KINGDOM OF HELIES – CHAPTER I

“Where is the prince?”, the angered voice of the King echoed through the golden walls of the palace.

It brought shivers to the maids and soldiers. The entire castle held its breath as an unexplainable fear engulfed the beings inside those majestic gates.

“Oh! here comes the prince”, as soon as the stout old man with a long beard uttered, the entire congregation shifted their gaze to the right.

Two soldiers marched inside with a young man in tow.

The young man was clothed in a long grey robe, a majestic and yet humble smile adorning his dusky brown face, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight, and his brown hair dancing to an unheard rhythm of the universe. The young man was chained yet his smirk said out aloud “don’t fool yourself, I’m just playing along”

“Crown prince Jeuel requesting your audience your majesty”, the two soldiers unchained him and walked away.

“Care to explain young man”, the King said

“Well, dad…

I mean your majesty”, the young prince smiled to himself.

“On the contrary to the palace accusations, I was outside the palace gates delivering my royal duties”, his voice laced with confidence.

“What royal duty involves the crown prince of the great kingdom of Helies to clothe in rags and wander through the streets, using his maji on mere mortal manids, though knowing that the royal laws strictly prohibit it outside the palace gates unless by the royal command”, the Kings words mirrored his built-up frustration.

“Your majesty that’s where you are wrong”

“The manids out there are suffering. They need help. They need maji. We must stop being selfish and share our power with them. It is our royal duty”, the prince pleaded.

“But giving those treacherous manids access to our divine maji will bring chaos young prince”

“Imagine the riots and coups that will follow when they get their hands on the maji. We won’t be able to control them”, the old man with the long beard, war minister Khalid said while stroking his beard.

“Khalid is right. We can’t let them get their hands on maji. They are not ready. Now stop all this nonsense”

The king walked out of the court, glancing at the prince one last time. Soon the court emptied one by one and Jeuel was left all alone.

He plopped on the cedar wood floor, his arms under his head as he glanced at the golden cherry blossom carvings that adorned the ceiling.

“Cherry blossoms”, he smiled.

“I wonder what that snotty girl is doing” Jeuel muttered as his thoughts began to replay the happenings of that day.

“Royal etiquette with professor Perkin at 6:00 in the court, breakfast at 8:00, war strategy classes with war minister Khalid at 9:00 in the clock tower, defense practice with guards head Derin in the courtyard at 11:00, luncheon at 1:00, horse riding sessions with master Bella at 3:00 near the stables, maji classes with chief wizard Marian at 5:00 and dinner at 9:00 your highness”, Garen – Jeuel’s Secretary/bodyguard listed to 12-year-old Jeuel as he twisted and turned, unwilling to give up the soulful embrace of his warm bed and those silk sheets.

“Just 5 minutes, give me 5 more minutes Garen, please”, Jeuel’s pleas were certainly ignored as Garen began to strip off the sheets and exposed him to the sunlight that crept in through the arched windows.

12-year-old Jeuel’s days were packed with royal duties from dawn to dusk.

Still, even the eagle eyes of Garen weren’t enough to prevent him from sneaking out from time to time.

On that spring morning, Jeuel ditched his horse riding classes and escaped to his secret haven.

It was a mesmerizing hideout near the eastern gates of the palace.

“Just what I need,” Jeuel said as he took off his boots and plopped onto the banks of brook Idonis. The pristine waters gently hugged his little feet and the raining cherry blossoms dozed him with their sweet scent. After a few moments of lingering in its embrace, Jeuel stood up and walked up to the bridge across the brook.

A grandeur clock stood in the middle of the bridge. Jeuel’s hands traced through the carved grapevine that swirled the clock like a python, the wood was ready to crumble to ashes, evident of centuries of withering under the sun, rain and storm, yet the rusted hands never stopped ticking.

“Please come out, I’m quite sick of this hide and seek game you know”, Jeuel spouted as always. Whatever spells he tried, potions he used, the door had always been closed and the bird of the clock was never found.

He hid his familiar disappointment. Before he could step away, an unfamiliar glow from the clock arrested his attention and locked him in a trance.

The ticking sounds dragged him closer and closer into its embrace as silent whispers echoed “she is here”.

A loud shudder from the bush broke his trance.

” Who is there?” Jeuel screeched. His limbs involuntarily moved to a defensive stance. With a simple spell, red flames of fire emerged from his palms.

“When the enemy is unknown, the fire should be your first defense young prince”, Khalid’s lessons began to make sense for the little prince.

While his racing heart expected a devilish creature or a ghastly beast to make an appearance, to his disappointment, out from the bush came a little girl.

She patted the dirt from his grey skirt, wiped the dust from her dusky brown cheeks and her honey plaits, sniffed her snotty nose, and turned her gaze towards Jeuel.

“Wow! is that fire”, her pearly eyes grew bigger and bigger as she came running toward Jeuel.

“Stop there! I said stop!”, Jeuel’s threats were left unheard as the little girl grabbed his arms and excitedly analyzed those red flames.

“What are you doing?” Jeuel pulled out his arms and stumbled back.

For a prince who lived all his life within those palace gates, who knew every palace guard and officials by their names, and was accustomed to their humble greetings and familiar smiles – this alien being was blissful chaos he won’t dare to imagine, not even in his wildest dreams.

While he was panicking about whether to fight against this species or summon the palace guards or just run away, the girl shifted her curiosity from his red flames to the clock.

“You look beautiful”, she said as her gentle fingers traced through the rugged edges of the clock. With every touch, her eyes widened and her smile broadened.

“You are a precious little angel”, she said and kissed the clock.

As soon as her lips touched the wood, a magnificent Phoenix emerged from those closed doors.

Jeuel stood in awe at the presence of such a wondrous being. A million different shades were evident in its coats and its feathered tail. Each shade glittered and sparkled under the sunlight like the rarest collection of precious stones. A huge rainbow engulfed the bridge, enough to question the existence of the sun and the chasing clouds. The Phoenix made its way to the top of the clock, seated itself like a majestic queen in her throne, and began its divine lullaby. The song waked a sense of belonging and excitement in the hearer’s hearts. Like finding your long-lost treasure or a blind man seeing light for the first time. The song brought a weird maji to the air, entirely different from what Jeuel had seen or heard in the palace.

Once the song ended, the phoenix went back into its hiding and the miracle was broken as reality came back into existence.

“How did you do that?” Jeuel asked, his minding still processing the miracle he met and the curious questions that were waiting for their turn.

“Did what?” the snotty girl said in a confused tone. She was completely ignorant of the fact that that it was she who conjured up such a divine miracle, which even the crown prince of Helies was incapable of.

“You know….. How did you bring the bird out of the closed doors? What spell did you use?”

Jeuel’s desperate attempts were shutdown abruptly when she said,

“I don’t know, I just did what my mom usually does”.

Jeuel’s fear of this alien being was abundantly outweighed by his curiosity about the secret that unleashed the bird. And for the first time in his life, the crown prince of the great kingdom of Helies gulped down his pride and made a request.

He took her hands, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “please, take me to your mother”.

KINGDOM OF HELIES – PROLOGUE

“Soul, consciousness, spirit”

A million different variations might emerge to label the voice of our hearts. The voice we hear day and night, the voice that steers us on the right path whether we wish or not. Every one of us is familiar with the existence of this voice and a mad man alone would deny its presence. Yet, after all these years of analyses, experiments and definitions, humans are yet to find a shred of single evidence to prove this universal truth. Not even a single research paper on its existence and nor a shiny little box to record its frequencies.

For me, the Kingdom of Helies is a place of such accord. Its embracing gushes of wind and the emerald bathed grasslands are vivid to my eyes as strong as the voice of my heart. Yet, I couldn’t find a way to prove its existence.

“I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber and within it was the form of four living creatures.

Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.

From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.

The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking”

Desperate to prove his visit to Heaven, the exiled Prophet Ezekial took a piece of parchment and began to write. He inked his visions with intricate details and divine allegories. He poured his heart, soul, and everything into those pages because those mere words were his only way of proving the unknown which he alone knew.

