Heads or Tails?

Ajay stood up  from his workstation and stretched himself.He hated Saturday shifts.There was always a dreary silence in the office which made him  uncomfortable.He stepped out to get coffee and some fresh air.While returning , he bumped into Veena around the corner ,spilling his coffee.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled,her face red and eyes blinded by tears.

"Veena ,is everything alright?" Ajay asked.

"I'm fine" she replied without making eye contact and left quickly sobbing.

It didn't seem right. Ajay got back to his desk and checked if she was online. Her Skype status Showed 

"Pillai,Veena - Away "

Her eyes still haunted him.Not only today ,but from the very first day they met.They had joined the company together.They soon became friends . Even though not part of the Ajay's office gang ,they still kept each other abreast of the major events in their lives. Veena was a good friend.

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 "Pillai,Veena - Offline 14 days"

He had been trying to reach her mobile every single day,but it was switched off.
His phone suddenly sprung into a song with Veena's name flashing on the screen.

Before he could pick up her call,his team lead interrupted "Ajay ,we need to plan a farewell for Mr Shetty, he's leaving the firm tomorrow."

"Sure !" he said hastily and returned Veena's call ,but it was switched off again.

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"Hey Peter ! I thought you said you would take care of the aftermath.There's this guy who keeps threatening about going to the police."

"Don't worry Shetty ! I get those calls too .I'll take care of him.I know what needs to be done."

"Good thing,you didn't tell your wife Peter ! She 's treating me well in the new company."

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Ajay dialled into Peter's alternate number ,this time from another sim card.
This was his routine since a couple of days - calling them and spitting profanity at these filthy guys.

He was also frustrated that he could not convince Veena to go to the Police. Even though she was a strong women,this incident broke her and she was worried of all the shame. The HR - Mr Peter was Shetty's ally and had rejected her complaints,which deepened her distress.Her friends didn't fight for her because ,they were part of Shetty's team.She confided in me and I couldn't convince her enough.

When the call connected ,and as Ajay was about to spew the venom ,a cool female voice spoke

"Andrea Peter speaking!" 

Ajay held his breath and started a mellow conversation trying to put sense into the woman.But the lady denied all the allegations he threw at her.The argument heated and ended on a vile note.

"My husband would never do such a thing ! He is a man of ethics and would never allow such behavior from himself or anybody!" hollered Andrea.

"Just so you know your husband and his friend Peter are not going to live too long !!" Ajay shouted hanging up.

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Ajay slammed the door so hard that the board reading "HR" almost fell off.
Peter had given him the pink slip.
Ajay already saw it coming ,but he was furious the way people misused their power.
Everything happening around him was chewing his head ,but he couldn't speak to his friends.
He couldn't even display his disapproval ,coz he couldn't disclose anything as it involved Veena.

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"You know what ???"  I started all excited.

We were just meeting over for lunch at the common cafeteria in Techno Park ,since Ajay had recently moved to a new company.

" You know Mr Shetty ,our ex-senior manager ,he died last night! .Rumors have it that he was drunk and fell off the tenth floor from Mr Peter's house.He died on the spot."  

"Hmm.." ,he replied uninterested.It was unusual of him .As he used to be the one with all juicy gossips when we were working together.
As he was stepping out to get water ,his mobile beeped with a message.

"HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY NOW..." ,read the message from an unknown number.

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"Can you  believe this ? Another death in just a week ! "I said.
Ajay seemed to be sober since he changed his jobs,his conversations were mostly "hmm","yes" or simply silence.He also didn't open up to us.I sensed something was bothering him.
But I continued the monologue.

"Mr Peter was such a gem of a person.He was the best HR ,very supportive of his employees.They said he died of a heart attack.Poor man! "

Ajay's phone beeped with a text message,
"HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY AGAIN..." ,read the message from an unknown number.

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"Pillai,Veena - Available"

"Hey Ajay! You know that girl Veena, looks like she's back after a hiatus. Some say there's something fishy going on with her!" 

"She was raped!" Ajay replied sternly. 

"Oh my God! I'm sorry!" 

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Andrea lay on her bed contemplating those nights....

She tossed a coin that day.Heads or Tails. Forgive Shetty or Kill him.
Her heart pounded as the coin stood in the air ,and at that moment she wished it should be Tails!
The coin landed on the table dancing and then flat - TAILS.

Shetty stood there along the balcony railing of her house, inebriated and swaying, a glass of  alcohol in one hand and other hand clutching the railing for support.
Peter was inside at the bar  table getting another bottle for the night.
Drink parties for these childhood friends always lasted all night long.
She walked slowly towards Shetty ,bent down as if to pick up her glass but instead chose his legs!

