The Karmic Love - Teaser 6

Shailaja's mood always improved whenever she got the message from him. His messages were extremely funny, comforting and most importantly, they were very caring. She knew he was a very good person at heart. She vowed to herself that she would never marry in this lifetime when she was a kid. That horrible day was her worst nightmare and it had drastically altered the way she viewed relationships from those dreadful 24 hours onwards. Since then, Shailaja has been immensely hesitant and apprehensive whenever she heard "wed locks". Such was the profound impact that her parents divorce had left an indelible mark, pain and distrust for the institution of wedding and sacred ceremonies. She was 10 years when the vicious incident tore apart the intense love she had felt for her parents thus creating an empty void in her broken heart. She could not still digest the fact even now that her parents parted ways due to minor disagreements that cropped up between them. She felt betrayed that her parents thought only of themselves before making and taking such a landmark decision in not only their lives but also her life too. She used to wonder how come other kids were so happy with their parents and that their wouldn't their parents fight at all! From a firm believer of God, she pushed herself to stand right on the line of control that separated theism and atheism. As time trickled little by little to the extent that 8 years had gone swiftly in the blink of an eye, her resentment and animosity towards wedding bells had reached an all time high that even the Sensex cannot dream to breach her barrier!  

It was then she met him in her class on the very first day of her college. The moment she laid her hazel eyes upon him, she felt her heart giving a thunderous and happy jolt. All her anger, frustrations and pent up hatred evaporated and dissipated into thin air. She prayed to God after a long time that he should be good. Several days passed and she knew she had found her soul mate. Whatever she loved, he was able to reciprocate even before she starts to open her mouth. It was as if he could read her mind! Though he was not good-looking,  he possessed all the other qualities which she felt a guy should have - charming, witty, helpful, sincere, hard-working, trust worthy, gentle, patient, tolerant,amazing sense of humor and an irresistible magnetic appeal - that left her in an insane state of euphoric intoxication without consuming a single drop of alcohol! She did not know whether it was a crush or her life line to forget the bad experiences in her past life. She wanted to take her time though to truly ascertain as to whether he also feels the same way towards her. But, one thing she was very sure. She understands the truth that she cannot fly like the birds but time literally flies when she used to speak with him over mobile and whatsapp. All was going fun and pomp and Shailaja was enjoying every moment with him when the flood gates were suddenly thrown wide opened on one fine day when  her best friend told her that she was in love with him. 

Rules ruling the roost in ASB!

Once upon a time when our planet was in her nascent stages and human beings were scattered like molecules in a gas , no one was bound to any rules. The people did as they liked thus utilizing their unmitigated and limitless freedom to the hilt. It was only when they were driven by their fear of survival due to a variety of factors like wild animals, mother nature's fury etc. that these individuals flocked together like a herd of sheep and settled together wherever they felt they were safe and sound. When many different minds of distinct ages come together then there usually ensues positive and negative disagreements amongst the people to proclaim and demonstrate themselves to be right in the eyes of the others. When everyone was so attention seeking and had their own definition of right and wrong then it became even more difficult to manage the obstreperous and unruly crowd until they were all united by a series of statements that brought these numerous unrestrained body, mind and spirit under a single umbrella. The first rules on this planet were born that were agreeable by many thus also creating the first society in the process. The entire fabric of this massive society is intertwined and knitted properly together by the glues called trust and rules.Even one cease to exist, the society will degenerate into chaos and anarchy. As the Earth evolved, the societies also transformed themselves from being crude to civilized to highly civilized and so did the rules changed along with the progression of Earth and society.They were framed by the governing authorities to ensure that the society not only survives but also thrives and prospers for the future generations also to make a mark on this planet. Just like the two sides of a coin, in some instances, the rules were also thrust upon the people by dictatorial regimes who mercilessly flayed those who bravely flouted their rules. Karma - the omnipresent and omniscient judge always ensures that the correct verdict is given at the right time to all those wrong doers.

