From & To Sathish #5 - Page 37

Vaanathai Pola 409

It is not every day that you are told that the world as we know it very nearly ended. It is not every day that you realize that you were there when the world that you live in was nearly destroyed and that you were there when it was saved once again and just when you thought that the moment had passed the brink.

Long days and nights spent in thought about work, the safety and security of the nation and all that done with very little sleep and very little food finally took its toll on Raman and he slowly sank to the ground and sitting on his arse, he looked at Azhagan, ' Please, don't lie, don't hide and don't play games. Not anymore and not after this.'

Pointing to the large Microwave oven that had been used to destroy the biological weapon, ' You knew what was in that. Even your friend here and I am not sure what he is and why he has been named Buddha knew what kind of deadly pathogens lay in those four glass tubes and yet you summoned me here. Why, Mr Azhagan?'

Azhagan stared at Raman, holding his eye for a few moments and nodding, said, ' It's time for you to know everything, I guess but we are out of time. It has been nearly ten minutes since you boarded this plane and since you warned Brigadier Sooryanarayan about the possibility of a biological weapon being on this plane. So, with that in mind and with the plan that I have in mind, I will come clean and explain everything. I promise you.'

Raman smiled, ' Plan. So, there is a plan and a reason for me being here ' and looking at both Azhagan and Buddha, he continued in a sarcastic tone, ' Why me? Why the f..k does it have to always be me? Can't I have a quiet and normal life like others? Don't I deserve to live a common and boring life with my wife and newborns?'

Buddha raised a paw making Raman wonder if he was being offered the dog's leg as a handshake, quickly changed his mind when Buddha used the raised paw to scratch his back and sighing happily, remarked casually but pointedly, ' If that was what you wanted, then you shouldn't have intervened to save Vijay and Kavita back in your college days. You should have run and saved your life. If a normal life was what you wanted and want, then you shouldn't have taken on those killers Gulab and Jamun and the other thugs Minister Vaidyanathan sent to kill you and your family members. If a common man's life is what you craved for, then you shouldn't have taken on this job with R&AW as a spy.'

Raman's eyes blazed and filled itself with Righteous anger, ' How could I have stood by and watched while innocents were being chased and murdered? How can you expect me to stand by and do nothing when my best friend was murdered and my wife's sister was forced to hang herself? How can anyone, even a normal, common man stay quiet when they experience so much pain and loss?'

Azhagan smiled sadly, ' The same way we expect you to stand tall and fight to save this world and save your family. For, if you retreat from the battle, then all your good work would have been in vain.'

Buddha growled, ' Human, what about your babies and their futures? What about the millions of babies, innocent children who are the future of this world and of your human civilization?'

Raman's snarling and searing reply to Buddha sounded threatening and hurting in its intent, ' A dog that speaks and a dog that just a few moments earlier was preaching and teaching about the ills and threats that humans pose to this world. Why then do you want me, a bloody polluted human as part of your plan?'

Azhagan's soft but firm voice calmed Raman with its wisdom.

' Raman, I confess to you that there have been times when I have shared my friends Buddha's opinion about the human species. But, then, this planet would just be another planet like millions of other planets across the universe and would stagnate in its intelligence. Lest we forget, evolution itself is Nature working in mysterious and magical ways and in the end if human species do end up destroying themselves, it would be thought of by this planet as another failed experiment.

If, we feel the need to intervene then that too is at the need of Mother Nature herself ' and shaking his head in wonder, ' so much life, so much death and in the end it all comes down to creating those few humans who will go on to do great things and will change the course of human history.'

Raman nodded and replied sarcastically, ' yeah, right like Hitler who murdered six million Jews and was the cause of world war two that took countless lives and also gave rise to dictators and murderers like Stalin and Mao Zedong.

Azhagan looked at Raman, ' What about people like Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Gandhi, Vivekananda? What about people like you, Raman? What about your parents, your wife, your children?'

Raman's lips parted with a tsunami of curses behind them but closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and sat in contemplation for a few seconds and with his eyes still closed, whispered, ' I am all ears and all yours. Tell me this great plan of yours and let's hope it works out.'

