A lost umbrella

                  The lonely cliff arched itself towards a sprawling ocean, guarded by sea gulls and weeds. Dusty brown boulders sprang over the entire stretch of the cliff, with occasional patches of purple flowers over the recess.The cliff was infectious with peace and aroma from the rich flora. A sea gull with its wide spread wings landed on the cliff top, not far from a couple. The couple lay on their backs, gazing the star studded sky. Their romantic date was unperturbed by the growing noise erupted by the monstrous waves.

                    When viewed from above, one can a picture a beautiful girl lying on her silky hair and her tender fingers brushing her boyfriend's cheek. Priyanka felt the warmth from her soul mate Karthik. It was their date night after a series of tiffs and mishaps. Karthik rode his days as an astrophysicist, accentuated by the fact that everything happens  for a reason. In short, he was deeply associated with a strong sense of logic, whilst, Priyanka loved fairy tales.

                          She envisioned herself to be a Cinderella, waiting for her Prince, Karthik to find her lost shoe. To appease her, Karthik wrote poems, praising her dark brown eyes with that of a 'Helix Nebula'.

"Helix Nebula?? What's that??" snuffed Priyanka.

"It's a celestial body in space, in the shape of two discs.. I mean, it resembles your eyelids!!" smirked Karthik.

Karthik rolled sideways and rested his head on his palms. The bitter cold made her shiver; her shallow breathing felt a sense of urgency. Strangeness took hold of him when he tried to read her myriad thoughts.

"What's eating you sweetheart??" asked Karthik.

"Nothing. I'm thinking about the dream", smiled Priyanka.

"Ahh!!! The wedding one ?? asked Karthik.

Priyanka blushed, "You were mounted on a steed, I mean a horse... like a Prince!!! The shiny armor and the scabbard worn by you looked magnificent. The steed was swift like a wind marching towards a lonely castle".

Karthik ran his fingers over the bridge of her nose, "Where was my Princess??", asked Karthik in a mockery tone.

"Hang on, my dear Prince!! There was something unique about that castle; there was no ceiling to it.The robust pillars from the floors connected the sky and feathery clouds were hanging above my head. I stood there waiting for you, dressed in a beige gown speckled with roses", Priyanka beamed heartily.

Karthik moved close to her, sensing her sweet fragrance. "Stop it, sweetheart! It's too tempting. Please hear me, there is more to it" smiled Priyanka icily and pushed him.

"You walked towards me, with your head high. I was waiting for you with my bouquet. With no notice, the clouds grew dark and there was a flash, followed by a tremble. We both raised our heads to find the dark clouds gifting us a downpour. A heavy rain came down soaking us", grinned Priyanka.

Karthik chuckled, "Why don't you try your hand in poetry?? Castle, Prince.. and what was the last one???".

Priyanka gave him a fiery stare and mouthed, "Asshole!!!". She turned her back to him, trying to show her brief disappointment and she mumbled, "Wish the dream was true, where there is some real clouds and rain".

In no time, there was a slight shudder that ran through her. She tilted her head to watch the silent sky squatted by the dark clouds. The clouds moved in an arbitrary manner  like an angry mob. A violent thunder was accompanied by a bright flash, which illuminated her sorrow stricken face.

"Don't tell me it is going to rain now?" Priyanka whispered in a surprise tone.

Karthik kissed her ears and mumbled, "This is for you, a small gift from me. You will see the clouds getting bigger and darker". She was caught between Karthik's soft kisses and the miracle that was staged.

"On my God! you must be joking", she exclaimed.

"They call themselves as pseudo nimbus; man-made clouds embedded with charge materials; a prototype with 85% accuracy. My colleague has been on this model for years. The clouds have completed their assimilation process; once the charge ignites, we will have a mild shower", said Karthik.

She was awestruck with her eyes displaying astonishment. The first drop fell on her; it was cold and felt a tiny prick at the point of impact. The rain was slow and steady to kindle the her lost senses. She pulled him close; her lips parted to taste the rain drops that were glued to his face.

"yuck!!!" she pouted. "You lost your sweetness, my dear Prince" laughed Priyanka.

"That's because of the silver iodide in the charge mixture. They don't taste great. I'm sorry, sweetheart!! They are yet to find a replacement for silver iodide. We must be fortunate to have this breakthrough. With rains failing for more than 3 years, we were so desperate for something", responded Karthik.

"But still... this isn't real, Karthik! This rain is nothing but a piece of synthetic shit that can send us to hell", said Priyanka with anger flashing across her face.

Karthik rose from his position and began to fiddle his phone. Meanwhile, the dark clouds disappeared to bring back the star studded night. Priyanka's words echoed in his mind. She was true. They had very little chances left. Earth's atmosphere had been polluted with enough particulate matter, to reduce the clouds to dust collection bags. Subsequently, the monsoons failed and the last bit of water has been scrapped for agriculture.

"Sorry Karthik! I was trying to spill out the bitter truth. When was the last time you ever saw a clear blue sky???" Priyanka said defiantly and grabbed the phone from him. Her fingers ran over the delicate gadget to reveal more bitterness. The cliffs below them distorted like a kaleidoscopic image and transformed itself into a white floor.This transformation extended to all the objects surrounding them. The whole environment consisting of the sky, stars, cliff and the roaring ocean were mere 3D images generated at a very high frame rate. Karthik and Priyanka looked small in the large room, which resembled more of a white space. their dresses were struck to their bodies due to the rain.

"Sometimes, it is better to dream, where we don't get to see such ugly truth" Karthik stirred.

She turned to walk away from him,"Our planet earth has become a distant dream now. It was never meant to be like this. All we have is a white cubicle that simulates of how our planet was!!! I don't see a future, Karthik" she blurted out.

"We're the future, Priyanka". Karthik walked towards her. "On a cloudy night, I see a  royal wedding taking over this world; a night where everything is real and wonderful. With threatening clouds, I march towards you, my Cinderella!! I stand on my knees to watch your blissful smile and the clouds opening to a heavy shower" Karthik said and embraced her.