I have decided to follow in his footsteps and gathered courage from his writings as I began this narrative of the great kingdom of Helies. This book is my way of proving the unknown which I alone know.

You might pass it off as a mad man’s imagination on a full moon night or a young author’s desperate attempts to get recognized. Who knows? On the contrary, you might be smitten by its pages as you urge your fellow beings to take a look into this divine world you found inside printed ink and celebrate it as a well-written masterpiece.

Whatever the consequence, my intention in writing this book remains the same.

“My memoir of the immaculate Kingdom of Helies”.

Manids – That’s how the people of Helies called themselves. While I was expecting far angelic beings with wings of fire and a Solaris glow. I was disappointed (and a bit glad) that Helies in many ways was similar to our reality. The buzzing cities, the footsteps of men marching through its streets, buying and selling and struggling to meet today’s needs.

Little boys and girls wandering through fields like those unleashed clouds on a windy evening – without any boundaries, restrictions, or traces of worries.

Its legendary women gathering around the wells, carrying their jars and their daily dose of gossips. Helies was akin to the world my ancestors bragged about – a world untouched by technology.

At this point, the familiarity of its streets might stir a monotonous median in your minds. But don’t be fooled, for the real tale begins from the palace gates.

The Great King of Helies reigned over the lengths and breadths of the land with absolute authority and power as he wielded the most powerful Maji.

What is Maji? You might ask. Well, to iterate in a simple way to grasp. Maji was the cosmic superpower that very few possessed. Though the chosen ones were generally from royal lineage, very rarely a few Manids were able to tap into Maji. The extent of the power and the accompanying abilities varied from men to men. In the beginning, I shattered my brain to find patterns, levels, and other rational devices to theorize this Maji. But my mortal brain wasn’t enough to grasp its intricateness. In the end, I surrendered myself to its enigmatic aura and decided to go with the flow. I dearly advise you to do the same.

The Kingdom was extremely cautious in shielding Maji from the Manids and devised disastrous rules to protect it. Unless for the royal command or by the royal administrators, Maji was prohibited from usage beyond the palace gates.

But this tale has little to do with the King and a lot to his beloved son Jeuel.

Jeuel – the one and only crown prince to the throne of Helies. He was a fine young man and his Maji was strong enough to vanquish the warriors of his kingdom. Indeed, this young man is the reason for this tale. The man who turned the serene lands of Helies into a cauldron stained with blood. A man whose well-intentioned actions brought utter chaos into the realms.

“This is the Chronicles of the Saviour Prince Jeuel”

காலி சீட்

என் முன்னோர்களைப் போல நான் போர் களத்திர்க்கெல்லாம் சென்றதில்லை. ஆனால் சென்னை பட்டணத்தின் திங்கள்கிழமை இரவு 7 மணி பஸ்சில் பயணம் செய்திருக்கிறேன். கிட்ட தட்ட இரண்டுமே ஒன்று போல தான் தோன்றியது.

அந்த உலோகக் கூண்டுக்குள் அடைப்பட்டு, மிதிப்பட்டு, நசுக்கப்பட்டு மூச்சு திணறி நிற்பது நடுத்தர மனிதர்கள் தினம் தினம் சந்திக்கும் போர்களமே.

இத்தகைய போராட்டத்தின் நடுவில் ஒரு காலி சீட் கிடைப்பதென்பது தலைவர் படத்திற்கு முதல் நாள் முதல் ஷோ டிக்கெட் கிடைப்பதை விட மிக கடினமானது.

இந்த பேருந்து பயணத்தின் பேசப்படாத விதிகளை பற்றி நீங்கள் கேள்விப்பட்டிருக்கிறீர்களா?

இடது புற இருக்கைகள் பெண்களுக்கும் வடது புறம் ஆண்களுக்கும் என ஒதுக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும்.

பெண்கள் ஆண்கள் இருக்கைகளில் அமரலாம். ஆனால் ஆண்கள் எக்காரணத்திற்க்கும் பெண்கள் இருக்கைகளில் அமர கூடாது. மீறினால் வசை வார்த்தைகள் வாரி இறைக்கப்படும்.

இந்த விதிகளை யார் உருவாக்கினார்கள்? எப்படி எல்லாருக்கும் அதை தெரிவித்தார்கள்? என்று பல நாட்கள் நான் சிந்தித்ததுண்டு. ஆனால் இறுதி வரை பதில் கிட்டவில்லை.

அந்த நாள்,

எப்போதும் போல என் ஹீரோ நிரம்பி வழிந்த அந்த பேருந்திற்குள் நுழைந்தான். நான்கு பேரிடம் மிதிப்பட்டு நசுங்கி கிசுங்கி கடைசியாக நிற்பதற்கு ஏற்ற இடத்தை கண்டுபிடித்தான். வாழ்க்கை எப்போதும் விடு அன்று கொஞ்சம் எக்ஸ்ட்ரா கடினமாக தோன்றியது.

அவனுக்கு அருகில் இருந்த இருக்கையில் இரண்டு பெண்கள் அமர்ந்திருந்தனர். அது ஆண்களின் இருக்கையாக இருந்தாலும் அந்த பேசப்படாத விதி அவனை மௌனம் காக்க செய்தது.

அந்த இரண்டு பெண்களில் ஒருவர் அடுத்த நிறுத்தத்தில் இறங்கி விடவே அந்த அற்புதமான “காலி சீட்” அவனுக்கு முன்பாக தோன்றியது. ஆனால் அவன் சந்தோஷம் நீண்ட நேரம் நிலைக்க வில்லை. அவன் அருகில் அழகான பெண் ஒருத்தி நின்றுக் கொண்டிருந்தாள்.

“ஒரு நல்ல ஆண் மகன் – தைரியமானவன், வலிமைமிக்கவன், போராளி, பெண்களை மதிப்பான், அவள் பலவீன பாண்டம் என்று அறிந்து அவளை பாதுகாப்பான். அப்படி பட்ட ஒரு நல்ல ஆண் மகனாய் எல்லாருக்கும் முன் மாதிரியாய் இந்த பெண்ணிற்கு இந்த காலி சீட்டை நான் விட்டு கொடுக்க வேண்டும்” அவன் மூளை ஒரு பக்கத்தில் சொற்பொழிவு நடத்தினாலும், சோர்வுற்றிருந்த அவன் உடலும் வலுவிழந்து நடுங்கிய அவன் கால்களும் அதை சிறிதும் மதிக்காமால் அந்த சீட்டை நோக்கி பாய தயாராகின.

அவன் மூளைக்கும் மனதுக்கும் இடையே மகாபாரத போரே நடந்துக்கொண்டிருக்க, என்ன செய்வதென்றே தெரியாமால் குழம்பி நின்றான் என் ஹீரோ.

நடக்கும் போரை உணர்ந்த அந்த பெண் “நீங்க உட்கார்ந்துக்கோங்க சார்” என்று புன்னகைத்தால்.

அவ்வளவு தான் அடுத்த நொடி அவனையே அறியமால் அவன் உடல் மின்னல் வேகத்தில் அந்த இருக்கையில் போய் அமர்ந்தது. “அப்பாடா” புன்னகை கலந்த பெருமூச்சு விட்டான் ஹீரோ.

அன்றிரவு இந்த உலகம் அவனுக்கு சொல்ல மறந்த ஓர் ரகசியத்தை அவன் உணர்ந்தான்.

“பெண்களால் எல்லாம் செய்ய முடியும், தன் திறமையால் உலகையே நடத்தும் சக்தி அவளுக்கு உண்டு என்று பெண்ணியத்தை பற்றி கூச்சலிடும் இதே உலகம் தான் “ஏம்பா பொம்பளைய போய் லைன் ல நிக்க விடற” என்று ரேஷன் கடைகளில் முந்தி சென்றும், “3௦% இட ஒதிக்கீடு இல்லன பெண்களால முன்னேறவே முடியாது” என்று பெண்களின் திறனை சந்தேகித்தும் வருகிறது. பேச்சுக்கும் செயலுக்கும் சம்மந்தமே இல்லமால் இருப்பதற்கு பெயர் பெண்ணியம் இல்லை.

