The day was fixed as my PATTABHISHEGAM ( Coronation ) day. Sunday is the day I go to my faithful barber,oops.Hair dresser, of 25 years.Forgot if I ( we )celebrated that.Must remember it next time since he maintains the diary,right from the day the charges used to be Rs 5.(do you get a cuppa tea for that now)
Dot at 550 am, I leave home to be his first customer,and I do have that proud look on my face when I see others waiting,after me.Only thing he has not initiated a token system.Appointments are as good as in doctors place,they seldom work.Over the years his shop ( can I call it Shop )has moved from under the greenwood tree to a modern place with couple of assistants moving around with all kind of gizmos,miniature versions of a perfect lawn mowers.
But for me,my faithful Natarajan will use only a comb,a scissor and a barbers antique knife for my nut..nothing much ,its always an army cut and a massage of the head,a routine which has remained over the years.Only that the charges have not been !! His clients include all kinds,politicians to actors. Natarajan and me belong to same village,(pure coincidence )from Thanjavur.He keeps going there every month ,and keeps me updated of the going ons there,andI see the happenings thru his narration , a la MahaBharatha Dhirudhuraashtra.All these in the 15 minutes of the choppings.
And this morning of all the days I woke up ,pretty late at 630 am,and the worries were explicit on my forehead.And in the shop, I was 7th in the Q.That meant it was going to be a long wait.Unlike me ,with sparse hairs on my nut,others were fluffy in thier head ranging from jet black to partly grey to fully silver..hmm so I sat in the corner,with a handful of magzines and was sleepy,since I had slept fairly late yesterday.Through the corner of the eyes I could see Natarajan having genuine sympathy for me since he knew I was a stickler to timings and today was just a wrong day.
When my turn finally came,happiness lit on my face I sat off on the throne and the Pattabhisheham started.The routine was always that the initial process, for example tying the apron etc, would be done by his assistants and he would be there to do the actual ritual of snipping and then the final clean up again by his assistants. One had to realise ,his time had become very very valuable.
Apron tied,head moist with water, boss came and started doing his job.I was tired and he was slightly tensed with many VIP customers (of course including me )I dozed off.A little later,when one of his assistants gently woke me up ,I saw a different face on the mirror in the front.
Yes they had nicely dyed my hair and to add to the misery ( !! )two streaks on either side !!!. they looked like painted on horns of a well fed bull ready for the JALLIKATTU.(Bull fight,famous in Tamil Nadu )
Ennappa idhu (whats all this ) I screamed.Natarajan came rushing by.He didnt know what to say I guess.I asked him if anything could be done,and from his expression I ralised it was negative .Some hyperactivity around, as if they were going to save a patient from his death bed,I knew the case was lost.Oh My crowning glory !!
Profusely apologising ,he said it will be back to my normal ,in maximum of three weeks.
Three weeks, how am I going to survive.
The most conservative AGRAHARAM area I live,is definitely going to have many eyebrows raised for the next three weeks!!
When I enter home ,the look of my family ,is going to be one of surprise,and I wont be surprised if they are startled too !!
My kids are going to be back from hostel, after their semester exams ,in two days and their reactions !!
My office and factory people are going to just wonder,what has come over me !!
and many more and many more..these are the just few which cross my mind !!
As I got up slowly from the chair,after the imagined social onslaughts,one last glimpse at the mirror to see the reflections of this moron,gave me a little confidence. After all I may not be looking so bad as I imagined.May be I am looking a lot younger.but the streaks ..so what.May be I have to behave younger.May be I am young too..As they say,age is between the ears.Hmm..
Through the corner of the eyes I surveyed the room.Was anyone watching ?None,Natrajan was busy scolding the boy. So dont have to really bother ,I guess.
Came out of the shop (!),felt some boys in the nearby tea shop were watching me.Hmm may be they have mistaken me for a famous film star .Got into the car and drove back home.
At the signal,a young & slender traffic cop who was making use of most of the shadow of a thinner lamp post ( you see its 38 c already )bent down and had a good look at my face.I was beaming.A young girl looking at me.I realised later ,being on Bandhobast duty on the Chief ministers route,she must have been wanting to make sure I was not a thug or terrorist and hence the inquisitive look !!Well these things happen,I thought to myself.
As I approached my house,I was preparing myself to act natural and as if nothing happened..Will it be possible ?
TC
CU
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Cactus Blooms...Concluding Part
Kaal called up SI Manikkavel
Kaal :: Manikkavel,I quickly need the locations of Samaj's various addresses in the city and want you to check the marriages to be conducted by them tomorrow. If possible find out the time schedule of the various marriages.
SI :: Yes Sir ,Give me 10 minutes I will report to you sir
SI called up the control room and sought the information from them.They in turn flashed the message and in next few minutes the complete address information was available. But keeping up the tradition of maintaining confidentiality, samaj refused to divulge names and time of marriages.
SI Manikkavel :Sir all the information on location is available but we could not get the details of the marriages since they maintain the confidentiality.There are only three places ,sir
KAAL :: Then we have to arrange for the raid party.Please arrange for it.
SI Manikkavel :: Sir,I have a small request .Tomorrow I have a very important family marriage to attend and Muhurtham is between 7and 8 am.I will attend it and immediately rush..
KAAL :: If it's muhurtham for you ,it will be the same elsewhere.By the time you report for duty,it will all be over.Don't worry I will take charge directly.Please inform control room to advice the respective police stations to assist us.
He still was not sure if the terrorist angle was correct.From the call printouts which Yama had brought along,he wanted to talk directly to Chattisgarh number.Upon calling he realised,it was a genuine quarry contract the boy had been working on.
He wanted to call off the Terrorist Look Out Notice and informed the control room.He shared the news with happiness with Yama.
D -1 ::: 1130 pm
Arumugham calls Appasamy and conveys all the developments.All of them heaved a sigh of relief. Now, at best, it could be a case of kidnapping which could be handled legally.
At the same time ,as Kaal was driving back home with Yama,he realised that Yama wanted to pursue the case ,also he had not yet received any confirmation on the change in action plan from his bosses.
Kaal decided to go along with Yama and calls up control room and informs raid parties to be ready by 6 AM at the three venues.
D - 0 ::: 330 am
Appasamy picks up Aish and Raaj and rushes to the venue.He wanted everything to be completed at the earliest and vacate the place and surrender.He looked at Aish and found her so serene,calm and composed.He felt bad that her parents were missing the marriage
D - 0 ::: 430 AM
The venue is just filled with few dozen people and the couple looked so lovely in their traditional attires.Both were beaming with happiness.Somewhere Appasamy again felt very sad for the girl ,who had left behind everything for the sake of love.The serenity in her face was so wonderful ,for a moment he thought of her as DEVI herself.
His mobile rang.It was Arumugham.
Arumugham : Ayya,the raid time is fixed for 6 AM. Please complete everything fast and vacate the place.I will give you a ring when they are 15 mins away from your place.and a second ring when they are 5 mins away.That outstation cop is still treating this as a terrorist case,hence be careful.If anything happens please surrender,never argue with him.It will help the couple.
Appasamy : Thank you Arumugham.You are a good hearted person and want to unite a young couple. God bless you.
D - 0 ::: 5 AM
Anthony Kaal wakes up and finds Yama already all set for the call of duty.This guy will never change he thought to himself. Yama hurried him to get ready.
The function started.. The first was converting her.Aish became Aishwarya and signed the document
Immediately after that the marriage function formally began. It was 510 AM. Appasamy was praying that the priest would go on a fast forward.He had already informed the priest of the urgency.The normal duration was one hour,Appasamy wanted it to be conducted in 30 mts.
Priest started explaining,the KANNIGADHANAM,as the first step.The father of the girl is supposed to give away the girl to the boy as a Dhan.The role of parents was taken over by Raaj's sister and Brotherin law. He was anxious that Aishwarya understood and in his own pace explained it in English and in his sanskritised broken Hindi.
Aishwarya apparently was enjoying it.Appasamy was on pins.He wanted to vacate the place by 530 at all costs,when it was still dark.It was already 520 AM.Aishwarya's serenity was so Godly,it helped him to calm down.He wondered whether she was aware of the impending danger.
The priest started explaining the second step,PAANIGRAHANAM,which signified the promise made by the couple to be together in life and keep each other happy.Again the explanation both English and hindi.
D - 0 ::: 530 AM
Anthony Kaal and Yama got into the Jeep along with his Gunman.They contacted the control room to check the readiness of the raid party. All set...