"Awwwhhhhh.. An astrophysicist talking about Cinderella" giggled Priyanka.

"Will you marry me?" smiled Karthik.

Priyanka bit her lower lip and responded, "I'll marry you, only when you can bring a rain that tastes as sweet as you". They spent the rest of their night in the cubicle, divorced from the rest of the world, drawing warmth and faith from each other. Meanwhile, earth continued its planetary motion hoping for a change.
    

 

Peck-theory of relativity-God

             In a perfunctory note, I'm sitting down to write this piece. With a repertoire of my earlier blogs trying to construct fiction, I reckon this would be an artifact of my life. Most occasions, I don't entertain the notion of reflecting my chronicles in a blog. But this very idea, sprang up in my grey cells to paint a new belief. 

             The world seems to be caught in a swirl of ice bucket challenges, Instagram hash tags, tinder swipes, selfies and big fat wedding pictures. Contrarily, my days were muffled with text alignment, excel spreadsheets and lab reports. One fine morning, my dear friend whispered, "are you still single?? 

              With my pride taking a beating, I said, "Not exactly!! I'm seeing the Asian girl, Tia, but it doesn't work out for me, you know !!

                "You have been saying this for ages"

                

                She was right. There can't be a better word than "Ages' to describe the time frame. In the so called process of impressing someone, I went about doing all stupid stuffs. In order to groom my romance, I began to write poems, which never really made an difference to my status. Having tasted the failure, some suggested me to sound cool, "Like?? bike stunts?? tattoos" 

             "Naah!! Girls love nerds, like Sheldon Cooper. Talk about wormhole theory and singularity theorem"

                 After spending intensive hours on Stephen Hawking's documentaries, an overwhelming feeling crept inside me, "WOOW!! How cool is that ??" For the rest of the week, I was talking about the limitations of Bing Bang theory. That's when, Tia replied,

            "I reckon, you should talk to Tim, my boyfriend. He is crazy about these weird stuffs."

                  With my world crashing down, I came back to my dear friend again,

         

“Don’t tell me you screwed this time, too!”

“I just can’t do this anymore, can you tell me what’s happening here???

                    “Loser talk!!! The whole universe is governed by a complex system of mathematics and logic. Every girl you meet, is nothing but a beautiful bundle of billion atoms that are electrically charged. Imagine her, resting on a couch and smiling at you. What you experience is an attraction; a charged body (the girl) moving at 1000 miles/second (earth's speed) to deliver a magnetic field. This field of attraction (I mean her 'smile') can be a variable one, relative to different frames (people)"

                 "Hang on!!! This sounds like Einstein's relativity theory. Oh my God!!!"

                  "Very much. Sometimes science needs an attractive package to be delivered and this package is mostly in the form of a 'religion'. Surprisingly, both science and religion are our avenues to the ultimate truth, quintessentially our "GOD".

                 "This is fucking insane!!!"

                     "Yes it is. Ironically, we need some faith to prove the intricate craft of science. Likewise, when you find a hidden geometry in her face; a non-symmetrical face, circular pupils, hexagonal DNA strands and many more. When science lends its hand, the mind of our ultimate creator, God can be appreciated. What do you reckon?".

                 "I shouldn't have talked to you. You are beyond the realm of reality"

                        "Perhaps, you are right. Coming back to square one, your girl. Next time, when you peck a girl, it's not just a physical contact, but a swarm of impulses trying to conjure up a vivid account of her in your mind. You don't have to be a geek to win hearts, just let her know, how you felt when you pecked her"

                       I sat anxiously waiting for her. The cafeteria was infectious with my excitement and the flavor of freshly ground coffee. Jess came walking in with her arms opened up for a hug. The tiny lips of hers blew a kiss that made me whisper something in her ears. She was all smiles and replied back,

                 "Gosh!!! That's the most beautiful thing, a guy could say to his girl"

Author's note:

      The above work was mostly based on two books, "The nature of physical world" and "The fire in the equations". These books have managed to bridge the gap between faith and science through simple analogies. Like a kid who loves to talk about his sheepish adventures, I began my tale after skimming through the above works.

                 

                  

The art of living- Part II

                   Vicissitudes of fortune

"Did Baby send you???' her voice sounded so calm.

"Baby??? I just .. "

"Then why did you follow me ? who are you?? hissed Swarna.

"You have a swollen lip, did someone hurt you??

She folded her arms and began to stare at me. "I don't mind who the hell you are. 300 rupees for 1 hour and I want the money upfront. good deal isn't it???" and she smiled at me.

"hahaha.. I'm not here to fuck with you. I liked you and I thought you liked me too".

She burst out in laughter, sounding like a beautiful demon. "So you thought I was attractive and followed me all the way to my den. Hmmm... The best that I can offer is 275, not less than that". She began to undress, leaving her sari in a neat pile at the corner.

"Do you think a guy would be chit chatting, if he had come to fuck??? I told you, I liked you so I was behind you"

I made my mind, not to meet her again, but that was one promise I never kept. Our meetings grew more often, sometimes, a regular chat over a pani puri and on most occasions to quench our physical pleasures. Her cool skin and fierce love making memories were marauding my mind. 

She has the ability to look into your eyes and touch your inner most feelings. 

A touch that can make you succumb all your prowess to her. 

The warmth and longevity of her kiss is all you need for a ferocious battle with her on bed. 

Her whisper, her moan, her cry ......

The voice of my target brought back the reality and the danger that lay ahead of me. He was making an animated conversation over the phone, 

"Dai.. has the load reached the warehouse??"

(talking from the other end....)

"Muruga!! Ask the driver to bring the load to Vincent Colony, I'm waiting close to Khader's watch shop"

(talking from the other end....)

