Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

[Pratyaksham Bala]

.
Here is one more site where I find that 'Sh..... N' has copied Ponbhairavi's article:-
Check the first post dated 11.12.2007 at
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgr ... XJ8tyOrYoJ
.

[cmlover]

Interesting!
Let us hear from Ponbhairavi!
Perhaps Plagiarism
(or subconscious 'surrealism'

[Pratyaksham Bala]

... Perhaps Plagiarism ...

AhA!
We are witnessing scores of examples here !
.

[sridhar_ranga]

Shylaja is the daughter of Writer / novelist shri A.S. Raghavan who passed away recently, and is a writer in her own right. I have also read somewhere that she is related to another writer, Indira Parthasarathy.

So far as I have followed her writings in the mintamil group, she is NOT the type given to plagiarism and always comes across as a humble and honest person.

In this instance, she has clearly indicated that this piece was written based on notes she made in a literary meeting ((ஓர் இலக்கியக் கூட்டத்தில் கேட்டபோது எடுத்த குறிப்பிலிருந்து...)

It is highly probable that the speaker she heard in that ilakkiya kooTTam did not bother to cite his source, which is the article by Ponbhairavi sir in Manjari. Had she come across the Manjari issue with shri Ponbhairavi's writeup, I am sure she would have had no hesitation in quoting the original author.

As for the writings looking identical in many lines, it can only be surmised that she made verbatim notes of whoever the speaker was who quoted Ponbhairavi sir without adding credit.

All this does not excuse her for not putting in the effort to trace the original and make a proper acknowledgement.

Disclaimers: 1) I do not personally know Ms Shylaja. 2) I abhor plagiarism and any dishonest attempts to appropriate credit for someone else's work. I fully understand how shri ponbhairavi must be feeling.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

I made a reference, as it is copied verbatim, including paragraph breaks.

[Ponbhairavi]

Thanks CML The word மீநடப்பியல் was NOT coined by me.It is an accepted one in tamil literary circles.
Many thanks Bala.But for your expose , I would not have come to know about this.
We should probably feel happy that we are living in an era when:
- there are literary talkers and writers with prodigious memory power ( Eka santha grAhi )as to recount word by word, sentence by sentence, complex concepts they have read or heard "somewhere". years before including para changes but manage to forget names both foreign and indian.
-there are also people like P.Bala with Extraordinary Sensory Perception, who smell plagiarism anywhere in the solar system and have the know-how to excavate mummified facts however much they are camouflaged and buried
I quote Ponbhairavi's verses which appeared in Kavithaigal thread :
திருட்டே திறமையென துதி பாடும் திருநாட்டில்
முறைமை யையும் நேர்மையையும் எதிர்பார்த்துக் கொண்டிருத்தல்
பாலை வனத்தின் பொரி மணல் நடுவே ஓர்
கோலப் பங்கயம் மலர காத்திருப்ப தற்றே

.

-

[PuduvaiSivam]

Shylaja has written thar she has forgotten the name of the french poet.The names are Apollinaire and Andre Breton.4 of Apollinaire poems( text and audio) are available at
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/tbindia/ ... rench.html
at serial no 47,48,49,50 in the table
Besides a lot of information can be gathered by visiting http://frenchliterature.angelfire.com

[Ponbhairavi]

[Ponbhairavi]

[cmlover]

Dr Faustus would have lamented:
ஆவிக்கு தனமு தீசேனே...
(sells his soul to the devil for wealth)

Nice moralistic story...

[maduraimini]

Very funny. Felt like reading old time funny stories of Devan or Kalki. Thanks for a Humor Break!

[cmlover]

Sir
If you have published a short story collection, I would love to buy it!
If not please start posting short stories here as your imagination soars.
I will start a new thread for short stories in Tamil. I am sure our Arasi will join too (time permitting). She is an outstanding Novelist too!
Others may also join. Let us all enjoy..

[cmlover]

Here is the new link
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19978
I have moved your latest over to the new thread...

[Ponbhairavi]

My grateful thanks to CML. it is encouraging. I have not published any book of short stories. I will try to rise up to your expectations
rajagopalan.

[Ponbhairavi]

NOBEL PRIZE FOR MUSIC

Why not? Do not be too surprised if in this year’s list you find one..To convince you, I have to reveal a great secret, much greater than the amount of black money deposits in foreign banks by our politicians. Believe it or not, I am the chairman of the High Power Selection Committee for the award of Nobel prize. To convince you still further, I am going to give below verbatim the concerned proceedings of our Selection Committee, so that you can appreciate better what I am doing for our music. In these proceedings, Me is myself and N indicates any of the other members of the committee whose name I am not at liberty to reveal.