I completed my MBA from Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore.With close to 23 months work experience prior to my MBA, I was initially shocked to see the numerous rules in hostel and college that I felt like a dog on the management's leash! Luckily, good sense prevailed when I questioned myself why were there so many rules and I understood that the rules were put in place for a specific reason - to bring order by those who had misused and abused the freedom given to them by the college and hostel earlier. When some one gives you the complete freedom in an institution like a college or a corporate, it is always the right thing to maximize the best use of the available resources to be very productive in all the endeavours. The moment when the authorities feel that their trust is being violated and put to wrong use by any student or employee, it is only then that they have no other alternative but to wield the cane to guide these unguided through the rules.

But, even I was appalled when I read the following rules that were prettily pinned up in the notice board when I had gone to my college to be a part of the Diwali fest for the underprivileged children in the nearby village.

   

I enquired the officials and they said the rule set is for the entire Gauthama Bhavanam. So, the rules are applicable to not only engineering but also MTech, MCA and MBA. Usually, the waters in Amrita is extremely cold and it is very difficult to bath unless the solar heater works..Unfortunately, the sun is very lazy that he rarely pokes himself out of the clouds..So, how does a teacher can expect then the students to be fresh and concentrate in the class all day long if they do not have alternatives for a mere bath in the hostel and placing such restrictions? I am not saying that all those who bath are fully dedicated to the class..But, at least for sometime they can very well maintain the concentration level.On top of it, there's a new rule in ASB which says that students cannot take more than 3 classes leave else a grade cut will ensue. Supposing it falls below 5, then they are awarded an "F grade and should retake the exam. So, a student who baths in the cold water daily, falls sick and gets admitted in the hospital for a couple of weeks, then they will get an automatic F without even writing the exam! One of my friend, Navaneeth Suresh, has had a first hand experience when he was admitted in the hospital for a week and had to literally fight tooth and nail with the authorities to make them believe that all his doctor certificates are not doctored. Second, I had friendly chat with a caretaker of very healthy dog in a house near Gargi Bhavanam and asked him casually how come the dog is so fit..He told me that the dog is being fed with 2-3kgs of non-veg everyday.I am a brahmin by birth and do not eat non-veg.I am not saying or advocating that brahmins should/should not have non-veg.But, I do not eat it.That's it. I was still very angry that the students are being considered so inferior that are we so below the dog's position? There's also a worker's mess right next to Gauthama Bhavanam's mess which provides eggs to workers. So, we, the students who are nation's pillars tomorrow, are we so below them tooo?

I am not married or have a daughter..at least yet! But, my mom single-handedly brought up my sis and me after my dad's unexpected and sudden demise and it was also very difficult for us to find a son-in-law who does not drink or smoke or indulge in any bad habits. Fortunately, by God's grace, I am having a gem of a bro-in-law. Like me, there would be many with sisters and cousin sisters. Everyone knows that smoking, drinking and having drugs is wrong. But not all consume them. Some does and some doesn't. Then, the issue of indecent material. If the authorities are of the opinion that only porn can have a bad influence on a person, then they are falsely right in their views. There are many raunchy and steamy scenes in all the "woods" industry. Not to mention the racist risque and vulgar jokes that are shown and spoken brazenly in the movies/ standup comedies or the obscene lyrics in the songs. So, what do they mean by obscene/ indecent here ??..If the wardens search only the rooms as a surprise , then its okay. But, if they search them in public, just think of the psychological damage and mental trauma that they would experience. In fact, one such incident happened in Velammal school where the kid was subjected to corporal punishment and he took up his life. Even our revered law says that a 1000 criminals can go scot free but an innocent should not be punished. So, when our wardens find an innocent and highly sensitive student like the velammal kid, he is sure to contemplate and commit suicide because of the deep embarrassment he had undergone..A life is a life and he is also a son to his parents at the end of the day.

No one is against rules at least in MBA. Everyone understands that any rule put in place by the management is only for leading a better and harmonious life...But, it is only when they transgress rudely to the point that the rules can cause unnecessary embarrassment, it is seen as a problem..Amrita is a great place to be in - be it the beautiful environment, faculty, infrastructure or the educational materials. It is really good. But, the students spend as much time in hostel as they do in college. This is the stark reality which is happening at Amrita. Anyone can verify and confirm it for themselves, if they wish and want to!!