The priest started the third and final step ie the sapthapadi..the seven steps and each step signifying the guiding principles of life.
The mobile in Appasamys pocket vibrated. He knew he had totally run out of time..
The way it was going ,the explanation for the seven steps would easily take at least 7 minutes and after that rushing out would mean straight onto the face of the cops.There was no way the function could be curtailled at this juncture ..
The formal marriage got solemnised in the next few minutes and the registers signed by witnesses.
The only other way,a thought flashed across,as soon as the marriage was over, switch another couple in their place and and hide them off in the small anteroom.
He precisely did it and the phone vibrated the second time. 5 minutes, he thought ,was going to be long.
He had substituted Raaj's younger sister and brother in law, who had got married just few months back . He requested the priest to recite normal slokas.Tension was writ on everyones face and they tried their best to hide it.
In walked Kaal,Yama and his gunman.They had a look around,and as they turned around in disappointment,Anthony kaal noticed that the bride was wearing a toe ring,Metti,which was sported only by married woman.He hesitated for a moment and then briskly walked away.
As soon as their heads disappeared the happiness returned to everyones face.In two minutes the groom and the girl took everyones blessings and were taken away by Appasamy through the numerous lanes and by lanes .
After roaming around for several hours in the car,they went to the magistrates place and surrendered.
Kaal was called in to interrogate and in just few minutes he realised it was a sweet end to a beautiful love story.Aishwarya was called seperately by Yama to find out if she married Raaj willingly which she confirmed.Kaal wished them the best of luck.Aishwarya and Yama spoke for few minutes in their language and both seemed very happy with whatever they exchanged.
Yama meanwhile had also received the communication from his bosses that the boy was clear and no way connected to terrorism,and he finally looked at the development nonchalently.
Appasamy could not get over the fact that Aishwarya had the courage to face it all and never showed any sort of unhappiness of missing her people.He realised she was a very mature girl and they all had to learn many things from her.
As he started moving away from the scene one thing haunted him.Why cant we all be mature enough to co-exist and look at conversions as a horrible thing.Would it have been possible for Raaj and Aishwarya to marry maintaining their own respective religion.Would the society be accepting such a situation.What would happen to their children ?Would the society be accepting such a situation ?Was it mature enough?The calm composure maintained by Aishwarya was an eye opener for him.
As they came out Kaal and Yama had a good laugh at the of events and decided to take the rest of the day easy since Yama's return flight was only at 6 pm.Yama called up home and shared the deveopments with his wife .Finally his wife requested him to buy couple of famous silk sarees from T Nagar.When yama requested Kaal, he said the best person to help, would be his wife.So they drove back to Kaal's house.
As he entered his house Anthony Kaal called out to his wife
Kaal :: Saraswathi,Saraswathi,look who has come.My good friend Yama and he wants your help.Before that,I need a clarification.When do South Indian Hindu woman wear the toe ring : after the marriage or during ?. Saraswathi explained,Anthony Kaal burst out laughing.He knew he got fooled at the marriage hall.or did he delibrately overlook it,though he had spotted it !!
Anthony fell in love with Saraswathi years back and after all kind of resistance both got married but retained their respective religious identity.They decided not to have a kid since they didnt want each of them to influence the kid on religion.
So all along this episode of Raaj and Aishwarya,perhaps his love marriage and its difficulties were running in the back of his mind and he perhaps played soft on the issue and wanted the marriage to happen!!. For example he could have posted a policeman right thru the night at the marriage venue,but he didnt.He looked fondly at Saraswathi and told her about the incident. Both shared a beautiful feeling that it ended well !!Perhaps a repeat of their marriage with more of action in between !!
So in the end Appsami and Anthony Kall, who were very tough persons in their own respective beliefs crumbled before true love.Both of them like the CACTUS had a lot of thorn around them,but now BLOOMED in all splendour of the goodness.
D :: + 7 ::: RAAJ'S house
Raaj,Aishwarya,his father and mother enjoying the Sunday at home.Being Non vegetarian day,Raaj's father had bought good Mutton.As Raaj's mother started to move towards the kitchen,Aishwarya,jumped up saying she would cook the best Briyani for the family.Both Raaj and his father also liked the idea and supported it.
Raaj's mother gave a reasonably stern look at them and said it would be better that Aishwarya rested as she must be tired after a late night movie of the previous day.. (heart of heart she thought to herself::after all she knew the taste of Raaj and her father better ).
message conveyed..Kitchen domination was mother in laws prerogative and the daughter in law rather wait...
and thus started the mother in law ::daughter in law episode which will go on forever and ever......
TC
CU
Everything in this Story is a fertile imagination from my head..except for...I leave it to your guess !!! AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR P A T I E N C E
Kaal :: Manikkavel,I quickly need the locations of Samaj's various addresses in the city and want you to check the marriages to be conducted by them tomorrow. If possible find out the time schedule of the various marriages.
SI :: Yes Sir ,Give me 10 minutes I will report to you sir
SI called up the control room and sought the information from them.They in turn flashed the message and in next few minutes the complete address information was available. But keeping up the tradition of maintaining confidentiality, samaj refused to divulge names and time of marriages.
SI Manikkavel :Sir all the information on location is available but we could not get the details of the marriages since they maintain the confidentiality.There are only three places ,sir
KAAL :: Then we have to arrange for the raid party.Please arrange for it.
SI Manikkavel :: Sir,I have a small request .Tomorrow I have a very important family marriage to attend and Muhurtham is between 7and 8 am.I will attend it and immediately rush..
KAAL :: If it's muhurtham for you ,it will be the same elsewhere.By the time you report for duty,it will all be over.Don't worry I will take charge directly.Please inform control room to advice the respective police stations to assist us.
He still was not sure if the terrorist angle was correct.From the call printouts which Yama had brought along,he wanted to talk directly to Chattisgarh number.Upon calling he realised,it was a genuine quarry contract the boy had been working on.
He wanted to call off the Terrorist Look Out Notice and informed the control room.He shared the news with happiness with Yama.
D -1 ::: 1130 pm
Arumugham calls Appasamy and conveys all the developments.All of them heaved a sigh of relief. Now, at best, it could be a case of kidnapping which could be handled legally.
At the same time ,as Kaal was driving back home with Yama,he realised that Yama wanted to pursue the case ,also he had not yet received any confirmation on the change in action plan from his bosses.
Kaal decided to go along with Yama and calls up control room and informs raid parties to be ready by 6 AM at the three venues.
D - 0 ::: 330 am
Appasamy picks up Aish and Raaj and rushes to the venue.He wanted everything to be completed at the earliest and vacate the place and surrender.He looked at Aish and found her so serene,calm and composed.He felt bad that her parents were missing the marriage
D - 0 ::: 430 AM
The venue is just filled with few dozen people and the couple looked so lovely in their traditional attires.Both were beaming with happiness.Somewhere Appasamy again felt very sad for the girl ,who had left behind everything for the sake of love.The serenity in her face was so wonderful ,for a moment he thought of her as DEVI herself.
His mobile rang.It was Arumugham.
Arumugham : Ayya,the raid time is fixed for 6 AM. Please complete everything fast and vacate the place.I will give you a ring when they are 15 mins away from your place.and a second ring when they are 5 mins away.That outstation cop is still treating this as a terrorist case,hence be careful.If anything happens please surrender,never argue with him.It will help the couple.
Appasamy : Thank you Arumugham.You are a good hearted person and want to unite a young couple. God bless you.
D - 0 ::: 5 AM
Anthony Kaal wakes up and finds Yama already all set for the call of duty.This guy will never change he thought to himself. Yama hurried him to get ready.
The function started.. The first was converting her.Aish became Aishwarya and signed the document
Immediately after that the marriage function formally began. It was 510 AM. Appasamy was praying that the priest would go on a fast forward.He had already informed the priest of the urgency.The normal duration was one hour,Appasamy wanted it to be conducted in 30 mts.
Priest started explaining,the KANNIGADHANAM,as the first step.The father of the girl is supposed to give away the girl to the boy as a Dhan.The role of parents was taken over by Raaj's sister and Brotherin law. He was anxious that Aishwarya understood and in his own pace explained it in English and in his sanskritised broken Hindi.
Aishwarya apparently was enjoying it.Appasamy was on pins.He wanted to vacate the place by 530 at all costs,when it was still dark.It was already 520 AM.Aishwarya's serenity was so Godly,it helped him to calm down.He wondered whether she was aware of the impending danger.
