Feb 16, 2015
Foxcatcher
Feb 4, 2012
Everything is understood..!!
"How do i get out of the bus when there is an accident...?" When i asked this question to the conductor, neither the conductor nor any of the co-passengers were happy... I could feel the growl in the driver, who happened to be nearby.
This is a TNSTC bus plying from Chennai to Coimbatore. This is jam packed weekend. Weekend after the diwali holidays. As such, this route is always packed up. The question was partly attributable to the movie, 'Engeyum Eppothum' and partly to the accident that happened two days before. The conductors normally dont reply to such questions, must have been a real dull day for him, he took me to my seat, which as usual was the last one, and explained me of the Emergency Break Glass at the rear and also gave me an hammer. Most of the passengers were astonished including me at the response by the conductor.
My friend who had recently joined in the same company in which i was working gave me slight sigh with an expression as 'what are you going to do with the hammer now' type look, but knowing me and my capability for an oration, which i had already started preparing in my mind, he kept quiet.
This weekend break was essential as i had quiet some chores to look into. Had to do some purchase for my sister's marriage. She is getting married to her colleague. After some resistance from our family, i was able to convince them in her favour. The reason for me to support her love is not only that i am also planning such a marriage but somehow i am convinced very strongly that the couple is the one who is going to live the life, so it should be of their plan and wish. Moreover, the person with whom she was in love seemed to be a responsible and a sensible guy. Although he was yet to settle with a good job i am confident of things turning for good.
Today in the evening he had only picked me from my house and dropped in the Koyambedu Bus Stand. He was mentioning about few more companies which he was eyeing for a job. I had also promised to give him some reference in the companies where i had some friends.
I was deeply thinking about the way i can get my things worked out. Her Mom has already started pressurising me for the marriage. She has been doing that for almost two years now, throughout these days my reply has been same. The bus slowly rolled out of the bus stand. As usual, i was travelling light, through with dinner already at in the mess. Had bought a water bottle as usual at the inflated rate equivalent to the cost of milk. Not sure when, who or how these things are going to be checked.
The reply has been same throughout these years. The bus reached the highway and started picking up speed. The night life outside the bus was dying down. The typically crowded bus was sleeping into the night. I wonder how some people get to sleep so fast, even in the bus. The hammer which the conductor had given me was also playing its role in spoiling my sleep from beneath my seat. I have been able to quote my sister's marriage so far, as reason for delaying my marriage. Now that is not going to hold water any more.
Her Mom is fully right from her side for her girl is already 27 yrs old and my family has not yet confirmed regarding our wed-lock. Moreover they have started receiving proposals for the second girl, younger sister of my probable-wife. From the day we had finalised my sister's marriage, they had started pestering. The bus had halted for a tea break, i realised only after hearing the friend's husky voice from behind the sleep clouds. As usual the bus had stopped in the place which is favourite to it. Probably the bus likes that place for it may be getting free air for its tyres to cushion the movement on the harsh road, hope you understand what i am saying....!!!
Her sister is 25 yrs old and is working in a private company after studying Engineering. They are absolutely right from their side, but how am i going to declare my things..it would be viewed by everyone has a continuance of the league started by my sister...!! Being the sole bread-winner of the family after my Dad's demise, i was able to stand and convince people for my sister, but who would do such things for me..?? The bus had started stretching itself again on the highway and to my wonder, the crowd has again fell into sleep just like a flip-flop switch operation.
The bus was alighting a bit, i felt so. Must be that driver is overtaking some snails, i justified myself. One more important problem in my marriage is how am i going to say to the family...?? My mom is afraid to speak to my uncles and i cant shamelessly say to them, 'i like this girl and pl get us married...!!' No i wont be able to say that. God, i really wish that my cousin bro was here. He is the one on whom i can rely on.
We had been close to each other during our school days. But once he started his college life and me picking up my dad's job we couldnt be in touch as much as we like...!! Nevertheless we speak now and then. He has been staying out of home for 13 years now for various reasons like studies, job etc..,. He does get to know the problem and reach the root easily. One more thing which i admire of him is his capability to judge people. Rather than judging he gets to 'know' people very soon. I think i should speak to him to handle my situation.
Yeah thats the right way.....oh this is not some overtaking...it seems to be re-coursing after a strong drifting...!!! Rather than just thinking, let me atleast check with the driver, i thought. I walked on the aisle slowly looking at the sleeping people. Heard somewhere, that King Goutama saw the plight of the sleeping human bodies before he left everything behind to attain enlightenment and become Buddha. I hope that i dont leave everything behind after seeing........TTThhhhhhaaddddd...!!!!
Peace. Meaningless and endless peace. Slowly i woke up to a burning sensation. My right leg was bleeding. Not an issue. My right hand was almost senseless...ahh should not bother me much..!!! Small burns throughout my body is not of major concern..there is something more, causing this much annoyance..!! What is it..??? Slowly i realised that my head was bleeding. My right ear seems to be hurt..but why the heck should it pain so much..i tried touching it. Failed to find it. Tried again and failed again.
Slowly i recollected what happened. As i was moving on the aisle, there has been an accident. Accident. 'Accident....!!!' Oh i have the hammer, and the emergency glass. When i started moving towards the rear, i realised that i had almost reached the front of the bus. What i saw as i was intending to move behind was the horrible sights i have ever seen..!!! Most of the people have been jammed in between the seats...i started remembering my school day Zoology lab...every possible part of the human body taken out of their location and freshly displayed to me...!!! Corner of my mind was saying 'thank god, they are dead, dead while they are asleep'..!!! What is this..why is this particular piece of flesh seems familiar....no no i must be dreaming...!! I moved confidently to the rear to break the glass and save the people...but whom am i going save....?? I reached my seat, took the hammer and started hitting it with my left hand and after three, four blows i realised i was not hitting anything...i dropped the hammer only to find that there was no glass at all...!!
I didnt know what else to do..!! Never thought how fast the mind can think of various things. Although people think that the mind migrates between very random things, the truth is the mind 'jumps' from one thought to another from a connecting word or thought. This happens so very rapidly, one generally thinks the thoughts are random. Thats the reason why we are generally not able to co-relate the duration of dream and the actual time factor. Everyone fantasise themselves as a kind of hero sometimes, while at times of insanity as some unwanted element of the society who can do anything and everything at will. I was imagining myself as both hero as well a dacoit and with less thoughts, these were so rapidly occurring that i was worried what i would finally become. Why in the hell am i thinking about my girl now...??? Dont worry, everything will be fine. Oh shoot, i was supposed to meet her in the morning, because of this accident, it may not happen......i was mentally cursing the driver. The nearby-seat on my right side was seemingly vibrating so vigorously towards me...is it possible....oh no, its me who is shivering out of pain, fear and shock..!! I dont know what am i going to do....how would i tell my family about my marriage...imposing figure of my uncle was pushing me down. Only soothing effect is by my cousin's hand which is gripping my shoulders and helping me to face the wind gushing through the broken rear glass. My cousin was showing me my girl friend standing in the middle of the road in full bridal dress and i can see people coming towards me with their hands held out to wish me....but why are they coming in such casual dress..?? It seems they are shouting out of some pain....I realise without seeing there were some people behind me also, shouting. But everything is garbled. Is my marriage so painful for these people....who in the name of hell are they to decide what is good or bad for me...??? I should shoo these people out of my life. I will lift, hold and drag these people out of my life. Some may be gluing themselves to the floor with some extra support but i will lift them by their hands and even if they resist i will drag them out of my life...oh how gutsy this man is...he has reached me and saying something to me...???
I really dont recollect how long i have been standing near the rear glass. When i slowly regained my senses, i saw people, faceless and nameless, shaking me back to reality. I turn back and see the jammed bus. Few hands were up in the air and they were trying to show that they are alive. Now i can clearly hear what that man was saying to me. 'What happened ? Are you hurt..you come out, we will look after them'. I slowly walk back into the bus.
..
When i woke up, i found some familiar faces around me. My mom had been probably crying for a long time. Her face shows. I realised i was on an hospital bed. There were few magazines lying near the bed, something told me to pick up the evening magazine. It had my photograph. Something is amiss. It was saying that i saved 16 people. The Home Minister had sent special congratulatory message. It had a photograph of the District Collector doing a press conference. It said that the Collector who had reached the spot had taken me to the nearby hospital in his own vehicle. Oh my right ear. It is still paining. I slowly reached for the ear to give a touch therapy so as to convince not to pain so much. It was eluding. Everything came back in a flash. That familiar piece of flesh was my ear...!! My girl friend was sitting near me holding my right hand and crying so profusely. My uncle was standing at a distance. Everything happens for good. This accident has saved me from facing my family for now, everything is understood.
......
Everything in this blog is true, not essentially concerning any single person. There is something for every friend of mine to connect with them-self. This blog should give an uneasiness to the reader, if i have done my job right.
This is a TNSTC bus plying from Chennai to Coimbatore. This is jam packed weekend. Weekend after the diwali holidays. As such, this route is always packed up. The question was partly attributable to the movie, 'Engeyum Eppothum' and partly to the accident that happened two days before. The conductors normally dont reply to such questions, must have been a real dull day for him, he took me to my seat, which as usual was the last one, and explained me of the Emergency Break Glass at the rear and also gave me an hammer. Most of the passengers were astonished including me at the response by the conductor.
My friend who had recently joined in the same company in which i was working gave me slight sigh with an expression as 'what are you going to do with the hammer now' type look, but knowing me and my capability for an oration, which i had already started preparing in my mind, he kept quiet.
This weekend break was essential as i had quiet some chores to look into. Had to do some purchase for my sister's marriage. She is getting married to her colleague. After some resistance from our family, i was able to convince them in her favour. The reason for me to support her love is not only that i am also planning such a marriage but somehow i am convinced very strongly that the couple is the one who is going to live the life, so it should be of their plan and wish. Moreover, the person with whom she was in love seemed to be a responsible and a sensible guy. Although he was yet to settle with a good job i am confident of things turning for good.
