From & To Sathish #5 - Page 60

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z5YzdSZ9Aq8

Avan, Aval Adhu 189

All three of them were staring at each other hoping and willing the other not to giggle and set them off again by infecting them with their joy and laughter. Seeing Gayatri returning, Ravi looked away but not before he had glimpsed her visage that seemed to be more happy and buoyant than it had been before she had left them to make her phone calls.

He weakly offered an entry into their conversation by asking if all was well with her work and family.

Gayatri nodded, ' Yes sir. All is indeed well' and then raising a finger, ' we will come to that later for now I want to know what you guys were laughing about.'

Parthiban jumped on his metal legs and blustered, ' Okay, you guys. Please, carry on while I go ahead with some calls that I have to make ' and tried to leave but both the women grabbed him and Gayatri looked at him and said, ' wait, bro. You can go after I have finished hearing who was the butt of the joke.'

Partha looked sadly at his wife and best friend and mumbled, ' I think I know now how Ceasar felt when he was stabbed by his best friends' and with a long face told Gayatri that Ravi had called him as Einstein's left ball while his wife had demeaned him further and called him a single hair on that very same intelligent ball.'

Gayatri maintaining a straight and composed face looked at Ravi, ' what did Partha say to deserve such a glorious title?' and then added, ' Although, one has to admit that it is in fact an honour to be that ball or even a hair on that same ball. For, Albert Einstien was a certified genius and is also called the father of modern physics. So, his balls are rather prestigious indeed.'

Patting Partha's hand gently, ' You should wear the title with pride ' and pointing to Ravi and Daksha, ' don't worry about them. They are just jealous of your new status.'

Ravi found himself unable to keep a straight face and burst out laughing and Daksha happily joined him in his happiness. Partha glared sadly at Gayatri who enquired very innocently, ' Did I say something wrong?'

Parthiban wagged his finger at her, ' You, you witch. For a second you had me going there ' and placing his hands around her neck, mockingly tried squeezing it and both of them burst out laughing and joined in the others.

It is a beautiful thing to witness friends laughing aloud, together. It is a beautiful sound, laughter and infectious too for it infects the soul with happiness, and peace, while reminding you that life is worth living. Even if it means living that life for another soul. Laughter is indeed a glorious sound. An ecstatic state, a form of Nirvana that erupts from your core. From your soul.

Gayatri holding her tummy with her left hand wiped her tears with her right hand and then leaning against Partha's shoulder asked him what had prompted the ceremony in which he had been bestowed the glorious titles.

Ravi looked at Daksha who nodded and replied, ' What else but my hubby's thoughts on how to go about handling this situation. This threat.'

Gayatri looked at all of them and declared, ' Guys, don't worry about that, for it has been taken care of.'

Ravi looked at her, ' But, Inspector Sargunam has already arranged for two patrol jeeps with five cops in each to watch over us and Whispering Rocks.'

' I know Ravi. But, you guys looked really worried and troubled and that was something that I could not bear to watch and stand by doing nothing. After all, I am the reason why this problem started in the first place and the very reason Beedi man too spoke about. So, I had to do something about it.'

' What did you do? Who did you call? If you don't mind me asking..'

She smiled and then did that very same thing that Madhu used to do. Which was blow air from the corner of her lips to move the strands of hair that had fallen on her cheek.

Ravi felt a jolt of current run through his soul as his memory took hold of him in its strong current and took him back to that first day of school and back to 9th std.

He had stood staring at the new girl who was writing something in what looked like a diary and she was doing her best to huff and puff away the lock of hair that kept falling on her left cheek.

It was the most mesmerizing and magical moment in his life and it had been the first moment when he knew what it meant to fall in love.

His lips had moved, forming lines of poetry in English and Tamil and had whispered,

' Are you really human or an angel in the guise of a girl?

Are you the goddess from Madurai who is lost

or are you some witch from the deep dark forests

come to take me away and eat me alive

I will come with you willingly and

I will smile even while you eat me alive

for I will only feel the softness of your beautiful lips on my skin'

And then he had stopped for the girl, the angel who had been sitting writing in her dairy now stood before him smiling and then she had whispered, ' My name is Madhurima. But, people close to me call me Madhu.'

She had put out her hand and Ravi had taken it shyly and shaking it had whispered, ' Hi, Madhurima. My name is Ravi.'

' Like I said, just Madhu. Okay, Ravi.'

His heart nearly jumped out of its bony cage and its mortal moorings and had threatened to pop out of his open awestruck mouth.

