From & To Sathish #5 - Page 71

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugyIsXll4mY

Avan, Aval Adhu 238

Unbeknownst, Unannounced night fell over the land and covered everything in darkness. The absence of the sun meant the absence of its light in which creatures of the day see, forage, hunt, graze and gather strength to face the night and the dangers that come with it. From the darkness of the cottage in which they were all sitting in, Ravi stared out across the darkness into the distance at cottage no.1 which stood forlornly in the darkness with just a few dim lights burning inside it.

Ravi smiled and voiced his thoughts loudly and shared them with all of them.

' Partha, Ducks, your cottage there with just a few lights shining in this sea of darkness reminds me of those deep ocean underwater documentaries in which scientists encounter strange creatures that have their own light source called bioluminescence.'

Pointing to the lights, ' see how they pulse, glow and dim according to the whims of the diesel generators ' and facing him, ' dei, I asked you to leave the music on at a low volume that can be heard only when we near the house. Did you do that?'

Partha nodded and even though his eyes were full of questions, he did not have the gall to ask them and like Ravi was doing, he too stared out at their cottage that stood like a lighthouse in the dark.

' We can see them but they cannot see us' Ravi spoke and broke the silence that was becoming a bit unbearable.

' See who, Ravi and why can't they see us?' Daksha asked and Partha who had finally caught on to Ravi's plans, ' Because while we sit here shrouded in darkness, those who come for us will surely approach the house first and will be illuminated and from the safety of this vantage point, we can watch and learn more about them.'

Gayatri took the cue and expanded on it and said, ' Then, our plan will be to retreat quietly through this window and walk on the rugs that have been placed there to reduce or mask any noise our feet might make as we go down the steps and descend into the wailing rocks.'

Ravi clapped his hands softly without making any noise and said, ' Bravo again my lady.'

Daksha smiled approvingly and said, ' No wonder you are the master and we remain students.'

' This person who you address as Master was once a student and I remain to this day a student and hopefully will until my last breath ' Ravi said and in the darkness saw Daksha's right hand slowly creep into her woollen jacket and touch the handgun that lay holstered there.

She caught him looking at her and quickly said, ' Why can't we just shoot them and get it over with, Ravi? Why do we have to flee from criminals who are trespassing on our land?'

' We will not be fleeing but merely retreating to a safer place and a vantage point of strength from where we can negotiate or wait them out until they run out of options or until help arrives to rescue us ' Ravi answered her and looking out into the darkness, ' violence and retaliation should be kept as last-ditch measures and used only when the chance for peace has finally run out.'

Gayatri nodded, ' I totally agree with you Ravi ' and turning to Daksha asked her, ' Can I ask you a question?'

Daksha nodded and Gayatri smiled and pointed to the handgun whose grip was slightly visible, ' How good are you with it, Ducks? Please answer me honestly.'

' I am good and by that, I don't mean I am going to win any medals in the immediate future but still good. At least that's what my shooting coach told me. I practice regularly and go to the shooting gallery outside Madurai once in two months. Regular practice is very important otherwise for else rust will set into our skills. But why this sudden question about how good I am with my shooting?'

' There is a reason for it, Ducks for I have seen my share of guns and violence while I was travelling in certain parts of the African continent ' Gayatri said and looking right into Daksha's eyes, ' Shooting at boards and pictures in galleries is vastly different from shooting at live animals and humans. It takes a lot to look into another life's eyes and put bullets into their bodies. It is not easy to hold a gun and fire bullets at things that live and breathe and see your bullets hitting flesh and make blood and bone explode from their bodies.'

Daksha's face changed pallor hearing Gayatri's words and she hurriedly looked away and said, ' But if it means protecting all of you then I will do it. Even if I have to force myself to do it.'

Ravi looked at all of them and whispered, ' I hope that things don't escalate to that level. That is also the reason why we have a backup plan ready and one which hopefully will lead us away from any confrontations. There is also a very good chance that the people after Gayatri might just leave when they can't find us in the cottages and will not know the way down into the caves of the Wailing rocks.'

Gayatri looked at him, ' But surely they will return, sooner or later. '

' I know that but by that time you will have enough police protection and there will be no need to be sitting or scurrying in the dark like we are doing right now.'

Partha hearing Ravi say those words replied, ' Why can't we make a stand in case there are just two or three of us? Let's end this once and for all tonight rather than wait for them to keep coming back again and again. Why prolong this danger any longer than it is needed?'

