God’s own country. Forever?

A shocking incident that happened in Trivandrum caught my eyes as I was skimming through the newspaper yesterday. In the capital city of Kerala, a boy studying in the IXth standard along with an elderly person raped a 24 year old mentally challenged woman.
I was shocked to read about such criminal tendencies in seemingly innocent children.

Also, the alarming incident of a girl being pushed out of a train near Shornur and sexually abused mercilessly on the railway tracks sent shock waves of dread and fear among all women in our state recently.

Don’t these indicate that there is something wrong with our society?

Let me share with you some statistics that I stumbled upon.
Around 546 rape cases have been registered in the first 4 months of 2011 as against to 617 cases reported in the whole of 2010.
Another distressing report revealed that a total of 132 incest rape cases have been reported in Kerala. This is the maximum number reported in a state in South India; and the 5^th highest in the country.
If this is the current trend in the most literate state of India; I fear to think about the plight of women in the other states.

I want God’s own country to remain so forever.  What about you?

Let us join hands in strongly condemning such acts of violence against women;
 as I believe that everything under this sun is possible if we all stand together united for a common cause.

Feeling battered? Try the library

Am I as independent as I really think I am?

I earn my own money; get my things done all by myself; am not majorly scared to travel alone after 7 PM in the dark, pot-hole filled roads of Kochi.

But how about if a dear friend breaks your trust; and lets out your deepest secret as if it had no consequence? The fact that you were the one who told him in the first place causes you to be blamed; but if your friend isn’t someone you trust; then he wouldn’t be your friend A vicious circle, indeed.And then another dear friend; who claims to be your closest friend chooses to ignore all your calls and messages citing silly reasons.And yet again; an old friend majorly upsets you by saying and doing all the wrong things at the wrong time.

What if all these things manage to happen to you on the very same day?

A very hot, sultry day.

Oh Yes! That would just about sum up my lovely, little day (pun intended).

The feeling of wanting the earth to open up and swallow you; or just wanting to crawl out of your skin; or just wanting to hail the nearby space shuttle and zoom off to Mars; yeah; these would be some of the thoughts flitting through my mind now.

I choose to wallow in my pity and decide on the library as fitting place. I am once again thankful to the Lord who has invented this wonderful heaven right here on earth.The library is by far the safest place if you ask me. The books make me feel sheltered and shielded.

They listen to me; never give up on me; and give advice only when I ask them. They can be what I want them to be; they can amuse me, inspire me, sadden me, thrill me, and motivate me. There are books in bright colors, some huge, some small, some new, some old and tattered; don’t remind you of some of your own friends?

Try the library. Just once. And tell me whether you agree or not.

A thought

Trivandrum

15-03-1992

Dear Ammu,

You looked totally fabulous yesterday; in your powder blue sari with the green border having leaf-shaped motifs all over it; your long thick hair neatly plaited right up-to the bottom; and those tiny tear shaped earrings were going absolutely with your sari. I even noticed that you had worn alternating green and blue bangles in your right hand; while a watch was strapped around your left wrist.

I remember thinking that, that was an extremely sensible thing for a girl to do.

 Oh Well ! I guess I am rambling now.

But I guess you get my point. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you from the time I set my eyes on you; God's most beautiful creation till date.

I love you Ammu; and I mean it. Even if you weren't exactly Ms.Gorgeous; I would still love you.

And, am not very bad myself, you know, I completed my engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum last year and am all set to join Tata Steel in the coming May. I am a guitarist and was the lead singer of the music troupe in our college.

I shall be waiting for you in front of the Thycaud Shastha Kovil today evening.

My heart tells me that you will definitely come.

Yours lovingly,

Ravi

Ammu smiled to herself as she read through Ravi’s letter which had been lying at her doorstep along with a bunch of roses that day morning. Her heart welled up with joy at the thought that she would be meeting her beloved that day.

