From & To Sathish #5 - Page 45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4rsHcRdLHg

https://youtu.be/HskMVVyuMC4

The nightingale falls silent by S R Madhu

Till the day I’m alive and till Lata is there, she will always be my first choice,” composer Madan Mohan minced no words when Asha Bhosle once complained, “You give me ordinary tunes, but Didi your best tunes.”

S D Burman made the same point differently. “I always considered Lata as my first serve and Asha as the second. The moment the first started working again, there was no need to use my second serve.”

Even S D Burman’s son R D Burman (Pancham) — who married Asha and boosted her career with numerous chartbusters — looked upon Lata with awe and placed her on a pedestal. He remarked: “If Asha Bhosle is the Gary Sobers of music, Lata Mangeshkar is the Don Bradman.” Reacting to this, Asha said, “Perhaps what Pancham meant was that Didi is as controlled as Bradman was on the pitch, while like Sobers, I have taken more risks.”

Lata Mangeshkar! For musicians, the two words spelt perfection. For film historians, the name encapsulated seven decades of Bollywood music. But for the masses, it meant paradise — they got a chunk of it every day through Lata’s songs on radio, TV, YouTube, Amazon or Apple music. They still do.

Lata was venerated as Saraswati, likened to the Taj Mahal, the Ganges and the Himalayas. Her voice was stilled on February 6, 2022, but her soul lives in the many thousand songs she gave the world.

As India Today commented, “It is the voice to which the roadside vendor in Delhi transacts his business, the long-distance trucker speeds along the highway, the Army jawan in Ladakh keeps guard at his frontier bunker, or the glittering elite of Bombay dine in luxury hotels.”

Composer Sajjad Hussain once said, “Lata gaati hain, baki sab roti hain” (Lata sings, the others wail). A composer even suggested that “one should add two swaras — La and Ta — to the seven swaras of Indian music (sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni).”

At her peak, Lata’s clout was without parallel. During her visits to Chennai, she didn’t like staying in a hotel and eating hotel food, so Sivaji Ganesan built a cottage for her in his house in Chennai.

Lata is the most decorated artist of filmdom — with a Bharat Ratna, a Dadasaheb Phalke award, four Filmfare awards as best singer plus a special Filmfare award for lifetime achievement and three national awards. The Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments have instituted awards in her name.

She enjoyed phenomenal success in her concerts abroad. Between 1975 and 1998, she conducted numerous shows in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and the Fiji islands. They were always held in the most prestigious venues. Local American collaborators were sceptical about the large crowds predicted and the high ticket prices, but were amazed at the sell-out crowds which even top American stars like Frank Sinatra couldn’t manage.

Lata’s childhood

Lata was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore. The eldest of five children, her siblings were Asha, Usha, Meena and Hridyanath. Her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar was a classical music singer who ran an itinerant drama troupe. It staged mythologicals in small towns of Maharashtra. The children lived a nomadic life and school was not possible. But “there was music in our house day and night,” recalls Lata. Film music was banned, however, the only exception being K L Saigal; Deenanath was his fan, Lata more so. She often hummed Ek bangla bane nyara.

Lata was a tomboy as a child, particularly in Sangli where the family lived in a large house. She told her biographer Nasreen Munni Kabir that she would climb trees and pluck mangoes and guavas; walk around with a stick and bully everyone; sit inside a car tyre and other boys and girls would roll it down the street; play cards and gilli danda.

Deenanath’s drama troupe was struck a severe blow by Indian cinema — when it began to talk, with Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara in 1934–35. The talking films drew crowds away from traditional drama companies. Several of them, including Deenanath’s, wound up, and never recovered. He made films himself, revived his theatre company, sold his house in Sangli, but he incurred heavy debts. And his flirtation with alcohol did not help. He died on April 24, 1942.

Lata was 13, and became the breadwinner. A friend of her father, Master Vinayak (actress Nanda’s father) gave her a role in a Marathi film. At his prodding, she got trained in classical music by Ustad Aman Ali Khan Bhendibazarwale, and later by Amanat Khan Devaswale. Lata had an extraordinary memory and a sponge-like ability to absorb anything new. The training was valuable.

Lata acted in four Marathi films (in one of which she sang her first Hindi song) and four Hindi films. She disliked acting, but had no choice. She saved and scrimped to keep food on the family table — she walked long distances, even skipped meals herself.

An encounter with composer Ghulam Haider was the first important break in her life. He took Lata to producer Shashidhar Mukherjee, who was making the film Shaheed (starring Dilip Kumar and Kamini Kaushal), but he rejected Lata as singer saying her voice was too thin.

