Blue cross

It was a warm summer day. I woke up in the sidewalks ever so lazily, yawning and showing my dirty milk teeth. It was a lazy Sunday morning, very lazy indeed that I couldn’t see even one Human walking down the streets. I kicked out the sand off my skin, and began to look for my mom and my siblings. They just love to tease me and fight with me. And mom really likes to give me a kiss every time I cuddled her, but she wasn’t in sight. Probably gone to get some food? Maybe.

I just walked down the street, looking for them but, I couldn’t find them at all. Just I was about to panic, a black guy looked at me down the street. He was well built, muscular, but he had some skin rashes; but the most fearsome thing about him was that he was staring right at me; looking right through my soul. I got goosebumps on my back, turned back ever so slowly and started running. He was right after me!

It was a losing chase I knew, but I just kept running with the black guy right behind my tail, ready to bite it at any moment. Just as I turned the street, the black guy lost his balance and tumbled a bit, and I found myself in the arms of a Human! Ah! Human! Am I glad to see him! He was a kid by human standards, about 12 Human years in age, and he just looked at me, and caressed my brown hair all over my body. He saw the black guy coming onto me, picked up a stone and hit him right in the shoulder area, careful not to hurt his eyes. The blackie yelped in pain, and scurried in the opposite direction. There was no scale, no words how happy I was to find this guy. He saved my life!

He gave me a gentle kiss on my forehead, and I began licking his arms, and he seemed to like it. Humans are always gentle to us, giving us biscuits, petting us sometimes, and allowing to sleep on their roads. Always so sweet of them, and this Human was no exception. He took me by his arms and started walking somewhere. I was really afraid of heights, so I just cocooned myself into his chest and lay silent. He walked for about 5 minutes, and was speaking something to me in ‘Human’. I didn’t really understand him, but he seemed to be so happy as I was.

I was about to fall asleep again, when he abruptly stopped in front of a steel gate and I could hear some of the dogs barking. I was happy as I thought I could hear my mommy and my siblings, but as I went more closer I could see that my mommy ain’t there. The barking came  from steel doors, cages in which dirt filled, ugly, skinny dogs were yelping in pain or in hunger. I couldn’t bear the sight of it. The Human who was carrying me just handed me over to another one, but he looked scarier. He had a mustache, and a cut on his forearm which just looked like a dog bite. I was so terrified as the 12 year old waved me a goodbye and left me all alone with this fearful Human. He examined me like a curious piece of artifact, held me by my neck hair which was really painful and forced me into a cage of 2 puppies both were sleeping or both were dead.

Intentions

People come. People live. People die.

Great men come. Great men live. Period

Everyone has the same twenty-four hours in their life. Forget the childhood where a man’s character and his personality is shaped up. The childhood of a main is like the form of a wet clay. They can be shaped up, remoulded into a beautiful statue or a toy by the parents, by the society. Or it can be spoiled ugly too. But the adulthood ain’t like that. It is like a dry clay. It may shine long if it is well polished and kept clean or will just creak up to nothing if it is not well maintained.

Just wait a minute there. We are forgetting something. It’s not completely true that adulthood is like a dry clay which ‘cannot’ be remoulded. All you need is just a splash of H20 to make it wet again. But, if a human who is not a toy clay has to e remoulded, the water will not be provided from the outside, it has to explode like the tiny sprinkles of droplets from the ‘inside’. From ‘within him’! That, my friend, is called as ‘Intention’!

“It is never too late to change yourself”

I had read about great men having a change in their character, in what they do, changes in their profession very late in their life. A serial killer could turn into a good guy; a Barrister turned into the Father of a Nation; a Cobbler turned into the President of the United States. These people didn’t change when they were just 13. They changed later in their lives and still prospered! Of course, there are always incidents in great men’s childhood which shaped them up, but that just didn’t turn them into great men. They had this most deadliest weapon of all. The weapon. The Intention to achieve! The Intention to do something new! They not just asked ‘why?’; they went one step further and asked ‘why not?’. They had this will power to tear up mountains into pieces. And that made them great men. And that’s why they are still great men!

