THE ARRIVAL

 The Nation had celebrated the 6 th independence day just 15 days back and the first national elections were swept. by the Congress govt under Jawaharlal Nehru that year and the country had become a republic 3 years back.In short the country was taking the toddler steps with 40 crore people's dreams and aspirations.

There was tiny showers of the withdrawing monsoon on that 30 th day of August by Gregorian calender.In a small house by the main road in Kollam in the state of Thiru Kochi,(which would later become  the modern State of Kerala in 1956),the labour pains started around 3 am and Lekshmy was in deep struggle and so were all around. Ramaswamy Iyer her father and Krishnammal her mother were both happy and worried since they were expecting the arrival of their first grand kid. Soon a messenger had been send to the house of Kallyani the midwife who resided nearby and was promptly send back asking not to worry and for patience for nother 10 hours.

By 6 pm Kallyani arrived and the rituals for life and birth, wherenone was certainty had begun.' അമ്മെ,തിളച്ച വെള്ളം ' she shouted.Soon the fire woods started crackling in the fire pot ' and the bedroom was locked. Ramaswami Iyer aka Chamu iyer was cracking under pressure walking this way and that way and his four other kids ranging from 15 to 7 years were deadly silent.Everywhere preparations of Krishna Janmashtami  the next day was happening. Nobody observed the eagle flying around over the top of the house three times that early night with occasional rumblings of a far way thunders and rains intensifying.

At 7 15 sharp the night was pierced by shrill yelping cry and a smile lighted upon every one's face.It has happened.Soon the doors opened and the smiling Kallyani emerged holding a tiny one ,duely rapped.It's a a baby boy and the mother is safe ,she said. Krishnammal (kittammal) ran to the kitchen and distributed sugar to all and the house erupted in joy.Somebody said ' karthikai നക്ഷത്രം,mesha rasi and Sani in ucham. Chamu iyer said ' kannan ' vanthachu' (arrived). Raju !' Ellorukkom thanthi anuppu '(send telegrams to all ). One telegram went to Haripad to Kulathu iyer ,his other grand dad and one to Alleppey to his father Krishna Iyer.

Kallyani the midwife trudged back to her home that night shuddering.She could never believe what had happened in that dimly lighted room that fateful day.Was it possible ,she repeated to herself. She was sure she saw it with her own eyes ' As soon as the baby opened its mouth in that fierce shriek,two sharp canines appeared in the upper jaw on either side and disappeared within a second and as her eyes blinked  again she saw  the baby smile.She was stunned and when she looked again ,it was just a normal innocent  baby cry .She never uttered anything and knew she  could never again attend a delivery. The night turned very dark.

The Prelude

 Welcome 2024.Never thought of meeting you.It may be an accident or destined to happen so to say.Anyway it has ,and no escape.Not much happened in 2023 except I wasted my whole time in you tube for sure listening to crap.But one silver line was my reading Venmurasu the 24000 page Saga of Mahabharatha revisited by my favourite Tamil writer Jeyamohan who took me to the depth of minds of all characters of mahabharatha through his perceptive.One of the greatest book I have skimmed through and about 4 to 5 months, minimum 4 to 7 hours a day went off in a jiffy.

I have for all practical purposes ,never took up a pen, not read another book during the above period. This year I will write,write and write,the good the bad and the ugly. And that's a promise to myself.But what ? For the last 4 to 5 years , I have been dreaming of writing little bit of my life if it can be called so.Life for me is all about thoughts,attitudes,perspectives about how one faces the time between birth,growth,reproduction,decaying and finally death and it's never about success or failure ,not happiness or sadness.Its all about struggle and survival in the jungle of life or time whichever you call. That's what is Nature.Never forgiving,cruel,crushing madness and the luckiest one or the most cunning one survives.Here altruism,compassion,kindness,sympathy,empathy,virtues or truth has no role nor does God or Satan.Everyone by himself only matters.Absolute selfishness only can save you or help you to survive as long as possible.

I am deviating from the topic.What to write why,where, for whom should I be writing.The answer is simple,Writing for writing sake .Whether it's full of lies or absolute frankness,whether it's good writing or bad whether it's a smooth flow or an interrupted or corrupt one doesn't matter. 

So I am going to write about my history of 70 years of struggles and finding by trial or error ,the means of survival.But since my memory is fading fast and concentration at its lowest it's going to be another struggle for sure. A page a day is achievable if I can overcome my procrastination and other easy diversions like WhatsApp and YouTube. But thinking about 70 years of monotonous and boring existence ,is it worth it ? But no harm can come out of it for sure and my time will also pass.So let me try.Once upon a time ------------..