I still say that rules are needed for proper functioning of any system as without rules, all hell is broken loose! I am not saying that the rules needed to be student friendly. But, it shouldn't choke them to the point that they give negative word of mouth for the next set of batches to not to not be a part of this wonderful Amrita campus and culture. That is what I am really against.

2 Autos to Remember but the Key ?

Chennai Rains are like the Indian Cricket team finding a genuine fast bowler who can trouble and unsettle a batsman with his sheer pace breaching the 145 Kmph mark on a regular and consistent basis. Both are tough and difficult to occur! However, Mother Nature has other plans in her kitty. After what seemed like eternity, it rained cats, dogs, horses, cows and other domesticated animals in Chennai!  I felt someone was lullabying me and making me to go sleep despite the alarm waking me up like a persistent sales person! Surely, it was not my mother. But, it was the nice, pleasant,soothing and cool weather that was putting me into a trance in spite of the loud beep beep from my alarm @ 730am. As they say, time and tide waits for none. My mother started to wake me up shouting that its close to 8am. I sensed that she was shouting but all I could hear was a muffled mix of words and sounds entering my ears. I couldn't just getup from my bed. It was as if a girl hugging her teddy bear tightly and sleeping! But, I knew that as I delay further I wouldn't be able to reach my work place in time. It took a gargantuan effort from my end to finally find the right motivation to brush my teeth. The water was icy cold. The moment the chilled water was splashed across my face, I felt energized and cloudless refreshing. After a quick shower and rapidly hurried up breakfast,I made my way to office not on the road but on the sides of the roads! The traffic was so heavy due to the over night rains that the roads were completely occupied with streams of slow moving vehicles. To make matters worse and intricate, most of the two wheelers were riding along the mud and slush filled sides of the roads and I thought I was the smart one! It was extremely difficult to drive on the slippery roads as one wrong accelerator or brake would mean that I encounter a mud-spattered accident. It was not just I but every other two wheeler brought all our years of experience to the fore to reach our offices in time. So, following the principles of good, cautious, safe and intelligent driving, I reached my office @ 905 am eventually and prepared for the day ahead with my team.

It was 645pm. Zaapppp!! Time flew like a Superman racing up another Superman! Wanting to have a well-deserved rest in my bed with melodious songs to sync up with the romantic weather, I reached out to my back pocket for my keys. It was then all hell started to break loose! I couldn't find my keys. My instant reaction was that I had left my keys in the vehicle itself and by that time someone had scooted off with my Angelina Jolie! I rushed frantically to the parking spot and heaved a big sigh of relief on seeing my black beauty. It was then I wondered and cursed myself as to where I had missed my keys. I traced and retraced back to every location I had been to on that full day. But, to no avail. One of my friend gave me a possibility that I might have accidentally misplaced the keys along with the helmet in the storage space. There was a small glitch to validate this possibility. I still need the key to open up the storage space! So, I had no other alternative but to travel all the way home, take my spare key and come back all the way to office to ride away to home again. I just prayed to God that my spare key also hasn't gotten lost in my home!

I stopped a speeding and crowded share auto and sat precariously at the edge of the edge of the seat! It was exactly like standing at the last known visible land mass on the top of a hill and looking down from there but in motion! Three 2 wheelers, one auto and a bus would have literally scrapped away my left leg along with them. The traffic ensured that the vehicles were moving neck and neck with no breathing space. Once again, I asked for God's timely intervention for me to reach my destination unhurt, unscathed and in one piece. 20 gruelling minutes later, I arrived safe and sound at the Kilkattalai Junction where I hired another auto and asked the auto driver to make a dash to my home as I knew precious minutes were slipping away from my hand to rejoin with my Angelina Jolie again!

