Expectations

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She briefly took the phone wire from her mouth and greeted the receptionist. Then fixed it back again and continued speaking into it.

“Come on, Shyam, Do you expect me to believe such nonsense?”

She pulled out a chair from an unoccupied table and sat down. She was slim and tall, around 5’8”. Her bright red lips matched her red and black tops.

Even Salman who was threatening the waiter with a

 ‘if you had just told me I would have showed the lot of you to make an omelette the right way,’  turned around to see what others were looking at.

And naturally the waiter had to see why Salman had stopped so suddenly.

A small white rabbit peeped out of her right pocket. The girl stroked its head and throat gently and then thrust it inside, all the while continuing on the phone.

“Okay, Shyam, it may be an ordinary matter for you. But it doesn’t suit me one bit, understand?

“What?  

“YES, I agree that I’m traditional in my values, very traditional. In fact I’m surprised you didn’t notice it till now. So let me get it clear once and for all. Its goodbye forever and I don’t want to hear your voice or see your face anymore, got it?”

She pulled the earphones off and buried her face in her hands. The whole place was silent as if to share her loss. “A glass of apple juice first please,” she said to the waiting waiter, uncovering her face briefly.

“You serve this dish to that lady there,” Salman continued in a whisper “and see what happens. Your chef will be fired in ten minutes.”

“Excuse me, Sir, but that lady was so pleased with yesterday’s pudding  that she gave me a 500 rupee note tip.”

“Nonsense! You think I’ll believe that?” Salman said, thumping the table so forcefully that the young girl sitting at the opposite table let out an involuntary cry.

Her big eyes were fixed on the door. She huddled herself like a mouse on hearing a cat’s approaching meows.

“Relax, Rita, they’re not going to search for you here now,” the elderly lady by her side said. “My brother has cleverly diverted them to the north. In fifteen minutes we’ll be travelling south. You must spend the night at Ravi’s house. In the morning he’ll take you to the registrar’s office. Shankar will be waiting there. Just sign the register, pose for a photo and you’ll come out as a married woman, understand? Now show me how you’ll hold Shankar’s arm tomorrow: Ah! That blush will do. Now finish your coffee and let’s go.”

But Rita kept staring at another couple who were happily sharing a drink using two straws. Their eyes were half closed, half admiring as they looked up from their drink to smile at each other now and then.

 Shankar and she never enjoyed such a peaceful moment together. Would things suddenly change after tomorrow?

She stretched out her hands to hold the table but her head was spinning rapidly and she found herself moving closer to the floor…

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Matilda's Decision

Two young girls looked at her, said something and giggled...

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 Matilda smiled to herself as she glanced at her reflection in the glass of a barber shop on the way to the library. Her first day.

 The library was  stacked beyond its capacity. From behind the bookshelves two young girls looked at her sneeringly, said something and giggled. Prasanth sir was at the counter, busily going through the data in the computer.

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“Good Morning, sir,” she said cheerfully.
 “I was just making sure that you wouldn’t have any problems taking over.”

“I’m sure I won’t, sir. Not when taking over from you."

He gestured to the girls,“Lakshmi, Keerthi, why are you looking at madam like that? She is the new librarian I was telling you about. Come and introduce yourselves.”

“Sorry, you resemble a woman we know. So we were confused.” Lakshmi said and Keerthi nodded.

Readers kept coming in. So Matilda was busy all day. She noticed a few girls looking up from their books and admiring her looks and her ear-rings.

“I’ll ask my mother to get me a pair like those. See here, I've copied the design.”one girl told another.

Matilda had bought the earring for Rs 40. Were they going to order the model in gold?

The day passed by pleasantly and Matilda was thankful for the double benefit. Doing what she loved in the sweet presence of books; and getting paid for it. She’d get Rs 15,000 at the end of this month. She could pay back her chitti (mother’s younger sister) Rs 5000 every month for a year.

She’d give her mother Rs 7000-Rs 8000 to run the family. Then she need not go to work in other people’s houses any more. 

 If only they could shift to another locality…

After all the readers had left, Lakshmi and Keerthi helped her lock all the doors.

“Where do you come from?” Lakshmi asked her finally, as Keerthi looked on.

“From Sowbhagya colony,” Matilda said as a matter of fact and continued walking.
 After gesturing to Lakshmi,, Keerthi asked her, “Do you know anybody called Mary?”

“She’s my mother,” Matilda said proudly. “Do you know her?”

“She used to come near our houses previously. You resemble her closely.”

“Where do you live?” Matilda asked.

“Sogous Nagar,” they replied in unison.

“And is your father Mr. Muthulingam?” Matilda turned to look at them. They shied away with guilty looks.

Mary had worked in Muthulingam’s house. He had tried to harass her.

When she called for help, he put a false case of theft on her. But a smart lawyer brought the truth to light.

             “We are not responsible for our  parents’ mistakes,” Matilda said.
              “Let’s  be friends."

The Beauty of Regeneration

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As I sat in the wheel chair of guilt
I watched others play
Running, Leaping
Laughing, Screaming.


Lessons floated past me
Overshadowed
By thought.


Wishing I were
Born as another
For it struck me
That the wrong wasn't mine.


I pity the doer too
Victim of another case
Whose defensive reaction
Backfired
 On me.