Ravi's eyes were large as he stared at Partha and then he snapped back, ' You think this is a game, a story session or some kind of movie action scene? It is not, Partha, for only in movies and stories do heroes take on all odds and evils and fight singlehandedly and as one.'

Smiling sarcastically, ' Look at us. Take a good look at all four of us middle-aged people and now say those words again about making a stand and ending this danger tonight.'

Shaking his head impatiently, ' If all of you think even for a second that this is some kind of excursion and an adventure trip, then kindly erase those whimsical thoughts out of your heads. I repeat, the moment we see danger is the moment we get out of here.'

Gayatri looked at Ravi and Partha and apologized. ' I am sorry guys. I am really sorry for placing you all in this dangerous situation. It appears that wherever I go, I bring bad luck and danger to that place.'

' Please, Gayatri. Stop it. Stop this self-pity and this grovelling. You are a bold woman and you did what most men won't do. You stood up bravely to two armed criminals and attacked them. That is more than what we are doing right now ' Partha said and looked pointedly at Ravi who turned his face away and then getting to his feet told them that he was going out for a few minutes.

' I am just going out for a few minutes for a bit of reconnaissance' and pointing to the window, ' There are only two ways into this place and one is behind us and the other is the main gate. There are a couple of other ways behind your cottage that runs out towards the estate. But, I doubt if they will come through those ways. Still, no harm in checking them out while we have time.'

They sat watching him as he stepped out into the darkness and slowly walked towards cottage no.1 and Gayatri with a tiny smile on her lips, looked at Partha and Daksha and asked them, ' Bullshit right? All that he just said was total crap. Correct, Partha?'

She looked at him, ' Bro, I am sure both of you have seen as much there is to be seen in this world and so I speak with that knowledge ' and pointing to a distant form of Ravi, ' Is he the kind of person to run or flee from danger? I don't think so.'

Partha smiled, ' He is not, Gayatri but if he is doing that it means that he is doing it for a reason. A purpose and we three are exact;y that purpose.'

His eyes sought Ravi in the distant darkness and his voice was deep as they dredged up to the surface old memories.

' I have seen him in action and have seen him fight, not one but five men, who were bigger and stronger than him and slap them silly. I have seen grown men cry and fall at his feet begging to be forgiven for they were too scared to see his face and even more scared to look into his eyes ' and glancing at Gayatri, ' but he will do that only when it is needed and then again only when his students are threatened or abused. Even verbally.'

Daksha smiled, ' Sweetie, I have seen that Ravi that my hubby is talking a few times over the years. It is a bit scary and unnerving for in those moments he is nothing like what he appears right now and transforms into another person.'

' And all that, all that rage and anger came only after what happened that night. That fateful night when he and his woman Madhu were separated from each other.'

' Madhu. Her name was Madhu, Partha ' Gayatri asked him and he answered, ' Yes. Madhu. Her full name was Madhurima something ' and suddenly remembering, he completed her name.

' Her full name was Madhurima Sil and I think they were from Kolkotta.'

In the darkness, a broken circle began to circle itself and soon would complete its orbit and in the darkness, both husband and wife, best friends and soulmates of Ravi did not see what the fires that had sparked and ignited into a new life.'

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

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3b7WKKhhfVE

Avan, Aval Adhu 239

The world outside Cottage No 7 lay in the grip of darkness that only night can bring. Pitchblack darkness that beats conditions of even a total Solar eclipse. The moon was faint and a thin sliver of its former self and it hung quietly in the sky below the stars that seemed to mock it by whispering, ' Just a few lakh km away from your planet and you have faded away. Here we are, light years away and yet we twinkle and sparkle our light.'

The darkness inside the cottage was even greater than the one outside and the darkness that had ignited inside Gayatri's heart and her head was near absolute in its blackness as the sparks began to flicker away, ready to spread its blaze. It is not, fire alone, that blazes, burns and destroys for human emotions have that same power. Love, hate, greed, jealousy, and suspicions are powerful entities and raging fires that will consume the pyre of the soul that dare lit it and then stoked it.

We are all chameleons. Shapeshifters, changelings and I mean that in a good way but then you know very well that the opposite of good is bad and that the opposite of light is dark and so we, our avatars are put to work to do both good and bad.

Take yourself. Okay, take me for example. Who I am with my wife I am not with my friends and family members. Obviously, Satish, one, you cannot behave with others the same way you behave with your wife. Exactly.

