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Dutiful Daughter

March 4, 2009 – 1:56 pm

Dutiful Daughter

 

“These are hard times, Kamya.”  Her parents would often say.

 

She knows the underlying meaning of that statement.  These are hard times, and therefore, everyone must pitch in to help out in the family’s financial burdens.  She knows that their parents are not forcing her or her younger siblings to take care of their household finances, but in her heart, she understands her obligations as the eldest child.

 

Kamya has always been the one to give up anything for the sake of her younger siblings.  She put herself through schools, working part time while earning a degree in business.  Now that she’s found a good job, she can help out even more in paying their bills and sending her siblings to school.  After all, education is very important so she doesn’t mind scrimping to have money for her siblings’ tuition.

 

Through it all, Anbumadhi was always there to support her.  They have been together for four years now.  They met way back in college.  He was a study buddy in the beginning, but love soon blossomed between them.

 

Her parents approve of Anbumadhi.  They like him because they can see that he takes good care of Kalai, and they can see how much he respects her.  He was almost like a part of her family already.

 

Lately, however, Anbumadhi has been giving hints of wanting to settle down and starting a family of their own.  Kalai knew that she still had responsibilities towards her family, and Anbumadhi knows that her family always comes first.  But Kalai also knew that it was selfish of her to ask Anbumadhi to understand her all the time.  He has been very patient all these years.

 

Sometimes late at night, Kalai would ask the heavens to help her in her dilemma.  She didn’t know what to do.  She loves Anbumadhi, but she also loves her family.

 

“Help me, please!”  She pleaded.  “Show me what to do.”

 

Painfully and regretfully, Kalai realized what she must do the next morning.  Her family comes first.  No matter how much she loves Anbumadhi and how painful it will be to let him go, she knows that the only solution to her problem is to give one up for the other, and she cannot give up her family.

 

Anbumadhi deserves to have the family he longs for, and at this time, that’s something she cannot give him.  Once again, Kalai was ready to sacrifice for the sake of her family.

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Drought - Part One

March 4, 2009 – 1:50 pm

Strengthened by the meager sip he took, Manas strapped the canteen more securely to his waist, intent on moving onward.  The sooner he reached their camp, the better.  He picked up the standard issue machine gun that he had dropped earlier and started to stand up.

 

Just as soon as he rose to a crouch, however, a volley of bullets erupted and the ground around him exploded in dust and soot.  Machine guns.  The enemy had located him.

 

Oh no, not now.  Please.  Not now.  He would’ve prayed to his God had he not given up on religion months ago.  No, there couldn’t be a God.  The world wouldn’t have fallen this low if there was.

 

He couldn’t understand.  He had covered his tracks perfectly.  They were -

 

“Mohan, hurry, come on, brother.  You can’t give up now.  Here!  We’ll hide - aah!”

 

Manas found himself face to face with a boy who didn’t look to be older than eith years old. The boy’s face was dirty, smeared with grime and blood.  But that wasn’t what Manas found interesting.  No, what he noticed was the Machine gun that the boy was holding.

 

He was about to say something – a threat, a warning, anything to get the upper hand – when another boy, who looked to be about a few years older, limped into the site.  It was obvious that, of the two, this new one was worse for wear.  He was clutching a broken leg, and there was an eggplant-colored bruise covering half of his face.

 

Manas stared as the first boy broke their little staring contest, focusing on his brother instead, propping the injured boy against the rock.

 

“Muni! Muni!  G-go, save yourself!”, the older one said weakly.

 

“No, Mohan, I - no!  I won’t leave you here!”

 

“Go!!” the older one barked before dissolving into a fit of coughing.  It was obvious to Manas that the boy didn’t have long to live.  He was even going into delirium, his pupils rising until only the white in his eyes could be seen while his body trembled in a weak spasm.

 

“Wa…ter…”, the older one muttered, the shadow of death clouding his mind.  The younger boy leaned into his brother, straining to hear what the boy was saying.

 

“Water!  Right, yes, Mohan, I’ll find some for you…just don’t…please don’t leave me…”  the boy was crying now, looking around frantically for something that he probably wouldn’t have found – and then his eyes found Manas’ canteen.  The boy stopped and stared, as if verifying if what he’s seeing is real.  And then his eyes trailed up and met Manas’ own wide eyes.  Muni looked up at him pleadingly, and Manas clutched his canteen tighter instinctively.

