Net Unity (NET Harmony)

"I AM watching."

"NO. I was not dozing."

"NO. You did not hear me snoring."

"No. You cannot be channel switching." 

"Give me the remote." 

" The advertisements do not me bore." 

"The channel I switched on, is to remain on and LOUD."

"I can hear from the bathroom or kitchen when I have to move around."

"The TV is not working." 

"There must be a conspiracy against South Indians brewing."

"Why did you not to the cablewala go?"

"Tell him to get back my show."

The TV saga in my house. 

Perhaps, a version of this every family's grouse. 

In this 'wonderful scene of harmony and unity',

The only ones who adjust are kids accessing the net at speed. 

😜

- Written on 24 November 2015.

- Self- Explanatory. 

Kill. Still. Will.

Noise. Light. Burst. 

Ears. Eyes. Hurt. 

Burn. Smell. Smog. 

Crackers. Nose. Block.

Wind - Cease.

Land - Plead. 

Sky - Black

Water - Lack. 

100 cones - 1 rupee.

The TN Women's untold tragedy. 

Wet paper. Straighten. 

Apply paste. Roll. To 1000 hasten. 

Gun powder fill.

Children, dare not spill. 

Lungs, themselves, slowly kill. 

But, we want crackers still.

- 23 October 2014
- Stuck in traffic for almost 02 hours. Watching crackers light up the sky. A sky so dark, I can't see the stars, a haze so thick, my eyes weep, an air so dense, I can't breathe, a celebration I can only lament as I recall statistics of exploitation and pollution.

Shun Crackers. Will you India? Will you make me proud? 

Bliss

Nothing to do.

Nothing to prove.

Comforting silences, 

Interspersed with conversation slices:

A platter of topics ranging far and wide

From dreams to Syria to birds to weight and height. 

No company better I know to keep.

No one I can more share thoughts and feelings deep.

I have friends close and family too, 

He fulfills both roles and so ably too. 

Just spending a few hours brings solace. 

The world is forgotten no matter the place. 

I wish time would forget its pace, 

When we meet, it would not so race. 

Much mirth, self-deprecatory jokes, 

Comments galore, each the other pokes, 

With understanding and wit

Every word, action is lit. 

Maybe I don't contribute as much,

But I treasure each word, action, touch,

This camaderie, this bond, 

May it better in years beyond. 

A perfect day, another one, 

To give me strength when I am undone. 

A better gift nowhere to be found, 

Hope more such days always abound. 

- 6 October 2015

- Thank you Easwar. 

 

Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary

I have met you more through 

Family folklore, stories galore,

Most beautiful, most talented

Adored, gracious, cherished.

Even at age 10, could cook, make rangoli, 

Better, way better, than her, said your youngest Chithi.

Could sing, if you wished, professionally, 

Said Venkitachalam Athimber almost despairingly.

Would be obedient and affectionate and study so well,

Said all in the family with pride swell.

I brushed them aside as tall tales,

As creative as you were to be claimed. :)

And then came the twist in the tale,

And even earlier praise for you seemed to pale.

I came to admire you, yearn to interact, 

It all began with a letter, in fact.

I had heard hushed whispers and seen Appa cry,

But I did not know why. 

Then I saw your letter grand,

Coming home from school, I collected the letter blue, THE INLAND.

You had written of appreciating their love, of understanding their angst,

But your decision you would not even second glance. 

Your immediate family had mostly accepted, 

That was all you wanted and had expected. 

Time would tell that you had found a partner able,

That love would guide better than religion's cable

I heard then the story of your love marriage,

I admired you then as a heroine brave. 

I prayed that you prove the naysayers wrong and yourselves right,

And you did! Much to my delight. :)

I heard more folklore as years went by, 

Of your maturity, of in-laws understanding and of a partner, your superlative stand-by. 

What a transformation from the reviled to revelled, 

What determination, what passion, what greatness to forgive and forget.

You - yes, wonderful, so true. 

But Jijaji is equally to be commended too, 

Stood by you, grew with you,

Adapted, changed, as did you.

A relationship cannot be all give, no take,

A strong one requires both to reciprocate,

And you both have done so ably, so brilliantly,

An example of true love set so seemingly easily.

25 years strong a bond, 

May it last for many more years long,

May your happiness, your togetherness, grow leaps and bounds,

May each year bring you even more joy unfound.

-

Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary K and Jijaji!

Unwittingly perhaps, but you became a heroine in my eyes when I was in 6th Std, and Jijaji, by default, the hero :)

Your letter was a revelation of how to be graceful when standing firm, how to politely convey a refusal, how to be sensitive and sensible. I have not learned these lessons yet, but hope to some day.

You met your match and I am so glad this is a Happily Ever After story :)

May you both ever together stay happy.

I am so sorry to have missed the celebrations, but I hope there will be many more such occasions when I can participate in the jubilations.

- Written on 05 Oct 2015

- Self-Explanatory. 

So jaa, so jaa Munni rani..

Sleep," said Ammi. "No. Just 10 minutes more," pleaded Rashida. "NOW." Ammi was very strict. "Oh! Ok. Why did God make night time? Why must we sleep at night?" grumbled Rashida. Ammi smiled. "Do you really want to know?" "Yes, But tell it to me as a story please. A bed time story type," urged Rashida. "Well then," said Ammi, "lie down and I will tell you. Once upon a time there was a small girl. She worked very very hard. She studied a lot. She helped her mother. She played a lot. She helped her friends. She did so many things in a single day. After a while she started becoming sick. She would get fever every week. Her head would ache every day. Her eyes would water a lot. She could not see clearly. She could not do much then. Her parents were worried. Her firends were worried. You see, they all loved her a lot. So they took her to the doctor. The doctor was surprised. He asked her parents if she ate well. They said she ate very well. She would eat all the healthy food, not just snacks. Then he asked them, if she played enough. They said she played a lot. Her parents told the doctor how many things she did in a day. The doctor was confused. 'But when does she rest?' he asked. The parents said, "Well she sleeps for very few hours. She says she does not feel sleepy." "No. No. No. This will not do," said the doctor. "One must sleep for at least eight hours a day. Sleep makes our muscles strong as we rest. Sleep makes our memory better, so we are able to study more. Sleep helps our body stay healthy, our eyes see better, and our brain think faster. Even if you are not sleepy, you must lie down. Soon your body will learn to sleep. And one should sleep at night because just as the body feels hungry at lunch time, the body needs to sleep at night time." "Oh! We did not know that!" said the parents. "'Hmm, Ok, I will tell our government to teach parents to make their children sleep at night," said the doctor. "Really Ammi? Will I also become sick if I do not sleep?" asked Rashida. "'Yes. After some time. If you do not sleep. But you will sleep, right?" smiled Ammi. "'Yes. Yes. Every night," promised Rashida. (409 words)

- Written on 2 October 2015
- Well I wanted to write more, but restrained myself. Need to cut this short too, if it for children.