About HIMYM.

See, I am not a sissy for stories and I do not get stuck up with stories so as to keep commenting about it. Oh wait. Who am I kidding? But, the very reason I am writing this post is because of the kind of pummeling that the HIMYM series is getting for its ending. I agree that season 7, 8 and 9 were bad in general(There were some good episodes) but the finale was outstanding.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Now, let's get into the brass tacks. Why is the finale getting such a bad reception?

1) The mother dies. Why did they kill her off?
2) Ted gets back with Robin. Damn, is that why they killed her off? Those nitwits.
3) Barney goes back to being himself. The hell. What about all that character development?
4) Barney and Robin divorce themselves. Well, fuck you. The whole season was about their marriage.

Now, let's dig up a bit. What was HIMYM really about? I mean I understand that it was a story about five friends who spent a lot of time at the McLaren's Pub and probably could have been any of us out there. But really, what was it about?

I always thought HIMYM was about How I Moved On and Still Cherished What I Had. Don't believe me? Just go through all the season finales from season 1 to 6. Season 1 ends with Marshall trying to move on with his life after the breakup with Lily. Season 2 ends with Ted trying to move on. Season 4 ends with the Jump(One of my fav episodes). Ted had a really bad year, got left at the altar but inspite of that, he looks back and sees that it wasn't that bad. Those events would lead onto him meeting Tracy(It's indeed very nice to use the name). He doesn't get hung up, instead he moves on. Season 5 is about Robin growing up and maturing and Ted pointing that out. In this particular episode, they almost end up accidentally getting back together. But, again Ted points out that it was for the better that they didn't because otherwise he wouldn't have met Tracy. Season 6. Remember Barney's line, "New is always better."

There's one other thing I would like to point out. The last episode covered around 16 years. A bit rushed.(The only bad thing about the finale according to me) Most fans failed to comprehend the timeline and what it did to these characters, their emotions and their bonds. But, the subtle transformations were really cool.

With all these in mind, let me try to explain what I think the creators had in mind.

4) Barney and Robin divorce themselves. Well, fuck you. The whole season was about their marriage.

Okay. We can all agree to one thing. Both Barney and Robin were unique, not the typical-people-next-door. Perhaps, that why they hit it off in the first place. And Barney's explanation was perfect.

"Guys, it's okay. This isn't a failed marriage. It's a very successful marriage that happened to last only three years."

They had their share of fun before they realised they weren't the perfect match they once thought they were and so they moved on. And, they did it without getting messed up about it. This brings us to something else.

3) Barney goes back to being himself. The hell. What about all that character development?

See, Barney changed because he was in a relationship and once he was out of it, he went back to who he was. Robin made him something else and when that went down the drain, it's kind of natural that he became the Barney we used to know.(Well, seriously speaking, I would prefer the playboy version any day) Maybe, he was letting of some steam and trying to move on with his life. And Lily understood it. She let him goof around after some initial arguments. Of course, the baby changed everything. A bit sudden and dramatic but hell, not everything can be written perfectly.

2) Ted gets back with Robin. Damn, is that why they killed her off? Those nitwits.

I guess everyone has a bone to pick up with this one particular aspect. We all fell in love with Cristin Milioti and let's face it, how Tracy met Ted was nothing less than legendary. And then well, all the ruckus happened and Ted suddenly tries to get back with Robin after she dies. Suddenly? No. If you look back, it was always hinted. Most of us wanted Ted to get back with her till Cristin Milioti happened. Remember the whole conversation Ted had with Robin about what happens if they are still single when they are 40. And remember, how hard it was for Ted to let go of Robin in the last season. And in the very last episode, we are also shown Robin's frustration. But, it's still difficult to accept how quickly Ted went behind Robin, isn't it?

1) The mother dies. Why did they kill her off?

Dramatic as a plot device, I agree but not too uncommon in reality.
Sometimes bad things happen. It just does. It's not a fairy tale life out there. Ted had a whirlwind romance with Tracey. He proposed to her and married her after seven years. In between that, they had two beautiful kids. He probably had a relationship that most of us mortals dream about and then it happened. She died. He must have been heartbroken. And he must have slowly come to accept it, together with his kids. He must have met Robin a lot in between. She might have been a bulwark of support for him. And things must have changed gradually over the next six years. See, Ted never forgot what he had with Tracey but he knew one thing. It's pointless to not move on forward, however hard it is. And, moving on doesn't mean that you destroy the happy times you once had or  that you defile your memories. What he had with Tracey will never vanish because of what he might have with Robin.

This reminded me of something that I was discussing with my batchmates when we got together in Bangalore over a couple of bottles and some other stuff ;). Somebody wanted to define happiness and some one else remarked that happiness is making the best out of what you have. In the words of Russel Peter, "You take it and go." That's precisely what Ted did.

And come to think of it, the writers ended it with Ted trying to date Robin for one more time but then they never really tell us what happens. Does it end badly? We do not know. But, we do know that no matter what, once in a while, they'll always come back to McLaren's for a swig of that beer. A bunch of people sticking together through life's ups and downs. Being there for each other, for their big moments as Lily said. And probably you don't need much more than that to push on ahead.


