From & To Sathish #5 - Page 42

Vaanathai Pola 425

It might not make a lot of sense but the word balance is a very important one. No, I am not here to talk about the bank balance. But balance that concerns harmony. Sorry, it also means making time for all that is important for your well being of both body and mind. Balancing, your work life with home life along with spending quality time with your family and friends and yes, with yourself. It is a bit of a tough task and a big ask of one's resources but if one does even attempt to live a balanced life then they reap the dividends.

Come, take these hands of my mind and let us venture into the human body. Let us venture deep into the gut area and you will see balance coming into play there too. A balance between good viruses and bad viruses and between good and bad bacteria.

No matter how well you wash, nearly every nook and cranny of your body is covered in microscopic creatures.

This includes bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The greatest concentration of this microscopic life is in the dark murky depths of our oxygen-deprived bowels.

More than half your body is not human. Originally it was thought our cells were outnumbered 10 to one. That number has been refined and the current estimate is that you and I are about 43% human. But genetically we're even more outgunned.

The human genome - the full set of genetic instructions for a human being - is made up of 20,000 instructions called genes. But add all the genes in our microbiome together and the figure comes out between two and 20 million microbial genes. What makes us human is the combination of our own DNA, plus the DNA of our gut microbes.

Viruses are mostly known for their aggressive and infectious nature. It's true, most viruses have a pathogenic relationship with their hosts – meaning they cause diseases ranging from a mild cold to serious conditions like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). They work by invading the host cell, taking over its cellular machinery and releasing new viral particles that go on to infect more cells and cause illness.

But they're not all bad. Some viruses can actually kill bacteria, while others can fight against more dangerous viruses. So like protective bacteria (probiotics), we have several protective viruses in our body. Modern technology has enabled us to understand more about the complexities of the microbial communities that are part of the human body. In addition to good bacteria, we now know there are beneficial viruses present in the gut, skin and even blood.

Some viruses we come across protect humans against infection by other pathogenic viruses.

For example, herpes viruses can help human natural killer cells identify cancer cells and cells infected by other pathogenic viruses. They arm the natural killer cells with antigens that will enable them to identify tumour cells.

But then you have some real nasty bacteria and viruses that can cripple the entire human civilization or worse end it once and for all. Perhaps the scariest numbers in microbiology relate to pathogenic microorganisms. Worldwide, 16 million people die from infectious diseases every year, and many of these deaths are preventable. Approximately one in every 12 individuals, or 500 million people worldwide, is living with chronic viral hepatitis, and the estimated number of new chlamydial infections per year is approximately 50 million, more than the population of South Korea. The bacterium Clostridium botulinum produces a toxin so potent that 3 grams would be enough to kill the population of the United Kingdom and 400 grams would kill everyone on the planet.

I have been called by many names. But, I like the name that my blind mother used to call me. I must have been two or three years old when I asked her what my name meant to her and why she had named me with that particular name and not something else that was in vogue at that time.

' Azhagu means beautiful and you are both beautiful inside and outside, my child' she had replied and he had asked her, ' Mother, but you can't see me. You have been blind from the time you were born and yet..'

She had taken his left hand and placing it on her chest, had said, ' I feel you here and I sense you all around me, Azhaga. One does not see with just the two eyes but also by sensing and feeling the world through its auras.'

It has been nearly 700 years since that fateful and tragic night when my mother was murdered on the mountain of Perumalvaram.

To the world, he appeared as Lieutenant Palaniappan, a member of the nation's most elite squad of the army. An army commando belonging to the bomb disposal squad that also doubled as part of the Hostage rescue team in matters of hijacking.

But then only a handful exist and have existed that know of his existence and who or what he is and what he is capable of.

I see more than others. More a lot more of this world than humans can and I also see it differently when the need arises. I hear more and much more than what humans can and I can hear people's thoughts as clearly as one can hear when they speak.

I am Azhagan. I am mostly human and mostly, of another kind.

Azhagan and Buddha did not take their eyes off the Doctor who stood cowering and with his hands raised in protest and defence. Their eyes did not waver a bit from the threat the doctor posed and even as their ears filled with the presence of other armed commandos arriving in their aid along with Brigadier Sooryarayanan and Major Param from Chakravyuh.

By this time, the passengers from the quarantine area had been ushered off to safety and the lone doctor stood with his eyes wide open in fear but also in defiance that was seen and felt only by Azhagan and Buddha.

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan barked loudly in his own unique way and asked, ' What is going on here soldier?'

Lieutenant Palaniappan's eyes stayed fixed on the doctor while the gun in his hands stayed steady in its aim and he replied, ' The dog has smelt something.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan's senses went on full alert for it had been just a little more than an hour since Raman had courageously stepped forward and destroyed a bomb that was biological in nature and had then fallen prey to some of the deadly pathogens that had been released. In his last conscious effort before he had slipped away, he had handed over the reins to him and had requested him to do the best.

For all his barking and loud behaviour, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan had always been a true patriot who believed in honesty, discipline and bravery and an army man through and through.

There was a saying in the business of spies and enemies that was well known to him. Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is enemy action."

It was a quote he had read in a James Bond novel, many decades ago and recollecting it, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan's instincts screamed and warned him to be on high alert.

He barked into his mic that was stuck to his collar, ' This is Brigadier Sooryanarayanan speaking. Team leaders can you hear me?'

' Yes, sir' they all replied in a huge chorus.

' Round up all medical personnel immediately and check for anything suspicious on them or in their belongings. Use our dog teams while you conduct your search.'