I am not what I am in the outside world inside my house and with my wife. It is the same scenario, right? But, then have you stopped and wondered that we might be different with each and every one of our friends and souls that orbit around our life and whose lives we orbit around.

So, we slip into different expressions, use varying degrees of smiles, smiles that reach the eyes with some and smiles that stay stuck like plastic on the lips and totally fake. In everyday life, we make do with different masks and different us and adapt and adjust according to the situation and the people in it.

Reptiles like Chameleons change colours to blend into the background they are in and they do that if they when they hunt or when hunted. Predator and prey. Heaven and hell.

Gayatri breathed in slowly and silently and she did it totally oblivious to that and what the rest of her body was doing. Her face was composed and set into a soft expression with an open smile matching with cheerful eyes and her fingers that had been clenched in tension now free to articulate and talk about what her mind was drowning in.

' Madhu, Madhurima Sil. It cannot be her. How can it be? What if it is her? What do I do now? Is my Madhu and Ravi's Madhu the same person? Have I betrayed her? No, she has betrayed me. She took my father away and now she is coming between me and my soul.'

The darkness did its work well and shrouded Gayatri's face from the others and the darkness that now was alive in her mind and soul did an even better job.

' Partha ' she said his name cheerfully and when he looked at her,' I am sorry bro but I am not able to wrap my head around a few things.'

Partha's smile and eyes were full of innocence and like a fish swimming up to swallow that flashy, juicy insect that is wriggling in the water and gulps it down along with the hook, he took the bait by asking, ' What things, Gayatri? But please, be quick with your questions and ask away before our man returns.'

' Okay, Okay ' Gayatri changed spots and colours and adapted to the situational moons and flashed a conspiratorial grin, ' I have heard so much about this lady Madhu but nothing about her parents or her family members. Like, what was her dad's job? Was he a businessman or was he working for some company?'

Partha thought for a few moments and looked at Gayatri, ' It was just the three of them. A small family that was made up of Madhu and her parents. I don't know too much about their background but for the fact that they were very orthodox Brahmins and were very pious and gentle folk.'

Scratching his head, ' I am trying hard but I am not able to remember their names ' Partha said and added, ' He was working as a site Engineer for Larsen &Toubro and who had gotten the Highway Development contract from the central Govt and he was in charge of everything that went around in and Madurai.'

' Poor man. Trouble at work and trouble at home.'

Gayatri who had instinctively turned her face away during the conversation so as not to reveal anything about her state of mind turned quickly and asked, ' why did he face trouble at both ends of his life?'

Partha smiled, ' Corruption ma'am. What else? That was the time when the late Amma came to power and corruption was unleashed in full force. I am not sure if she knew or was personally involved but it took place and that too openly. Sadly, the ruling party members, that too some local party people started putting pressure on Madhu's father to buy cement and steel rods from their companies and he refused to do so and so they started creating trouble for him. Thankfully, Dharmalinga Thevar who even back then was a powerful man in the opposition DMK party came to his rescue and once he stepped in, all problems ceased for him on the work front but then troubles brewed and spilt over at home. Madhu's mother was a sickly creature who ailed from Tuberculosis that had taken a firm hold of her lungs and soon spread to her spinal cord and then it was just a matter of time. '

She had taken too many steps towards danger and towards the tiger and now that she had it by the tail, there was just not letting go of it.

' But, none of these details make any sense and it does not explain why Madhu and her parents left Madurai where they had been for nearly three to four years and just upped and vanished into thin air.'

Daksha placed a hand on Partha's lap, ' Correct question, Gayatri. I too used to break my head with these questions and as you said, it just doesn't make any sense why a man in a great job would just leave and disappear.'

Partha sighed wearily, ' Ladies, it's not as if I am in the know about all that which took place all those years ago. To be honest, almost all of what I know is hearsay and the few things that I am absolutely sure of concern Madhu and Ravi.'

Tentatively, she looked at him and at the same time pondered if she should ask more, know more and then thought to herself, ' What then, Gayatri? What do you hope to achieve by digging for more information when in reality you are digging a grave for yourself? How does it matter what happened all those years ago?'

While she sat in the darkness of the night drowning in her own dark thoughts, Partha suddenly remembered something, looked at her excitedly and said, ' There is one thing, one beautiful memory that I will never forget about Madhu and maybe it is one of the reasons why I am alive today.'

There comes a time when you know and realize that what you know is 100 per cent true and the bell starts ringing taking a toll on you and your life.