 

They kept on staring at each other then, until another volley of shots erupted around them.  Manas sighed and closed his eyes, recalling memories of the old watering hole, his friends, his family, their smiles…his life, before undoing the strap that held the canteen of water to his body.

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Drought - Part Two

March 4, 2009 – 1:48 pm

Strengthened by the meager sip he took, Manas strapped the canteen more securely to his waist, intent on moving onward.  The sooner he reached their camp, the better.  He picked up the standard issue machine gun that he had dropped earlier and started to stand up.

 

Just as soon as he rose to a crouch, however, a volley of bullets erupted and the ground around him exploded in dust and soot.  Machine guns.  The enemy had located him.

 

Oh no, not now.  Please.  Not now.  He would’ve prayed to his God had he not given up on religion months ago.  No, there couldn’t be a God.  The world wouldn’t have fallen this low if there was.

 

He couldn’t understand.  He had covered his tracks perfectly.  They were -

 

“Mohan, hurry, come on, brother.  You can’t give up now.  Here!  We’ll hide - aah!”

 

Manas found himself face to face with a boy who didn’t look to be older than eith years old. The boy’s face was dirty, smeared with grime and blood.  But that wasn’t what Manas found interesting.  No, what he noticed was the Machine gun that the boy was holding.

 

He was about to say something – a threat, a warning, anything to get the upper hand – when another boy, who looked to be about a few years older, limped into the site.  It was obvious that, of the two, this new one was worse for wear.  He was clutching a broken leg, and there was an eggplant-colored bruise covering half of his face.

 

Manas stared as the first boy broke their little staring contest, focusing on his brother instead, propping the injured boy against the rock.

 

“Muni! Muni!  G-go, save yourself!”, the older one said weakly.

 

“No, Mohan, I - no!  I won’t leave you here!”

 

“Go!!” the older one barked before dissolving into a fit of coughing.  It was obvious to Manas that the boy didn’t have long to live.  He was even going into delirium, his pupils rising until only the white in his eyes could be seen while his body trembled in a weak spasm.

 

“Wa…ter…”, the older one muttered, the shadow of death clouding his mind.  The younger boy leaned into his brother, straining to hear what the boy was saying.

 

“Water!  Right, yes, Mohan, I’ll find some for you…just don’t…please don’t leave me…”  the boy was crying now, looking around frantically for something that he probably wouldn’t have found – and then his eyes found Manas’ canteen.  The boy stopped and stared, as if verifying if what he’s seeing is real.  And then his eyes trailed up and met Manas’ own wide eyes.  Muni looked up at him pleadingly, and Manas clutched his canteen tighter instinctively.

 

They kept on staring at each other then, until another volley of shots erupted around them.  Manas sighed and closed his eyes, recalling memories of the old watering hole, his friends, his family, their smiles…his life, before undoing the strap that held the canteen of water to his body.

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DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!

December 26, 2008 – 6:08 pm

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE! ( By: Thanuja oppilamany)

 

 

In a small beautiful village lived a girl name Shruthi. She was a beautiful girl with stunning features. Her eyes were the shape of a fish, her fair skin and her beautiful long thick black hair shined in the sun.

 

            She was born in a poor family, her mum died when she was young, her father was a tailor and she had 2 younger brothers. So Shuruthi had to cook, clean and take her brothers to school. Her father wanted shruthi’s little brothers to study hard and become a doctors, but he did not have any hopes for Shuruthi as he felt she was just a common girl who should learn to be a good wife and mother as all girls should do.

 

          However Shuruthi had always dreamt of becoming a writer and when she finished her duties and sent her brothers to school, she goes to the river near her house and sits there, writing stories. Her brothers had taught her to read and write and when they are at school she uses their book to develop her writing.

 

          One day, she was at the river writing stories and lost track of time.

When she finally went home, her father was waiting for her. Her dad shouted at her and accused her of many things a father should not say to his daughter. Shruthi was hurt and went sleep crying.

 

          Next day her father announced that she will be marrying a rich young man. She begged her father not to do this. She told him that she had dreams to accomplish and there no room for a husband in her life right now. Her father just mocked her and said that a girl’s dream is to be a good wife and a mother and they are not good for anything else.

 

          What shruthi did not know is that this young rich man who she was supposed to marry had followed her for months to the river so he can listen to her stories. He had fallen in love with her stories and her beauty.

 

          Shruthi wanted to run away but she couldn’t leave her brothers and also she was worried about what the society will say about her if they heard she ran away. She had no choice but to marry him.

