Ek gaon mein, ek dadi maa reheytha hein!! (Ring any bells??
Woh daadi maa, bohoth acha vadai sudutha hein.
Ek din, ek kaka (crow) hai, aatha hai. (Dont tell me aatha ootu mela hai!!!)
Woh kaka, vdai suttu hai, ek maram meley poi kundhu kartha hai.
woh samay, ek Nari udhar aarahey hai. Woh nari, us kaaka se bolta hai..

(Read in Silk smitha voice)
kaaaka kaaka, thumara aawaz acha hai, thum ek ghaana gaao naaaaaaaaa…

woh. kaaka.. ghaana ghaanekey shuru kartha hein..
woh vada.. neechey aaraha hein. Nari, uskey labak karkey, escape kartha hein.

The sun was too bright, I was trying to keep my eyes closed. An attempt to avoid my eyes bowing to the sun light’s majestic power. It was almost 8 AM on a Saturday, and I was still tucked into my comforter, closing my eyes, my head half on the pillow and half on her soft hands. We were cuddling, to escape the morning chill. For some reason it was cold even though the heater was on.

Even-though my eyes were closed, my left hand was surfing through her soft silky hair.  She just mumbled and turned her head back on the other side. I pulled myself out of the bed making up my mind to get cleaned up. She was still holding on to my hand. I had to slowly release my hand from her soft fingers making sure she did not wake up, before I started walking.

What is the platform number form the train she is coming in? I was walking towards the display in the station while looking at the display board hanging on the top of a wall. The train comes at 5:30 PM. I looked at my watch. huh.. it’s just 5 PM. Let me get some coffee at the Starbucks over there. I was hazing through the coffee menu only to choose caramel latte. It one of her favourites. She always loved the twist of caramel in her coffee. I love the way she sips the coffee and the way she reacts to the sweetness in the caramel, and of-course the million dollar smile that comes after all that. The train arrived 10 minutes earlier. I waited on the waiter lounge. Some one just pinched me from my back. I turned back, to hug her.

It is Maria. My colleague. What the hell are you doing here Maria??  Maria said “I just came to buy a gift for for my husband. Its his birthday today. How is your wife doing?”. Oh great, as a matter of fact, I am here to buy a gift for her. 4 years ago, same day, me and her met for the first time. Maria said, “aaawww.. that’s so sweet. Well I got to get going, I will see you at work tomorrow.”

What is that ring I hear? I felt like it was ringing very next to my ears. I jolted and slowly opened my eyes. The sun was really bright. I could hardly look at it directly. My hand started move in the air left and right, looking for the alarm clock that was making the sound. I hit the stop button a bit hard. The alarm clock slipped and fell off the bed side table. I still lied on the bed, staring at her picture smiling like a morning bloom. So innocent she is. My love.

Oh god, it is 7 AM. I have to get ready to go to the church. It has been a year now. Last year, same day, it happened. The fatal train crash. She was coming back form her official tour. We were getting married the week after. She did not suffer, said the doctors. her death was instant. I could not stop looking at her picture. I love you sweet heart. I love you.

I was sitting so tensed on my bench. So was Rajabuddin, my bench mate. We were “not so eagerly” waiting for the mark sheets from our half yearly exams. it was a moment of silence and I am sure my heart beat was reaching for the high. It was end of year 1989 and we were 7 th grade students in Vana Vani matriculation higher secondary school.

I was not a very studious kid and I had a descent history of failing in at-least 2 to 3 subjects in every exam. My dad literally beats the crap out of me for failing these exams. I couldn’t even start thinking how my dad would reach if I failed in any of these exams.

All mark sheets were distributed and the worst of my dreams came true. My memory is vague, but I do remember that did fail in 2 or 3 (may be even more) exams. So did Rajab. Few days went by and we managed to hide the news of mark sheets being issues at school from our parents. Then came the day of doom. We were all given our report cards to get them signed by our parents. This is a hardest part for any kid, who had failed in exams. Especially for the ones, whose dads are terror of their lives.

My dad has gone through a lot to give me this education which he hardly got. But he is very short tempered, angry and very loud. His loud voice makes things even complicated for me. Me being a soft person when I was kid, can’t handle people yelling at me.

I didn’t want to go back home that day. I was fed up of my life. Fed up of being beaten up by my dad. Fed up of exams. fed up of everything in life. Rajab was pretty much in the same state of mind as I was. School got over around 3:30 in the evening, and we were still hanging around the campus till 5 PM. We then started to walk towards the bus stop outside IIT campus. I just dint know how the idea even got into my head, but we started talking about not going back home, but instead running away from home.

