From & To Sathish #5 - Page 121

Avan, Aval Adhu 399

Ravi turning slightly glanced at Madhu and soon it turned to staring at her and catching him doing that, she asked him shyly. ' Jaanu, what are you staring at? Not my face I hope, for it is the same as before.'

He smiled and shook his head and using his right-hand fingers slowly lifted the strands of hair that were flailing about in front of her face and slowly secured them over her left ear and said, ' How wrong you are, Madhu about the face being the same? No, I think it changes every day and tells a new story every time someone takes time to look at their loved one's face.'

He remembered those days when after school, she used to lay her head on his lap and slip away into a deep sleep and he used that time to look down at her face as if he wanted to memorize every little bit of her so that he might never forget it.

' Madhu, remember those quiet walks through the mangrove and all those times spent near the old temple ruins?'

She smiled and nodded and whispered, ' How can I not when those memories were the ones that kept me alive and gave me strength and motivation to go on existing for another day?'

' Remember those times when you used to fall asleep with your head on my lap?'

Madhu nodded and using her left eye to give him a conspiratorial wink, said, ' I hope we do that again and again for the rest of our lives ' and resting her head on his arm, ' I aim to live a 1000 years worth of life in the rest of the time we have before us.'

Throwing her arm around her, he adjusted himself so that she could nestle her head comfortably and placing a soft peck on her head, ' Those times when you used to drift away into sleep with your head on my lap, I confess I used to stare at your face for a long time.'

' Why?'

' Just to read every line, curve, and corner of your face ' and chuckling ' Once, I even tried counting the number of lashes you had in your eyes.'

A heavy vehicle passing them suddenly buffeted them and air rushed in and did its best to dislodge every hair on Madhu's head. Ravi placed his hand on her eyes so as to protect her eyes from the dust and apologized, ' I am sorry about all this dust and noise.'

Removing his hand, she looked at him and whispered, ' Jaanu, please stop saying sorry and please don't apologize anymore. At least not for the dust and noise and other things natural.'

He looked at her and she smiled and said, ' It's as if Madurai and Kumarapalayam are all joining together to welcome me through the air and through dust and with them are trying to tell me all about you and what you have been up to all these years without me by your side.'

Then remembering him mention something about her face she looked up at him, ' You were speaking about my face, please continue for I feel good when my lover talks about me.'

Ravi smiled and pointed to the trees and said, ' Science can tell the age of a tree by the rings inside it ' and caressing her face, ' I tried reading your face but lost out to its smoothness. I can hardly see a wrinkle and even the crow's feet around your eyes are ghosts that come and go without remaining permanent. You have hardly aged and look the same and feel the same.'

' Maybe, because I have been lucky in life after all ' Madhu replied and raised her head, ' This is why you are so precious, Jaanu. Like how you tried secretly to count the wrinkles on my face and lost, I too lost when I tried to glimpse a flicker of jealousy or a twinge of pain in your eyes when I mentioned my late husband and how much he loved me.'

Ravi shook his head, ' Madhu, how can I feel jealousy or pain when a person has loved and cared for you as much as your late husband has done? I only feel gratitude and immense respect for him and am happy that you did not suffer all these years. He must have been a great and kind soul.'

She looked into his eyes and said, ' Premji used to say the same thing about you. Even in his final days, he kept telling me not to waste time after he had passed on and made me promise that I would come to Madurai in search of you and lowering her head, ' But sadly, the other promise took precedence over me and my life.'

' You mean the promise you made him to look after his daughter. Your stepdaughter. So, where is she now? If she is your stepdaughter then she is mine too.'

No sooner had he said it, Brahma Ganesan stopped and turning around told Ravi, ' Master sir, we have reached our village town. You asked me to stop once we entered our town limits.'

Ravi Kumar looked out and turned to Madhu, ' Please excuse me. I will be back in a few minutes ' and getting out of the autorickshaw walked towards a small house that also doubled as a small Tea shop that sold fresh vegetables and fruits along with other things that all petti kadais store. Starting from biscuits to fizzy drinks and other savories.

Ganesan after watching his master talk to the husband and wife who were the owners of the shop, wondered loudly, ' What is he doing? I thought he would be done after chatting with that retired army man, Thenappan, and his wife. But now he has crossed the road and is talking to Jaffer Bhai and his family. I wonder what's going on.'

Madhurima smiled and told him, ' Your master is telling them to watch out for strangers and other suspicious activities. He is activating the sentinels of Kumarapalayam and these are his first line of defense. '

Then realizing what had been bugging her, she quickly got out of the auto and looked behind at the road that had brought them into Kumarapalayam from the highway and thought to herself, ' Where is Malar? Why has she suddenly disappeared? Has her vehicle broken down?'

Slightly worried, she turned and catching sight of Ravi, walked towards him and informed him about Malar's absence.

