Manju Thulli (The Dew drops)

Manju Thulli

Kanadakyumbol punjirikyunna ormagall aayi elam.

Thalliridum kinaakall kandavayelaam oru manju thulliyude jeevan mathram.

Pala varnangall maarri pagutunna aa maarivilinde jeevan nimishangall mathram.

It is Only You

It is Only You

If there has to be none, then who are you?
I dont find an answer but know deep within, it is only you.

We never fought..neither played pranks nor you pulled my hair, then who are you?
I dont have an answer, but know it is only you.

Have not spent time together, then why you?
I dont have an answer, but it has to be you
.
There is nothing I want from you, then why you there?
I dont have an answer, but need you here.

When there can be a trouble, I know you there,
but cant wait for that moment to have you here.

If there has to be one for me, it is ONLY YOU.

Love you my brother. 

Dreams are like stars

It was a cold evening in the month of December. Smitha had been waiting a long time at her balcony gazing to the end of road in front of her home. Her apartment was on the 2nd floor of a 4 storied building. She could see the board displaying “Jauhari Nagar” at the entry gate.

Winter season having short days, it was already dark by 6 PM in the evening.. She looked at the clock and again to the gate waiting for her beloved brother. Samit(Sam) had promised to join her for badminton that evening . He was in the final year of his graduation at IIT Chennai. Smitha proudly boasted to her friends that Samit has already been placed in a good company and that she would make him get anything and everything that was in her mind...The list was already in place and she was waiting for the month of June in the coming year. Undoubtedly the whole family was proud of him.
The street lights were On and now she knew that there would be no fun to play in the dark and she hates that.
Her dad was back from office and both dad and daughter caught up with the Wimbledon tournament on Doordarshan..

Mom: Smitha, high time for your studies. If you finish with your homework and studies, we are going out for a movie.
Smitha: (Not so excited with the idea): mm Ok
Mom: What’s wrong? You seem to be down..Are you Ok?
Smitha: Am Alright mom…Chetan ditched me….I’d been waiting for him so long with the new bat and cork..He dint turn up.
Mom: He must have missed his bus. Should be coming soon.
Smitha(furiously): I don’t want to play anymore…Its already dark outside..I will never talk to him.

She was very much frustrated and tired of waiting. But still had a hope that he will be with her anytime and they would still play for sometime.

Smitha: I hate chetan….he never finds time to play with me.

Smitha was hollering from her room dwelling her face into a pillow. It was the poor pillow that had to suffer. She kicked and yelled at that.

Smitha(to the pillow): I hate chetan…

She then cockered herself with the homeworks and completed her essay writing which had to be submitted with her class teacher on Monday. She wants her brother to review and correct if there were any misatakes. But this time she was so much offended that, she thought will never show him or seek his help for anything.

Please Open the Door…Please Open the door

That was their Callingbell. Smitha saw her mom walking towards the door. If it was Samit, she was set to tear him into pieces. But it was not him.
She then opened the Maths text book to do the homework. She again cursed her brother who had promised her to teach the chapter – Fractions and Whole Numbers. They always did their studies in advance and her brother was a great teacher. She was very comfortable learning things from him. She believed that no one in the world can better explain as he did. He taught her all chapters well in advance and was proud of his little sis who was always the class topper. …The routine was so that, post studies all got together at the dining table for dinner. Post dinner, little girl would soon fall asleep on her brothers lap..Thats how her day ends.

Smitha with an egregious face had the Maths text book with chapter Fractions opened in front of her.

Bbow…

Smitha was frighetened for that second and found her brother stretching his hands to kiss his little sister. She dint move out of her place but was very happy from inside that he was finally with her. She walked away towards the window with a doleful face.

Samit: My sweety, what have you been doing all these while? Seem like you had been playing outside with ur new bat ah….Naughty girl, dint wait for me..thats so bad.
Smitha: I will kill you….I waited for you sooooooooooo long and you coming in this late..U never keep up your words.

The “so” was veritably lengthy that Samit burst out laughing. He was taken way by the innocence of the 10 year old.