He turned and glared at the doctor who stood surrounded by him and all the other commandos and again spoke into the mic, ' listen to me very carefully and I mean it. If anybody tries to resist or tries something suspicious, shoot without hesitation and shoot to kill. Am I clear, soldiers?'

' Yes, sir. We hear you loud and clear. Over and out sir.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan glared at the doctor, ' Sir, this could be a huge mistake but then given the scenario we are all in right now, I am sorry but I trust the dog more than you. So, please, tell me why our dog is barking at you?'

The doctor shook his head in confusion and with eyes full of fear, stuttered, ' I am innocent and I have no idea what is going on here.'

Azhagan who had taken the form of Lieutenant Palaniappan whispered in Buddha's mind, ' What is it, my friend? What have you found?'

Buddha's reply was a whine and it left Azhagan seething with rage, and he spread his senses deep into the doctor and read his mind.

Doctor Venkatesh was a senior research member of Kings Institute and was part of the team that were the first ones to respond to the biological threat that Chennai airport was facing. The distance between Guindy where Kings Institute was situated and to the airport was just five km and they had been the first respondents to the distress call.

Doctor Venkatesh's lips lied as he protested to Brigadier Sooryanarayanan, ' I am a senior doctor with nearly 35 years experience in the field of medicine and I am being questioned for what, because a dog is barking? Do you realize the ramifications of this act of you and your team, Brigadier?'

His lips lied but his mind whispered the truth and Azhagan read them and heard them loud and clear.

He growled to Brigadier Sooryanarayanan, ' Sir, the man is lying. My dog is not.'

Doctor Venkatesh smiled in anger and spoke with sarcasm, ' Brigadier, I am sure you have heard of the B. C. Roy Award that is given out every year by the President of India.'

' Yes, doctor. I am aware of that and I also know that it is the highest honour that is given to a doctor in India.'

Doctor Venkatesh smiled, ' I am glad that you are aware of those facts for I have been given that awards twice and yet you and your men have me surrounded and are talking to me like a common criminal.'

Azhagan knew that something bad was going to happen and then the doctor's thoughts came across loud and clear to him.

Doctor Venkatesh knew that he was running out of time and that he had to get the job done or worse die, trying to do it.

He looked at the brigadier and said, ' I am an old man and so, holding up my hand is tiring, to say the least. Let me sit down, Brigadier and we can talk in leisure.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan nodded, ' Sit down, doctor while I sort this issue out ' and then turned to Lieutenant Palaniappan, ' Soldier, are you sure that your dog has not made a mistake here?'

Azhagan shook his head and answered, ' No sir. I am very sure.'

Then what he was waiting and hoping would happen, happened. For while they were talking, he saw Dr Venkatesh's right hand slowly move towards the blue box that was on the table and then two things happened.

Azhagan squeezed the trigger on his assault rifle and at the same moment, Buddha leapt forward with his jaws wide open and clenched down on Dr Venkatesh's arm and pulled him to the ground but not before the bullet from Azhagan's gun found the doctor's heart.

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

Idho, idho, chennaiye mazhai neeril moozhgi kidanthathu. Corona vyathiyil neenthi thindadi kondirunthathu. Diwali vanthathu, pinnadiye christmas vanthathu. Avai irandai pudhu varudam thurathi kondu vanthathu. Maargazhi kaalam, pani kottum kaalam. Marangal ellam Pachai aadaiyai maatri sottaiyaga, mottaiyaga, sigappum manchalum kalantha kolathil nirkindrana. Thoorathu sooriyanin sivandha kann edho solgirathu. Kann simittum neram naan meendum kodaiyaga varuven. Idho, idho, oorengum " pongalo pongal " endru ellorum koovi kondirunthanar. Mazhai poyitru. Maargazhiyum poyitru. Pazha pona corona innum poga marukirathe. En seiven. En solven. Manadhil pattathu. Uthadu munu mununthathu. Pagirnthu konden.

Avan, Aval, Adhu 116

Devotion by Robert Frost

“The heart can think of no devotion

Greater than being shore to the ocean-

Holding the curve of one position,

Counting an endless repetition.”

Words become just that, mere words when among friends and in the presence of love.

Words are boats and vessels of sound waves and are not needed when like and love minded souls are united as one.

Words remain words and notes and compositions of the sounds of your soul but when even the way you breathe becomes a language, then words and wispy whispers become a non-entity.

For when in love and even more when among friends who love you then there is no need to speak words as even silences become meaningful poems.

A thousand " I love you's " will be forgotten, and they will fade into the cobweb filled rooms of time passages but a smile filled with a warm glow, a tender hug, a gentle touch or even a kind look with eyes that whisper " I see you " will remain. Remnants of good times and ghosts of good memories.

Ravi clapped and let lose a whistle that was so loud that both Partha and Daksha hurriedly covered their ears fearing for their drums.

His forehead furrowed slightly in recollection while his eyes searched the air for a clue, and his lips mumbled as they declared, ' I have heard that song before. I am very sure about it but I remember it being sung by a lady.'

Partha nodded, ' Yes, this song was written and sung originally by Carole king and then covered by her friend James Taylor and both went on to win Grammys for it.'

Ravi clapped his hands loudly and declared happily, ' Partha, I have no Grammys to give you but I can do one thing and which is fill your glass with more drink.'

' A drink will suffice, Ravi and right now, I will take that over a grammy or even a Nobel Prize.'

After Ravi had finished fixing him a drink, Partha picked up his glass and said, ' Nothing can compare or even come close to this moment, which I think is far more precious and valuable than all the wealth in the world.'

