Veronica from Virar

 

We all have space around us. Sometimes we let a few inside it and get comfortable or discard a few to find comfort. When things are too harsh or too intense, we reduce the space for a solution or temporarily go out of it to find peace. The space around Vijay was filled with silence and anxiety created from the loneliness. On a Saturday night, around 10 pm, Vijay was returning from his office. Because of a national holiday, the populous and ever-crowded Borivali station hardly had 2-3 people waiting for a train. In the long platform, Vijay could see an old man on his right-hand side from a distance surfing through his newspaper. And to his left corner, there was a vegetable vendor who was enjoying loud music on his China phone.

After scanning them for few seconds, Vijay lost interest in them and came back to a space filled with anxiety and silence. In between the polluted brown clouds, subtle blue light of the half-moon sneaked out and filled the rail tracks below. Vijay found this romantic and wanted to share this sight with someone. He saw the empty seat next to him and sighed. The emptiness was heavy on the seat, his sight, and his heart. His long stern shoulders have never felt the texture of silky hair, the gaps between his 5 fingers were always aloof and all his five senses have never tasted the pleasure of a desired companion.

Vijay kept his backpack on his lap, leaned back more on the bench to get comfortable, and continued to stare at the moon. A fast train from another platform rushed through the silence and created a piece of rhythmic music. Somehow the rhythmic sound, cool breeze, and the scene of the moon in front of him made him drowsy. Within few seconds, Vijay dozed off.

A few minutes after that moment, the full moon got covered by clouds. The brown clouds changed their shade to black and got denser. A sudden roar of thunder shook Vijay from his nap. The old guy on the left folded his newspaper and kept it in his back, the vegetable vendor covered his vegetable bag with a plastic sheet and they both took out an umbrella and kept it ready in their hand. Because the shade that covered the platforms was small and if a person walks out to catch a train, he or she will get exposed to the rains for few seconds.

Just when Vijay was regretting his decision not to bring an umbrella, the clouds opened up and started pouring. Also, just when Vijay thought the rain would stop before the arrival of the train, a local wagon entered the platform. Vijay had no time to think. He just ran towards a compartment got partially wet from head to the hip and sat next to the window. He loosened a button or two, took out his handkerchief, and started wiping his face.

After ten seconds, the train started to move from the platform slowly. When the rain and train started to gain some momentum, a girl jumped into the compartment. This took Vijay by surprise. How can this happen? – He asked himself.

Usually, he meets old people, middle-aged men, or even weird people in his journeys. This was the first time he met a pretty girl in a lonely compartment. The girl was partially wet and few drops of water were dripping from her forehead and long hair. She subtly saw Vijay and sat on the seat which was adjacent to him. The train gained more speed and an awkward silence prevailed in the compartment. The drops from Vijay’s shirt and the girl’s long hair fell on the metal floor. It created a thumping sound that added to the rhythm of the train. Vijay’s curiosity rose and he gradually tried to see her from the corner for his eyes without turning his face. She had put her hair in sideward to dry it. The fabric of her green top was dark because of the water and her skin had small pearls of water waiting to be wiped. This sight was inviting and he found her attractive. His discreetness in seeing her reduced. He turned his face, winded his eyes, and properly saw her. Suddenly when the girl gave eye contact, Vijay froze to death. He did not know how to react. He was blank for few seconds. He was happy to get her attention and he was embarrassed for getting caught at the same time. Vijay focused his mind, came back to his senses, and greeted her with a hello. The girl responded with a blank nod without any expression. After this, they both looked out of the window and got drifted in thoughts.

 

Several stations passed but the distance between Vijay and the girl remained the same. The train suddenly stopped before a station in the outer area. "I think an express train will pass our route, this might take some more time" – The girl said to Vijay. Vijay got a little comfort now. He replied with a sigh and saw his watch. Though he showed frustration on his face, he thanked his lucky stars in his mind for the special time. Vijay stood up and went near the exit. By that time rain had stopped and the sky got cleared.  He inhaled the after rain pleasantness and started whistling an old regional song. After few seconds, the girl joined him and whistled in sync. The girl stood up and joined him near the exit. They both finished the chorus part and laughed together. The dark clouds in the sky disappeared and the half-moon appeared again. Vijay saw the moon and saw to his left. This time the emptiness was absent. The girl was standing next to him. This was the moment he waited for. He pointed out the moon to her and she said pretty. The scene exactly happened as he imagined it 1000 times in the past. Vijay felt a magical sensation with her and the girl started singing more interesting songs with Vijay. She was gradually opening up to him.

In joy, Vijay extended his arm for a handshake and introduced his name – Vijay from Church Gate. The girl brushed a single strand of hair from her face and extended her arm to him. I am Veronica from Virar- She replied!

Though the touch remained for a small time, Vijay's senses strongly grasped the warmth and tenderness her hand expressed during the handshake. The long-awaited express train finally crossed them and the local train started moving. Vijay and Veronica came back to sit.  Vijay mustered up some courage and sat next to Veronica. They both stretched their legs and rested them on the opposite seats. For the next ten minutes, they discussed several topics that circled their 9-5 jobs. Tough they both met each other the same day; a familiar sense of connection grew between them. Vijay’s imagination went deeper. He gained more confidence and slightly extended his shoulder towards her. He wanted to smell her hair and feel its texture on his shoulder.

 

But before anything could happen, the speed of the train and the excitement between them reduced because the last station arrived. They stood up and walked out of the train. It was time to part ways.

Vijay – it was nice meeting you.

Veronica – It was fun.

Vijay – Can we be in touch?

Veronica – Here is my card.

Veronica gave her visiting card to Vijay. At the last moment, Vijay was feeling bad about this separation. He wanted to spend more time with her. He couldn't say bye to her. Veronica comforted him by giving him another handshake and started walking away. Vijay mustered some more courage and called her by name.

 

Vijay – Veronica!

Veronica – Yes!

Vijay – Would you like to spend few more minutes here?  We can chat and check the moon!

Veronica understood his intentions and saw her watch. This was the deciding factor. If she says yes, then there is some spark between us, Vijay thought in his mind. Vijay was getting anxious in anticipation. If things work out, he thought he can even have his first kiss there. Veronica stared at him first and let out a funny smile. She said yes. Vijay smiled in response.

They both sat on the nearest bench. There was a big distance between them. When Vijay tried to move closer, Veronica looked. Vijay took his backpack, kept it on his lap, and leaned back to show her that he is not making any move and was trying to get comfortable. Veronica swiftly reduced the gap and sat next to Vijay. Vijay's heartbeat rose, he was not expecting this. They both maintained eye contact for few seconds. Veronica gradually leaned on his shoulder and slowly placed her fiver fingers between his fingers and firmly tightened it. Vijay rested his head on hers and saw the moon. His fantasy became a reality. His pounding heart settled down in peace.

Vijay – This feels good

Veronica – Yes!

Vijay – I never expected…

Veronica – Shhhhhh….Just go with the flow…

They both remained the same way for ten minutes. Veronica broke the pose and reached out to her bag.

Vijay got curious and asked – Is it time to leave?

Veronica – Yeah!

But I have got something for you.

Vijay got surprised again. He thought this day couldn't get any better. Veronica asked him to close his eyes. After few seconds Vijay opened his eyes and saw her. Vijay was staring at her in eagerness. Veronica slowly came near Vijay. He could feel her warm breath. She deeply looked into his eyes and gave a smile. Within a fraction of a second, she pulled out a knife and slid it through Vijay's neck.  Vijay went into a state of shock and pain. He fell and started to struggle. Veronica showed a sense of satisfaction on her face. Another train from a distance came in. Listening to its alarm, Veronica ran away. With intense pain, Vijay closed his eyes and started shouting. After few seconds a splash of water fell on his face and Vijay finally woke up. The vegetable vendor spared was standing next to him with a water bottle in his hand. It was all a terrible nightmare.