Then she had puffed air again at the strands of hair that kept teasing and caressing her left cheek and had said something that left Ravi swooning in ecstasy.

' I am no angel or a witch. I am but a human and all real. You are a very talented person. You should write more and if you don't mind, I would like to read what you write. Bye Ravi.'

' Hello, Master. Ravi. Mr Ravi Kumar.'

He came out of his memory staring at Gayatri and he knew then that he had fallen for her. But, his foremost and only thought was, if it was real and pure like the love he had felt for Madhu or if it was an unfulfilled ache, a pain, a memory of old that was taking shape as love once again and that had returned to haunt him.

He stood up abruptly and said, ' Please forgive my rude behaviour. I just need a few moments to sort out something' and with that walked out into the fog in whose darkness, all creations, up and below were playing hide and seek.

Avan, Aval Adhu 190

I am sure that you must have read or at least heard in passing about the first images from the James Webb Telescope that have been shared by Nasa and its European partners in this mission. Astronomy fascinates me. It has ever since I looked up into the night sky and stared at the darkness of space that we call the Sky and saw it littered with thousands of twinkling stars.

You will be surprised to learn that some of the faint smudges, tiny bright objects are indeed Galaxies. Large Galaxies within which life billions of stars.

Galaxies, stars, that are millions and billions of years away. There is so much happening out in the Universe at this very moment.

The human birth rate is 18.2 births per 1,000 population or 267 births globally per minute or 4.5 births every second (2018 estimate). The current world population is growing by about 215,000 people every day. It is projected to hit 8 billion by 2023, 9 billion by 2037, and 10 billion by 2057.

Now compare that with the birth rate of stars. It is estimated that there are about 50 billion galaxies in the entire observable Universe. Now all galaxies are different - our own is a typical spiral galaxy, but there are large and small spirals, giant and dwarf ellipticals, irregulars, etc. However, if we once again assume that our own Milky Way Galaxy represents an average type of galaxy, we can calculate that there are roughly 150 billion stars born per year in the entire Universe. This corresponds to about 400 million stars born per day or 4800 stars per second! If we turn this around, this means that throughout the entire Universe, a star is born every 0.0002 seconds (i.e. every 2, 10,000th's of a second)!!

Mind-boggling isn't it.

I like to think that our own Planet is a tiny, kutty galaxy by itself and all lives in it making up the stars which are born every second and that die every second. Life just does not stand still. It seems to thrive on action, motion, reaction and explosions.

Here we are in our story, where our own stars, the characters are coming together in harmony and in peace. But, there are characters, and other bodies that are entering their orbits and the resulting collision will be cataclysmic and will result in damage. Collateral Damage.

Nirmal Gupta opened the diary in front of him and went to the page where the person he was searching for was listed and read the number aloud. That was enough.

He entered the number and a lady answered, ' Namaskar. This is Pallavi, secretary to the Home Secretary. How can I help you?'

' Namaskar, Pallavi ji. I would like to speak to your boss if he is free. If he is not, please inform him that Gupta, Nirmal Gupta from Premji Associates had called. Thank you.'

' Sir, Ek minute.'

Gupta smiled for he knew what was happening.

A very smooth and respectful voice said, ' Hello, Gupta ji. How are you, sir?'

' I am fine, sir.'

' Please, Gupta ji. Just call me Ajay like you have called me all these years. '

' No, Mr Ajay. I cannot do that and break protocol. I can do that if we are alone in our houses and among family. But, right now you are in the office and it is one of the ranking positions in our Administration.'

' It is all the same for me Guptaji. The minister wants me to stay on until the next elections and has granted me an extension. A forced one at that.'

Both the men made small but personal talk and then Mr Ajay asked, ' Gupta ji. Boliye, saab. How can I be of service to you?'

' Thank you, Ajay ji. This is a problem concerning a very close family friend who I consider like my own child. She is involved in a case down south in Madurai.'

Quickly, he explained the case involving Gayatri and then requested some help for her security.

' Bravo. What a brave woman? I only wish there were more men like in our country today. No problem Gupta Ji. I will take care of it right away.'

' Thank you, Ajay ji. I owe you one.'

' Arre, saab. Then what about what I owe you and Madhuji and what about our party that owes so much to all the donations that will run into 30, 40 crores in the last election.'

' Ajay ji. Please, just one small request. Try your best to keep it away from everybody else and importantly the minister himself. For, he might end up sending a battalion to protect Gayatri.'

' Gupta ji. Isn't Madhuji's stepdaughter's name Gayatri too?'

