From & To Sathish #5 - Page 50

Vaanathai Pola 449

Galadriel: (speaking partly in Elvish)

(I amar prestar aen.)

The world is changed.

(Han matho ne nen.)

I feel it in the water.

(Han mathon ned cae.)

I feel it in the earth.

(A han noston ned gwilith.)

I smell it in the air.

Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

Lord Of The Rings opening monologue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWKHhb2q-oc

There are certain ancient archaeological sites in the Arabian deserts that are given a wide berth by the nomadic tribes called the Bedouins that dwell there and have been living there for thousands of years. One such site lies in the desert called " Rub' al Khali " and is popularly known as the "Empty Quarter".

The name was given to the Arabian Desert because it is a vast stretch of unbroken sand desert that has bested kings, adventurers and nomads for thousands of years. In a region defined by deserts, the Rub al Khali came to be known for being especially daunting and inhospitable. The place is both the world's largest sand sea and one of the hottest places on earth. It is entirely uninhabitable. Only some of the desert-adapted species survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate is extremely dry, and temperatures oscillate between extreme heat and seasonal night-time freezes. While traders have made the trek across this desert in search of riches throughout history, the vast desert has still escaped any permanent human presence. The desert is, ironically, an oasis of nature in a world dominated by concrete and modernity. Although the region includes a few towns, not many people live in the 'empty quarter' because of the intense heat and scarce water, Bedouins are the nomads of the Middle East. Bedouin' is an Arabic word that means 'desert dweller'. These people are disdainful of any kind of settled life. They generally live in tents so they can move easily. Bedouins, with their camels, struggle to cope with desolation and isolation, gale-force winds, sandstorms and only occasional rainfall as they are the true desert dwellers who traverse these sands.

Humans have inhabited the Arabian Desert since the early Pleistocene times ( about 2.6 million years ago). Artefacts have been found widely, including at Neolithic sites in Qatar and Dubai, but they are most abundant in the southwestern Rub? al-Khali. Archaeological research sponsored by the Saudi government has uncovered many Paleolithic sites. Remains of cultures from the past 3,000 years occur in many parts of the peninsula.

The desert called Rub' al Khali like other deserts has a few oases in it that people call their home and have been living around it for thousands of years.

The very mention of the word oasis and the first meaning for it will be, " a place of quiet. A spot of peace and tranquillity. A place of calm in the midst of chaos."

The word oasis came into English from Latin: oasis, which in turn is a direct borrowing from Demotic Egyptian. The word for oasis in the latter-attested Coptic language (the descendant of Demotic Egyptian) is wahe or ouahe which means a "dwelling place".

In geography, an oasis is a fertile land in a desert or semi-desert environment that provide habitats for animals and plants.

But, in life, I mean in real life, the person who loves us is an Oasis. For, like in the desert where water is rare or difficult to find, love, true and pure love is difficult to find in life. The waters in the oases spring up from deep aquifers and constantly replenish themselves and in the same way, true love well up from the soul and not from the shallow and salty levels of skin and all that is called outer beauty.

The sun that had risen on the Indian coast 2 and a half hours earlier only now blinked open its single red-rimmed eye over the horizon and set everything that it saw on fire. A bonfire of light, that was a cool red and soothing pink. But, it was just foreplay and a foreboding of what was to follow in the next twenty to thirty minutes.

Rudran had anticipated this hours ago and had manoeuvered himself around the ruins placing it between himself and the group of terrorists who were a few km away. He lay there now buried in the sands and scanned the ruins using his night vision binoculars and then his eyes came to rest on the large board.

Turning the knob slowly, he zoomed in on the words and read them carefully and read them again. It was written in Arabic but in one of the Bedouin dialects that is not spoken in most of the Gulf regions. Then again there are 32 or more bedouin dialects and all with varying words and meanings.

But, Rudran saw a few words that he recognized and his eyes stayed frozen on them as his lips mouthed them again and again. ' Shaytan, Mawt. That means the devil and death.'

It was only rarely that Rudran stumbled across such situations and assignments in which a certain mystery and ancient history were both involved and this got his blood roaring in anticipation for some of his favourite films were all part of the famous Indiana Jones movies

A huge smile bloomed all over his face and body and he wriggled happily lying down and thought, ' This is a real bonus Rudy machaan. Lost ruins in the middle of the most badass desert and on top of that we have some of the most dangerous terrorists who have to be taken out.'

