Not a Nightmare!

People, especially all the new friends of Durga, cornered her with the interrogation, “why do you stay alone in your room?” They sometimes shoot the same question as, “why don’t you share room with other staff members?”, for all these typical queries pat comes an answer from her mouth, “I like to be alone. It gives me freedom and independence.”

“Let me see how long you’re going to repeat the worn out words…”, the words would swoop out of their tongues and “there is much secret about her and her behaviour”, would be words that would throng locked like that of a dog that is been tied with a lengthy, strong chain. Durga would never give an ear to all those unheard words. She believes in “INNOCENCE IS BLISS” and not in “heard melodies are sweet and those unheard are sweeter.”

She had a happy living, an independent living of her own – in her own world. She was working as a Lecturer in a college, which is near her room. For the first few days she felt work like a hell, it made her stay away from home…she would weep, yell alone in her lonely room…nobody would listen to her. This was for few days but she assuaged herself and now she is much fine and at ease with her job and the environment.

Her mansion had just two rooms, which were identical. Nobody, not even she, could find much difference about these two rooms and they could never come out with a proper conclusion on how to use these two rooms. Not even a professional utilitarian thinker would say it cut and right to use the rooms purposes. It took Durga a week to keep her things. She often shuffled things even after several months passed by.

The owners of her house were kind persons and they possessed good heart for they were consoling Durga when she was new to the place. It gave much solace and thus she managed to stay in the room though it looked awkward. The flooring of the room, especially, had well-established roots in it that had spread all over the room. There was one more room near hers and a woman, a schoolteacher, was staying all alone. The teacher’s presence in her room could be confirmed with the noise of a radio. If the radio blares like donkey then the teacher is out of reach and if the noise is lessened then it symbolizes that she is IN and listening to the songs, the usual program with the radio stations. Then in the first floor, where Durga stayed, there were two other rooms, waiting for a dawn. They both were not completely built and those nacked red bricks would long for a skin to cover themselves and their vain attempt made them mirror a human skin during the hot summers of April.

Both these women, who shared the first floor, were also asked to share a common toilet and a bathroom, which was hidden at the back of the half - built rooms. During night times, very rarely, Durga would get scared to walk through the dilapidated, ghost like rooms to use the toilet. Her pace would increase as much as it could if she happens to use them during the darkness. The ground floor had three houses one for the owner and two for outsiders. In one of the latter houses came new tenants who were much old in age. They were a couple – an old man and an old woman. Durga usually never talked with the neighbours. She did not know anything about them, but they knew her very well, she would think to herself.

The new tenants made her a bit more frightened for she would often see the old man in the first floor walking from the toilet but she would have never seen him cross her room when he was heading for it. This would surprise her. She was also taken aback when she saw him roaming aimlessly in the first floor, which had nothing to amuse him. The way he looked at her was one more thing that would threaten her to death. She almost all the time, stared at him, shunned at him and had negative remarks about him. As days passed, she also tried her level best to avoid seeing the old man’s face. She thought of complaining the old man to her owner but felt a bit reluctant and silly to do so.

Days passed a few with threat and a few with a sound sleep. One night after her usual works, Durga went to sleep and had a sound sleep as soon as she stretched herself in the mattress. Early in the next morning around 3 o’clock, Durga sprang up from her bed. She did not know the exact time, she could not recognize the exact hour – night or a day. Everything was dark around her – pitch black. She could hear the barking of a dog, it also howled occasionally. She then lay down once again with her eyes wide open like that of an owl. Some unusual sound tore her eyelashes but what was the sound she could not recognize. She lay in the mat for some time and once again, she heard it – distinctly. It was the sound of seashell being blown by a person. This noise was also accompanied by the sound of metal plate struck by a metal rod. It is a death knell, she thought, with a sigh of relief. “Probably some one would have kicked the bucket”, she muttered and went to bed. She did not dare peep out of the window to witness the death procession. She got up afresh the next morning and came to look for the dead petals of rose in the road. To her surprise, she could see none of them. “Probably they were not accustomed to this culture of mine. It’s a nice habit they didn’t waste the beauty of a flower”, she said and went ahead with her daily chores.

The next night, early in the morning, again, the knell was heard and it never forgot to probe into the ears of Durga. She woke up from the sleep, not from the bed. Her heartbeat was on par and rhythmic to that of the knell. She was not able to lift her head; it denied accepting all her orders.

Voice 1: “Daily a death? Absolutely no! This must be the call for me from… who else other than Lord Yama.”

Voice 2: “But this is too much. I’m young and also a good person then how come you can come so early?”