Ravi and Daksha nodded and all three touched glasses and toasted each other.

Partha looked at Ravi with affection and said, ' Dei, master. Just relax and stay here as long as you want. If you are worried about your mother, don't, for I can send my driver to pick her up and bring her here and then there will be nothing to worry about. Okay, da.'

Daksha joined in and said, ' Ravi, stay here as long as you want.'

Ravi thanked both of them and said, ' I am not too sure about mother because the Kodai cold will really mess up her knees and joints. I will ask her if she wants to but after a few days after I have gathered my thoughts.'

Daksha worriedly asked him, ' Ravi, is everything all right? Any problems in the village?'

Shaking his head, Ravi said, ' No. No problems Ducks.'

Parthiban enquired as to how the school was doing and Ravi spoke a bit about it and then Daksha asked him eagerly, ' Ravi, are you still taking the kids out to the small lake?'

But for those who loved him dearly and whom he loved in return, everyone else would have missed the darkness that ran across his eyes, clouding but for a brief, very brief moment. It was like those dark clouds that threaten, tease and promise to bring rains in the hottest of the summer months and then vanish into the ether. Here now and gone the next moment.

But both of them had seen it and felt it and Partha looked at him with eyes full of concern, ' What is it, Ravi? Did something happen near the lake?'

Ravi did not reply and Daksha unable to take the suspense, reached forward and grabbed his hand and said his name, ' Ravi. Ravi Kumar. Are you okay, da? Has something happened?'

Ravi nodded and said, ' Something happened, a terrible accident but she intervened and jumped in.'

It was as if he was suddenly transported back in time and he saw Partha, Daksha and Kodai recede to the corners of his vision and his thoughts and his eyes and heart were filled with the lake and the sudden piercing beam of light that broke through the clouds and raced into the lake's depths.

' It was as if the very sun along with the Guardian God of my village were trying to guide me to where she had slowly descended in the lake and there she lay like a mermaid that is fast asleep.'

' Ravi, Ravi, dei Ravi, what are blabbering da. What mermaid?' Partha asked in a loud voice and Ravi opened his already

wide-open eyes and said, ' Gayatri, Gayatri da Partha. I am talking about Gayatri who nearly drowned trying to save the children.'

Daksha got up from the sofa in which she and Partha were sitting in and came and sat next to Ravi who glanced at her wondering why she was suddenly sitting next to him but kept quiet about it.

Daksha smiled and gently tugged Ravi's jacket and said, ' Your highness, can I have your full attention please?'

Ravi hated being called that and so he let loose a growl and mimicked a wild beast by lifting his lips and exposing his molars.

Daksha mockingly whimpered and said, ' Ravi, I surrender. But, please help us out here and tell us what is going on with you. Who is this Gayatri and why did you call her a mermaid?

Partha went one step further and asked his best friend an even stranger question. ' Ravi, how are you feeling da? Do you wanna lie down for some time?'

Ravi looked at Partha as if he had suddenly transformed into an alien and asked, ' What the bloody hell and what's with your silly questions and why the heck would I want to lie down and that too when we are having a jolly good time?

Partha looked lost and searched Daksha's eyes for an answer and finding none turned to Ravi and said, ' I don't know but you kind of lost us there for a minute and it looked like you were lost yourself and then you mentioned mermaid and a name of a woman and that's why I kind of.......'

Ravi turning to Daksha, ' Ducks, you silly bird, that's why you are here sitting in such close proximity and invading my air space.'

' Yes, Ravi. You had both of us worried there for a second and .....'

' Guys, please, I am perfectly okay and there is nothing wrong with me' and taking a sip from his glass, smiled and said, ' A woman, a lady has come visiting Kumarapalayam. Her name is Gayatri.'

It was not the way his lips said it but the way his eyes said it. There is a language that is meant for speech. There is a language meant for sight and touch. It is the language of love.

You can feel that, taste that, touch that and know it is the touch of love and I think a human soul can experience it when truly loved by another and when in the presence of that which we call, God.

You can say, " I love you" and think it is done. In the end, there is no such thing as love and happiness for true and pure ecstasy cannot be properly defined and encapsulated.

I have mentioned this many a time over the last 15 to 16 years of my posting in this forum. We are broken pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and we become whole and feel complete when we meet another piece that fills our jagged edges and in turn, we fill them and complete them.

It is like we were travelling and then we come to a point and become one in the circle of life.

Vaanathai Pola 426

The word hero comes from the Greek word heros which literally means "protector" or "defender" and a demi-God. A demi-god is one who possesses more power than a mortal being but is not quite a god. The word was first used in the 14th century to describe men of superhuman strength or physical courage, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

A person who is marked by others as a hero is totally oblivious to it. They go about their life in both personal and public in a perfect manner and remain disciplined and honest every moment they are awake or asleep.

I have been hailed as a hero, a saviour and a divine guardian who descended on Perumalvaram from the skies by its villagers. I have never been comfortable with the names given to me and always brushed them aside. But, there have been times when I have stood in the center as a rallying point and have assumed leadership and have bent my head in acceptance when hailed by several names that I leave to their lips who have followed me and whose descendants to this day have stayed in Perumalvaram. My story is more than 700 years old although it goes further back into time. But then that story is for another time in the future.

I am known as Pakalon,Maasilan,Kathiravan,Meykandan,Koman,Nikaran and they all mean one thing. The king of all kings.

But, I prefer the name Azhagan that my blind mother Avini bestowed on me. Her name means inseparable and it is true in a real and eternal way. For her blood and genes are what make up my body to a certain level and which means that she lives on in me.