Like an exhausted bull
Amidst a pride of lions
I lost myself : A meal finished and forgotten.
And joined the earth.


Books came to my rescue
And friends too
Like the rain
And  sunshine
Both my blood and my cyst
Defy nature
To regenerate anew.

A Long Break

                                                                       A Long Break


Sorry friends,

I should have informed you earlier that I have to be involved in some other commitments for some time. So please forgive my absence. Your support and encouragement kept me going for so long.

Hope to be back with a bang sometime.Lots of love,
Gratefully yours,
W.B.S

Beginning the New Year in a Hospital

"This is the only time in a year that we  can all get together."My daughter said, referring to her cousins, a serious look on her face.

"So?"  I asked, half  wondering how big a budget she was referring to.

"So we  ought to go to a special place for two days at least."She said. And with that began a series of discussions, map searching, references and what not. Her cousins arrived, the discussions continued and tickets were bought.

But after the initial celebrations,she lay down with a fever on Christmas  day.  We waited for it to pass but the time came for them to leave and she didn't get up.On the third day we went in for a blood test fearing the dreadful typhoid but were in for a shock. Her blood report  said negative for typhoid but her platelet count was way below  normal.

We were frightened but anyway decided to go for a blood test the next day at a more recognised lab.Meanwhile our doctor gave her a small intra- venous drip.

That lab test showed a much lesser platelet count. With time running out our doctors advised us to get her admitted in one of the famous hospitals at Madurai where they would have advanced facilities to treat her.

So we started the morning of 31st December in the neat room of a well maintained hospital. And began a series of blood tests and to await the result of each test.For my daughter there was the additional fear/anger at seeing so much blood drained out of her.

When some tests were being done or she was being examined by the doctors, we had to wait outside her room, the last on that floor and overlooking a beautiful lake. The mornings were the most special.. with the breeze and the birds. We couldn't have chosen a more beautiful place for a holiday. Was fate teasing us - or trying to comfort us? Luckily we had started the treatment right at the beginning. So she was actually very stable compared to others who suffered from the dreadful 'Dengue'. And hoped that the doctor would send us home for the new year celebrations. But it was not to be.

We were awake as the clock struck twelve, watching the drops of the drip that took its own time to fall.I was tempted to help it hurry but was advised against it. Neither could we close our eyes, for fear that blood might go up the empty bottle if not stopped in time. So when the sweet smiling nurse came in and wished us a happy new year, our response was almost half hearted, angry that we were not amidst the usual cheers, smiles,prayers and crackers to encourage us about the new year.

But her platelet count began to rise and in two days we were discharged from the hospital.Only as we shared our experiences with others, they told us how lucky we were. Usually the mild symptoms are ignored and people are caught unawares with sudden vomiting of blood, swelling of the eyes and other frightening symptoms.

So began the rest of our journey with thankfulness for being alive and for
my daughter's speedy recovery.

I pray for those who are held up longer.  

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Let Laughter in, Erase Lines of Worry

After a day's hard work,
The routine,
The usual stress
I take the bus
Find a corner seat
Put my face
Against the wind.
Feel its caress.

My  mind races
Through a situation
That has no answer
East or West
North or South
And I squirm
That there's no way out


I look out.
And see a boy
Of sixteen, seventeen
In a roadside workshop
Covered with grease
Talking with a friend.

He throws back his head
And laughs.
Freely, naturally.
About what
I can't guess.
My forehead feels
Its lines easing
Lines I had not known were there.

I realise that
I need
Calm wisdom and courage
And then
What would be would be
It wasn't worth the lines
On my forehead or
In my mind.

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Chennai Floods - When Humanity Triumphed over Greed!

Thank you, thank you - a thousand times and more      ( free digital photos.com)

               Never mind the cause of the floods: that's obviously of human origin  - global warming, melting of the ice caps on mountains, chopping off the trees that should have sucked the water into the ground, the building of buildings right in the path of the rain water (when there were no rains and so people forgot about them anyway). For all these we can't segregate who were actually responsible and so maybe all of humanity is responsible anyway.

                But once the floods came and people found themselves in disaster, man rose to help man. Indeed, his huge heart woke up and people sheltered strangers, expecting nothing in return. Some shared food and water,even when not knowing when they themselves would receive fresh supplies.

Some rescued others from flowing water, again risking their own lives. Most forgot to sleep, waking others from disaster. Policemen, common men levelled roads,potholes and broke barriers to let the water flow out. Doctors, nurses, medical staff, trained, untrained reached out to help. Some lifted patients, the weak, elderly to better places. Some carried children, animals.

                                                                                                               82 year old woman making chappathis for those in need.

 Fishermen lent their boats, themselves in rescue operations. Others cooked endlessly. Some others transported these food items and water. Electricians, wire men climbed poles, fixed current at places, cut off at others to avoid electrocution.

                     Children and youth emptied their savings, collected money from others and bought and  distributed food, clothing,medicines, necessities. Some reminded the people that Cuddalore was worse hit than Chennai,(although it didn't get any attention) and diverted some help there.

                      The rest,sitting far away like me can only pass on helpline numbers and thank the brave and big hearts for  widely outnumbering the few who thought of this as a time to fill their pockets.