Samit: Oo dolly, am so sorry….I couldn’t make it today…
Smitha not seem to be listening..
Samit: Okay shall we play now?…Gimme a second, will freshen up now.
Smitha: (feeling sorry): mmm chalta hai… …U must be very tired…We can play tomorrow.
Samit (with a question mark) : mmm???? Is that my sister who is speaking?
Smitha: hmm am Serious…Its Ok…
Samit: Am Sorry
Smitha: Its Ok…

Both of them giggled at each other.

Samit: Ok.. So Friends?

Both shook their hands and were chummed up again….They embraced.

Samit had umpteen incidents to share with her while having a cup of coffee. They had been busy chatting the whole day and watching Wimbledon..Steffy was their favourite player and they spatted and basked in her glory for her winning the Grand slam for the year.

Over the dinner table, they had been planning to make their weekend fun filled.
Smitha merrily welcomed the weekend. She was also feeling sleepy and was insisting her brother to quicken with his dinner, so that she can take her comfortable place over his lap.

Happy Birthday To you…Happy Birthday to you…


Clock struck 12..Smitha opened her eyes to find candles lightened and the room decorated.Parents and her close friends who resided in the same apartment were also present. She was surprised at the same time confused.

Mom: Happy Bday my little girl….
Smitha: Thankyou Mom!
Neeta: Smitha…Happy Bday…Do you want 10 bumps now?
Kripa: Many happy returns of the day! Here’s your gift…You will love it…
Smitha: Thankyou dear…

Smitha looked everywhere and nothing seem to be the same..Neither did she find her maths text book nor the bat.

Mom: Ok..so lets cut the cake and you can open all your gifts and enjoy them.
Smitha: Amma …but..
Mom: Yes, you have your favourite Pinapple cake..


Smitha cut her cake…She looked the calendar and it was Dec 15. Yes it was her birthday and was a Saturday.
She had made many plans with her friends to celebrate her birthday together. She looked around and her friends were there with the kind of dresses they had planned to wear. She had even got a Pink fairy like dress as gift from dad..


Smitha: Amma

Her mom was busy distributing cake to her friends.

Mom: Smitha, have it with your friends..I have another Chocolate cake coming for you!

Smitha: I love you mummyyyyyy

Kids enjoyed their cake and were ready to explore the gifts and games.
They were having fun. Smitha was fully involved in the funny games and enjoying them. But her heart was heavy as if she was missing someone close to her heart.

It was 45 minutes past 12 . Smitha and her dad accompanied her friends to their home and made sure that all reached home safely.

Neeta: Good night Smitha! Will meet tomorrow.
Smitha: Good Night!

She was back home.. She could not believe if all that was just a dream or a real…Through the whole event, she was searching for Samit. But did she have a brother? She was still confused and looked around to find that person. With grief she realized that it was only a dream and she was the only daughter for her parents. She longed to have a brother and this was the first time she saw him in her dreams. She was very happy that she clould atleast see him in her dreams but at the same time sad that such a person never existed. She leaned to the door of their balcony and was looking at the shining stars as if she was searching for someone there.

Mom: Smitha, its been very late…What are you doing there?
Smitha: coming..

Smitha squeezed and found her place in between her parents and lamentably looked at her mom.

Smitha: Ammaaaaaa
Mom: mmmm?
Smitha: why dint you give birth to a brother just one day before I was born?
Mom: Brother?
Dad: One day?
Smitha: I would have had a brother with me now.

Mom and Dad: What? What happened?

Smitha clinched her dad and soon fell asleep leaving a big Question mark their face.

-Shals

Where is my Omelette?

Where is my Omelette?

One fine rainy day, Sam and her dad were discussing on a picture from the picture book in hand keeping themselves warm enough with the blanket..her mom as always was busy cooking delicious food…This time it was Moru kootan. It is a curry very much famous among Keraliates prepared with curd, coconut pury and the magical mix of Indian spices…Sam was now impatient with the grumbling from her stomach and the irresistable flavor of the dish.

Mom: Sam, wash your hands…your dinner is ready…
Sam: haaaaaaaaaay….am ready mom…

She skipped her hand wash and thought her parents dint watch her..but was caught….

Sam: Acha, I will wash my hands after eating…Why should I do it now…Its so clean…See.