Then he paused and recollected Azhagan's words. He had read Rudran's thoughts even though thousands of miles of desert, land and sea separated them and had 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.'

The conversation above took place in chapters 432,435 and 436. Click on the link below to read and know more.

Rudran slowly put down the night vision binoculars and whispered, ' What does the top-ranking leader of ISIS want with these ruins which are just a few broken pillars and a large gaping hole in the earth. Why are they risking their lives by entering a desolate place that has been avoided by even the bedouins for thousands of years.'

His doubts were cleared and his questions were answered by the terrorists themselves who quickly removed the desert clothes that they had been wearing and took out some white coloured clothes and began to slip into them.

' PPE suits ( Personal protective equipment) What do they hope to find there in this god-forsaken place?' and totally clueless decided that it was better to call Azhagan and tried his number but only got the usual voice recording that stated sweetly that the person he was trying to call was out of reach and out of network range.

' F..k.' Rudran cursed as it slowly dawned on him that he had no other go but to go after them and without any protection.

' okay, Rudy boy. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't your last day but we have no choice but to go after those dogs. Father would not have used the word kill and destroy everyone and everything without a reason.'

Then he stopped and looked at his phone and quickly slid the screen to its left and paused when the screen held nothing but a small red dot. It was not a dot but an App and it had been put there by Azhagan a long time ago.

Rudran stared at the Red Dot and again recollected what had been told to him. ' Press this button only as a last gasp attempt and when I am out of reach. Press this only when there is No Way Out.'

That had been 15 years ago. Rudran stared at the button and the Large Gaping hole in the desert where all the terrorists had gone down wearing PPE Suits and then pressed it gently and said, ' Sorry father but this is a situation that seems lethal in nature.'

Nothing happened for a few seconds and the seconds became a full minute and just when Rudran had given up all hope and was ready to descend into the dreaded place and follow the terrorists, he felt a strange hum.

He quickly looked down at the ground fearing an earthquake and in the first rays of golden light, saw with fascination and confusion, the sands all around him begin to rise up in the air.

' WTF is going on here. Why are the sands rising up and hovering as if they are being held in place by some strange force?' and then he slowly looked up into the skies.

' Uh-oh! were the only words and noises he could make as he stood with eyes and mind wide open and watched as the large spaceship hovered high above his head and slowly began to descend down to earth.

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/sensational-south/5207625/from-and-to-sathish-5?pn=55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVQGFKmFO94

Vaanathai Pola 450

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” Ernest Hemingway

Raman. Gothanda Raman had always been a soul of few words. Most who knew Raman very well thought it was nearly impossible but he had proved it possible when he spoke even less than before as he grew older, and even though the word " wiser " would be an apt way to describe him in this sentence, I dare not use it, for I suspect that Raman might not approve of me using that adjective.

When a few of his Law colleagues had kind of touched on this trait of his, Raman has just smiled casually and had brushed it off saying, ' Oh! I was not aware of it.'

But, that short answer had not worked with his Judo Sensei DGP Devarajan who had asked him that very question and that too with many other members present in the Dojo.

Raman had great respect for his Sensei and had understood that his master was using him for a specific purpose and that was too to teach by example.

' Well, Raman. I, your sensei have asked you a question, hoping sincerely that my student will answer me' DGP Devarajan had said and had then proceeded to stare at him and all the other members had stopped to join him in staring at Raman, their senior-most student.

Raman was a person of few words but that did not mean he was a shy or an introverted kind of character as was wrongly assumed by most who crossed paths with him. He was a man of action, and who believed that action always spoke better and louder than words and in reality produced better results.

He had stared at everybody and everybody felt his eyes on them and felt him in their souls as he said what he said and repeated it again in Tamil.

' I am going to use two quotes that will answer our Sensei's question to me in a simple but beautiful and easily understandable way, and they are “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know ” by none other than Albert Einstein and " Katrathu Kai Mann Alavu, Kallathathu Ulagalavu" by none other than the great Thiruvalluvar nearly 2000 years ago.'