28-Feb-2012

But today, can we still claim that love has not lost its beauty and innocence? Now, love comes with a lot of conditions and certain pre-requisites; reminding you of a business contract. Religion assumes number one priority, followed by family status and looks. And if there is space for a fourth priority, compatibility and character jostle for space here.

I am not saying that this is becoming the norm in all cases; but unfortunately, it is, in the majority.

Most relationships, these days, happen over Skype, Facebook and the like; and may continue over phone calls and messages.

 Isn’t meeting and talking face to face not important anymore?

I hope love doesn’t lose whatever genuinity it has now.

Adiós por ahora

A BUS JOURNEY ORDEAL

Papa Bug : Slurp ! Slurp !

Mama Bug : It definitely is tasty.

Beti Bug : Mama, my turn now. Please please.

Beta Bug : Ouch !Papa, you are hurting my leg. Move over fast.

Well, this must be the conversation shared by a bug family, while colonies of them were feasting on me.

Let me start right from the beginning. After a tiring day, roaming about the streets of Bengaluru with my friends, I got into Kallada Travels' multi-axle (whatever that means) A/C semi-sleeper Volvo bus with hopes of catching some well-needed shut-eye curled under my warm blanket, after maybe watching a latest Malayalam movie.

The bus started. And all was well up till this point.

I stretched my seat to the maximum extent possible; and struggled to get comfortable. I had just about settled in, when the bus driver (let us give him a name; say, Mr.B ) stepped on the brakes a bit too forcefully, and I sailed right out of my chair and almost fell off.

That was when I realized that, when I stretched my seat; my feet couldn't touch the bottom and hence they couldn't shield me from the braking whims of Mr.B. I decided to sleep in a position perpendicular to the seat-bottom. But let me tell you, it is quite difficult and inconvenient.

Somehow, I managed to doze off. I had just about embarked on a trip to Italy in my dreams; when I was rudely woken up by the conductor's grating voice, screaming “ Bathroomil pokandavarkku ivide venamengil erangaam, ini Kochiyile adutha stop ollu”(Those who want to attend the call of nature may do so now, the next stop would be only at Kochi).

I checked my watch. It was 1:22 AM.

A string of the choicest expletives cruised through my mind; but I decided to keep my lips sealed for my own good. By the time I had located my pair of spectacles from around me; and had hobbled out of my seat taking care not to waken the sleeping passenger next to me (lucky soul), the bus had started moving.

Things definitely were not going my way.

I decided to concentrate on the art of sleeping, and prayed the bus would reach Kochi safely and quickly. I found myself being woken up at constantt intervals; thanks to the cluttered, pot-holed roads; that seem to burgeon as we approach Kerala.

Finally, at around 5:00 AM; I saw the first rays of the sun beaming across from amidst the mean,grey clouds. I couldn't help, but smile, at the beauty of Mother Nature. This is something that has never failed to amaze me.

I put on my spectacles, brushed my hair and tidied myself to the extent possible and sat with my eyes glued to the window.

That was about when I started feeling slightly uncomfortable and itchy. And before long, my whole body was tingling.

A girl is expected to look pleasing at all times in our society; and hence I forced my hands to the side and tried to picturise myself on an itchy ride in DisneyLand.

Well, mind power definitely wasn't working and I just wanted to run out of the bus to the safety of my house.

I suffered in agony for about 2 hours; when, finally I saw the welcoming 'Vytila' (my stop) sign board. I literally jumped off the bus and hopped into the closest auto-rickshaw and motioned him to take me home as quickly as he possibly could.(I even agreed to pay him double the fare. You should have seen his face lighting up. )

I got home and was shocked (still am ) to see ugly,red blotches all over my body. The bugs ('mootta' in Malayalam) had done their doing. They had literally gorged and feasted on my body.

And I was left feeling all prickly, tingly and itchy.

