*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 9

Jannal oram 138

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. Alan Armstrong

Vijay bhaskar saw his watch and realising that it was nearing midnight,looked at raman ' I think we have spoken enough and now all that remains is your meeting with the minister tomorrow morning and what transpires between both of you.'

Raman's eyes flickered with curiosity ' vijay,how or what is going to change after i meet Mr.vaidyanathan.I don't think it is going to help at all.'

Vijay 'precisely,raman sir and yet you are taking the meeting and knowing you well enough,it always means something.'

Shaktivel looked at raman ' Iyaa ram,if it not going to help,then why are you going for the meeting and why cause any more tensions?'

Raman looked at vijay,who shrugged and smiled and turning to his dad ' appa,that was precisely the reason for vijay's question and the answer is,to see for myself what the minister is made of.To give peace and friendship a chance for reconciliation and for better understanding to prevail between shreekanth and him.'

Manigandan who had stood quietly and calmly,slowly shuffled painfully on his arthritic knees and looking at vijay bhaskar ' sir,you are the son of a powerful minister and you also are the head of the youth wing of the ruling party and yet here you are interacting with raman and discussing important things but which distilled and filtered down,comes to one point and that point is war,a fight,a launch of some oppostition against this minister vaidyanathan.Pardon me for being rude,but knowing politicians very well,i suspect that you are using Raman as a pawn in your game to oust and finish this vaidyanathan.'

Vijay bhaskar nodded ' Sir,true,all true but for the last word and that is the word pawn for that is a slightly wrongm word in this context.Raman here is not a pawn but the very game itself and i am sorry to say this,for he has now begun the game and it is too late for him to stop and i doubt if he will stop until he has finished what he has started.'

Jeeva with a little bit of anger and frustration creeping into her voice ' then what are you doing here mr.vijay bhaskar?'

Vijay looked at all of them ' taking my place besides him as a younger brother should rightfully do.as laxman did in ramayana and that is joining arms with lord rama, to not only fight for him but even die for him.'

Vijay bhaskar looked at Raman's parents ' I am sorry that things have come to this position and i feel terribly guilty that me and my family are the ones responsible for this mess that raman is in.Please accept my apologies and trust me when i say that my father and me will do everything to sort this situation out.'

Raman's mother,Valliammai consoled him ' Vijay,even if my son had not helped you out all those years ago,he would still be in a difficult situation today for he would have still gone on and saved the staff members if the mall and placed himself in a confrontation situation with the minister and his goondas.So,you see,that life works itself according to a destiny and that is why we are all here and so there is nothing you need to apologise for.'

Raman looked at Jeeva and her parents and told them that he and his parents would leave with vijay and wishing them good night left and Kamakshi and jeeva stood watching them all go and disappear into the night.

Kamakshi turned to jeeva ' You would never think or assume that Raman was capable of such actions of violence for he comes across as a very soft and kind person.Imagine him,single handedly taking on hardened criminals and that too armed ones and now add to that all this political complications.'

Jeeva smiled and hugging her mother tightly ' kamakshi,why is that your food is always so much tastier when guests come home?' and Manigandan smiling all though he was really tired from the trip to kanchipuram and back,hugged both of them and kissing kamakshi ' my pondatti,my child just asked the question that has been on my mind for all these years.So,you better answer us honestly.'

Kamakshi,escaping from their clutches ' both of you have no other better work than bullying me.The answer to the question is that anyone eating here will find my food tasty because they are doing so for the first time,whereas you idiots are well used to my cooking style and so have become numb to my skills and to the taste of my food and so rarely compliment me anymore.'

Realising that she was complaining in her own subtle and sweet way,daughter and husband together grabbed her and planted kisses on her cheeks and then all three began to clear the table and wash the dishes in the kitchen and just like that a day,an eventful one passed by.

Raman and Vijay walked slowly while shaktivel and valliammai followed them a few feet back.Vijay's driver stood waiting anxiously and heaved a sigh of relief as soon as he spotted vijay and quickly ran towards the car and started it.

Vijay bhaskar looked at all three of them and since enough words had spoken,gently nodded and saying good night got in the car and left saidapet heading towards greamways road.

Valliammai gently held her son's arm ' ram,i hope things get better for i am worried after hearing all that was said.'

She looked very scared and as if she would break down any moment ' how are me and your father supposed to return to trichy and return to out normal lives when you are facing such grave dangers all alone and on your own.'

Raman smiled ' mum,i didn't plan for any of this and if should the situation arise where my help is needed,then i will do the same thing again and again without stopping to think of the consequences.For what ultimately matters is helping those in need and not standing by the sidelines thinking and wondering about it.'

Shaktivel looked at his wife ' valli,ram iyaa is right for that is how we have raised him to be.Please,don't worry for i have faith in god and have more faith in my son and i think it will all mwork out fine in the end.'

Watching the family go,a tall,well built,middle aged man emerged from the shadows and whispered into his mobile ' sir,everything is okay and all are safe.Me and my partner will stay in the car and keep watch over raman and his parents.Okay sir.Good night sir.'

DIG Devarajan ended the call and placing the mobile back on the table switched off the table lamp and closed his eyes and went to sleep thinking ' Raman is like my son and no harm will come to him,not while i am still alive.'


"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.? Henri J.M. Nouwen

Jannal oram 139

I think one's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes. I see no reason for painting but that. If I have anything to offer, it is my emotional contact with the place where I live and the people I do-Andrew Wyeth


Night time.Sleep time.But just because it is night and you lie in your bed,clothed,unclothed,it does not mean sleep will come, for sleep,the much needed rest the body and mind needs comes from deep within the brain.A switch is turned on or should i say turned off and one just drifts off into sleep and varying degrees of it.
Many will say " I slept straight on for ten hours and yet i feel tired" and further many will declare " i slept just for a few minutes and i feel refreshed and charged."

We spend nearly one thirds of our lives sleeping and when you read that an average human being who might live to be 75 will spend nearly 25 years sleeping,your eye balls will pop out in shock and amazement reading this simple piece of knowledge.But it is that and it is thus and has always been for man and for all life on this planet.