PS : Oh, and I loved it when Marshall passed the money to Lily when Ted announced his marriage to Tracey. (Remember the bet?).

Of AAP and Gramsci.

Disclaimer : I am not a student of political science and whatever I am going to explain is with what little knowledge I have gleaned from secondary sources. A little knowledge is dangerous. So read it at your own discretion.

The Aam Aadmi Party has transformed the discourse of Indian politics. That has to be accepted without any argument. However, certain recent incidents and the near-to-devotional adulation of the AAP by certain sections of our society has led me to try and analyse the party from a very different perspective.

Now to do so, I have to introduce to you the famed neo-marxist scholar, Antonio Gramsci and build upon his views. In his work 'Prison Notebooks', he introduces a wide variety of concepts.

I will pick out a few of them. He maintains that in a capitalistic society, dominance( A term used to describe how the bourgeoisie/ruling class maintains control over the proletariat/the working class) is exercised through a combination of various strategies. He divides the state(roughly the government) into the political society and the civil society. The political society is composed of the armed forces, the police and others which have coercive power. The civil society is composed of social instituions such as the educational system, religion and the media which possess soft power. 

He then points out that the state exercises hegemony(roughly, indirect imperial rule) mainly through the civil society. The ruling class establishes a sort of cultural dominance by using the civil society and succeeds in justifying the social, economic and cultural status quo as beneficial to everybody. Gramsci then talks about challenging this hegemony and differentiates the war into two - a war of position and a war of maneuvre. The latter implies a direct assault on the state involving a physical overthrow(This can be compared to the Naxal ethos.). The former implies a kind of resistance to the cultural domination. A famous example of this kind of a struggle would be our own independence struggle as led by Mahatma Gandhi. This mantle was taken up in recent times at the grassroot level by a variety of NGOs, social activists etc(We from a layman point of view wrongly conclude that they comprise the whole of civil society.) Gramsci believed that a war of maneuvre will not threaten the dominant groups in modern democracy as long as their credibility is firmly rooted in civil society.

Now, here's where I diverge. While Marxism and even Neo-Marxism believed in the complete overthrow of the state, I do not. I believe that a communist society is a Utopian concept. It cannot exist without succumbing to some form of dictatorship as evidenced in the so-called communist nations of today. However, the eternal struggle between hegemonic and counter-hegemonic forces is important.

Prior to the formation of Aam Aadmi Party, Aravind Kejriwal could have been described as a champion of the counter hegemonic forces. Through Parivartan, he agitated for the Right to Information. Back in 2012, he was one of the leading figures of the India Against Corruption movement. But, once he establised AAP, I believe that he has in fact become a part of the various forces trying to obtain hegemony(Since ours is a democracy, simply put, 2014 LS Elections). This is neither good nor bad but what is to be pointed out is the fact that in his effort to obtain this hegemony, he'll be waging a war of position from the hegemonic side. So, he'll be performing such acts which will win him popularity(cultural dominance) because popularity translates to votes. 

The Khirki Extension issue, his celebrated subsidies in electricity and water(Similar to the Food Security Act and MGNREGA that Congress, another contender to this position of hegemony, implemented at the Centre), his condoning of Khap Panchayats, his talks with controversial Maulvis etc can all be classified as such acts. And again, this is not something bad in the short run atleast. This is exactly what the BJP and the Congress(as already pointed out) are doing. To win, in a country like ours, stoking prejudices will almost always result in better electoral results rather than trying to reason out with the electorate. It's exactly similar to the Brutus-Mark Antony effect we have studied in Shakespeare's celebrated play, Julius Caeser. And Kejriwal is doing it brilliantly. He has succeeded in portraying everyone else except AAP as "the corrupt political class." Whether he is right or wrong, is not the question. But his strategic campaigns are paying off in a brilliant fashion whereby he is manufacturing consent by sending out of a picture of himself as the Hercules cleaning the Augean stables.

So what exactly is bad? As I have already pointed out, while a final overthrow is not desirable, the struggle between hegemonic and counter-hegemonic forces is. In fact, both sides are relevant to this current scenario. We need an opposition to the state which would question them on their every action and inaction. We also need a state which has a will of it's own and does not succumb to every wishes of the majority/proletariat. Democracy cannot be encapsulated into majoritarianism. Only out of a struggle, will good governance come. The problem with Kejriwal and the AAP is the fact that they have managed to blur the line. Most of the aam aadmi still count Kejriwal as one of them. He is not. The moment he set his eyes on the system, he has changed into somebody who will do anything to get into the highest position in the system.(That is not per se bad, as I have mentioned earlier). What is bad is if the majority like you and me, decides to sit and clap at each and every one of his move in blind devotion. That is the equivalent of the counter-hegemonic forces succumbing in the war of position. The same applies to the legion of devout followers, that Narendra Modi has managed to obtain.