That incident had taken place in his late teens and during his second year of college and now in his early thirties, as he rose from Level four and made his way back to the surface, Raman closed his eyes and meditated for a brief few seconds on that entity that had made everything possible and that had made even the impossible, easily possible.

He knew he was not the same for that much had been proved when he had taken on three 8 foot giants and had killed them in a blink of an eye. But, then, the very act of breathing life into Azhagan had made him realize that he, his life and everyone in his life was not going to be the same and that life was henceforth going to be very different and very difficult.

The small screen above the elevator door flashed Ground floor and Raman turning to Dr Raja Rao who he was holding like a kitten in his right hand, whispered, ' Be awake and be conscious now.'

He had not said it in arrogance or in contempt but had just said it. Rather, just willed it and Dr Raja Rao blinked his eyes open and became aware immediately.

The large Elevator doors opened and the six doctors who had arrived at the Biological centre at Dr Rao's behest yelled in fear and backed away and all the security men belonging to the army commando team too backed away with them.

Raman's eyes quickly surveyed the entire ground floor and finding it totally devoid of any employees smiled and sighing with relief stared at all the doctors and the security men and then growled, ' Dr Rao, please join them for I need to address all of you and share something that is very important and that concerns our national security.'

Dr Indumathi true to her character and true to her medical faith that meant caring, helping and saving lives, stepped forward fearlessly, ' Sir, Mr Raman, right. Please, sir, we mean no harm to you. I swear it on God. But, sir, you need help right now. Please, let us take care of you.'

Raman smiled at her with eyes full of kindness and understanding and he looked at all the others and said, ' Thank you. But, I am all right now and there is nothing to worry about for everything will be taken care of.'

Dr Raheja's face turned ugly in anger as he pointed at Dr Rao, and yelled, ' Traitor. You betrayed all of us and even tried to have us killed. I am not going to let go of this so easily and am going to report this and see that you are thrown in jail for the rest of your miserable life.'

Raman stared at Dr Raja Rao and unknownst to him, read his mind and absorbed everything that was his memory. Then much to his amazement, he read the minds and the memories of all the doctors and the security commandos who were there in front of him and he did that with barely a glance and quickly scanned all their memories and came up with a solution. For now.

Raman smiled and said, ' Forget everything that took place from late last night. Forget everything and start anew ' and then he went deep into Dr Raja Rao's head and whispered, ' You are a good man but who got misled by the sons of Gaia. Forget everything and start anew.'

Pausing for a second, he whispered, ' In hindsight, take a break. Go on a long vacation. But before that, you will announce to everyone that Dr Sathya will be your immediate successor and will recommend the same to the Prime Minister.'

Then without a word, Raman began to walk towards the entrance and was not stopped by anyone, and as to why that was, you decide.

Raman stopped at the entrance and put out his hand and the security man meekly placed his mobile phone in it.

Raman dialled the number and then again when prompted said his name and his code and after a few clicks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi answered it.

' Ram, Beta. Are you okay? Are you better now? All of us were worried sick about you, Ram?'

Raman thanked him and then spoke to him nonstop for a few minutes and then ended it by saying, ' sir before I do that, I need your permission to go to Chennai and visit my family and take care of a few things that are very personal in nature.'

' Raman, Beta. Anything you need, please just ask and it will be done.'

Raman thanked him and ending the call, slowly turned to the security man and thanked him too.

The security man looked at him with eyes ready to pop out of their sockets and asked in a trembling voice, ' Was that Shri Modiji's voice I heard on the phone?' and stepping closer asked fearfully, ' Saab, who are you?' and before Raman could even answer, a noise was heard and both of them looked towards the east and saw a fully armed lethal-looking helicopter fast approaching them.

Ten lethally armed commandos jumped out of the chopper and surrounded Raman and escorted him into it and took off towards the Air force base where the plane was already waiting for him.

It was a special plane that seated just two and its name was MIG-35 and it could travel at more than twice the speed of sound. It did for a brief few minutes and 25 minutes later, it slowed down and made its descent onto the Tambaram airforce Runway. Three army vehicles were waiting for him and all of them had their flashers on, and Raman was escorted into the middle one and he got into it and headed home.

Fifty minutes had transpired since he had risen from level four and onto the ground floor of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and it took him a further ten minutes to reach Adyar and reach his souls.

