iniyamalar
3rd March 2011, 08:32 AM
Part - 1
The day dawned beautifully. The sun shone into the grilled courtyard that made the rays look like shining spaghetti falls. The youngsters were busy packing for the trekking trip and surfing the net for further info on the trekking path and the two elderly women were busy making orders to the maids for getting their food necessities packed. Everyone was busy and happy. Yes including Chemba. She was going too.
When she told that to her friends, they looked shocked. Even Meenakshi was amazed. “How did you manage to convince your father? It is a miracle”.
“A little game of psychology was all it needed” she winked at her mother.
Chemba had walked up to her father that evening. He was sitting in the garden tending to his favorite rose buds when she went.
“Appa!”
“Mm”
“I understand your position. I can feel the pain you must have gone through all these years.” She said slowly.
He was quietly caressing the petals of the blood red rose. He looked thoughtful and she could see that his forehead was deeply creased, which made him look older. Her father never looked old. He was always the king for her. That’s how he presented himself. She had never seen him this way ever in her life. He looked like he was punishing himself with his thoughts. She felt guilty, but she had to get on with it. This can’t go on any longer.
“But appa, tell me one thing. You think this is going to be true. You believe that some…some danger is waiting for me out there. But what if it was you rather than me? What if you were me? What would you have done appa?
Would you hide like this, scared to face the destiny?
Won’t you challenge yourself to defeat your destiny? Isn’t that what we sethupathis do? Did Vijaya Ragunathan sit like this when Rani Mangammal faced him with huge army? Or did Velu Nachiyar mourn like this, when her husband was killed?
Appa! I don’t want to be scared of something I can’t even see or feel. I am Shenbagavalli Nachiyar born in the great maravar clan. I belong to the bravest ‘veeramangai velu nachiyar’* family and the greatest marava king to be born - ‘para raja kesari vijaya ragunatha sethupathi’* family.
(* please google for more information on these historic characters, if you need)
I am not scared and I won’t hide from whatever is coming after me, not even death.” she announced with her head poised so high. For a moment there, Paandurangan thought ‘velu nachiyar’ herself was standing next to him without her sword.
“Come on dad speak up. Is this what you want your brave princess to do? Do you really want your shenbagavalli nachiyar to live cowardly, or you would rather like her to die bravely?” She uttered these words in utmost care and stopped with that.
Paandurangan stared at her for several moments and then said softly but firmly.
“Call maruthan, I will ask him to make arrangements.”
She was smiling to herself thinking how her father had looked at that very moment.
“Whatever you did, you are better than me in convincing your father and good for you. Now get ready, don’t wear that slimy crepe dupatta dear, you are sure to tear it off up there. Why don’t you guys wear shorts and t-shirts for today?” Meenakshi asked the girls.
Oviya looked at her lovingly and said,”Aunty you are cho chweet. Come on girls. Let’s change.”
It was 9.00 am when they dumped themselves in that heavy duty forest jeep. Maruthan had brought a young boy of about 16yrs old with him. The girls thought he looked very young and innocent for his age and they felt sad to know that he was a deaf and dumb boy.
“He is a kani.” Maruthan beamed as he said.
“What? Kani means fruit right?” Chemba asked.
“Ha…ha.” Mathanan laughed from behind. Chemba turned back and gave him a blazing look. Manmathan,my foot. I hate his grin, she thought to herself.
“I am sorry I didn’t mean to be rude. I really am.” Mathan came very close to her that she could smell his cologne and could even see that day old stubble in close up. Only now did she notice the faint tint of gray in his eyes. That soft glow in them did something to her brain. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe but could hear her heart thumbing louder and faster. What the hell is he doing? she thought.
“Mm…mm” she answered in a muffle and moved an inch away from him, self consciously. He smiled and turned towards Maruthan who was watching them. Chemba took a gulp of fresh air and turned towards the jeep where the girls looked at her with such mischievous look in their eyes. Oh god did they just see that scene? she would have a hard time convincing them now.
Madhan had turned his attention to the boy now. “Kani is the name of the tribal community who lives in the agasthya hills right?” he asked Maruthan. Everyone stared at him now.
“Yes, sir. How do you know?”
“Oh! It’s all there in the internet, no big deal” he said and jumped in the jeep.
“So he will be of more help to you sir.”Maruthan’s eye glittered with respect .
”no big deal” Chemba made faces to Oviya and Smitha and they couldn’t help but giggle.
“What?” vikki asked them from the front.
“Ah nothing... just some girls joke.” smitha said sheepishly.
“O..k.. fine. Let’s start, anyone wants to say anything before starting?” he asked.
“Mani mm pO( Mani go).” Chemba ordered suddenly.
All eyes were at her.
“What did you just say?”
“Me.. I didn’t .. I was about to say kani go... I am sorry. Isn’t that kani boy driving?
No?
ok.. My bad! ” She flustered and put her head down.
“You are going nuts” Oviya slapped her shoulder playfully and settled in. Mathan gave a short ‘are you alright?’ look and then turned back.
“Oh god this guy is killing me” she thought, but all the same she was quite confused herself. Why on earth did she say that? And who the hell is Mani?