"Fuck !!  a new driver???? Son of a bitch!!! How can you trust a street fucker with a truck full of granite??

(talking from the other end....)

"Trust me, If I lose a single block of granite, I'll make you taste your own balls. Send me the driver's phone number".

              Viswanathan began to punch his cell phone key pad, without realizing that his death is not far behind. A kick from Kumar landed on Viswanathan's shoulder, shoving him down, with his cell phone's parts strewn all over the road. The sharp vicissitude of fortunes surprised him. Kumar left no time for him to recover, he was onto him in a flash. He removed Viswanathan's doti and got his wrists tied down. Viswanathan's legs began to move in a random fashion, owing to the growing fear.

"who are you?? what do you...." the muffler was stuffed inside his mouth, followed by a bang on his head. Kumar was squatting in front of him, with the knife glittering in his hand. With the rusty ferric oxide eating the metal, Kumar's eyes were filled with wonder for the little peril. His amusement was short lived, as he felt a cold metal pressing behind his head.

Pinky Promise

                Mathew's hands were trembling, with his finger behind the trigger and the nozzle of the revolver pressed against Kumar's head. Never ever his revolver had fired a live target, a human being. The moment he had dreaded so far, was just in front of him.

"Don't do anything stupid to have your brains splashed out. Give me the knife and lie down on the road" said Mathew. A slight tremor ran through him, he had both his hands firmly on the revolver, from shaking.

"Do you think you can press the trigger?? do you the have the balls for that?? I don't think so. I could feel your butter fingers on the little piece of thing, that presses on me" laughed Kumar.

Mathew banged on his head with the butt of the revolver, " Shut the fuck up and do what I say. Now, give me the knife"

Kumar lifted his left hand with the knife on it. Mathew tried to snatch it from him. In the meantime, Kumar's right hand punched Mathew's face, leaving him with a sharp pain. Kumar's swift movement caught him by surprise and his nose was bleeding, with the pain digging deep into his brains. Two more punches landed on Mathew and he was down moaning. Kumar moved like a cunning fox searching for its prey. The knife was back in his hand and Viswanathan lay on the road unconscious. The knife came down at a rapid force, like the shoe of a ballet dancer, performing a cut through the thin air, splashing Viswanathan's gut out. The tar road quenched the trickling blood in a vicious manner. Kumar wiped his knife on Viswanathan's underwear and made his walk towards Mathew, who was searching for the revolver.

"I told you. You can't press the trigger." hissed Kumar and he was looking down at Mathew who was on his knees.

"Son of a bitch!!! You will feel sorry for this" mumbled Mathew.

Kumar made a short laugh, revealing his yellow teeth and Mathew's revolver. "Tell me how do you feel to have a gun sticking at your mouth"

"You can't walk away like this, you sick devil" said Mathew.

"Oh really!! I would love to meet your friends. I'll give you a minute for you to think about the best moment in your life. Perhaps, the last minute of your life. Go on". Kumar released the safety latch of the revolver. The nozzle sat between Mathew's lips.

Mathew closed his eyes, to cover for his embarrassment of failing. A million thoughts all pondering over him, like the vibrant waves rushing towards the shore. A failed marriage, cheap bribes and a daughter who can barely walk on her legs. Blessy's words began to thunder in his heart,

"appaaa, appaaaa!!" said Blessy with drool leaking from the corner of his mouth

"tell me sweetie!!" Mathew was busy cleaning her pads, after relieving herself.

"Wennn  vil youuu com tonittt ??" a stream of words came out sounding like a babble

"I've to hunt down the bad guys tonight. I promise you, I'll sleep beside you, giving your favorite cuddle" beamed Mathew

"Noooo... issstaaayyyyy hirrrr " cried Blessy

"Sweetieee.. Trust me! I'll be back soon. Together we can read the Disney Princess"

"Princiiissss!! meeee!!! princissss!! princisssss!!!!"

"of course you are my sweet little princess!!" said Mathew and he kissed her wet cheeks.

"Sweetie!! I need to leave now. I'll be back before you hit bed. It's a pinky promise"

"Yehhhh.. Pinkkkyyy pinnnkkkyyy promissss" 

Mathew never realized that would be his final peck to Blessy. Before, he could whisper the final words, the revolver fired its lonely bullet for the day.

Fate's dice 

           Kumar pulled the trigger and the thunderous sound reverberated the silent dawn that was approaching. Specks of blood were all over his face. He threw the revolver in the large trash bag. He made his walk towards the tap. Drops of water came down at regular intervals from the broken tap. He splashed water on his face to wash away the reminiscence of blood and crime. The cold water mollified his burgeoning wildness within himself. 

                  He couldn't believe himself that he has survived another day. The dawn was approaching, with the tiny streaks of orange shaft occupying the sky and bursts of clouds hanging in there. The orange sky reminded him of Swarna. Her calm face and rapacious hunger for his body made him smile. He had been waiting for such a happy demeanor all his life. 

                     Sometimes in life, we dream that the best is yet to be born, but in all seriousness, it isn't so. This story has a world, that you see right out of your window. A world that is totally under my reign. It's a Fate's world. The final dice is yet to be rolled, to swamp the sins and sinister. Here I'm, Mr.Fate, ready to roll my dice, for one more time in this long night.

                      Kumar jumped on to his bicycle to begin his final leg of the journey to meet Swarna. The cycle wheels made circular motion, through the gravel stones in the pits. His heart felt so light. No more killings. A life with his loved one. Images of Swarna and her sensuous body flooded him. The cycle made a left turn, entering Dr.Radhakrishnan road. Early morning joggers were occupying the street, along with the homeless sleeping on the platform. Kumar envisioned Swarna more than the dawn of Chennai streets and he failed to watch out for the incoming lorry. The lorry made a blind turn to collide with Kumar. The driver jumped out of the lorry, to look at the victim. All he could see was a pool of blood close to the tires and a crushed cycle. Sensing apprehension, he fled the scene, leaving the lorry. A group of people came running towards the lorry. The name board "VISWANATHAN TRANSPORTS" at the front of lorry stood majestically amid all the chaos that was happening.

