A small imagination...

Its an icy cold sunday morning at Denver,with the roads and even the grass in the lawns fully covered with snow,as Dr.Nene switches on the TV in his room.As he finishes glancing the weather channel and is midway through his random channel surfing,a female voice is heard from the other room

"Sriram...abhi thak brush bhii nahi kiyaa kya?Cmon yaar,We gotto to take Arin to the doctor today!Pls get ready!"

As sriram nonchalantly digs himself deep into his comforter,he treads upon Zee TV,which is carrying a program about his wife, as he shouts..
"Hey..Madhu..Look whos in TV!"

His wife joins him as they watch the next few minutes with their eyes glued to the screens..

Mrs.Nene : Sri..Look how cute I look in Tezaab!U haven't even watched it once!

Mr.Nene : hmm..yeah..U look young and nice..

Mrs.Nene blushes after a few seconds when they show M.F Hussain shamelessly proclaim 'My heart stills beats for Madhuri',as Mr.Nene pulls the comforter and starts to go back to sleep.

Mrs.Nene : Sri..Too much!They are showing me on TV and U r sleeping?..Look..How the whole world likes me aur thuu bhii tho hi..aise..

Mr.Nene:Oh cmon Madhu..Anil might have liked your Tezaab and speak about it for years,M.F.H would love to do Gajgamini part-2 with you and the whole world might tune in to watch your hazaar movies..But the bottomline is..
Nobody knows my sweetheart as good as I do..

Mrs.Nene:But then you have not even watched a handful of my movies..

Mr.Nene:I don't need to watch your movies or programs to know you.
The uncontrollable drops of tear that I noticed as you left the Mumbai airport leaving papa/mummy,the natural smile that I see on your face as you cuddle Arin,the unkempt hair that you sport early morning straight from bed and the soft,innocent face of yours that I watch every night as you pull the bedsheet over yourself in your sleep..
All these choti choti incidents convey much more than the 50 or 100 movies you have acted!

The world knows you as an actress.It is only I who knows you as Madhuri..My Madhuri!

-Raapi

Posted by rajesh |

I hear my friends talk joyously about spending deepavali or New year and describe the festive atmosphere during the season,but being a desi in America,the only ritual or festival that comes close to anything to the likes of diwali or pongal is the annual India trip!!
Yeah!It is happening again!My visit to India starts next week!This time it is going to span only 20 days but the excitement remains the same!Not many friends remain in India to receive me or go around,but then my family and relatives would make sure I am always flocked wherever I go!
This season coincides with the yearly mad shopping season in the U.S and it has had an added effect on the shopping extragavanza!Things have been bought recklessly without even associating the person who would be using it in India!The expectation that America has created on the kids(read cousins) in India,from the previous trips has to be met or exceded everytime I visit India!
At first the shopping phase started pleasantly with an enthusiastic group of friends visiting the malls and picking the choiciest stuff,but then it has started to becoming too boring!There is no interest anymore and the thought of buying even mundane things even for me brings in a distasteful feeling!
The thought about the 36 hr span to reach India makes me feel sick and I just wish it vanishes!Also,the mad schedule of trips during my stay in India frightens me.I would be travelling twice between Madras to Dharmapuri,then to trichy,then twice to Bangalore within the 3 weeks!That is really going to be tiresome!
Anyways,all these things are eclipsed by the mere thought of going to India!Albeit a very short period,it is going to be a welcome change for me!Hoping to meet as many friends and relatives as possible between Dec 28th to Jan 16th.
Adios..
-Raapi

Posted by rajesh |

This is a message that my friend Aravind,who wanted me to host it in my blog!One of the very few useful things this webpage serves!I sincerely request you all to give it a patient read and visit the websites listed in the write-up!It shouldn't take too long for you to join the cause and contribute in any manner!
Thanks to you all in advance and appreciation to Aravind for his noble endeavour!

