Another one...

A couple of months back when I wrote this, I had vowed to come up with at least one more stab at this topic... S reminded me of this today and here we go... 


On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Chennai station... Although it was really dark, the lamp post shed enough light that Roshan Arumugam, the station master at Chennai station, could see that it was a small boy desperately trying to cover himself with a visibly inadequate and a dirty shawl... 


The sight took him 25 years back when another kid lay on the footpath of this very city... Having lost his parents to a cholera epidemic back in his village of Kumbakonam, his only means of survival lay in going to the city and earning a living, or so the elders in the village said... 


But easier said than done... Even after coming to the city, the kidstruggled for survival... No one was ready to give a 10 year old boy any job, and anyone who was kind enough to give a job was cruel enough to pay only in form of a square meal... No money, no home and the torrential rains made it worse... After suffering from fever for 3 days without medication and a morsel to eat, he lay there on the bench forlorn and devastated, fearing the worst... 


Thats when Gopalji saw him... Walking back home from his night school duty, Gopal Arumugam saw a kid lying on the bench doomed to die, and he took him under his shelter, literally... Gopalji , virtually gave him a new life... He gave him a home, gave him a chance to study in his night school and most importantly, gave him a reason to live... Gopalji guided him at every junction of life and ensured that every turn at that junction was in the right direction... Eventually, that kid became an independent young man and today thoroughly deserved the station master's chair at the Chennai railway station... 


So today, when Roshan Arumugam saw another kid in a similar state, it was very easy to make the decision... He decided to take the kid home, just like Gopal ji did to him... This was his chance to give back to humanity, what humanity had given to him -- a life... 


Roshan hurriedly ran across the tracks and held the kid closely in his arms... The moment he touched the kid, he could make out that the kid had high fever... The kid was very weak, and although not unconscious, barely able to utter a word... 


Roshan took him home, bathed him, fed him and gave him medication... After a couple of days of thorough care, the kid looked little better... When the kid woke up from his slumber, Roshan went to his room, gave the most gentle smile and asked the kid -- What is your name? 


From a pair of torn pink lips, popped the name -- Gopal... Roshan's smile said it all... 

FESTIVAL TIME...




Its Ganapati time again... 


The best 2 days of the year are back... 
The 2 days for which we prepare the most, but we never think that the prep is sufficient... 
The 2 days when the prep is never sufficient, but it is never inadequate...  
The 2 days when we work the most, but we are never tired... 
The 2 days when we are most nervous of the task ahead, but we are most confident... 
The 2 days when we miss the family the most, but still we never feel lonely... 
The 2 days when we have the most guests, but still they feel like family...
The 2 days when the guest at home is divine and yet feels like a family member... Yet the divine family member leaves in 1.5 days... 


Ganpati time has left so many memories over the years... 


The first year -- when my grandparents were alive... 
The second year -- when both of them passed away in a matter of 6 months... 
The third year -- when I was basking in the glory of my job and first flight experience... 
The fourth year -- when I was on cloud nine due to coming back from my first abroad visit... 
The fifth year -- when we were all happy because my sister's wedding was set... 
The sixth year -- when I missed the festival for the first time ever due to my US visit... 
Then for the first time in US, with S and in-laws... 
Then for the first time in US, this time with S and my parents... when I "took over" the festival from my parents... 
Last 2 years when S and I are doing it all alone... 


Every year has its own significance, its own special reasons to remember and never forget... 
Every year has its own special place on the shelf of memories... 


This year too -- Ganpati Bappa -- please make it memorable... I will do my bit... in effort... and you do your bit... in blessings... 


Ganpati Bappa Moraya... 



CONVERSATION...

Dad calls son... 
D -- How are you son?
S -- Fine but busy... Whats up?
D -- Oh!!! I just was feeling lonely and missing you...
S -- (for next 5 minutes... ) this happened... that happened... this is going on... that is being planned... Okay dad, got to go... Talk to you later... 
D -- Okay... 


Son calls dad... 

S -- How are you dad?
D -- Doing very well... You called, am feeling better than ever... Whats up?
S -- Oh!!! I just was feeling lonely and missing you...
D -- (for next 1 hour... ) happy memories from childhood... how he cherishes the walk down the memory lane, every single day... What his son means to him... 
S -- Dad, thanks for everything... I should go now, its already too late for your dinner... 
D -- Are you sure? I am fine... I can talk the whole night... I am there for you whenever you need me... Just a phone call away... 

