The Venerable Visage

Oh! This venerable visage, great

from the east of our own globe,

 smiling at things found in front 

energy, provides copiously to all. 

 The vacuum, your absence creates,

has an utter dark of tar colour.

You being the most beloved, erase

the gloom of our lady green.

 The mortals await you in your quay,

 well,long for your light and sight.

As the friend of the universe wide,

your laughter provides us bright.

The lives of total beasts n plants are

bound to be wound to your royal entry.

You form the master universe’s and

emperor of entire beings around.

You mind and maintain subjects yours,

emerge when you out of castle.

The virgin Lotus, a muddy girl in pool,

observes a penance in perfect hush.

Sees you while she opens the eyes

when you are at a survey of your empire, Sky.

Blowing apart her meditation pause,

she hugs you dearly in your warmth.

Hides you, as arrives the black beauty,

behind her thick dense long hair;

cuddle her then you tightly

In a covert delight of yours.

Night, her name, her mom gave,

and dissolves she in pain, as day comes.

Dew drop pretty, bashfully blinks

 And bats fast her eyelids daringly.

She is in her make-up you gave,

adorning her in your spectrum fine

 And she has sure a dazzling look now

 expressing slowly her shy and coy.

Seasons weave the curtain of clouds

And cloak you sometimes behind it.

build you holes with needles of rays

of nature sharp and pointed much.

Through the crack and break you peep

To watch all subjects under your rule.

 Your apparel very long and large,

carrying a stylish classy look

rinse you well in the pouring water,

 wriggle and spread on twigs and trees.

The design new of an uneven way,

Ha! What a modishness, the attire has.

ആദരണീയം നിന്‍ ആനനം!

(The English version follows)

പുഞ്ചിരി  തൂകും പൊന്മുഖം  പേറി  നീ
കിഴക്കില്‍  അണയുന്നു.
ഒന്ന്  ചിന്തിച്ചാല്‍ എല്ലാദിനവും   നീ
ശോഭിതമാക്കുന്നു .  

ഭൂമിപ്പെണ്ണിന്‍ നാഥനായ് വന്നു നീ
പരിഭവം  തീര്‍ക്കുന്നു.
ജീവികള്‍ക്കെല്ലാം   തുണയായ്‌ നിന്നു നീ
ഉത്സാഹം  നല്‍കുന്നു.

സസ്യലതകള്‍ക്ക്  പ്രാണനായ്  മിന്നി
ഊര്‍ജം  നല്‍കുന്നു
 അഖിലാണ്ഡത്തിനു പ്രിയനായ്  നിന്നു
 ശാന്തി ചൊരിയുന്നു.

പങ്കത്തിൻ പുത്രി  കന്യക  പദ്മം
തപസ്സിൽ നിൽക്കുന്നു .
നിന്നുടെ  വരവിനാല്‍  തപസ്സിളക്കിയവള്‍
നാണം കുണുങ്ങുന്നു.

തമസ്സാം സുന്ദരി ശ്യാമയെ  നീ
പുല്‍കാനായ്  വെമ്പുന്നൂ.
അവളുടെ  മനമോ  നിന്നില്‍ചേര്‍ന്നു
 ലയിച്ചു  പോകുന്നു.

തുഷാരബിന്ദുവും   നിന്നെ നോക്കി
ഒളികണ്‍ പാര്‍ക്കുന്നു.
സപ്ത വര്‍ണത്താല്‍ അവളുടെ മേലെ
പ്രഭ  നീ  ചൊരിയുന്നു.

മേഘക്കീറിന്‍ പര്‍ദ്ദകള്‍  നെയ്തു  നിൻ
 മുഖം  മറയ്ക്കുന്നു.
 വെൺകതിര്‍ സൂചിയാല്‍ സുഷിരം ചമച്ചു  നീ
ഒളിഞ്ഞുനോക്കുന്നു.

അധികാരത്തിന്‍  ചെങ്കോല്‍ ഏന്തി
മൌനമായ്  മേവുന്നു.
 കുലീനതയുടെ   പ്രസിദ്ധിയുമേറി  നീ
 മാന്യത  കാട്ടുന്നു.

പൊന്‍വെയില്‍ വസ്‌ത്രം വര്‍ഷ  ജലത്തില്‍  നീ
അലക്കി  വിരിക്കുന്നു .
വസ്ത്രം തന്നുടെ  വര്‍ണ്ണങ്ങൾ  പടര്‍ന്നു
 മങ്ങി പോകുന്നു .