Vijay stayed in a state of shock for a long time. When he finally reached the last station he exactly saw the spot he dreamt about. Everything was confusing. He walked towards the bench and sat there. The same imagery crossed his eyes and gave him shivers. Vijay suddenly got a weird feeling and took out his wallet. He opened it and scanned it for a while. From the clutter, he picked a card and freezes in fear. That was the business card of Veronica.

 

 

A love story from Leh, Markha Valley:

 

Let me start with a riddle –

Throughout your life, you look forward to this thing.

It’s more important than your salary, bonus and even dreams.

Without it, you can easily get frustrated.

Without it, you can hardly find time to celebrate and relax.

 

What is it?

It’s the holidays!

Holidays are the best thing that can happen to a person.

But for me, it was a punishment. I am Ashwin and I hate Leh.

Everything was normal a few weeks back. I stay at the extension of the equator, Chennai. Getting roasted, barbecued, and steamed is a part of my life style. And by nature, you can call me a Sakht Launda (guy with focused attitude - Zakir Khan). As my routine goes, between Youtube and Netflix, I do some work from home.

New years eve was around the corner and my social window was filled with ads. As soon as I opened my social media apps, everything was calling out to me. There was year-end sale, flash sale, DJ night, special dinner, music might, and even discounts on lingerie (Why Google???).

I wanted to do something different. Something unique. I shut my social window and started thinking. What can be challenging and totally different for a South Indian guy to experience? Suddenly, a notification popped up on my phone. It was an FB post with two huge snow-covered mountains and the caption said, “THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING YOU”.

A unique temptation filled my mind and when I answered the mountain’s call, 30 thousand rupees went out of my pocket. I had booked the “MARKHA VALLEY WINTER TREK” with Bikat advebtures. Then, the next thing was the obvious show-off. I was flaunting my rucksack, trekking attire, and leather boots to everyone. My journey until the Leh airport was filled with many #^s. (#explorer, #himalayas, #InnerPeace, #snow, #2021 etc.)

As soon as my flight landed at Leh airport, I could still hear the voice of the mountains. They were constantly calling out me. I ogled the compact airport premise out the window for some time and finally got ready to come out of the plane. When I stepped out, I was in for a huge revelation. The mountains were not calling out to me, they were laughing and giving me Gaali.

The temperature was – 15-degree celcius. My nervous system went mad and my fingers started playing tabla. My teeth were clacking like a typewriter. The others members of the Markha trek group who joined me at the airport were completely excited and taking selfies. I was faking my smile and just rushed towards the hotel. To add to my misery, the high altitude gave me headaches and dizziness. Throughout that night, one thought kept popping in my mind – the DJ night in Chennai would have been a better option.

The next day, my entire group assembled in the common area of the hotel. After a lot of struggle, I added more layers of clothing, sneaked out of my room, and managed to reach the common area late. I was literally looking like a fat onion. our trek leader was briefing about the trek and everyone was introducing themselves. Since I had already lost my confidence to the harsh weather, I remained silent. That's when a warm sensation crept into my heart. Something pleasant was approaching me. A beautiful girl came out the kitchen and sat next to me. Sometimes in our life, when we see some thing or some person, a familiar bell rings and creates an impression. The warm feeling which I got from her was sensational and not just rang a bell, it played violins in the backdrop.

She was totally different. She had a radiant complexion that stood out. Her body was so curvy and her lips were way prominent than others. Even her silence radiated warmth and her presence was like flowing water. Everyone sat around her and shared their stories with her.

Wow, what a girl, I thought to myself. The fear of cold and high altitude was fading away. My lost confidence found its way back to my heart and when I was about to make a move, she went back to the kitchen and never came out. From that moment things got interesting. The thought of the DJ night vanished and my heart was filled with that mysterious girl.

My curiosity went crazy and a lot of questions came to my mind.

Who is she?

Will I see her in the trek?

Can I steal a glance from her?

Will I get some alone time with her?

 

With a lot of anticipation and unanswered questions, I dozed off.

 

The next morning, my journey to Markha valley began. After witnessing the beautiful landscapes and snow-capped mountains, my small heart automatically grew and I became magnanimous. After watching many Bollywood actors dancing on snow, I always wanted to feel my first impression on it. That happened at Markha valley. Walking on the frozen river was exciting and my trek mates were sliding and dancing on it. Everyone relished their time there.

This was all because of her. Just a few moments with her in my life changed my perspective of this place. I missed her. I wanted to spend some quality time with her. I wanted to share my view and my experience with her. I wanted to thank her for just being there.

Finally, after a lot of waiting, I saw her back at our dining tent. After observing her, I understood her routine. She appeared for 3 times a day. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No wonder she was always stuck in the kitchen tent. People say the way to a person's heart is through delicious food. So, somehow, I believed her timings were set for me.

This little clarity gave me solace. Now, the next big thing was to get some privacy and make her comfortable. However, my lively teammates started to irritate me and surrounded her most of the time. Whenever I got closer, the others sat around her and kept her for themself. They enjoyed her warmth and kept on sharing their stories with her.

Being a Sakht launda, I had never experienced jealousy before. But this time, it was really heavy. I wanted to steal her and keep her for myself. I wanted to embrace her round waist and make her sit on my lap. I wanted to tell her the stories of my past and make fresh memories with her. Thankfully, the mountains helped me with this issue. Initially, they mocked me, later they gave me enough momentum, and peace to move on.

I waited patiently. Though I was in my late 20’s, I acted like a teenager. Sometimes, late in the night, I would leave my tent and sneak into the kitchen tent to see her. I would make excuses and started getting close to the cook, just to make some eye contact with her. As usual, she would reply with a warm silence.

Finally, the big day came where our group reached the vantage point and saw the mighty Kang Yatse peak. Enroute a successful summit, we all became close and shared our personal views and the revelations we got at Markha Valley. Everyone spoke about their views on the beauty, the peace they got there and a few even planned to revisit this winter wonderland. I remained silent and just thought of her.

The journey ended and we all came back to our hotel at Leh. I was still patient and waiting for my moment with her. It was the last night and New Year’s Eve. To celebrate 2021, the entire group went to the nearest deluxe room and started to party. I stayed in the common area, alone. And that’s when she came out of the kitchen.

My heartbeat rose, violins from the backdrop started to gain tempo in my mind and the silence was loud. Without any hesitation, I removed my gloves, embraced her waist, picked her up, and made her sit on my lap. I played a piece of romantic music on my phone, opened the windows, and we enjoyed the view of the moon-lit snowcapped mountains and twinkling stars at -25 degree Celsius in the night. It was a magical moment for both of us.

Just like her, I maintained a deep silence even now. Our body warmth grew in sync and we finally bonded together. From the first moment, I knew that this will be a short-lived love story and this won't continue. She belonged to the cold mountains of Leh and I belonged to the hot plains of South India.

After a few moments of bliss, I took a glass from the table, gently slanted her, and poured some hot tea from her mouth. I enjoyed every sip of it and finally broke the silence and said - 

“You are the most beautiful kettle I have ever seen in my life”

When the song ended the cook from the kitchen took her away. For the last time, we exchanged glances and parted our own ways.

With a heavy heart and a fresh feeling, I came back to Chennai and wrote about her in my diary. This is the reason I hate Leh. I hate Leh for giving me a beautiful experience. I hate Leh for giving me a new perspective and I hate Leh and Markha Valley for making me fall in love. I hate Leh because I love it.