Raman lay on the couch and no sleep came to take him into its arms and soothe his mind and body.He lay wide awake staring at the ceiling and it was 2.00 am and then his mobile which had been muted and placed on vibration mode,vibrated and danced on the glass surface of the small table next to him and picking it up saw " Jeeva" plastered on the caller id and with a sigh answered it 'Hi,what are you doing awake at this ungodly hour sweetie?' and jeeva replied ' exactly what you had been doing,lying awake and staring at the ceiling.'

' And advocate sir,don't call this early hours as ungodly for we hindus firmly believe that these early hours before dawn are Brahmamuhurtha.'

Just for my readers knowledge-(Brahmamuhurtha occurs during the Vata phase of the morning, between 2:00am and 6:00am, and Yoga masters state that the best time to meditate is one and a half hours before dawn, because the mind is inherently still at that time, enabling one to achieve a deeper meditative state)


Raman with his voice filled with naughtiness ' ma'am,i don't know about brahmamuhurtham and all that stuff but i do know that this hour is meant for me and you and i only wish you were here on this couch for then it would be real muhurtham for me.'

Jeeva fell silent ' Bro,you don't sleep and now you have killed my sleep too.I thought i would talk to you for a few minutes for that would have calmed my mind and helped me to fall asleep.But now,with you flirting and joking about sex,how am i going to fall asleep and maybe i should go take a cold shower for only that will help me lose all this warmth i am feeling in all the places that your fingers have felt and stroked.'

Raman ' I am sorry baby,just when things were going smoothly and just when both our families were gearing up for our marriage, along comes life and its problems.'

Jeeva softly ' Ram,i am scared.I know there is nothing to be worried about and yet somehow i feel very nervous about this whole situation and am wondering how you are going to handle it.'

Raman absorbed and thought over her words ' jeeva,why are you worried and what are you scared about? don't you have faith in me?'

Jeeva ' chee,what are you talking and please don't ever use the word faith and please don't question me about it for you know how much i respect you and how much i admire you.But,this situation is a very complicated one for it involves politics and the ruling party and power and lots of money.I know and have seen how good you are with law and how you can turn a case around on its head and emerge victorious.But,but this.'

Raman ' But, what? Listen sweetie,in life whether a successful advocate,a great politician,a famous actor or a brilliant doctor,writer,all these people have one thing in common and that is Intelligence and great knowledge to go with it.And therein lies your answer and that is,for me to handle this situation with the minister,i need to be more intelligent than him.'

Taking a deep breath, Raman's voice softened ' Jeeva,i don't know much about life but i am certain of this and that there is an higher power watching over all of us and that power will eventually take the side of the good and what is right.I know it will take time but i firmly believe that truth and justice will always triumph.Now,what one should do is,be cunning,street smart and wait for that moment which will surely come and use it to the maximum.'

They spoke,haltingly,flowingly and sometimes even the silences were like both of them making love to each other and raman spoke ' Whether you are on the other side of this call and whether i am buried deep inside your body with your arms and legs wrapped around me,what matters most is your love and our love that we have for each other.for in the end,all that we do and say and fight and die over are matters of the heart and matters of love.'


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoOFn3wQV4

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin'
Do you feel my heart beating
Do you understand
Do you feel the same
Am I only dreaming
Is this burning an eternal flame

I believe it's meant to be, darlin'
I watch you when you are sleeping
You belong with me
Do you feel the same
Am I only dreaming
Or is this burning an eternal flame

The bangles -eternal flame

Hi everybody,

This article was sent to me by my 76 year old beach pal with whom i share a cup of coffee once in a while and almost meet up in the mornings four to five times a week.He regularly writes and posts articles in Adyar times and i am sharing this latest one with all of you.

Wrist Watches & Body clocks


By R.V.Rajan


I am one of those who likes to wear his wrist watch 24 hours of the day. Except when I am having a bath. Without it I feel lost. And I have this 'compulsive obsessive disorder' of looking at my watch every few minutes. A habit which has got me into trouble with a few clients in my long career as an advertising professional.


I remember once a client admonishing me for this habit. " Stop looking at your watch all the time... I want your total attention to what I am saying, If you have to go somewhere please tell me, we will call off this meeting. He was really angry. Sheepishly I removed the watch from my wrist and put it into my shirt pocket. Though I apologised, I was finding it extremely difficult to control my urge to pull the watch out of my pocket.


A friend of mine who was in the audience at a meeting I was addressing mentioned to me that he found my habit of constantly looking at the watch during the talk not only distracting but very irritating. I smiled and told him 'Habits die hard


I have a set of three watches which I wear in rotation every few weeks. Imagine my panic when I recently discovered that not only had the wrist watch I was wearing stopped working, but the spare ones had also stopped. I was listless. In my desperation I rummaged through all the discarded watches kept in a box in my drawer. While none of the automatics were working I found to my great joy that the first manually operated 'Enicar' watch I had owned from my college days started working as soon as I wound the key. Though it was in a really bad shape, look wise, I didn't care. I immediately wore it and kept it on until I went to a watch repair shop to get one of my regular watches functional.


Another interesting experience I have relates to my body clock, which most people would have experienced in their life time. In the old days I was a user of the regular alarm clock for waking me up in the mornings at a fixed time. These days I use my mobile for the same purpose. But I invariably wake up five minutes before the scheduled alarm time. My body clock in action! Once I woke up late to find that not only the alarm clock had stopped working (or maybe I had failed to hear the alarm) but my body clock too had failed. I discovered that my wrist watch was not on my wrist. Obviously it had fallen off during my sleep. Looks like my body clock failed to work in the absence of the watch on my wrist!!


Most of the younger generation don't seem to wear wrist watches because they can see the time on their mobiles. I however, find it easy to look at my watch than at my mobile for checking time. I have a fetish for time management and my wrist watch is my life line to maintain my reputation as a person who always keeps his time commitments


I think I will add a clause in my will that my family should not remove the watch from my wrist when they are taking me on my last journey. You see, I don't want to be late for my meeting with the LORD!


This article appeared in Adyar Times issue dt 4-10th February,2018 under my column 'Rajan's Random Reflections''

Jannal oram 140

They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint'.