Each and every word that Partha said ware like the ringing of bells in hell and which was her own private domain.

Haltingly, she asked her question, ' what is that beautiful memory and how is it the reason that you are alive today?'

' When out of my own stupidity, I got out of the tractor carelessly forgetting to switch of the engine and from those moments when it scythed my legs and Ravi carried me in his arms across the field and drove me to the hospital, it was Madhu's prayers, her invocation of Lord Ganesha that kept me barely alive and saved my life. Her sweet voice praying to God and her painful tears as she sat cradling my head in her lap gave strength to both me and Ravi and the rest you know very well.'

The tears welled from her soul and crested the banks of her eyes and breaking free of their mortal bonds flowed and fell out for they were tears of both happiness and gratitude.

Gayatri cried for she remembered Madhu praying twice every day in the morning and at night sitting by her dying father's bedside. She cried on for Madhu had sung the same prayers while she was in the hospital during her drug-filled days and while she was recuperating from her sad and abusive marriage.

She closed her eyes and thought, screamed inside her head, ' You f..king villain. You call yourself God. Is this another one of your twisted and evil dramas? What the f..k do you want from us pathetic creatures? Why God, why bring me and Ravi together? Why make us poor lost souls meet and fall in love? We could have, would have gone on with our lives totally oblivious to each other and it would have been all cool and okay. What do I do now? Tell me you f..king moron, what do I do now?'

Daksha suddenly noticing the silver of her flowing tears, threw her arms around Gayatri and hugged her tightly, spoke to her softly and in a matronly voice, ' It's okay, Gayatri. I too cried when Partha told me this all those years ago and I wondered about this pure and pious soul that Madhu and all the problems and pain that she had to face and then being torn away from the one person she loved with all her heart. Sad, really sad.'

Planting a soft kiss on Gayatri's head, ' Baby, maybe that is why God has sent you to Ravi after all these years. To love him, to save him from his life of loneliness. Maybe that is the reason, that is the real purpose why you have come into our lives and if that is so then God does work in mysterious ways.'

Far, Far away in Mumbai, Madhurima sat in prayer and prayed for Gayatri and she prayed for Ravi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URTZpJ79TOI

Yesterday is done. Tomorrow never comes. Today is here. If you don't know what to do, sit still and listen. You may hear something. Nobody knows.

In the above quotes, every word is profoundly beautiful, uplifting and yet in the end comes up empty. You read a book and you are lost in it for a few hours and then you start taking shots at it and tell yourself that it was a good read but nothing great and nothing permanent. You hear about this great film which has all your favourite actors directed by your favourite director and you go see it and surf the wave of cheers and enthusiasm of the crowd seated with you in the hall and drown and lose yourself in the moment. Later, you dissect it and lay the film on the table and conduct an autopsy and find it riddled with holes made by logic and also due to the suspension of your imagination.

Love, life, etc everything is profoundly beautiful but in the end empty and you are left behind stuck in that nightmare scenario where you suddenly find yourself butt naked at a party full of strangers.

Yeah, you getting me. That particular nightmare left me a long time ago and after I laid me on my own couch, in my own clinic and tore one part of me and set it free to play the psycho Psychiatrist. Questioned and answered and made peace with that blooper nightmare. Although, nowadays, my dreams and nightmares are filled with lions and tigers. If finding yourself naked at a party with all well-dressed strangers was scary, finding yourself in a forest with lions and tigers lurking around each and every corner is ten times scarier than being seen nude.

Those final two words of the first sentence " Nobody knows " is the truth. Okay, you need to give me some leeway and plenty of rope when I use certain words such as truth, love and life for there is in the end no truth in all of them.

Cynic, bitter bob, failure to launch, and Sad Sack are all instant coffee words that will rise and froth in your gills but hey, hold on while I use that rope and leeway to explain my thoughts. Face it, I am in the same sty as the rest of the world and am doing only that which millions have done before me.

Question it all. Question the very existence of life and how it all started in the first place.

AND THE CORRECT ANSWER IS " NOBODY KNOWS."

Nobody knows when the Universe began and who or what created it and why it was created. Nobody knows how life started on this planet.

What was that you said, " God "?

But I ask you which God, whose God and who created that God and the religious ones will whisper " Blasphemy " and the spiritual ones will whisper, ' Seek and you shall one day find God."

The more fanatic ones will curse, ' Narakam thaan unakku. Doubte illa.'

The fact and answer are Nobody knows diddly. They just think they do. And the people that think they know the most know the least.