Ravi sighed and realizing that he had nowhere to go, pointed to his mobile, ' So, Spartan has yet to call you and inform you about the alternate arrangements that are being made since he and Malar have been given another task to take care of.'

Madhu shook her head and went ' Oh! I see. I am glad that they are okay. I kind of panicked not seeing her behind us.'

Then she winked again and puffing her cheek, blew a cyclone of air at the strands of her own hair and said, ' Maybe it is for Good for something about both of them was kind of spooking me.'

Ravi's eyes opened slightly wider than usual and he mouthed, ' Spooked? Who, Mr. Kavin and Mrs. Malar? Why?'

She looked at him with confused eyes, ' Remember that you always used to sing praises about my instincts ' and when Ravi nodded, ' Trust me when I tell you that there is something off and odd about them both. I don't know what it is but there is something really weird about Spartan and Malar.'

' Weird and odd. Odd choice of words to describe someone who was watching over you.'

' No, Jaanu. I am sorry but I don't mean anything bad by those words. I know they are good people and reliable people but something tells me that they are also weird in their own ways.'

Ravi smiled and asked, ' As weird as both of us?'

Then pointing to the auto and Ganesan, he said, ' Come, let's go. It is time we went home and it is time to see your home once again and meet all those souls who are dying to see you.'

https://youtu.be/8SW8AWLqvkk

Avan, Aval Adhu 400

illusion optical illusion. something that deceives or misleads intellectually. perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature.

Brahma Ganesan started up the vehicle and with a huge smile accelerated it towards his Master's house when he heard the man himself request that he stop at the Kumaran temple.

After having traveled a distance of a few km that was filled with a few curves Ganesan slowed the auto to a smooth halt and hurriedly asked Ravi if he should go and fetch the Poosari to do a pooja for the eternally youthful Boy-God, Kumaran.

' That won't be necessary child. It will be rude on our part to disturb him after he has finished with his duties for the day. Let him be and moreover, our God Kumaran does not stand too much on formalities and rituals.'

Madhurima got out of the autorickshaw and stood enjoying the sights that were Kumarapalayam.

' Jaanu, nothing has changed and our village looks exactly the same as I last saw it twenty-five years ago.'

Then taking in the additional features, she pointed to one lone tower that stood amidst the green paddy fields and remarked, ' Mobile phones are certainly the bane of society. Cannot live with them and cannot live without them.'

' Correct ma'am and so similar to Love. Cannot live with it and cannot live without it ' Ganesan added his thoughts in a weary voice and Ravi added his own thoughts to the mix.

' Correct, Mr. Brahma Ganesan, for you just echoed exactly what I feel about you sometimes ' and pausing thought for a moment and said, ' Please forgive me for it is not sometimes but all the time.'

Ganesan's face filled with desperation and he hurriedly mumbled, ' Master, I was just trying to be funny. Nothing else.'

Ravi fixed him with a stern look and said, ' You don't have to try to be funny, Ganesan for you are by nature a funny and weird person.'

Madhu burst out laughing seeing Ganesan's face, and gently patting his head in a motherly way, took out a bar of chocolate from her handbag, and offered it to him saying, ' Your master is just bullying you, and toying with you child.'

Ganesan's eyes opened wide and he mumbled ' Toblerone. Imported chocolate. Wow!'

Leaving their footwear near the auto-rickshaw, Ravi and Madhurima walked towards the island of neem trees that held their village deity in their loving arms and underneath their shade.

Madhu squealed with delight as she placed her foot on the soft grass and said, ' I have missed this so much. It's been so many years since I have been able to walk like this on grass and surrounded by just green fields.'

Taking his hand in hers, she thanked him and said, ' This is just beautiful. You are beautiful and being with you makes me feel beautiful.'

He threw his arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer to him, bent down and kissed her mouth and whispered, ' You are wrong my love. It is you and your love that is beautiful. It is your soul that is beautiful.'

He looked into her eyes and said, ' I love you, Madhu. I Love you so much and if anything should happen to tear us apart again, I will kill myself. I would rather be dead than be alive and without you.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQVfhj9ipLE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5dtA2OAvQk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T_8lvX4ubc

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfYivwab8Y8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg90REIDri4

Avan, Aval Adhu 401

The saying " inside us are two wolves fighting to get out. One is bad and one is good and in the end, it depends on your mind as to which wolf you feed and let out " is attributed to some elder from one of the Native American tribes.

I confess that present inside me are also two wolves, nay, two puppies fighting to get out. They make their presence felt when I place my fingers on the pads of the keyboard and attempt to create musical sentences from words not notes and through them let loose the angels and demons that were bottled up in my soul.

I sit with the gist of what needs to be written for the day seared on my neurons, be it the story or be it a random article, or just a vain attempt to pen down the assorted collection of thoughts that plague me every day and every night. Yes. both awake and in the dead of sleep.