Hearing is the process by which the ear transforms sound vibrations in the external environment into nerve impulses that are conveyed to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds.In order for a sound to be transmitted to the central nervous system, the energy of the sound undergoes three transformations. First, the air vibrations are converted to vibrations of the tympanic membrane and ossicles of the middle ear. These in turn become vibrations in the fluid within the cochlea. Finally, the fluid vibrations set up travelling waves along the basilar membrane that stimulate the hair cells of the organ of Corti. These cells convert the sound vibrations to nerve impulses in the fibres of the cochlear nerve, which transmits them to the brainstem, from which they are relayed, after extensive processing, to the primary auditory area of the cerebral cortex, the ultimate centre of the brain for hearing. Only when the nerve impulses reach this area does the listener become aware of the sound.

A sound's loudness is measured in decibels (dB). Normal conversation is about 60 dB, a lawnmower is about 90 dB, and a loud rock concert is about 120 dB. In general, sounds above 85 are harmful, depending on how long and how often you are exposed to them and whether you wear hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs. effects of noise on hearing vary among people. Some people's ears are more sensitive to loud sounds, especially at certain frequencies. But any sound that is loud enough and lasts long enough can damage hearing and lead to hearing loss.

The noise that an assault rifle makes when fired can be anywhere between 140 to 220 dB and it depends on the model.

Azhagan pulled the trigger on his M4 carbine assault rifle at the same time Buddha moved as both of them had sensed the Doctor's thoughts. The noise that an M4 carbine rifle makes is measured as 156 dB which is louder than thunder and can cause temporary hearing damage at close quarters. Army commandos almost always wear hearing protection when in battle or other encounters but had not followed that protocol in the given situation in Chennai's International Airport.

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan who was about five feet away from Azhagan jumped out of his skin in fear and on hearing the shot being fired and his ears ringing and with eyes wide open he saw Dr Venkatesh clutch his chest and slowly sink to the ground.

He lost it as he always did and his anger got the better of him, and when anger rules, reasoning and decision-making skills go out flying through the window. Along with them also goes out the ability to read cues and read and sense danger and when it is nearly too late.

His lips cursing filth, he turned on Azhagan who had taken the form of Lieutenant Palaniappan and began to abuse him, ' WTF is wrong with you. Moron, idiot. Are you blind and deaf? I was talking to him and had the situation under control you motherf..ker....'

Before he could finish his filthy cursings, Buddha who was in the form of a German Shepherd Bomb-sniffing dog turned and pounced on Brigadier Sooryanarayanan and pushing him to the ground stood with his paws on his chest and with his huge jaws wide open in a snarl.

All the other army commandos stared at each other not knowing what to do and yet to a man, their loyalties secretly lay with their fellow soldiers both man and canine.

Azhagan growled, ' stay alert soldiers and keep looking for any suspicious activities. I repeat shoot first and ask questions later.'

Then he slowly walked up to his superior and stood staring down at him.

Then Azhagan whispered, ' Buddha, back off. It is okay.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan was a loud man. If there was a word that can best describe him, then loud is one and over the top is another. But, then that would belittle a career army man who in his life had seen and won many a tough battle and several single-handed combat ones where he had killed with his bare hands. Here lay a man under the jaws of a large and a very angry dog and yet his hands slowly crept for his Glock automatic that was holstered on his left hip.

Azhagan read his mind even before the hands moved and now spoke as Lieutenant Palaniappan whose form he was using to warn Brigadier Sooryanarayanan. ' Don't do that, please. You will be dead before you know it.'

With eyes seething and burning in anger for being put down by a dog and then told to stay put by his own subordinate and that too in front of the other soldiers was too much humiliation for Brigadier Sooryanarayanan and he yelled loudly, ' I hope you realize that this is the end for both of you. I will personally see to it that this dog becomes fish food and as for your career, kiss it goodbye you dumb f..ker.'

Azhagan went deep into the older man's thoughts and finding a chink in his armour smiled, and said, ' Okay. But not before I kick your a..e in front of everybody right here.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan burst out laughing and said, ' Challenge accepted but first get this rabid animal off me and then we will see whose ar.e gets all the kicking.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan stood nearly 6.3 in his army boots and at 56 had the body and strength of a 30 year old man while Lieutenant Palaniappan stood at a height of 5.8 and was physically a bit stout and bulky for his age. A total mismatch on paper.

But then, it was Azhagan who stood in the form of Lieutenant Palaniappan while the real and original person lay fast asleep along with his dog in a place where he had been placed carefully.

He whispered to his friend in a way that only he understood and Buddha slowly backed away and looked at Azhagan and winked and then slowly settled down on the ground to watch what was going to happen although he knew very well what was going to transpire.

Brigader Sooryanarayanan got to his feet and stood glaring menacingly at the junior officer who had dared to challenge him. In a way, he was happy for this moment for he needed to free himself of his rage and also repair the damage that had been done by that stupid dog that had pushed him down and had the balls to stand over him and growl at him.

He threw a glance at the large German Shepherd and said, ' maybe I will make a bathroom mat out of you, you foolish mutt.'

Buddha opened his jaws wide and yawned and looked at Brigadier Sooryanarayanan and thought, ' Men and mice and castles of sand built on air.'

There are no rules once a fight has been accepted and Brigadier Sooryanarayanan, a sly fox and a grandmaster in one and one combats took the chance and charged.