The priest started explaining the second step,PAANIGRAHANAM,which signified the promise made by the couple to be together in life and keep each other happy.Again the explanation both English and hindi.
D - 0 ::: 530 AM
Anthony Kaal and Yama got into the Jeep along with his Gunman.They contacted the control room to check the readiness of the raid party. All set...
The priest started the third and final step ie the sapthapadi..the seven steps and each step signifying the guiding principles of life.
The mobile in Appasamys pocket vibrated. He knew he had totally run out of time..
The way it was going ,the explanation for the seven steps would easily take at least 7 minutes and after that rushing out would mean straight onto the face of the cops.There was no way the function could be curtailled at this juncture ..
The formal marriage got solemnised in the next few minutes and the registers signed by witnesses.
The only other way,a thought flashed across,as soon as the marriage was over, switch another couple in their place and and hide them off in the small anteroom.
He precisely did it and the phone vibrated the second time. 5 minutes, he thought ,was going to be long.
He had substituted Raaj's younger sister and brother in law, who had got married just few months back . He requested the priest to recite normal slokas.Tension was writ on everyones face and they tried their best to hide it.
In walked Kaal,Yama and his gunman.They had a look around,and as they turned around in disappointment,Anthony kaal noticed that the bride was wearing a toe ring,Metti,which was sported only by married woman.He hesitated for a moment and then briskly walked away.
As soon as their heads disappeared the happiness returned to everyones face.In two minutes the groom and the girl took everyones blessings and were taken away by Appasamy through the numerous lanes and by lanes .
After roaming around for several hours in the car,they went to the magistrates place and surrendered.
Kaal was called in to interrogate and in just few minutes he realised it was a sweet end to a beautiful love story.Aishwarya was called seperately by Yama to find out if she married Raaj willingly which she confirmed.Kaal wished them the best of luck.Aishwarya and Yama spoke for few minutes in their language and both seemed very happy with whatever they exchanged.
Yama meanwhile had also received the communication from his bosses that the boy was clear and no way connected to terrorism,and he finally looked at the development nonchalently.
Appasamy could not get over the fact that Aishwarya had the courage to face it all and never showed any sort of unhappiness of missing her people.He realised she was a very mature girl and they all had to learn many things from her.
As he started moving away from the scene one thing haunted him.Why cant we all be mature enough to co-exist and look at conversions as a horrible thing.Would it have been possible for Raaj and Aishwarya to marry maintaining their own respective religion.Would the society be accepting such a situation.What would happen to their children ?Would the society be accepting such a situation ?Was it mature enough?The calm composure maintained by Aishwarya was an eye opener for him.
As they came out Kaal and Yama had a good laugh at the of events and decided to take the rest of the day easy since Yama's return flight was only at 6 pm.Yama called up home and shared the deveopments with his wife .Finally his wife requested him to buy couple of famous silk sarees from T Nagar.When yama requested Kaal, he said the best person to help, would be his wife.So they drove back to Kaal's house.
As he entered his house Anthony Kaal called out to his wife
Kaal :: Saraswathi,Saraswathi,look who has come.My good friend Yama and he wants your help.Before that,I need a clarification.When do South Indian Hindu woman wear the toe ring : after the marriage or during ?. Saraswathi explained,Anthony Kaal burst out laughing.He knew he got fooled at the marriage hall.or did he delibrately overlook it,though he had spotted it !!
Anthony fell in love with Saraswathi years back and after all kind of resistance both got married but retained their respective religious identity.They decided not to have a kid since they didnt want each of them to influence the kid on religion.
So all along this episode of Raaj and Aishwarya,perhaps his love marriage and its difficulties were running in the back of his mind and he perhaps played soft on the issue and wanted the marriage to happen!!. For example he could have posted a policeman right thru the night at the marriage venue,but he didnt.He looked fondly at Saraswathi and told her about the incident. Both shared a beautiful feeling that it ended well !!Perhaps a repeat of their marriage with more of action in between !!
So in the end Appsami and Anthony Kall, who were very tough persons in their own respective beliefs crumbled before true love.Both of them like the CACTUS had a lot of thorn around them,but now BLOOMED in all splendour of the goodness.
D :: + 7 ::: RAAJ'S house
Raaj,Aishwarya,his father and mother enjoying the Sunday at home.Being Non vegetarian day,Raaj's father had bought good Mutton.As Raaj's mother started to move towards the kitchen,Aishwarya,jumped up saying she would cook the best Briyani for the family.Both Raaj and his father also liked the idea and supported it.
Raaj's mother gave a reasonably stern look at them and said it would be better that Aishwarya rested as she must be tired after a late night movie of the previous day.. (heart of heart she thought to herself::after all she knew the taste of Raaj and her father better ).
message conveyed..Kitchen domination was mother in laws prerogative and the daughter in law rather wait...
and thus started the mother in law ::daughter in law episode which will go on forever and ever......
TC
CU
Everything in this Story is a fertile imagination from my head..except for...I leave it to your guess !!! AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR P A T I E N C E
Monday, March 31, 2008
The Cactus Blooms.....Part 3
Could it be::: Could it be a simple love affair, which Yama is looking at a different angle..but being a trained anti terrorist cop,Anthony Kaal did not want to jump into conclusion.He always went thru the process of elimination to arrive at any decision.
D-2 :::IG's office 6 pm
IG ::: what's the status Yama?
Yama::: Sir, good news .We have some leads and from it points at a boy living in Chennai.He could perhaps have contacts in Chattisgarh too.. (yama could never look at an issue differently )
IG ::: Then what are you waiting for,I will issue a formal order for you to move to Chennai by noon flight and you should be there by evening.I will ensure interstate protocol is maintained.Take your best commando with you.Dont forget your service weapon and be careful..
Yamas fingers already started itching..A mosquito to swat ,he thought
He called up Kaal to inform him of his movement to Chennai.Kaal had no choice but to welcome him but same time realised he had to do some more homework on the boy,Raaj.
He didnt want a mistake to happen
D-2::::: 6 pm..chennai
Appasami called up his contact in the crime branch,Arumugham,a straight forward cop of 35 years experience,who never wanted any innocent to be punished.Being in the control room he had access to all the going ons in the city.
Appasami confided in him about the issue and wanted to know about the activities of the cops on this .Arumugham sounded a little casual and told Appasami that Cops were busy with a terrorist chase who had kidnapped a girl from North East and had no time to be after simple love issues.
Appasami felt the chill..he knew it was going to be a case of mistaken identity.He again shared the news with Arumugham that it was the same boy he was referring to.
Arumugham :: appo surrender aaga sollunga.Illena vambu.(Please ask them to surrender,otherwise it may become a problem )AC Anthony kaal is a tough cop and known for his encounters.
Appasami :: Arumugham.Naan ungala than nambi irukken (I have hopes only on you ),Let the marriage be over ,the next minute they will surrender
Arumugham ::enakku puriyudhu,aanaal eppadi naan melidatthukku solluven (sir I can Understand but how do I convey this )Just ensure that the boy and girl dont surface in public. I just got the information that a top cop is arriving from North east.
Appasami :: purinjudhu,edhum vishayam irundha ennakku solluveenganu nambaren(I have understood,if there's any development, I hope you will keep me informed )
Arumugham :: surely sir.girl is coming to our place as a bride surely we want to welcome with open heart
D - 1 :::: 9 am
Aish was getting slightly worried. She knew something was wrong but didnt know what exactly.She was praying hard that everything went on fine.Tears welled up in her eyes,and Raaj saw it.He realised in the confusion of past few days he hadnt spent much time with Aish. In fact she was all alone and who ever was conversing with her were perhaps doing it more out of curiosity.
Raaj :: Sorry Aish ,about all these developments.But I am sure evereything will be sorted out.
Aish :: I wish so .But whatever it is,I want to be be with you,now and forever.When are we buying the wedding sarees. We were to do it today,isnt it.
Raaj :: Sure,I am just waiting for Appasamy sir to tell us since ,he is cooordinating the entire thing.
Aish :: I never realised there was so much complication,I hope everything goes through smoothly.I thought it was a simple love affair and marriage was the logical conclusion. But now I realise ,the society comes down so heavily on love ..