A week later she tossed her coin again.Heads or Tails. Forgive Peter or Kill him.
Her heart pounded as the coin stood in the air ,and at that moment she wished it should be Tails! Because Peter ,her husband had erred in supporting a wrong friend and denying justice to the girl. 
Peter was sound asleep.Thanks to the pills .All she needed was his insulin syringe and some air.
She injected the empty syringe and left the room..

Her stream of thoughts were interrupted by a text message,

"Thank you Andrea! 
You did justice to Veena 
AND YOURSELF!
-Ajay"

A tear rolled down her eye but so did a smile appear.

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Beauty of Bekal - Bekal Fort

We’ve all seen Manisha Koirala in search of Aravind Samy in the song “Uyire” traversing through the maze of moss-grown walls of a breath-taking beautiful structure. That colossal structure is the “Bekal Fort” in Kasargod district of Kerala.

Though being in Kerala, it wasn’t until recently I got the chance to visit this monument tucked away in the Northern part of the state. This imposing structure is one of the largest and well maintained forts in Kerala. It is built of red laterite stone over a sprawling 40 acres. The construction of this 17^th century fort is attributed to the Kolathiri Rajas of Kasargod. It was later rebuilt by the Nayakas of Karnataka. It was then captured by Tippu Sultan and served as an important military base for the Mysore Sultans.

The entrance of the fort welcomes us with an Anjaneya Temple and a Mosque. The fort is built on the lap of the Bekal beach and offers an awe-inspiring 180 degree view of the beach itself. The fort also provides several peepholes on its observational towers which served to identify oncoming enemies . But now, each one lends a different view of the sand and the sea. There are several underground passages from the fort to the beach. There are also splendid walkways flanked by trees and flowers curving down to the beach.

The Bekal fort is a hotspot for wedding shoots, ad shoots and film shoots and it’s no wonder if you bump into one of them. Visiting this edifice during the rains when the red walls are speckled with green moss adds to the beauty of this impressive structure. So, if you’re enroute to Kerala from Karnataka or vice-versa, do stop by at the Bekal Fort to experience a little heritage of Kerala.

Chettinad - A synonym of Magnificence

We were travelling to the small village of Kandavarayanpatti and Alavakottai in Sivagangai district to attend the wedding of our colleague.

I was a bit sceptical when they said the marriage was at their home. Though not surprising, it was uncommon in present days and I was in for a surprise.

The marriage was held in their home and it was indeed splendid!

Their ancestral home was a typical Chettinad house where all the members of the family stayed together. The architecture of the house reminded me of the Naalukettu in my state -Kerala.
The house was buzzing with people and splashed in colour. There were a number of ceremonies as part of the wedding. And there's the bride and groom!!! All smiles !!

While the post-wedding ceremonies proceeded, we stepped out for lunch, which was at a different house. Though the Chettinad houses are mammoth-sized, the streets surrounding them are very narrow. 
Chettinad houses generally have the front door opening to one street and the back door opening onto the parallel street behind it.  
On the way, we were caught in a drizzle and reached lunch slightly wet. Lunch was a typical vegetarian meal with a number of Chettinad delicacies like vella paniyaram, paal paniyaram etc.

On the way back, we strayed a bit to take a look at the village. Suddenly, one of them shouted, "Hey !! Isn't this the house from the movie "Kandukondein Kandukondein"? ".It did resemble it on first glance. But it wasn't. As we loitered around the house debating on it, the owners of the house watched us from their terrace and invited us in to see the house. The house owners briefed us on the house and showed us around. 

According to them, this mansion was built around 1945. And you wouldn't believe it, this palatial house has around 60 rooms !!! And yes each room is numbered. Can't imagine the plight of the caretaker if it wasn't for that!! The rooms are numbered starting with the Pooja room as ''1''.
We were shown into the house through a heavy wooden door with intricate carvings. The door had a special lock system. The key itself was almost 4 inches long and heavy, it needs to be inserted in different ways to lock and unlock the door. If anyone tried to break in, a deafening alarm sounds alerting the household.

The Grand Hall

The grand hall was a long rectangular one with checkered flooring of 'Athangudi' tiles and painted ceilings which were common characteristics of Chettinad homes. The hall itself was divided into two parts separated by pillars of Burmese wood all along the length, one with a high ceiling and the other with a lower one. The ceilings were decorated and had imported fans and a chandelier. The higher parts of the wall were decorated with stained glass. 
The walls looked shiny as if it were washed with glossy paint. When enquired, they explained that all Chettinad homes used a mixture of limestone and eggshells on its inner walls which gave it a natural sheen !! 
On the corner stood a wooden shelf which we had dismissed as a normal one. But it was a cabinet which earlier housed a Radio box. Can you believe it, almost 75 yrs back the radio was almost as big as a box and now it's reduced to just a small piece in your cell phone?

The Central Courtyard

The hall opened into the central courtyard which has a system of water harvesting where rainwater flows from the courtyards to an underground tank. The central courtyard is the life of the house where gatherings and weddings are held. It is flanked by bedrooms on both sides. The courtyard then opens into a smaller kitchen courtyard flanked by a long dining area.