Today in the evening he had only picked me from my house and dropped in the Koyambedu Bus Stand. He was mentioning about few more companies which he was eyeing for a job. I had also promised to give him some reference in the companies where i had some friends.
I was deeply thinking about the way i can get my things worked out. Her Mom has already started pressurising me for the marriage. She has been doing that for almost two years now, throughout these days my reply has been same. The bus slowly rolled out of the bus stand. As usual, i was travelling light, through with dinner already at in the mess. Had bought a water bottle as usual at the inflated rate equivalent to the cost of milk. Not sure when, who or how these things are going to be checked.
The reply has been same throughout these years. The bus reached the highway and started picking up speed. The night life outside the bus was dying down. The typically crowded bus was sleeping into the night. I wonder how some people get to sleep so fast, even in the bus. The hammer which the conductor had given me was also playing its role in spoiling my sleep from beneath my seat. I have been able to quote my sister's marriage so far, as reason for delaying my marriage. Now that is not going to hold water any more.
Her Mom is fully right from her side for her girl is already 27 yrs old and my family has not yet confirmed regarding our wed-lock. Moreover they have started receiving proposals for the second girl, younger sister of my probable-wife. From the day we had finalised my sister's marriage, they had started pestering. The bus had halted for a tea break, i realised only after hearing the friend's husky voice from behind the sleep clouds. As usual the bus had stopped in the place which is favourite to it. Probably the bus likes that place for it may be getting free air for its tyres to cushion the movement on the harsh road, hope you understand what i am saying....!!!
Her sister is 25 yrs old and is working in a private company after studying Engineering. They are absolutely right from their side, but how am i going to declare my things..it would be viewed by everyone has a continuance of the league started by my sister...!! Being the sole bread-winner of the family after my Dad's demise, i was able to stand and convince people for my sister, but who would do such things for me..?? The bus had started stretching itself again on the highway and to my wonder, the crowd has again fell into sleep just like a flip-flop switch operation.
The bus was alighting a bit, i felt so. Must be that driver is overtaking some snails, i justified myself. One more important problem in my marriage is how am i going to say to the family...?? My mom is afraid to speak to my uncles and i cant shamelessly say to them, 'i like this girl and pl get us married...!!' No i wont be able to say that. God, i really wish that my cousin bro was here. He is the one on whom i can rely on.
We had been close to each other during our school days. But once he started his college life and me picking up my dad's job we couldnt be in touch as much as we like...!! Nevertheless we speak now and then. He has been staying out of home for 13 years now for various reasons like studies, job etc..,. He does get to know the problem and reach the root easily. One more thing which i admire of him is his capability to judge people. Rather than judging he gets to 'know' people very soon. I think i should speak to him to handle my situation.
Yeah thats the right way.....oh this is not some overtaking...it seems to be re-coursing after a strong drifting...!!! Rather than just thinking, let me atleast check with the driver, i thought. I walked on the aisle slowly looking at the sleeping people. Heard somewhere, that King Goutama saw the plight of the sleeping human bodies before he left everything behind to attain enlightenment and become Buddha. I hope that i dont leave everything behind after seeing........TTThhhhhhaaddddd...!!!!
Peace. Meaningless and endless peace. Slowly i woke up to a burning sensation. My right leg was bleeding. Not an issue. My right hand was almost senseless...ahh should not bother me much..!!! Small burns throughout my body is not of major concern..there is something more, causing this much annoyance..!! What is it..??? Slowly i realised that my head was bleeding. My right ear seems to be hurt..but why the heck should it pain so much..i tried touching it. Failed to find it. Tried again and failed again.
Slowly i recollected what happened. As i was moving on the aisle, there has been an accident. Accident. 'Accident....!!!' Oh i have the hammer, and the emergency glass. When i started moving towards the rear, i realised that i had almost reached the front of the bus. What i saw as i was intending to move behind was the horrible sights i have ever seen..!!! Most of the people have been jammed in between the seats...i started remembering my school day Zoology lab...every possible part of the human body taken out of their location and freshly displayed to me...!!! Corner of my mind was saying 'thank god, they are dead, dead while they are asleep'..!!! What is this..why is this particular piece of flesh seems familiar....no no i must be dreaming...!! I moved confidently to the rear to break the glass and save the people...but whom am i going save....?? I reached my seat, took the hammer and started hitting it with my left hand and after three, four blows i realised i was not hitting anything...i dropped the hammer only to find that there was no glass at all...!!
I didnt know what else to do..!! Never thought how fast the mind can think of various things. Although people think that the mind migrates between very random things, the truth is the mind 'jumps' from one thought to another from a connecting word or thought. This happens so very rapidly, one generally thinks the thoughts are random. Thats the reason why we are generally not able to co-relate the duration of dream and the actual time factor. Everyone fantasise themselves as a kind of hero sometimes, while at times of insanity as some unwanted element of the society who can do anything and everything at will. I was imagining myself as both hero as well a dacoit and with less thoughts, these were so rapidly occurring that i was worried what i would finally become. Why in the hell am i thinking about my girl now...??? Dont worry, everything will be fine. Oh shoot, i was supposed to meet her in the morning, because of this accident, it may not happen......i was mentally cursing the driver. The nearby-seat on my right side was seemingly vibrating so vigorously towards me...is it possible....oh no, its me who is shivering out of pain, fear and shock..!! I dont know what am i going to do....how would i tell my family about my marriage...imposing figure of my uncle was pushing me down. Only soothing effect is by my cousin's hand which is gripping my shoulders and helping me to face the wind gushing through the broken rear glass. My cousin was showing me my girl friend standing in the middle of the road in full bridal dress and i can see people coming towards me with their hands held out to wish me....but why are they coming in such casual dress..?? It seems they are shouting out of some pain....I realise without seeing there were some people behind me also, shouting. But everything is garbled. Is my marriage so painful for these people....who in the name of hell are they to decide what is good or bad for me...??? I should shoo these people out of my life. I will lift, hold and drag these people out of my life. Some may be gluing themselves to the floor with some extra support but i will lift them by their hands and even if they resist i will drag them out of my life...oh how gutsy this man is...he has reached me and saying something to me...???
I really dont recollect how long i have been standing near the rear glass. When i slowly regained my senses, i saw people, faceless and nameless, shaking me back to reality. I turn back and see the jammed bus. Few hands were up in the air and they were trying to show that they are alive. Now i can clearly hear what that man was saying to me. 'What happened ? Are you hurt..you come out, we will look after them'. I slowly walk back into the bus.
..
When i woke up, i found some familiar faces around me. My mom had been probably crying for a long time. Her face shows. I realised i was on an hospital bed. There were few magazines lying near the bed, something told me to pick up the evening magazine. It had my photograph. Something is amiss. It was saying that i saved 16 people. The Home Minister had sent special congratulatory message. It had a photograph of the District Collector doing a press conference. It said that the Collector who had reached the spot had taken me to the nearby hospital in his own vehicle. Oh my right ear. It is still paining. I slowly reached for the ear to give a touch therapy so as to convince not to pain so much. It was eluding. Everything came back in a flash. That familiar piece of flesh was my ear...!! My girl friend was sitting near me holding my right hand and crying so profusely. My uncle was standing at a distance. Everything happens for good. This accident has saved me from facing my family for now, everything is understood.
......
Everything in this blog is true, not essentially concerning any single person. There is something for every friend of mine to connect with them-self. This blog should give an uneasiness to the reader, if i have done my job right.
Jan 23, 2012
One of my friend 4 (Part 2)...
Chapter 2
Friend of the Guy.
Life in a small town is not so fascinating. It was after years, i was to know the difference of Town, City and a Metro, but the life even then was not so very happening just to realise that sometimes i was bored. I dont remember when i had become a good friend with him. From the days that i can recollect, we have been studying in the same school, sometimes in same class and always had a decent friendship. Was it after i accidentally made him fall from bicycle for which he had to be stitched at places, i really dont know when we had developed a good friendship for each other. We used to share a lot of things between us and after the schools hours, either he used to come to my place or i visit his home. Most of the evenings used to be spent like that. He was very strong by character and had his means in everything. His thought process used to be comparatively faster than me for i used to think that i was better thinker in the school. Once he had duel with two other guys in seventh standard and the fight was rumoured to be for a girl. I got to know the details in next year.
Seemingly he had been 'loving' a girl from sixth standard and two other guys teased her. The teasing was about, well forget it, it is un-Parliamentary to mention it here. I dont have great opinion about love or atleast love at that age. I know that a thinking exists that love at such age is pure and unadulterated, but i am not a big fan to it. But he happened to be my friend and i know him completely and hence i can say that in his case it was true. I really dont remember seeing him much speaking with her or ogling and roaming around her, but he did always remember of her. He had a carving for good quality pens and whenever he bought a pen, her name used to be the first writings. I dont know whether all this sums up to be called a love, but i know this much, that her presence and thought could elate him to any extent.
We moved our way in terms of academics after tenth standard and he being a person with clear thoughts, he went his way. But our friendship remained and i used to meet him whenever it was possible. He was the same person, sharing everything with me. He used to write letters to that girl and keep it to himself for not that he lacked courage but just for the thought that she may say no. I neither supported nor was against it, for i was not having a clear opinion towards all this but i used to just tell him to do anything only after giving a good thought about it. When he was roaming around, due to his natural attributes, he had a lot of girl friends, but he remained good(i hope, you understand what i mean) and deep in his mind was committed to her. The letters to her were piling on and he had a good hand and command in English and Tamil.