PROCEEDINGS OF A SECRET MEETING HELD IN A SECRET PLACE ON A SECRET DATE.

Me—Dear members, I have a revolutionary proposal to make. From this year onward, we must institute a Nobel Prize for Music.
N-Yes a very good idea.!Music is a domain which embraces Yoga religion philosophy,international tourism and M. L. E. that is money laundering economics too.
Me- It is a pity that such a widespread and important activity has not been recognized by us so far.
N- I object to this. Music is not a scientific activity.
Me- No music is a highly developed science dealing with vibrations frequencies, .acoustics intervals ,beats cycles etc .. on which whole lifetime has to be devoted but still many do not meet with success.
N- I feel that it falls in the domain of arts.We cannot give Nobel Prize for anything other than objective science which ultimately uplifts mankind
Me- we are giving Nobel Prize for Peace which is neither objective nor scientific.
N- peace is as much needed as science for the welfare of humanity.
Me- we are giving Nobel Prize for Poetry which cannot be termed as indispensable for the survival of humanity.
N-Poetry is ennobling and ubiquitous.
Me-So is music. There are music in all the parts of the world which includes most backward tribes who do not have a decent dress to cover themselves let alone a language.
N. Exactly that is going to make our selection highly difficult. What common yardstick can we adopt?
Me- What about poetry? There are innumerable languages but we still have a Nobel Prize
N- For languages we have English and we get translation and
decide.
Me-Does it mean that anything which is not translated into English is bad poetry or not poetry at all?
N- naturally.because English is supreme very old and mother of all languages.
Me- No there are languages which are older, and which can be called as grand mother and great grand mother like Sanscrit Tamil.
N- They are all dead languages.
Me- Not at all.They are alive and kicking.In fact the number of people talking tamil is greater than the population of England .
N- May be . But they have no literary tradition whereas English has Shakespeare and is 800 years old
Me- Literary tradition ? A poet called Kamban has composed brilliant poetry which is much bigger than Shakespeare’s total output and that too 900 years back when English was hardly a means of communication with guttural sounds between primitives living in caves.
N- I feel too bad for such languages. Kamban could have written in English or arranged to have it translated. We cannot recognize anything that does not come to us through the portals of English.Anyway, we cannot give Nobel Prize for someone who lived 900 years back
Me- Of course not.But there is a grievance that a poet called Bharathi who comes in Kamban’s tradition and who lived in the last century was ignored.
N- who prevented him from applying in the proper form along with copies of English translation of his poems duly attested by a gazetted officer.
Me-He lived too short a life and had better preoccupations. Anyway there is a common opinion that any award be it Nobel Prize Bharath Rathna kalaimAmani or Sangeetha kalAnidhi is wrought with infirmities and has glorious exceptions.
N-- that is inevitable.
Me-What I mean to say is that if there can be a Nobel Prize for poetry which is so dependent on languages why not a Nobel prize for something which is beyond language. From personal knowledge I can tell you that there are more people in tamil Nadu who go into raptures when listening to Abhangs which is in Marathi and which they do not understand than Oothukadu whom they consider too simple to understand. This is a proof that Music has universal appeal irrespective of race, colour, language, young or old

The committee totally disarmed by my inexorable arguments has approved my proposal for instituting a Nobel prize for Music.
Now you want to know who is the AWARD WINNER for music ?

Well for that you have to wait for part 2 of this article which will follow.

[cmlover]

A very imaginative flight of fancy!
..but worth being taken seriously...

awaiting part 2

[Nick H]

A by the way: is it a requirement for literature prizes to be translated into English? I think it has been given to authors from all over the world, including, most recently, a Chinese author.

[rajeshnat]

Ponbhairavi
Actually your thought has to be seriously considered . For eg when some one gets it in literature there is only a handful who has read, whereas music it reaches practically everyone. In the last 20 years , people flock more music as none of us have patience/time/real interest to read literature or poems.Looking forward for your part 2. Sir U have as usual very really great idea

[Ponbhairavi]

NO- BELL PRIZE FOR MUSIC- II


Proceedings of a very highly secret meeting held in a very highly secret place on a very highly secret date.