 അഖിലാണ്ഡത്തിൻ  അധിപനാം  നീ
 സമദൃ ദൃഷ്ടി    ചൊരിയുന്നു .
ഭാസ്കര ദേവ  നമിക്കുന്നു ഞങ്ങള്‍
 ആദരണീ യമാം  നിൻ   ആനനം.

സരള .

An Encounter

  The story so far:  A stranger meets a tenth std. boy in the temple. In conversation with the man the boy developed some attachment towards that man. One day when he comes with his mother, the latter turns furious.   Now pl. read……. 

Part-5

Something fishy Kishore sensed after the mother’s exit, but he didn't know what or where the wrong was. He stayed in the happenings for a while and then he himself digressed from the incident. He joined his face book friends and chatting with them came on track, eating away his time. Of course meals and nature’s call took their freedom as small-small breaks in between.

When the hour- hand of the clock struck six times, he remembered that for a couple of days he had no contact with his grandparents. Purposely he kept aloof from them the recent goings-on. They enquired about their welfare and looked forward to the presence of their very beloved progeny and grand progeny at the weekend. “Next week we will be there grandma! This week I don’t know if amma will be free.” He  replied.  

The next day morning he took his amma’s okay  and strode off for recharging his mobile device.The road to the shop enjoyed the company of  a few almond-trees. They  stood by the side of the road proudly holding their heads high, as they aided a large number of people with their shade in the hot sun. As he progressed ahead, to his surprise he noticed Hariprasad standing in wait for the former enjoying the shade of the tree..

 “While coming out of the shop I recognized you from a distance and I lurked at this point,”  Hariprasad.

“I am sorry, since amma dislikes you, I can’t offer to talk to you,” Kishore.

“Wait, you are my son, my sole son. I have bought a special gift for you. Will you wait here or accompany me to my residence? It isn't far at all.” Hariprasad.

“Sonnnn…me!,” thunderstruck turned he. “ My amma had told me that my father had deserted both of us on some misapprehension between them. And he is abroad and would never return. More over she doesn't want to touch that topic” Kishore retorted.

“Yes, the indiscreet act was from my side. And I have been remorseful all these years. I had decided to be away from this country forever, but destiny has brought me here to be with my beloved lone son.” Hariprasad.

“ No, I can’t acknowledge any gift from you. I am not for deceiving my amma.” Kishore.

However the glee in him got evicted and provided room for gloom. He immersed his mind in some confusing state of thoughts. At home he straight away raised the question in a repulsive way- he never acted so before-, “ Is that man my father?”

“Yes, he is your father, now you are grown up to accommodate what I am going to divulge.” Vasanta’s sound was soft and solid.

 She elaborated everything the verve for love marriage, the strong bond between them and the attuned behaviour, the compatible stay and all the positives in the first phase of their life. ‘*He that makes a thing too fine breaks it’. At some stage after the initial segment, strife due to doubt about the female's faithfulness had its share between them feebly in the beginning. But  soon it attained momentum for acceleration, when the clock rotated the hands repeatedly to complete hours and days. The more the involvement of each one, the higher was the vying. Words in anger and hatred flew in the air at elevated resonance from both the sides. Ego-clash triumphed over the domestic atmosphere. Perhaps a peaceful discussion or confession of their egoistic behavior would have unravelled the hitch or enigma and wouldn't have unravelled their couple-link.

 “I adjudged him to be a wolf  in a lamb’s coat, the feeling of wonder to be a wife  was a blunter in fact, ” she spoke to herself in between.

 The situation became so grave that Hariprasad travelled to the extent of raising mistrust about the infant’s fatherhood. Ho! Vasanta’s  forbearance fell astray. Mother is a fact, whereas father may be a fact. Relations rely mainly upon acceptance of the fact. In the couple’s case they were running short of that acceptance, rather it was at stake. A point, where both of them cracked the relationship ending in dissociation and divorce, approached them. She had even wiped off the name, ‘Anilprasad’ endorsed for the child by both and the name ‘Kishore’ was placed instead.

Belief is the adhesive

 that keeps in tact

the relation and

upholds  serenity

and unity among 

members of a family.

.

Vasanta didn't perspire much in her job-seeking for the reason that her academic records spoke sound.

Kishore’s mind though cloudy analyzed, evaluated, calculated and to conclude he touched only blankness.

