T h e .. M i s t a k e n .. I d e n t i t y

Avanudaya tharpodaya peyar JO (His current name is JO).


He is the hero of the current blog and a good friend of mine from college days.I hadnt met him after my college ,since he migrated to the then Bombay.As always in everyones life the frienship and fondness developed during college days get etched deep in the mind.


I had made several trips to Mumbai ,little knowing he was living there all along.During one of the get togethers in chennai ,I came to know of his existance in Mumbai.I decided to contact and meet him during my current visit.


In my broken hindi ,I conveyed to the elderly auto driver my destination,not knowing that he was from Dharavi.When he replied back in chaste Tirunelveli Tamizh ,I felt greatly relieved.He introduced himself as rajendran better known as Annachi among friends.I was comforatble with that name.I knew I was in very safe hands and requested him to take me to Boriville.Since I was not very familiar with Mumbai,I asked him if he could fix a rate for up and down journey which he politely refused.He said.. Frienda paakka poriya,payya varuveenga(You are going to meet a friend,you will naturally delay)..and then in that auto ride I started my reliving my college days.


Jagannathan was his official name,which we dissected and called him Jaggu and the small north Indian group called him Jags. Already three names for him. A fairly intelligent bloke and studious too.Naturally he got great marks, our envy,and a job in Bombay.How would he be now.Will he recognise me.Decades since we met.


The words.. ayya erangi konga,,...(Sir Please get down ) brought me back to reality.Just as I was about to pay him ,I once again wanted to ask the driver to stay back and to drop me.But then I knew Mumbai was very professional, where every minute meant money.Will jaggu also feel I am wasting his time?


Sitting in his one roomed apartment,a corner of which was perhaps earmarked as drawing hall by imaginary walls,I broke the silence.Jaggu,eppadi da irukke(HOW ARE YOU ).A smile erupted in his otherwise expressionless face.Did I ask him anything wrong? Did I offend him.He realised my confusion and clarified."Its ages since I have been called as Jaggu,and here I am called JO".I was further confused.I knew GOAN girls were very beautiful.Has he fallen for one and changed his name.


JO,I dragged on..he royally ignored it..perhaps he didnt want to explain.
After few hours of catching up of good old days,he became a lot free.
Me, being a nosey parker ,couldnt resist asking him about his personal life.Then began his story..

....in his words...

"Soon after Degree I came to Bombay.Matunga was the place my relatives stayed and I lived in their house. One day as soon as I entered their house I fainted.I felt very light and when I turned back I could see my body lying on the floor and my relatives were around it (!)If I am lying there then who am I...I felt myself above my body and in a state which words cant describe.Sudddenly I found a cloud like object few feet away from me.It had all the hue pink, blue ,purple sparkling in places.It was approaching me.Then it dawned on me that it was the pick up for me !I was just 21 and already my term had ended here.


Just then, two more cloud like objects were heading toward us at breakneck speed.Then all the three merged .Nothing happened for a few seconds.Then ,the three objects reappeared,the last two left.Then wonder of wonders I began to sink back into my own body.What an experience.Words can never explain the few moments I was away from my own self.


As I sank back into my body totally, I could hear my uncle gently asking me..Beer edhavadhu saaptiya.(did you have Beer or something like that)..My God !!I had an experience of a LIFETIME and here they are asking me if I had Beer !!When I woke up ,the only hangover thought being..was it a case of mistaken identity !


Cheenu,(my name)till this date I have never found an answer to it.I havnt shared it with any one.I decided to remain single,since I perinially antipate that the VIMANAM (VIMAN )will come any time"


It was already past twilight,and just then the power went off.I thought ,I saw Jaggu's eyes alone were glowing like lit charcoal ,in the darkness.Was it a reflection from somewhere !My engineering brain refused to cooperate in this analysis.


By this time I had started sweating heavily and I was trying my best to see if he had feet!! My immediate thought was to rush back from Boriville to Chennai.Few minutes later I excused with Jaggu alias JO and told him I had to rush to the station. He offered to drop me ,which naturally and politely I refused.He started of..regarding my name as Jo,..now I was in no mood to listen..


Katti irunda Veshti ai maditthu katti(Ulle irukkum Kodu potta thuni manigal veliye theriyada varayil )aduttha kanam kizhe irangi vitten.(Rushing down the stairs ),with a strange feeling,my problem of locating an auto driver was uppermost As I started walking towards a junction,I spotted the friendly Annachi waiting.Rushing to him,as God sent,I told him my destination near the station.He too was equally pleased to see me..


SAAR,YAAR YAARO ENGA ENGAIYO POITTU VARANGA NEENGA IVVALAVU TENSION AAGAREENGALE..(People go to different sort of places and come back safely,why are you getting tensed here).Was annachi referring to Jaggus TRIP ?If so how did Annachi know about Jaggu..Shivers again .I gently peeped to the front.I couldnt see Annachis feet hanging ..He had kept it folded up...


CU