The proletariat needs to engage in a counter hegemonic struggle against each and every one of the contenders to hegemony. We need to counter their propaganda and we need to counter the kind of belief systems they are instilling in us. We need to analyse and criticise each and every single proposal they have. We need to stand up and raise stinging questions against all their little faults. The ying needs to be balanced by the yang. The forces of counter-hegemony should have an equal footing in this struggle for dominance.

Jimmikki Kammal - 2

Yes, I am inclined towards serialising these days. Don't forget to read part one of the novella in this very same blog.
- the author


"Oh yeah, Ish? Tell you what, I'll bet you a dairy milk that I'll be a way cooler parent than you ever will be."  "Haha. Maybe. Isn't it a bit too early to decide that crap? What makes you think we'll end up anywhere at all?" Raghu turned and grinned at her." Sweetheart, you really think I am going to stay a bachelor if I don't get you."Isha came closer to him and whispered "Sweetheart." 
"Yes?" 
"Go fuck a goat."

November had come to Bangalore and with it, the winter was slowly setting in. The city was among other things known for its pleasant climate but the winter months tended to be a bit chilly. However, November was the transition period and therefore things hadn't gotten quite bad yet. It was a Sunday. To the IT generation in Bangalore, it was either a day of hangover or a day to clean up the household mess depending on which side of the lasso-on-the-neck line you fell. Of course, even that line got blurry with the younger generation. Isha was dusting the house. Raghu had taken Nihal for a morning walk in the small park nearby. Their house was located in the suburbs of Kundalahalli and such parks were in plenty.

Nothing good had happened for quite some time, Isha thought as she brushed the sofa a bit more furiously. She was trying to get Nihal into a good school in Bangalore. The Vidya Niketan interview had taken place on Wednesday. But, the management had not been very impressed with Nihal. He had gotten rejected. Isha's hands shivered a bit. Not impressed. Isha's eyebrows crinkled. She went towards the window. Raghu was least bothered. "It's okay, da. We'll get him into another school. And if that doesn't work out, we can go to Kollam or Trivandrum. There are excellent schools there." She would have agreed, if only Raghu had a well thought-out plan.

But, it was usually just words. Raghu had been job jumping ever since he quit TCS. And it had been a good eight years. But it was never the usual job jumping, that people do in search of increased salary and perks. No, it never had been that. She started coughing. The windows hadn't been dusted for over a month and her attempts to tackle it now had engulfed her in dust. "Damn it."she yelled and took hold of a cloth lying on the table to cover her nose. Raghu had even attempted an entrepreneurial venture. Something involving large scale selling of second hand books. It had failed miserably. He was now employed at Bangalore Mirror, as a journalist. It wasn't even half as glamourous as it sounded. He would be usually reporting about KFC opening a new outlet or some random dog winning a pet show. And eight years after TCS, he was working at half the salary he once got.

It was her steady job at LnT that enabled them to pay the housing loan and raise Nihal. And he had the gall to say it would be okay. She flung the brush onto the floor and sat down near the dining table. And he didn't have an ounce of shame. Usually, if you scar their ego, they would get angry and spring into action. Probably, do something. But, talking to him was like talking to a valley from some mountain. Words just bounced off and returned. She went to the book shelf, overflowing with a huge variety of novels, among them brightly illustrated ones of Dahl and Blyton. It was one of the few things they had in common. A love for the written words. They had injected it into their son as well. He was twice as smart as any kid of his age. And Vidya Niketan had rejected him.

She slid her fingers across the neatly arranged books. She had married into a puddle of idealism, ideas and thoughts. That was alright. She did not mind. But, what she did mind was that it lacked any coherence. She had fallen for a man with a lot of dreams. But, somewhere along the lines, he had lost the dreams, the drive and the sense to understand that he had lost it. What she was left with, was a confused mess of mid 30's acting like it was still the early 20's. She had hoped that things would change as Nihal grew up. He loved him and indulged him a lot. But, it never did. He appeared to have settled into a state of limbo with respect to his career. The unthinkable crossed Isha's mind again. It was just a flash. A big, bright flash.

"Acha, I think sleeping would have been a better option. So cold, out here."
"Dei. Shut up and keep running. You are becoming so lazy."
"What do you mean? Keep running? You are walking."
"Hey. I am old, I deserve some rest."
"Ayyaaaaa."
Nihal turned around and started pushing Raghu from behind. He smiled.
"Sheri sheri. Come. Let's go."
Nihal was very much right. He definitely preferred sleeping to running. But, he loved taking Nihal to the park. So, even if it was irregular, they would come here atleast twice a week. They had started the routine long back. He used to walk Nihal around the park when he was as little as three. The park was probably the sole thing he loved about Bangalore besides its climate. It wasn't a big one. But, it wasn't crowded either. And the greenery always gave the cold morning air a lingering taste, which would lash out across their face when they ran.

