The Year Ensuing!

Bye for a while(a month).

Might have vexed us Happenings many

With full of occurrences numberless

 Proving their murky and gloomy nature,

 When traversed we through

 The year that is by-gone.

Forget and neglect never we that

 Incidents of laughter in associations

With day today life’s abundant actions

Also might have fully hands stretched

For greeting us with jollity priceless.

Bereavements in count profound

Causing morbid misery in plenty

And confinements in countless number

Have bumped up populous spheres’ imbalance

  Inviting the plight of sources’ paucity.

Performs well the duty, mother Globe

Stylishly with no stopping set back

Balancing on her path preordained,

  Caressing and cuddling her kids on the way

Holding the fingers of Father Time.

 Let us, her children ponder over willfully

The means and measures to drive our lives

 With smooth,soft and ease enough

 Erasing all that trap and trouble us

 And meet with zip the year ensuing.   

                                                                                                  

  Reminiscence ill-fated if any we have,

 Drop let us in the ditch it deserves

 Wipe off fully the traces it leaves and

 Be ready to receive the year so fresh

 Bringing boons, to be born soon.

Remember let’s now solidly that

Await us new blessings in plenty

Showering hap and glories on paths

That lead us to destinies upcoming

In the year neonatal pouring peace in life.

 The bloggers and viewers, Kith and kin,

Dear and near, siblings and cousins and all others

 Within and behind the screen that 

The New Year raises in living world,

May 2015 bring you health, wealth and bliss.

Once more a very pleasant new year to all.

sarala.

To Heaven!

“Ho! Miles and miles my feet have covered, but if you ask me, I’ll tell you tired nil I am. Only two more miles to go and within half an hour I’ll erect my pole and hoist my flag of triumph there.   By viewing me in this way to accomplish my endeavour you may feel sympathetic. No need, I have decided to track my dream. It was my long-long wished ambition to reach the very paradise. O! This bag you stare at. Yes, it does carry my most favourite articles, the memorabilia of my mom. She had passed away when I was a kid. When I grew up to understand the meaning of motherhood, I found some letters kept bound in a trunk. I collected, unfolded and directed my eyes through them. They all smiled at me bearing my address on their faces. They acted as the magic wand, wanting me to tread through the right path, the path of my life’s destiny. She had pointed out the pros and cones and the upshot of everybody’s deed. And those letters I held in reserve allowing them to journey with me wherever I happened to be.  So also to heaven are they with me.

How the heaven would be and how would be the reception for me there. I have drawn the paradise in my mind, using the information gathered partially from the kiddy age stories of grand-kin. The rest I had from the people around and preaching of leaders of our Faith.  I have neared the stairs to sky. The stairs lead to the clouds. Aha! Beyond the clouds lies the cloud nine.

 It is a praiseworthy worth-visiting abode of God. It is a multi-star lodging full of comfortable articles. Cozy bed, comfy dress, mouth-watering food, luxuriant travel-devices, copious recreations, plenty of cosmetics and every sort of lush and lavishness, I think, will welcome me with open arms. Broad beam of light makes the area flood-lit. Angels may greet me at the door-step and my mom will stand behind her. She will sprint forward to embrace me and God himself will lead me to a majestic seat.”

“Who is pushing me now, leave, let me go, I am going to the heaven.”

“Grandpa, it is time for the train to Delhi, move away.”

“Leave me, only one more mile to go.”

“Grandpa, are you sleeping, are you doing sleep-walk?”

“Go, go, why did you come here? I cannot take you there? God phoned from seventh heaven to me. So I am in a hurry. I’ll scurry to reach there, go, go.”

Arun who is very attached to the grandpa shoved him aside, holding his hand well. Just as a subservient toddler he strode with Arun to his residence.

The grandfather was in a deep sound sleep after the lunch. In a sudden way he carried his walking stick and  the bag with his precious things and headed forward through the railway track.The track was somewhat adjacent to his residence. Arun seeing him from a distance rushed and rushed to catch him up.

The grandfather, a renowned writer is a victim of somnambulism.Sometimes in sleep he thinks that he is writing something.Something serious also he writes. And of late he remains in a reverie, murmuring something incoherently, but not in Alzheimer’s.

For  http://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2014/12/23/photo-prompt-

A Dreadful Determination! Part-8

                                         

[Urmila and Sharmila are sisters. The elder one Sharmila was in love with Vinod, her neighbour, even when they passed through the school-age. Father had brought proposals which she resisted tooth and nail, though she knew not the result. She recalled her baby-hood memories in which Vinod always sided with her in all the activities.  A squad of six used to engage themselves in kiddies’ amusements a lot. Whenever Urmila tried to retrieve her mind from the memories, it did not obey her. Again it went on a tour to the backyard of mind. Urmila bloomed into the synonym of beauty and Vinod grew into a  handsome personality. ]

For a long time Urmila lay in wait for the sleep to obtain her company, but the latter remained loathe to come to her. Sharmila was in deep sleep playing the accompaniment of a mild snore. Urmila got up from the bed, opened a shutter of the window and looked through. The night was in jet black attire and the battery of the moon seemed not charged. So it was not lit. Not even a single star- light was seen and it was a total black-out. Urmila came back and lay down again. Mind was full of agony and anguish. In some way she cut across the time till dawn arrived.

In the morning she shed all the thoughts and feelings immersing in her routines. After seeing the completion of the usual personal chores, she proceeded to the college. In the evening after getting into the home-wear she sat at the snacks and tea.

“Mole, think once more about it, we shall fix the marriage now. We’ll have it after your exam only.”