One day, he gave me ring and i was to hear his happy voice. I never before, remember him to be excited that much. He told me that he had found her and spoke to her. I am very sure, knowing him, the amount of work he would have had put to discreetly locate her and speak to her in a way not harming her would have been immaculate. He was sounding as if he had attained enlightenment, but for him everything was just nothing but for her. He regularly spoke to her. He used to tell me what they generally spoke, not in particular, and he always mentions that she had inclination in speaking to him. I was happy for him, but at the same time sceptical that things should end good. He started writing the letters again and i saw the amount of time and effort he invested for the letter, which he had decided to post her. He had good knack for various arts. He can draw, write poems etc..,. I saw his first letter, it had her name written in a different way which he told me as an Ambigram, a word which i heard for the first time. I thought that i am under-educated and tried that word with all my classmates and even the staff members, to my satisfaction no one had heard it before.
That was the time, when he used to be on cloud nine always. He used to do a small business out which he earned some money for all his this kind of needs. He was hell bent that he would never call her or spend on something for her out his Dad's money. I started realising where the things were leading to. He was to propose her very shortly and was very sure that she would accept it. Just for argument, I knew that they have been speaking almost everyday for hours and hours, i asked him once how he can say so, for after all she might have been speaking to him just as a friend. That question did make him to think, and that only worsened the case. One fine week end immediately after me asking that question, he proposed to her. He told me that he had given her some time to think over it completely and say anything. He purposely did not call her for a week. Not only he, but also me, was waiting for the reply.
During the times when he was calling and writing to her regularly, i believe that she allowed her friends to read the letters and answer the calls for her. I dont understand till date why she did it. I know this because my friend had become famous among her friends and they have been speaking to him when he used to call her, in attempts to befriend him. He had gifted her a solid crystal piece with inscription of her favourite God, which he had specially got from some God-knows-where place. Those things were totally out of time for all of us. He did visit her and see her from a distance twice, with which i was annoyed. I told he should have had the guts to walk up to her, for which he replied that he did not want to surprise her or do such things which may put her trouble. What the fig.. i used think it all as a total waste of time. That time we were in the third year of the degree and i was really worried that he should keep up his performance, for he had been doing really well always before.
After a week he could not call her for reasons know to me, and he finally called her after one more week. I was there with him when he was speaking to her. I could mildly hear her voice and could not avoid over-hearing things. She had a one liner, "I am surprised and dont know what to say". I remember clearly that she left him hanging rather than saying yes or no. Should i have been in my friend's place, i might have been totally broken down and forced to chose some extremes. But he was composed. He spoke some pleasantries and then hung up the phone. Later two or three more times, he spoke with her, and they spoke as normal, as if nothing had happened. With one sided conversation of my friend, i could make out nothing but wonder how they both can converse as usual, for same amount of time. But i did see some difference in my friend.
One fine day, he told me that he had let her go. What the fig...???
I asked him if she told no or any developments that has forced him to take such decision, for which he replied in negative. I totally could not understand anything, before or even then. All that i could understand and visualise was that my friend being hurt after nine years of dedication and commitment. It may have been one side, but atleast things could have been handled maturely and smoothly to reduce the pinch or atleast could have been stopped before becoming this deep. I was worried, again. But he did recover or atleast showed no signs of damage. But i having been observing him for quiet sometime could make out how much hurt he was. To some surprise of mine, he continued his academic performance and he was the first of all our batch to get settled with a job and move out of the place. After some three years or so, with no attempts from his side to contact her, he asked me if know where she was. I was aware that she was married and settled in life. He was not very surprised, but i was shocked when he told that he wanted to atleast see her once before anything might happen to him. I could not agree, but could not convince him against it.
We decided to visit her in-laws place. He was very meticulous in doing so. He gave a call to their home and informed that he was a friend of her who has just come back from a foreign trip after four years, and heard that most of the friends have got married and thought of meeting them to wish and gift them. We purchased four gifts wrapped in similar packs and went to find the house. He dropped me at place, saying that it may not go well and that he did not want me to be involved, if it is so. He came back after half an hour or so. He could not meet her, it seemed. He narrated everything. He found and entered the house with the father-in-law receiving him with a dark face. Very obvious. He tried to be very friendly with him and the host made him sit and offered a cup of coffee and he had explained him that immediately after Engineering, he got a job abroad and was returning after four years. He opened the bag with four gifts, picked out two with different names written on it, put them back and picked the one which had her name written. He handed over it to him. The father-in-law seemingly convinced of the intentions, told that she is settled in some other place and rang her up and made him to speak. My friend, to obviate any doubts, put the cordless phone on loudspeaker and then spoke to her very coolly. Infact the father-in-law had told my friend that it was her birthday also, as if caught in surprise, he wished her many more birthdays also. As expected, the host asked him to stay for the lunch, which he politely refused by saying that he had to meet three more friends and gift them for their marriages. I think, still believe, it was well executed. Then never ever did he mention about her to me. But i know the dips in his tone also, on every birthday and marriage days, his voice sulks.
Now, visiting her is still a point for discussion, but didnt my friend handle the things maturely. Should he be an insensible person, things might have ended up harming her. He is a well read person, who is aware of things and did handle it maturely, i would say. After so many years, he did mention once that he could have avoided the visit. If my friend was seeing it as adventure or an opportunity, he would not have told me this. Having holistic view makes me think it was my friend's mistake to be so dedicated to her for so long, but he did maintain his stance throughout and kept his limit everytime. Even before proposing to her, he did take his time to read her, but she could have told him a simple NO at any point of time, if not at the beginning itself. If my friend had preconceived notion that 'she is speaking to me, so she is in love with me', it would have been premature and stupid. I know for sure he did not have such thoughts. She could have told him at some point or other, I wish. It was his solitary decision to let her go. Had he not, how things might have turned is discussable. Now he is also married happily (?) and well settled in life.
Epilogue
Was it warranted of the guy to visit her in-laws' place...??? Was it unwarranted of the girl to keep him hanging...??? I dont know.
Friend of the Guy.
Life in a small town is not so fascinating. It was after years, i was to know the difference of Town, City and a Metro, but the life even then was not so very happening just to realise that sometimes i was bored. I dont remember when i had become a good friend with him. From the days that i can recollect, we have been studying in the same school, sometimes in same class and always had a decent friendship. Was it after i accidentally made him fall from bicycle for which he had to be stitched at places, i really dont know when we had developed a good friendship for each other. We used to share a lot of things between us and after the schools hours, either he used to come to my place or i visit his home. Most of the evenings used to be spent like that. He was very strong by character and had his means in everything. His thought process used to be comparatively faster than me for i used to think that i was better thinker in the school. Once he had duel with two other guys in seventh standard and the fight was rumoured to be for a girl. I got to know the details in next year.
Seemingly he had been 'loving' a girl from sixth standard and two other guys teased her. The teasing was about, well forget it, it is un-Parliamentary to mention it here. I dont have great opinion about love or atleast love at that age. I know that a thinking exists that love at such age is pure and unadulterated, but i am not a big fan to it. But he happened to be my friend and i know him completely and hence i can say that in his case it was true. I really dont remember seeing him much speaking with her or ogling and roaming around her, but he did always remember of her. He had a carving for good quality pens and whenever he bought a pen, her name used to be the first writings. I dont know whether all this sums up to be called a love, but i know this much, that her presence and thought could elate him to any extent.
We moved our way in terms of academics after tenth standard and he being a person with clear thoughts, he went his way. But our friendship remained and i used to meet him whenever it was possible. He was the same person, sharing everything with me. He used to write letters to that girl and keep it to himself for not that he lacked courage but just for the thought that she may say no. I neither supported nor was against it, for i was not having a clear opinion towards all this but i used to just tell him to do anything only after giving a good thought about it. When he was roaming around, due to his natural attributes, he had a lot of girl friends, but he remained good(i hope, you understand what i mean) and deep in his mind was committed to her. The letters to her were piling on and he had a good hand and command in English and Tamil.
One day, he gave me ring and i was to hear his happy voice. I never before, remember him to be excited that much. He told me that he had found her and spoke to her. I am very sure, knowing him, the amount of work he would have had put to discreetly locate her and speak to her in a way not harming her would have been immaculate. He was sounding as if he had attained enlightenment, but for him everything was just nothing but for her. He regularly spoke to her. He used to tell me what they generally spoke, not in particular, and he always mentions that she had inclination in speaking to him. I was happy for him, but at the same time sceptical that things should end good. He started writing the letters again and i saw the amount of time and effort he invested for the letter, which he had decided to post her. He had good knack for various arts. He can draw, write poems etc..,. I saw his first letter, it had her name written in a different way which he told me as an Ambigram, a word which i heard for the first time. I thought that i am under-educated and tried that word with all my classmates and even the staff members, to my satisfaction no one had heard it before.
That was the time, when he used to be on cloud nine always. He used to do a small business out which he earned some money for all his this kind of needs. He was hell bent that he would never call her or spend on something for her out his Dad's money. I started realising where the things were leading to. He was to propose her very shortly and was very sure that she would accept it. Just for argument, I knew that they have been speaking almost everyday for hours and hours, i asked him once how he can say so, for after all she might have been speaking to him just as a friend. That question did make him to think, and that only worsened the case. One fine week end immediately after me asking that question, he proposed to her. He told me that he had given her some time to think over it completely and say anything. He purposely did not call her for a week. Not only he, but also me, was waiting for the reply.
During the times when he was calling and writing to her regularly, i believe that she allowed her friends to read the letters and answer the calls for her. I dont understand till date why she did it. I know this because my friend had become famous among her friends and they have been speaking to him when he used to call her, in attempts to befriend him. He had gifted her a solid crystal piece with inscription of her favourite God, which he had specially got from some God-knows-where place. Those things were totally out of time for all of us. He did visit her and see her from a distance twice, with which i was annoyed. I told he should have had the guts to walk up to her, for which he replied that he did not want to surprise her or do such things which may put her trouble. What the fig.. i used think it all as a total waste of time. That time we were in the third year of the degree and i was really worried that he should keep up his performance, for he had been doing really well always before.