This was also probably the only place around where Isha's accusatory glance wouldn't follow him. And inside this small park, no new outlets would open or silly shows would take place like it usually does in the big ones. Such things usually meant that he would have to take photographs and go around, asking silly questions. Journalism was not exactly proving to be an eventful career epecially with the vague work hours, but atleast, he loved writing. And, once in a while, he would come across a genuinely heartwarming story as opposite to the usual what's-new crap. Nihal had gone way ahead. Raghu ran a little faster.

He wondered what Isha was doing back home. Probably cleaning and definitely swearing at him. They had a bad week. He grimaced as he remembered the rejection fiasco. It had jolted him a bit. He hadn't quite expected a scenario where Nihal would not clear the exam. In fact, he never did expect a scenario where Nihal would not clear any exam. They had later told Nihal. Raghu had in fact told him only bits and pieces. He didn't seem to care much. Raghu remembered Isha's expression when he started talking about schools in Kerala. A good school is important, but he wondered why it had to be the very best school.

Isha was a bit bent on the very-best in everything related to Nihal. It sometimes seemed that she was trying to channelise all her abilities, which got lavishly praised in college and which pretty much sank into some dark recess after she started her career, onto Nihal. And so she always wanted him to start speaking on small topics like "My Home" , "My Dreams" before her. She wanted him to join a music class. Of course, she never compelled him. But, she was eager to pounce on any little thing he did. So, if not having anything to do, he drew a scrawny picture of a cat, Isha would pack him and Nihal onto their car and rush to the house of the neighbourhood artist. And there, she would convince the poor man to take their child as a student. He supposed she was just competitive like every other mother.

Raghu had caught up to Nihal. "Acha, you are too slow today. Usually, it's me who gets tired by around now." "Yes dei. It's all that complan you drink with milk. Your amma never gives it to me, these days." "Oh. Do one thing. Next time, I will give it to you, Acha. You drink it for me. Just keep it a secret." "Ayyaaaa. Okay. Enough of running today, let's go play catch." "Wokay"

Raghu wondered for how long, this would go on. Him, Nihal and the park. He knew that the kids were grewing up fast these days. And one of these days, Nihal would be asking all sorts of embarrassing questions to him. Or even worse, he'll never ask them. Nihal would eventually start lying a bit, start ogling at girls and start spending too much time on Facebook or maybe Twitter. Then, adolescence would eventually set in and he would be leading quite a rebellion. Raghu hadn't yet decided his stand on many things including drinking and relationships. He knew that Isha would freak out on the former. He wondered what his stand would be. Would his liberal approach result in a bad upbringing? He wondered whether he should be as strict as Isha. His dad was strict with him. Of course, he rebelled secretly but the strictness ensured that he knew his lines. Even though he crossed them quite a bit, he always did eventually return back.

"Acha, what are you dreaming about? Throw the ball." Nihal screamed from the distance. Raghu smiled and aimed his left hand upward. Yes. Him, Nihal and the park would eventually stop. But probably, the park would substitute for his own dad's strictness. Nihal would always have an anchor in his life. Raghu threw the ball and ran. Both of them ran towards the falling ball and both of them missed it. The ball landed safely onto a nearby hedge.
Nihal looked at Raghu.
"Acha."
"Yes?"
"Nalla bestu throw."
He grinned. Raghu grinned back. Nihal dived into the hedge to retrieve the ball. Raghu's grin had disappeared into a wide and perhaps a knowing smile.