We then climbed to the first floor which consisted of a huge hall. And this is my favourite place. The hall is covered with stained glass which is again characteristic of all Chettinad houses. It reminded me of the century-old churches in Europe. The sunlight seeped in through the coloured windows making it all the more beautiful!! I could sit there all day on the long armchair, sipping coffee and reading a book !! <3 <3

Stained Glass

Metha Bureau

In the corner stood a huge cupboard called the 'Metha Bureau'.As the name suggests, it was used to keep the 'metha' or mattress. It had no shelves inside as the pillows and mattresses were just folded and placed inside. 

Finally, we moved to the terrace on the second floor. The terrace floor was covered with red tiles. We had a splendid view of the whole village. A typical view from all Chettinad houses !! 
And that also ended our tour of the magnificent Chettinad house. We thanked the family and walked back chattering about our exciting experience.

The Terrace

View from the Terrace

Do not miss a chance to visit a Chettinad mansion if you are around Sivangangai or Pudhukottai.
And if you happen to be in Chennai, you could also visit the Dakshinachitra Heritage Museum to see a replica of a Chettinad house.

PC :Panimalar Shanmugham ,Adheedhan Kumar

I've been to prison!

Yes ! you read that right .I've been to prison.But No ! I'm not a murderer!

Few years back ,I had been to Puzhal Central Prison in Red-hills, Chennai as part of community service  activities in our organisation.I grabbed the opportunity as I realized it would be a great experience to visit a prison.Not every time do we get a chance to see a prison unless of course you're planning a murder!

We ,a group of 30 men and 15 women traveled all the way from the south end of the city to the north end of Chennai to do our part of social service.
Puzhal Central Prison is one among the largest prison complexes in India .We arrived at the entrance of the imposing structure and were let in through a small door within the tall gate attached to the high walls of the prison. We were greeted and briefed by the Police Superintendent  - a lady. It was indeed a moment of pride to see a lady in charge of a high security central prison. She deserved all the salutes!

We waited at the security desk as they were getting the security clearances.Our phones were not allowed inside . As we waited ,I checked out the black board in the room which listed out the no. of inmates lodged there . Along with it ,they also mentioned the inmates who graduated from there and others who were pursuing their education.
We were then taken around the prison to see the activities undertaken by the prisoners like a vegetable patch ,sanitary napkin making unit and their library and meditation hall etc. 
We were then led to the sprawling ground , where there was a comedy show by a reputed comedian sponsored by the organisation for the prisoners.We sat alongside the police officers on a few benches on the ground ,while in front of us on the ground sat hundreds of prisoners all in white. I had a very unsettling feeling on realizing that I was sitting among the people who were labelled convicts. Some of them looked back at us ,some staring and others quite normal .It was slightly creepy and no matter what the comedian said ,it wasn't funny . There was this thought at the back of my head always " What if ....?" . The show ended and I was sort of relieved! 

Our next agenda was doing our part of social work.Our tasks included cleaning and trimming all the shrubbery around the prison and the men had a few heavy weight tasks too.
The ladies were grouped together and we were provided with our necessary equipment. We were also assigned an officer for our security. He was a young officer but wasn't a very chatty person.He took us to our place of work which was an area connecting the central gates and the prison . 
It was a very hot afternoon and it was visiting time for the inmates.An alarm sounded and a number of inmates kept walking to the gates to collect their packages .They were all in white cotton shirts and shorts, walking in small groups or some alone.We  took turns to do the cutting as we were provided with limited tools.
As we sat under a tree taking some time off ,and speaking to our officer ,we were joined by a tall person probably in his late thirties.He greeted the officer and then us and inquired about  how things were going . At first look , he reminded me of a sports teacher - athletic with his muscular arms , sports shoes , Lacoste T-shirt and tracks . He was pretty jovial and seemed learned.He also showed us how to trim the grass properly .The conversation continued for another ten to fifteen minutes. It was then time for him to leave and he shook hands with a few and bid adieu.

As he left the premises ,the previously  not-so-chatty officer became talkative. It was now that he made the big reveal !! He said the person who we had just talked to was a prisoner. And not only  "a prisoner" but a prisoner who was convicted of multiple murders and was sentenced to 23 years of imprisonment !!! He also added that he had attempted to escape the high security prison twice !!! WHAT THE ....!!!!! Imagine the horror we went through !! Our hearts and minds had mini explosions going on and the ones who shook hands with them were totally shaken!!! It was a clear lesson "Looks always deceive!! ". He didn't arouse even a little suspicion with his mannerisms and neither did we suspect him , as he was dressed slightly different from the inmates. He could've easily passed off as a physical instructor. That was a close call !! Anyway, that was the cherry on the cake and  my visit to the prison couldn't have been more thrilling than ever!!!