“No, Amma, it will hinder my studies. I don’t want it now. "

“I don’t know if your Achchan will agree. He may not cancel it.”

Urmila’s mother, Sharada tried a good many tools to remodel Achchan’s as well as the daughter’s mind and ultimately  the daughter won the bid. But Achchan had put forth a condition that after the final exams, marriage wouldn’t be delayed. Urmila nodded in concurrence and escaped for the time being.

“At least I can have a sleep for three months,” thought she, “By the time I will tell them about Vinod.”

Three months was a short period of time as Urmila was totally engaged in her academics. In between here there the youngsters kept their meetings live.

 The days that sank Urmila in books and notes reached their conclusion. Urmila yanked a big sigh of relief and freedom from the tautness of studies. She felt like having a pair of wings to fly high in sky.

Meetings with Vinod multiplied, duration of the meetings expanded and anxiety about obtaining a job for Vinod swelled up and days crawled. Proposals for Urmila followed her. Two-three proposals she could make her parents cancel by extracting one or another shortcoming on minute scrutiny.

 Urmila and Sharmila had gone for a sabbatical stay in grandparents’ residence .A lady named Malathi distantly related to the grandma visited them for a wedding invite of her daughter.Her son Aravind had accompanied her.

“Are these Sharada’s daughters?” the lady hadn’t seen the girls for the former one decade.

“Yes, she is Urmila and this one is Sharmila,” the grandma.

A chit-chat about the studies, job, marriage etc and the like about the girls had their role in their talk. The lady eyed the girls in particular Urmila once more before bidding bye.In the evening a phone call from that lady delighted the grandparents. The intensity of joy was such that it straightened the wrinkles on their visages.

“Mole, Urmi , where are you?”

“I am here in the portico,* Ammoomma ,I amreading the newspaper.”

“The boy who came here afternoon is an engineer. He is abroad. His mother has proposed him for you.”

“How can an individual prefer a person at merely a sight?”

“He might have noticed your behavior and all. He liked you. That is why his mother called, *Appooppan also approves it”

“No, Ammoomma, I’ll continue my studies.”

Appooppan didn’t respond to it, but whispered, “Today’s children are too smart to hear the elders’advice.”

“*Chechchi, he is very handsome.” Sharmila

“Then you marry him.” Urmila chided Sharmila.

They returned home after a week. Amma who knew from her parents about the proposal didn’t mention anything about it. She lurked for Achchan to arrive. After his usual like keeping the bag, changing the dress, taking a body bath, tea, snacks and all,he seated comfortably in a chair turning the T.V. on. Amma came and sat by his side. She opened the folder of proposal and took out the details.

 Achchan in soft loving voice, “Mole, did you hear what she said?”

Urmila who was sitting in another chair lifted her eyes from the novel she was reading.

“This proposal sounds good. If the horoscopes match, you will be lucky.”

“U..m..m, Achcha…that….” 
                                                 

“Now, no excuse, let’s check the horoscopes first.”

Urmila didn’t voice a word even expecting an incompatibility in horoscopes. After the day’s chores both the sisters took the night’s abode in bed.

*Ammoomma-grandma.

*Appooppan-Grandpa.
*Chechchi-Addressing an elder female.

Dance with the Trees!

                                                  

Early dawn, Cock gives

All wake- up call, Mango and

Jack dance holding hands.

Dances the passion

 Flower with the host Mango.

Breeze hums melodies.

Perform Wind and Jack

 Boogie-woogie merrily.

*Mistletoe joins them.

 Blues and Jazz Palms play

 And waltz out with pleasure; beats

Rhythm-pad  Air-stream.

Moon-lit night ,with the
 Trees in glory wind, light and
 Shades rock,twist and dance.

*A parasitic plant( Iththil)

For http://carpe-diem-361-dance-with-trees.html#links

A Vindictive Act!

        

That news from the west of ours
about bidding adieu of budding lives
 of one hundred thirty two school-pupils

and adult lives of nine from this Universe,

 falling in predicament, flowed
incessant brooks on cheeks from eyes,

drenched hearts with deep wrenches

And filled minds with misery and sadness.

Those tender buds with innocence on face

And dreams in mind to be cherished
 in days ahead would have bloomed
 to blossoms with vibrant hues
 and gushing fragrance to spread glee
 in the eyes of self and others
 all Ha! Ended up  dejectedly
in massacre; school's bomb-blast.

What do those beasts in human hides

hiding in Nature’s hide-outs gain with
 this vindictive act of cruelest nature 

and as they believe, is there a heaven, 
above the Earth that can house these
 evil-spirited beastly beings, carrying
 false notions in malicious minds,
 to provide comfort they feel to relish?

O! God don’t you see the spiteful vices

displayed by the teens and youths
 selected and trained to be sinners
 by a handful of fanatic brains

that design ways and means

for achieving selfish mottoes
 of luxuriant stay as masters
 clasping the world in their clutches? 

All the Nations, if do not punish
 and put in lockup the possessors 

 of those misguided muddy souls
 which express cheek in open and 

and come together and counsel
to tame all those miscreants and
their accomplices to shed the venom,
they hoard, it will  ruin the whole globe.

A Dreadful Determination! Part-7

A Dreadful Determination!

[Urmila and Sharmila are sisters. The elder one Sharmila was in love with Vinod, her neighbour, even when they passed through the school-age. Father had brought proposals which she resisted tooth and nail, though she knew not the result. She recalled her baby-hood memories in which Vinod always sided with her in all the activities.  A squad of six used to engage themselves in kiddies’ amusements a lot. They played in and with water and sand, dawdled time in group games and funs during their babe-stage. Whenever Urmila tried to retrieve her mind from the memories, it did not obey her. Again it went on a tour to the backyard of mind.]