When Raman opened his eyes at exactly 5.30 am,half an hour earlier than his usual waking time of 6.00 am,he not only opened his eyes but also his mind.Wide awake and totally alert,he rose,quickly and entered the bathroom and silently went about his morning duties.

It had been a few days since he had gone for a run and today as like any other day was good enough for a brisk jog and although the previous days happenings weighed and preyed on his mind,he did not let that disrupt his routine and was tying his shoelaces when the door opened and his dad walked out.

Raman flashed a smile and wished him good morning.Shaktivel looked a bit worried and raman knowing the reason 'appa,don't worry for i will give whoever is watching me a good workout and who knows,if there are people following me with wicked intentions,then they might just tire out and give up following me.'

Hugging him tightly ' It is all going to be okay,dad.You will see for yourself.'

Shaktivel nodded grimly ' I know and yet i am just upset that our normal,quiet lives have been disrupted so harshly and i am praying that it goes back to a safe and the old routine.'

Raman said bye and exited his house and after stretching his legs and his upper body with a few exercises,he began to slowly jog through the small lanes of Saidapet and came out on to Anna salai and then crossing the empty road began to jog towards the YMCA grounds,Nandanam.

YMCA College of Physical Education, the first college for physical education of Asia, was established in 1920 by Harry Crowe Buck of Pennsylvania, United States. The college is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu physical education and sports university.The college, originally located in George Town, a prominent central business districts of Chennai, South India, was shifted to Royapettah, another part of the city. There the college began in thatched huts.

Buck was an American from Springfield College, Massachusetts, who arrived in Madras in 1919. He began the YMCA Training School of Physical Education in the Esplanade buildings in 1920 with five students.The institution offered a one-year course in physical education. The training sessions were conducted on the ground next to the Fort station. Their only reference books were the ones that Buck and his wife Mary owned.In 1922, Buck was appointed as advisor to the Madras Government on Physical Education and in 1924, the first Indian Contingent for the Olympics was selected from the school. Buck was the official starter at the Paris Summer Olympics and he managed and coached the Indian team. As the school began to grow, there was a need to expand the space. According to Madras Rediscovered by S. Muthiah, the college moved to the Wesley School grounds in Royapettah in 1928 after which, in 1932, they shifted to a larger campus by the Adyar River in Saidapet.

Crowe travelled up the Adyar river in a boat, looked at this particular place and decided he wanted to build the college there. In this 65-acre campus, he built his house in such a way that he had a full view of the grounds no matter where he stood.

Buck also started the first sports journal Vyayam in 1928 and had thatched huts built to house classrooms, office, hostels and kitchens temporarily. In 1933, the foundation stone of Massey Hall, the main college building, was laid by Sir George Stanley, the then Governor of Madras. In 1940, ten hostel units for men were constructed along with barracks that were used by the soldiers. Women were admitted for the first time and the college became a co-education institution.

In 1971, a one-year Masters degree was started, four years after which the Ph.D. programmes began functioning. In 1977, two schools (a primary and higher secondary) were opened. It was only in 1985 that the BPES (Bachelor of Physical Education) came into functioning. In 2006, a third school, one for the differently-abled was also started as a project by the YMCA College.

Now, the college has facilities for basketball, volleyball, shuttle, tennis, cricket, beach volleyball, table tennis, hockey, and even conducts martial arts classes. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate courses in physical education apart from overlooking the functions of three schools within the premises.

The college now has 490-odd students and classes start as early as 6 a.m. The courses are all residential and the campus houses 30 to 40 spotted deer, apart from its students. But the half-hour tour of the canopied campus ends in a small mausoleum by the entrance. This is where Henry Crowe Buck was laid to rest on July 24, 1943, followed by a couple of his successors. Engraved on a simple tombstone at the head of his grave, his epitaph reads They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint'.

It was at the grave of Henry Buck that Raman always stopped to take deep breaths and take time out for a few minutes and then begin his run back home and as he came up to his regular haunt,stop at the halfway mark,that he saw the familiar figure of his Judo sensei and but now retired DIG Devarajan and with him stood the current chennai police commissioner George and both stood chatting in plain clothes and looking in his direction

Raman slowed to a walk and using his right hand thumb,flicked the sweat of his forehead and taking deep breaths
greeted them ' good morning gentlemen and why am i not surprised seeing both of you together and that too in the wee hours of dawn.'

Then raman quickly bent perfectly to his waist and saluted his master " sensei ni rei" and devarajan bowed and accepted his students judo salute and in turn whispered back the same greeting and Police commissioner george confused,looked at devarajan ' sir,both of you exchanged the same greeting and i find that confusing although knowing you very well and having learnt a bit of raman am sure that there is a reason for it.

Both Devarajan and raman looked into each other's eyes with love and respect that only real trust and many years of friendship can bring and with a smile,Devarajan turned to commissioner George and replied ' George, Raman is a master and is far ahead of me in grading and yet here he is as my student still bowing and greeting me with respect and in the true spirit of Judo,i returned the respect for i might have once been his master but now i am his fan,admirer and a father who is proud that his chick has spread his wings and soars to fly in the heavens.By returning his greeting,i acknowledge with pride that he has made my name and reputation even greater by his achievements and today i can proclaim to anybody that he was once my student.'

Raman nodded ' today and until my last breath and even then you will remain my master and mentor.I am because you are.'

In that brief exchange,Police commissioner George realised the depths and also the heights of raman's strength,immaculate character,conviction in all that was fair and just and knew that he had not made a mistake by calling on his old senior,DIG Devarajan.

Jannal oram 141



"Even chance meetings are the result of karma... Things in life are fated by our previous lives. That even in the smallest events there's no such thing as coincidence. Haruki Murakami


Raman folded his hands across his chest and looked at both the men and then fixing his eyes on chennai police commissioner ' Him,i know for he is a trusted quantity.But you sir,i have no clue as to what you want with me and what you are doing here, fraternizing with two civilians and that too so early.'

Casting his eyes all around and finding no one but his mentor,Devarajan,raman turned back to commissioner george ' sir,i am toxic right now and coming in contact with me is not advisable even for an IPS officer of your high stature and a man who has seen a lot in his career.'

Commissioner george smiled ' well raman,the answers to the question lie in your very question itself,for yes,stature apart,i have always emphasized on high standards.In work and in my personal life.'