Me- Because this is the first ever Nobel prize for music I propose the name of Thyagaraja of Tiruvarur( here is the file ) who is celebrated throughout the world.
N-I object to this and I veto the proposal. This man was dead and gone centuries back.
Me – but his spirit lives every where.
N-We cannot give Nobel prize for spirits. We can consider only the names from last century But if the chairman wants to propose the name of Thiagaraja bhagavathar of manmatha leelaiyai who lived in the last century I see no objection.

Me-O.K. I withdraw that name and Now I play for you the videotape of a great carnatic musician who is universally acclaimed and about whom no one would object. This is M.S.Subbulakshmi. She would bring credit to our prize.

N-we hear only one voice. Even the single violin accompaniment and the drum beat merge and sound as one. Only polyphony can be good music-- simultaneous hearing of several incongruous sounds.
N-I see no sparkling lights. No flashing of colour illuminations. Even a simple rock concert will be more electrifying.
N-Her attire too is very simple not catchy at all. Her dress does not reveal her talents.
N- Not even the minimum facials: no make up no rouge on the cheeks no lipstick no colour coating for the eye lashes, nothing except a single red dot on the forehead.
N- she is sitting quiet and singing. How can emotions be aroused like that. See Michael Jackson. He swings, whirls, turns, jumps; that is what I would call lively.
Me-.I beg your pardon. I have understood your requirements. Now I will play a videotape of a performance called Abhang bhajan in which people sing dance in circles jump high with both hands thrown up. They cry, they weep they swoon and embrace each other in ecstatic trance.
N- I said music is polyphony not cacophony.
Me- Since music is only for the ear- I will now play an audio tape -no video which distracts our concentration-This music has all the characteristics desired: several sounds –really polyphonic Let me tell you the background: the setting is a rural atmosphere in an open cattle grazing ground where there are statues of elephants, horses, warriors with big moustache and swords drawn yet in sitting posture ; all more than double the life size.
N- Great! Nice folkloric settings for native music.!Anything folklore must be encouraged.
Me- Let us listen attentively. I want each one of you to say what you think about each sound which impresses you.
{ the tape is played. Unfortunately our readers cannot hear but I request you all to please take the words of our Honorable committee members for granted.}
N- I hear a confused vague sound of several vocal chords yet none is clearly discernible
N-this is blowing into a pipe and beating on leather.! Not bad
N--Now a terrible voice long drawn going up and down in a staccato with intermittent pauses ! superb
N-what a voice which mimics exploding crackers!\ marvelous
N- crackling sounds fusing in unison with shrieking laughter of kids!
N- the main voice growing in amplitude with accelerated hiccupping!- oh my God ! vocal acrobatics!!
N- which reflects a sense of desperation- wonderful
N-and also a revolt- this is amazing
N- now dragging and gradually vanishing into silence.
N- a perturbed soul finding solace in Eternity.
N-What an amazingly gifted vocal chords- unparalleled and we have never heard before.
N- This is the music which deserves the prize as it reflects impulses of fear agony, pain and ultimate relief.
This is our unanimous decision--A thunderous ovation.-
N- We request the Chairman to give suitable citation with the award.
Me- Of course It is my pleasure.. Here it is;
This polyphonic music is a harmonious fusion of guttural emissions of exceptionally gifted vocal chords. It translates best the vociferous aspirations of a soul which desperately seeks to free itself from devils which come behind chasing and exploding .Ultimately the soul realizes that the explosions are not in the outer world but attached behind its own SELF. This realization leads to deliverance which epitomizes all human endeavors.
N—very apt citation,! May we know now what is the name of this WINNER?
Me- GARDABHA
N— GARDABHA[/i]? Funny name. Anyway what is there in a name ?.

Post-scriptum; a mischievous village boy who happened to hear the Nobel prize winning music identified it with the day of a village festival when he caught a donkey and tied crackers on its tail. He then fired them to the delight of the little kids who came chasing the poor rattled donkey which ran desperately braying and straining its vocal chords to the limit.