After a week he could not call her for reasons know to me, and he finally called her after one more week. I was there with him when he was speaking to her. I could mildly hear her voice and could not avoid over-hearing things. She had a one liner, "I am surprised and dont know what to say". I remember clearly that she left him hanging rather than saying yes or no. Should i have been in my friend's place, i might have been totally broken down and forced to chose some extremes. But he was composed. He spoke some pleasantries and then hung up the phone. Later two or three more times, he spoke with her, and they spoke as normal, as if nothing had happened. With one sided conversation of my friend, i could make out nothing but wonder how they both can converse as usual, for same amount of time. But i did see some difference in my friend.
One fine day, he told me that he had let her go. What the fig...???
I asked him if she told no or any developments that has forced him to take such decision, for which he replied in negative. I totally could not understand anything, before or even then. All that i could understand and visualise was that my friend being hurt after nine years of dedication and commitment. It may have been one side, but atleast things could have been handled maturely and smoothly to reduce the pinch or atleast could have been stopped before becoming this deep. I was worried, again. But he did recover or atleast showed no signs of damage. But i having been observing him for quiet sometime could make out how much hurt he was. To some surprise of mine, he continued his academic performance and he was the first of all our batch to get settled with a job and move out of the place. After some three years or so, with no attempts from his side to contact her, he asked me if know where she was. I was aware that she was married and settled in life. He was not very surprised, but i was shocked when he told that he wanted to atleast see her once before anything might happen to him. I could not agree, but could not convince him against it.
We decided to visit her in-laws place. He was very meticulous in doing so. He gave a call to their home and informed that he was a friend of her who has just come back from a foreign trip after four years, and heard that most of the friends have got married and thought of meeting them to wish and gift them. We purchased four gifts wrapped in similar packs and went to find the house. He dropped me at place, saying that it may not go well and that he did not want me to be involved, if it is so. He came back after half an hour or so. He could not meet her, it seemed. He narrated everything. He found and entered the house with the father-in-law receiving him with a dark face. Very obvious. He tried to be very friendly with him and the host made him sit and offered a cup of coffee and he had explained him that immediately after Engineering, he got a job abroad and was returning after four years. He opened the bag with four gifts, picked out two with different names written on it, put them back and picked the one which had her name written. He handed over it to him. The father-in-law seemingly convinced of the intentions, told that she is settled in some other place and rang her up and made him to speak. My friend, to obviate any doubts, put the cordless phone on loudspeaker and then spoke to her very coolly. Infact the father-in-law had told my friend that it was her birthday also, as if caught in surprise, he wished her many more birthdays also. As expected, the host asked him to stay for the lunch, which he politely refused by saying that he had to meet three more friends and gift them for their marriages. I think, still believe, it was well executed. Then never ever did he mention about her to me. But i know the dips in his tone also, on every birthday and marriage days, his voice sulks.
Now, visiting her is still a point for discussion, but didnt my friend handle the things maturely. Should he be an insensible person, things might have ended up harming her. He is a well read person, who is aware of things and did handle it maturely, i would say. After so many years, he did mention once that he could have avoided the visit. If my friend was seeing it as adventure or an opportunity, he would not have told me this. Having holistic view makes me think it was my friend's mistake to be so dedicated to her for so long, but he did maintain his stance throughout and kept his limit everytime. Even before proposing to her, he did take his time to read her, but she could have told him a simple NO at any point of time, if not at the beginning itself. If my friend had preconceived notion that 'she is speaking to me, so she is in love with me', it would have been premature and stupid. I know for sure he did not have such thoughts. She could have told him at some point or other, I wish. It was his solitary decision to let her go. Had he not, how things might have turned is discussable. Now he is also married happily (?) and well settled in life.
Epilogue
Was it warranted of the guy to visit her in-laws' place...??? Was it unwarranted of the girl to keep him hanging...??? I dont know.
Jan 4, 2012
One of my friend 4 (Part 1)...
Remember the movie, Kamal Hasan's 'Virumaandi'..?? It had an unique narration of same events from two different point of view. I had a similar experience in regard to events relating to one of my friend. He had been telling me over a period of years about his love for a girl and i being a very close friend of him, i am privy to everything of those days. It was long ago that things did not work between them and they parted their ways. After so many years, recently i happened to interact with a close friend of the girl, with whom my friend was in love with. Few things that she revealed, made me think. Result is this blog.
As usual no names, no direct references and it is just an account of things with no personal perception and am giving it from both the friends point of view in first person narration.
Chapter 1
Friend of the Girl.
After all the hard work in my Secondary School and the Entrance exam stuffs, i reached the college i was destined to. Engineering was the trend and so did i follow. Had i been thinking of relaxing after entering the college, man, i was totally wrong. As such the college had quiet a lot of stuffs in offering making me busy, we were also in caught in the whirl of shifting the affiliation in between the Universities. Nobody knew what we were going to be taught and which University might be conducting the exams. Total goose-run till the end of first year. I was having my own problem of settling down in the college. I am from a 'typical' Town, and have been day scholar throughout my school days. Now suddenly i am hosteller in a city college with a lot of city girls. It was difficult to settle down. Then eventually i met her in my hostel, who was to become my friend, infact only friend in my Life.
Like me, she was also a plain girl. She was very simple, soft spoken and studious. Very simple with clean manners. With our interest for books, music and most other things matching, there was no doubt about sticking on to each other. With her background and straight forwardness, she was the person for me to rely on initially for settling down and later to become my friend. Even i used to think how the friendship happens. With the situation dictating every move of mine, is our friendships made with hidden motive to develop and then build the trust or the other way, i still dont know and dont want to know also. But the baseline is we immediately became good friends and almost swore to be life time friends, which we still are. It was during the later part of the first year in the college we shared our personal life. I was never into any kind of affairs in my school life. Not that i was against it, but simply i was not into it. I did have one or two crushes, but it was crushed in the giant roll of time and the need to keep up with the studies and the compulsive society. She was also the same till her seventh or eighth standard, from when she has been 'attracted' to a guy, so strongly. It is an attraction because, it would be premature of anyone to term it as Love and immature to term it as infatuation. Best part was that she was still having the same attraction. She was in the phase of advancing her self into a commitment, for after all, love is a commitment.
She did have her part of similar skirmishes which normally most of the girls do have. But guess what, in her seventh standard there had been a hand to hand fight between three boys in the same class, what in the heck, she was not even that very jovial with the opposite sex, less that she was interacting with someone in a manner to infuriate others. Very obviously, she was worried and confused about the developments. But all those were past, for now she was not disturbed by any of that set of boys and she was attempting to develop her relation with 'that' guy. By then we had become thick friends and each were reliable to each other to great extent. Everything went smooth till that particular day.
We were in the middle of third semester and were just sitting and wailing away our time, when there was a voice in the corridor shouting my friend's name and saying that she was having a call. There was not much ease of the mobiles then and we can get calls from outside through the tele-switch board to our corridor, basically if someone knows the room number, they can ring upto the corresponding corridor without anyone monitoring the call. It was bit unusual, because her parents call mostly after dinner time and her 'friend' prefers to call in the weekends. We had absolutely no knowledge that that call was going to harm her, the maximum for her life.
It was certainly not from her home or 'friend' for she came back very soon, within 5 minutes or so. Her face was bit pale and totally confused. She told, "It is one of them. He is back. I dont know where it is going to lead me." Those words were for real. It was a call from one of the three guys who fought while in the seventh standard. We were wondering how can that guy reach us so precisely without creating any flutter. Seemingly that guy had made a very small friendly talk with no visible 'harm'. We almost forgot about the call till next day evening, when at same time she again got a call from that guy. This time it was a bit longer conversation of around 8 minutes. She was becoming more concerned. From that day the calls were more frequent and day by day her endurance for the phone calls were increasing, for she was never so keen to speak on telephone. It was almost a month before I decided to speak with her about this issue.
By the time i decided to speak her, they were speaking almost half an hour everyday. Although she had been telling me everything that they were conversing, i thought of having an open talk on it and i knew her well for developing any doubts on her. There was a temple in our college campus, and it was one of the favourite place for both us. One fine Sunday, as usual we went to the temple and were sitting under a tree, i asked what was her stand on the issue, i even asked her why she was continuing that thing. She took her time to reply. She was seemingly doubtful on her own conviction, but she told that she doesnt want any outsider to know about her affair and that she was confident that she can 'handle' the issue. While we were into the conversation, one of our classmate came by, handing over a letter, saying she picked it up the day before for her and forgot to hand over to her. The from address of the letter showed that it was from him. We gazed over the envelope little confused, to open it or not. Decidedly, she opened it and we were expecting a gala romance card, for all the boys are bound to know and do that much only. But it was a handwritten letter folded in three. The moment we unfolded it, it was her name written in relatively bold letters. It was in Tamil and was written in a bit...'awkward', was the word i used then. Following the name was a neatly written letter running into three pages in English. I dont even remember writing a post card to my parents, and hence when i saw a letter of three pages written by someone of my age group, i was having a mixed feeling. She read the letter, hung on to it for a moment or so, and handed over to me. She wanted me to read it. The very first line was shocking wont anybody be, if it read, i still remember exactly, "I want you to read this letter when you are sitting under your favourite tree in the college temple".
The letter was well composed, i should say, narrating his attraction towards her right from the school days. After the school he had roamed around with a lot of girls and has now come back to square one, to her. I expected 'yours lovingly' in the signing block, while it read, 'yours affectionately'. This guy had some knowledge of English, i should say. We sat in silent for some time, wondering how come he knows all those details, for she could not remember saying it to him. The postal stamp showed the place where he claimed to be studying. After thinking a lot, my friend told that she will make all our classmates to read it, for she doubted that without one of their help this could not have been possible. Although i did not subscribe much to this idea, she did the same. Almost after two days of everyone girl in the class reading the letter, one of our friend found the reason for the awkwardness in the way her name was written.