Irritated no end, Ghulam Haider resolved to prove him wrong. She sang the song Dil mera toda in Haider’s own film, and the song attracted much notice. Lata was engaged by Khemchand Prakash, then Anil Biswas, and by Naushad himself.

The year 1949, when Lata was 20, was a breakthrough year. Ayega aanewala in Mahal (directed by Khemchand Prakash) was a sublime delight, and created a sensation. Listeners deluged All India Radio for the name of the singer (which was omitted from the record as was the practice those days) and the producers finally revealed it. Lata was no more the obscure small-town girl struggling for recognition.

1949 was also the year when Lata sang Uthaye ja unke sitham, a masterpiece of melancholy, for Naushad in Andaz (a huge film that starred Nargis, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor). And in the same year, Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat hit the screen, with music by Shankar-Jaikishen. The film had eight songs by Lata, each of them a gem. “The barsaat in Lata’s career never stopped after that film,” said composer Shankar.

A Lata tsunami hit Bollywood in the 1950s, impacting all music-lovers and sweeping away all other rivals. She scaled heights of popularity Indian cinema had not seen till then. “I recorded two songs in the morning, two in the afternoon, two in the evening and two at night,” she told her biographer Nasreen. She got home at 3am and that’s when she ate. Incredible as it may sound, Lata says she didn’t know that some studios had a canteen where all others ate. “After a few hours of sleep, I would wake up at six, get dressed, catch the train and travel from one recording studio to another.”

Throughout the 1950s, Lata’s celestial voice was heard in many immortal melodies. This was the decade when some top composers — Shankar-Jaikishen, Naushad, C Ramchandra, S D Burman, Hemant Kumar — were at their peak. She sang one gem after another in Awara, Aah, Baiju Bawra, Shree 420, Anarkali, and other films.

The 1960s were the most prolific decade for Bollywood music — “sizzling, swinging, scintillating and superlative”, to quote Rajiv Vijayakar. Lata began the decade with a film of massive magnificence (Mughal-e-Azam), where Naushad, Lata and Madhubala combined to offer a heavenly aural and visual cocktail. Dev Anand’s Guide was another musical triumph, created by Dev Anand, S D Burman, Lata and Waheeda Rehman. Lata’s songs filmed on Waheeda — Aaj phir jeena ki tamanna hai, Piya tosey naina laaei re — and the Lata-Kishore duet Gaata rahe mera dil were eternal charmers. She excelled again in films such as Junglee, Asli Naqli, Ganga Jumna, Mere Mehboob, Anpadh, Mamta, Mera Saaya — to mention just a few.

Her foremost films in the 1970s were Bobby, Abhimaan, Amar Prem and Aandhi. She brought success back to the RK camp in Bobby after the crushing failure of Mera Naam Joker, which had almost made Raj Kapoor bankrupt. Lata at 45 sang for the 15-year-old Dimple, and sounded 15 herself. Bobby triumphed.

Abhimaan, a film about a musician couple, had some surpassingly beautiful songs by Lata. So did Amar Prem. She sang some classical pieces of transcendental beauty for R D Burman — such as Raina beeti jaaye (Amar Prem), Beeti na beetayi raina (Parichay), Tere bina zindagi (Aandhi), and Baahon mein chale aao (Anamika).

Lata’s relationships with composers

Lata sang 696 songs for Laxmikant-Pyarelal, 453 for Shankar-Jaikishen, 331 for R D Burman, 302 for Kalyanji-Anandji, 288 for C Ramchandra, 210 for Madan Mohan.

She was full of praise for Shankar-Jaikishen who brought a new grammar to Hindi film music, and to Naushad, for his uncompromising excellence. They played major roles in her dizzy ascent to the peak. But she had a special relationship with Madan Mohan, who used to tie a rakhi on her hand every year.

Her Madan Mohan melodies had an ethereal sweetness, something Khayyam said he was envious of. These included Meree veena tum bin roye (Dekh Kabira Roya), Hum pyaar mein jalne walon ko (Jailor), Yoon hasraton ke daag (Adalat), Aap ki nazron ne samjha (Anpadh), Naina barse (Woh Kaun Thi), and Nainon mein badra chhaye (Mera Saaya).

Madan Mohan’s son Sanjeev Kohli collaborated with Yash Chopra and Lata Mangeshkar to make the film Veer Zara (2004), about an Indo-Pak love story. Its music was based on unused tunes of Madan Mohan which Kohli discovered. Lata was in tears whenever she took the mike for recording the songs of the movie. The Veer Zara album was the highest-selling album of the year.

Lata sang more often for Laxmikant-Pyarelal than for any other composer. In fact, she said the initials LP stood for “long-playing”, because of the longevity of their careers (they composed music for nearly 500 films). She first sang for LP for their film Parasmani. For the song Hansta hua noorani chehra in this film, LP used 36 violins; it was a spectacular success. “Our first choice was always Lata,” said Pyarelal, “whether the song was filmed on a child, a sister, a mother or a grandmother.”