FROST ALL OVER NIXON...

I had the opportunity of catching up 2 good movies in the same weekend. After a really good movie, I got a chance to see another one, same day.


This one was highly anticipated from the time I heard about it being launched. Having read so much about the Watergate scandal and Richard Nixon, I could not wait to see this movie.


Although the interactions between David Frost and Richard Nixon were embellished a tad, the last 30 minutes made up for a boring build up. The role that the body language plays in an attempt to psychologically push the rival on the back foot was so aptly demonstrated in those 30 minutes. At the same time, how to smartly dodge the bullet and still make it look like you caught it, was depicted nicely in the initial exchanges between the two.


The rambling of a soon-to-turn senile Richard Nixon was kind of boring, but it actually turned out to be a ploy to leave the clock ticking. The way the interview ended, making the ex-big-boss look defeated, forlorn and wasted, was poignant.


But the final exchange was very impressive. The graceful manner in which the president interacted with a man, who ended any hopes of resurrecting his lost political career, was so graceful. Courage under fire is admirable, but grace under failure is almost divine. Nixon did that so nicely in this movie.


S slept off when I was seeing the movie for the first time. So, I could catch the last hour all over again, when S caught up with the movie.


Nothing spectacular, but still enjoyable.

KITE RUNNER

Circa 2003 -- Godfather was being shown on HBO. I always wanted to see this movie and jumped at the opportunity to catch this movie on a Sunday night in the comfort of the home. But a very good friend C asked me to read the book first. I still remember the words "If you really want to cherish the movie, read the book first". The rest is history - the one of best books I have ever read and one of the best movies I have ever seen.


Fast forward to today -- With nothing fun to do, I was contemplating which movie to catch and found the Kite Runner. I could not wait for lunch and immediately started it. And what an experience it was.


The ONCE beautiful and prosperous country of Afghanistan, the friendship between 2 boys built on subtle things like story telling and kite flying, the tragic circumstances of their separation, the sad present of today's Afghanistan -- depicted so simply yet so impactfully. Wow.


Though the movie has a happy ending, there were a few moments which have left me stunned... 
1 - Amir dedicating the book to his uncle for all the encouragement for his story writing talent as a kid. The statement -- This book is dedicated to Rahim Khan who enjoyed my stories even before I learnt how to write stories -- is so touching.
2 - The beautiful country that was Afghanistan and the ruins that it is today. Heart wrenching.
3 - The very apt line -- this country is not kind towards invaders.
4 - Last but not the least, the last dialog of the movie -- For you, a thousand times over -- just to see the kid smile.


That got me thinking, and reminded me of the Godfather episode narrated above. What if I had read the book first? Would the book be more memorable than the movie? Would the paperback paint a more vivid and colorful image than the HD DVD?

ADOPTION...

S and I saw this movie over the weekend. A very touching saga of parental love and a kids search for a never seen mother... Must see, whether you know Tamil or not... 

Came the scene where Madhavan and Simran decide to tell the "truth" to their adopted daughter. They had adopted her as an infant from a war zone refugee camp and had planned to reveal her identity the day she turns 9.


Why 9? Only the script writer knows. Probably, they wanted to let her know themselves before anyone else tells it to the girl.


S and I got down to discussing the right age when the adopted kid should be told about it. Both agreed that 9 is too young. I thought that 18 is good, but still the kid is not mature enough to understand the gravity of the situation. But when is anyone mature enough to "understand" that your parent is just your guardian and not your parent.


What would the parents be going through when they tell the kid... What will the kid be going through when he/she gets to know... It is such a tender moment... 


My cousin has adopted a daughter (a gorgeous doll by the way) and S's good friend has adopted another girl... When they get to know, what is going to be their reaction... How will they respond?

In midst of this deep thought, I have to mention this... 

RS wrote this beautiful and touching letter to her son Chutku... He is yet to turn 1... I was just wondering -- when he grows up (i.e. is mature enough to understand relationships, emotions and affections) and reads this letter, what will his reaction be... How will he respond...