 

          She got married in misery. The only thought that was on her mind when she was getting married is that her dreams are crushed in to million pieces.

 

          After marriage, her husband told her that he fell in love with her stories and her beauty. When she heard that he had fallen in love with her stories, thousands of butterflies began to flutter in her stomach, her face beamed with happiness.

 

 He helped her develop her stories and publish them so the whole world could fall in love with her stories like he did. Few years later she was one the famous writers in the world. Shruthi had fulfilled her dreams!

 

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Untraditional Love

December 5, 2008 – 7:33 am

Untraditional Love

 

Suja is a rich girl who grew up abroad.  Her family left for America when she was just five years old.  They lived a privileged life in the United States.  Although she grew up with Western influences, her parents also imbued in her traditional Indian values.

 

Aravin, on the other hand, grew up in his native India, and he has never been abroad.  He has never been anywhere actually.  He just stayed in the city he grew up in and never went away on trips.  He can only speak his native tongue, and his values and views on life are all typical of any young man living in his country.

 

When Suja finished school, she volunteered in social work.  She loved helping people, especially children who are lost, who have been abused, homeless and those that have lost all interest in living.  She was good at it, too.

 

Her social work brought her back to India – a place she can hardly remember.  She was saddened by the plight of the young children she saw on the streets.  During her social mission, she met Aravin.  At first, they couldn’t get along because he didn’t welcome her Western ideas, and she, likewise, didn’t like his old-school ways.

 

But their love for children and their volunteer work soon brought them closer.  He saw that her ideas were workable, and she understood that he only wanted the children to feel comfortable around them, hence, his refusal to include ways that are foreign to them.

 

During their free time, he would take her to the local café’s and restaurants and introduced her to exotic dishes she only heard of back in America.  She started falling for him, and he started loving her secretly.

 

One night, after having dinner in her apartment, he kissed her.  They were sitting together in front of the television, having coffee, when she turned her head to look at him, and he just kissed her softly on the lips.

 

“I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have done that.”  He softly apologized.  “I must go.”

 

“Adhavan,” she said touching his arm to stop him from leaving.  “Don’t go.”

 

Still standing, his back turned from her, he told her that he has fallen in love with her.  He knows it’s impossible because they are from two different worlds.  Reaching out to hold his hand, she told him that she felt the same way.  That night, he stayed.  That night, they are not from different worlds.  That same night, they bridged the gap and simply let love in, traditional it may be or not.

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Through A Child’s Eyes

December 5, 2008 – 7:29 am

Through A Child’s Eyes

 

“Sumathi!  It’s time to wash the dishes!”

 

Little Sumathi gave a start as her mother’s impatient voice rang through their house.  Grudgingly, she discarded her rag doll and proceeded to the kitchen where her mother was tapping the table with her ladle.

 

“Yes mama…”

 

She hated doing the dishes.  It was tiring, boring, and too mundane.  She would much rather be outside, playing with her friends.  But no, her father had forbidden it.  ‘Times are difficult, and it’s dangerous for a little girl to be outside,” he told her with an edge in his voice.

 

She didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about.  But she could see that her mother was really worried.  And her father seemed worried, too, as he always answered questions about the ‘revolution’ with a hushed voice.  Now that she thought about it, she realized that her mother had talked in hushed tones as well.

 

Her parents had to huddle together each time they talked about this “revolution.”  It made Sumathi feel like she was being left in the dark about a really, really juicy secret.  She really didn’t like it.

 

Oh well, if they didn’t want to tell her, then she’d find out herself!

 

She slowed her pace in washing the dishes, straining to hear little tidbits from her parents’ conversation.  What she heard, however, were words her seven year old brain could barely comprehend.  They said something about a “Mr. Churchill,” and they mentioned something about “It” happening soon.  What piqued her curiosity, though, was when they said something about a guy named Gandhi who was, she heard, not eating – had not eaten for days, actually.

 

“The poor guy,” she thought.  One time, she missed dinner, and she became so hungry that she almost cried.  She couldn’t take it – that insistent churning in her tummy.  It was so…so uncomfortable.

 

She was down to the last few dishes, so she dallied even more.  There was still a lot she didn’t know.  However, it seemed that her parents had heard her as they had stopped their serious conversation abruptly and changed the topic to something more mundane – Aunt Ahila’s new baby.

 

How boring, she thought, finishing up the rest of the dishes with a huff.