Controversies

Lata has inspired hype as a singer, but she has also been branded as ungenerous and scheming in putting down young rivals — such as Vani Jairam, Runa Laila, Sulakshana Pandit, Preeti Sagar, Anuradha Paudwal, Hemalata, and even her own sister Asha. It is said that Lata would blacklist or subtly harass composers who gave these youngsters a chance. They would get the message! Lata responded that genuine talent can never be kept down, and that it requires guts and stamina to survive as a singer.

She said that she and Asha have always been the best of sisters. There was friction between them when Asha eloped with a much older man and married him. He forcibly kept Asha away from her family. But Asha quit an exploitative marriage and returned to her family.

Lata had a tiff with Mohammed Rafi on the question of royalties for singers. She insisted on royalties — a stand that has since benefited all playback singers, but Rafi didn’t agree. Discussion on this topic got heated, and the two didn’t sing together for six years.

Lata and Raj Kapoor also parted company on the question of royalties. But the veteran accepted Lata’s demand when he was making Bobby.

O P Nayyar is the only composer to have never used Lata for his songs. O P says Lata’s voice is thin and doesn’t suit his songs. There have also been misunderstandings with C Ramchandra and S D Burman.

Her passions

Lata was surprisingly a huge cricket fan. Her charity concert for the victorious Indian World Cup team of 1983 enabled an award of ₹1 lakh to each member of the team.

She liked cars, was a photography buff with an astonishing collection of professional cameras and an excellent portfolio, was fond of diamonds, always wore white sarees, adored good food (including ice cream and pickles which are normally taboo for singers). She was happily unmarried all her life, and said she loved children but enjoyed the company of her siblings’ children.

The magic of Lata

“What we classical musicians take three hours to do, Lata Mangeshkar achieves in just three minutes,” remarked Bade Ghulam Ali Khan once.

Her biographer Nasreen said “She could be wide-visioned and tunnel-visioned at the same time. You need both — the big picture and the detail.” Dilip Kumar said, “Lata resides in all of us.” Her voice has been stilled, but the soul of music lives on.

The author is a senior journalist and a member of the Rotary Club of Madras South.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFr6G5zveS8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOkE3ekdaco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5iETwBs2o

Avan, Aval, Adhu 127

In the twilight, they stood. Two bodies, two hearts and two souls on a journey. The very word " Twilight " means two lights. The light between sunset and night and the other light between night and dawn. In fading light, in the gathering darkness of the twilight they both stood as remnants and reminders of the sun that had just sunk into the depths of the distant hills.

Ravi Kumar stood staring at the jagged rocky peaks and said, ' Gayatri, I don't know why but every time I stand here and which is usually at this time, I keep imagining the disappearing sun going down as if it is being swallowed by a large Crocodile.'

Pointing to the jagged peaks, ' see those dark, sharp ones. Those are the teeth of that crocodile's gaping jaws.'

' Interesting, master sir. But, is this poetic and beautiful imagination about jaws, crocodiles and mountains just a clever ploy to avoid telling the story about Lord Shiva and its relevance to my head.'

He smiled, ' Long, Long ago.....'

She smiled and held up her hand interrupted him excitedly, ' please, please, let me finish that sentence for you ' and jumped right in, ' Long, Long ago and in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a mighty king who loved his queen very much.'

Ravi nodded, ' Correct. His name was Shenbaga Pandyan and he ruled from Madurai which was the capital of his kingdom. One day, as he embraced his queen, he happened to inhale the fragrance of her hair and began to wonder, if women's hair smelt good naturally or because they washed it with exotic herbs and the essence of flowers and other products.

He immediately declared that a prize of 1000 gold coins would be given to anyone who could clear his doubt by writing a poem about it

Lord Shiva probably wanting to have some fun with us human beings and maybe to convey a message, disguising himself as a poet, writes that poem, and sends another poet who had fallen into hard times with it, telling him to say that he had written it himself.

The poor poet goes to the palace and recites the poem given to him by Lord Shiva himself and the king impressed with it gives him the prize of 1000 gold coins as announced by him. But, just as he is giving it, the chief poet of his court, a very famous man called " Nakeerar " stops him and says that the poem is wrong and the poor poet returns empty-handed to the temple where he had met Lord Shiva and scolds him without knowing that it is God himself who he is abusing.

Lord Shiva enraged that somebody had found a fault in his poem storms into the palace and confronts Nakeerar and they get into an argument.