' Yes, The one and only and the same, Ajay ji.'

' Gupta Saab, that means she is family and family means everything to us. Right sir.'

' Absolutely right, Ajay sir.'

' I will look into it right away and will call you back with updates later in the evening, Guptaji.'

' Thank you, Ajay sir. Bye.'

Ajay Kumar Bhalla the current Home Secretary of India looked at Pallavi, ' Get a line to Mr Babu and tell him it is urgent ' and swivelled his chair and sat sipping his green tea as he waited to talk to the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu, C. Sylendra Babu IPS.

The Home Secretary is the administrative head of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This post is held by a very senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. Ajay Kumar Bhalla was the current Home Secretary. All Central Forces such as CRPF, CISF, BSF, etc and State Police Forces are under the Union Home Secretary. The Union Home Secretary is the Chief Advisor to the Union Home Minister on all matters of policy and administration within the Home Ministry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ8ugCtwiuU

Avan, Aval Adhu 191

“Change is essential to growth. Embrace the unpredictability, accept your own painful process, and know opinion can never take away your personal truth. Allow yourself to flourish into a matured, improved version of yourself, but know that it takes time.” Kristin Michelle Elizabeth

You know the sun will rise again even as you watch it fall down in the direction that we call west which will soon be east for that part of our planet. Yet, we feel the loss of the sun, it's light and warmth when it sets or even when it is covered by dark clouds or like the fog that lay outside the windows and all around Whispering Rocks.

When we like somebody, love somebody and enjoy their company, their going away, planned and unplanned leaves us with an empty feeling and a void all around us.

It was not only Gayatri's eyes that followed Ravi as he vanished into the fog with his hands tucked into his jacket's side pockets and with his head hung low. Partha and Daksha too followed their friend and after losing him to the clutches of the unusually persistent fog turned to look at Gayatri not knowing what to say and wondering at the same time what she was going to say or react.

Finding, Gayatri's usually friendly, expressive and open face unusually inscrutable, Partha tried to make small talk by apologizing for Ravi's sudden departure.

' He is not like that. Poor guy is just a bit worried about this situation concerning your safety and well-being.'

' That he is, Partha. That is obvious to all of us. It's just that he does not realize that others too worry about him and his well-being like he does for them.'

Daksha looked at her, ' Why do I sense another meaning in your words, Gayatri?'

' Silly me trying to slip one past a woman who is older and far more experience than me and is sitting right in front of me reading my every thought that is echoing in my eyes.'

Partha cleared his throat loudly, ' ahem. Ladies, I know I am a male and a bit obtuse when it comes to the finer points of life and love but it is obvious even to a male like me that Ravi is under duress and hence his abrupt and unusual way of leaving.'

Gayatri's inscrutable face cracked open with the sad smile and staring at the fog outside that had swallowed her heart, she said, ' He is under duress for he is worried. Worried not only about my security that is being slightly threatened by those temple thieves but I suspect he is slightly more worried about another thief.'

Partha stammered, ' what thief? You mean there is another thief and another problem?'

Daksha smiling like a beautiful but evil witch, slowly slipped her hand under the table and pinched his thigh forcefully and which forced Partha to yelp like a puppy and squeal, ' What did I do now?'

' Ignore him Gayatri. Go. Go after him and go talk to him. But, remember ...just remember.'

' Just remember not to push him, and not to push, and force, time, and life. For, there are certain things in life that need to come to you, and when pushed, they will push back or you will push yourself away and far away.'

Daksha stared at Gayatri who had interrupted her and nodded, ' exactly.'

' I just quoted Mr Devathoothan, Daksha. He also said people have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar."

Partha interrupted both of them by saying, ' I am sorry but I disagree.'

Both the women looked at him like an adult would look at a child that has said something very profound without knowing the meaning of it.

He looked at them with open and humble eyes, ' I agree that I don't have the emotional depths that you women possess but I love my friend more than you do and with that in mind I tell you that he is not suffering and most certainly he is not suffering by holding on to that crutch called, called Madhu.'

Unable to stop now that he had begun, he went on. ' She is his crutch, yes but a crutch that belongs to a handicapped person. Her love is what makes him tick, live and breathe.'

Leaning out a bit, he raised his leg and pulling the pants back, revealed his expensive and terminator tech metal leg and said, ' My legs might be artificial but they get the job done and do it better than my old legs. This suffering that you ladies are talking about is not just that for sometimes, like in Ravi's case, it becomes his joy. The source of his life and achievements and the will to go on and on for others.'