It was 8pm when I rang the calling bell incessantly. As soon as the doors were wide ajar, I quickened my pace and searched frenetically for the spare key. The place became terribly upside down and at long last, I was able to find the much needed hero of the day! I resumed my journey once again in the same auto to Karapakkam. I felt strengthened then after keeping the spare key safely in the back pocket! A swift glance told me that the auto driver did not subscribe to Ola. I was so absorbed in my worry and tension whether I would find my spare key to return back that I completely failed to notice that the auto driver did not have the Ola device when I travelled from Kilkattalai to Nanganallur. But, things were different now. I am to be reunited with my darling Angelina in another 25 minutes time. So, I decided to engage in a friendly banter with the auto driver asking him how come he did not possess the Ola device when almost every auto driver had the equipment with them. The small question turned into history, geography and biology of his family life! By the time, I reached to Karapakkam, I knew about his work life as much as he knew mine. Like the climax scene in Mudhalvan where Raghuvaran tells Arjun "It was a good conversation", I felt I had another eye-opening session with financials and the art of management from him. When all was said and done, I ultimately paid him for the double ride and briskly walked up to my lovely Angelina Jolie.  It was indeed a soul lifting joyful moment when I inserted the key and she was alive and kicking with full of life once again.

Epilogue:

The mystery of the missing key is as puzzling and baffling as the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370!

A Stand Up comedy or a Sit Down tragedy? - Part 2

His sweet and innocent explanation was that as he had revealed his very personal bitter truth to us and it left him to be stark naked than his physical all-bareness. Unfortunately, the real post mortem began then!

The show was really good but I felt it could have better if certain things had been done right from Papa CJ's end. There were many loose ends which were needed to be tightened so that people like me wouldn't spot and question the obvious. So, what was the obvious? Simple. During his narration, he told us that he had done his MBA from Oxford. But, at the very beginning of the show, he also recounted that he had never been to college in his life. BINGO! A very big contradictory inconsistency. So, a nagging doubt was frequently bothering me throughout the show whether his entire storyline was simply a farce including his child's part and thus making a big mockery and a laughing stock out of us or was the part about his separated child was real? The main reason which made me to question the veracity of his narration was that he had done his MBA from Oxford. It said so in his Wikipedia and official page too though nothing was mentioned about his personal life. So, this guy was indeed brilliant, brainy and capable of weaving a storyline that can be emotionally and psychologically appealing by hitting hard at the core soft spots in the accepting audience of Chennai. In fact, that's what he did exactly. He touched a chord in every one of us by relating so copiously and lavishly to every one of us through his personal anecdotes and established a solid yet unbreakable connection within the 75 minute performance. He ensured that by the show's end we would empathize with him when we left the concert hall. Papa CJ was spot on in his intentions. 

I heard a 6 feet tall girl wearing a tight black t shirt and blue jeans next to me saying sadly to her boyfriend/husband "I hope the sun shines brightly on Papa CJ's personal life and he is reunited with his kid again". That comment of hers was the single moment of truth and sparked me to time travel in my memories from the very beginning of the show. I recollected almost everything that he had detailed out during the show and realized Papa CJ was more than brilliant. He was extremely, exceptionally and extraordinarily crafty. I realized that Papa CJ was very methodical in his approach and thoroughly meticulous in its execution. Nevertheless, the boiling anger that he had duped me with his veil of apparent comedy was still raging within me. However, this was just a stand up comedy. So, I just took it with a pinch of salt and appreciated the guy's effort to make us laugh for almost an hour's time. To make people laugh is a mighty difficult task and to make the close to 1000 different minds to unite and cheer up for him is an even more significant achievement. When I was walking towards the parking lot, I got reminded of the jokes he made on Indians' obsession of Value for Money. 

Smiling to myself, I felt that this show was worth only Rs.500 for a Rs750 ticket and Rs.350 for a Rs.500 ticket tag. I could have seen at least 3 movies in Sathyam theatre as I had unnecessarily paid an additional Rs.400 !  The show began half an hour late and lasted for only 15 minutes short of an hour and half duration. I felt "Nanum Rowdy Dhan" was a better bet as I was completely satisfied with the movie and held a big grin on my face for a long time when I left the theatre.  The film truly and rightfully justified the definition of Value for Money!