ஆணும் பெண்ணும் சமம். பல நேரங்களில் வலிமை மிக்க ஆண் கூட சில நேரம் பலவீனன் ஆகலாம். பல நேரம் பாதுகாக்க பட வேண்டிய பெண் கூட சில நேரங்களில் சூப்பர் ஹீரோ ஆகலாம் என்று உணர்வது தான் பெண்ணியம்.

ஒருவர் குறையை இன்னொருவர் தீர்த்து ஒருவர் பாரத்தை மற்றவர் சுமக்க கற்றுக் கொள்ளும் போது தான் நம் சமுதாயம் மலர தொடங்கும்.

பகலும் இருவும்

இனிப்பும் கசப்பும்

இன்பமும் துன்பமும்

வெயிலும் பணியும்

சூரியனும் சந்திரனும்

ஆணும் பெண்ணும்

ஒன்றில்லாமல் மற்றொன்டிற்கு மதிப்பில்லை

முற்றும்

கதாசிரியரிடம் இருந்து,

என்ன நண்பர்களே, எல்லாரும் சவுக்கியமா? தடுப்பூசி எல்லாம் போட்டாச்சா? போடலனா சீக்கிரம் போய் போட்டுடுங்க 🙂

உங்க எல்லோரிடமும் இப்படி ஒரு பேருந்து கதை நிச்சயம் இருக்கும். உங்க கதைய கமெண்ட்ஸ்ல சொல்லுங்க. கேட்க ஆவலாக இருக்கிறேன்.

இது போன்ற கதைகளை படிக்க இந்த தொகுப்பு பட்டனை கிளிக் செய்யுங்க.

தொகுப்பு

அடுத்த முறை சந்திப்போம்!

வேண்டாம் என்றானே!

தென்னிந்தியாவின் நடுமையத்தில் ரம்மியமாய் அமைந்திருந்த விருதுநகர் என்னும் ஊரில் சிறுவன் ஒருவன் வாழ்ந்து வந்தான். தெளிந்த வானத்தை போன்று எளிமையானவன் அவன். பொன்னோ பொருளோ ஏதும்இன்றி சாதாரண சிறுவனாய் சுற்றி வந்தான். அவனிடம் சூப்பர் ஹீரோ சக்திகளோ கின்னஸ் புத்தகத்தில் இடம் பெரும் அளவிற்கு திறமைகளோ இருந்ததில்லை. ஆனால் நம் எல்லோரிடமும் இல்லாத ஒரு அற்புத குணம் அவனிடம் இருந்தது. “வேண்டாம் என்று கூறும் தைரியம் அவனுக்கு இருந்தது”. இதில் என்ன பெரிய அதிசயம்? என்று நீங்கள் கேட்கலாம். மற்றவர்கள் என்ன நினைப்பார்கள், இந்த உலகம் என்ன நினைக்கும் என்று ஒவ்வொரு நொடியும் யோசிக்கும் நம்மை போன்ற மனிதர்கள் மத்தியில் இதை எல்லாம் சிறிதும் கண்டு கொள்ளமல் தன் மனம் போன போக்கை பின் தொடரும் மிக பெரிய தைரியம் அந்த சிறுவனுக்கு இருந்தது. அவனின் இந்த தைரியம் லட்சக்கணக்கான மக்களின் வாழ்வில் ஒளி ஏற்றி வைத்தது. அவர்களின் கனவுகள் நினைவாக வழி வகை செய்தது. அவ்வளவு பெரிய மனிதனாய் மாறினான் இந்த சிறுவன். இந்த அற்புத சிறுவனின் கதையை சொல்லட்டுமா?

தமிழ்நாட்டின் விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம்

அந்த சிறுவனுக்கு 6 வையதிருக்கும் போது மரணம் அவன் வீட்டிற்குள் நுழைந்து அவன் தந்தையை தன்னுடன் கூட்டி சென்றது. அன்றைய தினம் அவன் தன் வாழ்வின் மிக பெரிய முடிவொன்றை எடுத்தான். கல்வி வேண்டாம் என்றான். தன் பள்ளி நினைவுகளை எல்லாம் மூட்டை கட்டி விட்டு, தன்னை நெருக்கி கொண்டிருந்த வறுமையை எதிர்த்து போராட ஆரம்பித்தான்.

காலங்கள் உருண்டோடியது. அந்த சிறுவன் மதிப்பு மிக்க இளைஞனாய் வளர்ந்தான். தனது தந்தையின் மளிகை வியாபாரத்தின் மூலம் தன் தாயையும் தங்கையையும் கவனித்துக் கொண்டான். முன்று வேலை உணவு, இருக்க நல்ல வீடு – வாழ்க்கை அவன் எதிர்பார்த்ததை விட நன்றாக மாறியது. “கல்யாணம் பண்ணிக்கோடா ராசா. என் கண்ணு குளிர பாக்க வேண்டாமா” ஒவ்வொரு இரவும் அவன் தாய் கெஞ்சினாள். ஆனால்  

அவனுக்கோ விண்ணை தொட ஆசை. அந்த குட்டி கிராமத்தில் தன் வாழ்வை முடித்துக் கொள்ள அவன் விரும்ப வில்லை. அவனது பதினெட்டாம் வயதில் யாருமே எதிர்பார்த்திராதா, நம்மில் பெரும்பாலானோர் செய்ய துணியாத ஒன்றை செய்தான். அவன் தனது குடும்பம், தொழில், எங்கோ காத்திருந்த முறைப்பெண் என தன்னை கட்டி வைத்திருந்த பாரங்களுக்கெல்லாம் ஒரு முற்றுபுள்ளி வைத்து விட்டு இந்திய சுதந்திர போராட்டத்தில் பங்கேற்க இந்திய தேசிய காங்கிரஸில் நுழைந்தான்.

அவன் செய்தது சரியா? தவறா? யாருக்கும் தெரியும். ஒரு வேலை தவறான முடிவாக கூட இருக்கலாம். ஆனால் அந்த குட்டி கிராமத்தின் எல்லைக்குள் தன் வாழ்க்கை முடிந்து விடுமோ என்ற பயம், விடை தெரியாத இந்த விடுதலை போராட்டத்தில் அவனை உந்தியது. தெருக்களிலும் வீதிகளிலும் சுதந்திர சுடரை பரப்ப ஆரம்பித்தான். பிரிட்டிஷ் அரசாங்கத்திற்கு எதிராக ஏராளமான போராட்டங்களில் பங்கேற்றான். பல முறை கைது செய்யப்பட்டு சிறைக்கும் சென்றான் அந்த இளைஞன்.

அவனது 2௦ வருட கடின உழைப்பிற்க்காண பலன் ஒருநாள் அவன் வீடு தேடி வந்தது. கவுன்சிலர் என்னும் பதவியை அவனிடம் நீட்டியது. மாதா மாதம் தவறாமல் சம்பளம், கவுன்சிலர் என்னும் பட்டம், அதனோடு சேர்ந்த அதிகாரம். தெரு தெருவாய் சுற்றி வந்த அவனுக்கு ஒரு நிலையான பாதையாய் அமைந்தது அந்த பதவி. வயதாகி கொண்டே சென்ற அவனுக்கு இது ஒரு அற்புதமான வாய்ப்பு. எந்த ஒரு புத்திசாலி மனிதனும் மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் அதனை ஏற்று கொண்டிருப்பான். ஆனால் அவனோ இந்த பதவி தனக்கு வேண்டாம் என்றான். “பதவிக்காக வேலை செய்பவன் நான் இல்லை. என் மக்களுக்கு நன்மை செய்ய வேண்டும். அது தான் என் குறிக்கோள். அதற்க்கு உதவாத எந்த பதவியும் எனக்கு தேவை இல்லை” என்று தைரியமாக கூறினான் அவன்.