Raman softly ' sensei,what is going on exactly? My plate is full of thoughts of today's meeting with Minister vaidyanathan and honestly i don't have the time or patience for anything else.I am getting really tired of all this bullshit with the power these politicians are throwing around and have decided that i am going to do something about it.'

Commissioner george stepped forward and directly into Raman's stare ' That is exactly why we both are here and why we are having this talk.'

His eyes softened a bit and both men stared at each other,trying to read the other one's mind and thoughts and then raman shifted his eyes to devarajan who was a few feet away from the commissioner and master and student spoke quietly and raman turning to george ' sir,i think i can safely assume why you are here and yet i think it will be better and a lot clearer if you state the reason by yourself for i don't to be blamed for any misunderstanding in the future.'

Commissioner George ' Skilfull,wily and prudent.Good for you Raman and that is why i am here and that reason is the same reason as yours and that is to clean our house and get rid of the ills that are plaguing it.'

Raman stepped back with both his hands up signaling for the commissioner to stop ' Hold your horses sir for you are day dreaming.It is possible that there is a chance that i might lock horns with Vaidyanathan although what might transpire is anybody's guess.But cleaning house and ills plaguing our system is a pretty tall order.'

Commissioner george smiled ' So,are you going to step away from the ring sir?'

Raman's eyes reflected the sudden burst of anger that the words triggered in him and angrily ' sir,i am sorry if you misunderstood for i am not going anywhere and neither am i walking away from my client who also now happens to be like my family.'

Stepping closer and nearly into the commissioner's face ' but that does not mean that i will fight your battles or what plagues this state and country at large.My name might be Raman but i would like to remind you that i am not that lord rama an avatar of Mahavishnu himself.I am just an ordinary human being trying to do what is right but the buck stops there for that is where my resources dry out.'

Retired DIG Devarajan walked slowly and gripped raman ' ram,neither he nor me are asking you to do anything dangerous but just requesting you to explore the possibilities where you can cleanse the system a bit.'

Commissioner george nodded in acceptance ' exactly raman.You are in the legal system and you know the law like no one else and you have a high success rate when it comes to your cases and there are whispers that one day you might even be made a judge in the very high court where you practice your law.'

Raman sarcastically ' whispers sir.just whispers.Honestly,sometimes i just wish i could go back to trichy and live out my life in a farm,working in the fields and far,far away from chennai and all this crap.'

Commissioner george placed a hand on his shoulder ' raman,there will be time for all that.But before you think about all that,think about all the people who are being run over by these corrupt and powerful men.Don't you want to do something about that.'

Devarajan looked at Raman ' Ram,you can single handedly do what we both men in uniform could never or will never be able to do.I will tell you why for we are just watchmen and workers and can arrest and present the criminal before the law and can never punish them directly but in some rare encounters.But you can do better and more permanent damage for the law will listen to you and will trust you.You are more connected to the law and courts than us and that is why minister vaidyanathan has called for this meeting because he knows you are a dangerous opponent of unknown nature.'

Commissioner george spoke slowly and with great emphasis ' i can give you the clues.I can shine light and guide you to where things are corrupt and rotten and i want you to use these clues and help that i give to fight your battles with Vaidyanathan.'

Raman with sarcasm dripping from every word ' seriously.you are not joking? are you sir?'

Angrily,he looked at both the older men ' have you given thought to what can happen to my family or to my fiancee and her family? Honestly,have you thought of the repercussions that i might face and maybe i am facing them already if i log heads in a battle that only he can win.'

Devarajan consolingly ' Raman,you think we have not thought out all of these scenarios before approaching you.Of course,we have and of course we agree that it is pretty dangerous.But tell me what is not dangerous in life.Is there any written guarantee from god that one will live for so many years and that too a peaceful one.?Is it written down somewhere that all of us can live equally and in peace?'

Raman looked at both of them ' do you realise how much danger i might be placing my loved ones in because of my fight and principles? '

Commissioner george calmly ' then pray tell me sir why you took up law and why you are not cooped up in some cabin as a computer geek.Please explain to me why you walked into the fight and saved all these people yesterday in the mall and sent those criminals to hospital. please explain your choices as to why you did all these and then i will walk away and i promise i will not bear any ill will or grudges against you.'

Raman took a deep breath and sighing loudly,stood thinking for a few moments and then looked up at both of them ' if we are going to do it and work together then it will only be by my rules.This game,this war will be fought only with my moves.Can you work with that commissioner?'

Commissioner george's face lit up with a wide smile ' that's the spirit my boy.Yes,i can work with that.'

Reaching into his pant pocket,he brought up a flash drive and handed it over to Raman ' a 32 gb flash drive and it is filled with case files,photos,Fir's,post mortem reports and hundreds of judgements and each and every one of them has links and connections to minister vaidyanathan and his family.'

Raman took the flash drive and then both men,one of law and another of law and order shook hands and all three knew that war had been declared on minister Vaidyanathan and also knew the consequences of the coming war.

"Karma comes after everyone eventually. You can't get away with screwing people over your whole life, I don't care who you are. What goes around comes around. That's how it works. Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve. Jessica Brody

Jannal oram 142

Graciousness is like the sun shining through trees. The rays refuse to be held back, or hidden by, circumstances or obstacles. They come shining through and it's a beautiful thing!

Raman slowly ran back and then just as he was leaving the grounds,he stopped not because he was out of breath but a strange feeling seemed to overwhelm his heart and feet and not knowing why he was feeling this was,he bent low and leant his head on the trunk of a small tree and then feeling a caress looked up and saw it was only light playing through the leaves of the tree.

Raman looked up at the sun and knew that he had just suffered his first panic attack and gritting his teeth and clenching his jaws tight,he looked up at the golden rays of the sun ' if that was panic then it has be a thousand times more stronger to slow me and stop me from what has to be done.'

Then he panicked and jumped out of his skin when he felt the arms slowly encircling him from the back and relaxed as the familiar lips of his lover kissed his cheek and nibbled his ear and smiling ' Jeeva,now that is the best morning wish i have had in my life.'

Turning around,he looked at her in surprise ' But what are you doing here and how did you know that i would be here?'