Jeeva felt him. She felt Raman through the walls and through the doors and her eyes filled with tears of joy, and she looked at her babies and said, ' Suja, Viji, your father is here. My first baby is back and has returned to us and cajoling her fat ni..les out of their mouths, placed them on the bed and said, ' Let me go bring him in.'

Raman got out of the jeep and saluted all of them with respect, thanked them and walked into the house.

Just like Jeeva, Dhana, Radhu and Kavita had felt Raman's vibrations and also felt the change in it and realized in their souls what had taken place.

They jumped up from their chairs and whispered in one voice, ' The king is here. The new father is here' and Shaktivel, Valliammai, Kamakshi and Manigandan who had been sitting with them at the dining table stared at them in confusion.

The door opened and Raman entered and stood there with a smile and his parents knew. Shaktivel and Valliammai knew why their protectors, their guardians had just said what they had said and they ran to their son.

Raman opened his arms and engulfed them and then Kamakshi too joined them, and Raman wiping her tears told her it was going to be okay.

Dhanashekara Pandyan fell to his knees and Radhu and Kavita joined him and in a loud voice said, ' We see you father. We see your new light.'

The Bedroom door opened and Jeeva stood there staring at the other half of her soul and stood taking in all that lay in front of her eyes.

Raman spoke a few words with his parents and his in-laws and then took turns hugging his blood, his kind and then slowly walked towards Jeeva and said, ' I am sorry but I got delayed as always.'

She took in his blood-stained clothes and his blood-stained hands and the few spots that littered his handsome face and whispered softly, ' baby, you have changed.'

' Yes and hopefully for the better' and hugging her, gently covered her mouth with his and both breathed into each other.

She led him into the room and pointed to the bathroom and said, ' decontaminate yourself, my Lord, lest you contaminate your children.'

Raman nodded and got out of his clothes and was about to enter the bathroom when he heard her say, ' you are forgetting your undies, hero. Are you going to bathe with your underclothes on like in our Tamil Movies?'

Raman smiled and quickly dropped them and she gasped in pleasure for he was all swollen, hard and long.

Raman stood under the shower after having bathed several times and then smiled as the bathroom door opened and Jeeva joined him and whispered, ' F..k me from behind' and turned and offered her beautiful low slung b.m to his hard and long spear and Raman did just that and forced himself into her and she screamed her orgasm and poured herself all over his huge c..k. and it did not stop there and she screamed again and again with every single thrust of his and then suddenly felt empty as he pulled his c..k out of her and felt him going down on her. It took all of her strength not to faint away with all the nuclear explosions that were happening in her C..t and then she offered herself to his hungry mouth and rode it again and again as she came again and again.

All of them were seated at the table when they heard the door open in a hurry and out came Raman with a huge smile and stood staring at them.

Dhana, Radhu, Kavita and everyone else jumped to their feet and asked in an eager voice, ' Raman, what's with the happy face? '

Jeeva came out and answered their question, ' I asked him the same and all he did was jump up like a kangaroo and rush to the door with this happy face.'

Raman pointed to the door and said, ' I don't believe it. I did not think he would come here and that too to our house.'

All of them crowded around Raman and together all of them stared at the door and watched it slowly open and reveal the tall man who stood there with long hair and an angelic smile.

Raman turned to everyone and said, ' All of you, please meet Azhagan.'

The boy who went into the dark and came back with light now stepped into their lives and thus would soon begin the hunt for that darkness that had worked its evil through the Sons of Gaia.'

With this Chapter 450, I am taking a summer break from Vaanathai Pola and will start working on it after a few months. Now, I am going to solely devote all my energy and writing skills to " Avan, Aval, Adhu" and do my best in telling that story.

I wish all of you a beautiful day.

How giants can be killed by a much smaller man but a real hero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z5UKystdZg

Mig 35

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6il-ZoF_ss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-diq6AZS64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR2ujNFqC6M

Avan, Aval, Adhu 145

' Ravi' she said his name as she lay staring at the night sky with her head resting on his lap. The fire had died down and the only light came from the thousands of stars in the night sky.

' I am listening, Gayatri.'