 

Stunt Jana

 

When do we start worshipping something or someone?

We do that when we get an idea, when the idea turns into a strong belief and when the belief becomes unconditional.

In Chrompet, Jana, a curious kid always followed his elder brother Jaggu. He was his role model, hero, and everything he looked up to. He followed him wherever he went. When Jaggu had a curl in his forehead, Jana tried to keep the same style. When Jaggu wore bell-bottom pants, Jana tried to wear them. Even when Jaggu was not there, Jana tried to mimic his walk, talk, and body language in the mirror. Jaggu adored Jana and took him to most of the places he went. They both enjoyed watching action movies together. When other brothers played cricket and video games, Jana and Jaggu enacted fighting sequences from movies. Their idea of fun was to be like the cool action heroes they saw on TV.

But, Jaggu had a habit. He would wake up early in the morning every day and come back when Jana wakes up. Being a kid Jana always woke up late and never noticed it. One day, Jana had to wake up early. He could not control his pee. With a hazy vision, Jana went to the washroom and came back. He strained his eyes and saw the space on his bed next to him. He stared for few seconds and then realized his brother was missing. He quickly ran to the kitchen, living room and terrace, Jaggu was nowhere.

Jana went to the window, the sky was still dark, after some time when the first light came out, Jaggu was approaching his home in his cycle. Jana ran out and hugged his brother and fired him with loads of questions. Jaggu just said he had some work.

The next day, the same incident happened. From that day Jana always woke up early and saw his brother leaving him alone and going out in the dark.  Even after a lot of tantrums, requests, and cries, Jana could never convince his elder brother to take him. Jana was sad and his brother was suddenly new to him.

After few days, Jaggu was getting ready, he was expecting Jana to pester him but there was no reaction from Jana. At this point, Jana gave up. Jaggu felt bad and sat next to Jana. He gave a smile and asked him to get ready. Jana got surprised and quickly freshened up and started with his brother.

 

It was still dark out. Jana was sitting behind Jaggu on the cycle carrier and hugged him tightly. For some time he was just concentrating on the crackling sounds of the cycle chain, when Jaggu stopped the cycle, Jana focused back and saw a narrow path covered in bushes and shrubs in front of him. They got down and started walking. As they went deep, the familiar scary sounds of the night came back to haunt Jana. Jana stopped and hugged his brother. Jaggu picked him up, made him sit on the carrier again, and started pushing his cycle.

Everything was different and the entire place got dense with more shrubs, bushes, and trees. Finally, they reached a sanctuary. Jaggu parked the cycle and took Jana in. Surprisingly, the interiors were well lit up. It was filled with statues and vibrant colors. It resembled a temple. They looked different; they were not like the regular temple. The gods had different weapons in their hands. At first, Jana was scared. When he approached a statue and looked closely, he realized that it was Bruce Lee. The weapon was nunchucks. Jana was surprised; he looked at his brother with glee. He ran to another statue and found Arnold, then saw jet li, Tony Jaa, and several other statues filled with garlands and offerings.

Jaggu was happy to see Jana in joy. He picked his hand and walked into the main Sanctum. Jana was filled with curiosity. When Jaggu removed his shirt for respect, Jana quickly removed his shirt. Jaggu opened the door. Jana was stunned to see the statue of his favorite hero inside. It was Jacky chan.

The sanctum was filled with posters from different movies. Jana didn't move a muscle. His jaw dropped seeing all those poses in the posters. Jaggu took two garlands from the bag and handed one to Jana. They both applied it to the statue of Jacky Chan and started praying.

Jana was speechless. He held his brother's hand in joy. Jaggu and Jana sat on the floor. Jana was confused and he was waiting for more surprises. Jaggu took a uniform from his bag and wore it. It was a black shirt and trousers. Mostly it looked like a martial artist's attire. After getting ready, he took out a headband and wore it. The headband had a name. It said Kick Jaggu. Jaggu wore it and started demonstrating his skills to Jana. Jana sat down and saw this new side of his brother. It was magical and miraculous. Jaggu moved his legs like a boxer, raised his leg like Bruce lee, and kicked like Jacky. After finishing he gave a cool pose to Jana. Jana stood up and started clapping.

After that Jaggu took back Jana to Jacky’s statue and made him sit in front of him.

Jaggu – Jana, do you like to be a martial artist?

Jana – Yes!

Jaggu – Do you want a cool name like me?

Jana – Yes (Shouted in joy)

Then, he picked a bowl with lots of paper chits in it. Jaggu asked Jana to pick one. Jana stared for few seconds, looked at Jacky, and prayed to him, and picked a paper chit. As he opened it the name stunt was revealed in it.

Jana got happy and showed it to his brother. Jaggu took an empty headband and started writing the name on it. Jana got his amazing headband and jumped with joy. He tied the band which said, Stunt Jana.

Stunt Jana learned martial arts from his brother and several other teachers as he grew up. Both Jana and Jaggu grew famous in Chrompet and participated in many competitions and workshops. They honed their skills and even taught many people around them. Their talent took them to movies, big martial art schools, and even big arenas.

Jana’s idea of fun became his passion, belief and it was unconditional. He had two main goals in his life. One was to meet the second hero of his life Jacky Chan with his first hero Jaggu and make the temple of martial artists famous throughout the world.

So, he continues his relentless journey with an unwavering passion and focu

Powder Priya

 

At the age of 6 Priya started cooking, at 12 she started cooking for her family, at the age of 18 she started cooking for the entire town. But, that’s was not a big deal. Everyone from Ranipet was master chefs. The village had a purpose, to preserve, enrich and nurture the art of traditional cooking. So, from small kids to elderly people everyone cooked and taught how to cook to the villagers.

Ranipet had a population of 500 families; each family had their own secret recipe and special ingredient. Throughout the year there would be food festivals, tasting sessions, spice workshops and flea markets. The competition was intense and everyone had different styles and techniques. They constantly thrived to discover new dishes for health, taste and variety.

But, Priya was different from everyone. When others were influenced by the foreign culture, Priya stuck to her roots. When others went ahead in terms of utensils and equipment, Priya went back in time. She got stuck to her roots and got deeply connected with them. Her taste for tradition was clashing with the taste of newness others had.

 At the age of 20 she established her style, the old style. When others were able to get more customers every day, Priya just had few. When other’s made 100’s of dishes a day, Priya just made a hand full. When others cooked swiftly, Priya took her own time. But, her customers were loyal. Once they taste her food, they become a part of Priya’s family. Her food was made for people’s mood. Every bite was an experience. Though it took a long time, it was always worth the wait.

She was not popular and she was not on demand like others. But she had one thing the other never had. She had customer satisfaction. She made a difference in her customer’s life.

When it came to her process, it was a journey. In Priya’s kitchen, the order had to be given the previous night. She never took more than 10 customers. Her kitchen was always empty. The next day, early in the morning, she wanders through the forest, river bed and mountains for fresh Ingredients. She cooked on natural fire, made and sharpened her own knifes, made and maintained her own pots and even carved her own spatulas.

That’s how authentic she was. At the end when all her effort comes together, miracle happens every time someone tastes it. They let out a smile of satisfaction. Just like an artist who observes his masterpiece, she observed her customer’s reaction every day. 

Priya was satisfied with this minimal life style and she never participated in any of the other competitions and workshops. 

On a calm breezy evening, Priya was sharpening her knives on a black stone. One of her customers approached her to place an order.

Priya – Hello ma’am

Customer – The usual lunch for tomorrow

Priya – Why are you sad?

Customer – Haven’t you heard the news?

Priya – What happened ma’am?

Customer – Ranipet has 500 families, in that the top 2 are the Sami family and Bala family.