He looked at Raman, ' Before I lay out my plan, you need to ask yourself one question for the answer to that will help you better understand the plan and why it needs to carried out by you.'

' Okay, what is the question?'

Buddha interrupted Azhagan, ' My lord, let me' and looked at Raman, ' why did this terrible biological Bomb activate itself the moment you approached it and why not all this time it was here in Chennai and why not when it flew from Australia to Singapore and took off from Singapore en route to London?'

Azhagan added, ' who knew and who saw you enter this plane? Who are the traitors and how are they connected to the Sons of Gaia? The final question is who is really behind all this and maybe behind the Sons of Gaia?'

Raman heard the questions and answered, ' who and why?'

Avan, Aval, Adhu 101

Gayatri caught the cab driver Dayanidhi looking at his watch and quickly asked him if he had any important appointment or someplace else to be. ' Mr Dayanidhi, has stopping at this temple for my sake delayed you somehow? If then let us leave right away or else, book another cab for me and I will wait here for it to arrive. No problem.'

Dayanidhi appeared to be shocked and horrified, ' No amma, no delay and no problem. I looking at watch because one hotel, good food closing by two pm. Now time 12.30 pm only. So, lot of time left madam. You taking photos and going to temple. No problem.'

The moment he said, hotel and good food, Gayatri's thoughts filled itself with Ravi's house and how she had burped loudly after eating like she had never eaten before and smiling looked at Daya and said, ' What is so special about this hotel?'

' All special, madam. Even water tasting like sweet, then' and realizing that she might not understand what he had just said, proceeded to show a flower and using his two fingers made a bee and pointed to the flower and Gayatri yelled, ' Honey, nectar' and clapping her hands said, ' Bro, we would have made a good and winning team had we taken part in a dumb charade contest.'

Dayanidhi stared at her and Gayatri worried that he might misunderstand the word dumb and take as an insult jumped in saying, ' what you did right now to show me what the word ' Then' meant is a game that is played and is called Dumb charade.'

Dayanidhi began talking about the hotel and how two old ladies, sisters ran the place and had been doing so for nearly 30 years.

' Very sad madam. Both the sisters husbands died in an accident while coming down from Kodai town.'

' OMG! How tragic and what a sad story, Dayanidhi? Imagine both becoming widows at the same time.'

Talking, chatting, sharing, both of them were making slow progress towards the temple when through the doors came running two men carrying something and by the time Gayatri could yell to Dayanidhi that a crime had taken place, the two men came rushing towards them and Dayanidhi yelled to Gayatri to rush towards the temple and lock the doors.

Then he bravely tried to take on the two men who were carrying what obviously looked like a small statue and dropping it to the ground, one man pulled out a knife and tried to slash Dayanidhi who luckily jumped back and then tried to grab the statue from the two men.

The man with the knife slashed again and did not miss and then he seemed to suddenly change his movement and slashing became stabbing.

Like almost 99.9 per cent of people who freeze after being hit or hurt, Dayanidhi reacted with fear as both his hands were slashed and could do nothing as the knife leapt at him in a stabbing motion and the only thing that saved him was that he turned away and took the stab in his side. between his hip and waist region.

At this very moment, Gayatri moved for she could not stand still as Dayanidhi was being attacked and she did what came naturally to her and removing the camera strap that had lain across her neck, swung it and landed a blow on the man who was attacking with the knife.

The canon camera along with its zoom lens weighed nearly one kg and a bit more and when Gayatri twirled it around just twice, it gathered energy, force and landed with a solid thump on the man's face who immediately dropped the knife and nearly swooned.

The other man who was still clutching the statue dropped it and realizing that escape was a better proposition for the moment, yelled in a language that Gayatri immediately recognized as an Odiya dialect and screamed, ' Come, let us be away before the police arrive' and grabbing the man began to drag him away and then Gayatri saw a vehicle pull up on the road and she quickly reached for the other camera that hung around her neck and lifting it, quickly zoomed in on the vehicle and the men who were getting into it. But, she could only click the backs of them and then just when she thought she could not get one good photo of their faces, the driver leant forward to close the door and she captured him through her camera.

The canon's shutter speed was fast and in a few seconds she had clicked nearly 30 photos of the driver and the vehicle and they would speak when the time to speak would come and come soon.