The name although looked as if written in Tamil, it was actually written in English letters, shaped in a such a way to look like Tamil! After knowing this, the word looked 'beautiful'. That day when they were speaking, she did mention that it was good. They kept speaking and now they were daily breaking the half an hour limit. Then came the second letter, which as we expected had a special thing, her name written as an ambigram, the one you could read in multiple orientation. The letter was once again very famous, as it was also circulated. It was comfortable to circulate the letter, as it was very decent and more particularly it never had his name, but for his signature, which itself had an artistic touch. The anagram was an hit, that next day we saw her name written in the same way on the class board, although we doubted, one of our friend told that she had written it. Almost everyone started practising to write their name in that way. More letters followed and every single letter had some or other specialites like an original poem, reading alternate words, modified Bharathiyar poems, a pencil sketch, very old Tamil poems, poems that had her name, etc..,. All these made her and that unknown person more famous in the college, especially in the hostel. Whenever she got his call, one or the other hostellers used to chat with him.
With all these developments, i was growing more concerned. Although we could manage our friends as in to the identity of that unknown person, i was worried. I was worried as in, where all those were leading to. All those things were happening over a period of year or so. I had a conversation again with her, this time more decided of strongly suggesting her to cut him off, to my surprise, she was not inclined to do so. I did have a thought crossing in my mind, that she might be drifting, but could not dare to voice it to her. By now they have been speaking everyday for minimum an hour and in the weekend nothing below two hours. One fine day, she got a parcel and as any guess would go, it was a gift from him. It was her favourite God's idol etched inside a piece of crystal to give a 3-Dimensional look. Although she had been shoving off the letters inside a box, she could not do the same to this idol. It sat on our study table. I guess one of the friends should have asked him to visit and show himself, he told her that he will be visiting us that weekend. While most of the hostellers were keen to meet him, we both were just short of panicking. The weekend came and went, but not he. Next day, he told he was surprised to see more girls with her and hence walked back. He described the surroundings so exactly, that we had no options but to believe that he just walked off right in front of us. This time i told her very clear on her face that she should decide and end one of the guys. She told she will end it for all.
That weekend, she walked to the phone decidedly and when she came back her face was paler than ever. She told that he had proposed to her.
I asked what she had replied to him, for which she told that he had requested not to say anything immediately and to say her decision after one week, the time when he will be giving the next call. That one week period void of his call will help her to decide clearly, he had told. I asked her what she has decided, for that she replied, to my surprise, "He has given me one week to think, let me think!". Unfortunately he did not call in a week and then we were not available on phone, things went like this and our semester exams came. By the time we came back joined for our sixth semester, i did not know the developments in detail, but just that she did not reply anything clearly. One fine day, came a bouquet and well wishing card and a lengthy letter from him. I was not patient enough to read those 8 pages, so saw the signing bock, which read, "Good Bye, wishing you all goodness in life" and then his signature. After that there was sign of him. I thought she 'handled' it as she told she would.
Then the time flew off, we passed out, i got a job and went places and finally settled. She did work for some time, although briefly, and then she got married to a different guy. During the marriage, she was very composed and confident of what ever she was doing, that did soothe me. Things were moving very smooth unless one day, almost two years later to our college, when she called me and she was in tears, saying that 'unknown' personality had visited her in-laws place. I was awe struck. How can he do this..??? What stupid guy he must be...?? Really had no brains to think about the harm it might cause her..?? Fortunately, she was settled somewhere else and her father-in-law made him to speak to her over the phone...what in the name of heck..?? Things were not so smooth from that day. She was worried and literally shaking, whenever the phone was ringing or the door bell chimed. It is a fear that is still lingering in her mind, although there was no further attempts from his side to approach her, but she is always worried.
Is it all warranted..?? Guys dont have any brain and concern to the counterparts. If that guy had been sensible enough he would not only be thinking of himself and his own so called love but also as about the life of the girl. What good could it have done by visiting her in-laws place, that too after two years of peaceful marriage life....?? Was he expecting her to break off the marriage bonds and run away with him..?? What could have been his intent, God knows. I do have lot of respect for the Love and Lovers, but this guy should be a real crack to behave like this. I dont think I would ever be able to forget and forgive this guy, for whatever he had done to my only friend.
To be continued from the Friend of the Guy's point of view.
As usual no names, no direct references and it is just an account of things with no personal perception and am giving it from both the friends point of view in first person narration.
Chapter 1
Friend of the Girl.
After all the hard work in my Secondary School and the Entrance exam stuffs, i reached the college i was destined to. Engineering was the trend and so did i follow. Had i been thinking of relaxing after entering the college, man, i was totally wrong. As such the college had quiet a lot of stuffs in offering making me busy, we were also in caught in the whirl of shifting the affiliation in between the Universities. Nobody knew what we were going to be taught and which University might be conducting the exams. Total goose-run till the end of first year. I was having my own problem of settling down in the college. I am from a 'typical' Town, and have been day scholar throughout my school days. Now suddenly i am hosteller in a city college with a lot of city girls. It was difficult to settle down. Then eventually i met her in my hostel, who was to become my friend, infact only friend in my Life.
Like me, she was also a plain girl. She was very simple, soft spoken and studious. Very simple with clean manners. With our interest for books, music and most other things matching, there was no doubt about sticking on to each other. With her background and straight forwardness, she was the person for me to rely on initially for settling down and later to become my friend. Even i used to think how the friendship happens. With the situation dictating every move of mine, is our friendships made with hidden motive to develop and then build the trust or the other way, i still dont know and dont want to know also. But the baseline is we immediately became good friends and almost swore to be life time friends, which we still are. It was during the later part of the first year in the college we shared our personal life. I was never into any kind of affairs in my school life. Not that i was against it, but simply i was not into it. I did have one or two crushes, but it was crushed in the giant roll of time and the need to keep up with the studies and the compulsive society. She was also the same till her seventh or eighth standard, from when she has been 'attracted' to a guy, so strongly. It is an attraction because, it would be premature of anyone to term it as Love and immature to term it as infatuation. Best part was that she was still having the same attraction. She was in the phase of advancing her self into a commitment, for after all, love is a commitment.
She did have her part of similar skirmishes which normally most of the girls do have. But guess what, in her seventh standard there had been a hand to hand fight between three boys in the same class, what in the heck, she was not even that very jovial with the opposite sex, less that she was interacting with someone in a manner to infuriate others. Very obviously, she was worried and confused about the developments. But all those were past, for now she was not disturbed by any of that set of boys and she was attempting to develop her relation with 'that' guy. By then we had become thick friends and each were reliable to each other to great extent. Everything went smooth till that particular day.
We were in the middle of third semester and were just sitting and wailing away our time, when there was a voice in the corridor shouting my friend's name and saying that she was having a call. There was not much ease of the mobiles then and we can get calls from outside through the tele-switch board to our corridor, basically if someone knows the room number, they can ring upto the corresponding corridor without anyone monitoring the call. It was bit unusual, because her parents call mostly after dinner time and her 'friend' prefers to call in the weekends. We had absolutely no knowledge that that call was going to harm her, the maximum for her life.
It was certainly not from her home or 'friend' for she came back very soon, within 5 minutes or so. Her face was bit pale and totally confused. She told, "It is one of them. He is back. I dont know where it is going to lead me." Those words were for real. It was a call from one of the three guys who fought while in the seventh standard. We were wondering how can that guy reach us so precisely without creating any flutter. Seemingly that guy had made a very small friendly talk with no visible 'harm'. We almost forgot about the call till next day evening, when at same time she again got a call from that guy. This time it was a bit longer conversation of around 8 minutes. She was becoming more concerned. From that day the calls were more frequent and day by day her endurance for the phone calls were increasing, for she was never so keen to speak on telephone. It was almost a month before I decided to speak with her about this issue.
By the time i decided to speak her, they were speaking almost half an hour everyday. Although she had been telling me everything that they were conversing, i thought of having an open talk on it and i knew her well for developing any doubts on her. There was a temple in our college campus, and it was one of the favourite place for both us. One fine Sunday, as usual we went to the temple and were sitting under a tree, i asked what was her stand on the issue, i even asked her why she was continuing that thing. She took her time to reply. She was seemingly doubtful on her own conviction, but she told that she doesnt want any outsider to know about her affair and that she was confident that she can 'handle' the issue. While we were into the conversation, one of our classmate came by, handing over a letter, saying she picked it up the day before for her and forgot to hand over to her. The from address of the letter showed that it was from him. We gazed over the envelope little confused, to open it or not. Decidedly, she opened it and we were expecting a gala romance card, for all the boys are bound to know and do that much only. But it was a handwritten letter folded in three. The moment we unfolded it, it was her name written in relatively bold letters. It was in Tamil and was written in a bit...'awkward', was the word i used then. Following the name was a neatly written letter running into three pages in English. I dont even remember writing a post card to my parents, and hence when i saw a letter of three pages written by someone of my age group, i was having a mixed feeling. She read the letter, hung on to it for a moment or so, and handed over to me. She wanted me to read it. The very first line was shocking wont anybody be, if it read, i still remember exactly, "I want you to read this letter when you are sitting under your favourite tree in the college temple".
The letter was well composed, i should say, narrating his attraction towards her right from the school days. After the school he had roamed around with a lot of girls and has now come back to square one, to her. I expected 'yours lovingly' in the signing block, while it read, 'yours affectionately'. This guy had some knowledge of English, i should say. We sat in silent for some time, wondering how come he knows all those details, for she could not remember saying it to him. The postal stamp showed the place where he claimed to be studying. After thinking a lot, my friend told that she will make all our classmates to read it, for she doubted that without one of their help this could not have been possible. Although i did not subscribe much to this idea, she did the same. Almost after two days of everyone girl in the class reading the letter, one of our friend found the reason for the awkwardness in the way her name was written.
