother-- "After all that money your father and I spent on your braces, is that the best smile you can give us ?"

Michelangelo's mother-- "Can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling ?"

Albert Einstein's mother-- "Can't you do something about your hair? Use styling gel or something?"

Bill Gates's mother-- "You keep browsing all day long; watch out if I ever catch you on any adult website."

DaniEl Fahrenheit's mother-- "Stop playing with boiling water and let me make tea."

Georg Ohm's mother-- "I don't like you resisting everything I say."

Robert Boyle's mother-- "If your volume is really inversely proportional to pressure, you must be having constipation. Take a laxative."

Alessandro Volta's mother-- "It is shocking to see you all the while dipping those copper and zinc rods in that beaker.”

Andre Ampere’s mother-- “Apart from fooling around all the time shall you ever find time to glance through your current books!”

Socrates's mother-- "If you keep drinking from any cup, it is not necessary that you will also survive like Meera Bai."

Christopher Columbus’ mother-- "I don't care what you were busy discovering and where you could still have dropped a two-line letter!”

Dedicated to All Mothers, But for Whom The Human Civilisation wouldn’t Have Progressed.

Bonfire or barbeque in the skies

or just Bhogi came early for the gods

all I could do was stand and watch the sun

paint masterpiece after masterpieces

with the clouds and sky

air for colors and palette

even the dogs sat by my side

at the lights show

and I sighed

and maybe for the first time

thanked god from my soul

for having given me eyes to see

to really see and feel, really feel

the rays broke through the clouds

and pierced my kavacham

and I too was now part of the bonfire

and part of the barbeque

kaalai kadaludan kaadhal konden

Vaanamum vasapadum, kavithayin valayil

odum megangalum, aadum alaiyum

vasapadum kavithaiyin mazhaiyil

veesi paarthen nenjam endra alaiyai

kaatril thoovi paarthen, thanjam

endru en thoonga kangalai,ennangalai

sikkiyathu udhaya geetham

maatikanodathu pirai soodiya vaanam

pancha bhootangalum vasapadum

bhootam endra kootai vittu

manithan endra kootukkul nuzhainthaal

judge, jury, executioners

I love Suki Sivam's speeches and am always left with a new viewing and a new understanding of life and its complex machinery. I humbly admit and submit that there are times but very few of them when his thoughts hit a raw nerve and have made me feel that they were a bit too controversial in nature.

Controversial only when compared to the current nature and stature of our so-called modern society and has absolutely nothing to do with Suki's thoughts.

I do very often listen to Jaggi Vasudev and take away new gems of knowledge which in the end are just new ways and new formulas to live and let live.

But today all people want when they talk, interview and question great minds and thinkers such as the two mentioned above are ratings for their youtube channels and Tv spots.Rather, than probe and bring out more from the depths of these wise men, the interviewers seem to be solely bent on ripping apart the thoughts and theories put forward by thinkers and philosophers.

Well, nothing seems to have changed from ancient times when Socrates was put to death by poison after being judged by his own men. Jesus himself was crucified and stabbed to death for talking about love and peace and then became a cult classic and remains on top of the religion charts for the horrors that were done to him.

History is littered with wise men being butchered to death and killed for talking their minds openly and bravely and if that was the brutal style then it is far worse today on all the social platforms where people's characters are assassinated in a rather gruesome manner and it does not stop with that but their families too are dragged in and their lives too hacked and crucified.

If Lady Diana died in an accident while fleeing the hungry press was not proof enough, the number of likes and dislikes on youtube videos is proof enough.

I have no idea who these souls are who crop up and place their sick comments on everything from religion to cookery classes.

Vile bile spewing aliens that are passing themselves off as humans I think.

For example, when our nations cricket team captain Virat got married to Anushka the comments that were posted on yahoo were....... Sorry for they were that bad.

Most tell me ' just move on with your life and ignore them ' but I just cannot.

A new film trailer can be judged good or bad but cannot and should not be ripped apart with sick thoughts.

Something is going on I am sure. Some kind of mutation in behavior and thought and it is downright scary for things are going from bad to worse and, otherworldly alien worse.

My constant activation and de-activation of my Facebook is my pathetic and cowardly reaction to this creepy and scary

so-called social platform awakening of today's world.

I am sorry to drag in film news into this train of thought but I have to state here that Actor Vijay spoke very eloquently at his new film "Bigil" audio launch although his mannerisms and style came across as a blatant copy of Rajini style.

From the Rudraksha seed that is visible on his throat and copied by Dhanush, Simbu and so many others to his characteristic hands-on-hips style, twirl of hands and fingers, and last but not least to peppering his speech with short moral stories and incidents.

But it is okay for he did and has been doing a great job when on stage and when facing the state that I am sure one day he is going to rule.