 “But how he confirms that I am his son, when this place is new to him? The name Kishore is unfamiliar to him. I’ll meet him again for a solution,” Kishore’s mind pursued for an answer. He couldn't discern the pros and cons.

 In the evening he visited Hariprasad’s domicile, which along with its owner extended the former a grand warm reception.

“How could you perceive that I was your son, as you were suspicious about my birth? Amma disclosed everything in details,” Kishore went on weirdly.

“After untying the wed-knot I had prepared a questionnaire of my actions and  the response branded me wrong. I stepped down deep into my conscience and I found all that was the product of my over-possessiveness. Actually I was scared whether I would lose her. I could realize all that only when things slipped off from my hands.  Sleep bade adieu to me many a day. Every hue and happiness had faded and dripped down from my life. I just took leave of the place, never to return and destiny has dropped me here on a project-charge. The first day, at the first sight itself I recognized you-blood identifies blood-I deem. And now in looks, body form and every action I view an exact replica of my teens in you..”

Kishore covered kilometers walking repetitively between his parents. It was his childhood-cherished sweet dream to be with both the parents. He used to watch sadly his peer group speaking about their male parent with joy overflowed. He pleaded, begged, appealed, but nothing could rupture the rock of Vasanta’s verdict.

At last after a week’s melancholic disposition from Kishore’s side she said, “Ah, yes, both of you can meet each other and you can obtain gifts or edibles from him. Not me and not at all. ‘*I know him not, should I meet him in my pottage dish?’

*adage.

sarala                                                                                 [The End]

  

An Encounter

Story so far:  Kishore, a tenth std. boy meets a stranger in the temple. In spite of his mother's warning against having company with unfamiliar persons, some spirit urges this obedient boy to interact with him.One day his mother decides to visit the temple.  Now pl. read .....

Part-4

 A few days took leave of them. No notable events took shape there. That day As usual Vasanta proceeded to the office and Kishore got engaged in  his own world of movements to pass the time. Suddenly he thought of his favourite Deity, he turned on his toes, took a dip in water and advanced to the place of worship.

While taking holy rounds, he once more came across that affable countenance of Hariprasad. Hariprasad trod softly around to meet that boy again whom he had met  somewhat a fortnight ago. The locomotion of the boy directed him to the man who lurked for him. The boy, Kishore couldn’t help countenancing the man, Hariprasad, although some spirit in his inner conscience  tried to avert him.

“I’m sorry, uncle, I couldn’t respond to you, when you asked me something that day. Actually  I was in a flurry of my tenth exam.” Kishore’s  words rumbled with a culpable feeling.

“Okay, child, have you been through the exam well?” Hariprasad.

“I suppose so. After a biweekly period I’ll come to know my position in that. ”replied the boy.

“Do you visit the temple every day?” Hariprasad.

“Not everyday,  but very  recurrently I do,”  Kishore.

“And tomorrow will you come?” Hariprasad

“I shall, I shall, ”Kishore.

He didn't know what made him say so.

“Meet you tomorrow. I’m already late, I have to rush to the office,” Hariprasad quit the place in an urgency.

A genus of glee encased him and he fell into a spell. “ He is not a rogue or a rowdy as amma frets. He seems to be a gentleman and an alien  individual to this place and he wants to make himself known to a few people. He might have observed a kind of genial person in me,” his thoughts encircled that man.

And he resumed his habitual schedules putting that episode out of his mind. In the evening when amma made her presence herself at the abode of home, the son was in a fix whether to unfurl the chapter  which mother didn't like at all .Being close to his dearly loved mother’s heart, Kishore couldn't conceal  anything from her. At the mentioning of his name some apprehensive suspicious expression appeared on her visage. Then she scolded herself and cleared the doubt, “I fill unwanted litters in my mind to spoil the tranquility.” Still the mind wavered, as mind has a tendency to fluctuate in thought process. 

Anyway the following day dawned with a decision from her side to visit the temple along with her son. She left her bed earlier than usual and made things all set and got ready for temple. Even in front of the Divinity her mind made some sort of rumpus to affect her calmness. The man was found nowhere and hence both the son and mother tiptoed forward. While crossing the road to the other side, Kishore noticed his new friend waiting at the other end of the zebra- crossing. As the images of Kishore and his mother had fallen into the visual organs of Hariprasad, his legs hesitated to progress ahead in gait..