We usually turn right after getting out of the campus, but instead we started walking towards gandhi mandapam. We had no money in our pockets. I used my bus pass to get home and rajab lived just 30 minutes walk from school. We were just taking and waling and before we realized, we were walking along the tracks of the chennai – tambaram electric train station. It was already getting dark and the time would have probably been around 7 PM.

We continued walking towards St.Thomas mount station. trust me, I had no idea where I was and where were were going. I have seen these stations before, but had no idea how far these were from my house, or in which direction. Well.. what the hell, we were running away. Who cares where we run.

Trains were passing by us in good speed, while we were walking like two losers who had no idea what they are doing. I think It was around 7:30 PM when we heard a prayer from a nearby mosque through their loud speakers. Rajab was very religious and he said he wanted to stop and pray. We stopped, he bent down on his knees and started praying while trains were passing us on our left and right. I was just standing and waiting for him to finish.

We had reached St.Thomas Mount station in few minutes and we were dead tired. We had walked almost 7 miles and were totally dehydrated. We walked into the station and sat on a bench and started staring at the people and trains that were passing by. We had no money, we were hungry and that’s when we started to realize what we were doing. it was almost 9:30 PM. There were less people on the station platform and there was a police station right next to where we were sitting.

I looked and Rajab and he looked at me. We figured it’s not worth it and decided to go home. But how? We don’t know where we are, don’t have any money to take an auto. We walked to a constable who was washing his hands after his dinner. I told him, “Excuse me Sir !!!, we had come for a friend’s birthday party and we were returning home. But I lost the money I had on the way. Could you please help me get a train ticket and tell me how I get to IIT from here?”

For some reason, the constable was convinced that I was telling the truth. He gave us 4 Rs and also said he will take us to Guindy station and drop us off there. We did not want to tell the truth because, we did not know whom to trust. We were dropped off at guindy station. We were scared to get out of the station and find a bus. So we decided to walk back home. We started backtracking out route to IIT. It was almost 10 PM when we reached IIT. Rajab took his route towards his house while I walked towards mine. It was close to 11 PM when I reached my grand parents house, and I was able to feel the panic mode everyone were already in.

My mom was crying on one end, and my dad had already gone to my school and was trying to look for me in other places. My neighbors were looking for me in their jeep while my friend sathyan and his sister were all at my place waiting for me.

I did not speak one word. They started asking me questions. Where i was? what happened? How did I come back home etc etc.. All I said was, me and my friend Rajab went to Gandhi mandapam and were sitting there till now. My dad had arrived by then. He figured out that it was all about me failing in my exams. He managed not to yell at me.

I even got my report card signed by my dad without any problems.

I remembered all this, when Rajab called me yesterday for a little chat. It is funny that how stupid we all were when we were kids and how we all learnt from those mistakes. I don’t know about you, but I was definitely stupid.

I was watching bombay movie today. It was one of Mani ratnam’s master pieces. It is about the 1992-93 mumbai communal riots and babri masjid demolition. After watching that movie, the same thought that strikes me every time I watch this movie struck me today again. “Why do people who believe in god kill people for the same god. Aren’t they supposed to be more in control of thenselves as they pray to god every day. Instead why do they kill each other for the same god they pray to? It does not make any sence”.

I use to be very spiritual and was like any other normal kid; going to temple every week end, stand in front of the god’s photos in my house kitchen and pray, untill i was 14.

It was end of 1992 and I was in my 10 th standard. I was 14 years old by then. That is when all the controversy about babri masjid and hindu-muslim communal riots were getting started. Innocent kids, woman and people were killed because of this incident in starting of 1993. I was not in the age to realize who was the real reason to blame for all the riots. All I could blame was the god.

From that time period, I just stopped going to temples, reciting prayers to god everyday. I even told my parents that I will not do all that any more. They tried to persuade me to do it, but I refused. The only question that was running inside my head was.. if god really existed and if he really cared about good people, why would innocent children, human beings and animals die. If god is not the reason for all these and if we can only blame the humans for this; then why are the humans doing this. These are the same human beings who pray to the same god for better life and propoerity everyday. They pray for they betterment every morning and the next moment, they think about whom they can hurt to uphold their own relegious beliefs and customs. Is it really worth it? And if the so called “good god” really existed, is he going to give you all the wealth and prosperity to some one who killled several human beings.