Enna, edhuku antha reaction. MGR, Amma appuram namma Vijay. Why because Rajini seems to be still dilly-dallying on the subject of politics and starting his party. But that is his prerogative and I have no thoughts about it but the cat on the wall stance is obvious to all.

I share here with you the pathetic and silly way in which Rangaraj Pandey tried to needly Suki Sivam and also Bigil audio launch speech by Vijay.

Ennathe solli ennathe senju.

Rajini varuvaaru aanaa vara maataaru.

Anne, neenga enna loosa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmJ7OUEiRT0

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

Jannal Oram 359

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami entered wearing the familiar pleasant smiling face that gently beamed at you from all the posters and that all of them in the room and living all over Tamil Nadu had gotten used to and that they had seen for the past three years.

It was obvious to all of them that he had not been informed about Raman's family being there with him and he greeted all of them with folded hands and acknowledged them with a slightly bent head.

Seeing, Former DGP Devarajan standing besides Raman, his smile spread further across his lips and he greeted him warmly ' Sir, eppadi irukeenaga?'

Devarajan saluted the Chief Minister even though he was retired and Edappadi grabbed his arm ' Iyyo, adhellam vendaam sir.'

He looked at the bandaged head of Devarajan's ' The Commissioner told me that you were recovering well in spite of the rather serious injury.'

Then, he looked at Raman who was still standing and excusing himself from Devarajan ' Thambi, please sit down and rest. There is no need for such formalities and especially not when you are hurting so badly.'

He looked at all of them and said ' Vanakkam.'

Jeeva placed a chair near him and requestd him to sit down and EPS thanked her and looked at Raman and at the others.

Taking the cue from his look, Raman apologised and began to introduce everyone in the room.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami wished a vanakkam to all of them and then stopped on seeing Kavita and enquired about her dad Minister Durai Pandi Arumugams health and when he would be back on his feet again.'

Then he looked at Shaktivel and Valliammai and said ' Your son is not only a great man but a real hero. You must be really blessed and proud to have a son like him for I myself wish that I had a son like him.'

Shaktivel felt like he was flying on top of the clouds for the pride he felt in his soul were like wings that had sprouted and had carried him off like a bird.

The Chief Minister patted Raman's arm and then looked at all of them and made an announcement ' The state is ging to honor Raman with the highest award for bravery and it will be presented on the next republic day in a few months time.'

Noticing Raman's silence, he said ' Raman sir, I know very well that you don't pay much attention to such awards or praises but it matters to us for heroes such as you have to be raised, praised and spoke about for it is because of a few souls like you that the whole humanity raises itself.'

He looked at the others ' we have to remember those that sacrificed themselves for the good of others and those that constantly strive for the well-being of their fellow beings for they are examples for the rest to follow and an example for others to fight and overcome the problems that they face in their daily lives.'

Raman looked at Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami ' sir, thank you but could you please not talk about this in the press or in any meeting for the next few months or at least until this storm passes over all of us.'

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami nodded ' See, even now you think of all of us and not just you or your family.'

' sir, if this madman can go to the extent of bombing a hospital to get to me and those close to me then there is no stopping him until we stop him and put an end to him. That is why I feel it is safer that I, my family and all those concerned with me are kept out of the press and television and unnecessary attention that might draw him further to us.'

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami whispered okay and then asked Raman ' Is there anything I can do for you, please tell me for I feel that all of us are deep in your debt.'

Raman said ' sir, please go and see the parents of Subashree and pay your condolences and try consoling them. The reason is not only because your party's hoarding caused her to lose control of her bike which then resulted in her falling down and getting run over by the lorry behind her but also because you are the chief minister of this state, and that means you are the first man of this state and all of us look up to you for help, guidance and relief. But more than anything we look to you for justice and protection.'

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami's face had sunk down and he now sat staring at the ground and he sat in that posture for a few minutes and then sighing he turned and looked at Raman ' what you just said was absolutely right and the words should be carved into stone and place outside every Government office.'

He smiled sadly ' Raman sir, we live in a state where I the Chief Minister himself is made fun of for not speaking English properly or pronouncing San Fransico incorrectly. I come from an average lower-middle-class Tamil speaking family and even though it was by accident that I became a Chief Minister, I am doing my best and trying hard to do good before the next elections and it does not matter if my party comes back to power or not.

There is so much wrong in this state and it is going to take a lot of work, years and years of hard work by not only me and the Government but by the people themselves. But coming back to Subashree, I promise you that the accused who is my party's ex-councillor will be arrested soon and criminal proceedings will be brought against him.

But, this poster culture is here to stay and is not going to go away so easily. Today, posters are being stuck on walls announcing a young girl coming of age and if that is not creepy enough, people vie with each other to post obituaries of unknown people and put their own faces along with the dead people.'