Gayatri then turned and ran quickly to Dayanidhi who had collapsed to the ground holding his stomach and she knew that the deep was not fatal but would soon be if he kept bleeding so profusely. Removing her dupatta, Gayatri asked Dayanidhi to sit up and tied it around his waist and as tight as possible.

Then she quickly checked the slashes on his arms and realized that they too were bleeding but not as badly as the stab wound on his right side.

Just then a few people came rushing out of the temple and came charging towards them but soon realizing that Gayatri and Dayanidhi were innocent and at the same time victims of the robbery that had been committed in the temple.

The temple priest, an old man in his seventies screamed loudly the moment his eyes caught sight of the statue that lay on the ground wrapped in a saree and then yelled in joy, ' We are saved. Lord Hanuman is saved' and using the help of the others picked up the small but seemingly heavy statue and unwrapped the saree that covered it.

Gayatri's eyes opened wide for the hanuman statue had a third eye and a Trishul and seemed to be more like Lord Shiva but for the bulgy cheeks and tail that were the characteristics of Hanuman the monkey god.

Even with blood seeping from his wounds, Dayanidhi smiled and said, ' Amma, I told you about Sadaya Perumal and Lord shiva who appeared to him as a beggar. This is it.'

The old priest with tears in his eyes folded his hands and thanked Dayanidhi and said, ' Child, you will be all right for God is with you.'

Gayatri enquired as to where the nearest hospital was and the priest said there was a large hospital a few kms away towards madurai and thanking him, she requested one of them to help put Dayanidhi in the back seat of the vehicle and they did.

Ignoring the protests of Dayanidhi, Gayatri raced the vehicle towards the hospital and entered its compound with all the tyres screeching in protest and jumped out of the vehicle yelled, ' Emergency, Emergency ' and several nurses and doctors surrounded her like ants surrounding a drop of syrup.

Well, that was pun intended and also no pun intended. Hospitals and doctors have to survive and they do so only if patients come to them and hopefully critical and serious ones. For that is where the real money is.

One of the doctors asked her what had happened and the moment Gayatri told him the details of the attack, he looked at the nurse and said, ' Police case. Please inform them immediately for they need to take a statement. It is a criminal case.'

Gayatri stepped forward and glared at him angrily and growled her thoughts, ' F..k police and f..k case and statements. This man was stabbed because he tried to stop a robbery. He is a hero, not a criminal. If you don't start treating him right away, I will haul your a..e and this hospital's a..e's through hell and back.'

Raising a finger, she warned the doctor, ' I am a journalist and have powerful contacts with all the newspapers. Do you want me to call them, you pompous pr..k?'

Then remembering the man who had come to visit her in the hospital, she raised her voice and said, ' Mr Dharmalinga Thevar is a family friend and he is the current central Madurai MLA. Shall I call him and ask him to put in a word?'

The doctor's mouth opened and closed but neither air or words came out of the hole and finally he squeaked, ' Madam, please calm down. I just did my duty and followed procedure for we are supposed to inform the police when a victim of either an attack or attempted suicide is brought in. But that does not mean we will not treat the patient for those days are long gone. As per law we are required to attend to the patient and administer treatment and only then if needed shift him to a government hospital.'

He looked at her, ' I promise that we will give the patient the best treatment possible. Now, kindly be seated while I go do my duty.'

He flicked his fingers and told a nurse, ' Give this ma'am a hot cup of coffee. The best and see to her requests if any' and quickly went into the emergency room.

Once inside, he called the owner of the hospital who was Dharmalinga Thevar himself and quickly spoke into it and when a question was asked, he replied, ' Her name is Gayatri.'

The next moment he went still as his boss spoke and in the end, just answered, ' Okay sir. Will do sir ' and placing his mobile in his coat pocket looked at the other doctors and nurses, ' Treat this patient as a VVIP. It is a direct order from the boss himself and he is on his way here right now.'

The Inspector on duty was out on medical leave and so another Inspector from the nearby station was deputed for this case and also since it involved major crimes such as robbery and a murder attempt.

It took the Inspector 35 minutes to reach the hospital along with his team and he charged into it.