All this did not make sence to me. I have been an strong disbeliever of god, relegion, spirituality, caste and customs that were created for the god’s. Trust me, till today, my disbelief has only increased and I have never felt that I will ever take the relegious path again. I will probably take that path in the future once the poisonous dirt in this path is cleared. I dont think that will ever happen…

This is how every work day has been going for me:

Wake up at 6:30 AM. Well it is actually 6:15 AM. I keep my alarm 15 mins ahead. And snooze it twice. So, I technically wake up at around 6:40 AM. After attending natures calls and going thru the morning routine, I get my breakfast of a bowl of cereals or waffles around 7:20 AM, while watching traffic and weather report on ABC.
I leave home around 7:40 Am to catch the 7:49 Am train to Center city philadelphia. If I get delayed some times, I take the train at 8:24 AM.

Things have been normal, but not since the last 3 weeks. I usually get off the train at the Market East station in center city philadelphia on top of which my office is located.

Three weeks ago, this “I don’t have the words to describe her beauty” woman got into the train, one station before I get off the train. Well, I should accept. It was love at first sight. People who know me well, will not be surprised.. . Well let me continue… I just had a glance of her while she passed me to take a seat behind me. I can only think.. “Aahhhh mannnnn…. Why always me?”

She just passed me for a flash of a second.. but for some reason, she just registered so well into my head. I have to agree, I had to find ways to turn around to see her again. I did that three times, and straight at her. Man.. times like this, tells me that angels do exist.. eventhough I don’t really believe in all that crap. She did not notice me seeing her for the first two times, but she did for the third time. She looked straight at my eyes for a second and turned away to the window and so did I.

I said to myself, “She must think you are an asshole man. Stop staring at her and move along. She is definitrly an indian. Looks like an ABCD. ” My infeririority started to hit me on the back of my head, while my station arrived. I got off the train and was waling towards the exit door while looking at the windoqw where she was sitting. She was deeply burried in some thoughts or looking somewhere else. I said to myself, “uhh… hmm… not for you dude… move along. “

The whole week, monday to friday, I saw her getting on the same train as mine. Different dressing styles, different hairstyles. I should definitely explain what a classy woman she wasy. Her dressing did not provoke me, but gave me a very good idea of her living environment and social environment. Just the way she walked and projected herself made me respect her. She showed a lots of confidence in her walk. She looked straight at the people in front of her and did not look down or to the side to aviod the stares. That showed how strong and confident she was of herself. No other woman in the compartment was as beautiful as her or as classy as her. I have to give it to her… “She is one hell of a woman, any man would want to be with.”

Every day the train reached her station, I made sure I looked okay, and just waited for a glimpse from her while she passes through me. Well, I did have to maintain my dignity eventhough I was waiting for her. As soon as I got the moment of slimpse from her, i had to do something to prove my point that, I am not a jerk after all. What an idiot.

Two weeks passed by. She disappeared all of the third week. It was like a disaster for me. I was so disappointed not seeing her on the train.

Fourth week, monday, I was so ready to see her, and there she was. I felt like a convict out on parole after 20 years of rigerous imprisonment. Why did I feel like that.

Last friday, it was 7:40 Am and i still didn’t have my breakfast. I had to make the toughest decision of my life. Should I eat? or should I catch the train so that I can see her. I took the second choice.

I was there waiting to see her. I felt the train was going so slow. Damn you.. driver !!!. I didn’t even realize that i was leaning forward on my seat eagerly waiting for her arrival.

She never showed up. It was so bad that she didn’t come. I should agree. I was saddned for few minutes. What has gotten into me. What am I doing? Why should I go through all this for a girl whom I don’t even know.

Well, the only explanation I can think of is…. “Ahh.. tomorrow is monday !!!”

60 years has passed. So many changes have happened around us. Changes include Industrial improvements, modernization, amazing improvement in jobs in different sectors etc. The country has already been recognized as a fast developing nation and one of the world leaders. No country can mess with us.Indians are cherished all over the world for their brilliance in various fields, not just technology and medicine.

We travel to various parts of the world, learn the cultures, become part of it. We are only becoming better and better at what we do. Huh.. we are so involved in learning and getting accommodated these new countries and their cultures, we have started to forget who we are and where we come from !!!

What????? I am sure you are wondering “What the hell is this guy talking about??”