Jeeva looked around and raman also followed her eyes wondering what they were searching and he asked her ' hey,what is it? what are you searching for?'

Jeeva turned quickly and grabbing his face,bent it and kissed him deeply and without much of a protest,raman threw his arms around her and hungrily kissed her back and they stayed kissing for a long time.

Totally breathless,raman looked at her ' You have yet to answer my question' and then putting two and two together ' Okay,so the people who are watching over us are also monitoring my every movement and i take it one of the helpful cops told you to come here after you charmed him by fluttering your eye lashes.'

Jeeva smiled and fluttered her eyes naughtily at him ' leave that alone and tell me what you were doing talking to the tree and its leaves.' Looking around,she turned and faced him with her hands on her hips ' Mister,you got someone else you are sneaking around with so early in the morning and that too in the name of jogging.'

Raman nodded ' yes ma'am and i am sorry to correct you but i was just carrying on not with one but two.Two very old and depressing looking cops.But all that is forgotten for i have my goddess here with me now.'

They looked at each other and then she held his arm and both began to retrace their steps back to their homes.

Jeeva looked up at him ' Raman,whatever happens,i just want you to know that i will be by your side.I will stand by you even if it means facing down this whole world for i know who and what you are.I will stand by you not just because you are my lover but because you are my friend and more importantly because you are right.'

Raman looked at her and before he could say anything,his eyes just opened their taps and the tears began to slowly slip and slide down his cheeks as if the tear drops themselves were surprised that they had been called into action and as if they were not prepared for this sudden display of emotion in their host who rarely and had never cried in his adult life.

Seeing the tears in his eyes felt like her heart was being stabbed by a sharp stake and panicking she wiped the tears away from his eyes 'No,please don't cry for then it will be like dying a small death for me.I can bear anything,any pain but not the pain of seeing you cry.'

The tears poured and drenched his face and a few drops trembled as they hung on his upper lip and raman bent and kissed jeeva and took her breath away and then whispered ' baby,these tears i cry are sweet and come from my love for you,to show you my gratitude and are not salty like when they come from pain and sorrow.'

Jeeva held his face close to her and ran her tongue over his lips and cheeks and murmured ' yes and baby you taste not only sweet but damn sexy.'

Raman's cheeks turned beet red in blush and laughing and loving they crossed anna salai and entered their home in their area called Saidapet.

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! Henry Ward Beecher

Jannal oram 143

"It is an absolutely vain endeavor to attempt to reconstruct or even comprehend the nature of a human being by simply knowing the forces which have acted upon him. However deeply we should like to penetrate, however close we seem to be drawing to truth, one unknown quantity eludes us: man's primordial energy, his original self, that personality which was given him with the gift of life itself. On it rests man's true freedom; it alone determines his real character. ? Wilhelm von Humboldt

Raman stood before the mirror buttoning his white shirt and then adjusted the belt so that its buckle sat exactly aligned with the buttons and also in line with the zip and smiled as he drew an imaginary line from the center of his forehead down to his nose and down along the center of his lips,trailing down the chin,Adams apple and to the neck where the collar flared open and the row of the buttons began and smiled and then sensing a movement turned to see his dad and mum standing there looking at him.

Valliammai came forward and stood by his side and stared at the reflection of herself with her son and looking up at him ' Ram,what were you smiling about? was it something romantic and about Jeeva?'

Raman turned back and pointed to the mirror ' amma,i was just looking at myself and wondering about life and mother nature's need for alignment and balance in everything she does and i was just amused by the fact that iw as trying to align my shirt buttons with my belt buckle and pant zip.'

Shaktivel,the quiet one,the intorvert spoke softly in his majestic voice 'Iyya,it is only when things go out of balance and alignment that all sorts of chaos begin to happen and this rule applies for all things and matter that exist in this universe.'

Raman nodded agreement ' i know appa and that very thought has been worming itself into my brain and i have to sort it out and soon.'

Valliammai looked at both of them and when no explanation was forthcoming,blurted out ' okay,father and son have begun their mind games.For god's sake,please just tell me in plain and simple words what both of you are talking about for i am not able to follow you.'

Raman hugged his mother close to his chest and kissed her forehead ' My beautiful mother,we were talking about cause and effect and the subject was Mr.Vaidyanathan himself and nothing else.'

Valliammai looked at him with confusion ' But you were talking about alignment,buttons and zip.What have all that got to do with that evil minister?'

Shaktivel came closer to his wife and cupping her face ' Valli,you are a teacher and yet sometimes you can be so dense and sooo.'

Valliammai,overjoyed to be with the only men in the world she loved and truly live for ' Duuumb,say it loudly that i am dense and dumb.It is okay for i am not some scientist or Einstein to talk about physics and universal laws.'

Shaktivel looked at raman ' Iyaa ram,you mother is not only dumb but also totally self aware of her shortcomings' and both father and son gently bullied the most woman of their lives and the epicenter of their existence.

Raman held his mum at arms length ' Mum,normal people live normal lives in harmony and peace and their lives become chaotic when things happen and when they are faced with crises.But then Vaidyanathan is not normal and so has to be approached and dealt with very carefully.'

Shaktivel joined in and finished the explanation ' Valli,to know who this man is,then one has to go back to the beginning and track his life and only then can one know his total and true nature.'

Valliammai's face twisted and churned with thoughts and then zeroing in one her question,fixed both her men with a glare ' what sheer nonsense? if everybody in life became a vaidyanathan then this whole world would be filled with evil men doing their evil deeds.But it is not so for we are here and prime examples of people who have experienced some crisis or another and have yet come out brave and come out clean and are living in harmony with god and life.'

Raman shocked by this outburst slowly began to clap his hands and then waited for his dad to say something.But shaktivel looked at his wife valliammai and then gently taking her hands ' then my sweet darling,tell me why there are Raman's and why there are Ravans' too.Tell me why for every Sita there is a surpanaka?'

Looking into his wife's eyes with love and tenderness ' my dense and dumb valliammai,i am going to quote a very famous man called George bernard shaw who said "A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most.

Raman clapped for his dad now ' Bravo my sweethearts,well said both of you and now the good dog will take leave of you to go and meet and see for himself what the bad dog's problem is and if there is a way to calm him down and rid him of his badness.'