Now pl.read.

Urmila had bloomed into a matured girl. Nature had applied all her pretty art work on her. She painted Urmila with ample eye-catching hues. Brown silken hair-covered crown beautified her head and two black curved bows adorned the attractive forehead. Two petals of lotus with a brown tint in two sockets ornamented the cheeks. The right figured elevation above the mouth decorated the face and soft red chillies covering the mouth, decked with a winning smile amplified her cuteness.

 Her colour was not so fair though, the beautifully-shaped body with the right curves and flats made her stand out from all others. She was a stunning beauty. The word ‘smart’ well suited to depict her.

  Vinod was burly in his make. He, the six-footer with expanded chest and mighty brawns that earned for him the title ‘handsome’, was very much masculine. He was slightly fairer than Urmila. The friends who were aware of their affair used to comment on them that they were ‘made for each other’. Akhil, Anand and George extended their untainted support and aid.

 The youngsters had earmarked the bullet wood tree’s bottom area on the other side of the mini forest(Kaavu) for their meeting. That was not much discernible as it stood in the extension of other woods. Staying away from her sister Sharmila was truly hard. But some way or other they had the hap to remain unnoticed by her always.

  Enjoying the appeasing aroma of the bullet wood’s blooms they exchanged their hearts. They whispered from mind to mind. They sat speechless for hours looking into each other’s eyes. In accordance with the passage of time, their courtship got garnished with inseparable feelings. Smile sometimes transformed into laughter and words into sentences. The very sight of each other sparked glimmer in their eyes and pleasure in their soul. Each one felt that God had created them for their union.

 Whenever they chose the ground around the tree to pass their yen, Breeze cooled their minds, Birds sang love song for them, Twigs patted and pampered them with tender strokes and even Autumn stopped pouring to smooth the progress of their closeness. The warmth of their togetherness delighted the beings and stimulated the surroundings that facilitated the duo with comforts. Their love was deep from the soul and so it was uncontaminated at that stage.

 They shared their glee and gloom with each other. They planned their future actions. They built castles in minds and solved numerous interrogations that arose in enormity.

“Will your parents favour us, dear?” Vinod

“I don’t know, what about you, Vinu?”

“I can make them agree.”

“My parents also may agree. Achchan is strict, but loving. He will stand by his daughter, I think. ”

“Eh! Let’s see, let’s finish our studies first.”

Quite often they solved that significant question in their own ways.

Urmila’s  achchan, Venugopal  and Vinod’s  achchan  Sreekumar were intimate friends. Both the families held fairly an equal position in pecuniary status. Both had an upper hand in the society’s say. Both were crop-cultivator s, though they were  well-employed . But there was a level-discrepancy with regard to the families’ ethnical grade.

 Urmila’s family had been upholding its middle class repute-form from the preceding four generations at least, whereas Vinod’s grandparents were from the lower class, rather worker category. And more or less his grandfather was a labourer and at the same time he was the caretaker of Urmia’s family’s cultivations. But he aimed at steering his son, Sreekumar to educational qualifications. He saved some money for his son’s studies from whatever he earned.

 Sreekumar, the lone son, fully conversant of his situation did his best for his achchn’s desire to be true. He also dreamt a reasonable rise in life and so his aspirations helped him fulfill his ambitions. Urmila’s grandfather’s philanthropy many a time lifted him from the pits of cash crunches.  Sreekkumar spent a part of his domesticity for tutorials to neighbouring broods and he earned a pretty sum thus also. And eventually he accomplished his mission of obtaining a good job in a public sector concern.

Venugopal had completed his education without much hitch and hindrance and got into a job in a bank. All this know-how the children were ignorant of.

Time waited for none and nothing and so it fluttered and scuttled away flapping its wings. Vinod’s and Urmila’s affair had expanded in volume. And was now Urmila on board of the final P.G and Vinod at the ground of job-hunting after his P.G.course.  

[to be contd.]

A Dreadful Determination! Part-6

[Urmila and Sharmila are sisters. The elder one Sharmila was in love with Vinod, her neighbour, even when they passed through the school-age. Father had brought proposals which she resisted tooth and nail, though she knew not the result. She recalled her baby-hood memories in which Vinod always sided with her in all the activities.  A squad of six used to engage themselves in kiddies’ amusements a lot. They played in and with water and sand, dawdled time in group games and fun during their babe-stage. And they reached their education-conclusive classes now. Whenever Urmila tried to retrieve her mind from the memories, it did not obey her. Again it went on a tour to the backyard of mind.]

Now pl. read.

 On a Sunday Urmila and Sharmila went to light the holy stone-lamp in their mini forest(sacred woods). After lighting the lamp in a hallowed way, closing the eyes both of them prayed to the snake-deity and turned to go back. At the expanse of the land in front at a corner stood a physique holding the open hands upside down in a blessing posture. “May you be first in the class, mole,”  Vinod as if a sage. All the three burst into laughter.

“Why here?” Urmila.

“To pray to God,” Vinod.

“Did you pray for good results in Exams?” innocently  Sharmila.

“Yea, I did! I prayed for many things.”

Waffling some mumbo jumbo just for fun sake, they reached home. And at the gate Vinod bade goodbye.

Academics as well as games stole their time and days one after another and they reached the door-sill of the last Exams for the year. All brooded on the books in the nest of studies. The exams of tenth and the smaller classes came to the conclusive days somewhat alike, as the schedule of the latter was sporadic. Eventually all heaved a sigh of relief and literally all of them together celebrated that day by running and jumping in the vacant land close to the girl’s safe haven.