Voice 3: “Why you came yesterday then? Is it to inform me?”

Voice 4: “Are you going to take me? Why don’t you come when I’m in my home, with my parents?”

So many such voices sprouted out of Durga’s mind but they were all Durga’s for they had only words but no sound. The sound came nearer and nearer, louder and louder and this respectively was reflected in the increased throbbing of her heart. She thought that she was at the throes of life. The sound came very near and she closed her eyes tightly so that a few teardrops oozed out from the sides of her eyelashes. It was as that of squeezing a lemon – you get more juice the more you squeeze. The sound then passed by her and got lost in the empty air. She heard it moving away from her and finally it died. After an hour or two she thought “why didn’t He take me away today itself?” Even after all these terrible things, she refused to raise her head from the mattress.

The next day about seven in the morning, she inquired the neighbour about the strange sound she’s been hearing for the past two days. The neighbour said that she never experienced such a sound. “It would be a dream then. But why I alone heard and nobody did?” She didn’t get time to think over an answer for her work compelled her so she left things as it is and went ahead with the day’s work.

She came home after a long work and as she opened the doors, she heard a rattling sound coming from the dilapidated building. She switched on the bulb and peeped into the house very quietly and to her surprise came out the old man with his eyes fixed towards Durga. He crossed her with a big stare. She was taken aback. She did not go and wash her face that evening and kept herself locked inside the room for she could hear the earsplitting noise of the radio, belonging of her neighbour. She thought of nestling in the owner’s house but her ego did not let it. She did not sleep well but sleep creeped into her eyes during the late hours of the night. Her sleep was shook to its root at the same hour, at the same minute, at the same second as that of the previous day’s.

“Huh! The same sound and nothing else”, said Durga and snored. “What a surprise! Was it me?” she exclaimed the next morning. “But I want to confirm and crack what is going about me or the world.” saying so she planned to get a terminus for all her trepidations.

During lunch, which she usually takes in her owner’s house, she reluctantly conveyed the horrors she’s been experiencing for the past few days. The whole world around mocked and laughed at her saying that it is a usual habit of the temple priest to wake the people in that particular divine and holy month.

On perceiving, this Durga first exerted a sigh of relief but later could not digest the fact that the whole world is laughing, not with her but at her. This she could not bare. She was also not able to leave the place JUST LIKE THAT, for the elders may think it to be a sign of disrespect towards them. She felt it difficult to inhale and swallow the food amidst the sound and fury of others.

That evening as she came back home from work and a small boy, in the street, who said, “I too believe in ghosts”, interrupted her.

K. madhav

Mock(ed) Interview

It is our habit, as Soft skills Trainers, to conduct Mock Interview sessions to our 'beloved' students. Here follows one such occasion wherein a student thrilled me with his exciting answer.

Me: Tell something about you.

Pat came an excellent answer with his name, academic background, family background, achievements and he ended saying, "my hobbies are playing cricket and listening to music"

Me: What things you can apply to your life as a cricket player?

Pat came an excellent answer with all possible things from team playing, time managing skills, etc.

Me: (much satisfied with his answers) What kind of music you hear?

My Student: Whatever song they play in my hostel before the study hour.

Me: !? (A thunder of laughter from all around his friends)

I got independence!

This is an excerpt from my personal diary. Usually a personal diary will not let others to barge into it. But I’m letting out this page of mine because I felt it to be funny and my little brain thought everybody would experience such situations in their life and I would find me one with you. Now it’s high time for me to take you into my page. Here we go…

August 15, 2007 Wednesday

9.00am India’s Independence Day, sorry sorry my country’s Independence Day and just now I’m out of my bed. As usual I started with thumbing. I took my mobile phone to see many messages that had made it beep right from 12am, 14th August. Oh, people celebrate even this day. I chose a few best messages wishing Independence Day and forwarded it to many of my friends with a ‘Good Morning’ added to it.

9.20am I strolled down the stairs brushed and went straight into the kitchen saw mother preparing dosa for breakfast. Felt happy and went to the living room and sat down with the paper. There I encountered my father who asked me to take bath and also scolded me for getting up late. My eyes glue to the newspaper, but not my mind. I thought of the previous day when I said Mrs. Shahin, “I won’t take bath tomorrow mam, because it’s Independence Day. I want to be free.” as an answer to her question “What is your plan for tomorrow?” My eyes turned to the newspaper and scanned through it completely.

9.45am Special programs in various TV channels. I took control of the remote and started changing the channel and paused at one channel, which interviewed my favourite heroine. My face brightened to see her answer all Tamil questions in English, her independence to use any language.