The two puppies are called logical and illogical. Then, one day the mother of the puppies came out of my chest and plonked itself across the keyboard, and after gazing fondly at her puppies turned and fixed me with a grim look that slowly diluted away and only a open smile remained.

I squeaked, ' Do you have anything to say to me?'

The mother dog stood up and both her puppies who had been fighting each other until then, now stood by her obediently and all three of them looked at me and in chorus spoke to me.

' Master, we are but figments and entrails of your head. Logical, illogical, or real or reel. Does it matter when you are writing a story? Just write for the sheer pleasure of it? Remember your first kiss and how badly you sucked at it.'

Both the fat puppies sniggered at me and the mother dog, hushed and shushed them, and continued, ' Remember how you let go, surrendered to the kiss of her lips, and instead of thinking too much about it, just went ahead and surrendered to the moment which turned into ecstasy when she whispered, ' Your kisses make me feel beautiful. Kiss me more please.'

I hurriedly looked at the mother dog and placing a finger on my lips tried to silence her but she smiled and said, ' Oh, you are worried what the puppies will make of all this adult kissing stuff. Not to worry, me and their dad kissed and made love and that is what popped them out.'

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths and opened my eyes and my heart and thought, ' What can be worse than real life? Nothing. At least not when compared to my own life. Real life. Not Reel life which is boring, to say the least.

Madhu gently placed her fingers on his lips and in a caressing motion, did her best to remove the traces of their kiss and the remnants of her mouth's glossy stick. Then suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the moment she sank into his chest and began to cry softly.

He let her cry for a few moments and then slowly raised her face by the chin and looked at her. He slowly kissed her eyes and kissed her tears and mumbled, ' Why? why do you cry, now when we are together again?'

Madhu replied in a choked voice, ' I cry because you don't cry. So, I cry for both of us and also because of the numbing pain brought on by the tragedy of our lives and all the years that we have lost to fate and due to some ancient Karma.'

' Ravi, like you just said, I too will not be able to exist let alone even breathe if you are taken away from me. As you said, I would gladly end my own life for the pain of losing you again would be too unbearable to bear again.'

He smiled and looked at her and seeing the ache and yearning in his eyes, she opened her eyes wide in question and he answered, ' Will you marry me and make me the happiest soul in this entire universe?'

' Yes. I will and I too want to be married to you and spend the rest of my life taking care of you.'

Bending his head, he fused his mouth with hers, and in their kiss, they breathed and existed as one body, one soul with one thought.

After a long few minutes of breathing as one and also for each other, Ravi took her hand and slowly led her into the island temple that stood surrounded by tall and mighty neem trees.

A strong and steady breeze that had been blowing through the land suddenly stopped as if it had been asked to halt and the neem trees that had been flailing around in freestyle dance movements all stopped and stood still.

Ravi stood with Madhu in the center of the island temple and whispered, ' My friends, this is the lady, the girl, the piece of soul that I had lost and had been crying for all these years. She is here now. Look at her and then bless us both and wish us a peaceful life.'

Madhu threw her arms around him and hugging him fiercely began to laugh and her laughter echoed all around their universe called Kumarapalayam.

Then sensing something falling on her head, she hurriedly looked up and catching sight of a large black crow, informed Ravi, ' Jaanu, that crow, Raven is dropping stuff on our heads.'

Ravi looked up and smiled and said, ' Don't worry about Janaki. She is happy for both of us and is displaying her joy by dropping flowers and leaves on our heads and at the same time blessing us in her own way.'

Then suddenly the skies over their head turned nearly dark and Ravi groaned loudly prompting Madhu to ask him what was happening above their heads.

' Jaanu, what's wrong with all these birds? Hundreds, maybe more of them are flocking towards this spot and all of them are carrying something in their beaks.'

Then before she could continue and before he could say something, it began to rain under the mighty neem trees and it rained on them and just around them.

It rained Madhuvanti flowers. Their favorite flower in the whole world.

Ravi looked into her eyes and said, ' Madhu, I love you. I know for sure that I have loved you in so many forms and in so many other lives. I think, no I am certain that our love is special and will continue on and on for as long as this universe remains.'

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/sensational-south/5207625/from-and-to-sathish-5?pn=119

Chapter 323

It slowly moved and nibbled his ear and made a strange squawking sound. It might have been strange in its noise and might have sounded vague as it entered everyone's ears. But, once it reached all their hearts, minds, and souls, they knew that there was nothing strange about the caws and squawks the large Raven ( andang kaakai) was making. It was talking, expressing the joy of seeing Ravi again. A bird it might have been but a soul it too had and from it, the Raven crow expressed its joy and its sorrow of seeing its friend again and how much it had missed him.

Ravi gently scratched its head and rubbing its neck, lovingly spoke to it, ' Janaki. How are you, child? It's okay. I am back and I am not going anywhere. I am sorry for not telling you before leaving so abruptly.'