He slowly got to his feet and folding his hands, wishing them all politely looked at Raman ' It is not enough if the chief minister does his job, it is not enough if the prime minister does his job for finally we are all just servants hired by the public and if the public does not change or at least make an attempt to change then even God cannot help us.'

He politely wished Raman well and then took leave of all of them and was closely followed by the dean and the duty doctor.

Jannal Oram 360

Like the planets caught in the gravity of the sun and held in their orbital paths around it, they all stood around Raman, each one bound in their own way to their own personal human star of their lives. It was Manigandan, Jeeva's dad who slowly struggled to stand on his Arthritis ridden legs who leaning against the chair put his hands together in a feeble clap and slowly shuffled forward and roared ' Bravo, Bravo Raman.'

All of them joined and one by one their claps were in a single note and sounded like drums being beat on by a marching band.

Raman smiled and blushed for he was not used to all this attention from his family and the least of all from the Chief Minister of his state.

He raised both his hands and signaled his request for them to stop clapping and slowly the claps died out and once they had stopped Raman pointedly looked at all of them and began to clap, and continued to clap for a few more moments while they watched and wondered what he was doing.

He stopped ' Little does the outside world know what goes on in here in our world and little do they know about who the real heroes are in this story of mine. So, I, who you clap for in turn clap and salute you all for this is not a one-man show and more of a team effort. But, this is not the time for clapping or rejoicing and is a time for taking great precautions and being on our guard at all times.

His face suddenly turned serious and he turned to Devarajan and said ' Master, I think you better sit down in the chair and make yourself comfortable for you more than anybody else will understand and see the wisdom in my words that I am going to speak.'

All of them sensed and understood the seriousness in Raman's tone and all of them gathered around him and looked at him.

Raman did not dilly dally and jumped in straight into what was so obviously weighing on his mind.

' Whoever tried killing me by placing a bomb in this very hospital did that out of revenge and once he knows that he has failed, he will return and try again.'

He looked at all of them and saw the flare of panic and fear in all their eyes and nodded ' yes, it is time for fear and it is time to panic for if this person can go to the extent of killing dozens or maybe more innocent souls just to get to me, do you think he will stop now or anytime soon. No, and I am not even sure that he will stop with killing me and will try to destroy all of us and I mean that.'

Devarajan tried to calm him and said ' Raman, we know for sure that it is only one person who is doing this and I am very sure that the Department will soon nab him, alive or dead.'

' Sir, you are right when you say it is just one person but then that is what makes this situation all the more dangerous and lethal to all of us. I know how good our police department is but this situation is very complicated and slightly far away from their usual expertise.

If it had been a kidnapping, murder or even gang violence, I am sure our cops would have done wonders and apprehended the criminals involved but this person is not your garden variety snake sir. This person is a trained assassin, a lethal killer who knows how to kill and to evade capture.'

The door opened and Raman looked in its direction angrily for being interrupted in his talk with his family and then calmed down for it was V.K.Singh, Additional secretary, RAW who walked in slowly with his face reflecting his inner confusion.

Both of them looked at each other and Raman asked ' what news from the Brigadier who is in Belgium sir?'

V.K.Singh shook his head ' Good and bad news Raman.'

' Please sir, the good news first for we are all rather tired and beaten up by the bad that seems to have taken over all our lives the past few months. So, any good news is welcome.'

' Santoshi Lal is dead and the brigadier just confirmed it.'

Raman's eyes immediately sought out Kavita and both nodded to each other and then he turned back to V.K.Singh ' Was he shot dead while trying to flee. Did the Brigadier get any information or details about this assassin of his that is here haunting all of us and Chennai together?'

' No. Santoshi killed himself by consuming poison and was dead by the time we could get to him and before dying he seems to have activated some software in his mobile that destroyed all the data that was on it.'

He spread his hands in a helpless gesture and looked at Raman who spoke in a very soft and scary voice ' so, we are all alone against this unknown assassin and we have little knowledge where he is going to strike next and what disguise he will be wearing when he arrives.'

V.K.Singh raised his hand in protest ' wait, wait just a moment, please. we are not helpless and we can play this game too and we play it better than this mysterious killer.'

' Game sir, see this is just a game for you' Raman said and looked at him ' but, this is no game for me and my family and we have already lost two, no, make that three for Mohan's accident also was indirectly caused by Santoshi and Vaidyanathan.'

V.K.Singh stared at Raman with an inscrutable expression and then it softened and he said ' Four, Raman, four lives were lost and you are forgetting Poornima, brigadier's daughter in your haste and anger.'

He looked at all of them ' Poornima was also your Suja and Mohan's age. She too had her entire life ahead of her and her only fault was falling for Vijay and being with him at the wrong place at the wrong time.'