Nair and the Cat - Aam Aadmi Party

Nair : Hey Cat. Come and take a look. Kejriwal's swearing in ceremony is being shown on TV.
Cat : Yes. What is so unique in that? And politics is a subject which has hardly interested you.
Nair : Yeah. Well, you cannot blame me. It's because Indian politics has been really dirty till now. This man has a chance of cleaning it up.
Cat : Tsk. Humans. They consider themselves the most advanced of all species and yet they find it so difficult to learn simple lessons.
Nair : What? What are you talking about?
Cat : The history of humankind is replete with the same cycles. And yet it is difficult for them to fathom that cycle. Stage one always starts with human beings being dissatisfied by the prevailing norms and practices. Everybody wants to change the system but accept that the effort of one person would go naught and is insignificant. Therefore, they adjust to the system. Of course, there might be a minority who would offer a bit of resistance in their daily lives.They know that they cannot change the system. They do their one good deed and specifically ensure that it goes noticed. After all, they did the good deed and they deserve the claps.
Nair : That is not fair. They do deserve the claps. Besides, when they do publicise it, it results in a ripple effect. If I do something good and somebody else come to know of it, it results in a ripple effect.
Cat : Of course. A ripple effect. In social media terms, likes and shares.  Publicity. Tears. And finally inspiring enough for someone else to commit a new good deed and afterwards get their share of limelight.
Nair : Yeah. Yeah. That's a very pessimistic view though. And, where does Kejriwal fit into it? He can't be classified as the minority that did one good deed. He has been a consistent participant in the anti-corruption movement since its inception.
Cat : Yes. Of course, general dissatisfaction leads to stage two. There arises out of ashes that one personality who promises utopia or atleast a movement towards the same. A personality who realises the raging issues of the day and takes a stand against them. In the ancient era, it was religious icons. Modern era brought about such figures like Hitler who promised Lebensraum and the revival of the German pride, Lenin who promised an egalitarian and classless society, George Bush who promised a global war against terrorism and so on and so forth. An image would be built up and they would be portrayed as the symbol of that struggle against that raging issue. While the minority who got through with the little deeds were the small fish, the aforementioned were the minority among the minority. They were the big fish. Nair, all the fish talk has made me hungry.
Nair : Food can come later. So, what if such personalities come up? Ordinary people need somebody to rally around. Kejriwal and AAP has given courage and encouragement to many people to come out of their closets.
Cat : Because that is where stage three happens. Now, here one of the two things happen. If that particular personality is not charismatic enough, the masses go back to their daily lives after having transferred to him the responsibility of resolving their issue.
Nair : I am going to interrupt there. One of the central tenets of AAP has been the setting up of Mohallas and decentralisation of power. So, you see. The masses won't be going back to their daily lives. They would be made to actively participate in governance at the local level. Besides that, they have also promised to instruments of direct democracy like referendum and recall.
Cat : Yes, of course. The masses would have their demands and nothing more. No solution. No understanding. And in a country like India, if you take hundred people, the official census says that seventy four would be literate. But, literacy is nothing more than the ability to read and write in any language. Literacy and Education are different. Education leads to an informed and well-reasoned opinion. The very teeming masses you are talking about has perpetuated the miseries of an outdated, rigid caste system and has waged riots in the name of religion misinterpreting the very scriptures written by similar personalities ages ago.
Humanity in general loves faces and symbols. Arvind Kejriwal is the face and Jhadoo is the symbol. He has promised free water and cheaper electricity. Tangible benefits for them. He will clean corruption by himself. In summary, an identifiable face and symbol which would offer them tangible benefits and do most of the work by himself. Nothing else matters to them.
Nair : Wait. You said stage three had two alternatives. What is the second one?
Cat : The particular personality concerned would be highly charismatic. The masses who already question little because they are sure to receive the sops they are promised would adore him.  Thus, even in principle if decentralisation is adopted, what happens in reality would be centralisation. An unquestioning and face-loving mass would eventually lead to an autocrat. The US war on terrorism finally evolved into something else. Hitler committed holocaust. The Soviet dream disintegrated as socialist ideals stifled growth and resulted in the concentration rather than dispersal of wealth and power.
Nair : Let's say that it's the former alternative. The person is not charismatic enough and the masses do indeed go back to their own lives. But, don't you think that a determined person in power can initiate the winds of change?
Cat : Of course, there would be some noises in the initial phase. Apparent major changes here and there. But then, as time passes, each change would be of diminishing marginal utility and nothing more than a political gimmick. Human habits would re-assert itself. No human being can work selflessly. He works for his own happiness.
Nair : I beg to differ. What about Mother Teresa, Gandhiji and others like them?
Cat : Religion. The concept of God, Heaven and Hell. Their happiness being somehow wired with the happiness of others and thereby blurring the lines of selflessness and selfishness. Power. Money. Sometimes, even publicity and fame do their bit. It is interesting that you brought out the example of Gandhiji. He stood for certain values. It was widely perceived by the masses that independent India would follow his principles. However, the other leaders including Ambedkar and Nehru thought it impractical and what followed were Nehruvian idealism. Of course, that bit dust as well. The same principle that would eventually apply to Kejriwal. Gradually whatever changes he will bring about, would revert back.
Nair : If what you are saying is true, then progress would not have been made anywhere. For instance, the Scandinavian countries are known for their corruption free environment.
Cat : And, do you think that it came through the efforts of one movement or one personality?More importantly, what makes you think they progressed from A to B? They could have been corruption free throughout history.
Nair : But, if what you are saying is true, the Indian society would eventually collapse into chaos. It is not. Maybe, it's the efforts of people like Kejriwal which keep it going even though the effects of such efforts gradually diminish. When they do diminish, somebody else steps in. It's like a sine wave.As it is said in Mahabharata by Yudhishtra, it's the effort of the lawful that keeps the society going even though there is an overwhelming tendency for it to collapse.
Cat : Your sine wave is an apparent one. What holds the society together is greed itself and not the good heart of the lawful. Greed creates a framework which prevents it from collapsing onto itself. All laws and the principles of good governance arise from this greed and consequently they are bent in such a manner so as to extract maximum profit without collapsing the society. How do they arise from greed? For example, if there are no laws relating to property, then it would be too chaotic for anyone to benefit. Similarly, if there is no semblance of good governance, the government will get voted out in the next election. Even the masses vote for subsidies and personal benefits as I have already mentioned earlier.
Nair : But, even if something can come out of greed, if good governance can arise out of..
Cat : I know where this is going. As I already told you, greed creates a framework so as to just prevent it from collapsing. But, anything beyond that is bendable.
Nair : So, according to you, this is all pointless.
Cat : Well, you can choose to ignore everything, of course. Wear AAP caps. Hit the social media praising the game-changers in Indian politics. You can buy some brooms and make some voluntary donations. Then, of course, you can all go back to life.
Nair : We'll have lunch now and this argument does not end. I am sure there is a logical fallacy in your argument. And even if there are none, I have faith in the AAP. For the very first time, a party is standing for a set of ideals that people can respect. You can harp on your pessimistic logic but you cannot deny that faith of ordinary people like me.
Cat : I am sure someone said what you told me now, of religions, a long time ago. Look what that got humanity into. And, yes, we'll resume after lunch.