9.47am Appa (my father) ordered me to switch off the TV and to drop him at the bus stop. I went reluctantly scolding his non-living vehicle for getting repaired at this day. I thought my job would end as soon as I drop my father in the bus stop, but only on my way I came to know that I’m on the way to shop, to buy a few things for my home for lunch. I was shocked and also taken aback, but absolutely helpless. No other go so I acquiesced to what my father said to me and went to places where all he directed me to go. It took 45 minutes for us to shop but when I returned home my mother just scolded with a smile saying that I have only bought a part of her list.

10.45am I don’t have patience any more. I asked my mother go with my father some time later and entered kitchen lighted the gas stove, made two dosa and started eating. As I was quenching my stomach my mother gave me one more dosa with an egg in it. She said it was made some time before for my little niece and she refused to eat it seems. It (the dosa) was damn cold, of course, me too but I ate it.

11.15am Now no dad and I can watch TV, saying so I sat before TV watching Mel Gibson in “The Patriot” suddenly my mother emerged with a heap of clothes and gave it to me saying iron all these clothes as you watch TV! My shirts were also there mixed with my brothers. I did it utmost care.

12.30pm Now let me go upstairs, if not I’ll be loaded with a new work, thought I, and also abetted my plan and went up. I sat in my PC and worked in Photoshop. I took one of my photo and tried to put me as if climbing up against the current of a huge water fall. Many thoughts came to my mind about to display my handy-work in my blog or not. What would people say on seeing it? Will they laugh? Will they tease? Let me show it to my friends before displaying it, I concluded and shut down my system. After shutting it down I pondered deeply about independence, MY independence. I thought why should I feel shy in show-casing my photograph and my Photoshop skill in MY blog. But did not think about it seriously and went on with reading a few books.

2.00pm I went down for my stomach compelled me to take my lunch. It was chicken that I and my appa bought. I ate well and saw TV but got vexed with the show and thereby went upstairs, my room, and slept.

5.30pm I got up, just opened my eyes, but did not feel like getting up from my bed. I started reading a magazine that was lying near me.

6.10pm My sister and her husband came to my home with my niece. I went down to our living room and there I spent time with those two kids playing and talking with them.

7.15pm Appa asked me to get some Parotta from the shop. The shop, our favourite shop, was just 5km away from my home. So I took my vehicle, my black cheetah (I wish to call it so), and went to the shop, spent a few minutes waiting and started home. On my way back the clouds discharged the gathered water drops and Madurai had good rain. Everybody on the road started to take refugee under the road side roofs. But I felt much happy and also got a bit emotional and started to drive slowly in the rain. I thought it’s my independence to welcome rain and get one with nature by getting drenched. I removed my helmet and started to get wet completely. I came home and was too happy when my mother gave me an umbrella and asked me to give it to my sister, who has gone to the near by hospital for some check up. I walked in the road, all alone except the rain drops. I enjoyed my walk and when I came back home my father blasted me for getting drenched. I dried my hair and never did mind his words. It was by 9 in the evening I thought I got independent.

RÉSUMÉ writing made easy

Every student goes to college regularly, attends his/her classes with certain convictions, does his work (studies) with utmost sincerity. These are the normal phenomena of today’s students. One more new point that has appended itself in the above LIST OF ACTIVITIES of our students is résumé writing. No graduate is exempted from preparing a résumé as they leave their college and enter the gates of career and growth.

A résumé is an essential or a basic requirement of every student, especially the engineering graduates, when they expel themselves out of the college.

Once writing a résumé was considered an art. People had different, individual résumés and that negotiated for them with the interviewer or with the company. Nowadays résumé writing is no more considered an art. It has become much mechanical and every person, who prepares a résumé for him/her, just cuts/copies and pastes the previous students/seniors résumés with a variation in their name, address and the percentage of marks in education column. Is this the innovative or the creative skills the company expects from the candidates?

Here is an attempt, a different attempt (I like to call), about résumé preparation. I have planned not to give instructions or guidelines to the readers about the winning tone of a résumé or about how to make your résumé have a stay in the interviewer’s card, instead let me try a practical approach that would make you work on your own résumé. (The success of this short attempt depends completely with you).

First, I would like you to note that the word “résumé” has a different pronunciation when people use it during their job search. The reason for this change in the pronunciation could be analysed etymologically. The word résumé is of French origin meaning “summary”. The root meaning in itself says the function of a résumé, that it is a summary or a short autobiography of a person that would highlight some personal dexterity of a person in acquiring a job.

A résumé has so many sub – divisions within it. I have divided them into two different heads – compulsory elements and optional elements.

