RolePlays

They, Allen and Sara were sitting at the lounge of Prithvi, waiting to get their seemingly endless queries clarified on Swift Dzire. Actually there need to be no queries, as even the layman knows Dzire is one of the best cars we have around today. Still, like a couple carrying their first born, they too had many Ifs and Buts. Vishal Singh, the sales coordinator chatted up them into the desire for a DZIRE.

Allen carefully glanced through the accessories list and started putting forth some curious doubts

Allen : So, what is Engine Lacquer?
Vishal : It is Anti-rust coating so that it keeps off rust from engine.

Allen : And what is under chassis treatment for?
Vishal : Sir, it is also for preventing rust sir. Basanth.........aur dho coffee lao sir and madam keliye.

Allen : You have this ' ' listed here na.. what does that do?
Vishal scratched his head, cleared his throat and called out loudly.... Jibu.....

Jibu Thomas suddenly appeared from nowhere, wearing the same uniform as Vishal Singh.

Jibu smiled and sat through with them for the rest of the clarifications. So, Under chassis treatment is in fact a under body rubberising which prevents rusting under the car body where it comes to contact with water and mud frequently. And Engine lacquer is a highly heat-resistant, clear varnish which makes the engine appear as new. Makes cables, cable connectors and ignition systems insensitve to moisture. Prevents corrosion in the engine compartment and reduces the "caking" of dirt.

At the end of this surprisingly pleasant sales-customer session, Allen shook hands with Jibu and they bid bye. Jibu promptly disappeared into the back room. They saw Jibu never after again.

Vishal reappeared with all-sale-smiles. "Sir, hope you got all your doubts cleared. Dzire is the best sir. So, when are you doing the booking?".

Touch of the Cold Hand

I plopped down on the sofa, cold and numb, with the cell in my hand trembling.. Anil has passed away. After all the bitter struggle put up by his family and friends to keep him alive, Anil chose to say GoodBye, leaving his 3 pre-teenagers to the mercy of a brutal world.

Chettai spoke as if nothing is lost..I know his world is shattered. Anil was his best buddy. How can he not ... cry. Why his voice is not trembling. But then he has proved in so many times before, that he can  hide an elephant in his heart... let alone the emotions. 

I too had pretended to be very close to GOD, declaring that Anil would survive all the challenges. But something again told me 'What has to happen will happen, GOD has got nothing to do with it".  Rather I do not know when HE will throw up his hands and say 'It is all over'.

The sweet faces of the kids swept before my eyes and my heart wept. My own childhood came tumbling back.

I tried to reason with God, again one more time.

"You can't be like this ! You can't be!.  Where have you gone wrong in your design for planet earth and human beings.  Why do you almost always choose the same handful of people to suffer, suffer always.. right from birth to death. Because I see the same people in a vicious cycle of hardships throughout their lives... unable to come out anytime, when the rest of the world is having a blast.  Did you have a serious memory lapse when you gave them the final touch from your pot of  luck/unluck."

As  I tried to hold my heart from flowing over, a thousand questions loomed large in my head. . waiting to be answered.
Then the wind blew........... reminding me that I am only  a lesser mortal !


 (Dedicated to our friend Anil, who passed away last week. May his soul Rest in Peace.)

NB: Chettai means Brother; Here my Brother-In-Law

Reminiscence_I

Did the mind reflect the years

And the heart yearn for the times

That which got bottled in me

And refused to grow along with 

But taking me out, out of myself

Tossed around and had some fun

That was the best part, I see

I simply adore them, I do

That which puts back the smile

Everytime it wriggles off my lips

20 Humerous Quotes - Just for keeps :-)

1. I'd much rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they are the first to be rescued off of sinking ships.

2. Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want .

3. If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

4. Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare.

5. You've reached middle age when all you exercise is caution.

6. Have no fear of perfection--you'll never reach it.

 7. When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'.

8. The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is because they have a common enemy.

9. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments, soccer games, romances, best friends, location of friend's houses, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

10. The trouble with jogging is that by the time you realize you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back.

11. A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.

12. The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.

13. You know your children have grown up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they are going.

14. The law of heredity is that all undesirable traits come from the other parent.

15. Everyone has the ability of making someone happy, some by entering the room, others by leaving .

16. Adam and Eve had an ideal marriage. He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married, and she didn't have to hear about the way his mother cooked.

17. If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?

18. The best time to give advice to your children is while they're still young enough to believe you know what you're talking about.

19. Forgive your enemies--if you can't get back at them any other way.

 20. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. There's no use in being a damn fool about it..

Jennifer - You are so beautiful !!!

'Did you do this? ', I asked her seriously pointing to the scratches made using red pen on the walls, inside and outside of my house.

Looking at me with her big black eyes and a naughty smile flashing on her face, she shook her head 'No'.  The long pony tail on either side of her head danced swiftly.

I called loudly, 'Sumathi, Neenga ingu vaango'.

Wiping her hands against her nightie, Sumathi ran in from the kitchen.

'See, what your daughter has done to my house. I have just painted it. You know how much I spent?. Why dont you make her sit outside while you work'.

Sumathi started listing out excuses.

I said with a straight face, 'If it were my son, I would've given nicely. Oh, I am getting so angry. You take her out before I do something '.

'Akka, you beat her no, There is nothing like my daughter. She is yours also. You have every right to beat her when she does something bad'.

Grumpy and irritated, I sat down in front of the TV. I put the music in high volume just to cover up my anger.

I could sense an image moving just from behind the door in front.
A brown face just peeped out and two black eyes looked at me with a grin, her small fingers scratched against the door. Her small body swayed against the music. She looked at me from behind the lowered head as if guilty, yet not accepting.

Why, why, why...... am I cooling down now. Is it her big big black eyes or the naughty smile twinkling within, her luscious long hair or the doll like coffee brown looks . ... Ya, In spite of every little damage she brings, I am unable to scold her.

Suddenly, Sumathi's voice came calling..'Jenny,vaango............... pogelaam'.

Jennifer emerged again, smiled broadly, waved me with her small hands.
And I waved back, irresistibly, unknowingly.

'Bye bye Jenny, come again, though I would like you not to mess up my newly painted walls'... My heart echoed as my lips tweaked in a hidden smile.

"All lil girls are beautifiul, more those on the streets.
Only you need to imagine them clean and bright".

Sleeping sky

I stand there alone

Over the top

Staring into darkness

That steadily grows

The vast blue sky

Has gone to sleep

Giant cotton clouds

Drapes them forth

Twinkling stars

Peep from behind

The cold gold moon

Looks like a bride

The feathery touch

Of the breeze floating by

And the absolute stillness

Of the dark engulfs me !