உலகம் அவனை பைத்தியம் என்று எள்ளியது. அவனோ தன் கண்களுக்கு மட்டுமே புலப்பட்ட தன் கனவை நோக்கி நடந்தான்.  

அவனது ஐம்பதாம் வயதில் தன் வாழ்வில் மிக பெரிய மையில்கல்லை அவன் எட்டினான். தமிழ்நாட்டின் முதல்வராக அவன் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டான். அவனது அமைச்சரவையை தேர்வு செய்ய வேண்டிய நேரம் வந்தது. “எப்பவும் போல நம்ம கட்சில இருந்தே அமைச்சர்கள தேர்ந்தெடுத்து இலாகா ஒதுக்கணும் தலைவரே” கட்சி நிர்வாகம் அவனிடம் கூறியது. ஆனால் எப்பவும் போல அவன் தன்கென்று தேர்ந்தெடுத்த தனி வழியில் செயல்பட்டான். தன்னை எதிர்த்து போட்டியிட்ட சட்ட மேதையான சுப்பிரமணியனை தனது நிதி அமைச்சராக நியமித்தான். அவன் முடிவுக்கு பல எதிர்ப்புகள் எழுந்தன. “ஒருவர் குறைகளை இன்னொருவர் நிறைவு செய்து ஒன்றாய் செயல் பட வேண்டியா அமைச்சரவையில் படிப்பறிவில்லாத என் குறைகளை தீர்க்க சுப்பிரமணியனை போன்றதொரு படித்த மேதை நிச்சயம் தேவை” என்று புன்னகை சேர்ந்த துணிவுடன் கூறினான்.

“கருவூலம் காலி தலைவரே. அரசு பள்ளிகளை நடத்த கூட காசு இல்ல”, தமிழகத்தின் முதல்வராய் அவன் கேட்ட முதல் வார்த்தைகள் இவை.

குலகல்வி திட்டம் – பள்ளி இயங்கும் நேரத்தை 6 மணி நேரத்தில் இருந்த 3 மணி நேரமாக குறைபதன் மூலம் இப்போது இருக்கும் ஆசிரியர்களை கொண்டே இரு மடங்கு மாணவர்களுக்கு கல்வி கற்பிக்கும் திட்டம். “குழந்தைகள் தங்கள் குடும்ப வர்த்தகத்தை ஓய்வு நேரத்தில் கற்றுக்கொள்ளலாம். ஒரு குயவனின் மகன் குயவன் ஆகட்டும், வணிகனின் மகன் வணிகம் கற்றுக் கொள்ளட்டும். நாம் இருக்கும் நிலைமையில் இதை தான் நம்மால் செய்ய முடியும். நெருக்கடி காலங்களில் முழுமையான கல்வி சாத்தியமில்லை” அவன் அமைச்சர்கள் முன்மொழிந்தனர்.

ஆனால் அவனோ “குலகல்வி திட்டமாவது மண்ணாவது. இந்த மாதிரி அறை குறை திட்டம் எல்லாம் தமிழ் நாட்டுக்கு வேண்டாம். என் மக்களுக்கு தரமான சமமான கல்விய நானே தருவேன்” என்று சவால் விட்டான்.

இந்திய வரலாற்றில் முதல் முறையாக ஒரு முதலமைச்சர் வீடு வீடாக சென்று தன் மக்களுக்காக நிதி திரட்டினார். அவமானமும் கேலி பேச்சும் அவனை பின் தொடர்ந்தது. சிலர் அவனை எள்ளினார். சிலர் அவனை முட்டாள் என்றனர். ஆனால் நல்ல மனிதர்கள் சிலர் அவன் செயலை பாராட்டினர். தங்களால் முடிந்த வரை உதவி செய்தனர். இதன் மூலம் பிறந்தது தான் மாநில கல்வி தொண்டு இயக்கம்.

இவ்வியக்கத்தின் மூலம் திரட்டிய நிதியால் மாநிலம் முழுவதும் பல புதிய பள்ளிகள் திறக்கப்பட்டன. பழைய பள்ளிகள் சீர் செய்யப்பட்டன.

ஆனால் இதையெல்லாம் தாண்டி முதல் முறையாக மதிய உணவு திட்டம் அணைத்து பள்ளிகளிலும் தொடங்கப்பட்டன. “ஒரு முறை என் பயணத்தின் போது மாடு மேய்ச்சிட்டு இருந்த சிறுவன் ஒருவன பார்த்தேன். ஏன் டா தம்பி, பள்ளி கூடத்துக்கு போகலையானு கேட்டபோ அந்த சிறுவன் சொன்னான் – ஐயா பள்ளிக்கு போன மூளைக்கு சோறு கிடைக்கும் ஆனா வைத்துக்கு? பசி முக்கியமா பள்ளி முக்கியமானா பசி தான ஐயா முக்கியம் அப்படின்னு சொன்னான் அந்த சிறுவன். அன்னைக்கு முடிவு செஞ்சேன். பள்ளிக்கூடம் மூளைக்கு மட்டும் இல்ல வயித்துக்கும் உணவளிக்கணும் அப்படின்னு. அதன் மூலம் பிறந்தது தான் இந்த மதிய உணவு திட்டம்” என்று மேடைகளில் முழக்கமிட்டான் அவன்.

இத்திட்டத்திற்கு பொது மக்கள், பிற மாநில அரசுகள், பத்திரிகைகள் என எல்லோரிடமும் இருந்து பாராட்டுகளும் ஆதரவும் குவிந்தது. பள்ளிகளில் சேர மாணவர்களுக்கு பெரும் ஊக்கமாக மாறியது. சாதி வேறுபாட்டை களையவும் கல்வி புரட்சியை தொடங்கவும் வழி வகை செய்தது

அவனின் முயற்சிகளின் மூலம் கிட்ட தட்ட 80,000 மில்லியன் ரூபாய் தன்னார்வ நன்கொடைகள் மூலம் திரட்டப்பட்டது. 2,00,000 மாணவர்கள் புதிதாக பள்ளிகளில் சேர்ந்தனர். 15,000 க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பள்ளிகள் மாநிலம் முழுவதும் கட்டப்பட்டன.

உலகமே முடியாது என்று கூறிய போதும் அதையெல்லாம் ஓரம் கட்டி விட்டு தன் முயற்சியினால் தான் சொன்ன சொல்லை நிறைவேற்றி முடித்தான் நம் ஹீரோ.

இன்றும் கூட லட்சகணக்கான மாணவர்களின் அறிவு பசியையும் வயிற்று பசியையும் ஆற்றும் உறைவிடமாய் தமிழக பள்ளிகள் அமைவதற்கு அவன் தான் காரணம். விண்ணை தாண்டி பறப்பதற்கு அவர்களுக்கு சிறகளித்தவன் அவன் தான். இன்று தமிழர்கள் பல பன்னாட்டு நிறுவனங்களில் தலைவர்களாய் இருப்பதற்கும் உலகின் எல்லா நாடுகளிலும் கோடி கட்டி பறப்பதற்கும் அவனும் ஒரு காரணம். இந்த கதையை எழுதும் நானும் கூட அவன் திறந்த பள்ளிகளில் ஒன்றில் படித்தவன் தான்.

நம் ஹீரோவின் ஆட்சியில் தமிழ்நாடு பொருளாதாரத்தில் செழித்தது. பல தொழில்துறை பூங்காக்கள் உருவாக்கப்பட்டன. அணைகள் மூலம் நீர் பாசன வசதி செய்யப்பட்டு விவசாயம் செழிக்க வழி வகை செய்யப்பட்டது. தமிழ்நாடு அவனின் 9 வருட பொற்கால ஆட்சியில் மலர்ந்தது.

ஆனால் இந்த வசந்த காலம் நீண்ட நாள் நிலைக்கவில்லை.