-Raapi

Association for India’s development (AID – www.aidindia.org) is a non-profit organization and a non-political affiliation, which strives for sustainable, holistic grassroots development in India by supporting initiatives in areas including health-care, environment, education, rural development and empowerment of women. AID has several chapters in the USA and in India, working towards a common goal.

We, at AID, are a group of volunteers who believe that everyone deserves a chance for a dignified existence. We believe in social justice, conservation of the environment and compassion for all beings.

“One For India (www.oneforindia.org) - making everyONE count" is AID’s year-end fundraiser, which brings people together on the web, to make ONE contribution this year to India that COUNTS during this season of giving. AID aims to raise $101,000 from this year's campaign to support its projects and campaigns in 2005.

Please visit the AID and “One for India (OFI)” websites to learn about the projects and to make a small contribution towards the fundraising campaign.
All donations are 100% tax-free in the USA under section 501(c)(3) of IRS tax code. On the OFI website, you can follow the link “Donate” and make a worthy contribution. While you make a contribution, you can direct the contribution towards a specific chapter or to the common pool. Donate to AID and we promise that your ONE contribution will count and make a positive difference in India.

Please feel free to contact me (Arvind Narayanan, arvindn79@yahoo.com) if you have any questions. Thanks for taking time to read this message. Please feel free to spread this message to your family and friends.

Finally, thanks to Raapi for hosting this message on his webpage.

Regards,
Arvind Narayanan and Prakash Narayanan
(Volunteers – Atlanta,GA and Baton Rouge, LA Chapters, on behalf of the AID)

Posted by rajesh |

No one would ever call me an avid enthusiast of Carnatic music,but with the limited knowledge that I have gained through the sporadic listening to the early morning bhajans and the evergreen "Shuprabatham" songs,I can proclaim that MS.Subbulakshmi commands a special respect from me and many other grieving souls of the music world!
MS has left us forever,but her voice shall linger in our hearts for many more generations to come!

As I posted this picture of M.S,I couldn't help noticing the divine radiance emanating from her face,something aptly referred to as "Tejas" by my grand parents,who would be really feeling miserable over her demise!
I have a sad feeling as I listen to her "Shuprabhadham" rendition now!The mornings in most of the south Indian houses shall never remain the same from now on,with the thought that person behind the divine rendition is no more alive!
As claimed in her "Kurai onrum illai" song,I presume that she had had no regrets in her life!

I,sincerely thank her for her selfless service to the music community and pray that her soul rests in peace!

"People came and left,leaving a lot of noise...
MS has left and still'd stay due to her voice!!"
-Raapi

Posted by rajesh |

Three days passed with the shocked girl bed-ridden due to high temperature,all the while cursing her fate for having put her in a situation wherein even her family had succumbed to the baseless accusations of the society and for having interacted with a stranger too close enough to generate feelings in his mind!

Amidst all the conflicting emotions that passed through her aching head,there was one soothing thought of consolation - "25 years of undeviated devotion to the family had fetched her close to nothing while 25 days of friendship with a stranger had brought her immeasureable happiness!".
The joie de vivre that she experienced everytime she thought of Shekar's unadulterated genuine feelings reassured her the purpose of her existence as she realised that there was atleast one soul that understood her and wanted to be associated with her.

The final moment came,when she pulled all her courage and stepped out of her house.On the way,her kid brother spotted her with an yellow bag bearing her basic belongings,but chose not to call her back as he waved and shouted
"Akka..You should have done this long ago!Don't worry at all.For all your goodness,you will always be happy wherever you are!"

Apsara rushed to the hospital frantically,only to hear the shocking news that Shekar had been discharged the day before.She ran to the edge of the city where she could see from a distance that the cinema crew's tents had vanished and the people were finishing up loading the equipments and ready to leave the town.