The reception pointed to a small cabin and said,' that lady who came with the patient is in there.'

The Inspector nodded his thanks and walked stiffly towards the cabin and knocking the door, entered it.

Gayatri was unlike most others in many ways and unlike most people who would have jumped out of fear seeing a team of tough-looking cops barge into the room, she looked at all of them and taking a sip of her hot filter coffee smiled and stared back at them.

The Inspector a young, tough looking cop was taken aback a bit by the woman's calm behaviour for he and the others were used to people trembling in fear and respect in front of them and there had been hilarious situations when criminals began to confess the crap they had been to even before being questioned.

His face mellowed a bit as he enquired, ' Are you Gayatri?'

Gayatri blew a storm of cool wind across the steaming coffee and taking a sip of it, looked at the Inspector and asked sarcastically, ' Who is asking?'

The other constables behind the Inspector were getting a bit agitated and angry and the Inspector told them in Tamil to clam down and turning to Gayatri, ' I am the Inspector in charge of this case and I need to ask you a few questions.'

Gayatri smiled without really smiling and raising her eyebrows, ' so you knew that a woman called Gayatri was in this cabin. Yet, you knocked and barged in without waiting for me to ask you to come in and without giving me time to sit up appropriately in case I had been lying down on this couch. '

Taking another sip of her coffee, she continued, ' Tell me, Inspector, is that what they taught you in the Hyderabad Police academy or is that what they taught you in school?'

The Inspector smiled and turned around and left the room and the other cops followed him out. The door closed and Gayatri hearing the knock smiled and yelled, ' Please come in' and placing the cup on the table, stood up and shook hands with the Inspector and said, ' Hi, I am Gayatri. Pleased to meet all you gentleman.'

Pointing to the other chairs in the small cabin, ' please, sit down ' and all of them sat down meekly and obediently like school children.

Placing a small but very high tech looking dictaphone on the table, the Inspector looked at Gayatri and said, ' ma'am, please, can you tell us what happened on the temple premises.'

Gayatri explained in detail what had taken place and when the part where she mentioned Kodaikanal and the cottage resort she was heading to, the Inspector leant forward and paused the recording and looked at her and asked her, ' Whispering Rocks. You are going to Whispering Rocks now and that too in the offseason. It might be closed ma'am.'

Smiling, Gayatri shook her head and said, ' I don't know about that but the reason I am going there is to meet my friend who left in the morning to the same place.'

Inspector Sargunam looked at her pointedly, ' a friend you say. May I know his name please?'

Gayatri smiled, ' His name is Ravi Kumar and he is the headmaster of a school in Kumarapalayam.'

You must have asked yourself so many times like I and the others do and do so constantly.

Why do certain people come into our lives at certain times? Why do our paths cross with others but sometimes the junction stop is only very brief?

Lord Ram stood up and using his mighty hands lifted Lord Hanuman and hugged him and whispered to Sita, ' My path crossed with Hanuman's in my search for you. If not for him, then I wonder what I would have done.'

Lord Rama and Sita bowed their heads and thanked Lord Hanuman and when they looked into his eyes and face, they saw the three-eyed mountain god inside him and shining through him.

If Gayatri is Sita. If Ravi Lord Ram then I guess his student Inspector Sargunam is Lord Hanuman.

For reference pls follow this page to know more about MLA Dharmalinga thevar

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/sensational-south/5207625/from-and-to-sathish-5?pn=21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiBr2ZLcJXI

Vaanathai Pola 410

Raman had known from the moment that the Hijacked plane that had been rescued by the mysterious stranger who called himself Azhagan that he was not in control of the situation and that he was in the dark about many things concerning India and other countries.

But, he was certain of one thing, the most important thing in any situation and which was he could trust Azhagan and rely on him in any eventuality.

Yet, doubts lingered as to what kind of dangerous situation he was being led into and what the whole conspiracy concerning the Sons Of Gaia was and so he asked the question that was a bundled one.

Raman looked at him ' Mr Azhagan' and then looking at the huge Lion like Buddha, ' You too, mister', asked, ' You said that I have been marked for Termination and now you say that the bio bomb went live the moment I approached it. But, how sure are you about it and what if it is just a coincidence?'