He chose to launch his attack with a charge and at the exact moment, Azhagan turned his head and whispered to Buddha, ' Open your mind and throw your senses and keep searching for more dangers. The bomb on the plane was not an accident and whatever the late doctor was planning was not just a coincidence. There could be other evil ones out there and we might just run out of time.'

At this very moment that Azhagan was speaking to Buddha's mind, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan decided to attack and charged like a wild bull at the man who had dared challenge him.

But the man he thought was a man was not a man at all and something very different.

For he is The boy who went into the dark and came back as light.

He is Kavin, who had stood alone and had killed four of the mightiest giant warriors and brothers of Moorkan in the battle with Rajendra Cholan.

He is Azhagan son of Avini. He is the light that has travelled from the stars. He is the last light of a race that has wandered from a distant galaxy millions of years ago.

He is Heaven and he is Hell.

Avan, Aval, Adhu 117

The way you speak about someone for whom you feel something, anything is different from the way you speak normally. They could be extreme opposites like love and hate and yet, our passions froth, erupt and display themselves through the sounds our mouths make, through our eyes and maybe if observed closely then through our entire body.

Daksha leaned back saying ' Oh ' and Parthiban leaned forward with an ' Uh oh' and Ravi looked at both of them with a smile and resumed his staring duties at the fire that crackled on

Parthiban after waiting patiently for a few minutes slapped Ravi hard on his shoulder and said, ' You bloody dog, you think you can get away with just a name. If you don't start talking right now, I swear, I will kick your arse all the way down to Kumarapalayam and force you to introduce us to this lady called Gayatri.'

Daksha gently patted Partha and said, ' Babe, chill man. Give him some space and time to breathe and open up leisurely.'

Partha clenching his fists in frustration said, ' Do you realize what is going on here? Do you understand the magnitude of this epic moment, wifey?'

Pointing to Ravi, ' This is the first time that he has spoken of a woman other than.....' Partha said excitedly and happily and then emptying his drink in one gulp, he slammed it on the table and continued, ' 25 years. I have waited for 25 fu..ing years for this moment and you want me to give this idiot space and time. No way, Ducks. No way.'

Ravi looked at Partha, ' Dei, stop it da. Don't get so worked up and emotional over someone who is just visiting the village to shoot a few pics of the ancient ruins nearby.'

' Don't lie you sly dog. I know you very well' Partha countered and cutting him off stared at Ravi and said, ' This lady is not just any other woman and leaning forward, he grabbed Ravi's chin and looked right into his eyes, ' You can wear all the masks you want and hide from the world but not from me. So quit stalling for time and spill your guts, you idiot.' and pouring a large drink for himself, he yelled, ' This is huge. This calls for a celebration.'

Ravi looked at Partha as if he was seeing him for the first time and asked, ' Why did you use the word lady and that too twice when you don't know anything about her?'

Partha's expression said it all but he said it anyway, in words ' Ravi, my wife means the world to me and after that, I have only you to call my own. You are one of the most honourable, decent and kindest persons that I have had the privilege to have met in this life' and waving his hands in the air like a magician trying to vanish something, ' and no, I am not even including that moment when you saved my life by carrying me on your shoulders through that field. I am just referring to the way you conduct yourself in all matters and how you have helped hundreds, maybe thousands of children, students reach their goals and attain their dreams.'

Turning to Daksha, ' baby, give me one name, one name of someone who can compare to my friend Ravi. My master Ravi Kumar. '

Daksha shook her head and shrugged her shoulders and Partha turned to Ravi, ' In a world full of evil and sins and sinners who dwell and thrive in places of worship preaching the name of God, you are an angel, a light. I have not heard you say a lady's name or speak about any other woman in these past 25 years, in the same manner, you spoke about Gayatri. If you speak about her in a certain way then it means that she is somebody special. Somebody worth knowing and somebody's friendship worth having.'

Taking a deep breath, he sighed and asked, ' Am I right, brother?'

Ravi smiled and replied, ' You are right, brother and are always right when it comes to me. But....' he dragged and Partha glared at him and said, ' I am going to whack you, I really mean it. So stop testing my patience.'

Ravi surrendered with a smile and spoke and told them all that had taken place from the moment Gayatri had come visiting Kumarapalayam. But, as was in his nature, he carefully left out the details of the two kisses that he had shared with her and the important bit of feeling something for her.

Daksha clapped her hands loudly and yelled, ' Wow! A real hero. Awesome.'

Partha asked Ravi in disbelief, ' She jumped into the lake. She just jumped and without any thought about anything and nearly lost her life?'

He shook his head in disbelief and said, ' What an incredible lady? I wish we could have met her just to shake her hand and salute her.'

Ravi staring into the fire, whispered, ' Too late for that for I am sure that she would have returned to Mumbai, her hometown or will soon enough.'

Daksha who was sitting next to Ravi asked him, ' so, that's why you are here. You have run away from home.'

Vaanathai Pola 427

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan was a bully. He had been that, was that and would always remain that. A bully not in the exact sense that we understand today. Yet..

There’s a popular theory about the origin of “bully”: Since bulls are so bullish to riders (and China shops), they must be the source of the word, right? Wrong. The real origin is muddy at best. “Bully” appears to have Dutch and German roots, evolving from words for “lover” and “friend.” Indeed, its earliest meaning was positive. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was “a term of endearment and familiarity, applied to either sex. Later applied to men only, implying friendly admiration: good friend, fine fellow, ‘gallant’.” In the 1600s, the word began branching off into creepier meanings that are closer to today’s bullies. “Bully” started to mean “A blustering ‘gallant’; a bravo, hector, or ‘swash-buckler.’” That sounds very cool and Han Solo-y, but it’s also a step closer to an aggressive bully. Another meaning sounds a little bizarre today: “protector of a prostitute.” Slowly, the word darkened in meaning, “a tyrannical coward who makes himself a terror to the weak."