“முதல்வர் தன் பதவியை ராஜினாமா செய்து விட்டார்” என்ற அதிர்ச்சி செய்தி மூளை முடுக்கெல்லாம் பரவியது. “முதல்வர் ஏன் இப்படி ஒரு முடிவு எடுத்தாரு?” தெருக்கள் தோரும் மக்கள் குழம்பி நின்றனர்.

“பொருளாதார வளர்ச்சி, மக்கள் முன்னேற்றம் என ஒரு பக்கம் மகிழ்ச்சி சூழ்ந்து இருக்க மறு பக்கத்திலோ என்னை வளர்த்த என் கட்சி – இந்திய தேசிய காங்கிரஸ் நோயுற்று கிடக்கிறாள். கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாய் கரைந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறாள். எனக்கிருக்கும் இந்த பெயர் புகழ் பதவி எல்லாம் அவள் தந்தது. இப்படி இருக்க அவள் நிலையை கண்டும் காணாமல் என்னால் எப்படி இருக்க முடியும்? அவளை மீட்டெடுக்க வேண்டியது என் கடமை. . ஐ.என்.சி யின் தலைவர்களே கேளுங்கள்! உங்கள் பதவிகளை தூக்கி எறிந்து விட்டு ஐ.என்.சி யின் வேர்களை வலுப்படுத்த முன் வாருங்கள். ஐ.என்.சி பதவி பித்து பிடித்தவர்களால் அல்ல, இந்த நாட்டை நேசிக்கும் மனிதர்களால் ஆனது என்று இந்த உலகிற்கு நிருபியுங்கள்” ஆணித்தரமாய் கூறினான்.

சொன்னவாறே தன் சிங்காசனம் வேண்டாம் என்று உதறி தள்ளி விட்டு கட்சியை வலுபடுத்த தொடங்கினான்.   

பதவியை அவன் விட்டாலும் பதவி அவனை விட்டபாடில்லை. இந்தியாவின் மிக பெரிய சிம்மாசனம் அவனுக்காக காத்திருந்தது. பிரதமர் என்னும் பட்டம் – அவன் வீடு தேடி நின்றது. ஆம், 196௦ களில் நடந்த தேர்தலில் அவன் பிரதமர் பதவியில் போட்டியிட்டு வெற்றிபெறுவான் என்று உலகமே எதிர்பார்த்திருந்தது. ஆனால் என் ஹீரோவோ இதற்கெல்லாம் மயங்கவில்லை. “பதவியும் வேண்டாம் புகழும் வேண்டாம்” என்று ஆணித்தரமாக கூறினான்.

மற்றவர்களுக்கு உதவுவதையும் அவர்கள் புன்னகைக்கு காரணமாய் மாறுவதையும் தன் வாழ்கையின் இலட்சியமாக்கிக் கொண்டான். தனது பெரும் முயற்சியின் மூலம் இந்திரா காந்தியையும் லால் பகதூர் சாஷ்திரியையும் சுதந்திர இந்தியாவின் அடுத்தடுத்த பிரதமர்களாக பதவி வகுக்க உதவினான்.

அவரன் முதல்வராக இருந்த காலத்தில், விருதுநகர் நகராட்சி அவனது வீட்டிற்கு நேரடி நீர் இணைப்பை வழங்கியபோது, ​​அத்தகைய சிறப்பு சலுகைகள் எல்லாம் தனக்கு வேண்டாம் என்று ஏற்க மறுத்துவிட்டான்.

முதலமைச்சராக தனக்கு வழங்கப்பட்ட இசட்-லெவல் பாதுகாப்பைப் பயன்படுத்த மறுத்தான். அதற்கு பதிலாக ஒரே ஒரு போலீஸ் ரோந்து வாகனத்துடன் பயணம் செய்தான். அவன் இறுதிவரை திருமணம் செய்து கொள்ளவில்லை, சொத்துக்கள் ஏதும் சேர்க்கவில்லை, அதிகாரத்திற்கு அடிமையாக வில்லை, ஒரு ரூபாய் கூட லஞ்சம் பெற்றதில்லை. அவன் இறந்தபோது, 130 ரூபாய் பணம், 2 ஜோடி செருப்பு, 4 சட்டை, 4 வேட்டி மட்டுமே அவன் உடைமையாக இருந்தது.

தனது கடைசி மூச்சு வரை, அநீதியையும் வறுமையையும் சமூகத்தை விட்டு அகற்ற போராடினான். யாருமே எதிர்பார்த்திராத உயரங்களையும் அடைந்தான்.

பணம், பெயர், புகழ், பதவி இவை எல்லாம் அவன் வாசலில் காத்துக் கிடந்த போதும் இவை ஏதும் வேண்டாம் என்று கூறி மக்களுக்கு நல்லது செய்வதை தன் வாழ்வின் குறிக்கோளாகக் கொண்டான். அதை சாதித்தும் காட்டினான்.

வேண்டாம் என்று சொன்னானே அவன்.

அவன் வெறும் யாரும் இல்லை – கல்வி கண் திறந்த வள்ளல், கருப்பு சிங்கம், படிக்க மேதை, ஏழைகளின் தலைவன், கர்மவீரன் காமராசனே!

கர்மவீரர் காமராசர்

மதிய உணவு திட்டத்தில் மாணவர்களுக்கு உணவு வழங்கும் காமராசர்

சில நேரங்களில் நம் ஹீரோவை போல

வேண்டாம் என்று சொல்ல துணிவோமே!

வாய்ப்புகளை இருக்க பிடித்துக் கொள்

சலுகைகளை இருக்க கட்டிக் கொள்

இப்படி ஒரு வாய்ப்பு மீண்டும் கிடைக்காது

இப்படி ஒரு சலுகை பூமியிலே இல்லை

இந்த உலகம் உன்னிடம் கூறினாலும்

இது நமக்கு ஏற்றதா? என் வளர்ச்சிக்கு உதவுமா?

என் சந்தோஷத்திற்கு வழி வகுக்குமா?

என்று ஒரு முறை சிந்தித்துக் கொள் நண்பா

நீ வேண்டும் என்று ஏற்கும் ஒவ்வொரு முறையும்

மற்ற எல்லா வாய்ப்புகளையும் உனக்கே தெரியாமல் வேண்டாம் என்று உதறி தள்ளுகிறாய்

வேண்டும் வேண்டும் என்ற பித்தில் திரியும் இவ்வுலகில்

வேண்டாம் என்று கூறவும் கற்றுக் கொள்!

வணக்கம்

கதாசிரியரிடம் இருந்து,

என்ன நண்பர்களே எல்லாரும் எப்படி இருக்கீங்க? சாப்பிட்டாச்சா? கொரோனா லாக் டவுன்லாம் எப்படி இருக்கு?

கதை கொஞ்சம் கால தாமதமாகி விட்டது. அடியேனை மன்னித்து விடுங்கள்.

கதை எப்படி இருக்கு? எல்லாத்துக்கும் ஆமாம் ஆமாம் சொல்லி பழகிய நமக்கு வேண்டாம்னு சொல்றது கஷ்டம் தான்.

கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா கத்துப்போமே? சரியா?

இது போன்ற கதைகளை படிக்க இந்த தொகுப்பு பட்டனை கிளிக் செய்யுங்க.

தொகுப்பு

மீண்டும் சந்திப்போம் 🙂

BUTTERFLY EFFECT – CHAPTER I

“The flapping wings of a distant butterfly can cause a hurricane

A single act, no matter how small, can cause great change”

Julia read from her friend’s Instagram post. “Is this real? Can a small act really make a great change? she asked herself. She was seated comfortably near the window in an extremely cramped bus. The bus was overflowing with people since it was the peak time of the day.

Every day Julia would board the 6.00 bus. It was a miracle that her office is just steps away from the depot and because of that she always finds a seat. Every day, she would choose a window seat, put on her earphones and lose herself in her social media.