' Who is the one who is investigating the case of the missing Brigadier Prakash Malhotra? Whose friend is Radha Krishnan? Whose father lies in a coma after having been attacked and why was he attacked and why did that attack take place in that spot? Why were there no defensive wounds or offensive wounds on Brigadier Rajashekar who was a very fit and well-trained man and who should and would have smelt an attack on him and yet he got out of the car he was in? Who lured him out of the car and why?'

Raman shook his head in despair, ' So, it all began with the attack on Brigadier Rajashekar.'

Azhagan nodded, ' that brought your friend Radha Krishnan and his mother, Shinogai to Chennai. Your friend Radhu smelt a rat the moment he entered " The Flock" the educational institution run by his father and went after the people who had left behind a trail. Then, his life crossed that of your friend Kavita's and everything went haywire. He and his shadow who we know as " old man" went on a rampage killing several men including the peon called Shekar who was working in The Flock who soon turned traitor and who helped the other traitor to attack Brigadier Rajashekar.'

Raman had heard enough and he knew who the other traitor had been and he said it with venom in his tone, ' Brigadier Prakash Malhotra was the other traitor.'

Flicking the fingers of his right hand in rapid fashion, Raman connected the few dots that were available to him and said, ' He is a doctor. An army doctor. He is the one who is working with the Army's Bioterrorism unit and he is the leading research scientist of all their projects. If he is the traitor and if he is now missing then it means the Sons Of Gaia having had enough of his failures, have taken him out ' and his eyes opening wide in fear, he whispered, ' which means he has been replaced and a new traitor has been recruited.'

Smiling, Azhagan gazed on Raman with gentle eyes and continued, ' Yes. Now tell me what are you going to do about it?'

Raman sighed, ' Follow your plan but on one condition....?'

Azhagan nodded, ' No need for conditions, my friend. Both, your and Kavita's family will be taken care of. Their security is now my concern. I promise you that.'

Raman smiled hesitantly and asked even more hesitatingly, ' what is the plan and what do you want me to do now?

Azhagan looked at him with eyes full of respect and pride, ' a few calls and then an injection' and raising a small syringe, reached into a small pocket and brought out a greenish looking vial and plunged the needle of the syringe into it and said, ' whenever you are ready, child?'

Raman looked at the greenish looking vial and looked at Azhagan and asked, ' what is that?'

' Heaven and hell, child.'

Avan, Aval, Adhu 102

The word Double-blind is used in the field of clinical trials and research of new medicine and treatments. You, as the patient, are kept in the dark about the treatment given to you and so you don't know if you’re receiving the experimental treatment, standard treatment or a placebo, and the same goes for your doctor too, who is kept in the dark as the clinical subject.

Only those directing the study know the treatment that each participant receives. Double-blind studies prevent bias when doctors evaluate patients’ outcomes. This improves the reliability of clinical trial results. Should you have health complications during a trial, such as a possible drug reaction, your doctor can “unblind” you and find out which treatment you’re receiving. As a result, you could end up being removed from the study. But patients’ health and safety come first. Patients are closely monitored throughout clinical trials.

Inspector Sargunam was a good cop and a highly intelligent one at that and he knew when to pick on and work on cues and tics of a person he was talking to and regardless of the person being good or bad or just an innocent passerby and witness.

But then this was not just a case concerning a crime that had taken place in a temple, deemed state property and also which fell under AMASR Act and also a case concerning attempted murder. This was a case which concerned his Master and his guide and that too in the matters of the heart.

There was no doubt about it that Gayatri was a very beautiful woman but there was something more to her than that. Guna was after all one of his Master's finest pupils and so had been touched and graced by him. A great teacher is not one who just stands there in the classroom droning monotonously from the given syllabus textbook but one who teaches from the book of life itself. A good teacher is one who opens all the doors and windows of the mind and soul and who guides his or her students on to a rich and productive life. Productive not for one's own gains but for the world in large.

His master Ravi Kumar had always stressed that education and knowledge were but tips of the visible portion of an iceberg and that real education was all about the mind and the control of it and which made up 70 per cent of the unseen iceberg that lay submerged under the ocean's water.

