From & To Sathish #5 - Page 103

The past 15 days have been a blur of work and travel and behind the physical curtains of my eyes, the mind itself has become sluggish as it slowly decomposes with the rigors of daily living leaving me in rigor mortis. Eyes open but not awake. Day and light outside but inside still stuck between twilight and night.

This incident happened a few days ago as I was shuffling about the house like one of those zombies from that famous " The Walking Dead" series with my back slightly bent as if I was moving forward with the help of a walker. It was five and the Caffeine from the first round of filter coffee was just beginning to pierce its way through the thick sluggish fog that sheathed my mind when a tsunami of assorted wailing and howling sound waves assaulted my ears and drummed their way into my thoughts after having won the battle with the caffeine.

This assault was followed by loud explosions that lasted a few seconds but were enough to wake everyone up in and around a radius of 5 km.

' WTF ' I cursed and vaguely looked up and down and all around me and mumbled ' London bridge is falling down, falling down ' and the time was 5.30 am. I peeped out of the balcony

In the little streetlight that was available and in the first light of the morning sun, my blurry eyes caught sight of the man who stood dark as a shadow, with his dark body covered with a white dhoti, and just as I watched, he placed a white conch on his mouth and blew into it and announced to the world that still slumbered in piece and in peace that a soul had departed.

He blew on the conch three times and the street suddenly changed into the battlefield of Kurukshetra and the man into Lord Krishna blowing on his conch called Panchajanya.

The street in which I live in is a dead end. But in the end looming large stands Eternity apartments built by Kgeyes. Conch noise, departed soul in a dead end street, eternity and keys. Sorry Kgeyes. The vehicle honked announcing its arrival and my imminent departure to the shooting location. The days scenes were about me being drunk and found by the roadside by my ex wife and son. Well, back to work. By the way, the man who had passed on by failing in life was one Mr.Saathaiyan. But uske saath koyi bhi nahi. Akele hum. Akele tum.

Avan, Aval, Adhu 352

“Holding anger is a poison...It eats you from the inside...We think that by hating someone we hurt them...But hatred is a curved blade...and the harm we do to others...we also do to ourselves.” Mitch Albom

There are 1440 minutes in a day. But in this story, I have written nearly 150 chapters to explain all that has happened in those minutes. There are 86400 seconds in a day yet even that number is nothing when compared to your heart which beats more than 100,000 times in a day and 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times but a human will live on average for 41 million minutes.

I have always wondered if the heart is a secret timekeeper and a time travel machine. I say that for sometimes I feel my heart slow down to a whisper of a wispy deadbeat and at times when it accelerates to hyper speed.

I sometimes place my hand on my chest and feel the heartbeat and speak in its Dub-dub language and my eyes seek out the clock on the wall that goes around and read the message.

Make every second count. Importantly listen to every beat of your heart for it beats for you and also beats for the one you love.

Meenakshi eyes bored into the large wall clock that hung from the pastel green shaded wall and nearly went ballistic as the yellow cuckoo popped out from its hidden compartment of the clock and cooed nine times.

' 9.00 pm and yet neither a call nor a message from this dog Maruthu. What is going on there? Is he alive or is he dead? Has he finished killing that woman and her companion or has he too perished like that Paliyan traitor? Cr.p! If only Murugan had not failed me and had succeeded in killing this woman Gayatri, I would have been breathing much better ' Meenakshi thought to herself and then tried Maruthu's mobile number but only heard the announcement.

" The person you are trying to reach is either unavailable or out of reach. Please try later. "

Screeching like an animal in torment, she was about to fling the new mobile phone at the clock when her husband Pandyan who had just entered the house yelled at her to stop.

' Don't. Please don't do it ' and seeing her slowly drop her hand, he said, ' you should really stop doing that for this year alone you have wrecked more than 20 phones.'

Wearing a joyless smile and with an inscrutable expression, he sank into the expensive leather sofa opposite her and asked, ' What is it now?'

She snarled and spat her answer, ' Why ask when you don't care and likewise, I don't care that you don't care?'