Appasami was maintaining mobile silence with all of them since he didnt want anyone to be traced.From the discussions with Arumugham he knew Raaj's and Aish's photographs must have been splashed to all police stations and in the event of Raaj being identified as a terrorist,he would be a sitting duck to police if he ever ventured out.So the only way was,after marriage surrender so that everything would be ok.He proceeded to meet Raaj and Aish. He was already late by several hours and he realised the youngsters would be tensed
Meanwhile, Raaj became anxious and switched on the mobile and called Appasami
PING, the signal from Raaj's mobile was tracked by the service provider who instantly relayed it to police control room.
Appasami,realised Raaj had commited the cardinal mistake and that he didnt have much time in hand.He reached the place in next 10 minutes and in no time he had both Aish and Raaj whisked away
D -1 ::: 1pm
Anthony Kaal on the way back home asked his driver to take a detour via Raaj's house.Something in him was telling that he would definitely get a clue on what was happening.His orderly and SI Maanikkavel accompanied him.As he walked around the house he chanced upon a crumpled computer print out which read:: Raaj and Aish cordially invite you for a lunch at Hotel Hemsagar at 1 pm::.There was no date mentioned on it.His SI Maanikkavel was immediately asked to check on it and they understood it was for the next day.
So ,Kaal realised that it was question of time before they zoomed down on Raaj and Aish.Also the service provider had provided the vital information of the mobile phone. But the main thing remained ::: he had to find out on the terrorist dimension.Otherwise ,Yama would do the rest...
He immediately ordered a quick check on all marriage halls and temples to find out if the marriage was to be held,the next day.Everywhere they drew a blank .In all the thorough police work,they had overlooked a point that the girl belonged to a different religion and a conversion was neccessary and this was done only in few institutions.
Appasami,Aish and Raaj reached another safe house and the program on shopping was called off.With the list,Appasami promised everything would be bought in time.He conveyed to them that the marriage time was advanced to before 5 AM ,an auspicious Brahma Muhoortham.
He left both of them around 7 pm with a clear instruction to maintain no contact with outside world and that he would pick them up at 330 AM ,the next morning.
D -1 ::: 630 pm
Kaal met Yama at airport and both were very happy to catch up on lost time.Went to a restaurant on the way and as they were chatting on the case in hand,Yama went into details of the girls family.Kaal realised that he had missed a crucial point of religion on this matter and he knew what to do and where to go...Yama was also restless..
(to be concluded)
TC
CU
D-2 :::IG's office 6 pm
IG ::: what's the status Yama?
Yama::: Sir, good news .We have some leads and from it points at a boy living in Chennai.He could perhaps have contacts in Chattisgarh too.. (yama could never look at an issue differently )
IG ::: Then what are you waiting for,I will issue a formal order for you to move to Chennai by noon flight and you should be there by evening.I will ensure interstate protocol is maintained.Take your best commando with you.Dont forget your service weapon and be careful..
Yamas fingers already started itching..A mosquito to swat ,he thought
He called up Kaal to inform him of his movement to Chennai.Kaal had no choice but to welcome him but same time realised he had to do some more homework on the boy,Raaj.
He didnt want a mistake to happen
D-2::::: 6 pm..chennai
Appasami called up his contact in the crime branch,Arumugham,a straight forward cop of 35 years experience,who never wanted any innocent to be punished.Being in the control room he had access to all the going ons in the city.
Appasami confided in him about the issue and wanted to know about the activities of the cops on this .Arumugham sounded a little casual and told Appasami that Cops were busy with a terrorist chase who had kidnapped a girl from North East and had no time to be after simple love issues.
Appasami felt the chill..he knew it was going to be a case of mistaken identity.He again shared the news with Arumugham that it was the same boy he was referring to.
Arumugham :: appo surrender aaga sollunga.Illena vambu.(Please ask them to surrender,otherwise it may become a problem )AC Anthony kaal is a tough cop and known for his encounters.
Appasami :: Arumugham.Naan ungala than nambi irukken (I have hopes only on you ),Let the marriage be over ,the next minute they will surrender
Arumugham ::enakku puriyudhu,aanaal eppadi naan melidatthukku solluven (sir I can Understand but how do I convey this )Just ensure that the boy and girl dont surface in public. I just got the information that a top cop is arriving from North east.
Appasami :: purinjudhu,edhum vishayam irundha ennakku solluveenganu nambaren(I have understood,if there's any development, I hope you will keep me informed )
Arumugham :: surely sir.girl is coming to our place as a bride surely we want to welcome with open heart
D - 1 :::: 9 am
Aish was getting slightly worried. She knew something was wrong but didnt know what exactly.She was praying hard that everything went on fine.Tears welled up in her eyes,and Raaj saw it.He realised in the confusion of past few days he hadnt spent much time with Aish. In fact she was all alone and who ever was conversing with her were perhaps doing it more out of curiosity.
Raaj :: Sorry Aish ,about all these developments.But I am sure evereything will be sorted out.
Aish :: I wish so .But whatever it is,I want to be be with you,now and forever.When are we buying the wedding sarees. We were to do it today,isnt it.
Raaj :: Sure,I am just waiting for Appasamy sir to tell us since ,he is cooordinating the entire thing.
Aish :: I never realised there was so much complication,I hope everything goes through smoothly.I thought it was a simple love affair and marriage was the logical conclusion. But now I realise ,the society comes down so heavily on love ..
Appasami was maintaining mobile silence with all of them since he didnt want anyone to be traced.From the discussions with Arumugham he knew Raaj's and Aish's photographs must have been splashed to all police stations and in the event of Raaj being identified as a terrorist,he would be a sitting duck to police if he ever ventured out.So the only way was,after marriage surrender so that everything would be ok.He proceeded to meet Raaj and Aish. He was already late by several hours and he realised the youngsters would be tensed
Meanwhile, Raaj became anxious and switched on the mobile and called Appasami
PING, the signal from Raaj's mobile was tracked by the service provider who instantly relayed it to police control room.
Appasami,realised Raaj had commited the cardinal mistake and that he didnt have much time in hand.He reached the place in next 10 minutes and in no time he had both Aish and Raaj whisked away
D -1 ::: 1pm
Anthony Kaal on the way back home asked his driver to take a detour via Raaj's house.Something in him was telling that he would definitely get a clue on what was happening.His orderly and SI Maanikkavel accompanied him.As he walked around the house he chanced upon a crumpled computer print out which read:: Raaj and Aish cordially invite you for a lunch at Hotel Hemsagar at 1 pm::.There was no date mentioned on it.His SI Maanikkavel was immediately asked to check on it and they understood it was for the next day.
So ,Kaal realised that it was question of time before they zoomed down on Raaj and Aish.Also the service provider had provided the vital information of the mobile phone. But the main thing remained ::: he had to find out on the terrorist dimension.Otherwise ,Yama would do the rest...
He immediately ordered a quick check on all marriage halls and temples to find out if the marriage was to be held,the next day.Everywhere they drew a blank .In all the thorough police work,they had overlooked a point that the girl belonged to a different religion and a conversion was neccessary and this was done only in few institutions.
Appasami,Aish and Raaj reached another safe house and the program on shopping was called off.With the list,Appasami promised everything would be bought in time.He conveyed to them that the marriage time was advanced to before 5 AM ,an auspicious Brahma Muhoortham.
He left both of them around 7 pm with a clear instruction to maintain no contact with outside world and that he would pick them up at 330 AM ,the next morning.
D -1 ::: 630 pm
Kaal met Yama at airport and both were very happy to catch up on lost time.Went to a restaurant on the way and as they were chatting on the case in hand,Yama went into details of the girls family.Kaal realised that he had missed a crucial point of religion on this matter and he knew what to do and where to go...Yama was also restless..
(to be concluded)
TC
CU
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Cactus Blooms.....Part 2
A quick review of the situation and Appasamy decided that there was no way Raaj was going to make it to her place and perhaps the rendezvous could happen only at Guwahati.This meant Aish had to reach Guwahati airport on her own and Raaj to reach and wait for her there.For obvious reasons ,Appasamy had advised her tickets be booked on a different name and so even downloading the E ticket would not have helped as she would have failed the identity test at ticket counter. So Raaj was asked to call her and convey the revised schedule.Despite advising Raaj several times to have the mutual conversation from PCO,both ignored it.
Aish was very worried now since she had never travelled overnight on her own,and she was wondering if she should confide to someone and at least escort her to Guwahati.She resisted the temptation. But despite her calm exterior she felt the turbulance inside.
D -4, she couriered her letter to her parents and took off by a bus to her destiny ...
