DRINK BUT DON'T DRIVE

It has been 15 years since my cousin died. I was a kid then but it seems like yesterday that it all happened.

He was in his early twenties and yes ;could be described as " the young blood " in our family . He was the one who taught me to cycle. I kept complaining to him how short and weak I was. So he came up with the plan of getting me a punching bag( that too filled with sand) so that I could be stronger; also a wooden bar for me to do pull ups so that I became taller. This plan dint go well as planned because I was in the boarding at that time. So here I am, short and not too strong.

The construction of our new house was going on so there were lot of things lying around our house. Besides this; there were thefts happening in the neighborhood. All these resulted in my cousin staying at our house with my mom and maternal grandmother.

He used to come very late at night after work. In spite of my mom telling many times to sleep inside the house, he insisted on putting a bed in the sit-out so that he could sleep without waking up anyone as soon as he came back.

On that eventful night, by midnight my mom and granny heard the sound of someone moving the bed around. So they got up and called out to my brother. They did not get any reply but still could hear someone getting the bed ready. They waited for his response and after a while, they thought he might be too tired and must have slept off.

Next morning, the house was awakened by a phone call informing that my brother had passed away in an accident the previous night. My mom was shocked and she dint believe it. She went outside and checked the bed, " it was empty".This was something that baffled us for a long time . Do people live even after their deaths?? Somewhere in my mind, I know that he was reminded of our home even after he died.

The biggest shock came after his death. We came to know that he was pitch drunk when his bike hit on a stationary bus and it was difficult to pull out his body from it. The person we knew never drank and this was not possible. All the respect that I had for him dipped when I realized how much people around me were hurt when they came to know of all the facts about his life.

So, before we do anything in our life, ask a lot of questions. If we are going to do something that cannot be shared with our loved ones, that requires lot of lies to cover up, don't proceed. Stop right there!! I have seen a family wither away in front of my eyes. Its not a great feeling.

And all those people out there, who drink and drive: its not daring but utter foolishness. If you don't value your life, you are insane. Unfortunately there are others who value your life, think about them. You are not forever dauntless; you are not unbeatable; you are just a human being. So be HUMAN!!

BEST TEACHER

If I have to write about a faculty in Christ, it is difficult because I have known a quite a lot who have influenced me in one way or the other. But then, the most special place goes to my first mentor Rita Mallik who made the initial transition of mine from a typical college graduate from Kerala into a multi cultural and diverse College like Christ University a breeze.

She is the synonym of energy- full of positivism and very very energetic. We got along very well from the very first day because we both loved talking and she was a very good listener. My initial days in Bangalore would have been really bad if I did not have these mentoring sessions every day where I could just be me. All because she allowed me to be me with no restrictions.

She had no typical " I know everything" attitude and always talked about her transition in life which helped me a lot. Its very rare for teachers to open up and share their experiences. I loved that about her. If i could achieve something in Christ, I know she had a big role to play in it because she has always championed me.

Ma'm, Thanks for letting me know that having a large heart is the secret of happiness. You are the best!!

PS: This is not because you kept telling that I looked like some actress that you have seen.

MY GRANDMOTHER

My paternal grandmother is a very strong lady and to be truthful, I attribute my stubbornness to her. I always point at my genetic makeup whenever my parents question me about my decisions. Well , I feel it is a blessing that I can always vouch that I am not the odd one in my family - all thanks to her. She is a couple of years closer to completing century with pure grey- whitish hair and a toothless smile.

As a kid, when mom used to go for work on Saturdays, she used to send us to our ancestral home( just 200 m behind our house) where our granny lived. I have grown up listening to the countless stories that she has told from Ramayana and Mahabharatha. In fact, I was madly in love with Lord Krishna and had firmly believed till the age of 10 that I will eventually get married to him. I used to pray so hard like the ladies in those stories so that he will appear in front of me and ask me to marry him.

When my pa was a kid, she had taken all her children and her sisters to some temple for a festival at night and they had to cross many fields to reach the temple. There was hardly any light and they were carrying kerosene lamps. Somewhere along the way, some drunkards were coming from the other side. So she tied her dress like a dhoti and walked so that in what little light was there, people would assume that there was a man with the kids and the ladies.

I can write about lots of instances like these. The crux of it is: To this day , she has remained strong and unafraid of anything, always has held up her head high and spoke her mind. She has seen the death of her four kids , grandson, husband and her sibling; still she has managed to overcome her sorrow with her typical " never will break apart" attitude.

That is what I try hard to become, to " never break apart" no matter what the situation is; and to always speak my mind !!