Priya – What happened to the?

Customer – They lost.

Priya was not bothered about the details, she just acted along. She just gave a sigh and replied –

What? How ma’am? Where?

Customer – They were lost in the annual cooking summit held by the government in Chennai.

Priya – Oh, is that so bad?

Customer got surprised by her reaction. Looking at her customer’s surprised look, Priya responded with a blank expression.

Customer – For the past 10 years, our village have have never lost. But, this time they have lost to a foreigner.

Priya – I understand ma’am. I am sure the Bala and Sami family members will make it through next year.

Customer – It’s not that Priya. It’s a big Problem for Ranipet. Gradually we will lose customers. Think about the image of Ranipet. This is the land of cooking. It got a black mark. Who will fix it now?

Priya – Ma’am, I am sure there will be some solution. But, don’t worry. Let’s not get sad on it. Let me fix your mood right now.

Customer – But, you always cook the next day right?

Priya winks to her customer and says – Just for you.

She quickly goes back to a nearby garden, picks up some mint leaves, opens a special box and takes few spoons of power from it and makes a delicious soup. Once the customer had a sip and closed her eyes and lets out a smile.

Priya – This is what I want ma’am. Others may cook tasty food but the tastes are restricted to the taste buds. I want to make something that will linger for life time. I cook for your smile and satisfaction ma’am.

If I can fix your problem with my cooking, then you can fix your life.  

Customer – Priya, you are really good. Better than others. But, do you know why you haven’t become great?

Priya gets confused listening to her words and remains silent.

Customer – Good food and good thoughts are meant to be shared with the rest of the world. Just imagine, what if you can share your food with the rest of the world?

Not just Ranipet’s image, we can fix the any problem.

Priya, let’s out a subtle smile and gets lost in her thoughts. She gets back to sharpen her knifes.

 

The next day a big food truck came inside Ranipet. People from around approached the truck to see what was happening there. The side panels of the truck automatically opened up to reveal two Chinese men. They had huge woks, electronic equipment and advanced gadgets. One of the Chinese cooks pressed a button and two speakers popped out of the truck and started playing Chinese music. Quickly, they started chopping, dicing and cooking. The villagers got mesmerized by their way they were cooking and gathered around them.

Suddenly, a person from the Bala family and Sami family pierced through the crowd and got shocked looking at the horror of their own villagers trying out food from the people who defeated them. In shame, the chef from the Bala and Sami family removed their aprons which had the family names on it.

One of the Chinese chefs came out and stood in front of them and started smiling.

Chinese chef – Ready for round 2?

 Both the chefs from the Sami and Bala family gave a furious look at the Chinese chef.

 

Suddenly the sound of bullock cart broke the tension between them. It was Priya. She parked the cart in front of the food truck. The Chinese Chefs and the Chefs from Bala and Sami family looked at her with a strange look.

Priya, got down and unwrapped the sheet on the bullock cart. It had fresh plants, fire wood and big wooden trunks. Priya approached the chefs of the Bala and Sami family for help.

Priya – Can you help me please?

Bala family’s chef – What are going to do?

Priya – Cook

Bala family’s chef – Are you going to cook with these? 

Priya responds with a smile and starts unloading the truck. After an hour, her entire setup looked like a garden. This was something new for everyone. The Chinese chefs got surprised looking her. But, when she placed the fire wood and tried to make a fire, they laughed. Looking at this the chefs of Bala’s and Sami’s family joined her. They helped her and started following her instructions. When she opened one of her wooden trunks there were imperfect, handmade plates, bowls and spoons. The Ranipet chefs got surprised looking at them.

On one side the villagers were enjoying the hot and spicy Chinese food, but on the other side Priya was cooking and making everything from scratch. Villagers took small peeks to check on her, but they were totally engrossed with the Chinese cuisine.

Priya’s set up was empty and there were no customers.

But, after sometime her old customer from the other day walked in with a smile and she had brought her entire family with her. Gradually the news spread throughout the village and all her old customers came to her set up. Suddenly the Ranipet Chefs joined the cooking process. One of the chefs brought a mixer and showed it Priya, Priya, kept it aside and gave him a stone grinder. The other chef brought an electronic blender, but Priya replaced it with a wooden log and asked him to blend the liquid mix with that.

After couple of hours, Priyas kitchen grew and her customers grew. More people from the village help her to cook and more customers started ordering food from her. There was a big difference. The customers from the Chinese stall had an after taste of spice and hotness. They ate, paid and left the premise.

But people stayed around Priya’s stall. Even when most of the customers had to stand, they were happy and had a smile on their face. Some were having a happy conversation, some were just silent and enjoyed the ambience and few even started performing around her stall. Priya, brought out everyone’s natural self. A happy community got build up around her. 

The Chinese chefs got more curious. They got down from their truck and approached Priya’s set up. A lot of questions popped up in their mind.

Chinese chef – How are you doing this? You don’t even have enough gadgets? 

Priya smiles and says – Would you like to taste?

Priya picks up two dried up coconut shells, pours some broth in it and hands it over to the Chinese chefs.

The Chinese chefs look at each other with a puzzled look and take a sip of the broth. Suddenly, their eyes open wide, one of the chef start swirling his tongue. For few seconds they hold still in silence. Then swiftly they finish up the remaining broth and lets out a subtle smile. Priya, responds to them with her cute smile. Then the chefs from the Sami’s and Bala’s family smile at each other looking at Priya.

Chinese chef – Do you know why we won? It was because of our 5 spice ingredients.

What is your secret Ingredient Priya? Why are you cooking in the old style?

Priya, opens one of her wooden trunks and picks up a small box. She pours some more broth in their coconut shell and adds few spoons of her special powder in it. The Chinese chef tasted it again and gave the same satisfied reaction.

Priya – What you experienced now is the taste of our tradition. It’s the magic of 3 spices. It’s known as Tirukatakam. It has Sukku, Milagu and thippili or in English, Peppercorns, dry ginger and long pepper.

These ingredients are grown in my backyard and the powder is hand made. Making it in the authentic way retains the essence of the spices and cooking in olden way retains my ideals and the love of cooking.

Chinese chef – Why don’t you participate in the competitions?

Priya smiles and replies– One of my wise customers said, good food and good thoughts are meant to be shared with others. So I like to make a difference in their life and not compete.

The Chinese men laughed and from that day they called her by the name Powder Priya. They often visited her and learned the old ways of her traditional cooking. Also, Ranipet got its lost image and a new master chef who promoted the authentic and traditional ways of cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

Left Vicky

 

How odd a person can be? I always try to think about what was wrong with me. This is my story when I was growing up in an orthodox school where right-handers were always considered right and left-handers were left alone. The embarrassing handshakes, raising the hands to answer a question, opening a door, and even eating, everything I do was considered weird because of my reflex. My left-hand pops up immediately. Naturally, everyone around me took one arm's distance. I was always left alone.

My right had a mind of its own. I tried. At home, I tried to insert my left hand in my pocket and use my right hand for everything. I started with writing, it came worse. Then I tried to eat, the food took its own time to reach my mouth. I wore my watch in my right hand; time was wasted in adjusting it with my left hand. After a lot of struggle, I was getting used to my right hand. But, one more habit got in place. I had to place my left hand in my pocket most of the time. People thought I got some weird body condition. Finally, I gave it to my left hand again.

Here is a thing about right-handers, they have a pattern. They follow the traditional way and like the right way of seeing things. The room for creative enhancement makes them uneasy. Just like the way they felt about me. It's psychological wiring in the brain. It makes them move in the expected route. Though they have a small porting of the left hand backing them, they consciously avoid it. They even consider it unholy.

