Grandpaa.

I wake up in the morning and find the old man sitting on a rocking chair, his veshti knotted up half way, and reading The Hindu. Next to him on the wooden stool, is a steaming hot davara-tumbler of filter coffee, which he sips on occasionally, but will be perfectly timed to when the last page of the newspaper is done. Playing in the background is but of course, MS amma's Suprabatham. 

I walk into the hall. 

"Good morning thatha!"
"Good morning kanna. Go drink complan, and get the sruthi box."

I dutifully do as ordered, and sit down to sing a varnam and two songs. He nods, he hums along, he appreciates, he corrects, and he adores. Post which, I run to take a bath and get ready for school. 

Once ready, I run into the garage and find his well polished, shiny scooter, all set for a spin. 

"THATHA THATHAAAAA WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Varen di, varen" (I'm coming) 

He sits on the scooter, and lets me stand in the front. The wind tossing around my two pigtails fastened with black ribbons.

"Shaadu, do you know why penguins walk the way they do?"
"No thatha, I don't."
"Idiot, this is why I tell you to sit with me and watch The Discovery channel. Anyway, I'll tell you why."

And so the conversation carries on. 

He drops me right outside the school gate, and tells me he'll see me at 3 in the afternoon again. 

<School>

Walk out at 3, and find thatha on the scooter, balancing it on his legs, one hand on his cheek, watching people pass by impatiently. I run to him, and jump into the scooter, back to standing in front. 

"Thatha, inniki History teacher enna solikudutha theriyumma?"
"Ennaku epdi theriyum? Nee sonna daane di theriyum."
"Ok. Kelungo."

We ride through the streets of T.Nagar to reach home. On way, we see a very special man.

"Thathaaaa stoppppppp. ICE CREAM ANNA!!"

Thatha stops, and buys me my all time favourite 1-2-3 ice cream. He then also buys himself a raspberry delight, once in a while. And when he does, there's always his trademark dialogue - "Paati kita solladhe di."

We go back home, freshen up, eat some tiffin, and head out again. Either for dance/swimming/instrument class. Drop and pick up by thatha beloved. 

Back home for homework and studying, after which we all sit down to eat. No surprises there, that I settle myself right next to thatha, though he always puts surplus amounts of vegetables on my plate. 

"Good night thatha."
"Good night shaadu."

Next morning, we're back on track with the good ol' routine.

------------------------------------------------

If my grandfather had been alive to have brightened my childhood further, this would have been an ideal day for me. For most of you, this is something so ordinary, so normal. For me, it's something I've never had. If my dad is my hero, my grandfather's my superhero.

Every waking and sleeping moment, I miss someone I've never met, never seen, never touched. I crave for his company, his love, his presence. I wish he'd seen me, and spent time with me. I'd have been a different person today. 

My grandpaa.

Wake up alarm

I've always wondered what it meant when people said "Don't wake up on the wrong side of the bed." This of course has more meaning than just physically waking up, but I always thought there will be a more practical way to life, and believing in this was plain superstition. 

I was (sort of) proved wrong today. 

We've moved into a new row house in a beautiful society, and my cats do have a great time there considering the vast amount of space they have to run around. They don't always stay at home - we lock the door at night, so they sleep anywhere they find space and comfort. Likewise, one of our cats (Dipti) slept under our car last night.

Fever has made me cranky and pissed off, and I was nursing a cup of hot tea sitting on the swing right outside our main door. The driver came home, took the keys and started the car. All of a sudden, I saw this cat limp and drag her way across, though really fast and jump to the storage room near the car park. I couldn't figure out which cat it was, as 4 of our cats looks very similar. But I understood what had happened and instantly started screaming for my dad. He dropped whatever he was doing, and rushed out to help the baby.

About 5-6 months of age, she had just recently been neutered. A cat as tiny as her, and a car as big as a Xylo. Running over her had caused the surgical stitches to open up, the reason for her bleeding. Her legs had been paralyzed/fractured for sure, evident it was. The sad part, though in great shock, she wasn't even crying or whining in pain. 

We rushed her to the doctor, and within minutes of reaching there, she passed away. Not because of the pain, but because of the shock. She probably wasn't strong enough to withhold that level of trauma. 

It was her misfortune. If there's one silver lining, it is this - If I hadn't been sitting in the swing cribbing about the rain, nobody would have seen her run into the storage room hurt. In which, she would have died a slow, painful death and none of us would have even known. 

She slept last night, possibly thinking of what games to play with her sibling in the morning, or when she's going to eat her next meal.  