Daksha stared at her husband with pride and then planted a kiss on his cheek and said, ' Good boy. I have taught you well.'

Gayatri got up to her feet and said, ' Okay, I am going after him. I will see you lovebirds a bit later.'

Partha jumping to his feet announced, ' I am coming with you. I will leave you once you are with Ravi. I don't think it is safe for you to be on your own.'

Gayatri thanked him, ' Okay. But just for your knowledge, I have really taken care of this silly problem that we are supposedly facing from those ass..les who ran away once I started swinging my camera.'

Daksha sat watching Partha and Gayatri disappear into the fog and in the same spot as Ravi had disappeared.

She got up and slowly walked into their master bedroom and opened the large wardrobe closet and pushed away the clothes that stood between her and the safe.

She entered the six-digit password and once the safe door swung open she removed the metal box and opened it and stared at the Baby Glock that lay nestled inside by soft cloth. It lay inert but deadly in its intent and potent to kill. Making sure the safety catch was on, she placed it inside her large woollen sweater jacket and walked back to the kitchen thinking.

' If anyone dares enter my lair to threaten my kith and kin, then I swear on christ as my witness and judge, their lives are forfeit.'

https://youtu.be/-Nt53rX4h1w

Avan, Aval Adhu 192

They entered the thick, swirling dark fog and Partha observed loudly to Gayatri, ' This bloody fog is very unusual. Both in its timing and intensity.'

Gayatri stopped and looked at him with searching eyes and then with a relaxed smile said, ' For a moment I thought you were talking about me while talking about the fog.'

Parthiban's face contorted itself in agony and pain and Gayatri realizing that her playful comment about his observation regarding the fog had not gone down well with him, quickly grabbed his arm and said, ' Hey, I was just kidding man.'

Partha offered her a weak smile that was meant to convey that he understood and then turned away leaving Gayatri to really understand that he had been hurt.

She tugged at his sweater and said, ' I am sorry, Partha. I am really sorry' and tugging harder, made him turn towards her and repeated her apologies.

' I mean it, bro. I keep forgetting how close you three and especially the bond that you share with Ravi.'

' No need to apologize Gayatri. You said nothing wrong, and in fact, you are right, for I should have known better and should have chosen the right words even if it meant I was just describing this ridiculous fog.'

Gayatri looked at Partha for a few moments that felt like minutes to him and he asked her, ' What are you looking at this ugly dumb face for?'

' Don't say that, please. Don't ever talk about yourself like that before me. It hurts like hell.'

She reached up to touch his face and cupped it in her hands, ' This face, these eyes and in it is the soul that is so obviously a part of his soul. That means, My Ravi, my love is in you and which makes you, precious, and pretty valuable to me, Partha. So, don't ever put yourself down for you are not just you and are also Daksha and....'

Partha looked at her with total admiration and nodded, ' and... go on my friend. Say it.'

' and ' placing a finger on his heart, ' and hopefully, I too am in your heart along with Ravi and Daksha.'

Parthiban looked at her and with soft, wet and shining eyes, ' You love him so much?'

' Yes. I do ' and then with a twinkle in her eyes, asked him, ' what about you? Don't you love him as much as I do?'

He nodded sadly, ' That is the reason I came out with you.'

' But, I thought you were coming along to protect me?'

' Yes. Correct. But, I also came along to protect, Ravi who at the moment is obviously feeling a bit lost and vulnerable.'

' Protect Ravi. But from whom? me' she used her right hand to point to herself and looked at him with a bit of sadness and shock mixed together in her eyes and when Partha did not reply she continued on. ' I asked you a question but looks like something has caught your tongue.'

' No, Gayatri. Nothing has caught my tongue. Not the proverbial cat or your question. '

Sighing sadly, ' look at us. I mean look at you and me both wanting to protect and take care of the same person and yet here we are questioning and answering each other.'

Nodding his head gently a couple of times, ' I came here to talk to you about one thing. One thing that all of us including Ravi have overlooked but which is pretty damn obvious.'

' What has he overlooked, Partha?'

' Pain.'

Her eyes opened wide to see more, for her brain to receive more light into its processor through the lens of the eyes. Fear upon hearing Partha talk about Ravi and Pain in the same context forced her eyes to open wide as it is natural.

' But, he is fine, Partha. He has been coping for more than 25 years and it is obvious to the whole world that he has managed his pain and loss.'

She saw his face take on a soft, peaceful look as he looked at her and said, ' I contemplated for a long time on my friend's predicament, pain and his life and then read a quote that best describes what Ravi really is.'