Nakeerar argues that the fragrant smells of women's hair are not natural and that it is artificial and gotten by washing it with flowers and fruits and angrily Lord Shiva asks him if even Goddess Shakti herself does not possess natural fragrance in her hair.

Nakeerar says no and Lord Shiva opens his third eye and burns him to ashes.

Then reveals himself and says that he was just playing a game on Nakeerar and was just testing his skills as a poet and his mastery over Tamil and brings him back to life.'

' Interesting. Very interesting and I am sure that your favourite actor Mr Sivaji must have acted beautifully in the role of Lord Shiva. But, why recollect that now and that too in the context of my hair.'

Ravi smiled, ' because Lord Shiva was right and Nakeerar was wrong.'

' how? How could he be wrong and why wasn't that wrong pointed out by Lord Shiva himself?'

Shrugging his shoulders, ' That was a story and that recollection was from a film. But, you ' and looking at her, ' you are real and so is the fragrance of your hair.'

Gayatri shook her head and joked in Spanish, ' No Comprende senor.'

Ravi looked at her and then suddenly turned his face away and mumbled something and a sudden gust of cold breeze blew them away. Gayatri knew what she had seen and what she had heard and she said his name.

He turned to look at her and she could see that a little of what she had seen on his face still remained and the naughty devil in her blinked its eyes open.

Filling her face with an innocent and wide-eyed look, she fluttered her eyes and played with him.

' Ravi, did I hear you right? Did you say something for I am sure I caught the names Napoleon and Josephine?'

The blush that he had tried hard to bury and had failed now reared back into action and the slight red on his cheeks mirrored the fast fading red of the setting sun and before one could finish taking a few breaths, it vanished leaving behind a sky that now appeared to be now truly in the grip of darkness for the sisters and brothers of the sun now began to twinkle in the night sky.

Then as if by magic, small lights began to flicker around them as electricity flowed through their veins and brought them back to life.

UK RAISES ALERT LEVEL

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent Russian threats and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. The Russians have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s Get the B.stards.” They don’t have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”

The Germans have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.” So far, no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

John Cleese – British writer, actor and tall person.

Avan, Aval, Adhu 128

She had seen men feeling embarrassed and seen grown-ups feeling ashamed about something they had done or not done. She had witnessed first-hand and countless times, men feeling shy and being cautious when approaching her at work and at nightclubs when partying or dining with colleagues and on rare occasions with friends.

But, this was the first time she had seen a man blush in front of her and that too a person whom she respected, trusted and more than that, desired. She did not know it then but It, that moment, was the It moment and the moment she fell in love with him. Totally, completely and head over heels kind of love and she was now well and truly lost. Lost in love and its maze.

Close your eyes. Think back. Recollect that moment when you fell in love. That moment when you looked at the object of your affection and thought, ' I love you. So much and I would die for you.'

It was as if time had stripped away the veneer left behind by the passing of the years and the happenings of life, and to her eyes, Ravi appeared like a kid. An innocent kid still fresh and unblemished and unmarked by life and its evil.

For, gone was the man in his early 40s and also gone was the headmaster, and instead, the man who stood blushing before her appeared more like a kid, a student standing before his teacher desperately searching for an excuse to get out of her eyesight.

For a second, Gayatri thought, ' Is this the real you, Ravi. A wide-eyed and curious kid trapped in a man's body? ' and then told herself, ' No. He is not that but all of that and more.'

Deciding that it was too good an opportunity to let go, she asked him still maintaining the innocent doe-eyed look, ' Ravi, what's with Napoleon and Josephine? '

Ravi stared at the grass and worried it with his right foot and this prompted her to look down and enquire very politely, ' Are you searching for something?'

' Searching. Searching for what, Gayatri? Why would I be searching for something and that too with my foot?'

' Exactly and the reason for my question is that you still haven't answered the previous question.'

Ravi smiled and folded his hands, ' Okay ma'am. That will do. I surrender and I accept my defeat.'

She put out her hand, ' Friends!' and Ravi shaking it, replied, ' Yes. Friends.'

She touched his face tenderly and whispered to him, ' You look so sweet and endearing when you blush.'

' Thank God for that and thank God that I rarely blush and thus reveal myself or some part of myself.'

Then waving both his hands as if to wipe the moment away, the normal and usual Ravi returned.

' I am sorry but I shouldn't have used Napoleon and Josephine as context for this story about Thiruvilayadal and also the case concerning your hair. I sincerely apologize for my mistake.'

It was her turn to wave her hands and she did it with speed and saying, ' Jesus Christ! Ravi. I am no prude and no, you were not rude when thinking about Napoleon in relation to this subject of natural fragrance of the human body.'

Throwing a light, playful punch at his tummy, she asked, ' Now, mister, why don't you quickly finish what you started for the cold is seeping in through this jacket.'