 

Sumathi woke up the next day to her mother’s frantic screaming.  She was shouting about freedom and independence and a lot of other things which her young brain could still not grasp.

 

‘What changed?’  She wondered.  The whole day, she kept on trying to find out what it was.  But the grownups were much too busy to take notice of her.  They were hustling about, talking animatedly with each other, giving each other an excited pat on the shoulder.  But nobody – not even her mama – had cared to tell her the secret.

 

“Sumathi!  It’s time to wash the dishes!”

 

This time, though, there was a happy lilt in her mother’s voice.  And Sumathi thinks that whatever it is that changed… it must have been good.

 

And for her, that was enough.

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The Love of a Man

November 9, 2008 – 8:22 am

The Love of a Man

 

Santhi was a typical girl from the province when Adhavan met her.  He had to go to her town to do a little background check for a possible expansion for his company.  At 25, he was already showing great promise as a Civil Engineer, and this project is his first big break.

 

Although he comes from a rich family, he never let this stop him from pursuing his own dreams.  His family wanted him to take over the business once he graduates from college, but he had other plans.

 

Much to his family’s disappointment, Adhavan decided to carve his own path.  Thankfully, after years of being in conflict with his parents, they are finally slowly accepting his decision, and now, they are starting to see that he made the right choice.

 

Santhi was walking home from the market when she saw a sleek black car stop just inches away from her.  She had a good day today, selling all her vegetables in the market.  She stopped in her tracks when she saw a handsome young man get off the car and walk towards her.

 

“Good day to you.  Is the town plaza still far from here?”  Adhavan inquired.  This girl is possibly the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on.

 

“No, you’re just a few meters away now.  Just make a right turn at the corner store and go straight.  You won’t miss it.”

 

“Thank you.  I am Adhavan, by the way.”  He said, extending his hand.

 

“My name is Santhi.”  She shyly answered, taking his hand to shake it.

 

She hurriedly said her excuses and walked away from this man who is starting to send goosebumps all over her.  She felt something when he took her hand.  It was as if an electric current ran down her spine all the way to her legs and she felt weak.

 

Adhavan went on to work on his project for at least a year in her home town, and everyday, he would pay her a visit and give her gifts.  He never failed to show her how much he loves her.

 

Finally, after a year of courtship, Santhi accepted his proposal.  She had never had a relationship before.  She didn’t know that the love of a man could consume her whole being and render her helpless and yet happy at the same time.  So this is what they call love.  She’ll never forget the day she met him.  It was the day she fell in love with him.

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The Call

November 9, 2008 – 8:12 am

The Call

The time on the wall clock read 2:45 a.m., but Nanthan couldn’t sleep.  In fact, he dared not, at least not while he was still in the office.

 

He suppressed a yawn.  The graveyard shift was always difficult, despite the fact that he had been at his job for over six months already.  It was just one of those things that he learned how to cope with, but never fully got used to.

 

The red light and beeping sound on his comm indicated an incoming call.  Nanthan pressed the receive button and spoke into the microphone of his headset with a crisp American English accent.

 

“Hello, this is Hyper Solutions.  How may I help you?”

 

“Hyper Solutions?“ an old woman’s voice replied.  “Oh, I’m sorry. I think I dialed the wrong number.”

 

“That’s quite all right, Ma’am,” he responded.  “Which number or company are you trying to reach?  Perhaps I may be of assistance.”

 

The woman paused.  “Actually, I’m not looking for a company.  I thought this was my son’s number.”

 

“I see.”

 

“You know, you sound a bit like he does.”

 

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

 

“I know you’re probably busy, but would you mind very much if we chatted for a minute?”

 

Nanthan blinked.  He knew that if he attended to the needs of this lady, it would mean putting other customers with business-related concerns on hold.  His head said no, but something in his heart urged him on.

 

“I don’t mind at all, Ma’am,” he said.

 

The woman heaved a sigh of relief.  “Thank you.  It can get very lonely here, you know.”

 

“You’re very welcome, Ma’am.  I understand where you’re coming from.  We’re here to serve our customers, after all.”

 

“That’s very kind of you, young man,” the old woman told him. “I wish more people were as kind as you are.”

 

“Thank you for your kind words, Ma’am.”

 

“Can you tell me a little more about your company?”

 

Nanthan happily obliged. After several minutes, the old woman politely interrupted him.