Compulsory elements:
Under compulsory elements, we have titles like:
1. Objective statement
2. Educational qualifications
3. Experience

Objective statement is a line or two much resembling to that of our sentence under the heading AIM in the science or any other record that we maintain when doing some practical experiments. I would like to give a few qualities of an Objective Statement:

* It need not be a complete sentence, i.e., it need not fulfill the grammatical sense of a sentence. It could be left as a fragment also.

* It should give an at – a – glance picture of you, by exhibiting your relevant skills, aim and professional identity (all these must be related with the job to which you are applying for).

* It must be specific, i.e., you must not beat around the bush in establishing your career goals. Please come to the point without wasting many words.

* Be simple in your diction.

* Last but not the least; know the words and their meanings very well before going for interviews (most HR questions are posed to candidates from their objective statements).

Educational Qualifications column is very essential for a fresher. It is based on the educational or the academic performance the interviewer would evaluate a fresher, when he/she is applying for a job. Educational qualification, for a fresher, would be the only asset and support to grab the opportunity in the job market. A few qualities of educational qualification column in a résumé are:

* Highlight the latest qualification first and then go in the descending order.

* Highlight achievements, like standing first in the class, acquiring university rank, district rank, school first, etc., if you had any during your course of study.

* Tell the period of study and the name of the institution where you took the course and completed it successfully. If you are still pursuing a course then do not indicate the end year instead say the beginning year and end it with the phrase till date.

Experience column must be next to the career objective column, when you have work experience. Here again follow the same rule as indicated in the education column. List your work experience in the descending order – the reverse order. Say the designation under which you worked in the previous organization and you have the freedom to say something about the nature of work that you performed in the organization.

Other elements of a résumé:
1. Co – curricular Activities
2. Extra - curricular Activities
3. Hobbies
4. Project/research work
5. Computer proficiency
6. Area of interest (subject related)
7. Value Added Courses

All the elements mentioned above could be included in a résumé according to the individual need and according to the job you are seeking for. The hierarchy of these topics should vary according to the company that you are applying for. This process of altering these topics in accordance with the job is said to be TAILORING. Tailoring your résumé is very essential when you apply for different companies. A single résumé won’t answer all kind of people.

Given below is a résumé template that you could use, as a sample, for building your own résumé.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

RÉSUMÉ

NAME

Address Line 1
Address Line 2 ................................email: formal name@email.com
City ...................................................Phone No.: STD code - number

________________________________________________
Career Objective:

To utilize my [qualifications, strengths, or skills] as a [position title]
Or
A position as a [position title] for [company name] allowing me to develop my [qualifications, strengths, or skills]
Or
An opportunity to [professional goal] in a [type of organization, work environment, or field]
Or
[Position title] with emphasis in [areas of expertise]

Educational Background:

• 2004 – Till Date B.E. (Mech. Engg.) at KM college of Engg, Chennai with 75.12%
• 2002 – 2004 DME at KM Polytechnic College, Madurai with 84.23%
• 2001 – 2002 HSC at KM Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore with 78.89%
• 1999 – 2000 SSLC at KM Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore with 82.18%

Value Added Course:

• DCBT – Multimedia Technology at NIIT, Madurai, June 2007.
• CAD at CADD/CAM Centre, Madurai, January 2006.

Co – curricular Activities:

• Presented a paper on “Nanotechnology” at the international symposium held at TH College, Madurai.
• Worked on a mini-project entitled “Modern Mechatronics” during March 2004.

Extra - curricular Activities:

• Participated in National Level dance competition and bagged first prize
• University South Zone Volley ball player

Area of Interest:

• Production and Designing

Computer Proficiency:

• Basics of C
• Photoshop

Hobbies:

• Reading Books
• Gardening

If you have furthur doubts please feel free to forward your resumes to claspmadd@gmail.com. You are most welcome to lodge your valuable comments about this article by clicking the comments, and your questions could also be asked there.

BPO projects - earn by staying in home

Hello the following is a BPO project distributed by few of my best students who have their BPO basement at Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. I have given here the whole detail of the projects and if you wish to earn money you can go ahead contacting Mr. Dinesh.


The Project details are as follows:


ICONIXTECHNOLOGYS COIMBATORE
ALL PROJECTS ARE FOR HOME BASED ONLY


AVAILABLE PROJECTS:

PROJECT: DATA CONVERSION:

CODE: 001
DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.5000 INPUT PAGES: 1000 PAGES

RATE PER PAGE: Rs.10 WORK DURATION: 20 DAYS

DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 6 MONTHS RE-WORK: 2 TIMES

THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.