The 4 year old chubby girl had just started off with her schooling in Kendriya Vidhyalaya….I Std- B division..she loved to suffix I B to her name…She was all thrilled to go to her school with her new uniform.. white shirt, navy blue skirt with white sox and a Black Bata shoe…the brand Bata had been very famous those days back in 90’s….

Dad: You have to wash your hands before eating…Wont the germs get inside your stomach ? Don’t you remember how cheeky those worms look?
Sam: hmmmmm (recollecting from the picture book)
Dad: Do you want that to be in your stomach?
Sam: No Acha..never

Mom: Its getting late…You have to go to bed in an hours time…..Need to wake up early in the morning…


Sam ran to the wash room and cleaned her tiny hands so well that the hand wash was half the bottle now.
She was now happy and confirmed from her dad that those worms would never ever get into her stomach.

Sam: Acha my legs are freezing..

Dad got her night suit and swetter to keep her warm enough and was pulling over the socks onto her soft feet which was almost frozen.

Sam: Acha, Bruuunoooooow…

There came Brunow to scare her to her life. Brunow was the pet dog of the owner of their rented house…Sam loved those people who just resided in the same compound as theirs. Brunow was a frequent visitor to her house whenever he was unchained…He is always there in front of her house like a guardian chained to a pomegranate shrub. He wags his tail whenever she is in front of him and it was a regular practice for her to wave back her hands to him while leaving for school at 8 in the mornings. But she just hates him, because he just scares her. Brunow was a healthy hefty powerful doggy with a double coated coat of an apricot shade ...

Sam: Achaa…close the door…he will come to me now..please….
Dad: He would not hurt you baby…see the way he wags his tail..he likes you…
Sam: Amma, please throw him away….eeee…eeee….

Tears slowly rolled out of her chubby cheeks….
Brunow walked away..…she gazed until his last step out of her house.


Mom: Have your food…Do not spill it on floor…and have it like a good girl now.
Sam: Wooow Omelette!!!! I love them.. I want the biggest…I want the biggest.
Dad: Ok….Biggest for the smallest at home.
Sam:Acha….no the 2nd one is the biggest…I want that..I want that..

She was all happy to see the ovel shaped yellow omelette on her plate like the shining Sun…
Sam always kept all her favorite tasty food to have it at the end to enjoy its gestation to its maximum…
She was done with her food and now was ready to taste her favourite Omlette. Sam have a penchant for Omelettes.
Lights Gone….Power was off due to the heavy rainfall.

Mom: Sam, don’t move…Let me get the candle…

Mom had disappeared in the darkness…She could only see her dad dressed up in a grey T-Shirt and yes of couse her Omelette still placed on the dining table on a white dish.

Sam was looking here and there as she now heard the rain pouring heavily with the cold breeze chilling her arms which were the only part in the body uncovered apart from her face.

Suddenly
Sam: Achaaaaaaaa..she screamed..
Dad: Am there…Don’t you worry baby….

She saw Brunow running towards her like a mad dog…It was the first time she ever saw any dog running this fast and above all, this time it was towards her. He had actually come in to protect himself from the heavy rain. He looked like the fastest dog in the world from the greyhood famiy.
Sam closed her eyes with fear….It was all calm and silent for a moment…Sam slowly opened her one by one…

Sam (helplessly) :Achaa, where is my Omelette? They are not here…


Then she saw Brunow going with her finger licking Omelette stuffed in his big mouth amidst those 42 scary teeth.They looked like a masterpiece of simple engineering designed to tear, shred and grind her Omelette to pieces and pieces.
She woefully looked at her parents and realized that were done with their dinner and no more Omelettes to share…

Sam: Achaaaa… ..I hate Brunow

Sam now had another reason to count on to hate Brunow.




In Malayalam “Acha” means dad and “Amma” means mom.

Seasons of life

Heaven on earth with all its beauty through the changing seasons we see....
with the simplicity and elegance of its own...
from morning to night...
from spring to summer... to autumn.. to winter.
from cradle..to youth.. to geezer hood.. to grave.


Stages come in....
roles change........
emotions play....
actions conquer....
finally to the helplessness of senility,
unlike the changing seasons,
year after year with all its freshness as never before.....with its timeless existence


As beautifully said, it is a succession of changes sooo gentle and soothing that we scarcely mark their progress...




-shals