The vacation had brought in frequency of their meeting again. Late dawns drew them out of bed and placed them on routines like brushing, bathing, breakfast etc. However play area regularly embraced them. The days rolled rather flew away with their amusing games, chat and talk about movie heroes, arguments and discussions about a little bit politics and the such, though the girls were many a time mere spectators in this course.

Climbing trees, eating mangoes, sucking cashew apples, biting Artocarp fruit etc were on full swing. Their hands spared not the small and big fruits of wild plants, hedge herbs etc. Kites also had their roll in their enchantment and entertainment.

One day when Achchan came home from office he saw both his daughters standing on the guava tree. Urmila was advancing to pluck a fruit from a top twig. As soon as did the girls see their father, both bustled to climb down and  Sharmila got her skin peeled off on the hand.

Both the girls earned their reproof in a sizable quantity from Achchan with the fall of a stick on the thigh. As every starting has an end the vacation also ended throwing three, the girls and Akhil Chacko back to the school and the other boys on the look-out of their admissions in the nearby college. They had all accomplished their tenth grade without a wide difference in their scores. Still Anand had to undergo slightly a bitter time of rebuke from parents, as they weighed him against the other two.

Days performed their duty well and grew to months and years without fail. Urmila is in eleventh grade (by then the pre-degree course had been detached from the colleges and linked with the schools gifting it a new cloak named higher secondary) and Vinod in first year degree course. Their affection had attained density more and hence they had discovered means and spots for meeting more.  

                                                                                                                     [To be contd.]

In Twilight at the Traffic Signal !

I couldn't link it with Roadside Beggar, though I had written it earlier. Since it goes with Dusk I link it here.

 Twilight reddens road.

Stops the vehicles traffic

 Signal, long wait, cars.

Stretches, an arm for

 Alms; a figure in odd rags

 An old beggar, poor.

 That live skeleton,

 Impels the chap fat in car;

Disdain on his face.

The empty-bellied

  With flesh nil on body, moves

 To others in hope.

                      

Draws a cyclist the

 Beggar nearer. Tenders he

 Some cash; dusk exults.

Grins the dusk with glee,

When the beggar in wonder

Caresses the cash.

For http://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.in/2014/11/carpe-diem-608-dusk.







sarala

                            

A Dreadful Determination! Part-5

 [Urmila and Sharmila are sisters. The elder one Sharmila was in love with Vinod, her neighbour, even when they passed through the school-age. Father had brought proposals which she resisted tooth and nail, though she knew not the result. She recalled her baby-hood memories in which Vinod always sided with her in all the activities. Once she lost her ear-drops, the gang saved her from the reproach of parents. A squad of six used to engage themselves in kiddies’ amusements a lot. They played in and with water and sand, dawdled time in group games and funs during their babe-stage. And they reached their education-conclusive classes now.]

Now please read.

Time and again Urmila’s mind jumped into the curious experiences of the time gone. Adolescence  had driven away the childhood from the children. Some sort of incomprehensible strangeness loomed in the stance of theirs. A tow-like pull towards each other occupied the minds of the duo, Urmila and Vinod. A special genus of delicacy in passing freely her feelings to Vinod developed in Urmila. At the same time she coveted for his occurrence within her approach. And so was the case somewhat with Vinod also. She dug in her memory to locate the time when it started.

 After the tests and all, the Onam vacation was on its round. Sharmila and Urmila with their flower-basket rummaged around to gather flowers. Vinod and Akhil joined them though gathering flowers was a feminine duty. Urmila tried to pick flowers from plants on the slant of the mud-wall, but couldn’t she reach there. Vinod held her hand and helped her. And that touch passed an electric current through their mind. This was the first instance that painted their acquaintance with the colour of craze. Urmila looked down and hurried to return home.

 Onam vacation, ‘Pookkalam’ decoration and Onam celebration etc. went on providing the children with ample amusement and entertainment. Relishing feast with ‘Payasam’(rice pudding) and Pappad along with next of kin from far enthused them  all with joy and delight.

As days passed the hurdles of monthly tests, commencement began blinking. Urmila was in eighth and Vinod in tenth. Academics showed no mercy as they levied the children with home work, project, monthly-tests, term-tests and so on. 

“ Amma(mother), I have to study a lot. I’ll sit under the tree by the paddy field. I can focus more there,” Urmila carrying a book in hand headed for the tree- shade on the Sunday preceding the test.

“Have your breakfast and go.”

“No, Amma I am not hungry.”

“Holidays make the children lazy. You get up late. Eat nothing. Come, have something.”

Reluctantly Urmila came back to have a small quantity of rice noodles (idiyappam) in a rapid way. Something tempted her to prepare for the next day’s test in the land outside home. Though it was their land it existed slightly away from home. She opted for the shade of an Artocarpus (Anjili) tree to befriend with her studies. She opened the book and concentrated on the lesson aiming to cover a certain portions.

“O! Very studious, preparing for IAS?” the very recognizable voice astonished her, since she had a yen for that there.

“Why are you here?”

“I came to show you my new pen,” Vinod created a reason to visit her.

A chit-chat for the sake of being together took place before they left for home.

 The onset of adulthood had reduced the rate of scuffles and wrestles, prevailed among the comrades earlier. Their petty clashes they lessened giving room for a matured attitude. Of course they kept their gatherings live though not frequent. They had earmarked time for that.