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

       

The art of living- Part I

Prologue:

                         I don't have the slightest idea on how a story should be. Every time I sit down to write one, I have only one word in my mind. Entertain !!! Often when we read a story, we try to connect ourselves with the characters; we laugh, we weep and smile when they crack an old joke. In these lines, I have a story. For the first time, I have tried something. A story of two men in contrasting shades. This can be a modern version of good and evil. A honest story on the lives of two men, who have a regular share of karma. The tale unfolds between their past and present, with the fate deciding their destiny. Fate has been given a identity to do the entire narration. Hope you enjoy Mr.Fate's tale. Thanks for reading my stories.

Mr. Fate’s call:

It was that time of the year, when the heat was unbearable during days and the nights were laden with humidity. In the midst of the concrete jungle, thanks to the innumerous trees that were felled, there lay a city, whose boundaries grew every day. Just like an ink on the blotting paper, the city engulfed every district or town under its belly. The capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai was vibrant with life dribbling out of every street and its recess. The emotion of ‘Madras’ seemed to be long forgotten in the wake of multinational morons. When one emotion gets subdued, we have several uprising on the front. As a mute spectator to these sociopathic activities, I narrate a story about two men, Mathew and Kumar, who are about to face other in a dire situation.

            I’m no good in crafting a story, but I do have a control over things that unfold before me. I’m neither a magician nor a prophet to do the invincible, but I’m someone who sees the reality and acts accordingly. They fear me more than God and blame me for all the debacles and catastrophes. Ironically, they believe me more than they believed in themselves and they call me ’fate’. Mr.Fate like a king in an amphitheatre, has the joy of watching these men fight for their breath. It sounds sadistic, but still, I would take that. The story will unfold from my vision, to be taken over by these gentlemen’s version. So this story will have three different shades. Shades of blood,brutality and bliss.

            The stinking smell from the overflowing garbage and the sound of crickets were filling the street. The lonely lamppost with a halogen lamp flickered every now and then, to produce the luminescence. A dog limped towards the garbage trash, to look for the leftovers in the scattered plantain leaves. Not far from the trash, Kumar squatted in the corner, with a bicycle resting on the road. He had a dark skin and lean physique. With a half smoken beedi held between his fingers, he gazed down to plan his modus operandi. The lungi cloaked a rusty metal close to his waist. The knife had patches of rust covering its surface, cloaking its shine. His fingers ran over the tip of the blade marveling its shape, meanwhile his eyes darted around the corner of the street.

            Kumar sprang up and made a small walk across the road. His foot kicked the crushed coke can, sending it right across the doorstep of a shop. The shutter was down, but still one could see the numerous wall clocks mounted inside the shop. The shop belonged to 'Mr.Khader', who ran this business for more than 25 years. Kumar could hear the slight click sound of the numerous clocks inside. The roaring sound of the matador milk van alerted him. In few moments time, his man would arrive and there will be no turning back for him. Despite the early morning breeze, Kumar was sweating. Anxiously, he started to walk towards his original spot, that was when he noticed a bulky figure at the far end of the street. He jumped on to the cycle and began riding towards the lonely figure.

             The bicycle squeaked through the early hours and passed the figure. The figure was middle aged man, with a pot belly sticking in front of him. A black muffler was woven around his neck with wrinkles of flesh sagging at the sides. His feet made tiny movements to compensate for his bulkiness, heaving a sigh every now and then. Kumar eyed him like a hawk and made a U turn to follow the bulky figure. The bicycle went past him and stopped a few meters in front of him. With no haste, the bulky figure moved noiselessly, except for his heavy breath. He stopped for a moment and sat down at the raised platform. His knees arched like a bow and raised his head to watch the crescent of the moon. Meanwhile, Kumar dropped the cycle down to make a small jog towards his target, Viswanathan, the ex-councilor who seemed to be enjoying the silvery moon.

Mathew, the motherfucker:

           Sub Inspector Mathew parked his two wheeler close to a tea stall. He looked tired and he know that he was in the final leg of his long night shift. All he wanted was a cup of black tea, to keep his wariness away. He does all the pending paper work in station; sorting out the pending case files based on the severity of the crime. Murders, man missing, rapists etc. Most nights he failed to dream and lived his life with a bunch of criminals and mobsters.  When fatigue hits him hard, he finds solace in the empty lockups. He would lie on the concrete bed made for the accused and in a moment’s time, his snoring will reverberate within the walls.

           Tonight, he didn’t have much paper work and he decided to grab a tea. But his thoughts seemed to be swirling around his daughter, Blesse, who was not well. She is not a regular child, she needs special attention. She was mentally challenged, with very little expression to communicate her needs. This evening, Blesse was experiencing stomach infection with her bowels going watery. Last night, Mathew realized that she had relieved herself in the bed. He saw Blesse crying with her hands trying to hug his dad. He was torn between his love for her and the never ending chores that lay for him.Despite all these, he still wanted this job to support his daughter, the lonely companion. After a failed marriage, solace was something that was deprived of him.

The tea stall was brightly lit, with a melody escaping from the FM radio, that hung on the ceiling. A large portrait of God Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswathi welcomed him, with the smell of incense sticks hitting his nostrils. Narasimhan looked small on the stool directly below the portrait. He mustered a smile, to reveal the gutka stained teeth.

“Black tea, thambi!!!”

“Sir! You are early tonight. Did you change your shift?” asked Narasimhan.

“If I don’t have the tea now, I can’t keep my eyelids open for the next two hours. My health is deteriorating, I’m not sure how long I can take night shifts” snorted Mathew

A boy not more than 14yrs, brought the tea for Mathew. The hot tea felt soothing and refreshing.

“Sir, Can’t you find another shift??” smiled Narasimhan.