It was that difference, the kindness and guidance that had led almost all students of the school to achieve great things for themselves and for the world at large.

Inspector Sargunam held close to his soul one particular memory about his Master Ravi and which had happened in their final semester and just weeks before their 12th std public exams.

He had stood with his hands folded across his chest in his trademark white shirt and grey coloured pants and had looked at all of them with that familiar look that they were very familiar with and had known and felt from the time they could remember and it was the look that had been given by their mother and father's loving eyes.

' Children, We all know that life is a race and in the end that there will be places and rankings that will start from first to last ' and then pausing had looked at all of them with his kind but sad eyes, smiled that gentle but powerful smile and had continued, ' but they don't matter for me for I will never judge you by your scores and ranks. I will judge you only by the amount of effort you have put in. Please, don't let your results get to you' and pausing again gazed at all of them and said, ' not just in your exams but the tests that each of you will face in your life.'

Then he had looked at all of them and had drenched them with that light and love that was his very own and had said something that had stuck with him to this very moment and would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Master sir had said, ' You will remain my students, my children, until the end and I will be here, right here in and around this school for each and every one of you and ready to help you when you come asking for it. So, all the very best and go ahead and prepare with confidence for all your exams.'

His training to become a police officer had taught him one very significant lesson and which was never to become emotional or judgemental when dealing with a case and never to have any preconceived notions about statements and yet he forgot that golden lesson and erred when he looked at Gayatri and deviated from the topic, case on hand.

' Ma'am, you look like a lady who is from North India and yet here you are down south visiting small villages like this Kumarapalayan. What brings you here?'

The question was a casual and rather innocuous one and asked in a gentle tone and yet he saw shutters slamming shut in Gayatri's eyes and realized that the woman was not just a good looking specimen but a highly intelligent one at that and also absolutely fearless.

She had exhibited that in the very first moment by questioning the way he and the other officers had entered the cabin and had also sarcastically reprimanded them for it and she did it again.

' Inspector, North, south, town, city or village. How does it concern your investigation of where I am from? she countered and brilliantly.

Smiling politely in an attempt to disarm her aggression and in an attempt to make her let her guard down, Inspector Sargunam replied, ' True. But, I have learnt from various experiences that all information is vital and useful, regardless of the context it is asked in?'

Gayatri nodded and reached for her handbag and took out what looked like a laminated card and held it up and said, ' I am a freelance photographer and journalist working for all the major English dailies. Will this information do or do you want me to make some calls which will affirm my identity?'

Stalemate. A situation in which further action or progress by opposing or competing parties seems impossible.

1. I bought some shoes from a drug dealer. I don't know what he laced them with, but I've been tripping all day.

2. My girlfriend told me she was leaving me because I keep pretending to be a Transformer. I said, "No, wait! I can change."

3. Thanks for explaining the word "many" to me, it means a lot.

4. Don't trust atoms, they make up everything.

5. Doctor, there's a patient on line 1 who says he's invisible. Well, tell him I can't see him right now."

6. My girlfriend said, "You act like a detective too much. I want to split up." "Good idea," I replied. "We can cover more ground that way."

7. I saw an ad. for burial plots and thought to myself.. this is the last thing I need!

8. I had a neck brace fitted years ago and I've never looked back since.

9. What's the difference of deer nuts and beer nuts? Beer nuts are a $1.75, but deer nut are under a buck.

10. Claustrophobic people are more productive thinking out of the box.

11. eBay is so useless. I tried to look up lighters and all they had was 13,749 matches.

12. I got a new pair of gloves today, but they're both 'lefts' which, on the one hand, is great, but on the other, it's just not right.

13. Police have arrested the World tongue-twister Champion. I imagine he'll be given a tough sentence.

14. Most people are shocked when they find out how bad I am as an electrician.

15. With great reflexes comes great response ability.

Vaanathai Pola 411

Raman's face went blank hearing Azhagan say, ' Heaven and hell ' and staring at the syringe and the corners of his lips lifted in a subtle, nearly imperceptible smile and said, ' Life in two words.'