Anyways, f..k the answers. For, questions, in my humble opinion, are a good way and the right point to start. Start what?

I sat with a few of my beachcombers and under the sun which was pleasant although plenty even at 7.00 am. A man who must have been in his late 70s or early 80s passed us by and the men who belonged to his age club whispered, ' Wonder how he seems so serene and peaceful all the time.'

Yeah, obviously I wondered that too. Since, I am the proud holder of the crowns, The Pessimistic Bard of Logic and The Inquisitive Bug of reason, I kept wondering about it and then one day I caught him on his own sitting quietly. I flashed my most charming smile which usually works. What if it doesn't work? Well, turn into a grovelling creature and imitate Dobby the Elf and get my way and get my work done. One needs to survive.

Surprisingly, the man smiled back and I stopped and introduced myself. As is the norm in Bessie beach oldies, he was a retired bank manager.

Well to rush the matters and this narration, I slipped the mickey question, ' You look so calm and content?'

He smiled and said, ' you are in the show business, so you will understand, when I say, that I am doing my best, acting my part. for myself and for the world.'

Profoundly beautiful words but not empty for instead of just gracing my lips to evoke a smile, they pierced my mind and made a gaping hole in it. My eyes welled with pain and shame and I got talking with him.

It's been a few years since he passed away and moved on to a better part.

Hold on. Hold that thought. Passed away. Wait a damn moment. How can Death be a pass to pass away?

See, I got you going and reaching for things to launch at me.

Good morning. I wish all of you a beautiful day. I hope and pray that MAYA does an even better job in all our lives.

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

What does love mean to 4-8 year old kids??

Slow down for three minutes to read this

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined !

'When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'

Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume

and a boy puts on shaving cologne

and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.' Nikka - age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still

friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him

alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

And the final one: The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his

wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old

gentleman's yard , climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'

Now, take 60 seconds and Post this for other to see. And then be a child again today!

Avan, Aval Adhu 240

Ravi took his time walking around the Whispering Rocks. He did his best to stay in the darkness of the trees and shrubs around the Resort and not go anywhere near Cottage No.1 which was the only place from where light was shining out. It stood like a solo beacon, a lighthouse on the ragged rocks warning people to stay away from it and Ravi listened to its reason and warnings and stayed away in the seas of the darkness. He looked at the moon and knew it was waxing even though it appeared to be waning.

' It matter's very little right now that you are really waxing and increasing your light for it will be too late by then ' Ravi scolded the moon gently and went about finishing the walk around the Resort. His steps were interrupted every so often when he stopped to stand and watch with intrigue the shadows that the trees were casting on the dark earth below.

Ravi stood bemused with the sight that filled his eyes but more his imagination and watched with amusement the battle that was taking place between the shadows of the trees with the blackness of the earth and air. He could see the shadows move in rhythm with that of their rooted tree bodies swaying, writhing, and twirling around and it reminded him of a book that he had read many years ago. It was a story about angels and demons and how some of them had been cast out of heaven by God and had been banished to their new home called Hell.

The shadows of the trees appeared to Ravi like futile and clumsy attempts of the fallen angels who were doing their best to resist entering their new Residence called Hell and take on the new status of being a Demon.

' Is this what life is all about, God? Is it always about Heaven and Hell? Are we being constantly tested, pushed and probed for weaknesses?'

He looked up at the dark sky and stared hard at the sliced sliver of a pale moon that was doing its best to still reflect the light of the supreme star which was on the other side of the earth.

Madhu sat in prayer in Mumbai while Ravi stood drowning in the darkness of the Kodai fig and both invoked the sun by singing the song that Madhu's Grandfather had taught her and which she had taught him.

ādityahṛdayaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvaśatruvināśanam।

jayāvahaṃ japaṃ nityamakṣayaṃ paramaṃ śivam॥4॥

sarvamaṅgalamāṅgalyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam।

cintāśokapraśamanamāyurvardhanamuttamam॥5॥

English translation:

“This supreme prayer, Ādityahrudayam, is the best amongst auspicious verses,

it will destroy all sins, dispel all doubts, allay all worry and sorrow,

anxiety and anguish, and increase the longevity of life.

It gives complete prosperity.

Then a new light suddenly blinked furiously and Ravi's eyes wandered to it and he smiled, ' Hi Sirius. Good to see you. Stay with me. Stay with her and stay with all of us and lead us to safety.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x8qwTo0fYE