“I can, but the Inspector is not happy with me and he is chewing my balls. Son of a bitch !!! At times, I envy you guys. You don’t have to worry about rapists and spend time in mortuaries”, chuckled Mathew.

“Haha!!! We have other shits to take care, Sir!” Narasimhan said with an alarm.

Mathew nodded his head in agreement and pushed himself up. He left the shop, waving his hand and doing a cheeky smile to Narasimhan for the freebies.

"Motherfucker!!! Wish I could place a gun at this guy's mouth and push my trigger. Can't he pay for his tea??" growled Narasimhan and he began to count the cash.

        Few minutes later, Mathew's pulsar cruised along Vincent road and made a right turn to enter Crescent colony. The area was dotted with housing units like a deck of cards, with patches of paint and mold gloving it. Mathew was not far from a nightmare that he had been dreading so far. He is about to witness the murder of ex Councillor-Viswanath. I'll be there to watch these two battling out, exchanging blows on each other to see the light of the day. Soon, I will be rolling the dice to decide on their lives and that's why they call me Mr.Fate.    

Kumar's Swarna

           Some say that I run like hell, but it's my strides that are long and I can cover meters in few seconds. Every morning when I wake up, I know that I'm alive for one more kill. It's not that I have got a craving for murder or blood, but it's something that I don't falter much. I was 17, when I  first slit the throat of a woman. That was my first kill. Rivulets of blood came trickling down her heavy bosom. The next minute, I had my guts out, puking on the floor close to her. Only then, I realized not to have a meal before my kill. All my subsequent murders were a walk in a park, just like the tiny feather that can float effortlessly in a breeze. Now you see me jogging towards my target, with a knife in my hand. I'm here for my next kill.

           I'm yet to see the day, perhaps, I may not see it too. This could be my last kill, and I could feel the chill down my spine. Fear is something, that shadowed me all my life. Now, I fear because, I might not get a chance to meet Swarna. The voluptuous body that can make any man go begging. Before I tend to reach my target, I would like to revive my memories, from the very first day in Chennai, working in Madras cafe.

People always called me 'the tea master', but my boss used to yell at me, "Kumar!! you fucker, son of thousand fathers!!!".

            My day starts with preparing dough for the samosas. With 2 kilograms of flour, preparing dough is not an easy task. Every time, I tend to roll the dough, a sharp pain jolts in my elbows and joints. Dough preparation was always the toughest battle and it hurts like hell. Frying the samosas, especially during summer, can be demanding. With the temperatures soaring in 40's, I need to spend hours frying samosas and making tea for the crowd. We are located close to Murugan theatre and I need to make 150 samosas for them, on top of my regular share of customers. My days were brimming with the nauseating smell of burning oil, tea dust and my boss's regular call,

"Kumar !! Kumar, you fucker!! get up you asshole, prepare the dough"

              I never knew that my life will be taking a roller coaster ride, until that moment. The moment, I looked into Swarna's eyes. It was a Sunday, the only day I get to leave early. I was swinging myself out in an electric train bound towards Arakonam. the afternoon was overcast, with clouds threatening to relieve themselves. With very few passengers in the train, I was able to see her in a corner. She tried to conceal her face in her sari but I had a glance of her swollen lip. The thundering sound of the clouds broke my stare. Drops of rain from the window frames were falling on her and she was unperturbed by it. She knew that, I was watching her and she began to walk towards me. With the train jiggling around, she made her way, swinging herself sideways to sneak between the passengers to stand beside me.

              Her face was caked with talcum powder and a red bindi bridging her brows.

"I'm getting down at Avadi"' whispered Swarna, with her head stooped down. 

I wasn't sure if she was talking to me.

"What??? Are you talking to me??? She gave me a look that had a million words that were telling me, "yes!! I'm talking to you, asshole"

Meanwhile, the commuter came to a halt at Avadi and she got down. With my mind still battling, I followed her. She took me down the main street, adjacent to the station's over-bridge. Like a dog following his master, I was trailing her, down the alley. It was marked with shops like a fallen dominoes, with hardly enough room between them. Globules of yellow light were hanging in front, to make light in the dark dungeon. Swarna pushed herself forward towards a narrow corridor, where the walls were stacked with packets of tiny pooris. It was a pani poori stall. With the space growing darker, I found myself walking in a no man's land. I was shoved into a room with a small cot and a dirty white bed on top of it. Swarna was staring at a mirror, with her back close to the broken earthen pot. An increasing sense of apprehension made me to sit on the edge of the bed.

The art of living-part II - http://catchmehere-balaji.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/the-art-of-living-part-ii.html (copy and paste it)

             

Harbingers of spring

Chapter 1

      Chennai railway station stood majestic with its reddish brown paint rendering the nuance. People were thronging in with insolent boredom. The Gothic clock with its wooden frame covered in a patch of newly spun spider web, tried to tick away the seconds as noiselessly as possible. The steel chairs occupied the vast hall that housed the restaurants and a deserted Higginbotham's book store. A huge LED panel looked monstrous, secured high enough to give a glimpse of the trains that ran late.

         An old man with his back stooped down, weak arms holding the chair began to stare at the LED in front of him. It was an advertisement for a silk sari, where a voluptuous woman with all smiles made a catwalk. People call this as an age of technical wizardry, with men shouting over the phones. While their kids were spending anxious moments with 'Super Mario'. Meanwhile, the women were wrestling each other, to find a spot to charge their dead phones. 

An announcement spat from the speakers that hung from the pillars across the hall. 