He looked at her with that familiar poised Buddha expression, ' When I inhaled the scent of your head, the very first thought that arose was a question as to why the famed poet Nakeerar chose to have a debate with God himself when he a being a man, an old man surely must have known a woman through marriage or worse and in an extreme case must have been familiar with the smell of a woman through other......'

' You mean, if not through his wife he would have been familiar with a woman through other means. By that, you mean a woman who was a sex worker or either-wise well known as a prostitute.'

' Yes, ' Ravi nodded and wondered aloud. ' It was a brief moment and yet, my nose picked up the fragrance of your hair.'

She heard him and thought to herself, ' Like how I inhaled your musky, manly fragrance when I was in your arms and felt it in every pore of my female essence.'

Ravi flicked his fingers, ' Hello, Gayatri. I am talking to you.'

Sighing, he said, ' Come, let's go inside for we have been out here for a long time. God only knows what my friends are thinking about me being out here with you.'

' Why are you worrying about all that? Are we in some kind of curfew in this resort?'

Pointing to the box-guitar, ' I heard you sing and it was good. So, sing a song for me, please and please, no sad or depressing song.'

Before Ravi could say anything, she said, ' and after you have finished singing it, you will explain what it means. Promise me you will do so.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV5hvaaMTIM

Raajaa magal rojaa magal

Vaanil varum vennilaa

Vaazhum indha kannilaa

Konjum mozhi paadidum solai kuyilaa

Panneeraiyum venneeraiyum

Unnodu naan paarkkiren

Poo enbadhaa pen enbadhaa

Nenjodu naan ketkkiren

Mullodu thaan kallodu thaan

Rojaakkalum pookkalaam

Ammaadi naan athodu thaan

Un peraiyum serkkalaam

Kobam oru kannil

Dhaabam oru kannil

Vandhu vandhu sella

Vindhai enna solla

Vanna malarae…

Raajaa magal rojaa magal

Aadaigalum jaadaigalum

Kondaadidum thaamarai

Vaiyagamum vaanagamum

Kai vanangum dhaevadhai

Neeyum oru aanai ida

Pongum kadal oyalaam

Maalai mudhal kaalai varai

Sooriyanum kaayalaam

Dheiva magal endru

Dhevan padaithaano

Thanga silai seidhu

Jeevan koduthaano

Manjal nilavae…

Raajaa magal rojaa magal

Vaanil varum vennilaa

Vaazhum indha kannilaa

Konjum mozhi paadidum solai kuyilaa

Raajaa magal rojaa magal

Vaanathai Pola 435

Azhagan turned to the east and his keen eagle eyes caught the first glimmers of the coming dawn of a new day. He was still in the form of Rudran, for now, more than ever, he needed this cover to enter The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology. The Autorickshaw that he had used to arrive at the centre had left some time ago after dropping him off at a nearby 24-hour service restaurant.

He could have entered the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology immediately if he had so desired it. Instead, he had decided that he would wait for an hour or so before entering the Centre and do what was necessary. So, he sat nibbling a vegetable sandwich that had been warmed up in a microwave oven and sipping coffee that was only a little better than the sandwich.

For many years now, Azhagan had been aware of a danger of unknown quantity that was lurking out of sight and out of reach. But, his senses along with the information that had been supplied by " The Ancients " kept tingling and kept screaming warnings that something was out there and that something was coming for him and his family that called Earth their home.

Nothing scared Azhagan. He feared nothing. He had been like that from the time he had been born and that was nearly 800 years ago. In the beginning, he had indeed found it tough to carry on existing but then had been given a purpose and several reasons why he should exist and continue to exist.

He was human and more so than others of his species and yet if his blood was examined under the most powerful electron microscopes, he would have been branded an alien, a freak and worse. A genetic mutation.

Azhagan knew better and instead preferred to call himself a product of evolution that had been fast-forwarded a few million years. Pushing the plate with the half-eaten sandwich away from him, he took another sip of coffee and sat pondering about the event that had kick-started it all in the forests of Perumalvaram all those centuries ago.

His eyes misted with a film of salty tears as his lips slowly spread in a smile of joy and sorrow as his thoughts flooded and raged back to his blind mother Avini.

Eight hundred years had passed by and yet every memory of her and every second spent with her was as fresh as if it had taken place just a few moments ago. Azhagan harboured a few regrets and not having been there to save her was his number one regret. He knew then as he knew now that the wounds his mother had suffered had been fatal and yet he kept thinking that something could have been done to save her.

It had been done when he and his kind had faced a similar scenario a few days ago when Radha Krishnan aka Radhu had been shot several times and had been resurrected from near and certain death.