Raaj meanwhile had left Chennai and reached Guwahati.His return was booked by Guwahati Chennai,but for some strange reason ,Appasamy tore off that made him book another ticket, for both of them via Kolkatta, but this time he ensured it was not a E ticket and both their tickets were in different names.
D -3 morning Aish reached the airport and literaaly melted into waiting arms of Raaj.With just hand baggages,both entered the airport and for a quick wash.It was already late for the flight ,and both rushed past the security and dropped into their seats.Announcement ..SWITCH OFF MOBILES..was met with a crestfallen Aish..She had left it behind in the washroom..they were soon airborne to KOL..
Courier reached Aishs parents and they were dumbstruck. The whole of previous night they were frantic ,for their area was infested with terrorists and kidnapping was order of the day.Aishs father was politically well connected and had pulled strings at right places to locate her..
Venue ; Inspector General of Polices office
Meeting of ATS..Anti Terrorists Squad Head, Yam Rajkumar Deka,with IG police
IG : Yama,one of of top business mans daughter is missing and her parents feel she must have been kidnapped by terrorists.I want you to personally handle this case and find the girl immediately since this may have political ramifications
Yama realised this was no normal case since IG himself was personally involved.But he was not bothered about it ,since all that mattered to him was terrorists and he just hated them.
Meanwhile ,Aishs parents didnt know what to do since this was elopement .Their repeated calls to her mobile was ringing away.How could they know their daughter had left behind the phone in the airport rest room and in a silent mode !!They also chose to remain silent on the letter !!
Yama called on them and went thru the details of their daughter in a most professional way.He took her photograph and wanted to know if she possesssed a mobile.They gave the number to her and he immediately got his office put a tracer on the mobile thru the service provider.He wanted to know where the mobile was now and also the printout of last couple of months.
The mobile was located by the watch and ward staff in the airport and after taking necessary precautions that it was not a Explosive Device ,handed it over to the police control room,who in turn flashed the details to Yama.Several hours had passed with just no clue of the girl.But with this breakthru Yama was confident that he had caught hold of the trail !!
A quick download and he realised countless calls had been to a mobile number in Chennai.Meanwhile ,the mobile handset also reached him and he found photo of a boy as screen saver on the Phone.He was slightly confused.
He immediately wanted the flight manifest of all the flights which left Guwahati and scanned for Aishs name.It was not there...Appasamy was one step ahead !!
The reports from service provider reached Yama about the Chennai phone..he got all the info he needed,address,his call lists etc etc ..Something bothered him..From Chennai number of calls had been made to Chattisgarh too,a land infested with mafia and naxalites...Did that mean the boy was connected with Northeast terrorists,Mafia and Naxalites..did that mean the boy had trapped this girl for some reason or did it mean she had voluntarily joined the group..
With time slipping away,he found that one flight had left for Chennai in the morning on scanning through realised Raaj had booked his ticket along with a girl..but unfortunately both had not travelled in the flight..So the jig saw puzzle continued.He was itching to solve it.
His immediate reaction was to seek the help of Chennai police and do a background check on Raaj.
He called up his long time friend and Buddy ,Anthony Kaalavendan. Both had undergone Anti terrorism training and were with the elite force for over 5 years.They always used to hunt in pairs.Anthony Kaalavendan,nicknamed,KAAL, always used to plan well and laid the trap for the terrorists and Yama was simply trigger happy and executed them.The pair of Kaal and Yama sent shivers even to the most cold blooded terrorists.Both of them were extremely quick and dare devils ..
Now reverted to their respective states both were in touch only occasionally wishing each other for new year etc.Their bonhomie in tact !!
Yama:: Kaal, how are you man
Kaal:: What a surprise Yama,whats the occasion !
Yama;; I need your help,Kaal,I want to locate a terrorist and possibly he has kidnapped a girl and come to chennai
Kaal::I tell you Yama,you are still the same and I think you are chasing a wrong horse.My place has no terrorists.Come and spend your holidays here without of course your revolver
Yama(impatient now )Kaal are you going to help me or not ,I dont want that guy to escape.If confirmed I want to come down there and hunt him down.
Kaal :: You have not changed a bit Yama,trigger happy to the core.Ok mail me the details I will have that checked.How soon you need it
Yama:: I need it yestertday ,Kaal
Once he got a positive response from Kaal ,Yama breathed easy,since he knew once Anthony Kaal set his mind on something,it was as good as done.In the next few seconds all the details were flashed by Yama to Kaal
D-2...Raaj and Aish were picked up by Appasamy and co from airport late in the night.Raaj was expecting his parents to be at airpoirt and receive their would be daughter in law. But that was not to be.Appasamy didnt want any chances and already had them shifted to safe houses.He was not going to have the anticipated problems rule over.From the airport he took both of them to outskirts and despite protests from Raaj,convinced him that it was a wise decision to stay away from home.
D-2 Anthony Kaal sent his team member SI Manikkavel to do a routine check with the boys photograph,mobile printout and get clarified on calls to Chattisgarh,his visit to North east and his calls to the girl.
Manikkavel..Sir the house is locked and neighbours say that the boys parents left home two days back saying they were going out of station.Its confirmed that the boy lives here and he is doing granite business from Chattisgarh and Andhra.The family I understand is pretty decent ,sir.
Kaal had a chuckle,Yama and his conclusions on naxalites,terrorists etc.
He called up Yama,but he was insistant on his plot. Kaal convinced him that he would trace them out in next 24 hours and call him.Yama wanted to come down personally and take the boy out.Kaal knew what that meant....At the same time ,a thought flashed across his mind..Could it be ...?
(to be concluded )
TC
CU
Aish was very worried now since she had never travelled overnight on her own,and she was wondering if she should confide to someone and at least escort her to Guwahati.She resisted the temptation. But despite her calm exterior she felt the turbulance inside.
D -4, she couriered her letter to her parents and took off by a bus to her destiny ...
Raaj meanwhile had left Chennai and reached Guwahati.His return was booked by Guwahati Chennai,but for some strange reason ,Appasamy tore off that made him book another ticket, for both of them via Kolkatta, but this time he ensured it was not a E ticket and both their tickets were in different names.
D -3 morning Aish reached the airport and literaaly melted into waiting arms of Raaj.With just hand baggages,both entered the airport and for a quick wash.It was already late for the flight ,and both rushed past the security and dropped into their seats.Announcement ..SWITCH OFF MOBILES..was met with a crestfallen Aish..She had left it behind in the washroom..they were soon airborne to KOL..
Courier reached Aishs parents and they were dumbstruck. The whole of previous night they were frantic ,for their area was infested with terrorists and kidnapping was order of the day.Aishs father was politically well connected and had pulled strings at right places to locate her..
Venue ; Inspector General of Polices office
Meeting of ATS..Anti Terrorists Squad Head, Yam Rajkumar Deka,with IG police
IG : Yama,one of of top business mans daughter is missing and her parents feel she must have been kidnapped by terrorists.I want you to personally handle this case and find the girl immediately since this may have political ramifications
Yama realised this was no normal case since IG himself was personally involved.But he was not bothered about it ,since all that mattered to him was terrorists and he just hated them.
Meanwhile ,Aishs parents didnt know what to do since this was elopement .Their repeated calls to her mobile was ringing away.How could they know their daughter had left behind the phone in the airport rest room and in a silent mode !!They also chose to remain silent on the letter !!
Yama called on them and went thru the details of their daughter in a most professional way.He took her photograph and wanted to know if she possesssed a mobile.They gave the number to her and he immediately got his office put a tracer on the mobile thru the service provider.He wanted to know where the mobile was now and also the printout of last couple of months.
The mobile was located by the watch and ward staff in the airport and after taking necessary precautions that it was not a Explosive Device ,handed it over to the police control room,who in turn flashed the details to Yama.Several hours had passed with just no clue of the girl.But with this breakthru Yama was confident that he had caught hold of the trail !!
A quick download and he realised countless calls had been to a mobile number in Chennai.Meanwhile ,the mobile handset also reached him and he found photo of a boy as screen saver on the Phone.He was slightly confused.
He immediately wanted the flight manifest of all the flights which left Guwahati and scanned for Aishs name.It was not there...Appasamy was one step ahead !!