"Attention all passengers !!! attention !!! We have an enemy infiltration in our state. The enemy has been blacklisted for notorious crime activities. The last know location of our enemy was at Nungambakkam station. Passengers are advised to look for any suspicious persons roaming inside or outside the railway station. Stay away from strangers and any clues or leads towards the arrest of the enemy will be rewarded. Any form of social contact or protection of this enemy will be detained under stringent laws. Tamil Nadu Tourism Board wishes you all a happy and safe journey" 

          A small group of passengers perambulated towards the security check point. A row of metallic frames marked the small room that was brightly lit. The baggage scanner swallowed the trolleys through its mechanized conveyors, with a middle aged woman sitting beside that. She was dressed in khaki and a cup of tea was sitting on her table to beat her languor. Behind her, was a black cubicle that harbored a small man in a similar uniform. All he had to look for was the click sound, when he scanned the tickets and he did that happily.
         
             The serpent queue stood anxiously outside the security check point, waiting for their turn. Everyone seemed to be smitten by the security delays, but Vishnu had all the time on this earth waiting for him. With a  backpack hanging from one of his elbows, he had his palms safely tucked in the pockets. Rigorous workout was visible through the linen shirt that cloaked his chiseled physique. He loves what he does; sometimes he is passionate about guitars;the next day he sketches faces of random people. Like the ever flowing stream, he has a capricious mood. He can't get his head in one thing, but he never regrets for that.

               World was a Rubik's cube for him, he itched to explore the colors. Different colors meant different people. His colors were always bright for women, especially the pretty ones. The flair for striking a conversation with any girl was inbuilt in him, just like the dark clouds on a rainy day. He can't miss it; neither the flair nor his mischievous smile. With so much happening in his life, he felt that someone has robbed his joy. There was always a pain that lingers deep inside him. A thud brought back his pensive mind back to senses. The ticket inspector was staring at him,

" Tickets??"

    He didn't realize that he had passed through the baggage scanner. His mind was engrossed about the accident which snatched away his happiness and he failed to get the tickets from the backpack. The ticket inspector was furious, when Vishnu was fiddling in his bag. His hands were fumbling inside to drop out a deodorant and a half eaten snicker bar.

" Do you have a ticket?? If you can't produce the ticket, I'll have to call the security now.. I don't have time for your show here" shouted the inspector, with beads of perspiration dotting his head.

"Anna !!! Nothing seems to be working for me, since this morning. I just missed the metro train from Nugambakkam. Then.. it was her.. Priyanka!! said Vishnu.

" So you don't have a ticket.. I'm calling the security now." said the inspector and he turned back to shout at the closed door. "No tickets.. take him away"

"Anna !! Wait !! wait !!" and Vishnu began to dump his bag on the floor. Few coins rolled by, to touch the feet of the fellow passengers and a bunch of crumbled papers. "Bingo !! Bingo"

    The white hand kerchief moved effortlessly over the bald head of the inspector. He arched his brows when he saw the guy picking up a paper, that looked like an archaeological evidence. Edges of the paper were stained in brown and the bar code was barely visible. Meanwhile, a security guy with a pot belly walked out of the cubicle towards Vishnu. After a few agonizing seconds, the scanner gave a click sound,

" Move out !! Next time, I won't be taking such toilet papers for tickets" shouted the inspector.

       Vishnu collected his belongings, not bothering about the remarks from the inspector. " Anna! if Priyanka hadn't planned the shopping... ". The inspector was fuming and he yelled, "get this rascal out!!," people behind him, were screaming now. "Shit.. its 9:50 already" and the inspector began mumbling words that very few bothered to hear.


Chapter 2

       The train approached the station with a slight pummel and a platoon of soldiers were engaged in the platform. The metallic sub machine guns were held at an angle close to their chest which had a CRPF emblem. They were like a pack of wolves waiting for the sniff of their prey. The train came to an halt, with its brakes releasing the pressure and the soldiers marched into the train. Vishnu stood among the hundreds of passengers that were eagerly waiting to board the train. The passengers were held behind a yellow line that belonged to the CRPF personnel.

          With a wavering mind, Vishnu began scanning faces across him. Each face had been tainted with numerous expression. Signs of anxiety and eagerness were evident. The air around him was infectious with the adventurous travel that lay ahead. He cocked his head towards the monitor on the rust spit ten rails.

    " Tamil Nadu Tourism Board wishes, A happy new year, 2020" The fireworks broke and screen erupted in streaks of colors. Vishnu chuckled inside and eyed his watch. The sound of the marching footsteps brought a sense of uneasiness among the passengers. The yellow line was removed and everyone began to board the train. Vishnu was jogging towards this coach F3. He moved forward, pushing the vendors and kiosks behind him.

           F3 coach had frost tinted windows, with an electronically operated doors that operated on sensors. The doors hissed open to reveal the interiors that were sodden in blue. The curtains, frames and even the cushions had different versions of blue entrusted on it. The coach had a long narrow corridor with coupes on to its right. Each coupe was encompassed with two berths and air con units. He walked across the corridor towards his coupe no 8. When he was about to punch his ticket code, the doors of his cubicle slid open.

"Welcome aboard" said a voice.

Vishnu peeped in, to a find a girl with the latest edition of 'THE WEEK' magazine covering her face. The voice was so powerful that he felt the urge to snatch the magazine that was covering her face. The magazine dropped down to unveil her round face. She was dressed in a white shirt and a denim. The pendant around her neck had a small crescent, that moved rhythmically to her slow breath. A strong sense of guilt struck him, when he realized that his vision were out of bounds.

" Thanks !! Happy New year!! " said Vishnu with words blurting out.

She giggled to display her pinkish gums and a beautiful smile.

" I'm Subhashini. You can call me Subha.".

   Her palm was warm and smooth. "Vishnu" He smiled sheepishly.

" Wassup Vishnu !!" said Subha and she crossed her legs.

"Heading towards Coimbatore to meet my friend. Nothing much. You??".

"I have an interview at Payada Technological Services" said Subha with a frowning look.

" You don't look happy about that. Aren't you??"

"That's true buddy! I don't want to move away from Chennai." and she pouted. Her cute expression and the word 'buddy' skipped a beat in his heart. His pulse was soaring high in excitement, but he managed to keep them down.