“Bully” can mean so many things: excluding, teasing, rumour-spreading, harassing, abusing, coercing, online-terrorizing, torturing, and even driving to suicide—or “bullyicide,” as it has been called.

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan had always been a large guy. He was big even as a baby and then grew up fast. He was among the tallest and largest boys right from school to college and then remained that even through the defence academy.

But his height and bulk were never the problems for the source of that lay in his aggressive genes and abundant hormones. So, physical prowess coupled with intelligence, aggression had always come to his aid and so he had gotten by in life, triumphing in the few encounters he had with his superiors and also with his juniors and subordinates. Rumours had it that the top brass had kind of washed their hands of him and were content in playing the waiting game in which at the end would come, his retirement.

There had been two things that had always kept the raging bull in check and they were the two women in his life that he had loved and lost. One his wife and the other, his only child, Poornima Sooryanarayanan. His wife he had lost in a messy divorce and his daughter he had lost when she had been murdered nearly a year ago.

With both gone, the tap that had been leaking now was an open one and the only reason why the dam of his hormones had not broken and flooded the world around him with his madness had been Raman.

Raman, the only man who had stood tall and had taken him on and after toying with him had offered his friendship. He had not stopped with that and had gone on to avenge his daughter Poornima's murder and had killed both the assassin duo who went by the names Gulab and Jamun.

It was the same Raman who now was fighting for his life and who had in his last breath had handed over the reins of this operation to him in trust and friendship.

Volcanoes erupt when molten rock called magma rises to the surface. Magma is formed when the earth's mantle melts. If magma is thick, gas bubbles cannot easily escape and pressure builds up as the magma rises. When the pressure is too much an explosive eruption can happen, which can be dangerous and destructive.

When a dam fails, the huge amount of water impounded upstream is released downstream as a catastrophic flood. If you have a population living downstream, that could mean loss of life, property damage and environmental damage.

At that very moment that Azhagan and Buddha were talking through their minds, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan the wily and sly fox that he was made his move and charged at the man he thought was Lieutenant Palaniappan.

A fight can happen and a victory can be won only when blows are exchanged and one either succumbs or accepts defeat. Brigadier Sooryanarayanan charged with one goal and that was to use his height and bulk to put the man down and then kick the crap out of him.

If they had not seen it with their own eyes then none of the elite commandos standing there would have ever believed that something like that could ever be done. The men who stood there holding their assault rifles were highly trained,both mentally and physically. All of them possessed high Iq's and unlike popular opinions, brains were more important than brawn when it come to their world of action.

Azhagan turned nonchalantly to face the raging Brigadier and thought to himself, ' So predictable and so boring'.

It had taken a second or two for Brigadier Sooryanaryanan to cross the seven to eight feet distance that separated him and Lieutenant Palaniappan and he realized that it was too late for the man had already turned to face him and now raised his right hand.

All of us have seen this scene in a few films and our jaws have dropped in awe and also in disbelief for it is just impossible for an average adult to lift another adult using just one arm and then proceed to hold him there with his feet dangling in the air and many feet above ground.

It is okay to do that in movies for we know that movies are illusions and entertainment and that super feats shown in them cannot be replicated in real life.

Yet, in front of all their eyes stood Lieutenant Palaniappan holding Brigadier Sooryanaryanan in his right hand and the most incredible thing was he was doing it so effortlessly.

Buddha sat there yawning and thought, ' what a showoff! wonder what these people's reactions will be if my lord lifts an elephant over his head?'

Azhagan who stood in the form of Lieutenant Palaniappan stared at Brigadier Sooryanaryanan and said, ' what were Raman's last words to you before collapsing? To hold the fort until his return. Instead, you are still playing that same childish bullying game and are still letting pride and anger rule your head.'

The seconds ticked by and Azhagan stood staring at Brigadier Sooryanaryanan and then he asked, ' Are you worthy of the mission that Raman has requested you handle and complete while he fights for his very life or are you going to continue to play the spoilt child?

His entire life flashed in front of him and he summarized it in just a few words and said, ' I am sorry. Please forgive my horrible behaviour.'

Azhagan slowly placed him on the ground and pointed to the doctor, ' Please, Brigadier sir, Check the doctor and that blue box and then I am ready to face whatever charges you bring against me and am willing to stand trial for my actions.'

Brigadier Sooryanaryanan nodded and slowly walked to where Dr Venkatesh lay dead and began to check his coat pockets and finding something, removed it and raised it so everyone there could see what he had found.

He and the others instantly recognized it and immediately panic began to grip all their minds for it was a tiny remote kind of device and in the given situation that meant a bomb nearby.

The Brigadier turned to Lieutenant Palaniappan aka Azhagan who said, ' yes sir, that means that blue box is right now ground zero.'

Brigadier Sooryanaryanan opened the blue box slowly and carefully and it revealed itself as the other twin whose relation lay destroyed in the microwave oven of the gigantic Qantas A 380 plane.

' It is a bomb. Another Bioterrorism bomb and it looks very similar to the one Raman destroyed before it destroyed him.'

Azhagan's face was grim with tension, anger and worry and he replied, ' Sir, do you understand me now?'

Brigadier Sooryanaryanan smiled and said, ' Yes, I do now soldier and thanks to you and your bravery.'

He slowly looked at all his commandos and said, ' Soldiers, I am sorry for my uncouth and rude behaviour. Please forgive me.'