[cmlover]

LOL!
I expected a gaana song which can always win over the GARDABHA
Pity, ARR did not compete

[Ponbhairavi]

HERE IS AN EDITED VERSION
S K at MMA
The whole city wore a festive look. The occasion is the annual aradhana celebration at M M A .Asyou know M M A is the abbreviation for Mangudy Muthu Aiyar. One of his ancestors took aabhath sanyaas and to maintain the cultural tradition M M A used to do yathi Aradhana on the thithi of his moksham. The celebrations will start one paksham(15 days)ahead and everyday there will be Homa,parayana, abhang bhajan,musical offerings…All the visitors will be fed sumptuously( do not think of the 5 rs meal proposed by our MP.)As the event has been happening for the last so many years many tradition lovers have become patrons and life members, to perpetuate the cultural tradition.
M M A is justifiably proud of the event as it has enhanced his prestige and many people fly from far and near to attend the aradhana which has become an event of international cultural significance. There will be a special sahasra bhojan on the final day. The meal served that day is a hallmark of culinary sampradaya of tamil nadu. The menu will include inter- alia proverbial items such as dangar pachadi poricha kozhambu with floating karuvadams,okkaarai ,paal kozhakattai ,akara vadisal, sarasaparilla (colloquially known as nannari roots) paayasam. The cook selected for the occasion is no ordinary person. M M A has made it a point to honour the chief cook with the title of Samayal kalanidhi .It is also the policy of M M A not to have the same cook for the second time as he thinks that it is his duty to encourage new talents and nurture the art of cooking handed down to us by divine personages like Bhima, Nala.
Thus, the Samayal Kalanidhi has become a prestigious award. It is the ultimate dream of every cook to get it in his lifetime. One who has got the SK award will thereafter be called by his colleagues NOT simply cook ,but called cooker adding the respect suffix R ( so that it sounds like minister, professor, Director…As everybody knows the art of cooking is so complex that a cook ,by the time he gets the expertise expected by M M A will be at least a septuagenarian. So what? Noble tradition has to be preserved, It cannot be made so cheap that any five star hotel chef or a raw doctorate of catering technology could aspire for it. Puli nagam Pichai, mayavaram Seenu,tanjavur Aghoram, Saattai venu, taplampuliyur thaadi are some of the illustrious award recipients of previous years whose photos adorn the dining hall and the true sappadu rasikas while having their lunch look up the walls and contemplate with awe those culinary heroes. This year,s awardee, Sethiyathoppu Rajamani will also find his place in that wall.

By god’s grace and purva janma sugirtham I had once the bhaggyam of attending the aradhana and bhojanam.OH what a bliss! I was flanked by business tycoons on one side and N R Is on the other. While in the dining hall the neighbor showing a photo in the wall asked me:”why that S K is holding a whip on hand.?”
Don’t you know he is the kumbakonam saattai Venu.He was such a terror disciplinarian that he will publicly whip anyone who commits the slightest mistake.
Dishes started arriving One by one in kathanakudhoohalam succession .All eyes were on the entrance. This is the time of arrival of the piece de resistance, the rasam. Sampradaya requires that the SK designate should himself serve the rasam. But a nondescript person holding a bucket full of rasam entered
Someone nearby shrieked “ what ? a deviation from sampradaya at the MMA !! He is NOT the SK of this year
Within seconds, the SK made his appearance armed with a silver ladle in hand.
- I said: here he is ,the other person is the pilot
- No I did not mean that. Look at the head of the SK What a luxuriant hair, without a single white strand ! the envy of many women! I am sure he cannot be more than fifty. How can you confer
- SK to such a young person ?
- I fidgeted uneasily
- The lady continued- the age criteria has been thrown to the winds; He cannot be more than fifty. though I did not expect someone with the head a la veena S. Balachander this man is a la Patri Satish kumar.!!
- Some one knowledgeable said : No Madam this is just make up This is a special wig he wears during his performance in order to prevent his already scanty hair from falling in the dish…
- The assistant carrying the rasa vALi was walking backwards holding the rasam bucket in front. The SK Sethiyathoppu Rajamani ,with a bewitching smile showing his teeth reddened by constant betel leaves munching, was moving with dexterity between one row and the opposite row dipping his silver karandi in the rasam bucket and asking at everyone : aNNavukku “ razam “ . Pl note that heSaid razam and not rasam in order to handle that delicate spl item with extra soft caution. Like R T P in a concert ,rasam is the index to judge the competence of the cook. A person walking on his right was occasionally sprinkling coriander leaves in his master’s karandi.
- After he went past us, my neighbor asked me what is his speciality ?
- I said both rasam and thavittu puNNaku togayal a special togayal which he makes with brawn and dry cake bits which are the bye products of gingili oil extraction. Those fortunate enough to taste this say that immediately after the meal they feel so refurbished that they feel like galloping 10 miles non stop
The arrival of Mangudi Muthu Aiyar put a halt to our conversation. –
-. He announced formally the SK of the year amidst thunderous ovations.He gave him the plaque, and put a pair of heavy gold kundalams in SK’s ears .This is a tradition reminding the kundalams in the ears of Bhima when he was a cook in disguise in the palace of Virataraja'
A pressman asked:
Why did you choose this career?
From my birth I wanted to serve the public and I am serving even now.
Who was your Guru?
I started as a gangamirtham (waterboy) with mu guru Puli nagam( claws of tiger) Pichai.
- Why was he called puli nagam Pichai?
- In a village marriage where he was the cook, a tiger suddenly came into the marriage house. Everybody ran here and there .My Guru with unruffled poise took the bucket of rasam,added something to it and put it before the roaring tiger.The animal drank the rasam and immediately became as docile as a cat and simply walked away. The grateful mirasdar presented him with a gold chain in which were appended 2 bits of the claws of tiger.from that date on he was known as puli nagam Pichai.
- Another pressman asked :” what is the secret of your success”
- The Samayal Kalanidhi', Sethyathoppu Rajamani politely replied: first the blessings of my GURU- second
- The L ieutenant G overnor perungayam(asafoetida)
- What an unforgettable experience!!