Pointing to the sky that was scattered with thousands of stars, she said, ' They too are called Ravi ' and chuckled like a child and he joined her in her laughter and said, ' Yes. Ravi in Sanskrit means the Sun. But, I am not sure if I was named after our own Star.'

' Why? Why else would your parents have named you so?'

' Actually, Appa told me that our village Josiyar, whom you call Jyotish in Hindi and Astrologer in English insisted that I be named as either Kathiravan, Divakar or Prabhakar.'

' What do those names mean, Ravi and why wasn't one chosen for you from them? Actually, Prabhakar would have suited you just fine.'

' All those names mean the same as my name does and are other words for the Sun. Somehow, my parents seemed to find the name Ravi more apt for me and so here I am as that Ravi.'

' It suits you perfectly. Just like the sun, you too are a real star and just like the sun, you too bring so much life and light and meaning to all our lives.'

She heard him groan painfully and quickly changed the subject asked, ' You said that you are my best friend and that you will always be there for me.'

' Yes and I mean it, Gayatri.'

' Why? We hardly know each other and yet here you are with your lap under my head and chatting with me like a very old and dear friend. You have known Partha nearly all your life and yet you have extended that same love and friendship to me too.'

Ravi looked down at her upturned eyes and smiled, ' I think most of us can judge to a certain degree who or what a person is and that takes but a moment. I knew the moment I looked into your eyes that you are a kind and gentle soul. A brave soul. and then there is all that gratitude I feel for you for saving my kids.'

' Come on, Master. Anyone. Any other person would have done the same thing that I did and like me not expect any gratitude. No big deal.'

' Please, don't brush it off so lightly and don't talk about it in such a light-hearted manner for what you did was a heroic thing and I bet is possible for very few people.'

She smiled, ' But, that is the truth, Ravi. If instead of me, some other person had been present when the kids fell into the lake, they too would have jumped in to rescue them.'

Ravi looked at her and shook his head and said, ' Sorry. But I have to disagree with you.'

Gayatri sat up and asked why he was in disagreeing with her and Ravi smiled and replied, ' Okay. Let's assume for argument's sake that a person apart from you had been there and let us assume that he or she did not know swimming. What then?'

' But... but..'

' No buts, Gayatri' and looking at her asked her, ' take a moment and tell me how many people in your life know how to swim and swim very well.'

She smiled and then angrily blew at the strands of hair that fell on her cheek and seeing her do that made Ravi's heart beat faster as he recollected Madhu doing the same thing and quickly averted his gaze and returned it to the diamonds in the sky.

Gayatri's face which had begun with a smirk when asked the question, now slowly began to express its thoughts as she tried to count on her fingers and quickly realized that there were only a few of them.

Scowling, she thought to herself, ' I know for a fact that dad was s..t scared of water and ran for his life when asked to step into even a shallow pool of water and the same was true for Siddarth, my ex-husband. Madhu, well I am not sure about her.'

Ravi used his knuckled to rap her skull and sniggered playfully, ' ma'am, forget it and just accept defeat and accept what I said.'

Gayatri tried to say something in protest and Ravi with a smile said, ' Actually, very few that we know and interact with really know how to swim and that too in an expert manner. Here, in our small towns and village, we learn to swim at a very young age by jumping into wells and small ponds and even rivers. But, that is not the case with you city people. Swimming is an acquired taste and a few others do it to stay fit and also as an alternative to running and working out in the gym.'

He took her hands and lovingly kissed them and said, ' Even you are not an expert swimmer, and yet, you dived right after the kids and saved them without even pausing for a moment to think about the danger involved to your own life.'

She looked at him with her eyes wide open and Ravi saw them and wondered if two bright stars in the night sky had somehow magically descended down to earth and had sought refuge inside her eyes for they had brightened so much and then he realized that they were bright with tears and he quickly did the only thing that a normal person would do and which was to apologize without knowing why one is apologizing.

' I am sorry if I have ....uh'

' Sorry for what? Stop searching for words, Mr Ravi' and wiping her tears said, ' These are tears of joy. Tears of happiness. So, there is nothing for you to be sorry about and for me to be sad about.'

He looked at her confusedly but decided that it was better to stay silent and not say anything that might hurt her sentiments.

' Ravi, Only one thought flashed in my mind at that moment and that thought was about you.'

' Me. About me?'