Pandyan stared at her with unblinking eyes and Meenakshi stared back. As always it was he who lost the staring contest and blinked first and with a dry smile said, ' I don't care. You don't care and yet I ask because we live under one roof as husband and wife. So, whatever you do or don't do, I am willingly and unwillingly a part of it. That is how the outside world sees it and will see it when one-day things come crashing down all around you.'

He looked at the large cuckoo clock and then looked at Meenakshi, ' It is nearly 9.15 pm and Maruthu has not reported back about the job that you sent him to do.'

Her eyes went wide with shock and Pandyan realizing that he was right after all smiled sadly and said, ' You are slipping up, Meenakshi and you have become desperate. I say it because only a desperate and foolish person would hire somebody like Maruthu and his boys for complicated jobs. They are dim-witted rowdies and thugs that are good only at basic stuff like threatening old people and grabbing their lands and collecting donations during elections.'

' How did you know that I hired Maruthu?'

' He called me after you called him.'

' Why?'

Pandyan smiled wolfishly and Meenakshi realized that he knew something but was holding back and she snarled, ' I asked you a question.'

' You did but I also did. So, answer my question and I will answer yours.'

Meenakshi's beautiful face raged dark in its anger and she stood up and yelled, ' Stop playing games with me. This is not some quiz contest.'

Pandyan stood up, ' Exactly. This is not some quiz contest and by that, I don't mean this moment and the problem with Maruthu but I mean our lives.'

Her jet-black eyes shimmered like black pearls as she asked him what he was referring to. ' Husband, please don't f..k with me for I am not in the mood. Just say what you have to say and leave me in peace.'

Pandyan stared at her with a smile that left no doubt about what he thought about her and Meenakshi's anger disappeared and she too smiled back.

Pandyan raised a finger at her and said, ' This is your problem, wife. You think you know everything and can take on all odds and handle any problem. You can't. For you lack something vital.'

He turned away from her tiredly and stood with his back turned to her and said, ' Meenakshi, you are nothing but a stupid woman, and you prove it, again and again.

He waited for a few moments and then slowly turned and looked at her and then his eyes went to the large metal ashtray that she was holding in her right hand and said, ' This is exactly what I was talking about. All anger and no patience.'

Meenakshi's eyes blazed in shame that served to stoke her anger even further. But against herself.

Pandyan gently prised the ashtray out of her fingers and after weighing it with his hand, said, ' This weighs at least 2 kilos. if you had smashed my head with it, I would have died instantly.'

Placing the ashtray back on the table, he looked at her tiredly and asked, ' How would have covered up my murder? ' and spreading both his hands to show the expanse of the house,' Agreed it is night but there are still six to seven people working around the house and in the kitchen preparing dinner for us and some of them are loyal to me. At least I hope so.'

He looked at her with disappointment, ' Like I said earlier, I did not f..k up your life by marrying you. Rather, I f..ked up my own life by doing that.'

He looked at the clock and stood up and looked at her in disgust, ' The answer to the question as to why Maruthu called me after you gave him the job of killing that woman Gayatri and the cop is that he was not sure if he had heard you right. He was a thug who became famous after beating up kids and old people and in reality just a bully.'

Meenakshi looked at her husband warily and Pandyan smiled, ' Don't worry, I encouraged him to go and finish the job and promised to give him a bonus over whatever payment he would get from you. I did that, so it would add more enthusiasm to his morale and would inspire him to finish the job properly.'

His face slowly turned grim and he looked at Meenakshi with regret, ' Maruthu and his men have disappeared. I went there, to that Archeological site. But found no one. The security guards swore that they had entered but had not exited the site.'

Meenakshi's eyes which had blazed in anger a few moments now shimmered in fear and worry and she asked Pandyan, ' Do you believe those guards?'

Pandyan nodded, ' I do for their vehicle is still parked there.'

' What about Gayatri and the man who was with her?'

Pandyan replied, ' They had left by the time I reached there.'

Meenakshi looked at him worriedly, ' So what do you think happened?'

He shrugged casually, ' I don't know and I don't care but I am scared. So, I am going out for a drink and I will be late or....'

Meenakshi swore filthily, ' You and your hired ugly Bi..hes.'

Pandyan turned to walk away and then stopped and said, ' Bit.hes! Maybe, but those ugly Bit.hes, give me more love and show more respect than you and I feel safe and comfortable with them.