Both stood and waved to their only son as he drove off into chennai and its complicated life and valliammai looked at her husband ' shakti,is it all going to end well?' and shaktivel shook his head ' no,you know damn well that it will not end well for that is what life is all about.'

Valliammai grasped his arms in a vice like grip and in anger ' but my son is good and fair and just and then why is god pushing him towards danger and testing him with all these problems.'

Shaktivel thought for a second ' valliammai,all of us face our evils through temptations and other sins on a daily basis.some fights are fought with forms and some are fought deep inside in the light of our soul.whatever and wherever the fight and foe are it is our duty to stand up and face it and not run away and even if it means loss of limb or life.'

Valliammai whimpered in fear ' but shakti,he is my only son and how can i breathe normally knowing he is going off into danger all on his own and without any help.'

' Well,my dear wife,that is why he is named raman and the god who gave him will now protect him for that is his duty.'

"Not only is there often a right and wrong, but what goes around does come around, Karma exists, chickens do come home to roost, and as my mother, Phyllis, liked to say, "There is always a day of reckoning. The good among the great understand that every choice we make adds to the strength or weakness of our spiritsourselves, or to use an old fashioned word for the same idea, our souls. That is every human's life work: to construct an identity bit by bit, to walk a path step by step, to live a life that is worthy of something higher, lighter, more fulfilling, and maybe even everlasting.
Donald Van de Mark

Jannal oram 144

When Minister Vaidyanathan had called him the previous day and asked him to meet him at his house at 10.00 am,Raman had been in the office of Minister Durai pandi along with his son Vijay Bhaskar, who had picked him up and taken him to the fort from the chennai citi center mall and had agreed to the meeting only for shreekanth and kutty jeeva and to see if he could broker peace and some sort of settlement between son-in-law and father-in-law.

And looking at his watch,raman smiled,wondering at the same time how today felt so different from yesterday and then stopped to think in dread as to what tomorrow would bring.

Even before raman could exit his area and turn into the busy stretch of Anna salai,he caught sight of Jeeva walking ahead of him and he excitedly pressed the horn and which immediately evoked irritation on the faces of most of the people who were going about their lives on feet,cycles and motor cycles and a few even mumbled their anger and raman lowered his window and putting out his right hand to show that he was not only sorry but in a bit of hurry.

Jeeva turned and seeing Raman in the car smiled and for him it was seeing a second sunrise in just a matter of a few hours for her flashing smile lit up his whole world.She got in and then remembering his meeting ' Hey,you are supposed to be meeting the minister at 10.00,right.'

Raman nodded ' yup,but it is still 8.00 and i can't think of a better thing than spend the better part of that two hours with my woman.'

Jeeva worriedly ' ram,no.please don't take this lightly and don't aggravate that stupid man and this situation, by going late for the meeting.'

'no,i am not taking the meeting lightly but neither am i going to stop breathing and living just thinking about it.Don't worry sweetie,i will get there on time.'

Jeeva exhaled her pent up tension in a loud breath and stared through the windscreen and raman looking at her ' hey jeeva,listen.I am going to see shreekanth before i go meet mr.vaidyanathan and if i don't have time then you might have to take a cab or an auto from the hospital.Is that okay.'

She smiled ' yup,that will be okay and honestly i wanted to see bharat and his child and wish them well.'

It was nearly 8.35 am when they turned and found a parking spot near the hospital and then they quickly hurried inside and made their way to the room where shreekanth was recovering from the surgery to his jaw.

Priya,shreekanth's sister was sitting on the chair while kutty jeeva sat on her lap busy playing some game on her mini laptop.

Seeing them both,kutty jeeva quickly jumped off from her aunt's lap and looking at raman ' good morning mr.raman ' and then she turned and after staring at jeeva for a few moments,quickly ran to her and jeeva knelt and gathered the tender form and gently embraced her.

Raman looked at shreekanth,who opened his eyes in a sleepy daze and smiled gently and tried to raise his hand in greeting.Raman took it and gripped it firmly and both men looked at each other and raman told him about the meeting that was going to take place at 10.00 am.

He looked at shreekanth,priya,jeeva and kutty jeeva and getting up ' i will see you all later after i finish meeting this man and then we will sit down and plan carefully as to how to proceed further.'

Jeeva looked at raman and he looked at her and both nodded and he left them like that.

Priya looked at her ' jeeva,you are not going along with raman?' and jeeva ' no,i will take a cab from here.Egmore to parrys is just 30 minutes away,even in peak traffic.'

Then she slowly sat down by shreekanth's side and spoke to him ' Don't worry.Everything is going to be okay and will work out in the end.'

Raman sat in his car in the parking lot of Apollo hospitals,Greamways road and his mobile phone sensing his need,cried out its designated ringtone and he reached for it and saw that it was call from an unknown number.

Raman slid the green button sideways and said hello and an unfamiliar voice spoke ' Thenpennai illam,Greenways road,Raja Annamalai puram' and ended the call.'

Jannal oram 145

Chennai is the only metro in the country where every single tarred stretch even an apology for a street bears a name. It is a practice being followed meticulously right from the days of the East India Company, when a street or road would be named after its earliest or most influential resident. But how often have you wondered about the people who've lent their names to the roads and streets that you traverse every day?

For example, you may be a frequent visitor to Sathyam Cinemas, entering its parking lot through Whites Road, but how often have you asked yourself, "Who was Whites? The road is named after one Mr. J. D. White, who obtained a grant of land in 1809 and built a house there. In 1832, the house went on to become the Madras Club the first club in the city and for long considered the best in India, hailed as the "Ace of Clubs. The club moved out of the premises post-Independence and the building was demolished as recently as in 2003. Today in its place stands Express Avenue, the city's hippest mall.

Connecting White's Road with Mount Road is Patullo's Road, named after Archibald Erskine Patullo, a captain in the Madras Cavalry who died in 1824 when commanding the Body Guard. Shortly before he died, he lived in a house called Hick's Bungalow, which also become part of the Madras Club premises.

Nearby is Wood's Road, which houses the oldest Fabindia outlet in the city. It takes its name from Edward Wood, a civil servant who, as the chief secretary to government, owned a house there in 1822. The house later became the Castle Hotel.