Azhagan glanced at Buddha and both slowly stepped away and disappeared into the night.

The doorbell rang and all of them excitedly ran to the door to welcome Raman and Jeeva reaching the door first, opened it and stared in disappointment at the Inspector who was in charge of their security team.

Jeeva, Kamakshi, Shaktivel and Valliammai stood facing the Inspector who said, ' I am sorry to have disturbed you ma'am but this could not wait.'

' What could not wait, Inspector?'

The Inspector turned and pointed to a man who stood in the darkness and said, ' Hello, mister, step forward into the light so they can see you better.'

The real Light stepped forward slowly into the visible light and stood as a beggar in front of them. A blind beggar who whispered, ' I have been sent by Raman.'

The Inspector looked at Jeeva, ' Ma'am, we have checked him thoroughly. He is unarmed. Now, it is up to you to decide what to do with him.'

Jeeva stared at the blind beggar and tried to read his mind with the powers that Nikhil had given her while she was getting ready to deliver the twins, Suja and Vijay.

At first, she thought she heard a single voice whispering and then it became several and in the end, she thought she heard Raman's voice tell her, ' Baby. He is there to protect you. You can trust him.'

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

my brain and

heart divorced

a decade ago

over who was

to blame about

how big of a mess

I have become

eventually,

they couldn't be

in the same room

with each other

now my head and heart

share custody of me

I stay with my brain

during the week

and my heart

gets me on weekends

they never speak to one another

- instead, they give me

- the same note to pass

- to each other every week

and their notes they

send to one another always

says the same thing:

"This is all your fault"

on Sundays

my heart complains

about how my

head has let me down

in the past

and on Wednesday

my head lists all

of the times my

heart has screwed

things up for me

in the future

they blame each

other for the

state of my life

there's been a lot

of yelling - and crying

so,

lately, I've been

spending a lot of

time with my gut

who serves as my

unofficial therapist

most nights, I sneak out of the

window in my ribcage

and slide down my spine

and collapse on my

gut's plush leather chair

that's always open for me

~ and I just sit sit sit sit

until the sun comes up

last evening,

my gut asked me

if I was having a hard

time being caught

between my heart

and my head

I nodded

I said I didn't know

if I could live with

either of them anymore

"my heart is always sad about

something that happened yesterday

while my head is always worried

about something that may happen tomorrow,"

I lamented

my gut squeezed my hand

"I just can't live with

my mistakes of the past

or my anxiety about the future,"

I sighed

my gut smiled and said:

"in that case,

you should

go stay with your

lungs for a while,"

I was confused

- the look on my face gave it away

"if you are exhausted about

your heart's obsession with

the fixed past and your mind's focus

on the uncertain future

your lungs are the perfect place for you

there is no yesterday in your lungs

there is no tomorrow there either

there is only now

there is only inhale

there is only exhale

there is only this moment

there is only breath

and in that breath

you can rest while your

heart and head work

their relationship out."

this morning,

while my brain

was busy reading

tea leaves

and while my

heart was staring

at old photographs

I packed a little

bag and walked

to the door of

my lungs

before I could even knock

she opened the door

with a smile and as

a gust of air embraced me

she said

"what took you so long?"

~ John Roedel (johnroedel.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiEqHFuL_h4

Avan, Aval, Adhu 118

' Runaway from home' Ravi repeated Daksha's observation in an amused tone and nodded, ' maybe you are right. I have run away from home and like most runaways who finally end up in foster homes, orphanages and in shelters, I too have come seeking shelter from my friends.'

' Runaway is a bit too harsh, ducks. Timeout would better describe our friends predicament' Parthiban observed and raising an eyebrow in question glanced meaningfully at Ravi.

' Both of you are right for I have indeed runaway as I needed some me time to sort out all these questions that came out of nowhere.'

' Ravi jokes aside. I am serious da. Stay here as long as you want. Take as much time as you want and leave when you want to leave.'

Daksha smiled, ' Ravi, we are just teasing you for it is a rare opportunity that you have handed us on a plate. Like Partha said, Stay, eat, drink, rest, think and take all the metime that you want for if there is a person who needs timeout then it is you. For you have slogged enough for others and have almost lived your entire adult life in the service of others and in education. So, lean back and relax and we will take care of you.'

Partha gripped Ravi's arm and said, ' I know you are different and that means you play by different rules than the average person.'

Ravi with a twinkle in his eyes, asked, ' Different and by that, you are calling me a nut job in a nice way.'

' No. I meant different in a nice way. But, I am glad that you yourself have broached the topic about nutjobs for you are a nuthouse in your own way.'

Daksha chuckled into her glass and taking a sip, ' Boys, what is normal and what is abnormal and pray, tell me how does one judge a person to be sane or insane? Society is a collective, a beast even though it is a herd and the majority thought is go with the flow or rather go with the flock.'

Ravi added, ' It is called "aatu manthai" in Tamil, ducks which means goat herd. The story goes that a herd of goats were crossing a road and came across a large gap in it. They stood staring at the gap that was also a bit deep and then one goat decided that it would dare jump and try to reach the other side and jumped in vain and landed in the deep below. Broken and dying. But, that did not do anything to alert the other goats and all of them fell trying to jump across the large gap in the road. Hence Aatu manthai mentality or herd mentality, mob mentality or pack mentality.'