He looked at her from top to bottom and said, ' 'in my opinion, they make for better companions than poisonous snakes and murdering wives.'

He walked away bidding her good night and just as he walked out of the house, he heard a noise and smiled, ' That makes it the 21st mobile phone that she has smashed in anger and already she has broken the record of last year and we are just stepping into April, the fourth month of this year.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2ZJYW2FeM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT3b2Bwg6NU

The word cuckoo also means lunatic, nuts, psychotic, mad, gaga, insane, maniac, crazy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36AP7harXEs

https://youtu.be/wuDcVadwTzs

Avan, Aval, Adhu 353

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go. Dr. Seuss

Spartan brought the car to a gentle halt and getting out of it, opened the rear door and stood behind it. Madhurima got out of the car and after thanking him asked him what his real name was. ' Is it really Kavin or something else, Spartan?'

Closing the door, she looked at him and smiled, and said, ' Come on Spartan. That was not a very difficult question. The way in which you are pondering over such a simple question makes me wonder...'

' Wonder? About what, ma'am? What could be there to wonder about me?'

' Spartan, I meant your name, sir. For it is usual and normal for parents to call their children using cute and cuddly names. For instance, my Dada used to call me Kaddu but when I was in a bad mood or if I was throwing a tantrum, then he would call me " Mirchi baby."

Spartan smiled and slowly turning his head, stared at the distant temple tower of Meenakshi Amman temple and said, ' I guess I am lucky for I have been called several names over the years.'

Madhu nodded,' I guess that happens a lot in your line of work. Take me for instance, I have named you Spartan, and rightly so and I suppose the people you are sent to protect and defend call you by names that they like and feel will suit you.'

' Yes, ma'am. Over the centuries' he stopped and chuckled to himself and Madhu joined him and laughingly remarked, ' Centuries, Spartan. Now that's a good one, although it might turn out to be true for somehow I sense this immense power around you and a kind of aura that I have never felt before. So, maybe you will remain while the rest of us are long gone.'

He smiled and the sadness in it reached out and grabbed her soul and she asked in a soft, caring, and maternal voice, ' I am sorry Spartan. It is obvious that you have lost someone very close to you. Was it a parent, family member, or a dear friend?'

' All of that in one person, ma'am. My mother.'

Madhu quickly apologized, ' I am sorry, friend. Please forgive my impertinence and accept my apology for crossing the line of decorum.'

Spartan shook his head and said, ' Please, ma'am. There is no need to apologize and there was certainly no impertinence on your part for you were merely enquiring about me out of pure friendship.'

' Thank you, Spartan. You are really a gentleman.'

' And you ma'am are a very kind and generous soul.'

He looked into her eyes and said, ' It's going to be all right, ma'am. Sometimes, things can get a bit difficult but life generally works out in the end. If not, one must make it work for themselves.'

Madhu smiled, ' Exactly, Spartan. That is what I have been doing all these years.'

She looked at him hesitatingly and then asked him in a soft voice, ' What was her name? What was your mother's name, Spartan?'

' Avini, ma'am.'

He looked at her with calm eyes that were filled with some strange kind of serenity and said, ' Azhagan. My mother used to call me, Azhaga.'

He did not know it until she did it. Standing on her toes, she reached up and wiped the tears that were flowing from his eyes and said, ' I am sorry, my friend. I am really sorry for your loss. For it is obvious that you and your mother were very close to each other.'

Azhagan nodded, ' we were and we still are' and patted his chest, and said ' she remains in my heart and will until I am no more.'

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

https://youtu.be/gN9CFK0imjU

Avan, Aval, Adhu 354

“ Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” Maya Angelou

Meenakshi was sick with worry and fear for the agreed time when Maruthu was supposed to have reported back had come and gone. The deadline had been 8.00 pm and the time was nearing 10.00 pm.

" Maruthu, you bloody useless dog. If you are indeed dead then you better stay dead for if I find you alive then you will experience hell through me before you die and visit the real hell. Two people. All I wanted was for you to kill two people and you and your gang could not do that.'

She called SI Francis who answered on the second ring. ' Amma, I told you it is not good to be in touch with each other. Please, the situation is pretty tense around here and I don't know what is going to happen next or whose head is going to roll next.'