That night, a little butterfly passed by the window and a brilliant idea sparked. “Hey butterfly, this better be worth it” Julia mumbled and looked around. There was a woman in her mid-thirties struggling to cope with the ever-growing crowd. Her eyes were already weary from a hard day’s work. Julia got up and said to the woman “you look very tired. Come on, sit here”. The woman looked surprised – as if a Genie has granted her greatest wish. “O thank you so much” the lady replied and sat down with a huge smile. Now it was Julia’s turn to be squeezed in this hell of an 2hr ride. “let’s see how this story ends” Julia mumbled with a smile and held onto the railings real tight.

When the clock struck 8, little Jason dropped whatever he was doing and turned his attention towards the door. At this exact moment his mom would be barging through the doors drenched in sweats and breathing heavily as if she had just fought a battle. Indeed, her 2hr travel in that cramped bus is a battle of the 21st century. But today, she entered the doors with a wide smile. “Am I dreaming” Jason rubbed his eyes once again not able to believe his mom’s smile. She walked towards him with a huge grin and hugged him tight. “I’m so happy today Jas. You know what? a young lady gave me her seat today! It felt like a miracle. so, let’s celebrate. Let’s make your favorite cupcakes. But you should finish your homework before that little boy” She said with her radiant smile. Jason was so excited at the mention of his favorite blueberry cupcakes, he finished his entire homework in lightning speed while frequently losing himself in the warm smell of cupcakes that filled the air. He felt grateful to that unknown young lady who made his mom smile. “Thank you so much” he said to the sky and ran back to the dining table.

Alex parked his car while sighing to himself “Ha another night of constant Wailing”. Another night of his wife constantly talking about her naughty students, how hard it is to be a teacher and how dark the world is. Indeed, Alex knew how hard it is to be a teacher to 10year old boys. Their infinite energy and endless questions and merciless talking. It is one of the most tiring jobs in the world. But still he wished his wife could just stop worrying about her world and start looking at him. Stop talking and listen to him once in a while. He too had a rough day and messed up pretty hard and was embarrassed in front of everybody. He wished she could take a glimpse in his world too. He had been a constant listener and somehow these days he felt lonely even though he was sitting just by her side. “Is it too much to ask?” Alex mumbled to himself as he made his way to the doors. “I’m home” his weary voice echoed through the walls. “O love, you’re back. You know what happened today? Jason….”, his wife began to speak. “There she goes again” Alex sighed and walked towards the TV. “Jason did all his homework perfectly. all my years of hard work really paid off. So How was your day?” his wife said with a beautiful smile. The smile he fell in love with. Alex dropped the remote and froze on spot. “Did I heard wrong?” he thought. “Hey I asked how was your day?” She asked again.

Without even knowing Alex walked towards her and hugged her tight. “Love, what happened? What’s wrong? Are you sick? Did you had a rough day?” she asked while hugging him tight. “You know what? I’ve been dying to hear those words from you. You don’t know how powerful those are. Just a simple how was your day? means a lot. Every day I listened to your stories with all my heart, but deep inside I wished you could ask me too” Alex said. “So now tell me, what did that stupid boss of yours did today” his wife said with a smile. Soon the sound of laughter filled the air. “let’s stay like this for a long long time” the laughing couple thought to themselves that night.

TO BE CONTINUED…………….

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Greetings my lovely readers 🙂

Of course, everyday has become a survival war for us since the advent of this Corona. We are being drained physically, mentally and spiritually. Our plans had gone down the drain. But I still believe that if we fight together, We can defeat this demon.

“The flapping wings of a distant butterfly can cause a hurricane

A single act, no matter how small, can cause great change

Even your teeny tiny help can save a life.

Lets help each other, support each other and save each other.

Stay tuned to find the hurricane our little butterfly caused.

The next chapter will be updated next sunday.

Don’t forget to share, comment and follow my blog.

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Till then, Adios amigos!!

THE MAN WHO SAID NO – CHAPTER II

“The treasury is empty, we are barely running on fumes. We have no funds to even run public schools”, were the first words he heard as the Chief Minister of the Madras Province.

“Kula Kalvi Thittam – Cutting down the 6hr school education to 3hr shifts, to reduce the economic burden that comes with the salary for teachers and required infrastructure”, his ministers proposed. “The children can learn their family trade in the spare time. A potter’s son will become a potter and a merchant’s son will turn into a merchant. This is what we can afford now. Proper education in these times of crisis is not possible” Every minister in his cabinet proclaimed.

“NO,” he said loud and clear in the face of adversity. “Access to proper education, And the cure to this poverty-stricken society, I will provide everything and will take care of my people”, he challenged reality.

The Chief Minister of the Madras province went from door to door collecting funds. Humiliation and disgrace followed him as loyal men. But the man was determined to fight against reality. His untiring efforts led to a massive people-led educational charity movement across the State.

He introduced Mid-day meals scheme to provide food to every student. “Once during my travels, I came across children in villages rearing cattle for livelihood. When asked about schools, they said schools couldn’t fill their stomachs but those cattle did. That day I decided that not only feeding the minds, schools should also feed their hunger” he stated in his speeches.

The scheme received wide support from the press, other state governments, and the general public. Voluntary donations around Rs. 80,000 million was raised. The scheme was successful far beyond expectations. It became huge incentives for pupils to join the schools in rural areas and also helped to break the caste barrier and led to a silent revolution.

During his rule, nearly 2,00,000 thousand students found their way into the schools and more than 15,000 schools were built all over the state.

He turned his insane dream into a reality.

Millions and millions of students to this day owe their access to education and empowerment to this man. And I can proudly state I’m one of them too.

Under his reign, the Madras province flourished in the economy. Industrial parks were created. Dams sprung and agriculture boomed. The people of Madras enjoyed their lives under his remarkable leadership for almost 9 years.

But then came a bolt of thunder out of nowhere

“The Chief Minister has resigned his post” the newspapers shouted in disbelief on that misty morning. Chaos and confusion surrounded the people. “Why would he do that?” the crowd whispered among themselves.  

“The economy is flourishing and the people are prospering. But, my party, the Indian National Congress is diseased. She is crumbling right before my eyes. How can I stand still seeing her despair? All this fame and power came from her. And  I want to give back what I received from her. O great leaders all over India, I invite you to resign your posts and get back to the streets, and strengthen INC’s roots. Let’s prove to the world that INC is run by men who love this country and not by some power-hungry demons” he proclaimed with a smile as he stepped down from his throne.

But destiny wasn’t giving up on her favorite candidate. Just three years later, a bigger and better throne was bestowed in his hands. The throne to reign over the entire India, the throne to become the prime minister of independent India. Power, fame, money everything came with the title. But he was no ordinary man to be tempted by such mere vanities. He said NO again.

He realized his purpose in life was helping others and sharing their smile and so he did. He made Indira Gandhi as well as Lal Bahadur Shashtiri as successive prime ministers of Independent India.

During his tenure as Chief Minister, when the municipality of Virudhunagar provided a direct water connection to his house in his hometown, he refused to accept such special privileges. Indeed, He was one of those few people who were strong enough to say NO to the eyes of fame and fortune.

He refused to use the Z-level security that was provided to him as the Chief Minister and instead traveled with just one police patrol vehicle. He did not marry, did not own any property, and was never tempted by power. When he died, he left behind 130 rupees, 2 pairs of sandals, 4 shirts, 4 dhotis, and a few books.

Till his last breath, he fought against injustice and poverty and refused to accept the limitations of mortal beings.

He was the man who knew when to say NO

This man was none other than the great political leader, educational crusader, The Kingmaker, “Kamaraj”

Kingmaker Kamarajar

Kamarajar providing mid day meals to the students

Grab on that opportunity

Hold on to that broken principle

Stick to your messed up life

Walkthrough this dark forest

Stay even when it feels like drowning

Don’t give up this wonderful opportunity

You might regret! you might never get it again!

We whisper to ourselves every night

We reason with our soul every day

But is it worth the pain? Worth the time? And your name?