CODE: 002

DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.2000 INPUT PAGES: 100 PAGES

RATE PER PAGE: Rs.8 WORK DURATION: 7 DAYS

THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.
THERE IS NO REWORK.


CODE: 003

DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.3000 INPUT PAGES: 200 PAGES

RATE PER PAGE: Rs. 10 WORK DURATION: 10 DAYS

THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.
THERE IS NO REWORK.


CODE: 004

DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.5000 INPUT PAGES: 275 PAGES

RATE PER PAGE: Rs.13 WORK DURATION: 13 DAYS

DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 4 MONTHS

THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.
THERE IS NO REWORK.



CODE: 005
DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs 8000
INPUT PAGES: 320 PAGES
RATE PER PAGE: Rs.18
WORK DURATION: 30 DAYS
DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 1 YEAR
THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.
THERE IS NO REWORK.


PROJECT: DATA TYPING:

CODE: 006

DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.7000 INPUT PAGES: 550 PAGES

RATE PER PAGE: Rs.13 WORK DURATION: 22 DAYS

DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 10 MONTHS RE-WORK: 1 TIME

THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.



PROJECT:DATA ENTRY:

CODE: 007

DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.6000. INPUT PAGES: 200 PAGES PER WEEK.

RATE PER PAGE: Rs.10. WORK DURATION: 7 DAYS.

DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 10 MONTHS. RE-WORK: 1 TIME

THE PAYMENTS DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE ACCURACY LEVELS.


PROJECT: DATA EDITING:

CODE: 008

DEPOSITING AMOUNT: Rs.10000. INPUT (PDF/JPEG) PAGES: 500 to 600 PAGES

WORK DURATION: 28 DAYS

ACCURACY LEVEL PAYMENTS:

100 % = 10 Rs/Page
95% to 99% = 8 Rs/Page
90% to 94% = 6 Rs/Page
85% to 90% = 2 Rs/Page
80% to 85% = 1 Rs/Page

Below 85% the page should be cancelled
The contract is for 3 years


NOTE:

To receive projects, Please send your application and payment 5 days in advance. We recommend you to deposit Cash/Cheques/DD directly by visiting your nearest UTI Bank.
Note : Please call us on 98420-06040 before you decide to send the payment.
You can Direct Cash deposit/Cheque/DD in our UTI Bank.
Send us the payment to below mentioned bank account:
UTI BANK
A/C Name : C.Dineshkumar
A/C Number : 339010100026239

Before or After making the deposit, please call us on 98420-06040 to confirm the same.

The best and cheapest option, if you dont have any of the above bank accounts, will be to send a Demand Draft in favour of " C.Dineshkumar " payable at “Pollachi” only.
After depositing the cash please make a photo copy of the deposit slip and also mention your full name, postal address, Phone number and email ID in capital letters and send the registered post to our postal address. You will also need to fill up the application form with your passport size photograph and send it along with the deposit slip.
We will dispatch the work immediately once we have received your payment. If you send the payment through the Cheque, you will receive the works only after the Cheque is cleared on our end. Please note that the amount once paid to us will not be refunded under any circumstance.

FOR MORE DETAILS:

MAIL ID: iconixtechnologys@mail.com

MOBILE: +9198420-06040

POSTAL ADDRESS:

C.DINESHKUMAR,
421,KamarajarRoad,
Peelamedu,
Coimbatore-4


ICONIX TECHNOLOGYS


Photo
APPLICATION FORM

Name: .......................................................................

Date of Birth: ………………………………………

Sex: Male / Female

Phone Resi: ……………………………………………..
(Along with STD code)

Mobile: ………………………………………………….

E-mail Address : ………………………………………

Correspondence Address: ………………………………………………………………….

City: ……………………………………………..

Pin code: ……………………………………….

Amount retrieving method(credit/cash/DD) :..............................................
Project Name: .............................................
Project Code: ............................

I ……………………………… agree for all the above given information.



Candidates Signature.

Bus buzz!

Travelling in our college bus has inspired me to write many stories. Here follows a narration of a small situation or an incident that turned out the whole of the passengers (hope you too) into a roar of laughter.


Bus - In charge: It is been decided by the transport section that all you people should board the bus from tomorrow 5 minutes earlier than the regular timing.

An Anonymous Voice: Okay sir from tomorrow we will cut the last hour so that we could be early to the bus.