-----concluded-----

A Stand Up comedy or a Sit Down tragedy? - Part 1

"Somebody's gonna get hurt real bad. Somebody". This is the only line that one of my friend showed me in the entire video and I was laughing like hell. I had been exposed to different kinds of comedies like slapstick, pun, witty, irony, sarcasm, satire, double entendres, insult etc through books, movies, serials and dramas. But, this was one of a kind comedy which I was seeing and experiencing for the first time. My friend informed me that it's a stand up comedy and its a big profession by itself. It has been more than 7 years since I have been seeing Russel Peters with his priceless wry and entertaining humor on observational comedy covering extensive areas like multi cultures, stereotypes etc thereby making me to go into a hysterical states of barrels of laughter. It was indeed a pity that I couldn't catch up with his show when he toured Chennai in 2015. Though the show was on a weekday, it would still have been impossible for me to have gone and enjoyed his remarkable piece of art as the ticket price was more than exorbitant - at least to me! It was not only costing an arm and leg but also eyes, ears, nose, kidneys and heart! I was very much disappointed that I had to beat a retreat after checking out the prices. Nevertheless, I was patiently waiting for the right opportunity to soak in the live experience of a stand-up comedy.

The golden moment presented itself to me through an TOI ad. There was a stand up comedy by Papa CJ to be held in Chennai at SMVCH. I was very excited that I can be a part of the show as the live action was on a weekend and also the outlay from my wallet was well within my budget. Immediately, I rang up one of my few unmarried friends to know whether he was interested to attend the show. I got a message later in the day ,exactly 15 minutes to be precise after the call to my friend, stating that 2 tickets were confirmed for the gig from eventjini.com.

I have never ever heard of Papa CJ in my life. All I cared about was to have a good laugh in a live killingly funny performance by a comedian. Still the curious cat in me wanted to know more about this Papa CJ before attending the event. A quick search in Google provided me with a lot of information especially the much needed confidence that this guy is indeed worth my time and money. Papa CJ has been in the business for more than 10 years, travelled extensively by performing gigs in several countries and has won many accolades from top jury. I felt I was going to an Russel Peters Indian substitute!

The D-day arrived. It was well past the show time. The event organizers mumbled a swift apology for the delay and proclaimed that the comedy piece would commence at 8pm. In the mean time, my friend and I were having an informal tete-a-tete discussion despite being within earshot of our neighbours! Our serious yet light conversation was fantastically interrupted by the loud cheers and chants from the audience who were hooting " Papa CJ" with animated vigour. There he was. In his black and black coat suit attire with specs and long hair - the internationally renowned Papa CJ was right in front of our eyes. 

He started with a few insulting ironical jokes thrown at the audience for always coming late ! The stage was set and the show had officially started. For the first 50 minutes, he had us spellbound in complete boisterous guffaws with his adult-oriented yet unadulterated comedy suiting the Indian audience to perfection. He gave anecdotes from his personal life and made fun of several incidents that we had encountered in the 90s like audio cassettes, multiple telephone lines, soaps as shampoo etc. Simultaneously, he was also undressing one piece at a time by starting with his shoes, socks, shirt and pant to go with the title NAKED! The ladies in the audience were thoroughly enjoying and waiting for the final boxer to come off from his body. Then, there was a reversal of fortune!

Suddenly things became very serious and sober when he started to narrate his personal incidents where he was beyond devastated and shattered to pieces before he began his career as full fledged comedian. He relived the mental trauma and psychological angst that he had undergone in the worst phase of his life when his marriage broke apart and how his 6 month old son had to be in the custody of his wife on the court's orders. Despite such a terrible ordeal, he began highlighting the importance of staying positive in life in spite of all the negative episodes that can literally suck up the hope and faith out of a person. Even in this highly emotion choked and a pin drop silent environment that ensued in the last 20 minutes of the show, Papa CJ ensured that the mood was not unsmiling and dour. He peppered his grave storyline with jokes by consistently engaging considerably with the front row audience. I was amazed at his improvisations and his ability to think on his feet at the speed of light!