He looked at Raman ' who will speak for her Ram? who will speak for the girlfriend of one who you love and call blood brother?'

Raman looked at him with helplessly and with his face wracked with guilt and it was Kavita who stepped up and spoke ' We will, we all will speak for Poornima sir.'

She pointed to Raman ' he is just one man, who has been doing all the fighting and seems to have taken the battle to the enemy and killed many of them while you stand here accusing him and questioning his loyalty to his brother, my brother.

All of the central government and state governments resources at your fingertips and all you can do is talk and talk bullshit. Why don't you instead get to work and start making some arrests and putting pressure on all of Santoshi's contacts in Delhi and people who might have used this very assassin for some prior crimes.'

V.K.Singh, Additional secretary, RAW nodded ' yes, very good point. We have been doing that and we will continue to do that until this killer is arrested or killed.'

He faced Raman and said ' I have already spoken to the defense minister and he has authorized full Z category security for you and every member of your family and it starts now I am afraid.'

Raman sat quietly with his fists clenched by his thighs and then murmured ' fair enough and this was exactly what I was talking about with my family. Their security and well-being and thank god that is now taken care of and one less thing to worry about.'

He looked at all of them and said ' Please, I need to speak with this gentleman in private. So, please can all of you step outside for a few minutes.'

The whole family marched out leaving both them men to themselves and Raman pointed to the chair and said ' sir, please sit down and listen to what I have to say.'

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

I am nearly at the end of finishing the story " Jannal Oram " and with not too much of a distance left to travel, my thoughts have already begun to work around a new story.

Adoption, Marriage, divorce, relationships, love, faith were themes that kept cropping around and talking to me and yet a shadowy figure loomed quietly in the shadows and darker than the shadows itself and I reached for it.

I have but a few strong memories from my early and few years of my life in Bangalore and in that small house in the lanes of Dodda Mavalli.

One such memory is about the old man with a sack and who always came around late in the night, at about 10.30 pm or so and just about when all life and all wives were winding their chores in the kitchen and settling down to slumber.

This beggar of an old man was called " Gurvayaa" and he always came around late in the night and since none of us had ever laid eyes on him during the day and in light, we absolutely fell for the story of the old man with a sack and who took away children that were misbehaving and also those who did not study properly.

Late night, old man, sack, punishment, fear and to top all this, came the wails of the very same man and by wailing, I really mean that. All we kids used to hear was ' AMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA' and we could hear him from quite a distance and that was enough for all of us to cover our eyes and ears and bury ourselves with our bedsheets.

The bloody scary and really creepy part was that this Gurvayya wailed very few times and one never knew which street he would pop up in and since the courtyard we lived in connected two parallel streets, it was a toss between left or right although it never mattered.

The first wail in the distance would set off a chain reaction in most of us youngsters and that usually was whimpers and squeals and sometimes loud and filthy curses from adults when one of the kid's bladders let go in fear.

Curious joe, me, I mean me always squeezed my eyes shut and kept my ears peeled for the wails of the boogeyman called Gurvyaa.

But, Gurvayya was always prompt and kept his visiting hours between 9.30 to 11.00 pm and would then disappear and so his world and the other world were always day and night and never ever collided.

By the other world, I mean my late dad, who came home totally drunk and always well past 11.30 or in the wee hours of the morning.

If Gurvayya was meant to scare the daylight out of all us kids, then my drunk dad was the one who really scared the day and night out of all those who lived in and around our tiny house.

All that mattered to my drunk dad was to fall asleep but in total silence and I mean that.

All it took was one loud, filthy and angry curse in Kannada which questioned the nature in which the person who had accidentally made the noise had been born and to his parents and the whole realm around our area fell silent and slipped into a deep sleep.

But one day both the seen and unseen Gurvayya's paths crossed and well that was the end of one of them.

Maybe, he had lost everything playing cards or had run out of money to drink more in the bar or maybe he was just plain tired and so it happened that my father came home early by 9.30 pm and obviously totally sloshed and in a more than usual filthy and angry mood.

He unfurled his mat outside the house and drifted away into a deep sleep and then a little while later all hell broke loose.

Gurvayya came wailing around the corner and soon met his match and met the person who would put the fear of God in him.

All I remember is ' Aiyo, aiyo, amma, bitbidu swami ( meaning please leave me) and then some of the elders in the courtyard went and rescued the man from the original gurvayya and the original boogeyman.

well, forget the night, even in daytime, beggars, fruit and flower vendors refused to enter out street and gave it a wide berth for all the adults too were well aware and wise to the knowledge that an original Gurvayya lurked in our lane.

If you are wondering, yes, sadly the boogeyman left behind a bit of that fear in me and also his touch and I mean both the beggar and the drunkard.

Obviously, the title of the coming attraction will be about the Boogeyman and his Redemption if that is possible.