THAMARAI - A short story

“Everything! Everything is going to end by today”, thought Soori happily and haughtily years before as he walked towards the decorated seat by wearing silk dhoti and silk shirt. That was the costliest attire sticking to his skin then and even today. He got engaged to Thamarai three months back. Those three months was like thirty long years to Soori. Soori would always welcome the evenings with a KING SIZE smile. He would run out of the farmland, no matter what work he was involved in, towards the school gate, where Thamarai would emerge after the day’s classes. Soori had been to school, when he was young, to do all kind of things other than studies. As a youth he ran towards the village school to see his would-be and share a few words with her. Thamarai would usually be accompanied with two or three of her class mates as Soori talk with her. The girls who accompany will often giggle on hearing Soori’s utterances. Soori would just ignore all their giggles and keep talking to Thamarai, though she doesn’t talk much with him and accompany her friends in their giggles.

He would go at the back of Thamarai till the end of the street, where lies her house and he would go back to the farm just to pay the coolies. During evenings he would go to places in the villages where his friends would gather and take him for a ride. Its for sure that any one of his friends would have seen him going at the back of the bride everyday. They would almost kill Soori by teasing him. Very rarely he would blast at them and most of the time he just avoids his friends. On the day of his marriage he was very happy and haughty on thinking that thereafter no one in the village would dare tease him in link with Thamarai. She has become his wife and he has all rights to do anything by the aftermath of his marriage.

But what has happened to him today and at this dark hour of the day! Now the central and the biggest room of his house is full of blood………..splashed in drops here and there……….the bluish white walls bore some sprinkles too. The cement floor doesn’t have just drops but stagnated cherry coloured blood. The blood is still warm in the floor flowing from the head of Thamarai…….

Right after the day of their marriage years flew like that of a feather in a stormy day. “Probably its God’s wish that we both are denied of children”, saying so Soori and Thamarai would console themselves and shut other mouths. They both went to temples and then to many other medical centers to get a baby of their own, nothing worked out. Probably all these failures might have led Soori to get addicted to drinks. He started to spend much time and money in the village liquor shop. Thamarai got vexed by scolding, advising and by trying all other means which would bring in a change in Soori. Life for her was then full of pain and sorrow.

With the passage of time Thamarai started to bring out the hidden and forgone happiness in her. Balu was the reason for the blossoming happiness in her life. Once in the Sunday market she met Balu, who accompanied her husband (Soori) to sell the goods. Thamarai went to the fair with her friends, the neighbours, and it was an accident that she met her husband and also the eyes of Balu. She had never seen Balu before……..even on the day of her marriage, for the marriage album had all Soori’s friends and relatives except this fair and well built man, Balu.

“Hey chum here’s is my dame”, Soori introduced Thamarai to Balu. Nothing more is said by Soori about the relationship between him and Balu. Thamarai out of curiosity has several times nagged him but never got a clear cut answer. This thirst in her made her talk with Balu. First all their talks were full of questions followed by answers. As days flipped off the bend in the question marks was straightened in to exclamations and all other kinds of punctuations were invented but it never seemed to carry a full stop.

“You never said about your relation with my husband. How is he related to you?”

“Why I am here with you now lets talk about something else. Don’t ask this question redundantly my answer would be the same he is my CHUM and now you too.”, with these words Balu would hush Thamarai’s interrogations.

Thamarai today with all the blood oozed out of her skull lays calm and chill in the naked floor. Her head clashes with the thick blood in the floor. She is abreast with her blood even when it has spilt out.

As per her plan Thamarai took Soori to the near by temple by saying that the God is very powerful and would bless them with a child. Soori accepted and they were in the temple today morning. But now we see Soori resting his back against the wall of his house gazing at the huge stone with his dumb eyes. The stone like Thamarai is laying in the floor, just beside her, with the blood stains.

Though Soori’s eyes are dumb and unarticulative many things is running in his mind. He visualises Balu meeting them in the temple that morning “accidentally”, as he explained to Soori. Then they three went to the shrine and got the darshan of God. They returned from His abode to the room that Soori had hired for a day’s stay (probably to check whether he had got the blessings of God right then itself). Now it’s the room for three.

“Myself and Balu will go out on a purpose of business and will be back. Stay in the room for a while”, said Soori to Thamarai as one of his hands went round Balu’s shoulder.

“What business? We are here to pray and not for anything else”, she said angrily by protruding into the eyes of both Soori and Balu.

“It’s something very important dear! Will be back in few minutes….”, without even completing what he meant to say they went out of the room leaving her all alone.

Hours passed and by 7 in the evening Thamarai was holding the hands of Balu as they walked to the bus station, where Soori was waiting unsteadily for them.

“You have drunk”, came Thamarai unyoking her hands from that of Balu’s as soon as she saw the eyes of Soori focused towards her.