It had been done when Nikhil had saved Jeeva and her babies when she had faced a rather complicated situation. Azhagan had intervened through Nikhil and the reason for that had been Raman.

Raman had been deemed worthy and a person of interest and had been brought to their attention when his path had crossed that of Rudran's in Mossad's headquarters in Jerusalem.

The moment Azhagan had laid eyes on Raman he had known that the man was special and different and that was what had brought him to Hyderabad. To protect him as promised and protect him for the coming years and prepare him for the future.

' But all that for later ' he thought to himself and then sensing a movement near the door looked up and saw a small car pull up into the parking lot of the coffee place. A lady in her mid to late 30s got out and tiredly and even from where he sat and even though a glass window separated them, Azhagan's eagle eyes read the name on the Id card that hung around her neck, ' Dr Sathya, Deputy Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.'

Azhagan tapped his phone twice and with the speed of light reached out to Rudran who was thousands of miles away and whispered. ' I need some information about the staff working here.'

' You are already there, Father.'

' Yes, child. Being you certainly has a lot of perks.'

Rudran smiled silently and said, ' This is something that you can do with your eyes closed and yet you want my help.'

' Yes, and there is a reason for it. I want Them to stay out of sight for now and will contact them only when the need arises. There is no point in adding more fear and confusion to the world that is already drowning in it.'

Rudran didn't want to ask and yet Azhagan answered him even though Rudy had not asked the question. ' They are up there and out of sight.'

' How did you know what I was thinking or what I was about to ask you, father?'

' Because, I am 800 years ahead of you and that much older and wiser than you, child.'

Rudran smiled and replied, ' Very true father and a fact. Okay, hang on for a moment while I access Chakravyuh for the information.'

A few moments later, Rudran whispered, ' I have sent you everything.'

Again Azhagan read Rudran's thoughts even though thousands of miles of desert, land and sea separated them and said, ' The men you are tracking are heading for an ancient fort that has been abandoned for thousands of years.'

Rudran in an irritated voice, ' Then why are they going there. What do they hope to find in that ancient ruins?'

' Something that might lead them to us.'

' What? My lord, you are not serious, are you? '

' I am Rudran and that is why I personally requested you to follow these men.'

' But, why and how do they know about you and us? '

' That is the million-dollar question, child' and sighing tiredly, ' Rudy, someone is making a move against us. This is not your garden variety evil but something else. My mind tells me that it has been waiting for a long time now and has been plotting something terrible against us and I think it is now just waiting around the corner to launch its attack on us.'

' My Lord, you are scaring me. If you are not able to decipher this evil and those behind it, then what chance do I or the others have in tracking them down.'

' Child. I am not a God. Just older and wiser than you. Let me worry about that for now ' and hurriedly whispered, ' That doctor is entering the place I am in. Bye for now.'

Rudran who was about to ask an important question stared at the phone and instead whispered to the desert. ' Father, Good luck. I only wish one of the Buddhas were with you for backup. Although, you are the last person that needs help or any protection.'

Azhagan stood up and raised his hand to catch the attention of the Doctor and said, ' Dr Sathya, please join me.'

Dr Sathya, Deputy Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology stared at Rudran for what felt like a minute although it was just a couple of seconds.

' Why does this gentleman look so familiar? How does he know my name?' and thinking this she casually walked towards Azhagan who put out his hand and said, ' I am General Rudran. Chakravyuh. Pleased to meet you, ma'am.'

Her eyes opened wide in recognition and then a nervous smile filled her face as she realized who the man standing in front of her was and timidly took his hand shook it and greeted him. ' Sir, I know who you are for I regularly send certain highly classified documents via emails to your organization as per the director's orders.'

Dr Sathya's thoughts were like moving pictures to Azhagan and he saw everything and missed nothing.

Her first thought had been, ' Why is our security head here and now? Do they suspect Dr Raja Rao like I do and have they been monitoring his rather vague and weird behaviour over the past few months.?'

Azhagan read and saw all that the good doctor was thinking and feeling but just sat there with a pleasant smile on his face.

There was nothing pleasant about what Dr Sathya was going through for the very presence of Rudran from Chakravyuh confirmed her worst fears about Dr Raja Rao and that he must have been doing something or worse had turned traitor.

The silence was unnerving and in an attempt to break it, she said, ' we met your deputy in Chennai, sir.'

' Param. You met Major Param Singh' Azhagan replied as Rudran.

' Param. Yes. I heard his name used by my boss Dr Raja Rao.'

Rudran leaning forward, slowly reached across the table and gently squeezed Dr Sathya's hand and said, ' Ma'am, please relax. I have not come for you but for the patient Mr Raman who you have brought in from Chennai and ......'

Dr Sathya looked at him with fear dancing in her eyes and on her face and asked, ' and..... who else sir?'

