Arugudi

"Driving around the empty roads of the city with the window shields down and a cigarette in hand, blowing smoke rings in the breeze is a memory I would love to relive" says Mr. Chammaiah, an 80 year old retired government servant sliding down his easy chair, getting ready for his afternoon nap. He is one person I have seen age gracefully over the years. Though I enjoy many of his tales from the 60s and 70s about various political fights and the slow transition from a joint family to a nuclear setup, his habit of chewing pan while talking always puts me off. "It is like a  key to my memory closet" he said with an uncharacteristic smile exposing his yellowed teeth and the blood red tongue. "I have lived long enough to understand the limitations of my age. Well, I can't complain. I always fought with my father to alter his work schedule as he aged. He never listened to me. To be fair to him, it was his zeal and commitment in life that got me going the whole ...

"Arre Bhai, yaha patient kaun hai?" shouted the ward boy firmly clinging on to the wheelchair, standing dazed in front of the half open backdoor of the Maruthi Omni. It was around eleven on a full moon night in the second week of the cold month of December. While the whole of Mussoorie was basking in the moonlight, I could see Robin standing next to me sweating profusely, calculating the consequences of the fall. We had driven for around twenty to twenty five minutes at breakneck speed to reach a hospital on that fateful night. The headlights of the car had unfortunately malfunctioned and it is in this time of distress that ‘Chandamama’ had generously parted with his light to guide us through the woods to reach the only hospital available for miles in the area. Relieved to have finally reached the place, Robin turned towards me saying, "Bro, wait for me here. I will try to get a wheelchair for you..." before jumping out of the car and rushing towards the main ...

'God ...' An ambiguous term. A word nobody fully comprehends but a feeling most of us relate to. A higher power, a source of strength, a belief or a ray of hope... "What or rather who is God?" was a question darted at me with such ferocity that it shook me from my ' half opened eye sleeping mode'. My drooping eyes, painfully asked me to shut it's lids and go back to my initial state of dreaming. Observing patterns of different facial muscles contracting and relaxing to form those complicated words during speech in humans has always been my fascinating hobby. It is an efficient way to switch off while discussing about topics that require deeper understanding of life. My understanding of God is very simple and convinient . A higher power that has a positive effect on everything we do in life. To think beyond this understanding is a luxury I might not entertain considering my 'Happy go lucky attitude...' When this question was directed at my half w...

"A person's physical self can be killed, but... his ideology stays on forever.."said the speaker, punching his fist in the air authoritatively, focusing on the impact of the statement. Loud claps and a huge roar followed the pause and the speaker nodded, waiting patiently for his audience to imbibe the feel behind every word of this powerful statement. And yes, it did make the desired impact. I was instantly drawn towards the implications of this beautifully constructed sentence that easily establishes the superiority of an ideological self over its materialistic counterpart. As surreal as it sounds, does its impact resonate with the same ferocity in a person's life? I always wondered about the strength and courage required to carry the responsibility of a revolution for decades in search of change. The tired shoulders sometimes, give in to the relentless attacks, paving the way for a new rejuvenated self to carry the mantle inorder to keep the fire burning. Selfles...