THE KRONICLES : The Extraordinary Lives of Extraordinary People

This could be termed as one of the many embarrassing incidents in my college life. In a way, it is not new to some of the girls out there, but, it was new to me until it happened for the first time. I still don't know how it happened or what led to what. Ultimately it happened, and I had to get used to it for many more times. 

Some girls accidentally enter the men's washroom. It is acceptable. It is a plain genuine mistake from their part. What if someone gets in there by external influences? Is that acceptable?Here is my story.

Pic Courtesy: RB

I had this harmful habit of irritating guys and getting into fights with them Half the time in college would be spent running around in college, either after a guy to pinch his skin off or before a guy who would be after my life. It was fun as long as I ended up winning. But, it happened rarely or to better put it, it never happened. It was always my short term goal that never was achieved.

"An idea can change your life". Well, it really changed mine. No apple fell on that  persons head like Newton's , neither was he lying in a tub like Archimedes, when this occurred to him. It is his sheer brilliance, I would say, that gave birth to the idea of locking me inside the gents washroom whenever I troubled him. ( I am discounting the fact that I was truly an inspiration to this person by making his life truly difficult with my angelic behavior ). That is how the saga of entering the guys washroom began.

It was just a routine on some of the days, with some calling me as the unofficial "gents loo inspector", to put it more artistically. What was the methodology of accomplishing this? It was quite simple and had just five steps. The technique could be compared to the way dogs were lured with bones. 

First Step:

One of my many opponents-cum-friends would become irritated by my antics, usually accompanied  by a small tug-of-war between the two of us. Often, joined by many on the other side and me fighting alone royally.

Second Step:

When the war was about to be lost, I always cashed in on the weapons I had: my really strong, sharp nails. That got them running.

Third Step:

The smell of a victory always boosted my energy. I ran behind them no matter how small my steps were or how slow my pace was or how funny my running was.

Fourth Step:

They conveniently got in the gents washroom and acted as perfect baits. I was lured by my lust for victory and would loiter near the area. The whole world could see me, but I was convinced that I was good at sneaking and spying on them.

Fifth Step:

During one of those vulnerable moments, I would be conveniently pulled into the washroom , the same time, they jumped out and locked the door from outside.

As quick as lightening, this all used to happen. Before I realized, I would be peeping out through the small glass window on the door, waiting for my freedom. 

The most embarrassing situation was when some other guy opened the door, and I walked out. Poor him, he must have been shocked and confused so much, that he went away without even entering the washroom. Second instance was when, I was pushed in and there was already some body inside. This time, I was shocked.

These were awkward moments, but when I look back now, I can do nothing but laugh till my stomach aches. I am not embarrassed to say " Thanks for the extraordinary " memories guys. I love you all.

BROTHER

Hard to describe,deep to search,
The more I ponder, the farther I reach.
What to think, what to write,
Words are not enough, to give my insight.

Weeks ago, we were worlds apart,
With no clue as to, what were to start.
Was it by chance or was it fate?
Somehow, I got into another state.

Dissimilar were we, in thousand ways,
But,once a bond is made,forever it stays.
No pen or paper, can etch its depth,
And, it is as precious as my each breath.

Somewhere along, into my life, you came,
Ever since that,nothing is the same.
Without you, no moment would be the best,
And always you have, stood apart from the rest.

For all the love and the care , you bestow,
How to thank, I hardly know.
You are the treasure, that I don't want to lose,
My only brother, I was so lucky to choose.

SISTER

I came to this world,not alone,
I had you ,ahead of me,showing the way,
Your every word to me, is a lesson,
That keeps me going,each day.


You hated seeing tears in my eyes,
Often I wondered ,how you could be so unkind,
Now,I realize,where your aim always lies,
You want me to grow up,with a strong mind.

You are the meaning of my life,
The true essence of what I am,
Your voice and your smile,light up my life,
With the glow that will never scram.

When my heart broke bit by bit,
You gathered it all up in your warm embrace,
Without "YOU" ,there is no "I", I admit,
You are the gem, that no one can replace.

PAPPA

To be our strength in distress,
To hold our world together,
Filled with all love and goodness,
God gave us a father.


Bowing before hurdles at times,
We shook our heads in despair,
Taking part in fiery games,
We did not just play them fair.

Over and over ,we mark your words,
Winning always is no success,
But the courage to fly like birds,
When failures leave you in a mess.

When you pushed us into the crowd,
We found ourselves in chains of unrest,
Now, with hearts brimming with pride,
We say,"pappa ,you are the best"....