The day dawned beautifully. The sun shone into the grilled courtyard that made the rays look like shining spaghetti falls. The youngsters were busy packing for the trekking trip and surfing the net for further info on the trekking path and the two elderly women were busy making orders to the maids for getting their food necessities packed. Everyone was busy and happy. Yes including Chemba. She was going too.
When she told that to her friends, they looked shocked. Even Meenakshi was amazed. “How did you manage to convince your father? It is a miracle”.
“A little game of psychology was all it needed” she winked at her mother.
Chemba had walked up to her father that evening. He was sitting in the garden tending to his favorite rose buds when she went.
“Appa!”
“Mm”
“I understand your position. I can feel the pain you must have gone through all these years.” She said slowly.
He was quietly caressing the petals of the blood red rose. He looked thoughtful and she could see that his forehead was deeply creased, which made him look older. Her father never looked old. He was always the king for her. That’s how he presented himself. She had never seen him this way ever in her life. He looked like he was punishing himself with his thoughts. She felt guilty, but she had to get on with it. This can’t go on any longer.
“But appa, tell me one thing. You think this is going to be true. You believe that some…some danger is waiting for me out there. But what if it was you rather than me? What if you were me? What would you have done appa?
Would you hide like this, scared to face the destiny?
Won’t you challenge yourself to defeat your destiny? Isn’t that what we sethupathis do? Did Vijaya Ragunathan sit like this when Rani Mangammal faced him with huge army? Or did Velu Nachiyar mourn like this, when her husband was killed?
Appa! I don’t want to be scared of something I can’t even see or feel. I am Shenbagavalli Nachiyar born in the great maravar clan. I belong to the bravest ‘veeramangai velu nachiyar’* family and the greatest marava king to be born - ‘para raja kesari vijaya ragunatha sethupathi’* family.
(* please google for more information on these historic characters, if you need)
I am not scared and I won’t hide from whatever is coming after me, not even death.” she announced with her head poised so high. For a moment there, Paandurangan thought ‘velu nachiyar’ herself was standing next to him without her sword.
“Come on dad speak up. Is this what you want your brave princess to do? Do you really want your shenbagavalli nachiyar to live cowardly, or you would rather like her to die bravely?” She uttered these words in utmost care and stopped with that.
Paandurangan stared at her for several moments and then said softly but firmly.
“Call maruthan, I will ask him to make arrangements.”
She was smiling to herself thinking how her father had looked at that very moment.
“Whatever you did, you are better than me in convincing your father and good for you. Now get ready, don’t wear that slimy crepe dupatta dear, you are sure to tear it off up there. Why don’t you guys wear shorts and t-shirts for today?” Meenakshi asked the girls.
Oviya looked at her lovingly and said,”Aunty you are cho chweet. Come on girls. Let’s change.”
It was 9.00 am when they dumped themselves in that heavy duty forest jeep. Maruthan had brought a young boy of about 16yrs old with him. The girls thought he looked very young and innocent for his age and they felt sad to know that he was a deaf and dumb boy.
“He is a kani.” Maruthan beamed as he said.
“What? Kani means fruit right?” Chemba asked.
“Ha…ha.” Mathanan laughed from behind. Chemba turned back and gave him a blazing look. Manmathan,my foot. I hate his grin, she thought to herself.
“I am sorry I didn’t mean to be rude. I really am.” Mathan came very close to her that she could smell his cologne and could even see that day old stubble in close up. Only now did she notice the faint tint of gray in his eyes. That soft glow in them did something to her brain. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe but could hear her heart thumbing louder and faster. What the hell is he doing? she thought.
“Mm…mm” she answered in a muffle and moved an inch away from him, self consciously. He smiled and turned towards Maruthan who was watching them. Chemba took a gulp of fresh air and turned towards the jeep where the girls looked at her with such mischievous look in their eyes. Oh god did they just see that scene? she would have a hard time convincing them now.
Madhan had turned his attention to the boy now. “Kani is the name of the tribal community who lives in the agasthya hills right?” he asked Maruthan. Everyone stared at him now.
“Yes, sir. How do you know?”
“Oh! It’s all there in the internet, no big deal” he said and jumped in the jeep.
“So he will be of more help to you sir.”Maruthan’s eye glittered with respect .
”no big deal” Chemba made faces to Oviya and Smitha and they couldn’t help but giggle.
“What?” vikki asked them from the front.
“Ah nothing... just some girls joke.” smitha said sheepishly.
“O..k.. fine. Let’s start, anyone wants to say anything before starting?” he asked.
“Mani mm pO( Mani go).” Chemba ordered suddenly.
All eyes were at her.
“What did you just say?”
“Me.. I didn’t .. I was about to say kani go... I am sorry. Isn’t that kani boy driving?
No?
ok.. My bad! ” She flustered and put her head down.
“You are going nuts” Oviya slapped her shoulder playfully and settled in. Mathan gave a short ‘are you alright?’ look and then turned back.
“Oh god this guy is killing me” she thought, but all the same she was quite confused herself. Why on earth did she say that? And who the hell is Mani?