The name although looked as if written in Tamil, it was actually written in English letters, shaped in a such a way to look like Tamil! After knowing this, the word looked 'beautiful'. That day when they were speaking, she did mention that it was good. They kept speaking and now they were daily breaking the half an hour limit. Then came the second letter, which as we expected had a special thing, her name written as an ambigram, the one you could read in multiple orientation. The letter was once again very famous, as it was also circulated. It was comfortable to circulate the letter, as it was very decent and more particularly it never had his name, but for his signature, which itself had an artistic touch. The anagram was an hit, that next day we saw her name written in the same way on the class board, although we doubted, one of our friend told that she had written it. Almost everyone started practising to write their name in that way. More letters followed and every single letter had some or other specialites like an original poem, reading alternate words, modified Bharathiyar poems, a pencil sketch, very old Tamil poems, poems that had her name, etc..,. All these made her and that unknown person more famous in the college, especially in the hostel. Whenever she got his call, one or the other hostellers used to chat with him.
With all these developments, i was growing more concerned. Although we could manage our friends as in to the identity of that unknown person, i was worried. I was worried as in, where all those were leading to. All those things were happening over a period of year or so. I had a conversation again with her, this time more decided of strongly suggesting her to cut him off, to my surprise, she was not inclined to do so. I did have a thought crossing in my mind, that she might be drifting, but could not dare to voice it to her. By now they have been speaking everyday for minimum an hour and in the weekend nothing below two hours. One fine day, she got a parcel and as any guess would go, it was a gift from him. It was her favourite God's idol etched inside a piece of crystal to give a 3-Dimensional look. Although she had been shoving off the letters inside a box, she could not do the same to this idol. It sat on our study table. I guess one of the friends should have asked him to visit and show himself, he told her that he will be visiting us that weekend. While most of the hostellers were keen to meet him, we both were just short of panicking. The weekend came and went, but not he. Next day, he told he was surprised to see more girls with her and hence walked back. He described the surroundings so exactly, that we had no options but to believe that he just walked off right in front of us. This time i told her very clear on her face that she should decide and end one of the guys. She told she will end it for all.
That weekend, she walked to the phone decidedly and when she came back her face was paler than ever. She told that he had proposed to her.
I asked what she had replied to him, for which she told that he had requested not to say anything immediately and to say her decision after one week, the time when he will be giving the next call. That one week period void of his call will help her to decide clearly, he had told. I asked her what she has decided, for that she replied, to my surprise, "He has given me one week to think, let me think!". Unfortunately he did not call in a week and then we were not available on phone, things went like this and our semester exams came. By the time we came back joined for our sixth semester, i did not know the developments in detail, but just that she did not reply anything clearly. One fine day, came a bouquet and well wishing card and a lengthy letter from him. I was not patient enough to read those 8 pages, so saw the signing bock, which read, "Good Bye, wishing you all goodness in life" and then his signature. After that there was sign of him. I thought she 'handled' it as she told she would.
Then the time flew off, we passed out, i got a job and went places and finally settled. She did work for some time, although briefly, and then she got married to a different guy. During the marriage, she was very composed and confident of what ever she was doing, that did soothe me. Things were moving very smooth unless one day, almost two years later to our college, when she called me and she was in tears, saying that 'unknown' personality had visited her in-laws place. I was awe struck. How can he do this..??? What stupid guy he must be...?? Really had no brains to think about the harm it might cause her..?? Fortunately, she was settled somewhere else and her father-in-law made him to speak to her over the phone...what in the name of heck..?? Things were not so smooth from that day. She was worried and literally shaking, whenever the phone was ringing or the door bell chimed. It is a fear that is still lingering in her mind, although there was no further attempts from his side to approach her, but she is always worried.
Is it all warranted..?? Guys dont have any brain and concern to the counterparts. If that guy had been sensible enough he would not only be thinking of himself and his own so called love but also as about the life of the girl. What good could it have done by visiting her in-laws place, that too after two years of peaceful marriage life....?? Was he expecting her to break off the marriage bonds and run away with him..?? What could have been his intent, God knows. I do have lot of respect for the Love and Lovers, but this guy should be a real crack to behave like this. I dont think I would ever be able to forget and forgive this guy, for whatever he had done to my only friend.
To be continued from the Friend of the Guy's point of view.
Jun 4, 2011
One of my friend 3..
This blog is about one of my long time friend, whom I had met in my earlier days and then lost touch, in fact the remembrance also for a quiet some time till I met I him again in my life in an unexpected time. No wonder we were friends again and even thicker friends than the previous occasion. It is pertinent to mention here that I was not in touch much with the friend who initially was the link in between us.
He was a very soft-spoken, jovial and good hearted friend (still is). He was very good at studies and unlike me a very studious person who used to be the cream of our batch. He was really good at sketches. Even in the diagrams he used to add a personal touch of pencil shades, which when I tried gave me yet another lowest mark in the class. He was very shy towards the opposite sex and I have seldom seen him speaking with the other part of the society. We both happen to be attending a personality development program together which he quit in between. That particular program had a lot of girls, which I suspect is the main reason for him to quit. Long time after the good association in the educational institute, he went in his field of interest while landed in my place, and we tried to stay in touch with each other.
In one such attempt to be in touch, I gave him a call on his mobile. To my surprise I heard a soft murmur of a girl’s voice along with his on the other end. Probably, since my call was from an unknown number somebody seemingly was enquiring who is on the line. I thought that I must be dreaming to hear a whispering female voice along with that of him. Yet I wanted to make sure that I was wrong in hearing so, I began fishing. Just to fish right and tight, I mounted a lot of pressure over him to extract the truth. What I learnt was unimaginable, at least for the friend whom I thought, I knew well.
It was indeed his girl friend’s voice. Nothing stunning, for a male has to settle with a female. I simply could not match the figure of that friend I had in my mind and the one I am having on the phone. Startled. Startled was the word. I was never ever thinking that he would be having such a part in his life. I, as usual, was disappointed with my calculations.
I learned that they were having a steady relation for more than ten years. Guess what, he had proposed the girl when she was in her Tenth standard, and had become a reason for her low marks. Their parents happen to be old time friends and have known each other for quiet a sometime. As a family friend’s son and daughter they both have been dear to the parents but as ‘in-law’, they could not accept. As it turned out to be the parents were not agreeing. Nothing new! But in their case they were not agreeing to each other.
Might be the personal knowledge about each other for a longer time and in the earlier days may have been a reason for refusing each other’s son and daughter as their in-laws. She after having accepted his proposal has been steady with her parents throughout. She very boldly expressed herself in the right time and stood by it. Our friend also, as it turned out to be, kept trying out his own methods of convincing his parents. The tug of war has been for last four years after both got settled up with a job. She was almost ousted from her house and staying in a hostel for the work in different place. Her routine visit to her own home has also not so very pleasant at times. The parents have the best weapon, sentimental torture. Playing with other’s feeling and sentiments to force their way. Her parent has been threatening her of committing suicide, should she try and continue to speak of our friend. This bends few persons while it shapes the good into better person. Shaped into a better person she had resolved that she will marry him, with everyone’s permission. No eloping. Women, when resolve on something, become a strong person and she was strong to stand by her resolution. Surprisingly, our friend who has been trying things from his side in his style had offered to elope with, for which he got lambasted.
After so many years of struggle, things were getting better while one of the relatives of them eloped. Again turmoil and distance in the issue. Interestingly, even when the issue was in full open our friend and she have been visiting each other’s house. If it is in absence of the son or daughter, they have been shown same affection as the earlier days.
Setting things apart, the cause of all the conflict seems to be the EP. BP is curable and controllable while the EP has no end till ‘I’ die. EP is Ego Problem. Some kind of EP. Things are always complicated. When two of my subordinates quarrel with each other, I call them and put them under lot of work pressure together, that they forget each other’s issue and sync together. My organisation has unique solutions for all issues. Unfortunately my organisation is not the way of living for the greater populace of the society. So with the time medicine things get cured.
Recently I met them as 'happily married'. Due to my commitments I happen to have lost the track of their life, which they retracted for me, together. After the eloping episode and the humiliation which that family underwent, there was a long lull period and the parents miscalculated that their son and daughter are back to their control. Unfortunately they got it all wrong and on one fine day the ‘I’ of both parents died they agreed to let their ‘children’ to be happy and to handle their life themselves. I heard that their marriage was postponed twice at last moments and in the third time the marriage took place in a peaceful family function followed by a gala celebration in a hall.
If only the parents had knew their children well the unnecessary humiliation for each other could have been spared. The family would have branched out earlier. After all, it is children’s life which the parents think is ‘their’ responsibility. Yes, it is their responsibility to certain extent. They have the responsibility to grow the children to the stage where the children start ‘thinking’ and ‘deciding’ for themselves. Then is the responsibility of the children to prove that their out of good parents/family and prove that they are worth their salt. If I train somebody and certify that he is good, then I should allow him to prove that he has trained well. Once he is proves, which he would if I certify so, then it is my confidence upon him and me coming true. If the parents have grown me well they should have the confidence that I would not go off the track. It is me who is proving their worthiness my establishing my worthiness.
Moreover the love marriage has its own larger scale advantages. No lectures, but on the very first instance it eradicates the nuances of the caste system in the longer run. It would develop a society full of confident persons. ‘Swayambara’, the older system of marriage had given the right of selecting the life partner to the women. Let us not go an age behind them of forcing a marriage in the name of arranged marriage. Eventually after I die, it is my sons or daughters who have to fend for themselves. Let me not force things upon him for I have to build confidence in him. ‘Give a fish he finishes in a day. Teaching him fishing, he survives ‘his’ life’.