PS : - Good Night

Sleep Tight

But don't ever let the BED BUGS bite . :)

Of wedding cards and memories

As I reached office and started to switch on my computer, I noticed a pretty wedding invitation card adorning my otherwise bare desk. It was a cream-colored card bordered with red and gold curlicue and having a small motif of the Lord Ganapathi engraved on the top right corner. The card looked beautiful and as I anticipatorily fingered the engraving; I was suddenly taken back to my school days.

It was in the sixth standard that I first got a wedding invitation card addressed just to me. It was my friend, Pearly’s sister’s wedding and I was one among the chosen 5-6 in the class she had given an invitation to. I remember feeling very ebullient and even a wee smug.

And then that led to a huge discussion amongst all of us as to how we would want our weddings and cards to be like.

I was part of a Three Musketeers’ gang (as we were called then) with Surya and Shaziya. Surya had clearly decided that she would choose her husband and also that her card would be a 5 page leaflet. Shaziya was the silent one amongst us and she just smiled; but instinctively we knew that she would be the first to tie the knot.

And as far as I was concerned, marriage was something I could hardly fathom let alone participate in a discussion that surrounded it. It seemed to me very unnecessary and a waste of time. Back then, I just couldn’t understand its cause for such amusement and excitement.

Days, months and years passed; and our bond grew stronger and stronger. All through school we three sat in the same bench, attended the same electives, tuition classes and entrance coaching classes. The final year farewell came and went; but we fervently prayed that we would all end up in the same college.

But fate had other plans in store for us. And we got separated as we joined different engineering colleges. But we promised to keep in touch by at least a call every two days. On the first day of my college, I missed both of them terribly and cried myself to sleep that day.

The first half-year went fine; we managed to keep in constant touch through calls and messages. But as time went on, new people and events became part of our lives. Our priorities slowly started changing.

Our daily calls dwindled, over the years, to just a birthday wish a year.

But then one day, out of the blue, Shaziya phoned me and I impulsively felt she was getting married.

I went for her engagement; I was seeing her after 4 long years. We hugged; a long sisterly hug.

And then, I knew I had not lost my friend.
We then.…

‘So you’ll definitely come for my wedding right? I had placed the card on your desk as I didn’t see you in the morning’ – Prasanth’s voice jolted my train of thought.

I snapped out of my reverie to see Prasanth’s questioning glance.

“Thanks a lot, Prasanth”, I beamed at him and rushed out of the room leaving him perplexed at the bizarre and discordant nature of my reply.

I looked out through the window to see a bright, dazzling rainbow formed between a timid sun and dark gray clouds.

Thereupon, Mother Nature and I shared a tiny conspiratorial smile.

Que Dios los bendiga ..( written on the day of Soumya's verdict )

I don’t know whether you know me; but today I want you to hear me out. Today is a very big day for me; and maybe the most important day for my family ever. Before I get to the significance of this day; let me tell you something about me.

I was all of 23; full of zest and zeal, just starting to experience life. I come from a not so well to do family. I lived with my mother and younger brother in a small village near Shornur, Thrissur. My father abandoned us five years back (running six now); my sick mother cannot afford to leave her job as a domestic help in a big house and my younger brother who is yet to complete his school is working as a driver.

I loved to study and was a decently good student (if I may say so). But, unfortunately I did not have the money to complete my hotel management course; and when I got a job to work as a sales girl in Oberon Mall, Kochi, I jumped at the opportunity. I thought this would bring me one step closer to my dream of working in a bank someday. I needed to save a lot of money so that I could buy a car for my mother.

For one and a half months I travelled from Kochi to my home once every week. I still remember the beaming faces of my mother and brother as they waited expectantly for me at the station. I would regale them with my tales of the mall and my job; while I devoured the delicious ‘biriyani’, my mother would somehow manage to prepare without fail.

That day was special. I was practically floating in air as I boarded my home-bound train on Feb 6, 2011. You might have guessed the reason for my extreme happiness. Yes! You got it right.