"Hey man !!You seem to be occupied with something else. Are you waiting for a call or something?? Enna girlfriend ah ??" said Subha.

" Cha cha !!! Nothing of that sort. I'm single" the words came in quick succession.

"Hmmm.. I don't like guys who are single" she gave him a disapproved look.

"what the hell??" jumped Vishnu.

"They are losers, man. Not a single girl dared to look at them." smiled Subha and she flipped the pages of the magazine aimlessly.

" Holy crap !! I don't take that. I wasn't a loser" scowled Vishnu.

"I never meant that.. but still, ... I'm sorry" she mumbled.

             The conversation came to an halt by the sudden knock on their door. They stared each other like the kids caught while trying to steal candies. Subha sprang from her seat and moved towards the door. Her fingers moved effortlessly over the keypad to open the door. A bald guy stood at the doorstep, coughing and he tried to squeeze himself into the coupe. His eyes looked bloodshot due to the weariness and it was evident in his wrinkled shirt. An electronic gadget appeared small in his bulky arms.

"ID's ??" grunted the bald guy.

Vishnu gave an anxious look and he realized that he didn't have an ID.

Chapter 3

Vishnu gave an anxious look and he realized that he didn't have an ID, " Do we need to have our ID"s while travelling in a train?? I've my ticket for this coupe"

The guy gave a snort of disgust, "This is just a security measure. There has been reports on enemy infiltration, so we are doing this. You know something, I hate this job. I hate it".

"Sorry officer, I don't have my ID with me. I was in a hurry this evening and I forgot to bring mine" said Vishnu. In the meantime, the officer was tapping Subha's ID on the gadget.

"Do you have your college ID??" barked the guy.

Vishnu was silent and his head arched down.

" Madam, now you know why I hate this job. Knocking the doors of every coupe, to find guys like him. I'll inform the CRPF guys and they...." before he could complete his carnage of words, Subha cut him off, " Officer, I appreciate your duties, but you need to understand the customers. We had our exams this afternoon and we were in a hurry to catch the train. We never expected to carry our ID's in trains, officer"

The officer looked sullen, " That's not my problem. I've got more shit waiting for me for the rest of the night. So, I don't mind your cooked up stories. I'll do what I've to." with a perfunctory nod, the officer left leaving a silence in the room.

     The room felt thick with an air of apprehension surmounting the two. Vishnu broke the silence, " Thanks for vouching me, but.."

"Yeah.. That's alright. I guess, it never made any difference."

"but.. still.. I wouldn't do that for a stranger. CRPF is going to kick me out. Damn!!"

"naah.. you would be fine. We can sort this thing. It's no big deal" smiled Subha with her brows arching up.

Her words brought no solace on his face, despite the smile, he looked anxious. The fingers were intertwined, making weird shapes. 

"do you mind if I ask you something?" asked Subha 

"Go on" 

"you told me that you weren't a loser. So.. do you  ?? 

" I know what you mean. yup.. that's right."

"that's interesting!! Now I know why you are excited." beamed Subha. 

         Vishnu had a blatant look, which made her uneasy. " I'm not sure how to respond to that. As a matter of fact, you are partially right. I had a girlfriend and tomorrow is her first year anniversary"

"Awww.. I'm so sorry. I made a terrible mistake of mocking you. I'm just .. sorry" 

"That's alright. I still can't believe how things change in a year's time. Last year we were on a trip to Mumbai. She was holding my hands and we were walking down the lanes of Marine Drive. If she hadn't planned her shopping on that day, I wouldn't have lost her in an accident" murmured Vishnu.

"Sometimes, I wonder, if she was the best gift I ever had. You know something, I watched her die in my arms. I still feel her sitting beside me, her laughter.. " 

   The coupe seemed to echo his grief. Tears began to ebb and made their way down his cheeks, to render a silent cry. 

"She is here, waiting for you" said Subha

" ah.. I'm alright.. at times, I get bit hysteric.. Sorry about that" snubbed Vishnu and he wiped down the tears.

"Priyanka wants to hold your hands, Vishnu" mumbled Subha.

"Priyanka?? how you do know her?? I never mentioned her name, who are you??" Vishnu's vice was roaring. Subha was calm, "You won't believe, until you see your cutie pie Priyanka. Was the nickname correct?? cutie pie !!"

"Stop that. One more .. " before Vishnu could complete, he felt someone behind holding his hands, stopping him from pouching forward. When he saw the hands, his eyes bulged in disbelief. The coziness that he felt lost was now back again, behind him. Priyanka stood there gazing at his eyes.

Vishnu was shell shocked, with gazillion thoughts pondering his mind. It was this very moment he was dying for. When he turned back, Subha wasn't there. Wondering if this could be a gimmick, he sat down with his palms on his head. 

"Yeah, baby !! Did you miss me??" a voice so reverberating sent him a shudder. Priyanka stood in front of him. The cool blue eyes matched her tunic and her palms covered his cheeks. 

"Don't tell me you aren't real, please Priyanka, please !!" he began to sob in her shoulders. "I'm sorry for all that I've done. I shouldn't have left you like that. Sorry, cutie.." 

"sshhhhh !! that's fine, baby. No one can take away you from me" and she kissed him hard on his lips. Vishnu found himself lost in her wet lips and her fingers that brushed his brow. His feet felt so light and all his pains were massacred by her touch. All the euphoria came crashing down at the knock of the door. 

     The knock brought them apart and Vishnu opened his eyes to find Subha's lips close to him. He pushed himself away from her. The whole act felt like a dream to trick his eyes. Subha was staring at him with an astonished look. They broke the stare when they heard the bang for the second time. Vishnu punched in the codes with trembling fingers and to reveal a CRPF guy standing at his doorstep.