Daksha smiled and threw a look at her husband Parthiban who smiled, ' Ravi, it best describes the situation when me and Daksha fell in love and wanted to get married. But for you and a precious few others, almost my entire family tried their best to change my mind and the reason they gave was that Ducks was a divorcee and also a few years older than me. '

Ravi smiled sadly, ' I remember those days and how much effort we all took to convince your parents and the elders in your family.'

Parthiban raised his glass, ' Sorry brother, I disagree. You, only you made all the efforts and even brought your parents to convince my parents and that was what finally clinched this marriage.'

Ravi's face filled with remorse as he stared into the fire, ' It is indeed a sad state of affairs that way society works the way it works and in the end, it is a pack led by another pack of jokers and idiots. It is never going to change.'

Placing his empty glass on the table, he looked at them, 'Imagine, just imagine how much more advanced our human civilization would have been without all these world wars and other secret and proxy wars going on in this planet. What a colossal waste of life, time, energy and resources? All spent on massive ego's and nothing more.'

Parthiban picked up the guitar and gently strummed the strings and looked at Ravi, ' You used the word Imagine twice and my thoughts were filled with John Lennon who wrote the song " Imagine" and was soon shot dead by his own fan in New York and why? Because he blamedJohn Lennon for breaking up his favourite group " The Beatles" which Lennon had been a part of.'

Strumming the guitar, Partha started singing the famous John Lennon's song

Imagine John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us, only sky

Imagine all the people

Livin' for today

Ah

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too

Imagine all the people

Livin' life in peace

You

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=907-MBGOk9A

Vaanathai Pola 428

It had taken nearly 3 years for their breaths to become one and for their hearts to unite and beat anew and in a new tune. On their daily journey from home to office, Raman and Jeeva had slowly and steadily journeyed towards each other and had finally become one. Like rocks in space that drift around for millions of years before colliding with another object, Jeeva always felt that she and Raman had been gravitating towards each other over many lifetimes.

There had been so many times when she had sat staring at Raman who lay fast asleep while she lost in love and sat wondering if he was true and if their love was real and not a dream. Then her tingling lips, up and below, sore nipples and swollen breasts would gently and deliciously remind her that it was real and not a dream and Jeeva smiling would sink next to him, throwing her arm and leg over him.

There had been so many times when they had fallen asleep with him still buried deep inside her and had woken with him rising inside her and then the twins had come and with their arrival and during their delivery, another child had come and rescued them and with that had invested some kind of awareness, a new instinct in her that much to her surprise had helped her to read other people's thoughts.

With the power that Nikhil, son of Rudran and Renuka had given her, Jeeva opened her mind to the stranger who had come calling on them.

The beggar stood leaning slightly on his cane and stared through his black glasses at Jeeva.

A wall. A blank wall was all that she could see and feel in her own mind and she looked at him with surprise and realization and then suddenly he opened his mind and allowed her in.

' You are like me? You can see and read other people's thoughts?' Jeeva asked him and he nodded.

Raman was the love of her life. He was her breath and her heart and his name was the magic password and the key to her soul and she opened her lips and mouthed the question, ' Who are you, sir and how do you know my Raman?'

All of them felt a strange hum, a kind of vibration in the room and then the man whispered softly, although to their ears his voice was like the deep growl and roar of distant thunder.

' My lady, your heart still flutters in fear and in doubt' and raising his right hand, he pointed and they all looked in the direction where his finger was pointing at and heard him say, ' Vijay and Suja are blessed and even more so than you. Ask them if it is okay to trust me and then I will tell more of what is going on and who I am and why I am here.'

Kamakshi stepped forward and said, ' Sir, my heart tells me that you are okay and that we can trust you but...'

The blind beggar smiled and all of them seeing his radiant smile felt the same way and were filled with the same thought, ' It is like the sun that had lain drowned inside dark clouds had decided to break free of its constraints to come out in a blaze of glory.'

Then hearing the creaks and squeaks being made by Manigandan's wheelchair turned towards him and heard him say, ' Jeeva, he is okay. We can trust him. He reminds me of that boy who saved your life while you were in labour.'

Jeeva nodded and staring at the Blind beggar said, ' Stay here while I go bring my children.'

A few moments later, she returned carrying the twins in her arms with Suja on her right and Vijay on her left and stood in front of the stranger and looked at him.

The hum, the vibration that had filled the room a few moments earlier now seemed to increase in its intensity and then the silence was shattered as the void that it left was filled with the loud and happy squeals of the twins. Jeeva along with her parents Kamakshi and mani and Raman's parents watched in surprise and relief as both of the babies put out their tiny tender arms and tried to reach for the blind beggar.

If their babies behaviour was strange and totally unexpected then what the blind stranger did next was even more unexpected and left them shocked and disturbed.

The blind man who looked like a beggar, dressed in old and faded clothes, fell to his knees and bowed before the babies and said, ' I see you, my lord. I see you, my queen. I come with greetings and wishes from Perumalvaram.'

The babies smiled and made loud squealing noises that Jeeva recognised as happiness or even ecstasy and wriggled harder and tried to reach out for the stranger who now slowly got back and stood staring at them.

Not knowing what to make out of him and her children's behaviour, Jeeva asked the blind man, ' Who are you, stranger? Who are you really?'

The stranger smiled brilliantly and then slowly removed his glasses and they all saw his eyes and instantly recognized the light in his eyes even though his face was nearly covered by a thick growth of hair.

He smiled and answered in that once familiar voice that had not been heard in a long time.

' My name is Dhanashekara Pandyan but those who love me and who I love in turn call me Dhana. I have come now for the tide is finally turning and a great storm is fast arriving. I have come now to protect all of you and have been sent here by the one we call the Firstborn.'

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