Avan, Aval, Adhu 129

His fingers stopped strumming the strings a few moments after his lips stopped crooning the lines and her hands came together clapping loudly. She looked at him with astonishment and asked, ' Man, is there anything you can't do. Just when I thought there was a limit to what you can do, here you are playing the guitar and singing and doing both like a maestro.'

Ravi gasped audibly and recoiled in horror and Gayatri hurriedly looked all around her to see if a ghost had snuck up on them quietly and finding none, looked at him wondering about his reaction when Ravi hurriedly said, ' I am sorry, Gayatri but please don't ever use that word " Maestro " again and certainly not to compliment me or any other person. and seeing her getting all confused, hurriedly said, ' For the term, title Maestro is meant to describe one person and one person only and as long as Tamil is around and music is around, he will be known as that among his other titles.'

She looked at him and thought, ' Interesting. If love and talk of that was one layer, music seems to be another layer that he seems to be super sensitive about. I wonder, just wonder if they both are connected to the woman who still haunts him to this day.'

While she was staring at him and thinking this, Ravi assuming that she had not understood what he was on about and worried about her mis-understanding it, smiled and apologized, ' Sorry Gayatri. I know my reaction must feel a bit vague or borderline weird but believe me, we Tamil people worship the Maestro like a demi-god and swear by his music.'

Raising both her hands in surrender and protest and also to halt him from saying anything that would only confuse her, she said, ' Hold on tiger. Just stop. Stop please. Who are we talking about here and just who is this maestro that you are going on about?'

Ravi looked at her as if she was a Martian, an alien who had no clue as to what happened on Earth and then deciding to change tack, asked her, ' Who are your favourite actors in hindi films?'

' Present or from the old generation?'

' present, but maybe you can include 90s too and start from there if you want.'

' Ravi, why not the older generations from the 50s,60s and up to the 80s?'

He looked at her and declared, ' sorry ma'am. I ask. You answer. Then, you ask. I answer. Okay.'

Gayatri screwed up her face like a monkey and complained loudly, ' Oh God, so many good actresses and so many great performances ' and looking at him, ' there is Kareena, Madhuri, Sri Devi, Tabu, Kajol and even Rani Mukherjee. How do you choose one from all these good actors, Ravi?'

' You choose, using one criteria, consistency. Select an actress that has consistently delivered great performances even in average and so so films.'

Gayatri thought for a second and said, ' Well, it has to be Tabu and also because she has acted in all my favourite movies starting from " Maazhi, Virasat, Astitva, Chandni bar and yes The Namesake."

Ravi clapped his hands remarking, ' Good choice. Okay, now your favourite actor, please. The choices are...'

She looked at him with a sneer, ' Wait, I don't need any choices for this for my favourite actor is Big B. Always was and will always be.'

Ravi smiled and bringing up his hands brought them together and said, ' Now bring Big B and Tabu and you have......'

' Cheeni Kum' Gayatri yelled loudly and added, ' My all-time favourite film. I must have seen it at least a dozen times.'

' Why, a dozen times? Gayatri '

' I don't know, bro. Something about the film just clicked with me and kind of touched a chord in my heart.'

She looked at him and then with a shy smile, ' Maybe, I too wanted to fall in love with a man much older than me. A man a whole lot wiser and experienced than me. Or, maybe it was just a connection to all the Mills & Boon romantic novels I gulped down during my college days.'

She looked achingly into his eyes and her thoughts were visible to Ravi who gently patted her head and said, ' Cheeni Kum. What else about Cheeni Kum, do you still remember?'

' The songs. Especially, Cheeni kum and Jaane do na. Just love them to death.'

Ravi picked up the guitar that was resting by his legs and strummed the strings and began to croon a Tamil song.

Mandram vandha thendralukku manjam vara

Nenjam illaiyo anbae yen anbae

Thottavudan suttadhenna kattazhagu

Vatta nilavo kannae yen kannae

Boopaalamae koodadhennum vaanam undo sol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roW8mMKAnBo

Then he stopped and swtiching to hindi sang

Cheeni kum hai Cheeni kum hai

Thodi thodi tujhe mein hai kum kum

Hai kum kum

Dheere dheere haule haule

Door door hogi kaun

Humdum o humdum

Sunle kabhi kehti hai kya

Dil ki yeh sada bhi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD9ODkoFNO0

Gayatri grabbed his shirt and pulling him close, buried her mouth into his and kissed him even though he did not kiss back. She slowly stepped back and looked at him and said, ' I am not going to say sorry. I am not going to apologize to you. I came here to tell you how much I love you and then decided that I should not and was about to turn and leave when you caught sight of me.'