Azhagan nodded, ' It was, It is and will always be Heaven and hell ' and looked pointedly at his mobile and realizing that they were running out of time, Raman quickly sent the photos of the Biological weapon that had just been microwaved to both Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's mobile phone and Brigadier Sooryanarayanan's phone and then called the Brigadier's phone.

' Raman, wtf is going on in there, man. You said just one word, " Bioterrorism" and took off and I have been waiting here and my heart is just about ready to explode. WTF is going on in there. Is there a bomb? Is there a threat? Talk to me, soldier?'

Raman said it softly, slowly and yet it felt like thunder.

' You know what your problem is, Brigadier. You talk too much. For now, shut the f..k up and listen to what I have to say. I mean it and I am trusting you to do whatever I want you to do.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan's was by nature an aggressive person and also a bit of a bully. This had served him well all his life in the army and outside of it in the real world. Most people back off from confrontations with aggressive people and the few who did not, knew better than to confront a large army guy who looked like he could kill a man using just one arm. But one man, a civilian had taken him on and had toyed with him like a cat toys with a tiny insect. That man was Raman and that brief test of strength had been when the Brigadier was on a war path after being informed of his daughter poornima's murder. Raman back then had been a civilian. An advocate. But now he was at the helm of all affairs concerning national security through R&AW and also happened to be close with the Prime minister and the defence Minister. Now, with V.K.Singh gone, Raman would be the first if not the only choice of the Central Cabinet. But that was acceptable for Brigadier Sooryanarayanan knew Raman to be honest, kind, ruthless and a gentleman who kept his word. So, he quietly listened as Raman spoke and in the end, managed a panic filled sentence. " f..k, man, I hope you know what you are doing? If what you have just told me is true, then you must surely know that they will be waiting for you. Why? Why Raman? Why are you placing yourself in danger? Raman whispered ' somebody has to do the job and since I have been chosen, I have to do it.' What Raman said next broke the Brigadier's heart. " Brigadier, in case I don't make it, I want you to know that I respect you tremendously and trust you as much as I trust my boss. Sorry, trusted my late boss. So, hold the fort and watch over me while I am there. Bye.' Brigadier Sooryanarayanan tried and managed a reply, ' all the best, my son ' but it was not heard for the call was disconnected. Defence Minister sat staring at his phone, staring in horror and fear at the photos Raman had sent him and whispered those now immortal words whispered by an old man as he took his final breaths. " hey Ram."

For more info about that first meeting between Raman and the Brigadier, pls follow this link that will take us back to Jannal oram. https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/sensational-south/4919631/from-and-to-sathish-thread-4?pn=60

Avan, Aval, Adhu 103

Inspector Sargunam stared at the ID card and changed tack. Flashing a smile full of respect and awe, ' Oh, so you are a journalist. Good for you ma'am.'

Gayatri did not need her cameras and their zoom lenses to home into the Inspector's eyes for eyes and lenses only see, capture images but the processing is done backdoors and deep in the darkroom of the brain.

While she was processing Inspector Sargunam, she too smiled a thin, barely concealed smile of frustration and irritation and having made up her mind about him, Gayatri looked at him, ' You must be, what, 27 or 28 years old, Inspector. So, just out of the academy, then.'

One of the most important lessons that Inspector Sargunam had learnt from his Master was to never be over-confident and underestimate another person's intelligence. The same lesson had been instilled in him by his police academy faculty members.

' There is always somebody who is smarter than you. There will always be that super smart criminal who will get away doing crimes and there will be nothing you can do about it. You win some. Lose some. It is all about percentages. If you can solve 7 out of 10 murders, it means you are doing a great job. So, remember to stay calm, cool and allow leeway to the criminal and give a lot of rope to a witness and wait patiently. For, eventually, they will hang themselves by that leeway and rope you gave them and confess to their crimes.'

' Yes, ma'am. A year and a half in official duty.'

' You carry yourself well. Your eyes speak both of intelligence, patience and discipline which is sadly lacking in our nation's police and other security departments.' Sipping her coffee, ' so, why become an Inspector and why not an IPS, IFS or an IAS officer?'

Guna nodded his head in full acknowledgement at Gayatri's observation, ' I have been asked that question many times over the past three years and my answer to most has been another one. But to you ma'am, I am going to be honest.'