We learn a million things every day

Yet, we never learn to say NO

THE END

AUTHORS NOTE:

Greetings my lovely reader, Hope you guys are doing well 🙂

Kamarajar was one those great political leaders who sacrificed their lives for the welfare of others. I have great respect for him and he has been my inspiration in life for a very long time.

Learn to say NO – that’s the message I wished to convey through these words. Recently, I realized how easily we say yes to every opportunity that comes our way. We are constantly in the fear of losing opportunities. We never pause to think “is it worth the time and effort?”. Because nobody taught us how to say No. How to prioritize our wellbeing above success and growth.

I hope you guys could do that from now on. Take a few moments before saying yes and built up the courage to say No once in a while.

Because No is a choice and Yes is a responsibility.

The next story will be updated on may 2nd.

Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments.

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Till then, Adios amigos!!

THE MAN WHO SAID NO – CHAPTER I

Once upon a time, in the outskirts of a village in Southern India, there lived a little boy. He was as simple as a clear sky. He wasn’t a rich prince and he had no super powers. He was no child prodigy with a three digit IQ. But this ordinary little boy changed the destiny of millions of people just because he knew when to say no. He had the ability to refuse without regrets. And it was this ability that took him to greater heights.

Virudhunagar – a village in Tamilnadu, South India

When the little boy turned 6, death took his father away from his life. He packed the little courage he had and stood at his school gates one last time. Because he decided to put an end to his education. Poverty and destiny and a million other thoughts taught him that day, the most valuable lesson of his life. “To say No without an ounce of regret is indeed a super power”.

The little boy grew into a dynamic young man and spent his days looking after his father’s grocery business and supporting his mother and sister. Life turned out to be better than expected. There was a roof above his head and three meals a day. “Now all you have to do is marry a girl and settle down,” his mother pestered him every night. But he was not ready to confine his world to the gates of his house. He wanted to touch the skies. So, at the age of 18, he did something that frightens most of us. He said NO – to his family business, his prospective career and his family burdens. He joined the freedom struggle and made his way into the Indian National Congress party.

Maybe he was right and maybe he was wrong. He had no idea. But the thought that his life would end within those village streets was more frightening than the unseen struggle that stood before him. And thus began his political career. He Rallied through the streets spreading the freedom flame that had engulfed him and took part in numerous protests against the British government. He eventually found himself behind prison bars quite frequently.

His 20 years of hard work presented him in a gold platter the post of councilor. A settled job with a generous pay and power that comes with the title – it was a lucrative offer. Any smart man would have taken it. He was getting old, he had an ailing mother and a sister to take care of. After 20 years of purusing his career it was the right opportunity to settle down. But to every soul’s disbelief he refused. He said NO to the offer stating firmly “One should not accept any post to which one could not do full justice”. He followed his heart and his insane dream.

When he turned 50, he reached a milestone in his career. He was elected as the chief minister of the Madras province. A post that comes with great power and great responsibility. When the time came to form his cabinet of ministers, traditions spelled him to choose people from his own political party and assign them to the domains. But just like always he said NO to the unquestioned traditions. To everybody’s surprise he appointed Subramanian – the law graduate and finance prodigy who opposed him in the elections as his finance minister. There were oppositions and resistance against his actions. But he believed that a team must be able to balance out each other, to complement each other’s weakness and a man like him is exactly what he needed to complement his uneducated self.

TO BE CONTINUED

AUTHORS NOTE:

Greetings my lovely readers,

Easter is the time to remember the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and thank the Lord for paving the right way of love and peace for humanity. Happy Easter 2021!

Did you found the man I was talking about? Try guessing hehe.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Do tell me in the comments.

Don’t forget to Share with your loved ones.

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The next part will be posted on 11th April, Zero o clock.

Till then, Adios amigos!!

THE EMPTY SEAT

I’ve never been in a battlefield but I’ve been somewhere very similar. I’ve survived traveling in an Indian bus on a 7 o clock, Monday night. And believe me, it was more fierce than a battlefield.

Being crushed and stamped and gasping for air inside that metal cage of a bus is an everyday battle for most Indians.

 And getting a seat in that rampage is more like a miracle than a mere probability.

Indian buses have unspoken rules. Everybody knows it and yet nobody talks about it.

Though the seats are arranged, the left side is for the ladies and the right side for the gentlemen.

Women can take the men’s seat but a man should never ever take the women’s seat.

I’m still wondering who made such a rule? and how did they telepathized it to others?

The answers were nowhere to be seen.

On that day,

Like any other working-class youngster, my hero made his way through the crowded bus to find a spot to minimize the damage that was about to happen. The day’s hard work had already drained his energy and left him as a walking zombie. “Life is too hard”, he sighed.  

Two women had occupied the seats near him. He knew it was the men’s side and he also knew the unspoken rule. He kept his mouth shut like the gentleman he was.

One of the women got down the next stop. And alas the miracle of the empty seat appeared before his eyes. But there was a catch. Beside my hero stood a beautiful girl and now they were both competing for that empty seat.

“I’m a man of honor. I should act like the gentleman I am and give her the seat. It is the duty of men to protect the women.  I should be that selfless courageous man who sacrifices his desires for the betterment of the weaker sex, women” He listed to his consciousness.

But his trembling legs and his weary body was ready to pounce on the empty seat.

The dilemma between choosing himself and choosing his dignity created a storm inside my hero’s mind.

But the beautiful girl smiled her heavenly smile. She waved her hands signaling him to take the seat.

He blinked a few times like a deer caught in headlights. Yet, his legs made their way to the seat on their own and he dropped down.

He took a deep breath and smiled like a fool. The miracle of the empty seat came to him that day.

And my hero understood an unspoken truth that had been hidden all these years.

Feminism is not about shouting out loud that women are the strongest, boldest and greatest but still playing the weaker card to cut through queues, getting seats in buses, or blaming men every now and then. It is understanding that every soul is equal and beautiful in its own way. It means striving for a world of equality.

Men and women are

Like yin and yang

Like light darkness

Like day and night

Like spring and winter

Like the ocean and desert

We complete each other’s weaknesses

We fuel each other’s brightness

We aren’t worth much without each other

THE END

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Hey there my lovely readers,

Hope you guys are doing well.

No better time to talk about feminism than the women’s day week, isn’t it?

Let’s celebrate women.

But that doesn’t mean trash talking men, my dear.

I would happily choose a society of equality than a world full of feminists.

I would love to hear your thoughts on feminism. Do tell me in the comments.

Don’t forget to Share with your loved ones.

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Happy women’s day

CHANGING SEASONS

Why change careers? why change cities? why would I even change my hair color!?  

I’m one of those weird beings who find pleasure and comfort in routine life. Who cherish the solace of well-known faces and familiar neighborhoods.

Someone who fears change.

Are you like me? Maybe? or maybe not?

I love familiarity. The same routine morning, the same mailman, the same voice booming in the radio the same snores of my neighbors. I delight in this world I have created for myself.

But why? I cried at the words blinking on my computer screen.

“Mrs. Katie Thomson,

Congratulations on your retirement.

We, at the Saint inc., express our gratitude for the 36years you spent in our firm and contributed to our growth

We wish you a happy retirement.

With Warm regards,

Saint inc.,

Why? After 36 years of the routine that I perfected as a symphony, why did it end? I cried in my bed.

The 9-5 routine defined my life. The familiar faces inside those cubicles and the blinking screens – my entire life revolved around them.

♫ la la lalalaaaaa ♫ as my phone ringed I smiled to myself. For 10 years even the ringtone never changed.

“Come on mom, your flight is next week. Start packing and stop whining like a baby” the words of my beloved son urging me to fly to an unknown land of an unknown language and unknown people echoed through the device.

And now I’m forced to face the eyes of my worst nightmare – change. I need to rebuild my life from scratches, again from the basics.

Will it be worth it? I’m not sure yet.

As I began to pack my entire life into those tiny brown boxes, I realized most of my prized possessions were worn out books that were read and read and reread for who knows how many times. Lots and lots of trinkets which can be easily passed on as junk, but only my blurry eyes know the beautiful memories they hold – time capsules of my life.