' Sorry Francis, I had no other choice but to call you. I need your help tracking a car and the two people in it.'

Sub-Inspector Francis mumbled something that was not clear and then he whispered a number and said, ' Amma, this is the number of a man who works as a Sub-Inspector in the Traffic department. Call him and he will be able to help you.'

Meenakshi wondered loudly if she could call him at that moment and at such a late hour. ' No problem, amma. He is going to be working the graveyard shift this whole week. In fact, he must have just come into the station for duty and I am sure you will find him there.'

Thanking him, she dialed the number and a rude voice answered, ' Yaaru?'

Realizing that the man's Truecaller App had informed him that it was her husband Pandyan calling since the sim card was registered in his name, Meenakshi replied, ' Hello.'

SI Maarimuthu's laughter was uncharacteristic of him but not the sarcasm that was typical of him and most people who interacted with him came away thinking that his humor was not only weird but never failed to cross the lines of decency. There had been a few times when he had gone a step too far and had very nearly paid the price but somehow he had managed to escape suspension. Well, there is a first time for everything.

Traffic SI Maarimuthu chuckled, ' You call yourself Pandyan, and yet your voice sounds like a woman. Strange indeed.'

The caller replied, ' That is because my sim is registered in my husband's name.'

' That explains it for no man would call himself Pandyan which is such a macho name and then go around talking in a woman's voice. So, tell me lady what is your name?'

Then he hurriedly said, ' wait, wait. Don't tell me. Let me guess. If your husband is Pandyan then your name must be Meenakshi. Right. For most people in and around Madurai who worship Meenakshi Amman name their boys Sundara Pandyan and their daughters as Meenakshi Ammal.'

' Correct. You are a very intelligent man and you have a great sense of humor.'

' I am and I do have a great sense of humor, Meenakshi ' SI Maarimuthu said flippantly and crossed the line without even realizing that he had done so and unwittingly and as fate would have it, crossed the line of decency.

' Maarimuthu, I did not give you permission to use my name in such a casual manner and neither should you be using it not talking to a woman in such a rude manner.'

' Oh! Now you are teaching me manners and how to talk to people. Neenga enna Madurai Mayor Meenakshi ya? illa collectora?'

' I am neither of them. But, if you get a chance to talk to Mayor Indirani Ponvasanthi and collector Aneesh Sekhar, they will tell you that I am considered more highly than them and importantly more dangerous than them.'

Madurai City's traffic SI Maarimuthu fell silent and after wondering for a few moments, he slowly asked in a voice without the arrogance and flippancy who he was talking to and the caller answered.

' Meenakshi Pandyan daughter of MLA Dharmalinga Thevar.'

𝑀𝑦 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝐼𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐴 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑦

𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑟.

𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒.

𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑜𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑤𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡, ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑤 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦...

𝐼 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑜𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦/𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦.

𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑔𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒....

𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘.

𝐼 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠,

𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒.....

𝐼 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜, 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑔𝑒, 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒.....

𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑠....

𝑀𝑦 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑠. 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑤.....

𝑀𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑦 ....

𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑤𝑙 ....

𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑟𝑒 "ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛" -

ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 ;

..𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑚𝑢𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑚𝑝ℎ𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓-𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒.....

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ!

𝑌𝑒𝑠, 𝐼’𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑦 .

𝐼’𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒....

𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 _𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒s_....

𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒, 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑟 .

𝐴𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑢𝑠 : “𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 .”

Brazilian poet

Mário de Andrade

https://youtu.be/8AqsC2NRc20

Avan, Aval, Adhu 355

Everyone is afraid of something. We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don't wish you didn't fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn't feel anything.” Cassandra Clare, Lord of Shadows

It is true that everyone is scared of something or someone. Nearly true. It is also true that everyone has a breaking point and breaks or is broken at some point in their lives. Nearly true.

The Tamil Nadu police department is rated as one of the best in our country and regularly features in the top 5 police departments in all lists featuring various achievements. The Tamil Nadu police cadre are fearless and highly motivated in their duties. Nearly so and nearly true and I say that when it comes to them being fearless.

Why? Because there are two things that scare even our fearless cops. Criminals and Politicians. There is a reason for their fear and it is perfectly justified.