He was a very soft-spoken, jovial and good hearted friend (still is). He was very good at studies and unlike me a very studious person who used to be the cream of our batch. He was really good at sketches. Even in the diagrams he used to add a personal touch of pencil shades, which when I tried gave me yet another lowest mark in the class. He was very shy towards the opposite sex and I have seldom seen him speaking with the other part of the society. We both happen to be attending a personality development program together which he quit in between. That particular program had a lot of girls, which I suspect is the main reason for him to quit. Long time after the good association in the educational institute, he went in his field of interest while landed in my place, and we tried to stay in touch with each other.
In one such attempt to be in touch, I gave him a call on his mobile. To my surprise I heard a soft murmur of a girl’s voice along with his on the other end. Probably, since my call was from an unknown number somebody seemingly was enquiring who is on the line. I thought that I must be dreaming to hear a whispering female voice along with that of him. Yet I wanted to make sure that I was wrong in hearing so, I began fishing. Just to fish right and tight, I mounted a lot of pressure over him to extract the truth. What I learnt was unimaginable, at least for the friend whom I thought, I knew well.
It was indeed his girl friend’s voice. Nothing stunning, for a male has to settle with a female. I simply could not match the figure of that friend I had in my mind and the one I am having on the phone. Startled. Startled was the word. I was never ever thinking that he would be having such a part in his life. I, as usual, was disappointed with my calculations.
I learned that they were having a steady relation for more than ten years. Guess what, he had proposed the girl when she was in her Tenth standard, and had become a reason for her low marks. Their parents happen to be old time friends and have known each other for quiet a sometime. As a family friend’s son and daughter they both have been dear to the parents but as ‘in-law’, they could not accept. As it turned out to be the parents were not agreeing. Nothing new! But in their case they were not agreeing to each other.
Might be the personal knowledge about each other for a longer time and in the earlier days may have been a reason for refusing each other’s son and daughter as their in-laws. She after having accepted his proposal has been steady with her parents throughout. She very boldly expressed herself in the right time and stood by it. Our friend also, as it turned out to be, kept trying out his own methods of convincing his parents. The tug of war has been for last four years after both got settled up with a job. She was almost ousted from her house and staying in a hostel for the work in different place. Her routine visit to her own home has also not so very pleasant at times. The parents have the best weapon, sentimental torture. Playing with other’s feeling and sentiments to force their way. Her parent has been threatening her of committing suicide, should she try and continue to speak of our friend. This bends few persons while it shapes the good into better person. Shaped into a better person she had resolved that she will marry him, with everyone’s permission. No eloping. Women, when resolve on something, become a strong person and she was strong to stand by her resolution. Surprisingly, our friend who has been trying things from his side in his style had offered to elope with, for which he got lambasted.
After so many years of struggle, things were getting better while one of the relatives of them eloped. Again turmoil and distance in the issue. Interestingly, even when the issue was in full open our friend and she have been visiting each other’s house. If it is in absence of the son or daughter, they have been shown same affection as the earlier days.
Setting things apart, the cause of all the conflict seems to be the EP. BP is curable and controllable while the EP has no end till ‘I’ die. EP is Ego Problem. Some kind of EP. Things are always complicated. When two of my subordinates quarrel with each other, I call them and put them under lot of work pressure together, that they forget each other’s issue and sync together. My organisation has unique solutions for all issues. Unfortunately my organisation is not the way of living for the greater populace of the society. So with the time medicine things get cured.
Recently I met them as 'happily married'. Due to my commitments I happen to have lost the track of their life, which they retracted for me, together. After the eloping episode and the humiliation which that family underwent, there was a long lull period and the parents miscalculated that their son and daughter are back to their control. Unfortunately they got it all wrong and on one fine day the ‘I’ of both parents died they agreed to let their ‘children’ to be happy and to handle their life themselves. I heard that their marriage was postponed twice at last moments and in the third time the marriage took place in a peaceful family function followed by a gala celebration in a hall.
If only the parents had knew their children well the unnecessary humiliation for each other could have been spared. The family would have branched out earlier. After all, it is children’s life which the parents think is ‘their’ responsibility. Yes, it is their responsibility to certain extent. They have the responsibility to grow the children to the stage where the children start ‘thinking’ and ‘deciding’ for themselves. Then is the responsibility of the children to prove that their out of good parents/family and prove that they are worth their salt. If I train somebody and certify that he is good, then I should allow him to prove that he has trained well. Once he is proves, which he would if I certify so, then it is my confidence upon him and me coming true. If the parents have grown me well they should have the confidence that I would not go off the track. It is me who is proving their worthiness my establishing my worthiness.
Moreover the love marriage has its own larger scale advantages. No lectures, but on the very first instance it eradicates the nuances of the caste system in the longer run. It would develop a society full of confident persons. ‘Swayambara’, the older system of marriage had given the right of selecting the life partner to the women. Let us not go an age behind them of forcing a marriage in the name of arranged marriage. Eventually after I die, it is my sons or daughters who have to fend for themselves. Let me not force things upon him for I have to build confidence in him. ‘Give a fish he finishes in a day. Teaching him fishing, he survives ‘his’ life’.
Jan 28, 2011
One of my friend 2..
This friend I am writing about is an achiever. Nope, achiever doesn't mean that this friend is a World Guinness Record holder or something similar but an achiever of own type. Having one's life diverted from the flowing towards drain to a positive path all by herself is also an achievement, I believe. Few of my friends fall in this category, and they will find a place in my blog subsequently. This particular friend whom I am writing about now is a bit peculiar, that is she is just like us, just like any of us. But the effort she has put in to reset her family's status is commendable.
Life in a small town like mine is very simple. Life is in simple social circles. Life inside these circles are more or less predictable and the circles are almost similar. The friend I am referring to, is a only daughter of a School teacher and a home maker (I like this word). School teacher in my town are so very typical in nature. so as to say, they will have an yellow painted house with maroon borders in 1440 sq ft with in the town limit, own a TVS Champ and ride it in middle of the road at a speed of 30 kmph, subscribe THE HINDU and read up to the phone number of the publisher etc..,. Even the food will be very typical, 5 idlies for break fast, variety meal for lunch and 3 dosas for dinner. Yeah of course, one chutney in morning and with sambhar in the evenings. Weekly trip to Government library, monthly movie, a visit to Aliyar Dam once in two months etc..,. Her dad was no exception, but for his unusual debts.
The debts were not his own but 'bought' out of misplaced trust. Her Dad had few friends who had to 'struggle' for even the next meal and had to take loan and her Dad was the only soul available in the earth for signing surety for their loans. Yeah obviously the struggling friends went into even more struggle. Since these friends struggled and could not pay the debts, for all money was not enough for their own extravaganzas, everything came on her Dad's head. Loans were from institutions as well as from landlords. While the institutions were taking legal routes, the landlords took on to 'gundagiri'. Imagine, your dad being threatened for life right in front of your eyes !!
With the hereditary house being sold out in compulsion for a gap plugging instalment, staying in a rented house in the same town, believe me, is painful. Necessity to stay in the same town for the purpose of job, forced them to live with this pain. Our friend was in high school. Same town, same world but no friends, relatives, well wishers or house. Not having a own house is not painful for there are at least 35% of the Indian Society living on rent, but being forced out of own house and to stay in the same town in a rent house, all because few 'acquittance' betrayed is like hell. Moreover, job was not the only reason to stay in the town, the landlords had threatened not to try to vacate the town without fulfilment of the loans. With a teacher's salary and no one to shoulder, only hope of the family was, our friend.
After the school, our friend joined a reputed Engineering College, for during those years Engineering Degree that too in soft fields (Computer, IT etc..,) is the only salvation in the life. Other than these, your life is otherwise. With a merit seat, our friend was an above average performer. Even with fire in the belly for the family's resurrection, the feelings blossoms. Our friend's heart fell for a class mate. There are a lot of practical problems in marrying a classmate. To state a few, the age problem. Age difference in Indian marriages is mainly with concern to maintain a ratio in the 'maturity' of husband and the wife. Also the time taken for settling down with good job is a big obstacle in marrying a classmate. Thank god, her affair didn't come this far, for it broke inbetween, due to some, god knows, reasons. Some diseases after their effect leaves a positive trail in us, like a jaundice sometimes makes you fair. Similarly our friend had a positive effect out of this ditching, she grew stronger towards her goal. Normally these circumstances may break down anybody, but she proved otherwise.
You lose anything only when you acknowledge that you have lost it. Don't even think or consider that it harmed you. She had this lesson drilled in her and she came out of everything. she came out of the college successfully with a 'First Class with Distinction' grade and joined a MNC. While three of her classmates went for higher studies, only 2 persons of her class got a MNC job including her, out of 63 in the class. At a time when the gold was selling Rs. 800 per gram, she got a pay package of 6 lacs p.a as a starter. Rest of her class had to scorch around for a while for even a job. With the job and her commitment towards the work, she earned, saved everything other than her food, cloth and room and paid off all the debts. Last year, she had fulfilled her second dream of buying a new house in her Mom's name. I had seen the photographs of the house warming function, believe me, people the joy, proud and the satisfaction in the eyes of her parents is worth anything. And more recently she bought a car also.
Buying a house or a car is not a big deal now-a-days, but considering the various circumstances from which she grew, it is, for her. Being a small town girl even selecting the right department in the Engineering college is a challenge. Facing people from different walks of life in the college, surviving in a throat-cut competitive environment for four years and to top everything, a heart break is asking for too much from a feeble person. Remember, everything of these is under the pressure to revive her family's stature. Anybody could have broke down for ever, could have totally shattered out into noughts. but for our friend. Should I read about such a person, even I may not understand the importance of what that person deserves, but believe me people, I have seen her from close quarters, she is a fighter.