Let me rephrase, we Indians have become so selfish, greedy, pathetic human beings who only think about themselves and not even a minute about our country or our people. What is the point of hosting and celebrating the 15th of August, if we don’t really mean it?

After graduating from some college in India, we head to US or some other country for our Masters. Some end up there for Work. We say, “I will be back after studies. I don’t want to live there.”

After education or 2 years of work, we get so used to the luxury these countries offer us; we are ready to stay for few more years to “Gain experience”. Well, to be frank, that’s what I have been telling my friends and folks.

Few years go by. We end up finding our partner from India or locally. Come on, doesn’t the partner need to have a taste of the life we have had. Let us stay for few more years. We are not going to lose anything. Right?

Oh.. there comes the kid/s. Now, we have a even better reason to say, “Goodbye India”. My kid can not accommodate to Indian climate conditions. It is too hot there. What the hell?

So many excuses, so man reasons !!! Just another way of saying, “hey India, you are of no more use to me. I have got all that I can get from you. So long… sucker….”

We go to India for two to three week vacation. Complaint about the heat, traffic, dirty roads and lavatories. We observe and learn so many good things when we visit these foreign countries. I don’t know why we forget all that the minute we step into out country. Does that mean our people do not deserve these good things, or it is just we are getting back to our Indian instincts as soon as get in touch with our soil.
Let me quote couple of examples. We hold doors for people following us in the US of A. When we go to India, we let the same door right on the face of the person following us. We squeeze thru the bunch of people to get a movie ticket while we stand in a queue in US. Why the bias? Don’t tell me we have to behave like an Indian when in India. Not an excuse.

Well, I am only talking about the people who live abroad. If I start talking about our own people living in India, this article will never end. Some samples are caste system, bribe, dowry, red-tapeism, bureaucracy, so on and so forth. We all are part of it.

All said and done, we still strive to show the world around us, that we love our country. I think it is time to wake up.

Oh.. on a side note, I am not an exception from the people I have described above. I am guilty as charged.

Wish you all a happy 60th Indian Independence Day.

Vande mataram !!!

6 AM
Dei kanna, inga vandu inda profile aa parru.. bedroom la irunda laptop munnadi ukkanduttu kooptaru en appa. Indian express papera theevirama menjuttu irunda nan, elunthu ponen.

Nan??? Pennsylvania, USA la velai pathuttu, sondha samayalla kaalam thallittu, vayasu 29 thodura nerathula, kalyanuthukku ponnu thedittu irukara so called NRI eligible bachelor. Enakku daan en appa internet la ponnu thedittu irukaar…

Appa pakkathula poi ninna nan, laptop screen la irunda anda ponnuda profile photo pathu, konjam asandhu daan ponen. Nalla smile, oru spark terinjudu ava face la. Profilea detail aa padikka sollitu appa escape.

Ponnu nan irukara oorliye konja doorathula iruda. Work pannitum irukka. Sema smart aa profile eluthirunda. Very good vocabulary and english. Nan edi pakkura class and sophistication anda ponnu kitta neraye irundudu. Ponney avaloda profile a pottirunda.

Appa kitta poi, ponnu profile nalla irukku, interest anuppi parungannu sollitu nan ennoda indian express la moolzhigitaen.

7AM
Appa, anda ponnuku reply pannirundaaru. Ponnu brahmin, ana yenda castum ok nu pottirunduchu. But appaku doubt. Idu family ku terinju potta profileaa illa, ponney chumma potta profileaannu. Analum ok nu, appa, profile ku mail panni, anda ponnoda parents contact information kettaru.

8 AM – 10 AM
Yenakku light a oru idea thonuch. Yen anda ponna orkut la theda koodathunu. First name vechim, ava irukara oora vechum, avalai orkut la kandu pidichen. wow… orkut la irukara album photos la innum azhaga irukkaley. enakku porukkalai. Online poi yedadu reply vandirukannu pathen. Yeduvum illa. Avanga innum email padikka kooda illai. Anda ponnoda full orkut profile padichuttu, avalukku scraps eludara pasanga yarunnu pakka arambichutaen. Enakkey asingama irunduchu. Yarunn kooda theriyada ponnuku ivlo possessive aaaa nnu… website close pannitu veliya poiten.

6 PM
Vetukku vanda udaney matrimony site a thorandu pathen. No reply, but email avanga open pannirukanga nu mattum terinjudu. Aaahaaa. super da, yedhaadhu reply varum pola nu manasukulla nenachukittu, en nanbikku anda profile aa email pannitu, system shutdown pannitu, amma kudutha coffee ya sip panna arambichen.

