Stories related money

Friday, 30 January 2015
| 10:42 | No Comments

Money money



The morning woke me up with disturbing knocks at the door. I removed the blanket from my face to see whether any of my roommates is awake to open the door for that disturbing guest. Everyone is sleeping or else they are pretending like the dead ones. I woke up disturbed, and opened the door. In front of the door, our house owner seemed to be like the frightening 'poothana'( mythical character from Hindu purana ) with her flawing hair and shouting tounge.

'' Why are you guys so irresponsible! Why can't you understand ?'' She looked irritated. '' I have told you many times not to forget closing gates before you sleep! How can you do this to me.
You never paid me the rent in time and this month it is lagging. And you ever never showed a sign of apology ... Blah... blah..."

After fifteen minutes of continuous lecturing with sparks and blasts it ended quiet. Her jaws will be paining now. After finishing that massive performance she left with satisfaction.
We got it usual with this ritual every morning, with her complaints and soft abuses spreading like the morning alarm makes us energetic whole day. After her return I closed the door and made a glance at the giggling faces budded in the bed-blanket gap.

"How was today's breakfast?? " One spoke while getting up from bed.

"Not bad. But nothing bigger than what you got yesterday"

Within time we all got ready for the college and left. Again the lecturing hours started boringly at our colourful classroom. After the attendance section we were planning for our sleeping section to start. Going with the flow. Before the plan to get implemented, there came the notice saying ' All who have fees pending should see the department head and are not allowed to stay back in the class till the due is paid.' Myself with one of my poor classmate, stepped out from the class and walked towards the department head's office. While walking the way towards office thinking how to pay back the due, two of our juniors passed with both of their heads down to floor.

                         * ************************* *
Two months ago one of the problem raised among the junior-senior scenario made me involved into it. One group among the juniors tried to make seniors fear for collecting money from them by spreading a fake news that 'they are gonna complain about it soon'. We found the culprit who started spreading the fake news. And a small crowd of seniors and some of the juniors were present in that evening's platform. After some of his arguments and apologies, he got a few slaps in his right cheek making it cherry red. Then he gained some energy to say '' I'm the cousin of city mayor and m gonna complain this for sure.''

It felt like a new comedy said throughout those years in the campus. I came forward slapping him tight and finished with the dialogue. " Believe you know my name. Add this thing too with the complaint you are gonna file. " The real feeling of pride 'nothing matters'.

The next day he did the same he told, with his parents on side. The management fined us ten thousand rupee fine and we were suspended till the fine amount getting paid. Ten thousand for heroism and a brave memory. I had my fees amount at the bank account and with all pride I paid the fine next day morning itself. All of us did as well. We continued to ragging and started collecting money from them. He felt ashamed that time and his heads down every time he come across me was benefited.

                            * ********************** *

The next turn was our HOD's to scold me. Let me consider it as the second breakfast. The final dialogue from her was heartbreaking. " You know this decision is from the management. I'm helpless. Try paying the fees before 4'O clock." I walked down stairs and reached the gate. There the 'watchman' stopped me and asked for 'gate pass.'

money money
"Get the 'out pass form' signed and come back fast, then the gate will wait for you; opened." He said. Till the last day, he used to allow me out without any pass, and today fate is really bad for me. I never minded, There are old ways where we used to cross those tall walls in times of heavy ragging. I was checking sources for raising fund for my pending fees. Roaming room to room for money, searching for available sources, and they were all empty. We all had a financially tight situation due to the 'examination fee payment season'. I got messed up after that long search for money. It was afternoon and flowing wind carried hot molecules that blushed with skin making me weak. After every hope of light appeared shut, I decided to go back room.

While entering the gates, house owner was shooting me with her focused eyes, whether I'm locking the gates this time. She was giving her pet lunch. Though it was hot inside the room, I sat under the tree shade in the courtyard. Then I got a call from one of my best buddies.

" Hey, I was in a meeting, what's up man ?" He started.
I was not in a mood to start with anything. But I did. " Sorry, I called you for something.... That.... "

            " What 'something' ? " He wanted me to reply.