By 915pm, the show came to an end. However, his boxers were still in tact. He finished the program by saying that he was completely naked in front of the audience though his boxers were still on!

------to be concluded-----

NRD - A Laughter Riot!

Kamal Hassan was absolutely right when he said "Comedy is a serious business".

The year was 1996. I was just 9 years old studying in my 4th standard then. Still this is one of my most indelible memories in my 28 years of existence on this planet. It was already 620 pm. The show was due to start @ 630 pm in Udhayam theatre. My cousins and I made a lightning 100m sprint to the theatre. We were just entering the theatre when the screen was displaying the title of the film "Ullathai Allitha". We heaved a big sigh of relief that no scenes were lost because of our delay. Saying a big thanks to God, we occupied our allotted seats. What ensued for the next 150 minutes was sheer rib tickling humor. The storyline belonged to the Tipu Sultan era! It was kept very simple but the true power of the film was in the screenplay. Sunder C's hilarious screenplay was such that the full theatre was in stitches. Even the climax fight sequences evoked serious laughter from the crowd! When I left the theatre, I felt I had a complete entertaining experience replete and satiated with good acting, decent songs and extremely amusing slapstick screenplay. Since then, we have had some mind blowing and amazing full-fledged comedy films like Avvai Shanmugi, Kadhala Kadhala, Panchathanthiram, Mumbai Express, Vasool Raja MBBS, Tenali, Soodhu Kavvum, NKPK, TVSK, OK OK, Boss Engira Baskaran, SMS, Kalakalappu, Tamizh Padam, Saroja, Chennai - 60028, Moodar Koodam etc. Joining this elite list is none other than NRD - Nanum Rowdy Dhaan which got released on Ayudha Pooja.

When I saw the movie's official trailer for the first time, my initial reaction was "What the! The director has plenty of guts in spilling out the entire 150 minute story by the time our favorite maggi noodles could be cooked!". Usually, a teaser and trailer always captures the interest of the audience by revealing as less as possible with all the good scenes packed within the duration of the teaser or trailer. But, here was a trailer which was daring and breaking all the conventions of a normal trailer by disclosing the story in its entirety and that too in 2 minutes. It was simply dare devilry when Vignesh had let cat out of the bag even before the film was released. I had to literally laud the director's extreme confidence in his script. It caught my eye that it was not going to be a normal movie. I decided to catch up with this film even though "10 endrathukulla" starring Vikram was also getting released on the same day. I thanked my stars that I did not take the wrong decision after I heard negative reviews for 10 Endrathukulla from my friends. 

So, here goes the review for NRD. Of course, no story would be given away as it has been ensured by the director himself! :)

When Vijay Sethupathi's (VS) younger version was sitting in a police cell and wrote police as his ambition, the things began to get underway slowly. But when Rajendran convinced him that it's better to be a rowdy than a police and the manner in which the letters in police transformed beautifully into rowdy, I knew this movie was more than different. It was going to be something special like Pizza, NKPK, Soodhu Kavvum not only for VS but for the audiences as well. 

First, VS - OH MAN! This guy is not only talented but also extremely versatile in his expressions, body language and voice modulation. Like how Atlas supports the heavens in Greek Mythology, VS carries the complete movie on his shoulder. He simply rocks throughout the movie especially in the climax scenes where we are left in splits on seeing the tussle between Parthipan and VS. I will come to Parthipan in a while. Let's focus on the other important character in the film - Nayanthara. Gorgeous. Ravishing. An absolute delight - be it her costumes, makeup or her strong performance. The scenes between Nayan and Anand Raj - the entire theatre was chanting red shirt along with her!! It was indeed stellar. Nayanthara stole the show along with VS in this roller coaster comedy ride. RJ Balaji with his quick and funny one liners - "Murder panna vandha eduthula idhungaluku games kekudhu, thu!". I was actually glad that the director did not rope in Santhanam to reprise this role. It would have been a memorable and an unforgettable cataclysmic disaster. The Rowdy Shop set up was eye-catching with all the a la carte painted fluorescent on the walls of the den. It was downright and outright funny. Just when you feel the film is going a bit slow, Parthipan comes and dishes out things in his unique style. He was menacing and humorous at the same time. The pre-climax and climax sequences were a tribute to his exemplary acting prowess. Even Mansoor Ali Khan, Anand Raj and other supporting actors contributed and delivered meaty performances in this highly fun filled rowdy drama.