[Nick H]

What a genius! Please submit it to The Hindu in December; I am sure they will publish it.

[Ponbhairavi]

Thanks nick, I have understood. I have edited my post.

[Nick H]

Your great piece of writing might get more audience if it is posted to one of the SK threads. It is the best thing I have read on "SK" for a long time

[rajeshnat]

Ponbhairavi Sir,
Our thoughts especially those who stay considerably in india are in our respective domicile and also well grounded in the language(in your case thamizh). You are one of the few in a thousand or even a million who can translate your thamizh thoughts into English language without losing that native sense of humour. I today had to skip the rasam as I was bit worried I will turn bit docile.

Nick
You may have not got everything especially the reference to few initials that he has bolded , kadanakuthoohalam reference , the LG asafoetida (perungayam) etc. When we were growing up in schools , we always used to have a high esteem feeling for certain elderly teachers who taught english from british - pre independence days. Ponbhairavi(rajagopalan sir) certainly fits in there- he has an amazing tempo and a high sense of humour. )

[Nick H]

You may have not got everything

Quite right, and I suspected as much, and it might be too subtle even for my wife's translation, so I'd rather read it as it is. Part of the skill of the writing is that it is accessible and funny to a non-Tamil speaker. It takes great brilliance to make a TV program like Sesame Street that entertains adults as much as children, or to write a book like The Master and Margarita which is eminently readable to a person even though much of the contemporary Russian political satire may be over their head.

My hat flies off to Ponbhairavi

[Ponbhairavi]

Thank you very much Nick and Rajesh.
I know that humour is not to be elucidated . But in view of the international readership of our forum let me furnish certain clarifications which may be useful in understanding certain cultural practices of the olden days of my generation,now inexistent
even in tamil nadu.
Some grihasthas who do not have male progeny take to sanyasa in the last few days of their life called aabath sanyas. and get sainthood.(eg. Saint Thyagaraja, Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshithar) For them no shraddam, only aradhana The 15 days period preceding the aradhana thithi are for austerities. Some sabhas conduct their series for 15 days! coincidence ?.
The dishes mentioned were real items of yester years menu fast disappearing now
Puli nagam is a g(old) ornament consisting of a small dollar incrusted on the sides with2 small symmetrical curved projections
like the the 2 ivories of the elephant made with the bits of the claws of the tigers (obtained from Nari koravars). children wear it as chains and adults tie it around their biceps in red thread. It is supposed to ward off evil spirits
the names of SKs are real reputed cooks of yester years- names or towns changed-including saattai venu and the anecdote attached with his name.
- raghu vamsa Sudha in kadanakudoohalam noted for the speed
rasa vALi reminding raga rasAvali
eLLu puNNakku cakes(after extraction of gingili oil ) is a good cattle feed- ref-" Gallopping" 10 miles
rajagopalan

[arasi]

ponbhairavi,
For those of us who appreciate your sense of humor in verse and prose, another treat.
rasa vALi full of pannIr rasam!

[mohan]

Great story about the Samayal Kalanidhi!

[Ponbhairavi]

Arasi, Mohan,
thanks for your kind words

[vgovindan]

Some grihasthas who do not have male progeny take to sanyasa in the last few days of their life called aabath sanyas. and get sainthood.(eg. Saint Thyagaraja...