 Slowly-slowly an infatuating inclination crawled towards the mindset of the children, Vinod and Urmila. A glowing spark visited their eyes at the sight itself and an infatuation was the upshot. The infatuation in fact was growing and metamorphosing gradually into affection. And the affection infused in them a longing for each other’s presence.

Urmila and Vinod somehow discovered time and reasons for meeting each other. They sometimes warily avoided the companies of their kith and kin like Anand, Akhil, George and Sharmila. Academic burden was given the blame of being away from friends. Gradually the fissure of frequencies widened in accordance with the academic pressure of classes growing higher. And that slit paved more ways for those two teenagers to be more than together whenever they desired so. 

When they were little children the girls used to go to Vinod’s house rather they had the liberty to visit it repetitively. But at the attainment of puberty the eldres chained their legs and laid restrictions. However the lure between Urmila and Vinod helped them choose areas away from the view of elders. The venue of most of their get-together was the propinquity of the mini forest of Urmila’s family which was near her reside. It had copious number of plants growing profusely.

More and more water of their alliance flowed through the burn of their love. As more and more years joined their age, the burn went on widening. And finally it fell into the ocean of inseparability. 

sarala                                                                                          [to be contd.]

A Dreadful Determination! Part 3&4

  The story so far:-

[Urmila and Sharmila are sisters. The elder one Sharmila was in love with Vinod, her neighbour, even when they passed through the school-age. Father had brought proposals which she resisted tooth and nail, though she knew not the result. She recalled her baby-hood memories in which Vinod always sided with her in all the activities. Once she lost her ear-drops, the gang saved her from the reproach of parents. A squad of six used to engage themselves in kiddies’ amusements a lot.]

Now please read

 Part-4                                                                                                                                 

 The exam preparations scheduled by the school as well as the parents provided togetherness seldom to them. Since the time schedule was dissimilar for the members of the diminutives’ squad, the journey onward to and backward from the school didn't find them in collection. On the last day of the final exam of the year all the little ones threw their bags in a corner of their study and sprang to the free environs. All the six flocked together under the mango tree near Urmila’s house.

“Let us pick some tender mangoes and eat,” Vinod started jumping up to catch hold of a branch full of tender mangoes.  And he succeeded in his attempt. Anand assisted him in holding it so that it would not slip and go up.

All the little limbs, all of a sudden crowded, as crows at food-waste and plucked mangoes as much they wanted. The mangoes they picked joyfully entered their mouths to be munched. They rejoiced at its sourness expressing shrivels and inflammations on facial muscles.

By then the babe of the group, Sharmila noticed a dragon-fly buzzing and fluttering around the ground. Leaving aside the mango her hands tried in vain to seize the fly. George slowly moved to the spot and grabbed it from the foliage. Delightfully she stretched her hands to hold it, but withdrew in fright. She with pleasure watched him make the fly pick stones. Amidst the struggle to get away from the tots, the poor fly got its tail broken. It hurt Urmila and her kind heart ached. She as if an elderly member reprimanded the children both, her friend and sibling.

The next day their fun was at the edge of a muddy wall with hedge-rows. They picked wild edible fruits of herbs and shrubs, shared and gobbled them enough. In the attempt of plucking more fruit from an herb, Akhil slithered down and got his leg injured. Vinod picked some common-floss leaves (communist chedi) and applied their sap on the wound as if he was an authority in such a vicinity. Though it was small scratches, the reproaches they bagged from home were stomach-full.

 And thus they occupied busily themselves in various types of fun and joy and made full use of their vacation very long. They swayed with twigs, chatted with squirrels, chirped with birds, played with cat and dog and swam with fish in company and sometimes in solitude. They allowed leaves, flowers and paper boat, prepared by themselves flow in pond. They altered their bath towels to fishing-net and gaily fished in it. They got the towel dyed in brown mud. They soaked soil in water, moulded shapes and returned home, bathed in water and sand. They swung choosing various postures in swing, tied on a bough.  Rebukes and praises had no dearth at dwelling to welcome them all.

The days and nights were accomplishing their duties with no fail. The Earth was performing rotations and revolutions regularly around her care-taker, the Sun. Several such rounds were over. The children all moulted their babyhood and wore the coat of adulthood. They all flew and migrated to the arenas of their welfare. Now Urmila was in her P.G class, Sharmila was in the initial year of her professional course and Vinod in the look-out of an employment after his P.G.

sarala.                                                                                             [to be contd.]

Dawn!

With ardour the dark

Tries to clasp Sun; strides away

He to his love dawn.

Hides he from dark

In scorn and awaits his love;

Shyly looms Dawn there .

Sun in passion hugs

His Dawn;gladly celebrate all

Beings  their meeting.

  

Farewell, bids Dawn, as

Her lover's day's load ,aware is
 She; next day meet they.

For http://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com/

A Dreadful Determination! Part-3

The story so far:

[Urmila and Sharmila were sisters. The elder one Sharmila was in love with Vinod, her neighbour  even when she passed through the school-age. Father brought proposals which she resisted tooth and nail, though she knew not the result. She recalled her baby-hood memories in which Vinod always sided with her in all the activities.]

“Sharmi, eat this piece too, eat fast, it is time you finished eating,” Amma was scurrying for the scuttling Sharmila to make her eat a piece of idly lying in her hand. Sharmila reversed her mouth at 180⁰   from the direction of the victual.

“This child does not eat anything properly, ho! How can I give her food?”Amma walked away in make-believe frowns. Suddenly Sharmila tried to win Amma’s heart by opening her mouth for the ‘idly’ piece and she gobbled all the ‘idlies’. By the time Urmila landed in sit-out ready with her school-bag.  