Jimmikki Kammal

The train journey was not even slightly similar to the ones in literature. It was afternoon. Heat and Humidity(a Kerala specialty) was bearing down on everybody in the cabin. There were none of that romantic wisps of white puffy smoke. It was a diesel train. Raghu was sitting near the window, looking outside in a forlorn manner. A beautiful young lady sitting opposite to him was reading a magazine with high levels of concentration. It also appeared to the onlooker that she had a firm intention of avoiding Raghu. What would not easily appear to the onlooker, was the fact that they were husband and wife. The Island Express would arrive at Kollam by around 3:00 pm.

"What do you mean by 'I resigned' ?" Isha asked. Her decibel levels were rising. " Who will pay the housing loan? We are hardly able to make ends meet in Bangalore. Vattaayo? Or did you win some lottery?"

"I got bored with my job."he replied calmly. 

"Are you planning to join some other company?"

"No. I haven't decided what to do next."

She became hysterical. " You think life is some novel, don't you? Manushya, tell me one thing. Who will pay the loans now? Shall I have to feed you from my money? What are you going to tell amma?"

That was three weeks ago. Now, they were going to his native place in Kollam. His mom had invited them. He hadn't told his mom about the recent developments in his career life. Isha had taken a week's vacation even though they were barely on talking terms. And that he suspected was more because she loved his mom rather than anything else. Again, one of those typically anti-storyish saas-bahu relationship.And he knew who made it not so typical. Raghu smiled. His thoughts went back to his college days.

It was the second day of the college cultural fest. He along with Ani, had won the sports quiz for the home team. It had finished an hour ago. Both of them were in a jubilant mood. It had been a tight finish. And now, they were relaxing at the audi where the debating competition was going on. There was a rumour floating around that the home team consisted of a first year charakku, not much seen during the ragging sessions. A debating event which would otherwise have hardly any spectators, now had before it, a jam packed audi. The teams were coming in. Six of them. Twelve members each. Only two females. One of them was in churidar( And therefore could be ignored safely). But the other one. She had stolen the show even before she had reached the stage. Fair. Curly, bobbed hair. A nose ring. One single ear ring. An hour glass figure. She was wearing tees and three-fourths. It was an anathema. It was forbidden. And every male in the audience had made up his mind, who his first/next/last girlfriend in college life would be. 

The train screeched to a halt at Karunagapally. His thoughts went to his recent act of rebellion with his career. He had quit a perfectly well paying job at TCS. But, terming it a rebellion would be a misnomer. He did not quit his job because he wanted to do something dashing with life. For instance, climbing Mt. Everest. Or, starting an NGO to help destitute children. He could not picture himself doing both of that. He wasn't the dashing kind. This was not literature for such things to happen. He quit the job because he was bored with it. It had become a torture. He did not want to take up the same line of work again. But, he had no clue as to what his next step would be. Even after three weeks. There was only one thing he knew for sure. He did not have any dreams of changing the world. He was not the dashing kind. Unlike her, he thought, as he noticed her alternating furiously between shooting dark glances at him and feigning ignorance.

She was always the one who took  the initiative. It started with friendship and then blossomed into something else. She dropped a bucket load of hints before he finally got the drift and proposed to her. And that itself was a very long drawn process. He almost made a fool of himself, before she cut it short and rescued both of them from public embarrassment. And, she had done it with her characteristic elegance. She would also be the one dragging him out of classes, behind the professor's back, to go watch a movie or take a walk in the park.  She also took initiative for their first kiss. They were behind a bush in the park and he was worried about getting caught. So, he could only reach halfway and stay motionless with his quivering lips and his eyes darting everywhere else except her. Nobody in college understood the dynamics of their relationship. One of his batchmates put it across him succinctly. "Ithorumathiri pottanu lottery adicha pole aanallo." It was not a Mills n Boons romance.

They had arrived at Kollam. Amma was waiting at the station along with their servant. Isha got out, kept the suitcase on the platform and gave her a hug."Amma, enthundu?" She never called her ammayi. She hated the word and thought it was highly colloquial. "Prethekichu Onnumilleda. How long are you kids going to stay here?" Amma had been an English teacher and had only retired recently. Even after they retire, English teachers won't completely go back to Malayalam with their progeny. It will always be Manglish. "One week, Amma. We have both taken leave."Raghu replied. He could sense much darker stares being directed at him. "Nallathu. If you kids are not tired, innu rathri ashramam maidanathe pooram kaanaan pokaam." "Okay, amma."she replied. 