If these men can become great men; we can as well. Well, to be realistic, by ‘great men’, I don’t mean you should turn into another ‘Mahatma Gandhi’. Nope! All I just mean is ‘you’ to be a’greater you’!

There are lots of reasons for us to sit back at home, sulk, and build a cocoon around ourselves. It’s difficult to come out of that cocoon but, if we have two things in our hands, even Chuck Norris can’t stop us. That’s just

“The intention to do something new; And the willpower to do it”

Whatchu gonna do?

The Marina of Chennai

Second largest beach in the world and yet it doesn’t seem large enough for the all of us; Marina is awesome. No, not the movie. I haven’t watched it. The beach of Marina, with the morning Sunshine, the lovely pasture on one side, the foggy harbor on the other side, fish markets, bajji shops, ice cream shops, garbage tins, couples behind the garbage tins, couples in the open sand, the waves, the ‘Nandu’s of Marina, and what not; the creepy night Marina; everything adds clamor to the city of Chennai.
Marina has been a part of my life. My place is just about 4 kilometers from there, and I have a lot of fond memories of it. Not just me, every child growing up would’ve had their moments there.
Playing in the beach; sand-castles, and what not.
Once, I went to the beach with four of my friends, and I found myself staring at the sea. It had no waves! The ocean was calm as a dead grandma, blue as a turquoise color in photoshop can ever get! I spent the next 90 minutes lying there in the beach, in the salty ocean, like a sumo wrestler in the dead sea and playing ball with my friends. It was awesome!
And last Saturday, I witnessed something more majestic. The beach was at its best, with the beautiful tides. I could see that the sea level has rised a bit in the years, yet it was so beautiful. And suddenly, I saw a silvery thing plopping onto the sea. On the first glance, it looked like someone was throwing silver into the sea. I just kept looking on, and 2 seconds later I was in awe. They were fishes jumping out of the sea!
Alright. Fishes jumping out of the sea? Big deal?
Tell you what, it is a big deal. Having watched fishes jump around in discovery channel, in the rivers of Amazon, Ocean of Atlantic, I wished I could see some in my lifetime! And there it was, right in front of me, and it was awesome.
Memories. They are like gold to humans as bananas to monkeys. We can’t live without them. And if the bananas are beautiful, more starch contained, who wouldn’t love it.
On that Saturday, I found myself sharing the beach with two of my friends who were deciding their future with a piece of log.
Throw it way into the waves; if it comes back; you’ll have an awesome girlfriend. That’s their opinion. One got it back. One lost it.
Ah! Never mind. We all got the bananas we wanted

Hunted – Dolphin Drives

The region around the Solomon islands was peaceful and joyous. The sky was blue, and the pacific was fertile with the floating zooplanktons which fed on the numerous phyto-planktons which gave the waters a greenish-tinge to the already magnificent deep blue color. A swarm of dolphins was happily playing and enjoying the evening sun in the shallow waters. After a good lunch, they were squeaking, and jumping, as if dancing in joy in their happy life.

In a big herd of 30, most of them females or small kids, they just happily roamed around the waves, until things changed. Eleven shipping boats with dozens of men in each of them came searing towards the happy swarm. In panic, all the Dolphins started moving in random directions yelping in fear; some of them swam for the sea while some of them swam straight to the coast.

The shipping boats moving with a good pace had nets in them, and the men dispatched them underwater. The net was long enough for the shallow water and tensile enough for the dolphins not to break them. The dolphins which swam for the deep sea were strangled in the nets forcefully, and were carried along to the coast. The blue sea began to turn red for the first time.

Some dolphins bound to the strong net died on impact as the net cut through their organs. Some remain bound. Alive. They wished they were dead.