Things went as usual for me. I was always left alone in school activities. I never gave up on trying. Here is a thing about left-handers; they are natural, open, and unexpected. It's their wiring in the brain. And my efforts finally paid off. The day came where they had to pick me. Not because of choice, they had no one else for the cricket team.

Here is how it happened. It was another normal day of school, suddenly the PE teacher walked in. One of their players was down with fever. He had to choose a new candidate just to show the count. As soon as he announced the news, several right hands popped up in the air. As usual, my left hand popped up in the air. Another turned back and gave me a look. I ignored them and looked at the PE teacher with a bright smile. I don't know what went to his mind, he chose me.

I was shocked. Not just me, the entire classroom gets shocked. Finally, someone picked me. I was not worried about the match, just the idea of getting picked for something made me happy. That was the day I had them walk. The proud walk of the chosen one, I raised my chest, exhaled, and walked towards him. All the eyes were on me. I was expecting some glimmer and happiness in their look. All I got was a cold stare from them. This was not the first time I was getting this. I ignored them and followed for the match.

A lot of mixed feelings entered my head. How a left-hand batsman can hit the ball? How can I throw the ball? How can I catch it? Will my right hand respond to me? How will I run between the wickets? After a storm of questions, I met the team. They were taller than me. Then I met an old friend, it was the bench. This time I was not left alone. I was with ten different members. I was happy.

The ground was filled with harsh sunlight, opponent school kids and their team on one side and the other side me with my team. The principal approached us for the toss; we won and chose to chase.

The captain aligned the other ten players in a strategic position and placed me far away from the line. The match started and the heat turned up. The game was steaming with heavy hits, amazing dives, and precise wickets. Halfway through the match, I realized one thing. I was not a part of this. The ball never reached me. It was like they almost forgot that I was there. I was invisible to them. I was left alone.

After few hours, our star baller got a wicket. They were jumping in joy. The opposite school team was silent. The score was moderate and the wickets were less. When we thought it was going to be an easy win, then a tall guy walked in with his shiny bat. The silent opponent school team cheered with high spirits. The batsman got settled in the crease and started his play.

My school team got startled and confused. They have never faced anyone like him. He was a left-hand batsman. When the other batsmen were playing with their right hand, everything went right. But, this left-hander disturbed their flow and morale.  He exactly knew where to hit and how to tackle the ball. Bowler after bowler tried different tricks, some tried to spin, a few tried to swing and a few tried fastball. Nothing worked on him. Every single ball gave him runs and one fine hit finally came towards me.

Who knew my reflex would work here. My left hand automatically got the ball and threw it to the bowler. All this effort from before finally came into action. Looking at me everything came back to the team. This odd situation required an odd solution and I was the odd one. The captain thought of giving an over to me. I have never bowled in life. The team was tensed and the opposite team was confused. They have never seen a left-hand bowler in their life. No one could anticipate what was going to happen. The batsman was in a state of a mix-up.

He took a minute to settle down. Even my captain couldn't place the fielders accordingly. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes to calm down. The exhilarating feeling subsided. Sweat was trickling down my head. I completely gave in to my left hand and let it take care of me.

The whistle blew, the batsman got ready. I tossed the ball between my hands, flexed my body, and ran. After reaching the crease, I released the ball with a twist; it went out of the line. The batsman thought it was going wide and got easy. My teammates got restless. As my ball pitched out of the line, it turned and twisted in. The batsman got confused and couldn't react. Before he could lift his bat, the ball came in and hit the middle stump.

When the stump fell, the entire ground was silent. No one could believe what happened there. They dropped their jaw and got stuck with shock. The silence broke when the umpire blew the whistle and signaled out. Our school audience shouted with joy. My teammates ran in lifted me and shouted my name. This was all new to me. I was in shock, from that moment my invisibility was gone and I was visible to everyone. This was only because of my left hand.

Because of my over, my team quickly chased the score and won the match. After that match, I became left Vicky.  I found new confidence in myself and never tried to change. When I became myself, things came to me. Though it took me a while, things fell in line.

From that day, even today, my school still talks about the stories of my left hand to my juniors. Gradually more people like me emerged. The usage of left-handers became unique and the stigma got broken.

New things are always tough to accept and being ourselves might keep us away from others but with an open mind and self-confidence, we can accept anything and let others see our true soul. 

 

 

 

One minute Naren

 

Habits are an acquired taste; it comes from our upbringing, mostly from the people around us. At the age of 14, when Naren was about to leave for his exam, he went to take a blessing from his grandmother.

She stops and asks him to wait for a minute and do anything after that. Naren humbly waited for a minute and then took her blessing and then left for his school.

Somehow this action stuck with him. In the exam hall, he got his answer sheet and waited for a minute to start writing. He finished the paper, waited for a minute to give it back. And even after coming home, he waited for a minute to enter the home.

The simple act became a habit, the habit became a routine and the routine became an obsession for him.

After 5 years, when Naren was 19, a beautiful girl approached him and proposed to him. When Naren waited for a minute, his friend intervened and took her for a coffee.  When he was 22, Naren went for a job interview. He was waiting with 5 different candidates in the waiting room. When the interviewer called him, Naren waited for a minute. The interviewers got pissed and called the other guy.

At 25, Naren got a lottery. He saw the numbers on the TV and waited for a minute to make a call. When he made the call, the lottery was already taken by someone else. At 26 he went to a bank for a loan. Like his interview, he was waited with few other men. When the manager called him for his housing loan, he was waiting for a minute as usual. The manager got frustrated and called someone else.

Frustrated Naren comes back and starts his bike. He stops at a signal which showed 45 seconds for Red light. He could not accept the fact and waited for 15 more seconds to finish a minute. By that time the green light was on. The traffic cop suddenly stopped him and asked him for a fine. Even this time when Naren waited for a minute, the traffic cop got angry took his bike.

Naren came home by walk and was pretty depressed.  He tossed his bag, waited for a minute, and started scolding his grandmother's photo frame which denoted that she was no more –

Naren – Why?

Why?

You could have taught me to dance…

To sing

Or even to draw

Why this?

Because of you, I am stuck old lady…

Because of you...Abruptly he dropped the conversation because of frustration and dozed off to sleep.

The next day, Naren got ready to go for work. He followed his 1-minute routine before going to bath, getting dressed, and before leaving home. Since he was not having his bike now he went to the nearest metro station. He stood there in a queue and waited for the train. When the train arrived and the gates opened, Naren started looking at his watch and waited right in front of the gate. The entire train looked at him for his weird behavior.  Few passengers came out, surrounded him, and asked him what was happening and why he was not getting into the train.

Naren got embarrassed and replied – Bad time.

Suddenly from a distance, everyone could hear a thundering rumble sound. It was a huge blast. The heat from the explosion hit everyone across the platform. The people who fell woke up gradually and saw the horror in front of them. The train was in pieces and was burning to a crisp.

The horror expression on people's faces turned into a serious one. They all surrounded Naren. Naren was scared and motionless. Naren stood up and looked at them with fear. Suddenly a fellow passenger approached Naren and asked him - How did you know? It was like final destination movie? 

Naren gave a blank expression and replied – one minute. He quickly saw his watch and waited for a minute. The people around Naren got surprised looking at him and fell on his leg.

From that day he was known as the one minute Baba. His belief and habit took him in a new direction. Though it was all chaos in the start, the consistency got him to a new level. People started loving his one-minute ritual and followed it for life.

 

Major Mani

 

The Major family was a well know family in Aynavaram, Chennai. When other families spoke about their legacy of experiences, the Major family had stories of guns and bullets from war. The entire town cherished them. It started with Major Krishnan and was followed by his son Major Ragavan and his son Major Margo and finally, it was time for his son Manish.