' Yes and that thought was about you and what would happen to you if the two kids had died under your watch? I knew that saving them and saving your reputation was more important than my life and that is why I jumped right after them without a second thought.'

Ravi smiled sadly and said, ' And the lady dare question me as to why, I, her friend and others hold her in such high regard and with so much gratitude?'

With soft hands, he wiped her tears and Gayatri sank into his chest and lay there in the bosom of her newfound best friend and in the arms of a love that must have crossed over from another long lost life.

Then she started giggling again like a small child and it was so infectious that Ravi too joined her and smiling asked her what she had set her off and Gayatri told him that she had remembered something a colleague had told her many years ago.

' Once, a colleague made a pass at me and I smiled and turned it down saying, that although it was flattering, I preferred to be friends with him. He smiled and said that it was nearly impossible for a guy and a girl to be friends and have a purely platonic relationship and that too with a beautiful woman like me.'

Still giggling, ' Here I am, late in the night with a guy and my head on his lap and yet we are talking about the sun, stars and their Sanskrit names and meanings .'

Feeling his silence weighing down on her, she slowly sat up and looked at him and said, ' I never in my wildest thoughts imagined that I would be friends with a guy that I so passionately desire and am madly in love with. Yet, here I am talking about it with the same guy and it is all okay.'

She saw the curtains, shutters slowly fall down on his eyes and soul and with a sad smile slowly leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his mouth and whispered good night and walked away towards the lights of the cottages leaving Ravi in darkness and in the company of other stars that only twinkled in the dark night sky.

Avan, Aval, Adhu 146

The modern English word evil, Old English yfel has its roots in the German bel and Dutch word euvel. Other later Germanic forms include Middle English evel, ifel, ufel, Old Frisian evel (adjective and noun), Old Saxon ubil, Old High German ubil, and Gothic ubils. The root meaning of the word is of obscure origin but came about from the basic idea of transgressing.

Transgression literally means a violation of God's Ten Commandments or other elements of God's moral law, a legal transgression, a crime usually created by a violation of social or economic boundary.

Her base sins were envy - of beauty, of happiness - and pride, bending the whole world to her view of creation, and these were the greatest sins of all, the same transgressions over which the devil himself, once an archangel, had stumbled and fallen a long way out of Heaven.

The pond is still but flowing, and thriving in subtle ways and then a leaf drops down on its surface after several wild dance moves and swaying to some strange beat carried by the breeze that dislodged it from the bosom and arms of its tree. Maybe it is the beats of life, the drums of destiny that whisper to the tree to let go of its dry leaves or maybe it is a lullaby that is whispered by elemental earth to the leaf in its own secret language.

Let go, let go and go

for time has come to float and flow

on the waters of life and the currents of fate

so, let go and let go in trust and in knowing

and in full surrender

to the truth that coming and going

is not the purpose

but living and in the end, leaving

others well and for them to live and leave well

So, dry and brown leaf, let go

and drop down and join the real dance of life

and the true purpose of life

you will decompose and be composed

to a new life's composition and you

will live again and dance again

in new life.

The tiny gentle ripples caused by leaf meeting water is really that and the pond goes back to its meditative state. But, throw a stone into it and it takes a whole lot longer for the water to return to its original state and then there is that stone that sinks to the bottom and nothing is ever known about it. But, sink it did and God only knows what it landed on.

In our daily life too, some actions, words secrets even disperse without a ripple but then they seem to gather strength from ricocheting on some distant shores and come back with vengeance.

It has been debated and will be debated for a long time and the subject of the debate is the capacity of a human being for both good and evil. The question that arises from this debate is if a human arrives into this world, predisposed with the capacity to do good or bad or worse to unleash evil and hell.

Circumstances, situations, environment, betrayals aside there is something called the selfish gene buried in all of us.

It is okay when that gene preaches, " I, you, me, ours, " but dangerous and downright deadly when it preaches, " I, Mine and Mine only."

Driver Subbu was driving down Kodai hills and was halfway down when his wife called him and asked him if he would be back in time for dinner or if he was going to be late. Subbu casually told her that it depended on the traffic on Kodai-Madurai Highway.

' Oh, so you are coming back from Kodai?'

' Yes. Iyaa asked me to drop off this lady and I have done that and am on my way back home.'