7 PM
En nanbikku call panninen. Ava adu kulla anda ponnoda profile a pathu vechirundaa.. Ava kitta en polabalai start panninen.. “romba torture panradee inda ponnu, sema cute aa irukka, ana avanga brahmins, othukka mataga. Enakku sema kadiya irukku”. Avalala mudinja advice enakku kudutha ava. “Romba interest vechukadha, reply vara varaikkum wait pannunu”. Aambalaya, adu ok, nan kavalai padalai nu sonnalum, manasu kulla, oru tension irunduttey irunduchu.

9 PM
Thiruppi, inline la status check senjaen. No reply. Cha.. enna olagamada idhu…

10 PM
system of pannitu, padukka poitem

4 AM
thookathula vanda kanavu nadula stop aaghi, elundaen. Nalla kanavu. Anda ponnu vandha kanavula. cha… romba kevalam.. What the hell is wrong with you man… Apparam, hookam varalai. Porandu porandu paduthuttu.. 5:45 ku yelunthutaen.

6 AM
Dei kanna, inga vandu inda profile aa parru.. bedroom la irunda laptop munnadi ukkanduttu kooptaru en appa. Indian express papera theevirama menjuttu irunda nan, elunthu ponen.
“No reply from that girls side..” Appa kamicha ponnoda profile nakku pidikalai. Idu vendam nu sollitu, indian express ku thirumba poitaen.

This is a really sad week for every one around the world. My deepest condolence goes to every victim of virginia tech shooting rampage.

Eventhough we all laugh and continue to move on with what ever we are doing, we all know that somewhere inside us, we weep and cry for these victims and their families.

All I wish for is, their families should heal and recover from this disaster as time passes by.

may peace be with these victims and their families.

Wish you, your family and friends a fun filled 2007. Be good !!!

Ungalukkum ungal uravinar matrum nanbargalukkum, enadu mamamaarndha puthaandu nall vazhuthukkazh.

Vazhga Vazhamudan…

~ with Luv, Prad

I recently saw the super hit telugu movie “Pokkiri” starring Mahesh Babu. He has a punch line in this movie “okka saari commit ayite naa mata nene vinnu”. In english, this means, “If ai commit once, I will not back off”.

I was just wondering what if this dialogue was given to our tamil actors.. and how would the deliver it in a style that would fit them or in a style that they have been using in their movies.

So here we go…

“Ilaya thalabadhi” Vijay:

Mavane nan oru daba commit aitennu veiiye… apparam gilli thaaan…
——————————–
“Super star” Rajinikanth:

Kanna !!! Idoooo paar… Nan oru daravey commit aana… oru darava commit ana maari thaan…
Haaaaa,,,, Haaaaa…Haaa…..
——————————–
Kamal Hassan:

aaaaaahhhh…aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh.. , abiraaaaaami, abiraaaaaami
nan oru darava commit aitenna,
aaaaaahhhh…aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh.. , kuruveee, Kuruveee

Abirami: Seekirama dialogue solli tholada venna..
——————————–

T.Rajender:

dei, nan avenda committu
unakku vepennda revittu
nee vada unga veetla sollittu
unakku nan tharenda sora puttu..

ye..yakka…..

——————————–

NTR (former chief minister of AP):

Eeee prapanchamulu !!!
commit aaye poindiraaa babuuuuuuuuuu !!!

——————————–

Bhagyaraj (Talks with his noses closed) :

Idula paarungaaaa,
life la commitment romba mukkiyam
Aana… lifey commitment aaida koodathu

——————————–

Vijayakanth:

After twisting his moustache…
Tamil la enakku pudikka than ore vartha “commit”uu…
Jai Hind !!!
Tamil (not tamizhl) vaalga!!!
We will meet !!! Will Meet !!! Meet !!! (He thinks of aatu kari when speaking these words)
——————————–

Suruli rajan (Veteran comedian):

Aiyoooo… Aiyoooo… ada paavi.. ada paavi..
nasamaaponavan commit panni tholachutaneyyyyy…

——————————–

Dialogue in Mani Ratnam’s movie:

Hero: Na..
Heroin: mmmm..
Hero: commit..
Heroin: pchh….
Hero: aiooo..current poiduchu…

Heroin idu thaan chance nu escape aidara…..

——————————–

Thats pretty much i can think of at this moment.. feel free to add your own dialogues as comments.