This was her moment of reckoning!As she saw the buses leaving, filling the roads with all the dust and mud,her eyes were filled with tears as she drew a parallel to the way her life had been muddied too due to a small glimmer of hope!It dint take her long to see the dust on the road settle down revealing her path to glory ,with a man on crutches slowly ambling towards her!She jumped with joy as she ran towards the man of her life!

Back at home,it was history repeating itself with Apsara's kid brother busy humming the latest situational song
"thaanaana thaanaana kathukidanam..athil eppothum thapilla othukidanum",as he started waging the battle of his lifetime with the idly flour!

The dimly lit kitchen reverberated yet again with
ktaku''ktaku''ktaku''ktaku'
'kchpp''kchpp'
'ktaku''ktaku''ktaku''ktaku'
'kchpp''kchpp''kchpp''kchpp'


Concluded!
-Raapi

Posted by rajesh |

It was the crack of dawn,of yet another beautiful day,which was to be the historic day in the lives of many people!In the dimly lit kitchen,Apasara sat on the wooden stool adjacent to the Kerosene stove still continuing,with eyes faintly open,her dreams that she had had in her sleep,just a few minutes ago!
Suddenly,there was this hissing 'shhhhhhhh..'sound that brought her back to her senses when the steaming,frothy milk began to overflow.
She drank her coffee and rushed to the temple and later to Shekar's ward to clean the room and give him his bed coffee.She didn't even bother to wake him up and left after performing her daily tasks!

Upon her return after 2 hours,she saw her dad's friend Sathyamurthy's TVS-50 parked outside their house.As she slowly trudged across the side of her house,she could hear some heated arguments between her dad and his friend,which she didn't bother to listen.She went directly to the back of the house to wash her feet,when she saw her mom beat the crap out of her younger brother,for refusing to wash his clothes.
She immediately mediated screaming..
"Amma..vendaam!Naa wash pannikaraen!Never beat him please!Naanthaan irukaenae..I shall take care everything!" as she fondly kissed her crying brother on his forehead!

Chepp..tup..chepp...went the tunes for the next 15 minutes as Apsara slammed the soapy water laden clothes on to the stone,which was interrupted by an equally loud 'Phatt" - a slap that landed on her cheeks from her father as he yelled..
"Maanankettavalae..Vekkamaa Illa?You are a disgrace to the whole family!How long have you been doing such shameful things?"

Apsara stood stunned and did not even feel the pain from the slap,but got a shocking pain go through her body upon hearing her dad's accusations,as she softly spoke..
"Appa..what wrong did I do?"
She could not control her tears when she heard her father speak in a dirty language linking her and Shekar,solely based on what his friend had said!For the first time in her life,she understood the evil face of the society,which had branded her as an immoral and unethical woman merely based on rumours and unacceptable stories.

An hour or 2 passed, as the sun shone straight over the lone 'Arasa Maram',with the Ganesha idol and Apsara seated beneath it.Apsara got up and rushed,as she remembered that poor Shekar would have been starving all this time.
As she entered the ward,Shekar smiled at her and in the most unsual manner,the next 15 minutes was filled with striking silence as she folded the blankets,replaced the towels,opened the old bandage and started dressing it with new cloth!
Shekar,who had chosen that day to reveal his intentions,started sensing that something was not normal with his Apsara,whom he had expected as any other day to enter the room bubbling with joy,enquiring about his wounds and scolding him for not drinking his cup of coffee fully till the bottom of the glass.
Not minding the unusual aura surrounding his angel and the frightening silence around his ward,Shekar started speaking..

"Hey..Saraa...Naa rombo naala unta onnu solnumnu nenachaen..
U know,I have had an entire world of time thinking alone for the past 20 days,and upon considering all factors,I am saying this..

Please..I repeat Please..don't feel bad about yourself for whatever I am going to say!

I ve been an orphan all my life and now,I feel I have found a sister,a mother and even sometimes a grandmother,not to forget the ever-guiding father,in your form!I know I am being greedy,but would it be a mistake if I say - I truly adore you and selfishly request you to be my life partner?"