If you remember chapter 347, then you will recollect how the brave Inspector Sargunam confesses to Ravi his fears concerning Meenakshi and the threat she poses to him and his family.

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Flashback to chapter 347

From & To Sathish #5 - Page 127 | Sensational South

Turning to Ravi, Guna said with a tinge of fear in his eyes, ' Master sir, Meenakshi ma'am, knows no boundaries. She does not play by rules or at least the rules set by others. She is capable of anything and I am sorry to say it.'

He stopped and fell silent and after waiting for a few moments Ravi spoke in frustration, ' Finish it, Guna. Finish saying your thoughts. Don't worry about consequences or about how people will judge you for your honesty.'

Placing his right hand on Guna's shoulder, ' Child, I have told you this several times when you were my student and I will tell it again now that you are an adult and my friend. Never let anything come between you and the truth. Seek it. Speak it and always pursue it. Don't stop and don't hold back ever from speaking your mind when it matters for you will regret your silence when things turn sour and bad and you will hurt yourself for having been silent.'

'Master sir, she scares me. Meenakshi ma'am scares me. I felt it when I looked into her eyes and realized that she will not stop for anyone or anything. Ever.'

Ravi's brow furrowed in confusion and also with annoyance that was clearly felt by everyone including Inspector Sargunam.

' Guna, this is nothing new for we all know Meenakshi very well. She scares everyone. That is who she is and that is exactly how she has been all these years. So, stop worrying unnecessarily about her or what she will do or can do. You are a police officer. Behave like one.'

Guna nodded and sighing wearily, looked at Ravi and smiling sadly said, ' Master sir. You are right about me being a police officer and you are right in saying that I have to behave like one. But what do I do or what can even a policeman with all his powers do when their families are targetted by criminals.'

Totally astounded by Guna's words, Ravi stared at him and then before he could think of something to say, Inspector Sargunam spoke again.

' There is only so much protection my own department can provide me with and I doubt if it will help or will be worth it.'

End of flashback from chapter 347

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If there is another person or person that scares the police department, then they are criminals. I am not talking about your garden variety criminals here who deal in petty crimes but those hardened ones who deal in the business of murder. These are criminals or accused who are given a wide berth by even the police department and only move against them when encounters are sanctioned and shoot-at-sight orders are given. Then too they make their moves with planning, in force and fully armed.

Then you have those politicians who are in power and have scary criminals at their beck and call and unleash them when they wish to do so. That is indeed a dangerous nexus. Political power combined with rowdy power.

Sub Inspector Maarimuthu, Madurai traffic department entered the police department as a Head constable and had been promoted to his current SI post a few years ago and had another few years before he would be promoted to a three-star Inspector. Unlike the majority of his comrades, he had a specific goal in his mind and which was, to make as much money as possible and as quickly and quietly as possible and settle down somewhere far away from Madurai.

He knew very well that he often shot off his big mouth and got stuck in sticky situations and yet he had somehow managed to somehow wiggle out of them and was skating through his career in a quiet manner. Nearly true for all that changed the moment the woman introduced herself and told him his name.

Meenakshi heard the silence and then heard the chair being hurriedly pushed back as Maarimuthu jumped to his feet. She heard the silence shatter as SI Maarimuthu's chair clattered to the floor loudly.

' Amma, Sorry madam. I am a cursed man. I have been cursed with this motor mouth and I wish God had created me deaf and dumb. I am really sorry madam. Please forgive me.'

Meenaskhi's voice revealed no joy in her triumph over him and instead was cold and deliberate in its need.

' Maarimuthu, I need your help right away. Can you help me?'

' Yes madam. I am your servant and am willing to do whatever you want. Just tell me what you want and I will do it. Is it an accident? Is a friend of yours involved in an accident and a hit-and-run case? Don't worry about it, ma'am. I will take care of it.'

The silence was deafening and then it was broken by the menacing voice of Meenakshi as she told him what she wanted.

' TN 59 A 4578. A black honda city. It was last seen leaving the archeological site outside Kumarapalayam at about 7.30 pm and might have returned back to Madurai. I want it traced and where it is right now and I want to know it right now. Can you do that?'

Sub Inspector Maarimuthu without even realizing that he was yelling, said, ' Yes amma. I can do it and I will call you back as soon as possible.'