The reports from service provider reached Yama about the Chennai phone..he got all the info he needed,address,his call lists etc etc ..Something bothered him..From Chennai number of calls had been made to Chattisgarh too,a land infested with mafia and naxalites...Did that mean the boy was connected with Northeast terrorists,Mafia and Naxalites..did that mean the boy had trapped this girl for some reason or did it mean she had voluntarily joined the group..
With time slipping away,he found that one flight had left for Chennai in the morning on scanning through realised Raaj had booked his ticket along with a girl..but unfortunately both had not travelled in the flight..So the jig saw puzzle continued.He was itching to solve it.
His immediate reaction was to seek the help of Chennai police and do a background check on Raaj.
He called up his long time friend and Buddy ,Anthony Kaalavendan. Both had undergone Anti terrorism training and were with the elite force for over 5 years.They always used to hunt in pairs.Anthony Kaalavendan,nicknamed,KAAL, always used to plan well and laid the trap for the terrorists and Yama was simply trigger happy and executed them.The pair of Kaal and Yama sent shivers even to the most cold blooded terrorists.Both of them were extremely quick and dare devils ..
Now reverted to their respective states both were in touch only occasionally wishing each other for new year etc.Their bonhomie in tact !!
Yama:: Kaal, how are you man
Kaal:: What a surprise Yama,whats the occasion !
Yama;; I need your help,Kaal,I want to locate a terrorist and possibly he has kidnapped a girl and come to chennai
Kaal::I tell you Yama,you are still the same and I think you are chasing a wrong horse.My place has no terrorists.Come and spend your holidays here without of course your revolver
Yama(impatient now )Kaal are you going to help me or not ,I dont want that guy to escape.If confirmed I want to come down there and hunt him down.
Kaal :: You have not changed a bit Yama,trigger happy to the core.Ok mail me the details I will have that checked.How soon you need it
Yama:: I need it yestertday ,Kaal
Once he got a positive response from Kaal ,Yama breathed easy,since he knew once Anthony Kaal set his mind on something,it was as good as done.In the next few seconds all the details were flashed by Yama to Kaal
D-2...Raaj and Aish were picked up by Appasamy and co from airport late in the night.Raaj was expecting his parents to be at airpoirt and receive their would be daughter in law. But that was not to be.Appasamy didnt want any chances and already had them shifted to safe houses.He was not going to have the anticipated problems rule over.From the airport he took both of them to outskirts and despite protests from Raaj,convinced him that it was a wise decision to stay away from home.
D-2 Anthony Kaal sent his team member SI Manikkavel to do a routine check with the boys photograph,mobile printout and get clarified on calls to Chattisgarh,his visit to North east and his calls to the girl.
Manikkavel..Sir the house is locked and neighbours say that the boys parents left home two days back saying they were going out of station.Its confirmed that the boy lives here and he is doing granite business from Chattisgarh and Andhra.The family I understand is pretty decent ,sir.
Kaal had a chuckle,Yama and his conclusions on naxalites,terrorists etc.
He called up Yama,but he was insistant on his plot. Kaal convinced him that he would trace them out in next 24 hours and call him.Yama wanted to come down personally and take the boy out.Kaal knew what that meant....At the same time ,a thought flashed across his mind..Could it be ...?
(to be concluded )
TC
CU
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Cactus Blooms.....Part 1
Year ::: 2005
Location ::: Chat room for 40+
Topic of discussion ::: Who is superior: men or women
Heated debate going on .The room has two participants Aish and Raj alias Rajesh. Seizing the silence of Aish ,Raj PMs her for the private chat.
Bored Aish responds..they realise both of them are nowhere near 40s and just drifted into the room to know what ADULTS talk.Thus started a long chat friendship which they never knew where it would culminate
Raj .. Where are you from
Aish .. NorthEast,and you
Raj .. South of Vindhyas,chennai.Have you ever been here.
Aish .. No,would love to
Common topics,topics generally to impress each other,Raj typically showing off ,Aish in her own style underplayed every word,when actually she could boast of a thousand things.Both were from conservative background with both families adhereing to their respective religious beliefs fairly strictly.But these two were in a world of their own ,without realising that were slipping into mutual love and the whirlpool had managed to suck them in with no escape !
With their cams on ,hours melted into days and days into years.Hours of mobile talk,sms ,mms were exchanged and 24 hours didnt seem to be sufficient for them.Yes three years had passed and it was time for them to take the next step..Marriage..was it possible ?..conservatism all around,was a solid wall and they wanted to break it !
Aish..Raj,I am willing to cross over.Will it be ok if we get married?
Raj .. I am dumb struck Aish.I didnt have the gutz and you are so cool about it.I am sure of myself but my people ,I honestly donno.But that means you will be away from your exotic place and wonderful parents, probably for good.You sure about it.(actually Raj was the one who was unsure,but put the ball in Aish s court ! )
Aish .. I fully realise that ,Raj.My life here is very different.Dad is 24 hours into business and politics and Mom is into kitchen 24 hours for the hordes of relatives who are perinially plonked in my house.I have never known love and you have given me that in full..
Raj thought to himself,oh my God I have perhaps not been true to her with a list of girl friends, perhaps multi timing.But somewhere he knew Aish was the right girl for him.But,he also realised that it would be very difficult for him to convince his parents
He didnt know how to open out the topic to his parents and the nudges from Aish was increasing ,since her parents had already started looking out for a boy for her.Collecting all his strength Raj opened it out to his parents..
Raj.. Appa(Father ), I want to settle down in life.I am in love with a girl.
Manikkam,(Rajs father)..So with few rupees pouring into your bank from your business you feel, you are free to chose without our permission, is it ?
Raj Its not like that,I am sure you will like her and she is a wonderful girl
Rajs mom sensing her husbands moods quikly changes the topic.
Days roll by and one day when Raj confides that the girl is from a different religion too ,all hell breaks lose.Luckily Rajs uncle Appasamy,who was into business and several kinds of activities which he never discussed at home,came into the picture and became the moderator and cooled down Rajs father saying that the girl was willing to come down and be here for good.When the issue of religion came ,Manikkam was convined by everyone that she would convert and hence all issues would be settled.He took charge and spelt out the modus operandi..
Only Appasamy knew that ,it would be the begining of all problems ,at least for next few months.
With the green signal from his parents,Raj called up Aish.He went on talking to her,virtually a monolog,how his parents were convinced about the wedding,conversion and finally accepting her.Not for a moment Raj thought about the feelings Aish would have undergone..the seperation she had to face from her parents,a virtual rejection on conversion,and finally why she had to be ACCEPTED by Rajs parents for she had done no mistake....Aish smiled it away ,but had no one to share and the one person she could, was excited beyond words on his parental acceptance of her !!
Raj.. How do you feel ,Aish
Aish .. I feel very happy Raj,we dont have much time.Can you fix the dates fast
Raj .. Sure,will call you up tomorrow and confirm
From then on things started moving fast with Appasamy literally hijacking the show as chief organiser of the marriage.All necessary documents were exchanged on courier and fax and as scan messages.Flight tickets booked and Raj was to go to her place to bring her .Naturally he had to change flights at three places to reach her remote place.He was to reach her place ,have a rendezvous with her at the airport and take the same return flight.
They would arrive two days ahead of the marriage,D DAY,do the shopping and other formalities for the marriage,including the conversion,and so on...Appasamy cleared told Raj to advise Aish not to leave any letter or confide with anyone about their plans for this could result in complications.Only Appasamy knew what the complications were.Any sort of communication could d be done by Aish with her parents,only after the marriage.
All arranged and Raj kept Aish informed of all the developments,including the last advises given by Appasamy.Also,since time would be the essence everything was arranged in a very tight schedule . She sounded slightly nervous.
Aish agreed to everything but felt she was obligated at least to write a letter to her parents.She sat and wrote a letter to her parents,edited it at least thrice ...She went to every place she was fond of..her school,playground,her teachers who had always taught her the values of life,the tea gardens which she had smelled throughout her life..etc She realised she was going to miss it all..at least for sometime to come.All the while she wondered when and how to reach the letter to her parents.Aish also felt like confiding it to one of her favourite aunts,who she thought was not as conservative as others,but was unsure .Bottling up the emotions was proving to be a tough task,and for the first time Aish felt down right nervous and it was showing. For once she felt Raj was also too busy ,since her calls were also answered with a sense of urgency or impatience..
Five days prior to the rendezvous,(D DAY -5 ) ,a strike call given by airport staff coincided with their travel date ,and all confusion started.