Surprisingly Underneath those piles of preserved history came out an immense treasure, my age-old diary, almost as old as me.

I did my best to make it anew and settled into the comfortable embrace of my couch before time-traveling into my past.

Dear diary

I hate kids

How can they cry and shout and run and irritate all at the same time!

It was an awful day today. Mom forced me to babysit our neighbor’s 3-year-old girl Jenny. It was a total disaster. She broke my favorite plate, ruined our walls, tore my teddy apart, and made me cry.

I’m never going to have children when I grow up.   

Then I turned towards the picture that adorned the table, I was holding my 5-year-old son. I had my happiest smile, happier than the man who won the lottery, happier than the world’s richest man. I was the happiest because I held my greatest treasure, my little boy.

When did I realized my little boy would be the light of my life? I pondered that night before turning the pages.

Dear diary

I can’t understand why adults like coffee?

Yuk!

It’s hot and bitter

Why would people pay for something bitter!?

When I become an adult, I’m going to buy myself an ice cream every day.

I laughed. Because the tons of coffee cups scattered in my tiny apartment proved me utterly wrong. And I don’t remember buying myself an ice cream at all. Haha.

Dear diary,

How do I make friends?

Whenever I see a stranger, my palms sweat, my heart beats fast and my lips just stick together and the words disappear.

I almost cried on my first day of college!

I don’t think I will ever be friends with anybody. I’m destined to be an lone wolf.

But somehow, my introverted self ended up as an over-excited social butterfly in her fifties.

the mailman, the barista, the police officer, and the 20 families that live in this block, somehow I’m friends with all of them.

Dear diary,

You remember Krish, right?

My lab partner in biochemistry.

Finally, I gathered all my courage to propose to him on valentines day.

But yesterday I heard his conversation with a few boys.

“hey Krish, what do you think about Katie? You seem to be always smiling around her. What’s going on huh?” one of the boys asked.

“Katie, that ugly girl. Haven’t you seen her face? Why would I be interested in her? I’m not blind . It’s just she always finishes the assignments and I when I smiled a few times, she did my assignments too. It was a win-win. An easy prey” Krish laughed.

That idiot…stupid…I wish I could kill him.

Maybe love is not meant for me and it hurts knowing that.

 I clearly remember that day, how I cried through the entire night.

But indeed love found me when I met Jason. He was my prince charming and gave me an happily ever after. We were happily married for 25 years.

My lovely husband left this world a few years before.

Inside those worn-out pages, and within those stories, I realized a truth that was hidden in plain sight.

I was changing

I was no longer the six-year-old who hates babies

Nor the little girl who hates coffee

I was no longer the introverted teenager who cried on her first day of college

Nor the dumb girl who had a crush on her lab partner

I was changing.

And maybe, just maybe changing countries and changing my entire life won’t be that bad after all.

Faster than the leaves changing their shades

Faster than the seasons wrapping the winds

Faster than the sky chasing its face

Without knowing we are embracing the thing we constantly fear

Without knowing we are changing

THE END

Author’s note

Greetings my lovely readers.

Wishing you lots and lots of love during this month of love

Your Each share, Each comment and Each like feels like a lovely embrace and feels like love.

So don’t forget to share to your loved ones or anyone who might need to hear these words.

Happy February!!

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The next story will update on 14th February 2021 at 0.00 IST Sunday.

Till then, Adios Amigos 🙂

REMEMBERED IN HISTORY – CHAPTER I

Oh! can’t take your eyes off my handsome figure huh? Yup that’s me and this is my story. What’s with that surprised look? Can’t a horse be a hero? You humans never change isn’t it? even after hundreds of years.

Till this day 107 billion humans have lived on the face of earth. But at this moment there is no trace of those billion souls. They way they lived their dreams and needs. Their stories and their purpose. All those things vanished along with them. Except for the few hundreds whom history decided to remember in her pages. The very few who had the guts to take risks, who believed they could change this world and did it with all their might. The very few whom you and I still remember today. Their stories which were told for centuries, their courage and valor, their life and love – history made sure those few souls would always be remembered.

But rarer than those few hundred humans were the stories of animals. Indeed, humans were quite jealous of the animal kingdom. Envied our diversity and did their best to steal the spotlight. But some of us where too great even history couldn’t erase our greatness.

And among those few legendary animals, I am the greatest of them all. The rarest of the rarest. Though you are living centuries after my existence, the moment you hear my story you will scream to yourself “I know him. I know his story”. That’s how great I am. This is my story. I’m sure you would have heard the human version of this story a million times. But this is my turn to brag about my greatness. To retell once again the mysteries that were left untold.

Can’t control your curiosity huh? alright let’s dive in people.

It all started on that beautiful day when the sunrays grazed the fertile grasslands of Persia that spread far and wide. There lived a horse trader called Lamomentio. He was an expert in his trade and was a loyal supplier to almost every royal family. He had a large collection of horses the purest breeds from all across the world. And that’s where my mom and dad fell in love. A mix of my dad’s greatness and bravery and my mom’s beauty that knew no bounds I was the proof of their love. A perfection in this imperfect world.

The distant stars aligned and faraway galaxies came together on that beautiful night when I was born. I grew up amidst those grasslands. Everyday there was something new to learn. I was cherished and loved by all those around me.

You might be wondering why a legend like me was living among humans. I have been questioned all my life about the same thing and every time the answer is the same – If someone offers to work for you, feed you and even Clean up your shit but just asks to carry you in return. Won’t you agree? haha even a dumb human would agree and that’s the only reason why we, animals live among the humans. Humans brag that they have enslaved us. But the truth is we just find the deal too good to refuse.

I ran with the wind and spent my days basking under the sun without a single care. Those days were the most beautiful moments of my life.

It was in those grasslands that I took up a task that seemed absurd even to me at that time. I promised myself that I would be remembered in history. That the tales about my adventures would be told for centuries to come. I believed that as long as my name is known among men. I would be alive. It was my way of becoming eternity.

“But how?” was the question that kept nagging me all along.

Years rolled by and the chronicles of my power and beauty spread far and wide and reached the ears of great kings and warriors. but not even one of them was worthy enough to claim me as their own. Not even a single soul could tame the beast in me.

After earning the title of “The untamed beast” I was brought to the lands of king Philip of Macedonia.

“The man who could tame this beast will conquer the world and subdue great men with his spear” was prophesized by Delphi – the Kings soothsayer. Soon I was surrounded by the finest men of Macedonia. They tried their best to tackle my energy tried all sorts of tricks but damn they were nothing for a soldier like me.

Just then from the crowd emerged a young boy. He walked towards me with a smile. He seemed majestic even in his humble attire. The entire universe fell into a silent trance. My heart began to beat fast. And our eyes met. His brown eyes glistened like the sun that held the power to conquer the world. In those eyes I saw the passion to achieve greatness. The faith to succeed. And an unquenchable desire to become eternal. In those eyes I found myself once again. He was a man whose thoughts where exactly like mine.

He walked towards me and slowly held my reins and guided me away from the crowd. Patted my head gently and said “You and I are exactly the same. Born to conquer the world. Join me in this journey my friend” he said with a smile and that’s when I knew that he was the answer I was seeking all along. An immense calm filled my heart. He held on to my straps and jumped onto my back. And that day I found a worthy human who could tame the beast inside me. And that was our first step in our journey towards eternity.

TO BE CONTINUED

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Greetings my lovely readers,

I’m sure by now, most of you would be telling yourself “Hey I know this boy, isn’t he ……….. and isn’t that his horse ………….”

Still lets not break the spell.

Lets wait till the end until our hero reveals who he is.

I’m sure you guys would have missed me these days.

Don’t forget to tell me in the comments any suggestions, corrections, compliments anything and everything.

I would love to hear from you guys.

And don’t forget to share to your loved ones, who knows this might bring a smile in their face on a weary night.

The next part will be published next week sunday at zero o clock.

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Till then, Adios amigos!!!! 🙂