Traditionally, Apat samnyAsa is taken at a critical juncture faced with death (not because someone does not have male progeny). Adi Sankara took Apat samnyAsa when was caught in the grip of a crocodile; but, as later events would prove, that was only a ruse.

A person of the stature of SrI tyAgarAja, who composed songs like 'paramAtmuDu veligE muccaTa' where he defines the very nature of paramAtma, is a 'sadyO-mukta' (instantaneous liberated). Such songs are not word or musical ornamentations (vAkya or SabdAlaMkAra). There must be some other sUkshma because of which he opted for Apat samnyAsa.
Regards,
Govindan

[rajeshnat]

shri VGV
nice to see a post of yours after a long long time

[arasi]

Govindan,
Good to hear from you!

[cmlover]

Welcome back Sri Govindan

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Ponbhaivai:

Why a person opts for Apat samnyAs, is purely subjective. In almost all cases, we are not privy to the reasons for his decision to take to samnyAs.

But we can discuss a few basics.
The second-birth is considered as dead when one takes samnyAs. A few formalities are done to confirm death, so that samnyAs becomes the third birth. With this, the person is rid of all the pApAs committed in the second life.

However, a person becomes eligible for taking samnyAs only after he goes through the three ordained stages – brahmacharya, grihasta, and vanaprasta. And there are a number of other conditions too. If all the criteria are to be applied strictly, most of the persons may not be eligible!

For them, the easiest way out is to go for Apat samnyAs, which means 'instant' or 'fast track' samnyAs. It is just a matter of self-declaration that they are taking samnyAs. How to justify this? The convenient excuse is 'vairAgyA', and this is oft-quoted as the only requirement. VairAgyA being a purely subjective matter, it is beyond questioning!

During the course of time when a few popular personalities resort to this method, it becomes handy for others to follow the same method, to overcome the eligibility criteria and to avoid the long, strenuous, time-consuming route.

[Ponbhairavi]

IF IT IS NOT THERE IT MEANS THAT IT IS MISSING

It was a Sunday evening.In my agenda there was the wedding reception of a relative of mine. From the beginning I could see that my wife was not very keen to go and she was dragging her feet though she did not openly say so.
-why don’t you get ready, it is time.?
I have no matching blouse for this new silk saree
This one seems to be Ok.
Aiye! It will be like you and me, total mismatch.
Then chose another saree for which there is matching blouse.
The wardrobe key is missing.said Mohan a- that is my wife’s name.
How can it be missing? Search for it.
I am searching since lunch.I kept it right here. Now it is not here. That means it is missing.
Did you look on the dressing table ,drawers,atop the cupboard?
I have looked for it every where.It is missing because it is not there.
How can a key disappear by itself,unless it has been made to disappear? I said with a little sarcasm.
I have the main door key,garage key, fridge key,puja room key only this one is missing.
Then I will go alone and tell them that you are unwell
I came to my room, went for the car key which I used to keep on my table. Well it was not there!
Mohana I yelled,where is the car key?
Is it not there on the table?
No I said angrily.
That means it is missing.
How can it go missing?
See in the car.If it is in the car that means it is not missing.If it is not there also it means it is missing.
And then Mohana added”I am not the custodian of keys”
Of course not.
In this house there are too many rats. Yesterday night I kept a vada on the dining table and now it is also missing. I have been telling you to find a better house but you won’t listen
My car keys have simply vanished.
Simple logic. Who stand to gain if the keys are not available now? I know the answer but if I say that the house will become Lok Sabha.
I was angry and disappointed. Suddenly I remembered about my scooter.” I am going to a carnatic music concert to calm myself and get a mood change.”She does not like CM and I know that she would not come.Seing me going out clad in dhothy she was relieved that I am going really to the concert.
I went to the sabha,parked my scooter, got a token, purchased a ticket and went in.Half an hour should have elapsed from the commencement. I caused many knee-jerks, and disgruntled murmurs, including that of my friend Nick in front of whom there was a vacant chair. I smiled sheepishly at him and occupied that chair and settled. The vidwan was extolling about the Raja Margamu advantages in kharaharapriya.
CM, slowly calmed me down. It was 8-45. The thani was about to commence when my cell phone rang. It was my wife.I switched it off hurriedly. I did not dare to look behind me but hurried out. This time I did not disturb many as all people in my row were clearing the way ahead of me.
Once out, I said : yes Mohana..
See she said gleefully, I have found the keys, If you come home right now we can go to the reception.
No I said sarcastically we will go for their next wedding.
- Their next wedding?
- Yes their shashtiabdapurthy. Now I am going to enjoy “thani”. I switched off came in and took a different seat.
- The concert was over in half an hour. I came out went to the parking to get my scooter.
- Surprize!! It was not there. I Yelled at the security. Where is my scooter? I parked it right here.
- If it is not there now it means that it is missing.
- How can it be possible? Here I have my token.
- If you have the token it means that the token is not missing.
- Wait you cannot talk like that, I have my token as proof of my leaving my scooter here.
- Then you can take it.
- ( To be continued)
-