  " I needed some money for my pending fees and it is dry with all in here.. nd soo... I think I will miss the semester exams this time."

               " How much ? "

" Ten thousand " I felt little shy. But it is better to ask him than begging home or else I have to forget about the exams that semester.

" Okay; I will transfer you the amount, send me your account details. collect the money next Monday morning itself." The first part of the dialogue made me a bit alive but the next half made me realize today's bank hours are over.

"Thank you very much; but today is its last date for payment." Both of us are helpless now. We repeated the question ' What to do ' three times and ended the conversation with a bye. Two more calls came as a sequence. But results made me paralyzed under the tree shade. I felt like something is ready to burst inside and trying to come outside. I opened up a huge scream releasing all those maddening pressure inside. This weird thing provided a bit of peace but just for seconds. House-owner came with my late lunch ; shouting abuses and intolerable firing.

" What do you think of yourself! Who are you to shout like this.. Such mannerless creatures!! '' It was NMFP. I was not prepared for lunch and my stomach or else mind was already full with problems. She continued.

" Neighbours will start complaining and I am the one to reply them. What is your problem. I don't want you to stay in here anymore." Her voice came slow and silent declaring the scary drama is going to end. "Pay me the whole money Monday itself. Rent with an extra ten thousand. I will give you the pending fees money. " As she finished, reply came automatically.

" What!! " It took some seconds to realize, she actually said that. " Oh freak!! " It was a moment which actually slipped my mind out from its case.
By the time she returned back her home and came back in a minute with some money.

" I know what's eating you. Go pay your fees and come back with the money Monday itself." Reply stuck inside me for a second. " You never know how much I did to you wrong. I don't know what to say. Let me go and come back soon... and thank you.. "

A feeling of shyness mixed with nervous mindset left a smile for the first time.
While turning back to college, mind was fully shaded with some memories where I misunderstood her. Friends are all around. Celebrations will be there. Needs and help can introduce new characters and relations. We can see good in everyone if we are ready for it or else we should wait for regretful situations to realize it.




Saturday, 22 November 2014
| 23:08 | No Comments

Experiencing Village & its beauty


This is an incident that took place recently, when I decided to spend my diwali holidays in a Tamil village with one of my classmate. It was the end of terminal exams and starting of model exams continuing till university exams. Expecting the busy season ahead I have decided to make a trip to somewhere in search of peace. Unexpectedly 'Meialakan' an amiable fellow from erode invited me to his village where they arranged a trip to 'kolli hills - the dangerous road in 
south India with 70 hairpin turns. 

It was the second time for me to reach his home where two children Naveen and Jyothika gave me company. When I visited that village last time they told me that the rain only visits them rarely and for two years there was no rain. Such a situation where there is no water to drink and to cultivate grains. The Kaveri river seemed to be like the spill ways. But this time nature blessed them with enough rain that covered their land with a green carpet. Even ponds and wells got filled. In the diwali evening we were playing with the crackers at his home and was planning about next day trip.

Unfortunately the arrival of an unexpected guest destroyed our plan with their animal sacrifice ceremony for thanksgiving. So because the function can't be avoided we abort the plan for trip and decided to stay at his grandpa's house. His grandpa's house is a three room habitat with an extended verandah where they actually live.