 The escorting gang was edgily lurking on the road-side for the sisters, for they were being late. The venue for the tryst was under a tree-branch hanging to the roadside. The sisters somehow joined them.

Their village and the ones in the immediacy were remote, more remote for about twenty five years than the distant ones.  But the town in the proximity of it had an English medium school. Its buses plied to various villages for benefiting the future citizens of India. Anand, Akhil, George, Vinod Urmila and Sharmila assembled under that particular branch and proceeded to the bus stop somewhat half a kilometer far from there.

“I have a special thing with me, come I’ll show you,” Anand while walking to their havens after alighting from the bus after the school.

All the friends loped to Anand, when he opened one of his textbooks and showed a pretty peacock feather. He handled it carefully in a sacred manner.

“Mini chechchi(elder sister)gave me this. She says I have to keep it in my book secretly and also sacredly. Then the plumules(strands) will give birth to young ones. So I have kept it in my book. Chechi’s friend, Neena gave her a few feathers. Neena has a lot. Her uncle brought her a bunch.”

Mini was Anand’s eighth grade sister whose high school wing was a bit distant from the primary one. And hence she had her own company.

All glanced at the feather pryingly and stretched gleefully their right hand in demand of a strand each from the feather. Anand wrenched off a few ones from the quill and distributed among the friends, who with utmost care and devotion placed them in their books. Every day after the school they unfurled their books nosily to watch the young ones coming out. Many a day nothing rolled out in their favour. But one day the books of  Urmila and Akhil had little ones in them. All the visages expanded in thrill and bliss.

“Show me, show me,” all gathering  around the two. “O! How lucky you are. My plumules didn't deliver little ones,” forlornly George.  

“Hey, listen, listen,I saw Vinod chettan  taking their books. He cut the strands and kept the pieces in the book itself. Yesterday we kept the bags on the ground, no, to pick ‘Kalampotti’ fruit? Then he did it” Sharmila.

The petite girl Sharmila had height nix to attain the fruit from the hedge row. The bush stood proudly at a level high on the muddy wall. She didn't try to pick fruit.So she saw Vinod execute all that impishness.

 “Eda Kuttappa!(expletives) You played mockery with us,” all of them together. And soon a loud mirth took its birth among the companions.

Still they expectantly went on watching for young ones with the feather-plumules. One of them eventually got it clarified from the teacher.

[to be contd.]

                                                                                                         

Sky-lark!

For http://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.in/

(Through the Sky-lark Singing)

Sings  skylark male for

Soul-mate in best tune and pitch.

In pride she cares not.

Ignores she sky-lark;

His spell-bound love song pulls her.

She senses his love.

Lullabies father

Sings to hatch-lings, babe sky-larks

Feel blissfully safe.

Has oral-aural

Expert a concert in sky.

Practises vocal.

Charms the vocalist

His mate; she in delight sways

Her head and clasps him.

From kitchen corner

 To heights in music flies the

Sky-lark; charms she hearts.

sarala

A Dreadful Determination! (Part-2)

The story so far:

[Urmila and Sharmila were sisters. Urmila was a PG final student. Their parents talked about a good proposal for Urmila, who straight away disallowed it to be carried on. She wanted her babyhood pal,Vinod to be her soul-mate. Her father would be agreeable or not, she was not much sure about. When she informed Vinod about it, he consoled her. She turns herself unconvinced because her father wouldn’t step out of his decision.]

Vinod was Urmila’s neighbour. Though the residences were not so close in their village, in villages as a whole, the residents were close at heart. Vinod stayed somewhat three hundred metres away from Urmila’s haven. And this distance never distanced their families from each other, since the friendship band kept both the parties well-bound. Urmila's parents belonged to families affluent much,but Vinod's family was from a below average background. Not only these two families but an acquaintance-string threaded all the people or all the families together there to form a chain.

Vinod and Urmila belonged to medium middle class families. Those families held high scrupulousness in dealing with other people. Personal reputation was always a matter of concern for them. And so they could earn respect from others.

Urmila travelled down from the college days and embarked on her babyhood. She gradually unleashed the collection of memories from the age of eight. Vinod was ten years old then.

A small squad of four boys remained ever ready to guard the two girls, Urmila and Sharmila. Their range of age was between six years to ten years. Vinod had enthroned himself as the leader. It was a holiday in March. The group was engaged in games.

Suddenly a screech emerged from Urmila,“ Oh! I lost my ear-ring, Amma will scold me."

"eeee…eee,” went on she lamenting. Everybody's legs reached the spot.

“We all will search for it, it will be somewhere here itself,” Vinod began rummaging hither-thither as if he was an elderly person.

“It …was.. new.. uuu ..uuu..”continued she screeching and sobbing.

 “Uh!  Amma will scold her,” the six-year old Sharmila poured oil to the fire.

Vinod and his comrades raided the grounds and compounds all around. The ring hid itself from their view and did not loom before them. They collected a hundred play things in between, but not the ring.

“Do you have any money with you? Vinod.

“No, I don’t have,” Akhil Chacko, “Dad won’t give cash to me.”

“I have five rupees with me; Mamma gave me yesterday to have food from school canteen. I was late to finish the notes. So I didn’t go to the canteen,” George.

 “I have six rupees. Yesterday was our PT day. I didn’t spend the money Amma gave for snacks. But why are you asking?” Anand.

“Wait, I’ll tell you. I have fifteen rupees with me, we’ll put this money together and ask Tarun Chattan( addressing an elderly male) to buy her an ear-ring. ”

Tarun was the next-door neighbour of Vinod. He was a college-boy, who sometimes enjoyed games with the team of those little men.