' Ladya. Iyaa's relation I guess.'

' Relation illa friend and probably more family than a friend ' and with enthusiasm added a little bit more information about the lady he had driven to Kodai Kanal.

' Adhaan, Namma hero lady who jumped into the lake and rescued two kids studying in our school' and in a voice full of wonder and pride, ' Lakshmi, that same lady did another heroic act when she stopped a theft happening in our Sadaya Perumal Kovil.'

' Aiyo. Was she hurt?'

' No. Thank God for that but the driver got stabbed and both arrived at Namma Iyaa's hospital. Iyaa only requested her to make use of his vehicle and I am happy that she agreed for I got to see namma Ravi Iyaa too in the process and I took a selfie with him on my new phone.'

' Appadiya? Namma Ravi Saamiya Paartheengala?'

So, the leaf slowly let go of its mother tree's arms and began to dance in swirls and moving here and there and just like that a happy moment, a secret moment was dislodged and let loose into the world and would eventually find its way to an old dormant evil that shook itself loose and life would not be the same again.

Poetry and songs for the masses

Poem comes from the Greek poema, meaning a thing made, and a poet is defined in ancient terms as a maker of things.

Poetry is derived from the Greek poiesis, "making". Sonnet, Haiku, Free verse, Acrostic, Villanelle, Ode, and Elegy are some of the different styles of poems.

The main difference between a song and a poem is that a poem is a written or spoken piece of literature that is not set to music, whereas a song is a composition that is set to music. In simple words, a poem set to music is a song, while a song that does not involve music is a poem.

I don't remember too many Classic Poems written by many great classic minds from the earlier centuries. Age and times, I guess. But, I did recollect one poem and whispered it as an ode to a soul called Robin Williams who killed himself in 2014. That, the very same poem by Walt Whitman was featured in the film that he had acted in, titled " Dead poets society " did help, and in the film the poem is recited as a farewell to him by all his old students as he leaves them and the school.

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done;

The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

That, the poem was written by Whitman when hearing about Lincoln's Assassination does make it all the more tragic in it meaning and in its creation.

I think it was in the very same year that Robin Williams passed that I discovered another great creation and a classic poem while watching the hit film " Interstellar ", a film from my favourite sci-fi genre with Avinash Subramaniam.

Just as the spaceship, the last one leaves earth in search of answers carrying with it all the hope for the future of mankind, Michael Caine recites a poem and I joined him as best as I could. Dog with a bone, yes and I googled the poem and seared it as a scar in the hard disk of my brain. Both as RAM and in a permanent folder.

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

It is a poem written by the Great poet Dylan Thomas for his father as he was battling poor health and the Grim Reaper whose shadow had already fallen on him.

Okay, I confess that apart from these two poems I do often recollect two other poems. One is The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth and the other is The Road not Taken by Robert Frost.

But. Ah, Ah. There it is, that, But. Sorry, trust me when I say that you are not a Butt of my writing skills but rather companions sharing notes. A much-flogged thought and clever excuse of mine. Kinda works, methinks.

Poems and poets aside and be it in English or Tamil, I somehow remember the lines better from the world of movies and that too, Okay, you win again. Kannadasan, it is.

I think, colour films were half-dead by the time, Tides of time and fate ran me aground in Madras now Chennai. So, I am fairly sure that almost all the black and white Sivaji and MGR films that I saw were on that Coffin called Dyanora.

Today it is my all-time favourite song for its words, and music and also because it features my favourite and my guru Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan and the song is Ponaal Pogattum Poda from the film Paalum Pazhamum.

I remember running for my life the very first time I saw this song, for the music sounded creepy at best and featured scary looking animals. This was the world before National Geographic and Discovery Channel Documentaries. So, I had no clue about Jackals and Vultures and other vague looking creatures that popped up in that song.

Time has flown and years have passed by and I have learnt that there are scarier creatures than them animals and they walk among us. Yes and on Two legs.

F..k. what if somebody thinks the same of me. Idha dhaan Vaaya kuduthu.......

Purists will glare and shake their heads but, I have found some great classics, and gems in movie songs that will stand the test of time like classic poems have and I am sure that most, almost all of you will vote for my thoughts.