When Margo planned to make Manish a Major in the military, Manish had his plans. He wanted to major in Baratha nattiyam. When Margo wanted his son to train hard, Manish danced hard. When Margo wanted him to wear a cargo outfit, Manish applied makeup and Mehandi for his performance.

This difference of interest brought a rift between the father and son. On Manish's 18^th birthday, Margo forced him to sign the application for military entrance. And from that day the Major’s family and Aynavaram lost Manish. They never heard from him again.

After 30 years –

A tall middle man with long hair entered Aynavaram. As soon as he stepped out of the Railway station, a line of automobiles swarmed him. He picked one and placed his luggage inside it.

Auto driver - Where do you want to go, sir?

The tall guy remained silent.

Sir?

Major’s Mansion – Replied the tall guy

The auto guy got excited and started his vehicle.

Auto Driver – it's great sir. After a long time, major's mansion got a visitor.

Tall guy – What?

Auto driver – Yes sir..

I still remember, when I was small the building would always get a lot of visitors.

Tall guy - What happened now?

Auto driver – Don’t you know?

Tall guy – No..

Auto driver – Sighs and says …

Margo sir is not well…

Tall guy – What happened to him?

Auto driver – I don’t know.

People say he got a little crazy. Some even say he got possessed. But, I feel it’s all because of his old age sir.

He is a good man sir. I think his problems started when his son Manish ran away.

The tall guy with subtle guilt in his tone – Yes, he is a good man.

Auto driver – Are you his friend from the military sir?

Tall guy – I am Manish.

The auto driver got surprised and stopped the auto. He stared at Manish for few seconds.

Manish responded to him with a simple smile.

 

Majors mansion-

Manish stood in front of the door. It was the same door he ran away from. He tried to raise his hand and ring the bell but the past burdens were heavy on his hands and it fell back. After almost a minute, he approached it again and rang it.

 

A lot of questions popped inside Manish’s head. What if he opens the door? Will he recognize me? Will he talk to me? How will he react? How will I react?  What is he going to say?

Before he knew the major opened the door.

They both stood there looking at each other for few seconds.

Major Margo gave a smile and welcomed him –

Come in!

Manish was puzzled at his reaction. He followed him to his living room.

Suddenly his mom was there in front of them. Even she couldn’t recognize Manish.

Major Margo – Meet my friend Major Mani from the Military.

Manish was shocked.

He did not say anything. Manish's mom greeted him and offered him a cup of tea. Major Margo started telling stories of him and Mani for the next few minutes to his wife. Manish did not know how to respond and how to react to him. He was blank and he had an empty face throughout the conversation. 

Major Margo turned towards Manish and asked him – So, how is your brother, Mr. Mani?

This question surprised Manish. Again all the fearful questions came to his mind. After few seconds of struggle, Manish tried to reply.

Manish – I am not …

Major Margo – Meet my friend Major Mani from the Military.

Before Manish could finish, Major started repeating the same scene…

This went on a couple of times…

Manish’s mother requested him to speak with her in private.

Mother – I am sorry…

Manish – What happened?

Mother – Dementia, stage 4

Manish – When did this happen?

Mother – In this stage, a person remembers just one aspect of their life and keeps repeating it. And this entire thing triggered when his friend Mani passed away a few years back.

Mother – Again …I am sorry

Manish – No, I am sorry …I am Manish…maaa

Manish’s mother froze. She couldn’t react to him. Tears started trickling down her cheek. Both sat down in silence. Manish stood up. Took his mom’s hands and walked towards his father. Manish’s mother was puzzled.

Major Margo was looking at Manish with confusion.

Manish – Major Margo, how are you? I am Major Mani.

Major Margo got happy and hugged him. Manish and Manish’s mother saw each other with an understanding. From that day, Manish became Major Mani and stayed with his father's side till the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ludo Satish

Every city has two sides and two colors. On one side the white-collared sophisticated crowd resides and on the other side, the blue collared hard labor crowd resides. In Chennai, Mylapoore is one of the posh areas where the Tamil Brahmins stayed and Ennore is the port area where the fishermen and factory workers stayed. Though both sides were right in their way, sometimes thing s tend to go wrong if someone crosses the border.

Satish, a man in his early 30's is a timid and submissive character from Mylapore. As soon as he wakes up early in the morning, he applies oil to his head, takes a bath, prays to god, takes blessings from his parents, and leaves for to office with a box of curd rice. After a regular 9-5 bank job, he comes back home, has filter coffee, has dinner with his parents, and sleeps early. This was his routine.

100% attendance, the best employee of the month, smart manager of the year, and the list goes on. Satish has received all the existing awards available in a government bank. In the sales department, he was known for his smart solutions, quick calculation, and timely deliveries. All his colleagues envied him for his qualities.

After serving the bank for 5 years, finally, the day arrived where Satish was expecting his promotion. The previous day he started early and came back home with a smile on his face. He came home, changed his dress, and got settled for a filter coffee.

Dad – Sattu…why are you smiling?

Satish – From tomorrow my life is going to change appa.

Dad – Why da? Have you got a lottery?

Satish – Aiyo..no..I will get a promotion.

Dad – What will be the post?

Satish – I don’t know…

As she speaks with his dad, Satish gets comfortable on his chair and looks into the ceiling, and starts daydreaming. Satish imagines himself inside a cabin where an office boy salutes him and offers him a cup of coffee.  

Satish – Could be senior accountant, senior manager, senior auditor …who knows.

Dad – Super da…

Satish comes back to his senses and replies –

I am going to be a senior, that’s all I know.

The next day, Satish enters the office with the same vibrant smile. It has extended till his ears now. Trying to hide his excitement, he adjusts his collar enters the branch Managers Cabin. Suddenly he gets surprised looking at the manager yelling at a customer on his phone. As he sits down the manager cuts the call and gulps a glass of water.

Manager – Yes Satish!

Satish – You called me sir.

Manager – Oh, yeah..sorry

Manager – Satish, today is the day you are going to be my equal. No, you will play an important role than me. Are you ready?

Satish – Always sir

Manager – Do you know your new post?

Satish –  New branch manager?

Manager’s face becomes stale and says – Then where will I go?

Satish gets embarrassed and says – Sorry sir, just joking.

Manager – you are going to be the lone officer in the Ennore branch.

Thunder strikes in Satish's ears and his smile disappears.

Satish – But, Si, why?

Manager – why not?

Satish remains silent and suddenly the manager gets a call and he continues shouting.

Even after coming home, Satish was still in shock. He tossed his lunch box aside and went to sleep directly. The next morning after getting ready, he took his parent's blessings and left for his new office. Ennore was different from Mylapore. Women were fighting on the streets for water, a group of auto drivers was playing cards, kids were running around on the road and amidst this chaos, there was a small building. That was his new office.

 

The new branch manager handed a file to Satish and said..

New manager – Satish sir, welcome to Ennore branch..

Satish gave a fake smile but inside he was crying in fear.

New manager – Satish, your main work is to follow back and get the people to pay their loan amount.

Satish – How are these customers?

New manager – Not to fear Satish, they are not bad.

Satish lets out a sigh.

New manager – But, some of them are rowdies and a few are dangerous. They have never paid their dues.

The fear came back to Satish.

Satish – What is the solution?

New manager – You are the solution.

Saying this he lets out a big laugh and goes out.

Satish goes back to his cabin and sits down to check his file. As he flips through the page, he spots scary photographs of scary men. He shuts the file, opens his box, and starts having curd rice for lunch. This was a job completely against his nature and he had to change is complete personality.  Lost in thoughts, Satish was staring at his computer. At the end of the day, he came back home and sat on his chair with a long face.