Apsara,who was seated on the floor all the while,bending her head and dressing Shekar's wounds,suddenly looked up straight into the eyes of Shekar,as tears rolled uncontrollably.Her face turned red from the shocking revelation as she remained silent for the next 2 minutes and upon completing the bandage, left the room without speaking a word,putting Shekar under a state of total embarassment and guilt!

To be continued..
-Raapi

Posted by rajesh |

The soft steamy mass of white sponge like idlis accompanied by the aromatic Coconut and Pudhina Chutney were the much sort after dishes that Apsara had established her striking signature on.Upon the partial paralysis of her father,she had taken up the task of providing breakfast and sometime lunch to around a dozen staff of the electricity Board office,where her dad used to work earlier.Her popularity ,rather her culinary prowess had reached such great heights that people working in the local school,the Tahsildhar office etc had also started tasting her food with relish.

It was one such crew of the tinsel world that was touring their part of the town for filming a tamil flick,that got latched on to her wonderful food.They gave her a huge advance and booked her as the caterer for the crew during their 4 weeks stay in the town!It was the greatest period of her otherwise boring life,when she got the opportunity to meet her favorite movie stars and even managed to get appreciation from some of them.

It was sheer coincidence that the movie being filmed was named "Thiruppumunai" meaning "Turning point",as Apsara happened to have her entire life changed during the course of its filming.The first 3 days of shooting was for the rain song and it was the fourth day of shooting,that Apsara got the rude shock how a fight sequence in a movie was actaully stage and the hero had very less part in all the ensuing commotion and breakage of pots and glass panes.Her dreams about her favorite hero being a macho man was all shattered when she noticed that he was safely keeping away from the tough somersaults and motorcycle chase stunts and instead it was the dummy stuntman Shekar who executed the dare-devil breathtaking actions,bearing the brunt of all the minor mishaps.

"Shekar Sir..Superaaa fight podraengalae?Ungalku Karaathe laam theryumaa?"quipped Apsara,as Shekar sat down on the stool,wiping the sweat of his face and sipping the tea that Apsara had brought for the crew.Shekar,the young dashing youth just out of his teens looked startled as he realised that Apsara finally came forward to start a conversation by herself.He had been bowled over by her childlike giggling and innocence since the start of the week and had been longing for an opportunity to talk to her.The stamp of sincerity and responsibility that she sported all through the day,drew his attention towards her, as he blurted..
"Enna Apsara..Sir nu laam kuupadraenga?Naa unagala vida chinna payan thaan!Shekar nae kuupdunga!"
The half a dozen 5 minute conversations that they had during the shooting recess seemed liked years worth of well crafted friendship,as Apsara continuously kept throwing her inquisitive questions about the tinselworld and Shekar, sporting his trademark smile and patiently replied to every single silly question!

Back at home,Apsara started encountering the unfortunate sequence of events,with her mother crying almost daily over the pathetic state of their family,her father openly scolding her for being a worthless burden and even her siblings starting to treat her akin to a maid servant of the house!

Destiny had decided something else and it so happened that Shekar met with an accident at the sets,injuring his legs and making himself bed-ridden at the local Government hospital for the next 4 weeks.He thanked his lucky stars for the single day of friendly banter that he had had with Apsara,as she started visiting him frequently and nursed his wounds patiently like a caring mother.

As he heard Apsara's heart-rendering personal life episodes and watched her selfless acts of caring towards him,there was a sudden spark of respect and sympathetic feeling that sprouted in his mind.It did not take long for him to realise that he had found the lady of his life.Suddenly he felt as if he had been transfered to an entirely different world,where every attribute such as him being younger than her,him being a non-brahmin etc seemed to have vanished.All he wanted now was a window of opportunity to express his shocking revelation of feelings for Apsara,which he feared might hamper even the friendly relationship that he had been endowed with.

To be continued
-Raapi

Posted by rajesh |