Sun moved a few hours other side when we reached his grandpa's house. There were some elderly people including his uncle and aunts preparing food for the relatives.  They were all present for the temple function of offering goat for their god. The animal sacrifice ceremony is performed a kilometer away temple where many of the localities usually pray for the well being of their village. In that agricultural village most of the people used to travel in a cycle structured motor scooter and only the coming generations use motor bikes which are more stable than their usual vehicle. So because we came in the motor bike we are assigned for taking the offering goat to temple nearby. I felt so excited being there because it was my first experience watching a Tamil custom in a village. Then the time got ready. They taught me how to hold a goat in my lap avoiding its  jumping from the bike. So he started the bike; I diligently took the goat and sat behind. Goat was big and heavy. The heart of heavy goat was beating quiet giving me a poke at my thigh lap. It was enjoying its final moments of life silently. Even if it had a bad odour of shit, I never felt it bad. Within minutes came the temple. There was a small crowd present with their offerings like goats, hens and a small pig. It was nearly 9:30pm when the prayer started with ringing bells and lifted fire. The priest suddenly started dancing, shivering his hands and rotating his head. Watching him doing like this I made a confused glance at Meialakan standing at my side. He replayed that ' saami vandath' means 'The God has  Came '. After a pause of time two of the elderly ladies also started dancing, shivering body and rotating heads. They all show the presence of god among them. Then the priest took a small vessel full of water and came dancing. Two of the strong men came forward and hold him for support. They took him to every goat and he took some water in his palm and poured it on each goat head. Everyone seems to be eagerly looking onto each goat after this ritual of water pouring. Soon the goats started to shook their head in order to get the water out of their head. The elder people made some sound showing some kind of end to their anticipation. I twisted my head and made an expression of ignorance. Meialakan understood my question mark shaped expressions reason and explained. '' They are asking the goat for its affirmation with the pouring water and when the goat shook its head implies its confirmation in taking its life.'' With no possibility to chide, whatever it be a goat or human it will surely shook its head when water is poured above head . Do you feel it so terrible ? What about experience watching it!
After getting approval from every keda(goat) they made it ready for its sacrifice, holding its upper legs together with one leg and lower legs with other. The dancing priest came with a knife to cut each goats head. I began to abhor that scene and stood confused whether to see it or not to. As the first goat left its blood I find it so hard looking at it. So to inhibit that scene of murder, I diverted my point of view straight so that I can find a gathering of ladies at the opposite side. There every lady was of my mothers age or more.

Between them I started searching for a young girl without hope of finding one. At the back of that group I suddenly stuck at two beautiful eyes which were looking on the god statue. All of a sudden it pointed straight on me. With the excitement of that look and remembering the strength of Tamil slap, I diverted my view and acted like I'm behaving casually. Again after some seconds I repeated looking back at her. Only some parts of her face including eyes were visible. She appeared like a gem in dug so that I adjusted myself here and there to see her between the crowd. At that time meialakan interrupted. " Hey look here; See how the pig is getting killed. " There the girl disappeared between the crowd and every eyes were killing the final pig visually. A small pig was held tight horizontally and the priest came with a vel (kundham). He inserted it into its throat giving end to its small life. The small pig gave its life crying out loud like a simple cat. There was an old callous man with a clay pot, collecting hot blood of every baits. I doubted myself whether that man have no emotions while collecting those blood sprayed even at his arms. The man with a pot full of innocent blood appeared so feral. Can you believe he serve god ?

When they finished killing the last that ground appeared like a war field with beheaded goats and full of blood. Fourteen pigs, ten hens and a small pig sacrificed their life for humans. While packing the goat meat back to home I searched for that owner of beautiful eyes. At the back of a tree I found her wearing a green silk saree and was talking with two small kids. But what made me sad was her bulging stomach carrying a heavy kid inside. Those kids were even calling her 'mom'.

We came back to home ready to prepare mutton curry. They took the goat skin carefully and was cutting its legs. The head and the legs were burnt in fire and kept stored for months like the old people of ancient periods. That night was my session to chat with those village people and they became my very good listeners. They enjoyed  talking with me and my eloquent speech were interesting for them like never before. I wanted to ask them about this ritual of brutal behavior, but I understood my position as a guest and made myself silent in questioning them in something related to their belief.

The next day mutton curry was not good for me and remembered me about the last night seen of assassinated goats. I vomited that morning and find it difficult to eat something. We returned that day morning. Being a village boy in that agricultural village was wonderful. Enjoying every moment and  experiencing something new like the volleyball match in midnight, the cycle ride between crop fields, getting friends with his friends, the kedavett, watching agricultural fields etc were awesome. Being a listener for their dreams was been also a wonderful experience. While returning back from there I felt myself proud for getting such a chance in exploring such a village.