Chapter 4

         He looked young with a SMG around his shoulders. With a trimmed hair cut, his face had no charm, but mirrored like an assassin. He moved inside the coupe with authority and arrogance. His glance swept across them, beads of perspiration dotted Vishnu's head. He began to move around her and came close to sniff her silky hair. 'Officer! can I ask you stay away from me?"

"Where are you from?" the CRPF guy shrieked.

"Chennai. I'm heading to Coimbatore for an interview. I've my documents, if you wish to see" replied Subha

"Show me!!!"

   The guy looked into her documents, meanwhile his walkie talkie crackled in a cacophonous tone.

" officer 902.. can your hear us.. officer 902.. do you copy... We have information regarding the intruder. The intruder is highly likely to be a girl not more than 25. The enemy is highly ...."

     Subha's reaction was nothing less than that of a lightning. Her kick was so powerful that it sent him down on his knees. Before he could regain his composure, another blow landed on his stomach. Like a lioness, she watched him moving to his weapon. She moved across swiftly to kick away the weapon, but he managed to shove her. Her head banged on the metallic walls of the coupe and she was down.

      CRPF guy managed to crawl towards his SMG and the bruised fingers clawed it. The safety latch was released and he came close to Subha who was lying down unconscious. Vishnu stood there panting for his breath watching the events unfold before him. He couldn't believe that the girl who felt so calm can actually make a 6 foot guy taste his own blood. Several thoughts sprang in his mind about her, was she really an intruder?? enemy of the state?? If so, why did she have to trick him by bringing in Priyanka?? but still, he felt a soft corner for Subha, who was lying down helplessly. He could see that her end was not far away. The CRPF guy pointed the SMG at her and began to laugh,

  "It's not your day, bitch !! Let me teach what it means to kick a guy" and before he could push the trigger, he saw something glittering in her legs. One of her legs sparkled like a multifaceted stone, with reflections all over the place. Numerous transparent cubes appeared on her legs and began to spread all over her body. The reflection of the cubes was so bright and they had to shield their eyes. The luminous effect was for a brief period, before they rearranged themselves inti a single block of cube.

      Both men stared at each other, after witnessing the transcendence. Vishnu's muscles barely moved, but the CRPF guy walked towards it. The cube transformed itself into a womanly figure, with millions of tiny cubes reflecting on its body. He pushed the trigger to rain bullets at the cube. The cubes in the body swallowed the bullets like a mass of jelly. She walked towards the him, with every cube losing its luminescence to bring back the tone of flesh. He dropped the weapon and pounced on her. Her long arm made a rapid movement to slit his throat and blood gushed down like a leaking pipe. The sharp edges of the cube made its way to his jugular vein and blood was dripping down from the cube. Slowly the cubes in her arm transfigured into a human skin.

          "Now you know what it means to call a girl 'bitch'" hissed Subha.

Fear struck Vishnu like a hammer, he was awed by her prowess which was unparalleled. Subha came to him, humming a tune which was a melancholy. She looked or at least appeared to be human.

"By now you would have understood who I'm. If not, let me tell you. The government has been hiding our invasion and they are trying to hunt down me down, thinking that they could stop us. So, they labelled me as an intruder" said Subha.

"ah.. your invasion ?? in the first place, who are you?? Do you have any idea what you have done here??"

"Don't panic. We will soon take over them and the whole system would come in place. A world where there is order and harmony."

"we??? what the hell are you talking about?? My life is screwed.. damn.." shouted Vishnu and sat down with his hands resting on his palms.

"Sshhh.. I know your pain. Join us, we can heal you. Our world is free of envy and hatred. A blissful place for the naive ones like you. Come join us. Hold my hands ... " whispered Subha.

"Stop that!! I'm done with your gibberish talks. You are fighting against a mighty government, soon we'll have soldiers engulfing us. We are gone.. we are fucking gone.. Fuck.. what the hell have I done!!! "

Subha made a sarcastic laugh "Gibberish!!! You always fail to confront what lies ahead of you. You aren't talking to a girl from your next door. It's an intelligence that is far beyond your realm, which can surpass the longevity of humankind. If you think you are the superior race of this universe, then I should say you have been basked in ignorance. What you are witnessing here is a prelude to the grand events that is going to be staged in future. Join us, we will show what it is meant to be a superior creature" and there was a slight shake in her body. The skin began to transform once again into a series of cubes. They modeled themselves into Priyanka.

"NO... no... no.. it can't be.. you are not my Priyanka.. it's just a trick.. what I'm witnessing is just an illusion" cried Vishnu

"Babe.. it's alright.. Come to me, let's go away from here" Priyanka hugged him, with his tears running down her shoulders. He felt her fragrance so captivating and compelling. he wanted to bury himself deep into her and never lose again. The sound of hurried footsteps brought him the reality. A platoon of soldiers came marching inside the coupe, with machine guns pointing at the two.

"Stay away from me.. Take her away!! she is the one you have been looking for." said Vishnu and slid himself behind the soldiers.

She flashed her smile to reveal her perfect teeth and the pinkish gums. "If that's what you want, you are here for more surprises. Let's begin then."

           All the soldiers were aiming at her, when one of them turned at a shrill sound. Vishnu was down shouting in agony. He was lunged into spasm with his arms and legs moving at weird angles. The soldiers watched him in fear and surprise, but Subha seemed to know what was happening. In few moments time, tiny transparent cubes appeared on his body. The whole body transfigured into a jelly cube. Out of nowhere, the jelly mass mutated itself into a girl. A double of Subha. Both of them winked at each other, to say hi.

                What followed after was a series of gunshots and thundering noises. Passengers in the adjacent coupe had no idea of what's happening in there. They restrained themselves to their coupes, fearing penalization. Eventually, no one witnessed  the brutal assault that happened in there. The soldiers were torn into pieces, with blood sprayed all over the ceiling and the walls of the coupe. With a pile of dead soldiers lying on the floor, there was no sign of life in there except for the two women.

"What next ??"

"We have more coupes and more men"...

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