The rest of the day went by in a jiffy, the timeline broken in between with the usual fiasco of amma trying to feed them more than they could eat for lunch and the various nosy neighbours visiting them to see whether Isha's stomach was showing any increase in its dimensions. He could never understand why people thought it was their business to ensure everybody had babies. It seemed more than just ridiculous. By around 6:00 pm, he, Isha and Amma took to Puthiyakavu Bhagawathy Ambalam and Asramam Maidanam in their old family car.

The festivities had begun by the time they reached there. Amma and Isha went inside the Bhagawathy Ambalam to take part in the procession which would initially circle the temple and come to the maidanam. He told them that he would wait near a couple of small makeshift shops in the maidanam. He did not have much faith in any religion. And Isha had it lesser than him. But, she loved pooram and such festivities. He could see the tuskers from where he stood. They were decorated with their nettipattom, separated into two groups and were getting ready for the kudamattom. It was steadily getting darker.

He struck up a casual conversation with one of the shop owners. " Onnu randu varshatinulil ividem orupaadu maari alle?"  "Athe sir. Pakshe Pooram pazhaya pole thanne." He took a closer look at the wares in his shop. Among the many pottu, necklaces and valas, his eyes chanced upon a pair of jimmikki kammal. "How much?" "100, saare." He dug into his wallet. When you go even three weeks without a job, it usually shows on your wallet. People tend to splurge away the anxiety or the boredom. The effort hardly succeeds except for draining the wallet further. He hardly had much. But, he bought it anyway. He messaged Isha to come meet him. The chendamelam had already started. So, he gave her a miscall as well.

She came about ten minutes later. She was wearing a blue churidar. He had taken care to select something which matched with it. She came towards him and asked"What? Why did you call me here?" He smiled and took her hand. The furious look suddenly returned. "What are you doing?" That was a bit loud. And loud enough, to attract curious glances from passerbys. Malayalis loved watching live soap operas. He placed the pair of jimmikki kammal onto her palm and smiled. Her face softened a bit.

And then the creases returned. She lashed out at him. "You think a pair of earrings can make peace between us or make money grow and lessen our debts. Kayyil ollathum kuude kalla, buying all these stuff." She shoved the earrings onto his hand and walked back. It took some time for the dazed look to wear off Raghu's eyes. He looked at the pair of jimmikki kammal.  At that inopportune moment, the vedikettu started. And the rockets flew into the sky, bursting into a glorious shower of lights. He gazed at that spectacular fiesta, the hallmark of all such festivities in Kerala and wondered to himself whether anything ever happens like what's written in literature.

The Gigantic Domino

I see you, standing in front of that gigantic domino piece with a large number of similar pieces arranged in series one behind another.

The 12th grade student, offered a choice of Engineering and Medicine. Or something else so that, avan Chartered Accountant aakum or IAS ezhuthum. Status. Money. Our son should climb the ladder. Entha that Led Zeppelin song. Stairway to Heaven.

A beautiful woman wanting to try out a new dress and then putting it back into the wardrobe. Malayali culture-inu pattiyathalla. The inability to walk somewhere public because of the commenting and hooting that ensues. And the stares. See, she's wearing it. She must be okay with the commenting and hooting. She deserves it. We must protect our malayali culture at all cost. She deserves it.

The software consultant, who intelligently uses his salary to pay up loans, with which he bought land. Land is safe. The price value of land will appreciate as time passes. Enniku sixty cent undu. Ninnako? I love MS-Excel. I am a part of the Indian software boom. You don't know Excel? I will teach you.

I am a teenager/pre-adult and I love you the moment I saw you. No, I do not need to know you. I do not need to know the person you are. I will declare my love towards you and then we can get to know each other. Well you are a charakk and you need to be loved. Dating and all, western concept. Dating will result in babies. We do not want that. It has to be a charakk. It has to be love.

I am a parent and I know my daughter's preference. I can search those matrimonial sites and get her a groom. Nobody needs to teach me anything about that. See, I am giving her a choice. I am giving her four photos and she can pick one. If she doesn't like them, I 'll give her four more photos. Pinne, jataka porutham venam. Another caste. My friend allowed. I went to their wedding. Myself, I do not know. Religion is an absolute no.

Marriage should be early. Don't wait too much. Males become sterile after thirty. Females after twenty seven. The earlier the better. Multiplication becomes easier, if it is early.

Communism is about creating traffic jams. Gandhi said if you have to change this country, you should create traffic jams. That's why we are marching up and down for the citizen's benefit. All those rocks hurled and water cannons fired and glasses broken will result in a better country.

Audi. Rolls Royce. Yamaha R1. I have money. I earned it and therefore I can flaunt it. I do not care if anybody stereotypes me. What contrast are you talking about? The beggar on the roadside. Well he should have gone to a private school, studied and made something out of his life. But you are right. I will flip him a five rupee coin. Hmm. Thank you for pointing it out. Now I feel happy. I'll flip a fiver every time I see a beggar. Inner peace.