Little did she know, her wake up alarm would be a gigantic tyre crushing her bones and ending her life. 

When Dipti and her siblings were little babies

 

Shreeeeeee Gurubhyo Namaha!

If you've ever walked into PSBB on a normal working day, you'll hear these words in a tune that is louder than the school bell. As soon as a teacher walks in, all the students get up from the chairs in unison, fold their hands, bow their heads slightly, and chant this. To which, the teacher replies, "Sukhi bhava."

When she/he walks out after a 'period', the same is repeated. 

Sit in one classroom, and you'll hear the chant from the other classroom, which is when restlessness shifts in - because everybody knows the other teacher has left the other classroom. Why on earth is only our teacher not leaving? 

Taking a walk around the school premises was permitted, but if you saw a teacher passing you, this is how you wish her. And if you didn't, tch tch. Bad manners, child. 

Shree gurubhyo namaha has become special. Not then, but now. It was nothing but a daily ritual that was done like a chore every day, at least 15 times. I'm pretty sure it was the same for the teachers as well. I moved out of PSBB after completing my tenth standard, and moved to a school in Mumbai. Each time a teacher walked in, they're be greeted with a "Good morning ma'am!" and that's when my heart would sink. Something felt empty and incomplete when I sat back in my chair.

I'd silently say 'Shree gurubhyo namaha' in my head, and imagine saying it with my PSBB classmates. Some days it'd make me smile, and other days, cry. 

I moved on to college, but grew out of missing this chant. Grew out of missing, but not the fondness attached to it.

I hated a few, and loved some. But they all taught me a lot. When someone says teacher, this is the first thing that comes to my head. Drag it, drag it some more, and make a tune of of it - SHREEEEEE GURUBHYOOOOOO NAMAHA!

When I recently attended a friend's wedding in Chennai, I happened to bump into a few of my school teachers. Before I could even think, I folded my hands, bent my head down and said it. It happened so unconsciously, I was taken by surprise. 

With a slight tweak to the saying - You can take me out of PSBB, but you cannot take PSBB out of me.

Fortitude - #awordeveryday

She aced her board exams.

She went on to finish her PhD.

She was honoured by Dr. A.P.J. Kalam at Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

She gives speeches, across the country.

She won prestigious awards.

She walks ramps. No, wait - showstopper.

She poses for photoshoots.

She has an incredible fan following.

She wears a smile with unbelievable optimism.

She spreads love, abundantly.

She lives a second life, and beautifully at that.

"How do you manage?" an innocent girl admiringly asked her.

"Well, the bomb blast took only my hands away. Not my spirit." said Malvika. Exhibiting fortitude in its clearest and most perfect form, she catwalked her way to success.

Read more about this beautiful lady here.

Effusion - #awordeveryday

"You look lovely today" he said.
"Thank you. You're looking handsome too." she replied.

"Care to take a walk with me tonight?" he asked.
"Yes, of course." she blushed.

"You do know I want to spend my life with you, right?" he whispered.
"Do you know I do too?" she winked.

"I've written a song for you. Would you like to hear it?" he gleamed.
"Oh my! Yes of course." she gushed.

________

"CAN YOU BOTH STOP BARKING FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE?" Monisha shouted from inside her room.

"How will a human ever understand, the poetic effusion of dogs?" Tommy and Ginger sighed in sync and retired back to their respective kennels.

Repudiate - #awordeveryday

Days of being tied on a leash to a bus stand, he collapsed to his death. He lay there stiff and lifeless. People walked passed, but not a soul came forward to even dispose a dead corpse on the pavement. The rains showed no mercy either.

_____

After 24 hours of waiting, the baby cried. The parents rejoiced in joy and wept happy tears. The father looked out of the hospital window dreamily, as the rains lashed against the glass. He took a moment, folded his hands, and muttered a prayer thanking god for gifting him such a beautiful daughter.
_____

The same family that welcomed a life in the hospital, repudiated another at a bus stand.

Cuittle - #awordeveryday

She dawdled up her way to work, and as everyday routine demanded, she entered the washroom to freshen up. She walked in, washed her face, wiped it clean, took out her make-up box, and walked to the tall mirror. She stood in front of the mirror, utterly confused. She could not see herself! She stood there in shock not understanding the turn of events happening around her. What was wrong with the mirror? She could see the mirror, but the mirror was only reflecting the newly painted, lavender wall behind her.

She cuittled herself into believing she wasn't a ghost, and started talking very quickly to herself, "No Smitha, this is just a sign for to stop watching horror movies at night. You are probably imagining this!"