(to be concluded)
TC
CU
Location ::: Chat room for 40+
Topic of discussion ::: Who is superior: men or women
Heated debate going on .The room has two participants Aish and Raj alias Rajesh. Seizing the silence of Aish ,Raj PMs her for the private chat.
Bored Aish responds..they realise both of them are nowhere near 40s and just drifted into the room to know what ADULTS talk.Thus started a long chat friendship which they never knew where it would culminate
Raj .. Where are you from
Aish .. NorthEast,and you
Raj .. South of Vindhyas,chennai.Have you ever been here.
Aish .. No,would love to
Common topics,topics generally to impress each other,Raj typically showing off ,Aish in her own style underplayed every word,when actually she could boast of a thousand things.Both were from conservative background with both families adhereing to their respective religious beliefs fairly strictly.But these two were in a world of their own ,without realising that were slipping into mutual love and the whirlpool had managed to suck them in with no escape !
With their cams on ,hours melted into days and days into years.Hours of mobile talk,sms ,mms were exchanged and 24 hours didnt seem to be sufficient for them.Yes three years had passed and it was time for them to take the next step..Marriage..was it possible ?..conservatism all around,was a solid wall and they wanted to break it !
Aish..Raj,I am willing to cross over.Will it be ok if we get married?
Raj .. I am dumb struck Aish.I didnt have the gutz and you are so cool about it.I am sure of myself but my people ,I honestly donno.But that means you will be away from your exotic place and wonderful parents, probably for good.You sure about it.(actually Raj was the one who was unsure,but put the ball in Aish s court ! )
Aish .. I fully realise that ,Raj.My life here is very different.Dad is 24 hours into business and politics and Mom is into kitchen 24 hours for the hordes of relatives who are perinially plonked in my house.I have never known love and you have given me that in full..
Raj thought to himself,oh my God I have perhaps not been true to her with a list of girl friends, perhaps multi timing.But somewhere he knew Aish was the right girl for him.But,he also realised that it would be very difficult for him to convince his parents
He didnt know how to open out the topic to his parents and the nudges from Aish was increasing ,since her parents had already started looking out for a boy for her.Collecting all his strength Raj opened it out to his parents..
Raj.. Appa(Father ), I want to settle down in life.I am in love with a girl.
Manikkam,(Rajs father)..So with few rupees pouring into your bank from your business you feel, you are free to chose without our permission, is it ?
Raj Its not like that,I am sure you will like her and she is a wonderful girl
Rajs mom sensing her husbands moods quikly changes the topic.
Days roll by and one day when Raj confides that the girl is from a different religion too ,all hell breaks lose.Luckily Rajs uncle Appasamy,who was into business and several kinds of activities which he never discussed at home,came into the picture and became the moderator and cooled down Rajs father saying that the girl was willing to come down and be here for good.When the issue of religion came ,Manikkam was convined by everyone that she would convert and hence all issues would be settled.He took charge and spelt out the modus operandi..
Only Appasamy knew that ,it would be the begining of all problems ,at least for next few months.
With the green signal from his parents,Raj called up Aish.He went on talking to her,virtually a monolog,how his parents were convinced about the wedding,conversion and finally accepting her.Not for a moment Raj thought about the feelings Aish would have undergone..the seperation she had to face from her parents,a virtual rejection on conversion,and finally why she had to be ACCEPTED by Rajs parents for she had done no mistake....Aish smiled it away ,but had no one to share and the one person she could, was excited beyond words on his parental acceptance of her !!
Raj.. How do you feel ,Aish
Aish .. I feel very happy Raj,we dont have much time.Can you fix the dates fast
Raj .. Sure,will call you up tomorrow and confirm
From then on things started moving fast with Appasamy literally hijacking the show as chief organiser of the marriage.All necessary documents were exchanged on courier and fax and as scan messages.Flight tickets booked and Raj was to go to her place to bring her .Naturally he had to change flights at three places to reach her remote place.He was to reach her place ,have a rendezvous with her at the airport and take the same return flight.
They would arrive two days ahead of the marriage,D DAY,do the shopping and other formalities for the marriage,including the conversion,and so on...Appasamy cleared told Raj to advise Aish not to leave any letter or confide with anyone about their plans for this could result in complications.Only Appasamy knew what the complications were.Any sort of communication could d be done by Aish with her parents,only after the marriage.
All arranged and Raj kept Aish informed of all the developments,including the last advises given by Appasamy.Also,since time would be the essence everything was arranged in a very tight schedule . She sounded slightly nervous.
Aish agreed to everything but felt she was obligated at least to write a letter to her parents.She sat and wrote a letter to her parents,edited it at least thrice ...She went to every place she was fond of..her school,playground,her teachers who had always taught her the values of life,the tea gardens which she had smelled throughout her life..etc She realised she was going to miss it all..at least for sometime to come.All the while she wondered when and how to reach the letter to her parents.Aish also felt like confiding it to one of her favourite aunts,who she thought was not as conservative as others,but was unsure .Bottling up the emotions was proving to be a tough task,and for the first time Aish felt down right nervous and it was showing. For once she felt Raj was also too busy ,since her calls were also answered with a sense of urgency or impatience..
Five days prior to the rendezvous,(D DAY -5 ) ,a strike call given by airport staff coincided with their travel date ,and all confusion started.
(to be concluded)
TC
CU
Friday, February 29, 2008
NADHI MOOLAM RISHI MOOLAM......THE ORIGIN OF A RISHI ..ORIGIN OF A RIVER
THE END
Engum goshangal.....(Everybody is chanting )
Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swamiji...Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swamiji
Athu than ennudaya tharpodaya roobam ...(Its my current identity)
Manadhil ninaivalaigal..(procession of thoughts in my mind )
After slogging for 30 long years, got my two kids married off pretty early in life.Both settled in a distant foreign country..With my better half bidding me bye several years years back..the nomad in me surfaced..I wanted to travel, travel and travel..Resigned the job,gave off all the useful things to an orphanage..with that only few things connecting my past remained such as my degree certificate etc..I decided these were mere papers in my life and quickly disposed them off in the river and along with it my past..Turning back one last time at my single room HOUSE,which had seen a 30 year history of me and my family, I walked towards my destiny which was waiting patiently for me several hundred kilometers away..
With no clear cut plan I hopped between cities but just ensured that I covered most of the heritage places and the periniel rivers..The grandness of our country was overwhelming me often..nights invariably spent in Dharamsalas or in smaller villages in the temples..If the place was to my liking I used to enjoy staying for a longer time..Athithi Devo Bhava (Visitor is like God )pervaded everywhere and never had any problem for food or shelter.
Kaalam ,was an enchanting place of a size between a village and a small town.On the outskirts was a temple which hypnotised me to stay back.My beard had by then become long and flowing.It was in this temple the transformation occured..
One day , I was sitting in a corner and praying .When I opened my eyes,an elderly couple were sitting in front of me.They gently asked me if I belonged to south and what I was doing this far away from my hometown..I dont know why I said that but I said two things..My name is Karuppanna sami and Kanna moochi aadaren,( playing hide and seek..).
The elderly person suddenly was highly thrilled and he exclaimed..Sir you are Kanna ji swami and hiding the past and seeking God..he was ecstatic...but I never said any of those words !! He took leave of me and next day to my surprise,he brought his whole family and perhaps relatives( 20 of them ) with varieties of fruits etc.Sitting in front of me they started singing bhajans.Being God fearing I also enjoyed ..This continued for few days but the crowd went on increasing..Because language was a barrier, most of the time I replied questions with a nod or a smile..perhaps that was why Kannaji Swamiji was also called as Mouni Baba..I had no escape from the love of people .It occured to me one day..if so many people had so much love for me why not reciprocate and stay with them..After all life is giving love and taking love..That decision of mine was my destiny..my past forgotten till this moment...
As I shook myself back to the current ,
Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swamiji...Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swami was the only thing I could hear...
and the never ending lawns of MY Ashram is the thing I could see,
Did I want to be a nomad or a Sanyasi ?
A question sweeps though me
Am I a sanyasi or A swamiji..Is there a difference
This village KAALAM is giving me an answer but is this the answer in totality
If others see Godlinees in you,you become a Swamiji
If you realise the God in you,you become one !