Both Patullo's Road and Wood's Road join Mount Road at points that are very close to the junction it forms with Commander-in-Chief Road, now known as Ethiraj Salai (one of the few Indian road-names people have gotten used to). The Commander-in-Chief Road was named so because in the early 19th century, the Commander-in-Chief lived close by, in Egmore, in a building that became the Victoria Hotel.

And who is Mr. Ethiraj of Ethiraj Salai? Many may know of him, many others may not. V. L. Ethiraj was a barrister known for his charm and brevity, and one of his biggest successes was to secure, in 1947, the release of two highly-respected actors, M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and N. S. Krishnan, who had been convicted for the murder of film journalist C. N. Lakshmikanthan that took place in November 1944.

Henry Sullivan Graeme was a civil servant who lived 200 years ago , even though the road that takes his name is no longer known as Graeme's Road but has been corrupted, irreversibly, as Greams Road.

Raman smiled and spoke aloud to himself and to the air of chennai in the confines of the car and that which lay on his city. 'Greams road named after Henry Sullivan Graeme and Greenways road named after Edward Croft Greenway a judge in the 1800's.Thank god,imagine living in a area,that carries a dubious and scary name such as 'Kolaikaran Pettai.'

The meaning of Kolaikaran is Murderer. Now the doubt arises to you all that why this road has been named like this. That supposed to be the million dollar question. No one knows the exact reason behind naming this street as Kolaikaran Pettai.

But there were so many assumptions and guesses going around the history behind this street name.

Women, including cine artistes, practised Kolattam on an open ground located behind Pilot theatre around 50 years ago and hence it is named as Kola-Karan Pettai.

Some people are of the view that this area used to be a haven of dadas. Also, rival henchmen and innocents were held hostage and, at times, killed in this area and hence this name.

Another view is that, This area used to have many Kollais (gardens or orchards), so it came to be known as Kollaikaran Pettai (gardener's area), which lost an 'l' and became Kolaikaran Pettai.

After a quick research, writer and editor of city-based bilingual monthly Chennai Namma Chennai D.I. Aravindan offers another take. "This area was known for sculptors. They also broke and supplied stones required for construction works. Thus, the place was called Kal Udaikiran Pettai (area of the stone-breaker), and that eventually became Kolaikaran Pettai, courtesy non-Tamil settlers.

Another view is that Kollargal pettai (por kollar = goldsmith) has become Kolaikaran Pettai.

The residents have made many efforts to change its name But in vain, and the road still continues to ve called as Kolaikaran Pettai.

The only respite for the residents is, that Actor Rajinikant once stayed in Kolaikaran Pettai. Before entering films, he took refuge at a low-profile lodge here, as people elsewhere had apparently refused to rent out houses to him.


Raman took a right in the u turn that came just a 100 meters after exiting Greams road and joined the busy morning traffic on Anna salai and going under the gemini flyover,entered Cathedral road and came to the music academy junction and took a left and entered Alwarpet and soon entered T.T.K road and exiting left near the Adyar park hotel,drove for sometime and then waited at the signal and then turned left into Greenwaysways road that adjoins the Boat club area known for its posh houses with astronomical prices.

Raman whispered the name "Thenpennai illam" and wondered whether to laugh or cry and in the end was left with a saddened heart while reflecting on the state of politics and administration in Tamil Nadu.

Thenpennai Illam was the official residence of the former three time chief minister OPS short form for O.Panneerselvam who was termed a rebel leader for going against Sasikala who herself was languishing in a Bengaluru prison.

The power politics,Grabbing,compromising and shuffling maybe began in the shadow of the late chief minister " Amma " as she lay battling for her life in Apollo hospitals,the same hospital where nearly 30 years ago,the former chief minister,the late MGR himself had died,plunging the state into total chaos.

In the ensuing confusion after the popular leaders death,Navalar V.R. Nedunchezhiyan was made the acting chief minister before making way for Mrs.Janaki ramachandran and whose government lasted for a few weeks before it was dismissed and the state was placed under president's rule and under the eye of the state governer.

Funnily enough,the very same Navalar V.R. Nedunchezhiyan was made the acting chief minister when the Mr.Anna durai passed away and after a brief acting made way for Mr.Karunanidhi.


After being termed a rebel and ousted by sasikala,OPS had to shift his residence from Thenpennai illam and soon moved to a posh house near his late mentor's house in Poes garden,where he currently resides.

Raman shook his head and wondered what Minister vaidyanathan was thinking when he moved in to the former chief minister's residence and knew that the man was making steps to rise higher and become a chief minister himself.

' Anything is possible and nothing will surprise the people of Tamil Nadu' though Raman for every tom,dick and harry from all walks of life were making daily announcements about forming a party on their own and not a day went by when popular tv channel had debates,morning,noon and night asking the participants what they thought of all these announcements and all the while,the late chief ministers lay side by side in their expensive granite and marble tombs on the Marina,probably sharing a joke or even a duet.

He slowed down as he caught sight of the board proclaiming " Thenpennai Illam" and yet he could not hold back his smirk,for names of actors such as Vijay,Ajith and even Lawrence were being hinted as future powers in the politics of Tamil Nadu and Raman whispered loudly 'Enna koduma saravana.'

Jannal oram -146




Anger is the enemy which takes one's life. Anger is enemy with the face of a friend. Anger is like a very sharp sword. Anger destroys everything.

The day had started like any other day for Mallika Vaidyanathan and she left home to go the Vishnu temple in Adyar.This had been her practice and routine from the time she had gotten married and even though she was the wife of one of the most powerful men of the ruling party,Mallika dressed very simply and only allowed herself to be driven in their old white Ambassador that her husband had purchased many,many years ago.

Vaidyanathan had insisted,commanded,ordered his wife to go proudly in the official govt car,but she had refused and put her foot down much to his surprise.For in all their years of marriage,she had never spoken against,raised her voice or even looked angrily at him.Even when she had known and had been aware of his many dark and dastardly acts for the sole reason of gaining power and wealth,she kept quiet and kept her head down and went about her work and life.