As she continued mumbling, a colleague strolled in. She acknowledged Smitha, greeted her, checked herself out in the mirror, and walked out. Smitha watched in utter shock. She washed her face and tried appearing in front of the mirror again. Nope, still couldn't find herself. Not even a trace.

This started driving her crazy and she started yelling at the lifeless mirror.

"SHUT UP, SMITHA, SHUT UP!" shouted a voice. It was her husband, Guru, who had woken her up because she was sleep-shouting. She woke up with a jolt, but promptly jumped out of bed and made sure to get a clear glimpse of herself in front of the mirror.

Maslin - #awordeveryday

'Vocalist of the year competition'

Shreya hastily walked up and down the garden singing her lines over and over again. No amount of practice seemed to suffice. Rahman was the judge, and this was going to be the scariest, yet the loveliest challenge.

"Contestant number 73: Shreya" the host announced, and all her friends hooted and cheered her way to the stage. Thus began the performance.

She cleared her throat, stole a quick glance of her favourite music director, shut her eyes,  and began with the first song. The song transported her to her childhood days, when this very same song would play on the radio first thing in the morning. Skillfully, she dived into the next song, upbeat in nature, which she and her brother would shout-sing sitting on their Tilak Street terrace. Eyes still shut, she could hear the crowd clap in beat with her. In a smooth transition, began the next track. The track that made her fall in love with the blue eyed boy in her college. Who also reciprocated her love. Till date. This song was composed for them. She opened her eyes strategically and made a 6 second eye contact with him. He smiled at her encouragingly. She then glided into her final song, one that she had looped over a million times, leaving her parents begging her to use the stop button.

She got off the stage, gleaming. All that mattered was that she sang to perfection, for what she had sung today was not just a medley of Rahman songs, but also a maslin of her life memories.

Indelible - #awordeveryday

From a world of darkness, to a world of colour. Sheela was terrified, but thrilled beyond reason. The sun shining, the pretty green leaves, the blanket that was keeping her warm, the hospital room, her favourite bag, her walking stick, television, her parents and husband, and most importantly, her precious daughter's charming face. She lived a blind life for 34 years, but not anymore. She yelled, wept and cried out loud in ecstasy.

She knew nothing about Priyanka, her donor, not even how she looks. But the indelible mark Priyanka had left on Sheela was undoubtedly the best gift ever.

Rident - #awordeveryday

"Cancer", said the reports.

 Her heart sunk. She could not watch her son die.

"Mourning will not help you, dear. Make his last few days, the best ever." her mother advised with all her heart.

Wiping a painful tear off her face, she took it upon herself to bring joy to little Adi's life. Gifts, surprises, parties, cakes, new clothes, trip to Disneyland, meet Rajnikanth, and what not.

Even when The End approached, the smile on his rident face never faded.

Peckish - #awordeverday

Miles away from her home, she fondly dreamt of her nani's rajma chawal.

"Famished", she thought to herself.

Reality check. Had to make-do with the rajma chawal she will have to whip up after a long day at work.

"Probably just peckish", she sighed to herself.

Her phone buzzed. 'Get home for dinner', her father ordered. Saturday, she remembered. Thought of the dreadful rajma chawal her step mother makes.

"No appetite at all", she confirmed to herself.

To her, hunger was nothing but a mere emotion.

Evince - #AWordEveryday

The yearly progress report card was couriered home. She opened it with shivering hands, reciting a silent prayer.

"FAIL" in bold red letters, stared straight at her. For the third consecutive time.

When it reached dad, he was fuming. He exited the living room in exasperation, and stormed into her bedroom.

She thought she heard an explosion, something had gone crashing to the floor. She inched towards the room, trembling in fear. Her dreaded nightmare was unkindly unfolding in front of her.

Dad could have broken her violin, but the marks on her fingers will evince the phenomenal artist in her, forever.

Picaroon - #AWordEveryday

Pick-pocket -check

Felt up a woman - check

Stole a gold chain - check

Tricked a foreign tourist couple - check

Scratching crotch in public - check

Done with his task list for the day, he slipped into comfort on his favourite bench at Dadar station. Humming a popular item song, he opened a packet of biscuits, to go with his 17th cigarette of the day and hot cup of chai.

Without minutes, a child came dragging herself up to him. She had no legs, and torn clothes. Weeping, she pointed to the biscuits.

For the first ever time, it moved him. For the first ever time, he parted with something he stole. It confused him, but for the first ever time, the picaroon felt pity.