The dolphins which ran towards their coast realized their mistake as the sea level became more and more shallower, but it was too late to turn back as the boats are at a fast pace towards them. In a blind rage and panic, the Dolphins came towards the end of the sea, to the coast and their momentum carried them further forward; into the coast.

When the sea turned red

The poor mammals jumped out of the sea into the coast to save their lives; or just to live a few minutes longer. The engine roars stopped, and the remaining dolphins caught in the net are brought to the coast with the help of special shipping equipment and motor.

A dolphin jumped out of the coast was still alive. It’s moist skin adsorbed with the beach sand; her breathing fast and rapid; her body convulsing in fear. Dolphins are basically mammals, and unlike aquatic fish they need air to breathe as they have lungs; but too much of heat and harsh, dry conditions will kill it. As the dolphin was breathing its last, a tall man in his mid-thirties walked up to it. The sharp dagger he was holding in his hands gleamed in the evening sun which made the dolphins eyes flinch. He walked slowly, came near to the poor dolphin which was now looking at him. He smiled and impregnated the dagger right in-between the eyes of the dolphin. The crimson red fluid which came out of the shivering Dolphin was not supposed to be at that beach sand.

Dolphins are found in loads in the pacific, atlantic, and even in rivers. There are different species of Dolphins ranging in weight from 40 kg upto 10 tonnes (The Killer whales). Though the number of Dolphins is pretty good in today’s ocean waters, it’s number is alarmingly decreasing due to over-fishing and Dolphin drive expedition like this. Dolphins also get accidently killed by boat propellers, nets intended to catch other fishes (Cetacean by-catch), etc.. If this exponential  increase in the deaths of the Dolphins continue, then we might just see Dolphins in the museum. 

I just hope this inhumane assault of the Dolphins stop in the near future. Dolphin’s meat is rich in mercury and might cause severe food poisoning. Hope that we don’t see those cute little intelligent creatures only in bottles.

A 3 month old Dolphin fetus got from a dead female

Hell in one ball

Cricket has been his life. Right from his childhood, Dumeelkuppam vavvalu* wanted to be a cricketer; he dreamt about it every day and night; how awesome it’ll be if he were a cricketer; how he can win matches for his team Single handedly; how he’ll sign autographs for the young and send flying kisses to the girls. Perhaps, he just dreamt a lot and never did anything to become a cricketer.

Affected by Chikungunya at the age of 15, Vavvalu took up cricket seriously. Vavvalu ain’t his original name, but he asked everyone to call him so to infuse terror into the batsmen and make their legs shiver despite the Chennai heat. Batsmen laughed.

When young, Vavvalu never went to a cricket school. He never played with a cricket ball, but he’s a master of the gully cricket. With a lanky build, and a sharp eye he became a bowler. A furiously fast bowler who bowled wide and high. People started calling him Ajith Agarkar.

But all that has changed.

Vavvalu joined the local Dumeelkuppam team and became an integral part of it. After considerable wins, he became the lead bowler of their team. Despite the winning trend of his team, and his income through bet matches, Vavvalu was never satisfied. He wanted to achieve something big. HUGE!

No Wicketkeeper, no slip. Only Gully!

And then the day came.

Dumeepkuppam’s neighborhood Kasimedu asked the Dumeelkuppam team for a bet match of 2000 bugs. Dumeelkuppam readily agreed, and on a Friday evening with the local ground not occupied, the two teams collided head on.

Dumeelkuppam’s batsmen had no clue against the Kasimedu Kakka’s ( That’s what they’re called ) bowlers and they managed just a meagre 100 runs in 20 overs.

In reply, Kasimedu Kakka’s really shivered against our Vavvalu. In his three overs, Vavvalu squared up the openers of the kakka’s- Annaatha’ Arumugam, and Gundappa Guna with a beautiful delivery and also picked up two more wickets.

After 19 overs, Kasimedu Kakka’s were 94/8 with just one recognised batsman left ( Kadaai’ Kanthan )

This is Vavvalu’s time!

He came in to the bowl the last over.