[cmlover]

Leaving us in a suspense ...
Did you get the scooter back?
Did you find the car keys?
What was the reaction of Mohana on your getting back home?
Was the tiff with her worse than the Lok Sabha scuffles?
We will wait patiently for the answers to all these "life-threatenin" questions till the next episode...

[Nick H]

This must have been a fictional Nick. At only half an hour from the start, the real Nick might not have reached the hall yet!

[arasi]

It was Nicholas Nickleby

Ponbhairavi,
Moi, waiting to hear the rest of the story too...
Ah, do you and CML remember the 'going to a wedding' poem from my book?

Nick,
Will send you a translation, though I think you can understand most of it since it's in conversational tamizh...

[Ponbhairavi]

Thanks Cml, Nick and Arasi-- here is part 2

AS custodian here you should know who has taken it
I am not the custodian of the scooters. I am the custodian of this auditorium. If this hall is missing then it is my responsibility.
What should I do now? I shouted angrily
If you want you can go and file a complaint in the nearby police station which is 2 blocks away. He said casually.
I went again to where I left my scooter and scanned the vacant place with my vacant look.then marched slowly towards the exit.
Then a great surprise. I saw a young man chatting with the security. Lo it was my scooter!! That fellow should have taken it by mistake and now he wants to return it .Dharmam has not disappeared from this world yet!
Hey I shouted that is my scooter that is my scooter ,here I have the keys.
He looked derisively at me and said: so what ?. Here I have the key to ALL scooters. You are such a “dharithran” that there is not even one litre of petrol in it.This is my 20th scooter since this morning and I could not collect even 50 litres of petrol so far. All pichaikarans ! and there is nothing inside that box except a rag and you are screaming as though it is a Cadillac,I want to throw this dabba on your dirty face that is why I have come back.
I was taken aback by this rowdyish tone. The security was watching the fun. My aggressor did not even get down from the seat of the scooter.
Whether Cadillac or dabba I will take it for whatever it is worth. It is mine.
Give me 500 rs to compensate for my disappointment and wait till my friend comes to pick me up.
I was nervous. I searched in my pockets but I could gather only Rs 450. !( I have paid Rs 50 for my ticket.)
I said I have only 450 now If you come to my office tomorrow the balance… I gave him my visiting card hoping to impress him.
Pichaikaran- pichaikara payalukku visiting card !
He snatched the money and the card from my hand . put the money in his pocket and gave the card to the security and said angrily, tomorrow you come here and give the balance to the security No dirty tricks beware. He violently pulled me put his hands in my pocket and snatched my cell phone and gave it to the security
I thought the deal was over. But he did not get down from my scooter’ he was apparently waiting for a lift..
Without caring in the least about my presence he told the security.I am fed up with all this running around for nothing. I want to get into the jail again and spend days peacefully with ananyaas chinthanai whereas my yogakshemam will be looked after by the state.
Bhaghavath Geetha from him.!!
The security said but next year we are going to have Elections and you cannot afford to be in the Maamiyar veedu during that bonanza period.
Of course I will come out in time.I am even thinking of filing my nomination.
The security asked “ suppose the judge gives you a longer period in , then you will have to miss the chance as you cannot come out in the middle
That is no problem. I can come out any day I want. The jail warders are the custodians of jail premises only and not custodians of the inmates.. When the inmates disappear it means they are missing.
My cellphone in the hands of the security rang.” It should be my wife.” I said and asked him to give it to me.
The rowdy pushed me away, grabbed the cell phone, opened it took the sim card out and put the phone and the sim card in his pocket. I may need it when I am in jail. He said . on my extended hand he saw my wrist watch snatched it and gave to the security as security for Rs 50. Tomorrow morning, remember no tricks. We have your visiting card,.
Within seconds another rowdy, bearded and gigantic drove in in a big motor cycle greeting nonchalantly the security with a grin.
The first rowdy got up from my scooter , pushed it to me contemptuously” here is your B M W “ which I dived forth to catch like Tendulkar. Then he went to “board” the motor cycle in the pillion seat
At that very moment 2 policemen on patrol duty came towards us. They reminded me of Gajendran’s Adimoolam and Prahladhan’s Narasingham from the pillar.I heaved a sigh of relief and said to myself God is great’
To be concluded