Hatred. Rains. Love.

The hatred towards rain got us talking,
Of dirty potholes, difficult travel and sleepy weather.

The hatred towards rain got us meeting,
In a cozy restaurant, over a bowl of hot soup.

The hatred towards rain got us dating,
Huddled under a pretty black umbrella.

The hatred towards rain got us smiling,
Looking at each other braving the weather.

The hatred towards rain got us craving,
For each other when rainy discomfort crawled in.

The hatred towards rain got us together, to last forever.

And now the rains have returned, and I'm ready to fall deeper in love.

Kochadaiiyaan. Why?

No spoilers ahead, you can read without hesitation.

First off, I did like the movie. So this post is mostly going to be positive. A little background about myself would definitely include that I'm a huge Rahman buff, and Rajnikanth is my demi god. Yes.

I did not enter the theatre with too much of expectations, just like you, I had also seen the disastrous trailer. And just like you, I was also rolling eyes in confusion. 

Verdict: 
The animation, was first class disaster. Body parts coordination, syncing dialogues and mouth movements etc were too visibly average. Like, unbearable. Having said that, I happen to join the group of people who've been giving Soundarya and the team due credit for venturing into something like for the first time. May not have been the best of movies, but the effort cannot be unappreciated, and more importantly, 

The acting, well, I can't really comment much on this considering all were animated. But, thalaivar is thalaivar. (One question though, WHY Jackie Shroff?)

The storyline, predictable at parts. But overall, not bad at all. And they have hinted a sequel in the last scene of the movie and honestly, I am secretly happy about that. 

The 3D effects, brilliant. Yes, brilliant is the word.

Last but not the least, the music. MIND BLOWING. Rahman has proved once again what a genius he is and this was one power packed performance. During war scenes with action that did not interest me, I chose to close my eyes and concentrate on the background score. Wow, what a fantastic orchestra put together so well by the Madras Maestro. I have a feeling I'm going to watch it again just for the music. 

Considering the last movie of Thalaivar's we all saw was Enthiran, which was quite a disappointment, Kochadaiyaan won on those missing elements like style, punch lines, storyline, Rajni's walk, and the like. Rajni's dialogue delivery (WOWNESS INFINITY) echoed what a powerhouse of talent he is. Rahman's dialogue at the start was also quite a pleasant surprise. 

So if you are a fan of Rajnikanth and/or Rahman, then do go watch the movie. Less than two hours of your precious time. 

If you are planning to watch the movie, stay till the end of the credits. Some interesting stuff they've put together which you shouldn't miss. 

High hopes on the sequel (with better animation)
Shasvathi 

Defeat's ugly face.

He was ahead of the other participants. Every drop of sweat reminded him of all the hard work. His life unfolded in front of his eyes as he saw the finish line in the distance. He had to win this. He needed the money for Abdul's education. In the next few seconds, he tasted sweet victory. He kissed the medal around his neck and shed a tear of joy. He said a happy prayer and looked up at the sky. He knew he saw his parents' proud smiles. 

All of a sudden, he woke up with a start to the sound of his crutches fallen on the floor.

The melancholy truth.

She had laid eggs a week ago. She looked at them lovingly, waiting for them to hatch. Suddenly, she heard loud noises and felt the tree wobble. The nest she had built with all her energy and love, crumbled, while the eggs slipped off and splattered against the ground. Unable to bear the pain and panic, she flew away looking for new shelter. 

They picked the tree up, hurray-ed, and walked away.

Her new home was with a flock of other birds. One fine day while flying, something sharp whizzed past her and missed her right leg by a second. It hit her friend instead, who fell to the earth, dead. 

They picked the bird up, hurray-ed, and walked away. 

Petrified, she decided to live in solitude. After days, hunger took over and she was forced to leave her hiding and go in search of food. She flew low and could see the city was buzzing with energy and immersed in colour, unlike her. Her journey came to an ungraceful end, as a sharp twine struck her chest, eating into her flesh. She bled to death. Nobody paid heed to her meek, painful whimpers. 

They picked the kite up, hurray-ed and walked away. 

The humans have taken it upon themselves to never let birds live in peace.

It was a sweater made for two.

Something I had written for Sticky Stories. The beginning line that was given was 'It was a sweater made for two.' Read on!

It was a sweater made for two. She held it close to her chest, as painful tears mercilessly trickled down her face. The big, empty baby bump never felt this heavy. With little stamina, she crossed out yet another date on the calender.

Today was the 'due date' her family had been eagerly waiting for.