Leaning back and making himself comfortable, Inspector Sargunam said, ' Becoming an officer in any one of those departments would have meant posting in another state and my family situation was such that I could not afford to do that at the time. My mother's poor health and then getting married to please her meant that I needed to stay put here in Madurai. Then, there is my wife's job situation with the local Registrar's office.'

Gayatri smiled and it was a smile from her soul. Full of respect, beauty and trust and leaning forward to place her empty cup on the table, she said, ' My instincts about you were right. You are a good and kind person.'

' How did you come to that conclusion, ma'am?'

' By your honesty and the trust that you placed in me by telling me about your family. Who am I, Inspector? Just a witness and more or less a stranger.'

' ' Stranger. No, ma'am. Nobody is a stranger for everyone comes and goes with a reason and a purpose. Our lives are all connected and cannot be gauged by the time spent between those connections. There are so many we know and live with all our lives and yet we know so little about them and then again, there are some people we meet just once or twice and they leave thinking that we have known them all our lives and maybe in our previous lives too.'

Gayatri froze for a second as her mind processed what she had just heard and instantly remembered hearing the same words from another person. A person who filled her soul and every cell of her being. The very person she was going up to Kodai to meet and here was this Inspector speaking the very same words.

Leaning back, Gayatri smiled at him in a very friendly manner and it was clear to Inspector Sargunam that she was visibly more relaxed now than in the first moments of their meeting.

Thinking that a bridge of rapport and trust had been created between them, he confidently dived in with another probing question.

' Ma'am, I guess you finished shooting in Kumarapalayam and are now off to Kodaikanal to shoot there too. This person, that teacher is helping you, or maybe acting as your guide while you are there, I suppose.'

Gayatri smiled and her eyes twinkled and most who knew her well would have understood that she was up to no good. For, that look usually meant that she was going to play a prank on someone around her.

Much and Little

For many years now, I have been trying to get through all greatest creations of my favourite western classical composers and have failed. Miserably. Why? So much music to listen to but so little time to do that. No, I am not talking out lifetime but daily time. Time alone for things that warm the cockles of our soul.

So, I settled for the greatest works, hits rather than collections and I confess I am doing better with this path. Thank you.

Sometimes, we actors share stuff about passions, dreams and how the mini breaks between shootings went and I get to hear declarations such as these, ' Oh, God. So boring to be at home.Nothing to do.'

My eyeballs popped out. Better them popping out than the person's balls who I wanted to kick out in anger. But, the sweet, cherubic me, smiled innocently and asked in a polite tone, ' You don't read?'

' No sir. All that in school and college.'

' I mean books.'

' no sir. Never cultivated that habit. Should start someday.'

My urgent need transferred from kicking him in his cojones for his face looked bigger and inviting and a much better target. But, with a very concerned priest like look on my face, I continued.

' Watch tv?'

' No sir. very boring.'

' What about movies, web series? Lots of good ones that you can watch and maybe it will help you in your acting skills.'

' Movies. Bad sir. Bull shit.'

The large scissors within my reach beckoned me with its open sharpness and whispered, ' stab him in his stupid gob, satish.'

But, I did not and instead wearing that look a penguin will wear if it is suddenly uprooted from Antarctica and placed in the Sahara, I very politely enquired, so what did you do these past days. Surely, you must have done something.'

He smiled happily, ' I did sir. I ate from morning to evening. Slept all day. Went to the Mall and hung around there.'

I nodded sagely, ' Good for you. So, it was all good and worth it, right.'

' No sir. Boring and I put on some weight with all that food and booze.'

Okay. Answer me honestly. Don't you want to join me in kicking him in his .... and slapping him silly.

So much to do but so little time and that time too is running out for it is just days before we enter 2022.

In the end, I slapped myself and swore angrily, ' So little time and you have spent a bit of it on negative thoughts and negative people.'

What to do, spending positive on negative does have its dividends like Ego, Arrogance, superiority complex.

Holy Jesus! That means, that means, me and that cuckoo are the same on some level.

That hurts badly. But then, holding a mirror to yourself, Meaning moral compass mirror does hurt for truth is painful.

WTF. did life knee me in my cojones.

Yes, satish. It did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k02LW8oDc4