Anirudh's sounds is an additional big pillar of this movie. His rockstar music punctuated with power packed BGM which was immensely head shaking and foot tapping along with well-placed songs in proper sync with the script was yet another highlight. Cinematography was spectacular and simply stunning - be it the beautiful Pondi or the night scenes. The scenes were visually pleasing and a treat for the eyes. But the biggest strength was the casting and the director's extra sensitive attention to details especially in the post climax where the movie ends by saying it is better to be a police than a rowdy!

NRD - Quirky, Wacky. Out of the ordinary. Laugh a minute. Light hearted. Entertaining and a thoroughly satisfying tryst with VS and co.

Laughter is truly the best medicine!

The Karmic Love - Teaser 5

The presentations were in full flow during the class hours. Rahul was as cool as a cucumber. Just like a cricket batsman knows that the best place to hit a ball is behind the bowler's head, he knew that giving a strong presentation in front of a large audience was his forte. Seated in the first row, Rahul was busy playing book cricket with his friend when one of his class mates was giving a boring lecture on "Microwave Radiation and its harmful effects". After successfully defending the cup and emerging victorious over his friend, a sharp noise made him to give an askance glance in the direction of the sound. Rahul's heart did a double jump. He saw his lovely Swetha smiling and nodding her head on the mundane topic. The microwave topic got over. Dr. Veeru summoned Sriram up to the stage for the next presentation. Rahul saw Swetha's eyes lit up brightly when Sri was walking rather clumsily and nervously, looking like an idiot, to the stage. His anger was mounting up and ready to erupt like a volcano. Keeping his cool under control, he wondered what Swetha saw in this floundering bullshit. Sriram began his presentation and all Rahul could hear was a drill boring a solid hole into his head and breaking his skull. He looked sideways and saw Swetha giving her most beautiful attractive reaction to Sriram. "Bastard" was the only thing which escaped from his mouth. His friend, Harsha , heard him swearing the expletive at Sriram. Immediately, Harsha kept his hand on Rahul's left shoulder and whispered "Don't do anything rash. It's your turn next". There were plenty of murmuring in the class. Dr.Veeru suddenly stood up and started to bellow in rage asking the class to be quiet and pay attention to the topic presented by Sriram. "My dear boys and girls. Take notes on the topics that are presented in the class. Who knows. Your question paper might have some 16 marks question on these topics" , thus smartly warned Dr. Veeru. Instantly, everyone were busy hustling their bags in search of note book and pen for taking the notes. Looking pleased with himself, Dr. Veeru said only 3 minutes were left for Sri to wrap up his topic. "And I have to bear this bloody ass for another 180 seconds" mumbled Rahul loud enough for Harsha to hear him say it. Harsha broke into fits of silent laughter. He was laughing so that that he went under the bench on the pretext of finding his pen and laughed even harder. It was perfect timing for Harsha to come back from underneath his desk and occupying the seat and Sriram to walk towards his seat. Rahul saw Swetha giving him a big thumbs up when he looked at her. Harsha saw Rahul giving him a cold and murderous look. Without any delay, he clasped Rahul's right hand and repeated again "Don't do anything rash. It's your turn next". Nodding his head, Rahul went to the stage as soon as his name was called upon by the rimless oval spectacled Dr. Veeru.  Rahul began to write the topic "Dreams" with the chalk on the blackboard.The moment his back was turned to the board, Rahul could hear muttering behind his back and was able to clearly identify Sri's voice even in that disturbance. He knew that the volcano was not only going to erupt but reduce it to ashes. Before Dr. Veeru could even utter another word on the commotion, Rahul turned swiftly and fluidly like a Karate Master and hurled the chalk right at Sriram. He could see the bewildered and angry expression on Swetha's face. The class fell into a hushed state of pin drop silence.