Saturday, 15 November 2014
| 10:33 | No Comments

Women of Indian society

I think one of my friend from my village and his story suits the opening. He studied nursing as because it was the trend of that time. But when he finished his studies situation changed a lot. He was a normal village boy and had a younger brother. He always had a sexual starvation with an enthusiastic eye on every girl he saw. I think the social status and the formalities he practiced made him silent while he experienced such lust. After spending lot of money in the foreign agency, his dad arranged him a visa and a job that flooded him to UK. He got job and an apartment where he can share it with three other female mates. He felt it so shy to face them every time and two of them were attractive enough to kill his mode of control. He avoided situations where they initiated for some long conversations. He wanted to come back home so because he can't adjust with that situations. After half a month he suddenly became ill and needed to have rest for two days. At that time they took leave and served him with alacrity, arranged his leave formalities at hospital and made him speak. At first he felt shy and had thinking like 'these ladies are going to take advantage of me'. He acquiesced and started talking with them, interactive conversations took place. Slowly he realized, he is changing dramatically. His concept on looking at women changed in a way that he never felt them sexually attracted after. He enjoyed their friendship their care and their love. When he came back to our village, we saw a different man of self quality. He says the reason for his change in looking at women with his story. In the past, if he would have existed like the way he was his sexual starvation would have directed him to rape.

I think the major and basic reason for rape is the gender discrimination exists in our society. Lack of female love turns to ignorance and the desire for experimenting. Humans from the very beginning showed their immense pleasure in finding something that they were unknown about. In magic shows every audience looks for the secret behind the trick other than getting amazed.
Women of our society are kept secret by our own cultural rules and judicial laws. Sigmund Freud known as the father of psychoanalysis, stated the core reason behind most of the psychic disorders as sexual starvation. We separate our children based on their gender, we never let them have a healthy relation with their opposite sex. Later they becomes over enthusiastic about their opposite sex ie. his/her body. They try to abuse them by touching and groping them in public transports, schools and at home.

In India women are treated as women and men are treated as men other than considering both gender as humans creating gender polarity. Our movies, social acts, serials, screenplays etc. affect our mental status in describing women of our society. Some social art forms describes women superior and other describes them as backward. Reservation for women in public buses, government offices, schools etc. also makes it worse. So because of that  many adults pass half their life not interacting with the opposite gender. It is the sexually perverted or sexually starved mind set of Indians which leads to pathetic situations.

Initially, I think we should teach our children how to live in manners, not to act.

Cultural exchange

The Vedic period can be called the "Golden Age" because this period women enjoyed high status. Ancient women were educated in the early Vedic period. Rig Vedic verses suggest that the women married at a mature age and were probably free to select their husband scriptures such as Rig Veda and Upanishads mention several women sages. Women began to decline with the Smritis and with the Islamic invasion of Babur and the Mughal Empire and later Christianity curtailing women's freedom and rights although reformatory movements such as Jainism allowed women to be admitted to the religious order by and large, the women in India faced confinement and restrictions. The practice of child marriages is believed to have started from around sixth century. People from west not only stole our resources but also a good part of our great culture.

If there is no concept named virginity in our society, what all things will be rewritten ?

Hanne Blank says, "virginity reflects no known biological imperative and grants no demonstrable evolutionary advantage."

Concept of Virginity actually makes a good girl and a bad girl in our society. If she isn't virgin, this concept opens two options; either to die or to live ashamed in the society. If she is raped to spoiled virginity, then she is considered as a bad girl neglecting her justice and society of male superiority suppress such cases encouraging rapist to do another. After committing crimes some people say ' her way of dressings provoked me'. Think wisely, whether this statement from the platform of a dreadful crime can erase or protect him from being punished. She not only loose her virginity but also life in Indian society.

Love is the medicine

A change in mindset of society can save both, life of that girl and a rapist from his bad behavior. A rapist is surely born from a place where he is subjected to absence of female love. Basic reason for sexual assaults, rape and prostitution are the indirect result of gender polarity in all parts of India. It is the right time to change our customs and culture providing equal freedom to both men and women. Respect for women needs to be preached and practiced.
The reason for these type of heinous acts are repressed mentality due to lack of sex education, spreading of porn and disgusting sexual videos.

Let freedom for individual rights and expressions may change Indian society back to our golden age of great culture.