Inside the bus the cheap wine did miracles to Soori so that he was not conscious of what is happening around him. Many passengers including the conductor gave a warning about Soori’s carrousel and all they got in return was a huge grin from Balu and a giggle from Thamarai. They themselves could not help but laugh at the foolish things done by Soori.

As time passed Balu’s hands were busy moving throughout Thamarai’s body. “In a crowded bus with many on-lookers”, they thought to themselves so Balu covered Thamarai with a towel and resumed his handy work. Soori’s unconsciousness was drifting in the skies, for he had vomited part of what he had drunk and occasionally he woke up and changed his position of laying down comfortably.

“Why did you do that? With me very near you? How could you allow me to see another man’s hands busy with you private parts? Tell me you bitch? Tell me…” Soori started to cry aloud in front of his dead wife and the blood stained stone.



A story by


madhav

Hoo ey File

"My results have come."
"Wow! Sounds good…congratulations. You've proved yourself once again", idolized my honcho.
These cherishing words of my boss harboured so many wrinkles in my face. It's at this juncture I thought of reality. "Hey what happened? After all it’s an occasion to be celebrated."
"It's a thing to be celebrated but not in your point of view sir", replied I to avoid many other misunderstandings.
"WHAT?" queried my boss' eyebrows - one raising up and the other shrinking down. I learnt the imbibed question and answered "No sir, you're wrong. I flunked. I did not clear the examination."
"How then it's a celebration?" is what you think? I'll make it clear. I can go meet Durga once again in the examination hall", said I with a jubilance.
The boss starred at me for some time. Probably, I thought, "are you not ashamed to flaunt like this? You're a teacher and are you not feeling irksome about such a failure?" were the question brimming out of his mouth and mind. He is a gentleman, for he did not ask any of these questions directly and for my part I'm not a slut to imagine that I've escaped from facing all these cannons.
He ruminated about the case for some time and said "Beware! DON'T get lost."
"Thank you sir", said I with utmost sincerity and headed to the table and chair allotted for me, which would always remind me of a doorkeeper. But all these egoistic problems didn't occupy my mind for the thought of Durga is already overflowing without leaving a vacuum.
In my seat I felt myself as a stone that is plunked inside a silent pond of water. I scuttled over the thought of Durga. I started pondering over the happenings before a month:

I was caught by the clutches of examination fever after a long time. I had been writing exams for many a times but this one thrilled and threatened me. I had to touch my pen to write essays and pages after a long time and I got to stay inside a class in the same place for about three hours, were the reasons that multiplied the exam fever in me. Anyhow I prepared well, though not with the Buddhists concentration, I did prepare.
The examination day knocked my doors and I went to the exam hall. Till then I never thought of such a pileup. Before entering the exam hall I teased all my friends by foretelling that what they studiously studied would not be asked in the examination and they berated me (this is my sadistic way of having fun). With my hall tickets and fresh mental stature I entered the exam hall and it's there my eyes were snared by the cleft in the chin of that girl.
"I've never seen her in my class but how come now? Probably she would have flunked in her first attempt. Beautiful girls are not always intelligent", thought I with a proud smile in my face.
The time commenced and to my surprise the girl distributed the answer sheets through out the hall.
"A ha! She is not a student but an invigilator. Wow!" blurted out my mind.
Half - an - hour and one hour flew with my head and mind sticking to the answer sheet. I was striving hard against time to complete my answer sheet.
"Don't turn your head and open your mouth. If it can't be done please get out." shunned the exam invigilator.
I laughed when I saw a man in his late thirties or even early 40's as the barer of these harsh words and the silly act of copying the neighbour's paper. "Useless fellow", said I and swinged my head towards the examiner. "GOSH!" she was looking much beautiful with her fierce eyes. "A young lady scolding and terrorising a man, elder to her. Wow! She is a moralistic and good woman. She is an epitome of womanhood…" my accolade for her lengthened. That day's exam came to an end. I gave the paper by completing four questions out of five. In the four two were in the dilute form.
I kept watching her throughout the stay inside the exam hall and even when I turned back home. She refused to go away. I was waiting for the dawn, not just because it was a Sunday but I was going to see her once again the next day too.
Saturday I took one of my friends with me to the exam with a promise that I would provide him all the answers but fate laid its hands on him and me so I didn't turn towards his side. This made him angry and thus I alone went to the exam centre, MC Higher Secondary School, Madurai.
I went straight to the exam hall and there I thanked God for accepting my prayer: "God please make her come to my class room." I sat there even before exam commenced and never moved my eyes away from her. She starred at me and never looked at me. "She didn't like me. But I love her", insisted my heart. I rarely concentrated in my answer paper.
Three hours fled away and I was the last one to come out of the class. I was determined to talk with her and if possible even propose to her. I gave her the paper and asked, "your face sounds familiar to me. Have you seen me earlier?"
"I've never seen you and I don't feel so.," said she. I felt it to be as of some one smacking on my face.
But I love her. So I asked her "may I know your name?"
"Why?" she asked with a monosyllable.
"Because I love you", is what I thought of saying but I didn't have enough guts. No other go "please tell me. I like to know that. Please! Please! Please!" I begged.
"Durga." she answered and started walking out of the hall.
I felt happy and excited and it took me a few minutes to come out of the hall. When I came out I found no more of her. I searched throughout the campus but in vain. After few thoughts and with the hope that I will see her the next weekend I left the school.
ONE WEEK LATER.
A week's time did not bring in much change in me. I shared this with almost all my friends and they started teasing me, some kindled me, a few passed negative remarks about my character, but everybody wished me all the best the Friday night.
I went into the exam hall and scolded God for not making Durga come to my exam hall. I felt bad and the exam papers too. I completed the exams early and went in search of Durga. I fixed her and was waiting out of her class. She again was looking terribly good.
She always had the charm in her face, always came in beautiful saree, her round face and the cleft in her chin were the things attracted me for I know nothing about her other than her boldness, ethical and moral nature.
The exam came to an end. Durga as usual came out of the examination hall a few minutes late. She took a long time in verifying the answer sheets that would help her avoid certain inconveniences. She came out just to shun at me I think. I stood at her way and she starred at me. She detoured and headed towards the superindent.
"I want to talk with you. Just two minutes.", said I running at the back of her.
She stopped.
"Only two minutes."
"What do you want to talk?"
"Gee… nothing."
"I'm busy. I've got some work.", saying so she rushed off with a faster pace. I stood in the play ground for some time. I did not know why I stood so I left the place.