Dad – Sattu….what happened?

Satish – Po pa!

Dad – What happened?

Satish – I have to deal with rowdies from tomorrow.

Dad – Aiyo….Don’t worry …

In Rome, you have to be a roman.

With rowdies, you have to be a rowdy…

Satish remains silent and looks at his Dad.

Dad – Sattu..say something..

Satish keeps starring at his father.

Father gets concerned and asks – Sattu….are you ok?

Satish suddenly gets an idea, lets out a smile to his father, and goes back. She removes his formals, wears a lungi, wears a rubber sandal, puts on a checked shirt and a golden chain, messes his hair, and walks out. He wanted to become a rowdy to face one.

In his new getup, Satish approaches his first client’s home and observes him from a distance. The first client looked like a hunk. He was sitting with a couple of friends and playing cards. They were betting money on poker.

The client looked at Satish and offered him a chair. Satish with his newfound personality became confident and laughed. Everyone got confused looking at him.

Satish – Poker is for kids.

Legends play a different game.

The first client gives a Stern look and withdraws his cards.

Satish places his phone on the top of the table and says – Let’s play Ludo.

The client and his 2 friends got surprised and laughed. Satish quickly pulled his golden chain and placed it on the table to maintain the tension. The client and his friends broke their laughter and got serious.

The match began. Satish, being an introvert was well versed with Ludo. His extreme calculative mind helped him to make the right move. Just by looking at the number on dice, he could plan his next 5 moves. After a couple of matches, the client lost a lump of the amount to the manager.

After losing the client asked –

What’s your name?

Satish – Satish!

Ludo Satish!

From that day, little by little, Satish got back all his due amounts from the rest of his clients. A new culture began in Ennore. At every corner, kids and grown-up men started practicing ludo. Satish was the undefeated champion in it and became famous by the name Ludo Satish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kutti Krishnan

 

(kutti means small, in south Indian context – Kutti also stands for a girl)

There is viagara, palang thod paan, and then Kutti Krishna.

How did he get this name? 

That’s, what this story is all about.

 

March 21^, 2020, the lockdown was announced. Krishna is a barber. In the small town of Madavarm, Chennai, Krishna had a saloon. When the lockdown was announced his life changed. There was no income. His busy life was empty. He sat on his chair, looked into the mirror, and adjusted his blond hair. He had to look weird to get customers. That's how the saloon business worked.  But, with no money and lots of time in his hand, he wanted to take advantage of this situation and make money.

Reluctantly wearing his mask, Krishna sanitized his entire shop and went for a walk. He had a special spot where he could see all the tall buildings. He always looked up to them for stories. Because every story, involves characters and every character likes to look good.

 

He sat there and started looking at a tall building. Between all the spectacles, he saw one particular patio where a couple was silent. The husband was his customer Karthik and the wife was also his customer, Neha. They were just married a few weeks back and something was not right. He came back to his store and called karthik.

Krishna  - Hello sir!

Karthik – Hi kriss!

Krishna – Sir, your beard is longer than usual!

Karthik – What? How do you know?

Krishna – I know sir!

Karthik – It’s ok yar. Time to be devdass!

Krishna – Sir, what happened?

KarthiK – Kriss, leave it.

Krishna – I can fix it sir.

Karthik- What? How?

Krishna – Believe me, sir. Meet me at the store after 10 PM.

Karthiki with a confusing expression says – OK!

 

 

After 10 pm Karthik left his apartment and stood in front of Krishnan’s saloon. He called him and the line was busy. Suddenly, he opened the shutter halfway and called him inside. Karthik with an embarrassing reaction swallowed his pride and entered in. Suddenly, Krishnan stopped him and said – Sir, time to clean your problems!

He sprayed an alcohol-based vapor on Karthik. Karthik removed his mask and asked Krishna- Kriss, do you know my problem?

Kriss – Yes sir! 

Karthik – What? How?

Kriss – Performance pressure?

Stress from work from home? 

Are these affecting your brother to stand up?

Angry wife?

Karthik looked down and looked back at Krishna and said – Yes!

Krishna –let me help you, sir!

Karthik was still confused about the fact that how Krishnan knew about all these and gave a sheepish smile to Krishnan.  But, Krishnan was smart; his experience in interacting with the client taught him well. And the other dark fact is, Krishnan has seen many dark areas of his customers. In his initial stages, he had to cut the hair from the dark areas of his customers. Sometimes under their arms and sometimes below the pelvic area, this experience combined with their personal information helped him to get extra money.

First, he made Karthik sit on a chair and started head massaging. In the background, he played subtle jazz music.

Krishnan – Sir, do you know about the Vedas?

Katthik with a drowsy tone replies – Yes, why?

Krishnan – There is Rig veda, yajur Veda,Sama Vda and Ayurveda!

And what I am going to do to you is Ayurveda now. It’s 100% natural.

Karthik got comfortable and said – Ok. 

Quickly after his head massage, Krishna handed him a green tea. Katthik’s eyes were still closed. But, he was enjoying the tea.

After the tea, Krishna switched off the normal lights and switched on a red light. Karthik opened his eyes and got a little scared looking at this ambiance - Kriss, what are you going to do?

Karthik – Sir, today I am going to do my sutra for you.

For a moment Krishna got panicked and asked – What?

Krishna – Don’t worry sir, it’s 100% natural.

With a scared tone, Karthik replied – ok!

Krishna – Now, tell me, sir, what does your wife like.

Karthik thinks hard and says – She likes …Amitabh bachan!

Krishna – Ok sir, now open the gates.

Karthik, closed his face with his palm and his pants fell. Krishna picked a scissor and a knife and said – Let’s see kaun banega karrorpati?

Everything is dark. All Karthik could hear was the sound effects of scissors and knives. After few minutes Krishna said – Sir, it’s done.

Karthik opened his eyes and looked down and got surprised.

Karthik – Oh wow!

Krishnan – Time to be a crorepati sir! Your kutti problem is fixed.

 Krishna quickly pulled his pants up, handed over solid cash to Krishnan, and left.

Next day –

Krishna was sitting on his spot and looking over the buildings. Now, surprisingly, he could spot Mr. Karthik intimate with his wife. He smiled looking at them and left.

 

Exactly after 10 Pm, Krishna came out of his store and tried to shut his shutter. Suddenly he noticed 2-3 men standing outside his shop.

One of the men approached him and said – Krishna, I have a Kutti problem. Can you help me?

Krishna got surprised and opened his shutter again.

From that day, Krishnan became Kutti Krishna.

 

Sound Srinivasan

 

In 2020, humanity faced two kinds of threats. One was the deadly virus and the other was the result of the virus. It’s not death, it’s not an ailment, it’s something more dangerous and it affects the mind, its loneliness, and silence.

Institutional quarantine –

Day 1 –

Neha, a girl in her mid-twenties walked into her room and gave a glance before settling down. It had a wardrobe, loft, queen-size bed, attached bathroom, and a window next to her bed. Noting was vibrant. She tossed her luggage on the bed and sat near the window. As she gazed through the window, the roads were empty and the sky was clear.

She grabbed her phone, got connected to the local WI-FI, and surfed through social apps. Everything was chaos; all she could spot were bad news. She sighed, threw her phone aside, and started looking outside. She spent her entire evening looking at the sunset.  

Day 2 –

Neha woke up late. She brushed her teeth, made herself some coffee with the help of an electronic kettle, and sat on the bed to watch some news. Again all she could surf through were bad news. She kept her coffee cup aside and started making calls. For the next one hour, she spoke with her parents, friends, and colleagues.

At 1 pm the doorbell rang. She wore her mask, opened the door, and picked up the parcel. She quickly sprayed disinfectant on the cover, opened it, ate it, and slept.