On reaching the other side a voice that articulated Vasanta in a spongy tone, welcomed them. She guided her vision to the source of the sound. Slowly the reaction turned furious and eventually it became unfathomable. She flushed crimson with resentment.  Kishore was taken aback at this behavior of hers at an unfamiliar person. “Her concern in big volume towards me might have persuaded her,”  suddenly his mind reasoned out. “I am highly precious for her.”

Fast she walked past him and asked Kishore in a loud voice  to join her. Arriving at the habitat Vasanta flung to her easy chair and easily slithered into deep thoughts. A few seconds retained her there itself. Bidding adieu to the chair she positioned herself rapidly back to her legs for want of time. She had to vacate herself from that scene. A grin, might be non-natural spread on her face and she lost into the daily schedules.

sarala                                                                                       [ to be contd.] 

 

  

An Encounter

Part-3

The story so far:     Kishore, a tenth standard boy didn't heed attention to a man who wanted to make friends with him, since the latter was an unfamiliar person for the former. Both of them met in  a temple nearby. The temple incident reminded his mother of her past. She came in acquaintance with a man in the temple, in the neighborhood of her house. That resulted in fast friendship, but they had to be off  from each other as the man’s leave expired.          Now pl. read..

The time mounted up days and months and moulded  a couple or more years from the months.. Vasanta was eventful in the process and procedure of her continuing education till the completion of  the P.G. Although the recollections of her recent companionship inflicted pin-pricking pain on her mind, she deliberately shed them. She didn’t want any impediments hinder her studies. She was practical to save her life from an indefinite undisclosed courtship. But when the sign of certain marriage-proposals blew in the air, she was very particular to render some excuses, “Let me complete my course, let me be in a profession, let  me breathe free air till twenty four and so on.” In fact she herself didn’t know why she did so. Some urge in the conscience directed  her to keep  the acceptance for marriage proposal in abeyance at that time.

On one Sunday she eyed a fine pleasurable morning when she was on rouse. The weather  seemed to be much more at ease than the other days. It was bright with the Sun’s peeping with a lovely smile. The wind sent its cool as a breeze to her surroundings. She felt very delighted at the pleasing weather. For reasons unknown her mind took a singing mood and she hummed some joyful notes of a pop song. In general she was very glad. Subsequent to her routine processes of personal cleanliness, she was sipping her morning tea. She noticed her achan(father) occupied in a phone call, which mentioned something about a nuptial proposal for somebody.

Meanwhile her name skipped out from father’s mouth. On reading the subject from father’s gestures, Vasanta was confused to make out whether she should weep or laugh.  Vasanta’s mind roamed about for some reasons to eschew her wedding. All the conditions of her earlier justifications had been addressed by then. “Here is a proposal,

which I feel, is good enough for you. Now we won’t let you make it null and void.” Achan’s voice had attained weight. He continued, “The chap was working abroad and he has been absorbed in a multi-national company in India itself. Both his position and remuneration have been enhanced.” She looked up and invoked God for help at that juncture. A sort of anguish displaced her pleasure.

When father mentioned the name and the native place of his, she was overwhelmed with astonishment. She found word nil to express her gratitude to God. It was that special  friend of hers, who, she very much yearned for meeting at least once more. She pinched her hand to ensure that she was not dreaming. “ If all the whereabouts of that person is agreeable for you, please proceed,” acted, she successfully. All the routes and rules of the bridal formalities were covered touching the upkeep of ritual ethics. With no unwillingness Vasanta ousted herself from her job to be with her fiancé after wedding.

The hands of clock discharged the duties well and the earth rotated on its axis ten times after the nuptial. The groom’s days named leaves on the stalk of time had fallen down and the stock of ‘Leave’ reached its finishing ebb. The couple bade goodbye to the near and dear. They reached the destination of their stay in the city of her  husband’s profession.

The husband had hired a comfortable flat close to his company. Though Vasanta was not much well-versed in cooking, with the assistance of her husband she managed to prepare sumptuous food for two. Their stay in the flat was quite quiet and smooth. The husband’s departure from home to company and return home from company  used to bring her to the gate. Her hand used to rise in swinging for goodbye and hold husband’s hand for receiving. “I am rich in luck, as I adorn the better-half  position of a gentleman,” thought she.

 “ Amma, what will you prepare for supper? Let’s have ‘poori’ tonight. I am hungry now itself.” Kishore said.

Vasanta: “Okay, dear, I’ll make it fast.”

Her memories took leave of her for the time being and the stove in the kitchen received her with warmth.

 

Sarala                                                                    [to be contd.]