 

“I have a confession to make,” she said. “I was just testing you, actually.  My son’s name is Santhan Kumar.  I wanted to find out what his people were like.  Sorry for deceiving you somewhat.”

 

Nanthan did a double take.  Santhan was the owner of the company.

 

“No problem, Mrs. Santhan,” he managed.

 

“Keep up the great work.  Thank you so much again.  Goodbye.”

 

“Goodbye, Mrs. Santhan.”

 

Nanthan grinned.  He would definitely be sleeping better that morning.

 

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Friends and Adversaries

October 1, 2008 – 7:06 am

Friends and Adversaries

 

For as long as she can remember Abirami and Karthika have never gotten along.  They were neighbors and schoolmates, but they completely ignored one another whenever they would bump into each other in the streets or in school.

 

Karthika was a beautiful girl with long black and silky hair.  She was the most popular girl in school.  Girls in school envied her good looks and the way the boys admired her.  She was also popular among teachers because she always got good grades.  She joined decathlons and always won.

 

Abirami, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Karthika when it came to her popularity status.  Although Abirami was also a pretty girl, she wasn’t as stunning as Karthika.  She also got good grades, but Karthika’s were always higher.  This is why she resented Karthika.

 

It didn’t help that their families were friends, being neighbors and all.  Their parents knew that their girls weren’t as close as they had hoped, but they didn’t know that there is animosity between the two girls.

 

However, this would change one afternoon in school.  It was already late and most everyone had gone home already.  Abirami forgot about the time and didn’t realize that it was already starting to get dark.  She had spent hours in the library researching for a project.

 

As she was walking down the hall, she heard a noise from one of the rooms.  She silently went to the window to see what the commotion was, and to her horror, she saw Karthika struggling in the arms of one boy.  She was begging him to stop kissing her and to please let her go.

 

Without hesitation, Abirami barged into the room and hit the boy with her books.  She kept hitting him and hitting him while shouting for help.  This scared the boy and he ran off.

 

“Are you okay?”  Abirami asked Karthika as she took the shaken girl’s hand in hers.

 

“Thank you.”  She said, sobbing.

 

“We were just talking.  I really liked him but then he started kissing me and I got scared.”

 

“We must tell our teacher about him tomorrow.”  Abirami angrily said.

 

“No, please.  It will ruin my reputation.”

 

Understanding what she meant, Abirami agreed to keep quiet about the whole incident but insisted that, from now on, they will go to school and walk home together just to be on the safe side.

 

That afternoon, tragedy brought two adversaries together and forged a beautiful friendship between them.

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Parents Know Best

September 16, 2008 – 4:54 am

Parents Know Best

 

It had been raining incessantly since this morning.  Abi absentmindedly watched as the raindrops slowly trickled down her bedroom window.  She hasn’t been sleeping well at night ever since her parents told her that they have already planned her betrothal to the son of their long-time friends.

 

Suthan had been away for a long time.  He went to America to study when he was just a young boy.  Twenty years later, he decides to come back home.  It would have been all right if only her parents hadn’t insisted that she marry him!  Now, all she could think of was how much she hated him.

 

“We are living in the 21st century!  You would think that people would be free to choose whomever they want to marry!”  Abi frustrated whispered to no one in particular.

 

She had always been a good daughter.  She obeyed her parents, did everything they asked her to.  She even went to the university they picked for her!  But to marry her off to a complete stranger?  This is the rest of her life they’re talking about!

 

It’s not that she had a boyfriend, and she was happily in love with him.  But she does want to know how it feels to be in love.  She wants to experience the butterflies in the stomach and the sweaty palms whenever he’s around.  She wants the whole fairy tale – the happily ever after ending.  She realizes now that she may never have the anymore, thanks to her parents and a guy named Suthan.

 

Abi sighed and continued watching the rain from her window.  Tonight, Suthan and his parents are coming over to formally ask for her hand in marriage.  Tonight, they will hand her over to a man who will be more like a prison guard than a good, loving husband.  Tonight will mark the beginning of the end of her life.

 

Evening finally came and Abi had no choice but to go down to meet the man she was to marry next month.  As she was going down the stairs, she caught a glimpse of a handsome young man with eyes as bright as the stars.

 

As he rose to greet her, she saw that he was tall and well-built.  She felt the butterflies in her stomach and her palms started to sweat.

 

“Hi, Abi.  I am Suthan.  I’m very happy to meet you.”  He said as he softly kissed the back of her hand.

 

Abi realized that, truly, parents know best.

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