Even after a month all these happenings stood afresh in my mind. Now my Boss' words made me feel guilty. I was ruminating with a vague eye, in an obscure manner. Days passed by and I applied once again for my exam. After all I have to get through the exams. This time I didn't ask money from my dad, instead I paid from my purse.
"I'll be a success in my exams and also in getting Durga.", I kept repeating these words to my friends.
The day of examination arrived. "Today I should get as many additional sheets as possible even if Durga came as an examiner", promised I (to myself), before entering the exam hall.
I've been strenuous in my preparation. The exam started…NO Durga! It did not do anything in me. I started writing the answers one after another. I took the whole of three hours to complete my paper. I came out of the exam hall with a smile of satisfaction and it is now I saw Durga after a long time. My heart plunged into the cleft of her chin. It started oscillating as if trying to come out of her chin but never did it come out.
There was some chemical change in me that instigated me to go towards Durga.
DURGA! DURGA! DURGA…!
I went towards her but she ran down the stairs and hid herself inside a room. I stood waiting for her for a long time but she did not turn up. I felt sad and so returned home.
The next day, again, I had an exam and I came to the school a bit early "in order to study", I said my mother. The very first face I met - with was that of Durga's. She stood near the vehicle parking lot.
She had a dark blue saree. It was a perfect match to her. The way she winds her saree around her is again a thing that attracted me. She must be an expert in wearing a saree. She did it artistically.
I went near her. Just to share a few thoughts of my heart.
"What do you want? Why do come near when I'm alone?", poor girl put forth all these queries because of the threat. I felt the fright in her heart. I felt it. She also raised her voice when she asked the second question.
"Please. Be quiet. There is no need to attract other ears."
"What do you want?", asked my angel.
"I'M SORRY. I just wanted to ask you whether you would marry me or not? But the way you ran on seeing me has introduced me to myself as a third rate villain. Till today I've threatened no girl. I'm sorry for doing so. Here after don't run on seeing me. I don't like it…I can no more bare it.", saying so I vacated the place and stood just opposite to her and rummaged through my books and notes. I wrote the exam…never waited for her after my completion.

Experience of
madhav

A small JOKE

Recent days I receive many messages from my students (I'm a lecturer) with no names. I got to become 007 and find who they are. Here is a small message, I call it a joke, I received from a student. Hope you enjoy reading it.

My mobile beeped: Did you remember me?

His mobile would have beeped: No. I don't know who you are. Ur English is bad. It is not did you but it is DO YOU REMEMBER me...

FEW SECONDS LATER!!!

My mobile beeped: I am your student sir. You taught me English sir.