The next day, my prospective husband was all set to visit our house. I could feel my heart doing little leaps and bounds of joy. I just couldn’t wait to reach home that day.
The train inched towards Vallathol Nagar. I was a mere ten minutes away from my station. I called my mother and told her that I would be right there; and she replied saying the ‘biriyani’ was steaming. I smiled to myself and gathered my belongings.

But then, Satan came, in the form of a man and destroyed everything - my hopes, my all. I died.

And along with me,my family too.

I do not wish to go into the gory details; I ‘m sure you know this part of my life better than I do.

Now, I’ll get to the point.
Today is the day of my verdict, in your world - the world of the mortals. It no longer affects me as I have joined the angels now.
But my mother and brother still live there; amongst you; as one of you.

There was a lot I wanted to do for them; but I was forced to depart with all my dreams up in the air and pending.

Today, I request your heartfelt prayers and sincere support for them.

Please do this, for me.

Love,
…………

Random

Time : 12:02 AM

Appa : Sethu, out off 100 how much would you give this movie?

Me : Shut up Appa, I am sleepy.

Appa : That means you didn't understand anything right? < Hehe :D >

Me : < with rolled eyes > Ohhhhhhh.. Hmm..96 out of 100.

Appa : :O And what happened to those 4 marks?

Me : Oh ! I didn't like the fact that Mohanlal had to die in the end.

This was way back in 1998. My dad and I were returning after watching a second show – ''Summer In Bethlehem' ( second shows were quite the routine with us ). I was having the time of my life, pillion riding on my dad's scooter at the middle of the night. It was quite cold and there weren't any vehicles at all on the road.

It was a Friday and there wouldn't be school for the next two days. I was as happy as happy could be. We headed to the Pai Dosa eatery ( no other hotels would be open at that time; save for the 'thattukadas' ); and I had my favourite 'Rava Dosa' and my father his ' Onion Uthappam '. We reached home past 1.00 AM and understandably my mother was furious ; not that it actually bothered us.

Life was beautiful; back then – sans worries, sans tension. We – me, my sister and my parents were living together under the same roof.

I never thought; but I sorely miss not being able to be with them now.

I badly miss the (almost daily) library rides with my father, again on the scooter. We used to go to the Eloor Lending library and the Ernakulam Public Library alternatively; and the Chavara Library on weekends. The old,musty smell of the books lining the walls of the library and my dad selecting some of his favourite books for me – mostly classics ( which I particularly don't like ) - Charles Dickens, Shakespeare; and the lovely racy ones – Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham, Robin Cook, Arthur Hailey etc, libraries have always enticed and enthused me.

By the time my dad chooses all his books, I would have read a good 1/3rd of a book; and then I would keep it safely underneath a lot of boring books; so that the next time when I come; it would still be there untouched and I could finish it off.

< I wouldn't want the librarian to know this, though >

I also miss shopping with my mother. (For a long time now, I shop all alone or with my friends)

My mother's dressing sense is impeccable. She is credited with totally transforming my father's wardrobe; which prior to their marriage was pathetic, I hear.

On Saturdays, after her office, we meticulously visit Seematti, Kalyan Silks,Jayalakshmi and many other random shops in and around the convent junction. And finally, we mostly end up buying from Seematti.

After that we pay a visit to the Bharat Coffee House at Broadway, where we have hot, steaming filter coffee, 'pazhampori' and cutlets. < The cutlet there is awesome. Yum :) >

And my sister - I miss not being able to irritate her; I miss her bugging me to help her with her projects and assignments. I miss not being able to share my 'dairy milk' with her.

But, most of all, I miss not being able to hug her tightly and sleep.

Oh ! How I wish time hadn't flown by so fast; and I hadn't grown up.

Now, I shall give anything to be back at home with my family, as my 'Appa's and Amma's pet'.

14-Feb-2012