TC
CU
THE BEGINNINING......take off from a beautiful yester year movie..The Guide
Engum goshangal.....(Everybody is chanting )
Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swamiji...Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swamiji
Athu than ennudaya tharpodaya roobam ...(Its my current identity)
Manadhil ninaivalaigal..(procession of thoughts in my mind )
After slogging for 30 long years, got my two kids married off pretty early in life.Both settled in a distant foreign country..With my better half bidding me bye several years years back..the nomad in me surfaced..I wanted to travel, travel and travel..Resigned the job,gave off all the useful things to an orphanage..with that only few things connecting my past remained such as my degree certificate etc..I decided these were mere papers in my life and quickly disposed them off in the river and along with it my past..Turning back one last time at my single room HOUSE,which had seen a 30 year history of me and my family, I walked towards my destiny which was waiting patiently for me several hundred kilometers away..
With no clear cut plan I hopped between cities but just ensured that I covered most of the heritage places and the periniel rivers..The grandness of our country was overwhelming me often..nights invariably spent in Dharamsalas or in smaller villages in the temples..If the place was to my liking I used to enjoy staying for a longer time..Athithi Devo Bhava (Visitor is like God )pervaded everywhere and never had any problem for food or shelter.
Kaalam ,was an enchanting place of a size between a village and a small town.On the outskirts was a temple which hypnotised me to stay back.My beard had by then become long and flowing.It was in this temple the transformation occured..
One day , I was sitting in a corner and praying .When I opened my eyes,an elderly couple were sitting in front of me.They gently asked me if I belonged to south and what I was doing this far away from my hometown..I dont know why I said that but I said two things..My name is Karuppanna sami and Kanna moochi aadaren,( playing hide and seek..).
The elderly person suddenly was highly thrilled and he exclaimed..Sir you are Kanna ji swami and hiding the past and seeking God..he was ecstatic...but I never said any of those words !! He took leave of me and next day to my surprise,he brought his whole family and perhaps relatives( 20 of them ) with varieties of fruits etc.Sitting in front of me they started singing bhajans.Being God fearing I also enjoyed ..This continued for few days but the crowd went on increasing..Because language was a barrier, most of the time I replied questions with a nod or a smile..perhaps that was why Kannaji Swamiji was also called as Mouni Baba..I had no escape from the love of people .It occured to me one day..if so many people had so much love for me why not reciprocate and stay with them..After all life is giving love and taking love..That decision of mine was my destiny..my past forgotten till this moment...
As I shook myself back to the current ,
Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swamiji...Kannaji swamiji..Kannaji swami was the only thing I could hear...
and the never ending lawns of MY Ashram is the thing I could see,
Did I want to be a nomad or a Sanyasi ?
A question sweeps though me
Am I a sanyasi or A swamiji..Is there a difference
This village KAALAM is giving me an answer but is this the answer in totality
If others see Godlinees in you,you become a Swamiji
If you realise the God in you,you become one !
TC
CU
THE BEGINNINING......take off from a beautiful yester year movie..The Guide
Monday, February 11, 2008
ON BEING STALKED
Hi Honey,how are you da, I have just reached Narita..I should be reaching Chennai tomorrow night ..said Rajesh
Why tomorrow night da,its been a week already..said Suparna
Not getting the connecting at Changi da,Can you take the trouble of making a room booking in the transit hotel at Changi .You know its eternally under renovation and on arrival I may not get accomodation.I just want to rest for sometime there da.Please..
Come on why dont you ask your pet secretary Anju to do it,I am sure you would be talking to her every halh an hour ,on some pretext or other
Come on honey,ever since she joined the company you have been pulling my legs
Sure da will do the booking.Still, please make a last minute attempt to make it by the earlier flight da..missing you one hell
Same here too da
Suparna and Rajesh,a wonderful couple,both working very hard to achieve what they deserve.Dinks by choice,they were looked upon as ideal couple by all and sundry.Always full of fun and laughter,snatching time for themselves between their busy schedules and endless travel.
Recently Suparna had joined a MNC and was literally drowned in work 20 hours a day and Rajesh busy expanding his business in Japan. Suparna was slightly uncomfortable with the behaviour of her boss Praramb and had mentioned this to Rajesh .Her boss made her uncomfortable by asking many personal questions and sort of acting fresh ,but was well short of what could be called as harrasment..Her saviour was her peer Rohit who understood her problems and often doubled up and completed some of her assignments very subtly.Suparna was grateful to him.She was particularly worried when she was travelling with her boss,but fairly comfortable travelling with Rohit.
Of late she felt she was being stalked but couldnt clearly make out who it was.She started imagining it could be Praramb. She confided in Rajesh about her discomfort.Rajesh assured her that it was purely figment of her imagination arising out of her dislike for her boss,who was much elder to her and wouldnt be doing such a thing ,especially when awareness was on penalty for harrasment was high.
One day Suparna confided this to her best friend in office Renu and good friend Rohit.He adviced her to ignore it and these things would get solved by themselves.
Renu ,said her brother being a senior officer in crime branch of police and it would be best if she took his suggestion.Rohit was uncomfortable with the idea and felt involvement of police would not be advisable.Suparna being a modern girl wanted to hold the bull by its horn and requested Renu to go ahead discussing it with her brother.
The next morning Suparna left for Hydrabad,and as she was returning back to chennai,she again felt she was being stalked but really couldnt pin point who it was.
The next two days in Chennai,she didnt have any respite.
As she was drowned in her work,late in the evening Renu walked in and sat across..
Suparna,my brother called up .
Its like this,its true this guy has been stalking you.They caught hold of him and took a confessional statement from him......
Suparna thought to herself,so it was true and as Renu continued the monolog she was drained off her energy..
Realising her state Renu dropped her home.
Back at home ,lying on the couch ,the entire thing was going in her mind again and again...
WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME RAJESH
Rajesh had hired a private detective agency to keep a tab on Suparna..and when the police arrested the shadow man, he let out everything
TC
CU
Why tomorrow night da,its been a week already..said Suparna
Not getting the connecting at Changi da,Can you take the trouble of making a room booking in the transit hotel at Changi .You know its eternally under renovation and on arrival I may not get accomodation.I just want to rest for sometime there da.Please..
Come on why dont you ask your pet secretary Anju to do it,I am sure you would be talking to her every halh an hour ,on some pretext or other
Come on honey,ever since she joined the company you have been pulling my legs
Sure da will do the booking.Still, please make a last minute attempt to make it by the earlier flight da..missing you one hell
Same here too da
Suparna and Rajesh,a wonderful couple,both working very hard to achieve what they deserve.Dinks by choice,they were looked upon as ideal couple by all and sundry.Always full of fun and laughter,snatching time for themselves between their busy schedules and endless travel.
Recently Suparna had joined a MNC and was literally drowned in work 20 hours a day and Rajesh busy expanding his business in Japan. Suparna was slightly uncomfortable with the behaviour of her boss Praramb and had mentioned this to Rajesh .Her boss made her uncomfortable by asking many personal questions and sort of acting fresh ,but was well short of what could be called as harrasment..Her saviour was her peer Rohit who understood her problems and often doubled up and completed some of her assignments very subtly.Suparna was grateful to him.She was particularly worried when she was travelling with her boss,but fairly comfortable travelling with Rohit.
Of late she felt she was being stalked but couldnt clearly make out who it was.She started imagining it could be Praramb. She confided in Rajesh about her discomfort.Rajesh assured her that it was purely figment of her imagination arising out of her dislike for her boss,who was much elder to her and wouldnt be doing such a thing ,especially when awareness was on penalty for harrasment was high.
One day Suparna confided this to her best friend in office Renu and good friend Rohit.He adviced her to ignore it and these things would get solved by themselves.
Renu ,said her brother being a senior officer in crime branch of police and it would be best if she took his suggestion.Rohit was uncomfortable with the idea and felt involvement of police would not be advisable.Suparna being a modern girl wanted to hold the bull by its horn and requested Renu to go ahead discussing it with her brother.
The next morning Suparna left for Hydrabad,and as she was returning back to chennai,she again felt she was being stalked but really couldnt pin point who it was.
The next two days in Chennai,she didnt have any respite.
As she was drowned in her work,late in the evening Renu walked in and sat across..
Suparna,my brother called up .
Its like this,its true this guy has been stalking you.They caught hold of him and took a confessional statement from him......
Suparna thought to herself,so it was true and as Renu continued the monolog she was drained off her energy..
Realising her state Renu dropped her home.
Back at home ,lying on the couch ,the entire thing was going in her mind again and again...
WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME RAJESH
Rajesh had hired a private detective agency to keep a tab on Suparna..and when the police arrested the shadow man, he let out everything
TC
CU
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