Those times, in those heavy moments when my mind feels swamped and I feel an anchor pulling me down to murky and raging depths, I reach out to Kannadasan, Sivaji Combo of songs and tell myself, ' All is well. All is well. '

Sometimes, when I feel mentally crippled, Kannadasan's songs become my crutches and my wheelchair and borne by them, I float through the day, days and life itself.

This post is my ode to all those classic poems and songs.

Good morning. I wish you a beautiful day.

I leave you with a beautiful and simple poem that will warm the cockles of your heart and your brain. No. wait. Soul.

My path is full of petals.I have swept it for no others.

My thatch gate has been closed but opens now for you.

Its a long way to the market, I can offer you little

Yet here in my cottage there is old wine for our cups.

This poem is by Du Fu.

Du Fu ( Tu Fu, 712-770) was a prominent Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. Along, with Li Bai (Li Po), he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets. https://youtu.be/3_nprPycZow

https://youtu.be/CxWBTQ68WP0

Avan, Aval, Adhu 146

Simple word origin From Middle English symple, simple, from Old French and French simple, from Latin simplex

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. Henry David Thoreau

Ravi had not turned around to see Gayatri as she had slowly walked away towards her cottage. He had wished her Good night in a warm and friendly manner and had continued staring out into the darkness of the Kodai night and unlike what she had done.

Gayatri had stood, lingering, and hoping against hope that Ravi would turn and see and that their eyes would meet and hopefully that would lead for their souls to meet. Alas, that had not transpired and he had sat there in the darkness, a small rock among other rocks that surrounded Whispering Rocks.

She had stood her ground on grounds of grass for a few seconds at best and had finally given up and walked away realizing that her hope, her wish was not going to come true.

The burning logs had finally run out of their fire legs and were gasping out their last breath of smoke as they turned to ash and would soon disperse, returning themselves to their chemical state and thus finish a circle of life and the journey that was an eternal and magical circle. Ravi stared at the thin wisps of smoke that were sometimes one and sometimes two and then they became a family, pushed and entwined by a sudden rush of air.

' What darkness does night possess but for the absence of light and yet I sit feeling this grass and can see trees towering all over me and they, in turn, are towered over by the Kodai hills.'

He laughed to himself and thought, ' This darkness is nothing compared to the darkness that lies in human's soul and how it reveals itself in words and actions' and resumed his vigil which was watching the dead fire's smoke tendrils rising up.

His lips moved in sync with the single and double ghosts of smoke.

' Like spirits that leave the bodies, abandon them

you too are abandoning your wood and origin

and are rising away to a new destiny.

Smoke and spirits alike

nearly invisible and yet you lie

buried in almost all parts of your old self

today this wood that was once a beautiful thing

Like Keats said, ' A thing of beauty is a joy forever '

and yet, beauty too will fade and eventually die

and with it will end joy in this avatar

From seed to plant and from plant to tree

and from tree, flowers and fruits

and from flowers and fruits new life

and from tree and life

to dead and dry and burning fires

Parthiban came out of the bathroom and instead of joining her in the bed, began to slip into his clothes that he had just slipped out of a little while ago much to Daksha's surprise.

' Baby, it is late. Do you still think he will still be there?'

' Yes. I am sure of it.'

' what will you say, I mean talk about ?'

He smiled and shook his head, ' Nothing. I am going to say nothing and offer nothing.'

' Then?'

' I am just going to sit with him and be. Just be.'

' But, you could do that by just leaving him to his thoughts and not go and join him as you are doing now.'

' I could do that. But, he needs me by his side and I am sure that he will be much better if I go and join him.'

She did not mean to offend and sound mean but asked away anyway. ' I will never get you men and what goes on in your heads?'

Partha smiled, ' Please forgive me, my woman, but you will never get it for deep down you are a woman and work in your own mysterious ways while we men work in our own strange ways. You can understand my words only if you had been born a man.'

The door shut and with nothing better to do, Daksha stared at the teak wood ceiling and debated with herself if she should join Partha and decided against it. If there was one thing being a woman had taught her, then it was that universal fact that men and their friendships were very strong and often overpowered the other relationships in their lives. Even marital relationships and yes. Even love.

She had not understood it at first but had come to learn about it through her other female friends who had nicknamed it Bromance.