At around 5 PM a piece of faint music woke her up. The music player was still active in the background. She stopped it, yawned, and looked outside her window. The beautiful sun simmered into different shades started to set. She spent another evening looking at the scenery in front of her.  

Day 3 –

10 Am

Neha’s phone was fixed in a tripod in front of her. She was performing yoga. A gentle voice was narrating instructions in the background.

1 Pm

She sprayed the disinfectant on the parcel cover and started eating. As she was eating she was staring at the wall. After her lunch, she tried to sleep but she couldn't. She kept on staring at the fan.

Around 5 pm Neha's phone alarmed. She switched it off, fixed a coffee for herself, and started staring at the sunset.

Day 4 –

It was 12 Pm. Neha was fast asleep. The phone rang and broke her sleep. It was Dad. Neha strained her eyes and reached for her phone and picked the call.

Dad – Hey…Still sleeping? 

Neha  - Yeah.

Dad – Bored eh?

Neha remains silent.

Dad – Why don’t you read some books?

Neha turns and looks at the pile of books on the table.

Neha – All done.

Dad – I understand, just 11 more days to go, girl.

Neha with sadness in her tone replies – Yeah Dad.

Neha – Ok Dad, I will talk to you later.

She cuts the call and starts brushing her teeth. She comes out, makes a cup of coffee for herself, and sits on her bed. After a sip, she looks around her room. The silence was heavy. She opens her phone to check the social app. As she scrolls down, all she could see were posts of the virus and deaths. She tosses her phone aside and exhales.

Around 5 Pm she again sits by her window and follows her newfound routine. The silence and emptiness get to her and she starts shedding tears. Gradually she starts weeping. That day the orange and red shades of the sunset turned blue.

Day 5 –

6 Am.

Neha was fast asleep. She wakes up with the sound of a knock on the wall. She freaks out and gets out of her bed. Suddenly she hears a voice from the window.

Stranger – Excuse me

Can you hear me?

Hello!

Sorry to disturb you. Hello!

Neha was still confused. On one side she was excited to hear a real voice but on the other side, she was scared to respond.

Neha – Who is this?

Stranger – Hi, sorry to reach you this way, but I don’t think I have any other choice. I am Srinivasan.

I need a favor.

Neha calms down but cautiously goes near the window and starts speaking.

Neha – What do you want?

Srinivasan – It has been 2 days, I haven’t had a decent cup of coffee. I get this amazing aroma from your side. What do you use?

Still puzzled by the entire incident Neha replies – It’s a homemade blend.  

Srinivasan – Oh, wow. Good for you.

Neha – Why, What do you use?

Srinivasan – This hotel's sachet, 's horrible 

Neha lets out a subtle smile but still maintains her flat tone- Ok

Srinivasan – well, again sorry for disturbing you.

Neha remains silent and goes back to sleep.

Day 6 –

5 Pm

Neha gets settled down to see the sunset. Suddenly she gets a thought and knocks on the wall. She doesn’t get any response. She quickly makes a cup of coffee and comes back. Now, she hears a knock.

Srinivasan – Hey, you are killing me.

Neha smiles and replies – Good evening

Srinivasan – Good evening Ms ………….

Neha – Neha…

Would you like to have some coffee?

Srinivasan – Wow, you are the first girl to ask me that.

I don’t mind.

Neha smiles again – Hold on!

She makes one more cup of coffee.

Neha – Are your hands sanitized?

Srinivasan – Hands yes!

Taste buds, no!

Neha – Here, try this.

She extends her hand and passes it outside the window.

Srinivasan – wow, this is amazing. How do you make this?

Neha – Glad you liked it. It’s a family secret.

Srinivasan – well, can’t complain. I will enjoy it now.

That day the sunset was different. It had new colors of a company. The entire evening went with their interesting conversation.

Day 7 –

Around 10 am, Neha hears a knock on the wall. With a naughty smile, Neha knocks back.

Srinivasan – Good morning

Neha – Good morning

Srinivasan - Saw the news?

Neha – No. I have stopped seeing it.

Srinivasan – Why?

Neha – It’s bad. It’s full of negativity.

Srinivasan stays silent.

Neha – Are you there?

Srinivasan – Presenting to you, good news and good moods with your Sweet Srinivasan

Neha laughs and asks – What are you doing?

Srinivasan – Today, I am going to tell you some good news and some tips to lighten your mood.

Neha  - ok, go on.

Srinivasan – The owner of a stress ball factory has shut his business because of stress and started farming. A lonely tortoise in Chennai finds a pair. The government has announced that the wine shops will be open soon. An old handkerchief of an old actress goes for 5 million in an auction. 

Neha laughs along as she hears his voice.

Day 8 –

Things became exciting for Neha. The heavy silence was filled with Srinivasan’s gentle voice. For the first time in the past 7 days, she woke up early and freshened up. She quickly finished her yoga session, phone calls and got settled with a book in her hand. She was waiting for Srinivasan's knock. She did not want to show her excitement and wanted to play it subtle.

Hours passed and Srinivasan never came back. Neha got restless and finally, when she decided to knock, she heard a knock. She got excited again but did not respond immediately. After a couple of knocks, she responded.

Srinivasan – Hi

Neha – hey

Srinivasan – Coffee?

Neha – What? Am I a coffee machine to you?

Srinivasan – Noooo

A lot more can happen over a coffee …

You know that right?

Neha blushes and remains silent.

Srinivasan – So….

Neha – Hold on! 2 minutes.

Another beautiful sunset passes with their interesting conversation.

 

As the days passed they started spending more time together. They shared stories from the past and dreams planned for the future and even made fun of each other. An invisible connection blossomed between them. The sound of Srinivasan’s gentle voice kept Neha sane. Neha wanted to see the man behind the voice. Her interest and curiosity grew each day.

Day 13 –

Around 5 Pm Neha prepared her coffee. Pinned a bookmark in a novel and knocked on the wall.

Srinivasan – Ms. Neha, good evening

Neha – Good evening Mr. Srinivasan

Your coffee is ready. And I have an interesting write-up to share with you.

Srinivasan – Am all ears.

Neha stops and thinks for a while.

Srinivasan – Go on.

Neha – Wait!

Tomorrow is my last day of quarantine.

Srinivasan – OH!

Neha – All we have is this window and the sound of our voices.

Have you ever felt the urge or curiosity to see each other in person?

Srinivasan – Have you?

Neha remains silent

Neha – Can I be honest?

Srinivasan – yes, please…

Neha – Without your knocking sound, gentle voice, and funny stories I wouldn't have made it.

I would have become one of the bad news which pops on the social window. 

I want to thank you for being there. You are a great person.

Neha hugs her book and leans on the wall with peace on her face.

Are you there?

For few seconds she doesn’t get any response. Neha gets concerned. Suddenly she hears a knock on the wall.

Srinivasan – Again, this is the first time a girl has complimented me.

Neha blushes.

Neha – well get used to it.

Srinivasan – Ok, can we share our numbers?

Neha – I thought you would never ask.

They both laugh and share their numbers and spend the evening with their honest feelings.

Day 14 –

5 Pm

Neha hears a knock.

Neha – Hi

Srinivasan – So, guess this is your last day.

Neha – Yes, hope to see you soon.

Srinivasan – ASAP (As soon as possible)

Neha smiles and asks – Just curious, what have you saved my name as?

Srinivasan – The coffee girl

Neha – I knew it!

Do you want to know what I have saved your name as?

Srinivasan – What?

Neha – Sound Srinivasan

Saying this Neha continues her hearty laughter. 

And that’s how Srinivasan became sound Srinivasan.