Sunday, February 19, 2012

janani-I


Janani

1
Depression in Bay of Bengal.
Widespread monsoon Rains  in Tamil Nadu.
Chennai. Very heavy rains. Continuous downpour. Flooding.
Water  ~~~~~~water  ~~~~~~~ everywhere.
Flood water entering the houses in low lying areas,
people were sheltered in Schools,
Temples and other public places.
NGOs and the Government Agencies giving
Food packets to them.
Even after 15 days, no signs of the rain stopping.

Along with flood waters all creatures,
reptiles, poisonous snakes, python
entering their homes, the people had no other alternative
except to seek asylum in public places.
With large thermocol packaging material,
Make-shift boats were made to shift
Their valuables, children, aged and sick.

It was nearing mid-night.
I was preparing for my School final Exam.
It was a sincere attempt for top scoring.
Just then, I heard the knocking of the gate.
Who is that at this odd hour and in this heavy rains?
Father has also not gone out due to the flooding enroute.
Again the knocking. Hearing the knock my mother came out.
Switched on the lights. I joined her
. Along with an umbrella we went to the gate and opened.
A middle aged lady with a girl of the age,
may be 8 or 9 years old were standing
I invited the lady “ it is raining very heavily. Please come inside.”

My mother also invited them to come inside the house.
But the lady told, “no madam we will stay outside.
After the rain stopping, We will go”
Their clothes and the bag they were carrying all wet.
“No, no, you can not stay out.
Please come inside” my mother insisted.

Hesitatingly they entered the house.
“We were staying in the nearby Amman temple.
The water entered there also. So we came here.
Pardon us, very sorry we have given you lot of trouble
in middle of the night”, the lady told,
may be short introduction.
My mother went inside and brought a towel and some clothes,
“Go to the bath room Clean yourself and wear these clothes.”

When they returned my mother served them with hot iddlies
“eat well, don’t feel shy” After finishing the food they were provided
with mat and pillows, and my mother told “sleep well without any worry.
We will see in the morning”


Early morning when I woke up, I saw them in their old clothes
and were ready to leave the house with their belongings, that single bag.
My mother was standing in front of them,
“what? have you started to leave? But the rain has not stopped.
Where you have to go? How will you Go?”
The lady told, “We don’t know where to go, Any household work,
If I can get, I can stay in that house with the girl.
If you know anybody, please tell me madam.”
Just then I saw the girl, small girl, innocent eyes, looking down always with
Typical shy. My mother called her near and asked her,
“What is your name?”
“Janani”



2
thank god, you heard my prayers
and stopped the rains
not hearing properly, my mother asked the girl's name again
" what name you told ?"
" Janani "
pronounced her name with much more shy.
The hardship and poverty make the people to feel shy about themselves,
than the situation and condition, ruining their self-confidence
By then my father has also joined called the girl near,
“Janani, Very good name! Which class you are studying?”She looked down.
But her mother replied, “She was studying in Fifth class”

Janani was obliquely looking all including me.
I don’t know what made me to go to my mother and tell her,
“We will keep them with us”
My father then asked, “What jai is telling?”
“He wants us to keep them with us” my mother revealed.
“What then? if it is Ok for you, keep them with you”,
immediate consent from my father.
“Ok Amma, if you like, you can stay here itself
with your daughter, Janani.”
“Very happy, thank you, madam”
“ How are we to call you? What is your name?”
my mother enquired the lady.
“My name is Lakshmi”


Lakshmiamma with her clean look, conspicuous 
sindhoor thilak on her forehead
and her saree fully covering her body, gave the
impression, no doubt, she hails from good and
respectable family from south Tamil Nadu.
No more questions we asked her till to-day
even after 15 years, who is she,
from where she has come from?

The relationship between us started establishing.
she called my father Anna (brother)
and my mother Anni (sister-in-law).
And for me she was aunty

But, Janani though initially shy and hesitant,
soon developed quick intimacy with all.
She adopted my parents as her own by calling them
Appa and Amma, father and mother respectively.
My parents were also happy with this new relationship.
Possibly, they were longing for a daughter all along.

Janani, with her legs on my mother, 
and her calm sleep used to
evoke a mixed feelings in me.
But, I was happy as her loving brother, Anna.

In her new silk dress and half-saree purchased by my mother,
she appeared like a butterfly, happily running inside
the house and flying in the garden outside.
Also my mother arranged for her admission in the school.
She in a short time picked up her studies
and stood first in the prestigious school.