Vavvalu started up with a beautiful rising delivery that got the edge but didnt carry. Everyone screamed in agony.

The first four balls of the over went for 5 runs, mostly with miscued shots or thick edges off the bat.

Kasimedu Kakka’s needed 2 runs from 2 balls.

Vavvalu went to his run-up. He looked straight into the eyes of the batsman, Kadaai Kanthan. He saw something in there he always wanted to see. He saw something that pumped up the adrenaline in his blood. He saw fear.

Vavvalu came in with full speed and speared in the yorker which missed everything on its way, and stuck the wicketkeeper on his stomach as he howled in pain. Kakka’s didnt score a run.

Suddenly Dumeelkuppam XI seemed so ecstatic and pumped up as there is a possiblity of a victory. The wicketkeeper was changed, and Vavvalu prepared for his final delivery.

Vavvalu ran hard as he could, and bowled his final delivery. Everything seemed to freeze. Time froze. The scene was as if like someone reduced the temperature of the ground to -274 degrees. Vavvalu heard his heartbeat in his ears. He knew this is the moment!

This is the big moment that he has been waiting for! The moment to make it big! The moment is here for which he is born.

And suddenly with a roar, the ball richoted onto the middle stumps and at the same time, the leg umpire screamed “NO ball!!!”

Vavvalu stopped dead in his tracks.

The leg umpire screamed again ” No ball!! “

Vavvalu couldnt believe his ears!

Calmly, the leggie added, “The changed wicketkeeper didn’t tell his guard!”

And that moment, all ‘O’ words began flying as hell broke loose.

No one gave no one 2000 bugs.

The final delivery of the match was never bowled.

Cat

People call me as Rat. People call my bro as Panda. People call my classmates as monkeys.

Well, anyway wherever I turned around, I saw animals and humans intertwined into each other. People love their pets. Ask Suchi about her dane, Britto who is as tall as me and twice as intelligent as my classmates; or ask Ashwin about his cats. Okay, dont ask him.

The fact is this: I love pets: I love animals and this is one of the reason for me to join up bio-technology. To be nearer to some animals all the time, to save them, to protect them, and not to see one species vanish off!

Alright, forget whatever I told ya.. The following story is a true one, and a sad one for me. It happened some 2 months ago and I still cannot forget it.

It was a cool evening, and the rain just started around half past 7. August has just started, and the cool breeze was never better. The rain splattered against the windows very hard for around a hour that I just sat infront of the TV and skipped channels. I had nothing better to do.

Right infront of our house, there was a small tree ( I dunno what kind of tree it is), and there was a patch of soil open to the atmosphere near the tree; a rarity you’ll see in my area. And then I saw something while standing in the balcony. It was almost motionless in the then drizzle; it was breathing slowly and rhythmically, as if it’s sleeping. It was a CAT!

It was shiny black in color, except that its paws, and its nose was cute white. If you had had a cuteness meter, the Cat would have definitely got a 10! I went down to the soil patch to pick it up. It almost showed no resistance, just coming into my warm hands as it was pretty wet. I brought it into my kutti room and wrapped it in a towel, and just took a look at it.

It looked pretty normal and healthy for a cat. It looked almost young. Not too young, but not yet into its adulthood, to search its own prey. It was fast asleep and I did everything not to wake it up. I switched off my fans, threw off my tube light and switched on a small bulb so that it wont wake up. I kept a small kettle of milk just in case it wakes up and starts meowing.

I just watched it. I just stared at it. And then I recognized something was very wrong!

It opened its eyes, and they were so filmsy; I couldn’t see a pupil in it’s eye at all. It had a translucent membrane, and I thought it was blind. I didn’t know because it opened it’s eyes only for a fraction of a second, not too long, just as to blink.

It slept. I poked at it. It slept. It never resisted me doing anything to it. Something was very wrong.

I slept off watching the cat. It breathed slowly, and it was so hypnotic that I didn’t know when I slept off.