“But Vinod how did you get fifteen rupees? Who gave you?” Anand was nosy about it.

“I collect cashew-nuts from under the tree early morning. Amma tells me to sell them in Rajan Uncle’s shop. A good quantity will be there. Sometimes Amma allows me to buy ‘Milky bar .Yesterday I didn’t buy it. So the money is with me,” Vinod

  “Next week is our exam. Amma tells me to sit and study. So in our house the maid- aunt only collects cashew-nuts,” Anand.

“After the exam long vacation! No studies, no home work; Aha! We all will enjoy our holidays, no?” Vinod.

 They all were reading in various classes of the same school. The school had a canteen which always exerted a pull on children. The parents had to sometimes succumb to their progeny for their obstinacy

The team approached Tarun and presented their demand before him. He burst out into a loud laughter and then, “Listen, you won’t get gold for this much amount. She lost only one ring. Same type we won’t get. If we buy new, again her mother will scold her. So go and tell Aunt Urmila lost her ring. She will not scold you. Or come I’ll tell her.”

The info about the event evoked the same type of laughter in her also. Soon the atmosphere jingled with laughter and hilarity.

sarala.

A Dreadful Determination! (Part-1)

This story will loom in four or five fragments as it is slightly long.

No sooner did Urmila with one of her friends reach the textile area of the shopping complex, than a duo of men made their exit from there.  She couldn’t catch the full view of their visages. Both of them bore an exulting grin, while they exhibited a sort of rapidity to reach their automobile  

One of the faces seemed resembling someone once much known to her. Urmila tried to correlate the similitude with visages familiar to her.

Yes, she sensed a look alike. But still she had a doubtful attitude about it. “ Umm, is it he?  No, it can’t be. Or ….?” her mind sloped to the past by a slow descend.

A decade or more ago Urmila was returning from the college. As she stepped in, her parents were crossing the threshold of some discussions. Their expression marked some magnitude in the conversation.  Her foot-steps did not stifle their talk, but caught their throat to reduce the volume. Urmila focused her ear on them, but she couldn’t extract anything lucid from their discourse.

“Ah! Let it be. May be some households,” Urmila without attaching much importance to it advanced to her room. There she changed her garb before offering her company to her favourite seat at dining.  She had in her left hand the novel that she had started a couple of days ago.

Her hands fed the mouth with the snacks, Amma(mother) had kept  for her and her eyes journeyed through a verso of the novel. Amma came near, pulled a chair and occupied it.

“Mole(darling),”

Urmila lifted her eyelids from the book and waited for Amma to utter what she wanted. Her Amma, Sharada always used to butter her daughter up for some favours.

“A proposal has come for you. A good alliance. The boy is…”

Before the completion of the sentence, Urmila retorted, “I won’t marry now. I want to study. Let me finish my P.G. I will do research also.”

Her words were clad in strong determination which silenced Amma from further conversations.

Urmila, who was twenty two, was pursuing her Post Graduation in a reputed Institution nearby.  Her parents were eager much for their elder daughter’s marriage. The younger one Sharmila also persuaded her chechchi(elder sister) to accede to it . And she too bagged her share of discontent from Urmila.

Watching all these exercises Urmila’s Achchan( father), Venugopal reached the scene and he also had his tactical trial to bring Urmila in that chore. Nothing worked out for ayes in accord.

Urmila’s repeated clear-cut nays gradually amplified Venugopal’s tone, “See, you have only three more months to finish this course. We can’t delay your marriage. Children don’t understand the reality; they are in a reverie world. I am your father and I’ll see that your marriage takes place in next June or July.” It was a firm statement.

Urmila couldn’t demonstrate her wrath as she knew her Achchan’s limb may plunge on her. Venugopal was very soft and loving. But he went to the level of even draconian measures to stand by what he felt right.Being the daughter of such a person she had taken a hard determination to however elude the nuptials.

At night when sleep clinched all, Urmila quietly walked towards the telephone and the very favourably familiar number, she dialed. At that time the cell-sets were rare and Urmila was not in possession of one.

“Vinod, I don’t know what to do? A proposal has come for me. Parents especially   Achchan seem unyielding.June or July may fall fatal between us. No way to change him.”

“Somehow by hook or by crook you pull on, till I get a job. Don’t worry, a few months are there. I’ll knock at all the doors. Some good will turn for us. I cannot think a life without you, dear. Now you go and sleep, goodnight. ”

“Go..od n ..igh..t,” came out from her unconvincing mind because she knew that ordinary degrees or P.G’s do not grab jobs effortlessly. Professional qualifications move through smooth roads now a days. Vinod held a P.G in Humanities, which had provided  him so far only bitter fruits of job-hunting. And she knew her father well. Sleep did not show any mercy to her that night.

sarala                                                                                                              [To be contd.]

Ants!

For http://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.in/2014_09_01_archive.html

I thought haiku were to be written. I had read the instructions earlier.So the deviation and sorry for that.Anyway I post them here.

For permission he

Waits not;  enter wherever

He wants, Ant the Great.

Pressure or sugar,

Care Ants never; eat so they

Meat, sweet and biscuits

On garnet beads of

Grapes or dangling fruits sweet and 

Ripe, lope Ants impish.

Falling in line March

Forward the Ants with steady

 Speed. Attack the foes. 

I had versified 'River' ,but couldn't link here. So I link it here. 

River!

Burns, rivers, seas and

Banks,a picturesque cuteness, 

God provides the Earth. 