' What is that quote? Please, share it with me so that it might help me to better understand Ravi and his thoughts.'

"Of pain, you could wish only one thing. That it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain, there are no heroes."

Gayatri's eyes blinked unconsciously several times as she repeated in her head and let her brain make sense of what Partha had just said and then whispered tentatively, ' That does not make any sense.'

' Why? what in the quote does not make sense to you?'

' Ravi has not suffered any physical pain. I mean it in this context and not in any disrespect. He has obviously suffered emotional and mental pain which are more potent and vicious than any physical pain.'

' So. Then, what does it mean? ' Partha smiled sadly and spread both his hands as if he was expecting her to place the answer, her reply as alms to soothe his soul like a devotee would in front of their God.

' It means that no person, not even a hero can stand physical pain for a long time as there is a limit to what any person can endure before they are broken. But, Emotional, mental trauma and pain are even more painful than physical pain for its scars never heal and even if they appear to have healed, they fester on, linger on in their sepsis.'

Partha smiled, ' Which means what, Gayatri?'

' Which means Ravi is not just a hero? He is not just an ordinary man, an everyday soul or your average human being?'

' Correct. He is special, for he has not only endured his pain, his loss and suffered quietly and secretly but has gone on to do good for all that is around him, starting from children and right up to the adults in his small town and all around Kumarapalayam.'

Placing a gentle, loving hand on Gayatri's cheek, ' tell me, is he not worth protecting? Am I wrong in wanting to see my friend happy and safe?'

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/274346#Emotions-trigger-facial-expressions-that-harness-useful-light-properties

When the deep abyss of my soul is hurt, moved and in distress, it is often reflected in my eyes, not like the regular waves that travel on the ocean's surface. But, like a Tsunami that is caused when the depths of the ocean floor erupt in an earthquake.

It does not matter how close to a person you are or how much they love you for some things have to be endured by you and alone and on your own.

I am a lucky person for I bleed out my anger, and sorrow through writing, walking and yes, drowning myself in music.

I share with you a few pieces of sounds and music that soothe my soul and calm them tsunami's down to a gentle lull.

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

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0596L_5n-S4

Avan, Aval Adhu 193

Gayatri was lost for an answer and suddenly felt very drained both mentally and physically and looked at Partha, ' It is not only Ravi that I have to fight and win over but it appears that I have to convince his besties too. What a hopeless and helpless situation?'

' I am sorry, Gayatri but I don't want you to feel that way. All I am asking you to do is to take it easy and slow. One step at a time.'

Then Partha hurriedly waved both his hands as if he was trying to swat and scatter away what he had said, ' forget me and forget what I want for Ravi and just think of what Devathoothan himself told you.'

Gayatri looked at him, ' what do I do now?'

' Nothing. Just take it cool and let it come to you and let Ravi come to you.'

Gayatri did not know how to react to Partha's surprising but also slightly vague advice and asked, ' Did you just throw a lifeline for me to hang on?'

She grabbed him by his thick denim jacket and asked him with great enthusiasm, ' You did. You just did.'

Partha smiled at her, ' My friend is a bit of a nut. A hard nut to crack. But, it is obvious from how he has taken to you that he feels some strange connection with you. I don't know what that is, just like I sometimes don't what goes on in that idiot's head.'

Gayatri was about to offer her own explanation but Partha shook his head, ' No. Not gratitude or courtesy and being human and all that stuff. No. This is deep and something else and special for he has not been with any woman since that moment.'

She looked at him and Partha understanding the meaning in her look, ' That too and I won't be surprised if he has never been with a woman. At least, I know that for a fact and trust me, he would have inferred about it even if it was just in passing. I am pretty sure about that.'

' So, that strange connection you mentioned that Ravi feels for me, could be ' she paused and fixed him with a meaningful and questioning look and seeing his face turn a slightly pinkish red, ' Okay. All right. No need to answer that.'

' But Partha, what do we do now?'

' Now, we go find Ravi and once we find him, I will leave you both in peace.'

' Where do you think he will be right now?'

' Either in his cottage or nearby at that edge of our property that runs down into The Wailing Rocks or if my instinct is correct, maybe at that burnt Cedar tree.'

Gayatri slung her arm in his and declared, ' Lead away, Sir Knight and lead this poor damsel back to her castle. Her home.'

' Castle. Home? But, we are going to meet Ravi?'

She cast a sympathetic look at him and Partha realizing his gaffe, corrected it, ' Home is where the heart is.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs4_hNfbcYI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtp72RnFaRU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC1iJcYOyeY