Life in a small town like mine is very simple. Life is in simple social circles. Life inside these circles are more or less predictable and the circles are almost similar. The friend I am referring to, is a only daughter of a School teacher and a home maker (I like this word). School teacher in my town are so very typical in nature. so as to say, they will have an yellow painted house with maroon borders in 1440 sq ft with in the town limit, own a TVS Champ and ride it in middle of the road at a speed of 30 kmph, subscribe THE HINDU and read up to the phone number of the publisher etc..,. Even the food will be very typical, 5 idlies for break fast, variety meal for lunch and 3 dosas for dinner. Yeah of course, one chutney in morning and with sambhar in the evenings. Weekly trip to Government library, monthly movie, a visit to Aliyar Dam once in two months etc..,. Her dad was no exception, but for his unusual debts.
The debts were not his own but 'bought' out of misplaced trust. Her Dad had few friends who had to 'struggle' for even the next meal and had to take loan and her Dad was the only soul available in the earth for signing surety for their loans. Yeah obviously the struggling friends went into even more struggle. Since these friends struggled and could not pay the debts, for all money was not enough for their own extravaganzas, everything came on her Dad's head. Loans were from institutions as well as from landlords. While the institutions were taking legal routes, the landlords took on to 'gundagiri'. Imagine, your dad being threatened for life right in front of your eyes !!
With the hereditary house being sold out in compulsion for a gap plugging instalment, staying in a rented house in the same town, believe me, is painful. Necessity to stay in the same town for the purpose of job, forced them to live with this pain. Our friend was in high school. Same town, same world but no friends, relatives, well wishers or house. Not having a own house is not painful for there are at least 35% of the Indian Society living on rent, but being forced out of own house and to stay in the same town in a rent house, all because few 'acquittance' betrayed is like hell. Moreover, job was not the only reason to stay in the town, the landlords had threatened not to try to vacate the town without fulfilment of the loans. With a teacher's salary and no one to shoulder, only hope of the family was, our friend.
After the school, our friend joined a reputed Engineering College, for during those years Engineering Degree that too in soft fields (Computer, IT etc..,) is the only salvation in the life. Other than these, your life is otherwise. With a merit seat, our friend was an above average performer. Even with fire in the belly for the family's resurrection, the feelings blossoms. Our friend's heart fell for a class mate. There are a lot of practical problems in marrying a classmate. To state a few, the age problem. Age difference in Indian marriages is mainly with concern to maintain a ratio in the 'maturity' of husband and the wife. Also the time taken for settling down with good job is a big obstacle in marrying a classmate. Thank god, her affair didn't come this far, for it broke inbetween, due to some, god knows, reasons. Some diseases after their effect leaves a positive trail in us, like a jaundice sometimes makes you fair. Similarly our friend had a positive effect out of this ditching, she grew stronger towards her goal. Normally these circumstances may break down anybody, but she proved otherwise.
You lose anything only when you acknowledge that you have lost it. Don't even think or consider that it harmed you. She had this lesson drilled in her and she came out of everything. she came out of the college successfully with a 'First Class with Distinction' grade and joined a MNC. While three of her classmates went for higher studies, only 2 persons of her class got a MNC job including her, out of 63 in the class. At a time when the gold was selling Rs. 800 per gram, she got a pay package of 6 lacs p.a as a starter. Rest of her class had to scorch around for a while for even a job. With the job and her commitment towards the work, she earned, saved everything other than her food, cloth and room and paid off all the debts. Last year, she had fulfilled her second dream of buying a new house in her Mom's name. I had seen the photographs of the house warming function, believe me, people the joy, proud and the satisfaction in the eyes of her parents is worth anything. And more recently she bought a car also.
Buying a house or a car is not a big deal now-a-days, but considering the various circumstances from which she grew, it is, for her. Being a small town girl even selecting the right department in the Engineering college is a challenge. Facing people from different walks of life in the college, surviving in a throat-cut competitive environment for four years and to top everything, a heart break is asking for too much from a feeble person. Remember, everything of these is under the pressure to revive her family's stature. Anybody could have broke down for ever, could have totally shattered out into noughts. but for our friend. Should I read about such a person, even I may not understand the importance of what that person deserves, but believe me people, I have seen her from close quarters, she is a fighter.
Nov 29, 2010
One of my friend..!!
I am planning to write a series, 'One of my friend..!!' in my blog. It will be about few of my friends, who impressed me in some way. It will say about the person in my point of view and will contain the details which I consider to be facts. Obviously, it will not be derogatory in any way. These are the persons, I have come across, met in my life and has been interesting/impressing me in one way or the other. This obviously does not mean, that the persons whom I am not writing about are not my friends. So meet you all soon with my new series.
Sep 26, 2010
Expedition to South Pole
We all are aware that GoI keep sending Expedition teams to various extremes. But what we are not aware is the ugly side of these expedition. Any Expedition involves the proposal by the concerned Department to their Ministries and on Initial Approval, the files move to different Ministries for their recommendations and a final approval. These basically involves Home, Finance, External Affairs and Defence, where the 'chair logs' who seemingly does not know anything about the ground aspects involved. Things take its own course of time and action in getting the sanctions. Allegedly on an average, 13 Expeditions get cancelled every year just for the non availability of the sanction in stipulated time frame. Easily one can understand the reasons for these. Sometimes it happens that the team itself has to make initial payments out of their pockets, which are obviously reimbursed, but the question remains, “Why”.
The Netas and Babus of various departments, if at all exercise their power rightly and work according to the requirements, no expedition can get cancelled. After all various Departments are made of Babus like them only and Babus are also Humans, Indians like us. One has to wonder as to why the top men of a Department has to look at the 'Thumbs-Up' from the Secretary of the Government Head, only at the moment when the Head is reaching to flag-off the High Profile Ladies Expedition to Mt Everest.
With the opportunity to personally know about the stages of an Expedition materialising from paper to ground, I would not consider the statement, that this is one of the few expedition to get sanctioned in stipulated time frame, as a boasting. It is an Expedition to South Pole. It had its initial training in the Capital and has now gone out for a ground training. One may likely think, if this team can, the other 13 teams could have also. Believe me, it is not easy. Lack of inclination to work and the head developed over a period of time just because the individual is a GoI employee in the Capital are huge Bermuda Triangles, which sucks out your effort, desire and perseverance. I wonder, these GoI employees would have also been once Unemployed and looking up at somebody and cursing the system and when they become the part of the system they repeat the same to the next generation. Nobody is expected to change the system or revolutionise it, but please work at least as per the charter of duties and for heaven sake not to repeat the errors. Costly errors.
I would like to Congratulate this team on Expedition to South Pole and wish them all the Very Best for the successful completion. I only hope, that in the future at least, the teams have to put efforts only on the ground and not in some Offices.
Wish You all the very best for the Success.
Aug 15, 2010
The Godfather
The best ever movie, i would dare to say, and most of you would obviously agree..!! '"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" , is one of the best quote so far...!!! The performance of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino cannot be termed as performance even, they have lived through the life of Vito Corlene and Mikey. Not only them, but all the characters have contributed their best for making the the Classic. Every other movies that has been considered as great movie, since after the time of The Godfather, has been some or the other way being influenced by this movie. Remember, Kamal Hassan scrapping his head in 'Nayyagan'..??? It is also a take away from the movie. Style of Mani Ratnam's 'Thalapathy' is also largely on this movie. Even the lighting, scene flow, the dialogues and the only-lightly emotional nature of the main characters is also attributable to this movie.
If You consider the movie is irresistible, try reading the original book written by Mario Puzo. Simply Awesome. Except for the details and the slight variation of more concentration to the Movie Star's life, the movie is generally following the book. The movie, as everyone would accept has an impeccable flow. Even the most important scenes are in the same flow, think of the scene of Don being shot outside his office. Except for the (relatively) fast moving characters and scenes nothing would suggest You the kill. But still these small variations are enough to suggest that something important is to happen.
I remember reading this somewhere regarding the selection of Marlon Brando for the character.The Francis Ford Copola team of the Movie went to Marlon Brando, who was having a sloppy side of his career, and gave the brief of the character to be played by the Hero. After hearing the brief, Marlon went into his closet and took a very long time to come out. The team was getting bored and was about to leave, when Marlon came out of his room with full make-up, perfectly matching the character told to him and asked when are You going to start the shooting..!!! That was the dedication and eagerness showed by Marlon Brando which is well visible is in the movie. The second part of the movie is also good, but the third part is comparatively bit less, in impressing the Critic lobby.
The movie is simply a great feast to watch, relish, remember and recommend.
Jul 11, 2010
TITANIC
The movie that impressed a lot of people. Obviously it had impressed me also, with a lot of attributable memories...!! I have a lot of remembrances to that movie..!! when the movie was to be released a hell a lot of hype about the movie and the Ship itself, broke out. I started collecting and learning details of the Titanic. Wonderful details to know and relish. Obviously You would also be knowing the impressive dimensions and the various details of the impressive vessel. The luxury shown in the movie is actually an understatement, believe me...!!
The movie has some spectacular shots...!!Great Dialogues in the movie, by the way..!! According to me two scenes are afresh in my mind, one because of the photography and the other because of the importance of the scene itself..!! When the diamond falls into the ocean, OMG, the scene is spectacular ....the way the necklace floats and drowns...mmmmm...i love it ..!!
The other one is, when Rose calls for the Rescue boat..!! At first she let it go and starts to count her final seconds and then remembers the words of Jack and lets him go Him down and then whistles for the help...!! Nice picturesqueness ...!! I am sure that many of you would also have a lot of favorite scenes..!! I remember one of my friend saw that movie for 'that' particular scene..!! Yet another was deeply into the love in the movie...!! Yet another friend, TG Karthy (yeah, the spelling is right), saw that movie six times in the theatre just to see the Pistons of the Titanic engine....crazy guy....but he is one of the few practically intelligent guy of our batch and one of the very few, of our batch to be employed in a core company..!! I remember the last count of me watching that movie as 26...happened to see it again in STAR Movies tonight. Lot of memories....mmmmm, as rightly quoted, Memory is Joy, Remembrance is Fun..!!!
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