[arasi]

Ponbhairavi,

What a story! Pray continue--when one policeman turns out to have no motive to help you at all, but has his eye on the 'pichaikkArar's aDi vanDi (dregs of) funds and the other, like a lion pounces on you for being a pauper at the very moment when he thought you would yield at least enough rupees for dinner at the pretender of a Dindigul eatery... !

I bet though that you have a better story line in store!

[pattamaa]

good writing sir...you have great skills... i remember reading a concert based story by one srinivas long ago !! May be, you should add some "carnatic" spices also in the story...

[Ponbhairavi]

part 3 now:
Though I was relieved I hesitated one second as to how to explain briefly. Should I scream or..
Before I could make up my mind, the policemen went to the motor cycle on either side and bending themselves to the ground and cleaning the mudguard and crash guard with their bare hands , told the motorcycle man: Sir,vanakkam, sir Hi Hi engalai marandhutinga sir, rumba naalachu, enga mamool yedhavathu paathu ….
The rishi(bearded) told them: dai pasangala, we are going to the exhibition ground. Come over there. You will get some bits of gold chain and you can establish your good name by arresting this fellow. He wants some rest”
The motor cycle whirred past followed by the jubilant policemen,
Totally dejected, I quicked my scooter with animal rage.. It would not start.The security told me there is no petrol in it. You can push it upto your house,or leave it here and come back tomorrow morning with a can of petrol and my dues.. If you want I will give you another token,
I said nothing and started pushing the vehicle home. When I reached home it was well past midnight and my wife seeing my battered look exclaimed: I was worried whether you were caught in any accident or gone to a whole night divya nama Bhajan in tha tcase, at least you could have telephoned to me.. What happened to your cell phone where is your wrist watch??
Mohana’s words of yesterday evening came to my mind. How prophetic!!. They should be etched in gold.
I mumbled “{: if they are not where they should be that means they are missing”

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Ponbhairavi" Great story!! Forunites,I propose that Ponbhairavi be nicknamed Edward O'henry--the suspense-laden American short story-writer!!

[arasi]

Bravo, Ponbhairavi!

Pattamma,
The poems and translations from french stories of Ponbhairavi are remarkable, He's a retired french prof who taught Ravi (rshankar) when he studied in Puduvai!

Yes, we miss Srinivasaraghavan's writing (a young man who is busy with his studies). His serial about music contests (before the mega competitions on the little screen became popular), is still cherished by us). Hope he gets the time to play his vINA even while he's absorbed in his studies.

You perhaps don't look into our literary threads. Many gems from old great writers are found there (thanks to Pasupathy) and also creative works of his and of others.

An example of how the arts don't exist in isolation but feed each other.

MKR,
Good to know you now have a bit of time to browse

[cmlover]

Ponbhairavi
So that is what happened.
Two days ago I received an email from you stating that you were stranded at the Sabha without a penny and that your scooter was stolen and asking me urgently to send $ 1000 by Weatern Union which of course you will repay as soon as possible. I thought that it was a spam and ignored it completely. Sorry for that. I would have called Mohana and appraised her if only you had given me her phone number. I know, if that was not there, then it must be missing...

P.S: That bearded guy was Durai PANDi, the TN chief of the IRA (International Rowdy Association). He was the Keynote speaker at the Jamaican branch of the Association at Toronto.
I pray you don't get to meet him again. He is the "best" in the use of veecharivaaL. He is lobbying to get it included in the next Olympics....

[arasi]

Mon ami,
:ymapplause:

[Ponbhairavi]

MK Ramasubramaniam, Arasi and Pattamaa,
thank you.
Cml
Your postface is better than the story. For a moment I thought whether I would continue on that prolegomenon! Your P.S. is timely.Thanks for your word of caution. I will keep away from the veecharivAl veeran

[cmlover]

cher Ponbhairavi:
La vie est plus vrai que la fiction.
Si cela s'est passé dans la fiction qu'il va se passer dans la vie!

[arasi]

How true!