 A pretty painting

Looks the Earth. God has drawn plants,

Rivers, hills and mounts.

Nature spreads her chains

Of White-gold on earth bed. She

Views beauty with joy.

                                         

Two Letters!

For http://writetribe.com/20-quotes-about-writing/

and http://writetribe.com/i-me-and-myself/

These two stories I link here with two prompts of Writetribe. These two letters bring about changes in lives. And 'I, Me and Myself ' prompt is also highlighted here.

‘If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write’. ― Martin Luther

 Love from Soul!

Vidarbha’s princess Rukmini, King Bhishmaka’s daughter wanted to wed Sreekrishna, the doorsill of all appeals and abode of all goodness. Her brother Rukmi in odium about Krishna chose Shishupal for her.

She felt it a bolt from the blue.  Assimilate that she couldn’t. Rukmin’s heart ached. Sleep deserted her. Stomach turned away from food. Smile waned from lips. Uneasiness haunted her.

 “If I want to change the world around me, I should write to Krishna. I’ll initiate myself for that,” her mind whispered.

Her letter a trustworthy Brahmin took to Krishna. The Most Benevolent Lord rose to the occasion.

For http://writetribe.com/i-me-and-myself/

I,Me and Myself

To God!

My mind remains with*1 Amma and *2 Ammoomma. Both are in the sky.

 None wanted me in the house. Step-mother battered me horridly. *3 Achchan took her side.

 Every day I searched in the sky for them.

One day I wrote to God about my difficulties.  I went to post it myself.

Then the post-uncle came there for collecting letters.

He read my card.  He changed God’s address and sent it to court.

The court sent me to this foster-home. Now I am happy here. I have loving mothers and many friends to go to school. I read in third.

*1-Mother, 2-Grandmother, 3-Father.

HOT_SPRINGS !

             

The meandering man

Searches for water; hot-springs

Kind douses his thirst.

Flood ruins lives, jumps from

The kith and kin’s eyes hot springs.

 Hide in throats  laments.

 Stores Earth in her

Reservoir water.Turns tap.

  Springs hot water up.

Boils Earth water and

Serves her children; saves she them

From cold and fever.

 Serves Earth the sons

Of forest, she sends hot-springs.

The beings are gleeful.

sarala


 For http://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.in/

Kudumbayogam(Family Meeting) !

Onam is Kerala’s festival. It is the provincial festival of this state. It is unique in itself that unlike the other carnivals, the reception of the defeated is ceremoniously celebrated here. It has its divine nomenclature ‘Tiruvonam’ in which the prefix ‘Tiru’ depicts sacrosanct. This year also this festival has majestically paid its visit in Kerala and after acknowledging the people’s thrust, receded to its den.

Festivities in toto carry in their wings the message of concord, contentment and amusement. Temple-trips, new apparels, sumptuous food-items etc. have their say in adding splendour to the fair.

Our family also travelled in the usual track of essential rituals and reached the finishing point. But we, the elaborate family of ours flock together to celebrate ‘Onam’ in a different way. What I want to highlight here is our ‘Kudumbayogam’- a union of all the sub-units of the family. This ‘Kudumbayogam’ has become a magic wand which binds all the branches of the family magnetizing the members in its spell.

It is in fact a family-summit comprising members of the core family from east and west, north and south and around the globe. This ‘Yoga’(union) is indeed the brainchild of some genuine personalities. They mused together for a family unit and poured the ideas into the mould of a ‘Kudumbayogam’.  The venue itself stands conspicuous in the sense that the root ‘Nalukettu’-(a quadrangular building with an open patio in the middle) was aptly chosen. Gratitude to the present owner who honours its century old legacy and maintains it in its own traditional fashion.

All the branches say the primary, secondary and tertiary with their own sub-branches present themselves in a laudable style. The congregation contains strength more than two hundred.  The assemblage is not a congregation for sheer recreation but has laid down certain objectives. It stands for the uplift of the needy, assistance for the hapless, nursing for the ailing, concern for the elders and the like in the family as well as outside.

The family graph exhibits not a straight line.The fiscal as well as official positions of some members fall near and some others far of the 'x' axis.But all enjoy the treatment tantamount.Some people own special flairs  in some fields like cultural,academic and literary.They do get encouraged and enthused here.

 This year also we had the family fair in that graceful ‘Nalukettu’. The joviality remained ceaseless as the members of the audience did play their rolls well. People made use of the platform to show what they are. The hullabaloo and yelling of both the seniors and juniors filled the precinct. The interaction among the members of the audience enlivened the atmosphere.

The diminutives failed never to take out their arrows of action from the quiver. They ran, they hopped, they jumped, they swung, they  skipped and they even entered in petty confrontations. From the tiny toddlers to old-old oldies were heroes in the scene. Homemakers turned to be musicians. Rhythm encroached over the legs of elders. They danced in the tune of folk song pop in that terrain. Taciturn people pulled out their tongues and rolled to oratory. Athletes and sports persons were born from the lay throng. And the games played there made the vicinity joyous and delightful. Expletives and interjections echoed everywhere. Some verve-packed youths with shimmering force were splashing in the adjoining atmosphere. They were exactly on the forefront of all the activities.

Once in a while such occasions are essential to take the weight of stress off our minds. Now a days people’s mind owns no shelf without tension. So this kind of togetherness sets a deviation from the routine. It is a diversion from the common route. On the whole a stream of enthusiasm and enchantment will entangle the audience spurting the sense of oneness in multiplicity.

Though I have thrown much light upon our Family-Unit, it can be experimented everywhere. And excuse me, those who walk already through this pavement.