But,unknown to her,he had gotten the old ambassador done up completely and it soon purred with a Benz engine at its heart,leather interiors,wi-fi,GPS and all the works that a top level BMW or an Audi would be equipped with.

He looked at her and beamed with pride and she had looked at him and had just smiled gently and that had been enough.The loss of their only daughter Sudha had soon coupled with the news of Mallika's heart problems and rather than mellow the hardened soul of his,these events had only aggravated him and had spurred him on to get custody of his grand daughter Jeeva.

Vaidyanathan felt that he could redeem himself in his wife's eyes by bringing home their grandchild and then he had hit a stumbling block first with his son-in-law refusing custody and then the warning that had escalated to serious proportions with Raman making a comeback into his life and that too at the most ill opportune moment.

Vaidyanathan was in the hall when he heard the old ambassador drive in and looking at the wall clock was surprised for it was only 9.00 am and mallika had left to the temple only 30 minutes earlier.

He placed the Thanthi paper down and looked at his wife as she came dressed in a green cotton saree,green blouse and a bit of jasmine flowers dangling at the back of her head.She came bringing with her the sweet fragrance of jasmine and he filled his lungs with it and then lovingly asked her ' Malli,what is the matter for you have returned so early?'

Mallika Vaidyanathan was about to go into her room for she never came to this portion of the house unless called for,as it was a place meant for business and other talks her husband had with people who came to visit him daily and their entrances started on the dot at 8.00 am and finished at 10.00 am and then sometimes if he was in the mood,he would meet or entertain people after 6.00 pm.

She sat near him and placing the pooja basket on the table,looked at him ' the temple was shut for someone died in the flat opposite to it.'

Vaidyanathan slammed the paper down and looked at her in anger and confusion ' malli,what nonsense? somebody dies nearby and the temple is closed.But why?'

Mallika vaidyanathan calmly ' because they don't want the deity to polluted by death and its rituals.'

' What bullshit? we pray to god to keep us alive,help us and give us a peaceful death and now we have to close the doors to protect that same god who gives us life and death? God,sometimes these Hindu rituals can be so goddamn confusing and perplexing.'

Mallika looked at him ' the driver told me that there was a temple nearby,a few kms away and drove me there but that temple too was shut.'

Vaidyanathan smiled ' well,don't tell me somebody kicked it near that temple too' and his wife quivering in fear and anxiety nodded and began to sob quietly.

Vaidyanathan was moved to see the tears in his wife's eyes and with a soft voice ' ammadi Forget those temples. for i am going to send you in my official vehicle to Tirupati itself and you can have all the darshan you want .'

Mallika vaidyanathan shook her head refusing his offer ' vendaam,its okay.maybe i will go there next week for today my heart and mind are not feeling all right and i am feeling very disturbed.'

Vaidyanathan nearly leaped out of his chair with a display of energy that would have put a teenager to shame and with concern,touched her face and forehead and checked to see if she was running a fever.

Then he sat by her side ' malli,any chest pains or any other body pains.Come,we will go see the doctor?'

Mallika smiled and with love ' it is okay and honestly i don't have any pains and it is just that two temples being shut for the same reason made me think of them as some kind of bad omens and i got a bit spooked.'

Then her eyes scanned,gazed at all the headlines in both the english and tamil dailies and looked at him 'what is happening to our city and state for there seems to be all kinds of criminal activities happening on a regular basis.'

Pointing to the papers ' and see,rowdies attacking a shop in broad daylight and that too in one of the city's largest mall.This kind of crap and crime did not happen during the late Amma's reign for she put down all kinds of rowdyism with a ruthless hand.'

Vaidyanathan was stuck for words and lost for a proper reply and he suddenly stood up and told her that he was going for a bath and asked her to make a pot of coffee and a pot of tea.

Mallika stood up ' oh,i thought you were not meeting anybody for the next few days and were supposed to be some inauguration near your party headquarters.what happened to that?'

He smiled ' oh that.well that can be handled by some other minister who are dying to have their faces splattered on tv,papers and on posters.'

She waited and he fell silent for a moment ' its just that i am meeting an advocate regarding some case for which he wants my help.'

Saying this,he left and Mallika stood knowing with full knowledge that her husband had just lied to her and leaving him and his politics she went to the back of the house to the thulasi madam which also housed a tiny vinayagar idol and placing the flowers around the god and the thulasi plant,Mallika prayed for her husband and her grandchild and her son-in-law.

Nearly ten minutes passed and then opening her eyes she saw through the windows that the visitor her husband had been expecting had arrived and was standing in the hall staring at her late daughter's photo.

Mallika Vaidyanathan wondered why the house was so silent and why there was an apparent and obvious air of secrecy with this particular meeting.For usually,her husband dealt with all manners of people from all walks of life and she jolly well knew that a lot of money changed hands.

Mallika vaidyanathan was a B.A.Commerce graduate from Lady Doak College,Madurai and so she knew how the game was played in politics and that corruption,bribery,money,power and violence went hand in hand.

Mallika and Vaidyanathan's marriage was an arranged one and like all arranged marriages,theirs too had teething problems in the beginning.And yet they had come through safe and sound and without too many cracks in its foundation.

Wondering why the visitor was still standing and why nobody had asked him to be seated,Mallika slowly made her way back to the hall and coming near the visitor ' Iyaa will be here any moment.Kindly be seated and i will go and inform him that you have arrived.'


The man who had his back to her and who had been facing her late daughter's large photo turned and folding his hands,smiled sweetly and greeted her with a ' Vanakkam ma.'

A sudden gust of wind blew through the house and a large photo of Mr.Vaidyanathan that was on a nearby table fell to the ground and the man reached quickly and caught it before it could fall to the ground which would have surely shattered it.

With a smile,he handed her husbands photo to her and Mallika took it and all the time she kept staring at him and then asked him ' who should i say has come calling,sir?"

The tall stranger looked at her and his smile seemed so soothing and at the same time,her heart suddenly went racing and he spoke softly ' Please tell sir that raman is here.'

Mallika nodded and began to move away and then suddenly stopped ' Is it just Raman, sir?' and the man again softly ' Shaktivel Raman ma'am and please just call me raman.Thank you'

"A Bad Omen is a warning. A sign to stop and reconsider. Proceed with caution.