Her soul unable to take her emotions cried and she cried tears and Ravi with a kind smile wiped her tears and said, ' I know, Gayatri. I know how hard it must be and how painful it must be to love someone and not have them reciprocate for I have been doing that for nearly 25 years.'

He put his hand out and said, ' Welcome friend. Welcome to the lonely hearts club.'

Still crying, she smiled and said,' That tamil song sounded so similar to the Cheeni kum song. Somebody from your Tamil industry must have lifted it and shamelessly copied it.'

' Wrong. Cheeni Kum was released in 2007 while this song's Tamil film Mouna Raagam was released in 1986.'

Gayatri wiping her tears asked, ' how is that possible?'

' It was possible because of our Maestro. The one and only Ilayaraja sir.'

He strummed his guitar and sang again.

Vizhiyilae mani vizhiyil

Mouna mozhi pesum annam

Undhan viral thodum

Idangalil ponnum minnum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKFiu5mWOXc

and switching to Hindi

jaane do na

Jaane jaane do na

Mujhe tho jaane do na

Chodo bahein meri

Mujhe tho jaane do na

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8MU3Se-ZGM

and then switched to Kannada and sang effortlessly and even more beautifully

Jotheyali... jothe jotheyali eruvenu heege yendhu

Jothe jotheyali iruvenu heege yendhu

Jotheyali... jothe jotheyali eruvenu heege yendhu

Hosa harushava innu yendhu

Ooooo entha mathadidhe... indu nee yentha mathadidhe

Nanna manisina bhavane neene helidhe

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

Seeing him singing, hearing him singing, she knew then that love was not about bodies, attraction and sex but more, much more than that.

Love was something, that was felt, heard and seen by the soul. This must be what true love is all about. How a person makes you feel?

She fell in love. Head, heels and the whole works and she felt it in every cell of her body. For it felt like nuclear explosions going off all over her body and mind.

She stood staring at him and saw him place the guitar on the ground and then he enveloped her in his arms and she knew then that there existed, a heaven on earth and that was the kingdom of love.

Avan, Aval, Adhu 130

Parthiban and Daksha had come again out to greet Gayatri and invite both her and Ravi into the cottage and they had done so after having waited for nearly 30 or more minutes. While they had waited in vain for Ravi and his lady friend to arrive they had in meantime served a cup of coffee and some hot vadais to the driver of Dharmalinga Thevar and had exchanged polite talk with him about all that was happening in Madurai.

Then, their curiosity finally triumphed over their patience and both looked at each other as if they were seeking permission from the other and deciding to know more, stepped out of the cottage.

They neared them just as Ravi began to croon " Mandram vantha thendralukku " song and they saw Gayatri pull him and bury her mouth into his and kiss him for what seemed like a minute.

Standing in the distance and nearly hidden behind a tree, Partha whispered excitedly, ' They kissed. They both are kissing, Ducks.'

' No, they are not, Partha' Daksha said and turned away lost in thought.

' What are you saying? Didn't you see them kiss?'

' Yes. I saw it, you moron. She kissed, he did not.'

' So what, ducks? It's a start, right and a good sign.'

Shaking her head in frustration, ' Start and a good sign. Of what you dumbo?'

Parthiban stood frowning at his wife and also wondering if his wife had gone blind and mad at the same time.

' They kissed, ducks. I meant that has to be a good sign that things might progress well.'

Daksha looked at him and then her eyes travelled from top to bottom and Partha seeing this asked her, ' babe, why the look?'

' I am deciding what will hurt you more.'

' Hurt me more. What is going to hurt me?'

' either my foot in your ball or my fist in your tummy, you idiot.'

Parthiban who knew his wife very well stepped back, and closing his legs to protect his crotch, squeaked and pleaded, ' wife, please, no need for such drastic measures. I surrender to your wisdom.'

Exhaling loudly, and pointing to Ravi and Gayatri who stood clearly visible even in the distance, ' She kissed him. He did not. A kiss is not everything.'

Stepping closer to Partha, she whispered in an aggressive tone, ' suppose, in some party somewhere, a woman kisses you with passion, does that mean she is in love with you and does that mean you will fall in love with her?'

' No. Not at all. When you see it that way, you are right. A kiss does not mean the beginning or an end.'

' And that applies more to our pal Ravi than any other person in this world.'

Partha smiled proudly and said, ' Look at him. Just look at my friend. A beautiful woman kisses him and he stays calm and stays..... well stays the same and remains the Ravi we know. No other man would do that and that too when kissed so passionately and by a good looking woman like that.'

Daksha who had decided against it could not help it and stepped back delivered a nice kick to her husband's bum forcing Partha to gasp in pain and exclaim, ' Wtf Ducks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO45jEEtE0U