When I woke up the next morning, I found that the Cat was not in it’s towel but some two feet away from it, just sleeping.

When I went to have a closer look at it.. It was dead!

It was dead! DEAD!

It’s eyes were closed as if they’re still sleeping, except that it wasn’t breathing at all. It’s limbs were so hard and rigid. I tried to move it, but it wouldn’t budge. I guessed it should have died just a little after I slept because it was really hard. – very hard. It just laid there on its head.

My Human mind just asked me to check if it is still alive, just a glimmer of hope to see it alive; but something inside me told me it will be of  no use as the Cat is cold as dead. I couldn’t believe it!

My scientific mind said that Rigor Mortis has already set up, that explained it’s hard cold body. It became a bit heavier. Yet, I couldnt find out why such a young, healthy looking cat died. Probably it got too wet and died of hypothermia..? I didn’t know. Hypothermia is usually accompanied by vigorous shivering and very low metabolic rate, as if in a coma. Yet, the cat was pretty much alive when I took it home last night. All kinds of thoughts raced into my mind as I just sat there staring at the dead being. I had seen death, but not in my room. An odd feeling began to sweep over me. The same feeling you get when you lose some person whom you love. Whom you care for. I couldn’t help but just sit there and stare at it.

Finally, I mustered all my courage to just carry it to the corridor. I cannot stand the view of it, and as it was pretty late for college, I just zoomed off; still my mind somewhere else. That day, when I came home, the cat wasn’t there. I came to know that it was dumped in the dump-van. I couldn’t even bury it.

That night was the longest night I’ve ever had.

I just sat in my room and thought. I have no pets. I should have probably spent some one hour with that black, cute little cat; and yet I cannot forget it. Those one hour was one of the best hours in my life as I gave refuge to a homeless cat. That one hour, I’ll never forget. After nearly two months, I still cannot forget how the cat laid there in the morning. Cold, hard, and DEAD!

So, if you just see a cat or a dog or any animal for instance lying down unconscious, or just is about to die, or in terrible need of help, don’t just turn a blind eye to it. Animals are after all, creatures who can be loved and who know to love.

And Cat!

May it’s soul rest in peace!

Too much Pepsi

He was just looking at her. His head was stationed straight and relaxed; but he wasn’t seeing the movie; he was mesmerized by her. The evening was awesome and his date was flabbergasting. Finally he felt like he had met his soul-mate as both of them watched the climax of the movie. The movie was an action-thriller and she was completely into it. Not this guy. He wanted to be completely into something else.

Well, anyway as her eyes rose with fear and as she tugged his shirt for a sense of security, he knew that she was enjoying herself. Everything was going awesome! So far.

As the credits started, she finally noticed his intelligent eyes boring on her and let out a girlish giggle. That girlish giggle for which boys fall for. He fell.

They walked past the crowded corridor to the parking lot, their eyes virtually glued upon each other. There was an air of electricity between them; a spark which might spread fire in the hay anytime. They were silent..

She got into her car and he followed suit. He tried to indulge in some small talk but she dismissed everything with a wave; with single answers. Sure she ain’t into small talks tonight. He thought to himself, rightly so.

With a block away from her house, she stopped the car and just stared at the empty road.

He stared at her.

The road was absolutely empty. No stray dogs, no waste-dumping-aunties, no noisy neighbors, nothing.

The air was clean, and the trees nearby gently swayed in the wind as if dancing to a cute little lullaby.

She turned to him shyly and said ” I really had an awesome time today”, and forced a smile. The smile for which the boys go drooling. He did.

She started brushing her soft black fringed hair, that hugged her shoulders like a velvet casket. She started fiddling with her keys, waiting for him to make a move.

He pinched himself.

She looked into his eyes. He looked deep into her eyes.

They came close together.

So slow and so close that the spark between them was finally going to spread into a forest fire of massive destruction.

They came too close for the molecules between them broke their covalent bonds releasing heat energy and became ions..

So close that he was just Angstrom Units away from her.

He burped.