I do not believe in that broom party. This is India, you know. Everything stays put here. And therefore nobody trying to even act a bit differently should be given a chance. The seat should be reserved for the moustache decorated, paan chewing, white shirt and mundu/dhoti wearing sixty year old with a large belly.

Of course, religion is the start and end of it. Nobody should cross that line. Nobody should say anything insensitive against any community. Humans can come later. Questioning can come later. Talking can come later. Let's raise our swords for our religion and cut off heads. The scriptures demand it.

Let's start teaching them how to be proper from school itself. Let them grow with playtoys and ayahs only. Let's ban the word SEX. Sexu. ayye. Sexu. Chee Chee. God will teach them or their moral science teacher. Let's avoid anything that is uncomfortable. Sex. Rape. Adolescence. We'll teach them mathematics. Of course, I need to raise my land from sixty cents to one acre. For the kids. They can learn everything else from that fat ammachi shakeela or her foreign versions. But never forget to shhh when they ask embarrassing questions. They'll grow up coveting the you-cannot-see-or-speak-about-apple. Sexu. Let the society also teach them quotation and kolavili. That money and power, no eagle can fly over. It's a hard world out there. They need it.

I see you standing in front of that gigantic domino, bringing your index finger towards it even if you are doing it with a lot of hesitation. To push it down. To start the chain. And in you, lies our salvation.

The Caricature Project #1

I will eventually blog about the why. For now, it would be sufficient to say that I have always been fascinated by faces and the people behind those faces. So I thought I would paint potraits with words.

He looked as old as the Aravallis. Perhaps, his crisp brown suit was intended to counter that air of weariness. And all it did was highlight rather than hide. He had somehow clambered onto the podium of the air conditioned class at the Civil Service Training Academy and was addressing a batch of around two hundred students. They were curious. Until now, most of the tutors they had seen were a comparatively younger lot and if not for anything, faster and having more fluid locomotive skills. The new tutor was a bit too rickety.

One little fly perched on a nearby window inside the room. Flies prefer the warmth and this little one was no different. It looked out of place in an air conditioned hall and was perhaps trying to figure out what was happening to it. Its bulging eyes kept darting, looking for an escape route. Meanwhile, its movements were visibly slowing.

The crumbled mouth finally broke into a long drawl. "Histttory.." He paused for a moment as if recollecting something. The class waited expectantly. He looked at the map of India near the blackboard and moved towards it. With a wave of his hand over the map, he uttered again "Histtory..is divided into.." Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a couple of students moving out of the class. That used to always happen. He would not call them back, of course. He had always let his teaching do the talking for him. He would make his students relive history. He would give them a bird's eye view of the three battles of Panipat, give them a taste of the English treachery, make them swell with pride about the exploits of the mighty Marathas and enrage them with a vivid account of the rape and pillage of Delhi under Nadir Shah.

"And Aaftter Humayun, came Jahangir." He paused. That did not sound right. But, he had already talked about the mighty Akbar and his Din-i-ilahi. His students were glancing at each other rather than at him. He could see more vacant seats. He was perplexed. "So Aurangaazzeb was a puritan. He did not drink." That was important. History was not a series of facts. In fact, history was more about people. People and what they were resulted into history;it shaped and moulded the past. And that was how it should be studied, by studying people. He could hear more laughter from the background. He tried to recollect his last sentence. He began."So Aurangaazzeb was a puritan. He did not drink."

 The little fly was still in the process of hatching a plan. Nearly three-fourth of the class was vacant. The rest of them were indulging in a variety of activities like reading newspapers(preparing for civil service meant that you could ill afford to waste time), playing android games(Or maybe not), sleeping and catching up on the latest UPSC rumours. "Studentss, now write down, what I say. Important." They saw him open his file.

His trusted file. He had already written down the summary of all the classes he would be taking in separate A4's and stored it in that file. At the end of each of his class, he would make his students jot down the summary of the corresponding class. It helped them in the process of retaining it in their memory. This had been how he had done it for around twenty years. He loved the ancient A4's. Of course, minor alterations had to be made now and then to make it correspond to the syllabus. But, history mostly remained the same. He smiled and then frowned. He couldn't seem to find the right A4, the one that had the summary of today's class. He was sure that he had arranged them in order.

It was 1:30 pm and the corridor nearby the entrance of the academy was suddenly filled with students. The morning classes had ended. The conversations of the students wafted through the cold November air.

"Man, total waste of time today." 

"Oh yeah. Then, why did you stay till the end?"
"I thought he would atleast dictate the notes properly. He managed to make a mess out of even that."
"Give him some slack. He's old."
" I am not blaming him. But, what's the director's excuse? We are paying a tremendous amount of fee to this academy."
"Somebody told me that this guy was a renowned professor back in the 90's. Everyone studying history as an optional used to come to him. He had then suffered a heart attack and had stopped teaching. The director basically cajoled him to come back and teach again."

The staff hadn't switched off the AC and it was still chilly inside the hall. The little fly was the sole occupant of the hall now. It's movements were getting slower and that magnificient escape plan was floating further away from it.