From there no looking back.
She grew and the family grew in prosperity and happiness.
With her walk, talk, smile and service, she won the heart of everybody.
She was very happy and made us all happy.
she was the darling of the house.
Everything was now identified with reference to Janani.
Janani’s house, Janani’s father,
janani’s mother and me as Janani’s brother.
She ruled the home with every activity.

But shortly, I left my home to Coimbatore for my studies.
Completed the course but returned home
with the wounds on body and mind in an accident.
It is Janani’s total dedication and care,
I recovered to normalcy in three months.
During the period, I rarely seen her sleeping.
Whenever I woke up from sleep,
She was readily there to ask me, “Anna, what do you want ?”
In my absence Janani took care of my parents
and her mother without any shortcomings.
I joined the Scientific Service,
serving the Institution at various places.

When Janani was to write her School Final Exams,
she was afflicted with chicken pox - reddish patches all over her body,
high fever with dark red eyes. All were worrying whether she has to miss the Exam.
With all her high hopes for high scoring, Janani started weeping.
But I used to sit by the side of her neem-leaf bed  read and explain the subjects.
Being a bright girl, she used to grasp very easily.
I took her for the Exams with necessary confidence and courage.
" Anna, is it possible for me to pass the exam ? "
" janani, don't worry, you will score very high marks, you see. "
The results showed that she not only topped the school ranking
but topped the state ranking.
We were all very proud of her achievement.
Why not?

3

Janani succeded in getting admission in IIT Madras,
the Institution very adjacent to our house.
Though she stayed in Hostel, because of her activities
it appeared that our house was an extension of IIT Madras.
She coming home with her friends, studies and discussion,
our house was very busy and buzzing with academic activities.

Janani not only excelled in her studies.
Anything related with home and studies, she learnt with interest.
She was the consultant for my parents.
Cooking, drawing, singing, dancing, sports,
swimming she was heroine in every field.

My mother, she herself being proficient in singing and dancing,
she taught Janani every nuance in the art.
We used sit around and watch their performance.
For the melodious voice of my mother, the dancing of Janani was perfect.
Her movements were like moving blooming Jasmine creeper.
Oh! No more words! enthralling performance!
Appreciation by our long clapping but a gentle satisfactory smile
by her mother sitting at a corner of the house.

Before completion of her course, Janani received many
offers of appointments in various reputed MNC’s and elsewhere.
But she on her own selected an organization
in Tidel Park near the house.
We and the neighbors used to stare with proud,
when the driver of the car salute Janani with respect,
“Good morning, madam”
and drive her to the office carrying her briefcase.
Is it the same girl standing in front of the gate
with shy 15 years back?
yes, hard to believe !

I used to take her help in prototype analysis,
design and development and flight data analysis.
For many of my success and technical achievements,
I should acknowledge janani's help.
She was meticulous in her work and very happy to help me
sitting very late in the night. She was the only person
to understand and support me in every aspect of my life.
she went to US for two years for training and returned
to handle and manage the affairs of the MNC in India proficiently.
talents gifted or acquired?

*****

Monday, February 13, 2012

remembering you

As you know to remember, Oh my heart !
Don’t you know to forget ?
As you know to unite, Oh my soul  !
Don’t you know to separate ?

As you know to be allured, Oh my eyes !
Don’t you know to calmly sleep ?
As you know to blossom, Oh the Love !
Don’t you know to wither ?

As you know to take, Oh my hands !
Don’t you know to return ?
As you know to be sweet, Oh the fruit !
Don’t you know how to be bitter ?

As you know to commence, Oh the book !
Don’t you know to conclude ?
As you know to  pervade, Oh the mist !
Don’t you know to disappear ?

As you know to become angry, Oh the  Moon !
Don’t you know to cool ?
Oh the cool breeze !
Don’t  you know to be separate ?

As you know to separate, Oh God !
Don’t you know to unite ?
As you know to unite, Oh my Love !
Don’t you know to understand me ?

*****

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

birds of paradise


rosy  elegance
floating  jasmine  fragrance
hair  dark  cloud  in  abundance
lengthy  smile  lightning  brilliance

eyes  starry  luminescence
lips  red  cherry  radiance
oozing  nectar  essence
giving  elixir  credence

love  in  opulence
silence  her  eloquence
punctuated  pertinence
 playing  top  pleasance

profile  patience
and  carries  divine  grace
special  gift  by  providence
my  life  book  needs  no  preface
with  yours  it   interlace  and  interface

 her  proximity  and  presence
acquiring  covalence
 activating  prudence
she  is  my  life  science

*****