A Bittersweet Diwali

Dum Dum Dum. Neither the atom bomb nor the hydrogen bomb had caused the loud and penetrative permeative sound on the eve of Diwali. Rather the reverberations were due to the thunderous crash made by the God of Thunder himself! Yes. Chennai, which had been stereotyped for so long as "Hot, Hotter and Hottest", ensured that those people chewed and digested their words through her lashy rains that were widely prevalent across the city since Saturday. It has been very long since Chennai had experienced such a heavy rain of this magnitude. Almost all the roads were completely flooded and cut off thus causing the city to come to a stand still. Surely, the tourists from Venice wouldn't have felt then that they were in a distant place far away from home! But, Varuna God did not show any sign of mercy and persisted with his relentlessness. Power was cut for more than 12 hours in many parts of the city as a result of the strong winds. Schools, colleges and even corporates were given a day off considering the potential threat and perceived risk of the incessant rains. Amidst a damp situation, around 3pm in the afternoon on Monday, the Lord of Rain decided that enough is enough and put the brakes on his super power so that the Chennaites need not have to wait until next year to celebrate Diwali with their family and friends. The festival kicked off, though in a very subdued manner, and the people slowly started to venture out of their homes after 2 days of imprisonment! The city was alive and kicking with rains still looming extremely dangerously on the horizon. Lord Varuna was still having the city in check. The people prayed and hoped that it was not a check mate!  

The happy festive proceeding began in full flow to match the city's floods that the dum dum dum noise was now due to the crackers. Time changes everything in a matter of hours! The sedated yet steady increase in sound and colorful lights culminated into a lively but moisty D-Day. However, the day which used to be punctuated with lots of 'damal dumeel' was rather politely interrupted with the occasional shots on this particular Diwali. The usually over crowded retail outlets were having a gloomy and sad facade on the radiant occasion. The rains were the prime accused for the cracker sales to have nose dived so sharply when compared to the previous years. This was very much evident from the fact that RSPM levels in Triplicane recorded a mere 90 microgram/cubic metre in comparison with 297 microgram/cubic metre from last year. Likewise, T.Nagar and Nungambakkam logged in 131 and 126 microgram/cubic metre this year from 180 microgram/cubic metre in 2014.

Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) are particulate matters with diameters less than or equal to 10 micrometres. As per the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) data, the RSPM levels have significantly plummeted by a mammoth 45.6% from 192.6 in 2014 to 105.6 in 2015. Though, it was still higher than the permissible levels of 100 microgram/cubic centre for a safe dwelling, this was still a positive step in the right direction for the levels of air pollution in the city to lessen during the Diwali time.

Despite all the data pointing out to the fact that the air pollution had considerably dropped, there were no such indications for noise pollution. Besant Nagar, well-known for its calm and peaceful residential surrounding, was the loudest with 83dB up by 10dB from last year. However, the average noise pollution in the city had gone down from 80.4dB in 2014 to 80.2dB in 2015. The facts look very promising for those 'green lovers' but not for the retails outlet owners whose bulky investments outstare them right into their eyes!

Though the Rain God may have played a party pooper on this festive day, the facts clearly indicate that this Diwali was relatively environment friendly to all the living beings and that this gala day was truly celebrated in the spirit of the letter of the festival.

Where are the animals and birds?

Brand New Dresses. Mass Movies. Mouth-watering Sweets. Inviting Savories and plenty of colorful Bang Bang! Yeah. The D-Day, Diwali Day, has surely arrived with a big bang! I am not going to touch upon the bad effects of bursting crackers - air pollution and noise pollution beyond the permissible limits, smog and garbage creation, fire accidents and fire injuries etc. I can very well give statistical data to prove them. Of course, Google will be my search God! In fact, everyone knows it too. So, what is it that I want to cover in this blog? In this blog, I wanted to cover the other important aspect that plagues a beautiful day as Deepavali every year - the animals and birds - who mysteriously disappear from the face of the earth for a brief  24 hour period and have their presence felt on the very next day itself if they are alive! 

My mom used to prepare and keep aside some hot plain rice for the crows on the verandah sill near the kitchen almost everyday before making ready the day's breakfast and lunch. However, when it is Diwali time, it is like everything in the universe has changed topsy-turvy.  She still completes with her cooking on time but there are no cawing crows or the scampering squirrels in the entire vicinity. It appeared as if their existence had suddenly become extinct like the Dodos and Dinosaurs! It's not just the crows and squirrels but also the cows, stray street dogs and other domestic animals, which roamed the roads with a high degree of freedom and independence, were simply not in plain visible sight. Just for a moment, I felt like calling up 100 to investigate the mystery of these disappearing animals and solve the riddle that happens on every Diwali but later realized that a special police team needed to be in place to trace their own men during the festive season!

According to the official records, the Chinese are credited with the invention of fireworks in the 12th century. As the days progressed, the eye-catching and many-hued crackers became a fascination and popular amongst the general population as the people were simply awed by the dazzling display of sparkling lights that lit up the skies. Eventually, it became an obsession for the masses to satisfy their thirst for material happiness. The idea had caught up with the rest of the world by then and almost all the festivals end up with the light and sound of the bursting crackers especially the dawn of every New Year. It was no different in a country like India which was already imbued and permeated with several festivals due to her support and tolerance for many religions.

When the terror demon Narakasura had died, his mother, Bhudevi, requested Lord Krishna to celebrate his death as a day of celebration and rejoice rather than as a day of mourning. This event may or may not have happened but the invention of firecrackers after the 12th century were the ideal boost for our masses to indulge and luxuriate themselves in the pyrotechnics and have continued the tradition as a customary practice on Diwali's day till date. Making and eating sweets, getting a new dress and watching a movie is perfectly fine. But, while you are bursting a cracker and reducing your hard-earned pile of cash to ashes, it creates tremendous problems for all the other living beings around us. Take the dog for example. The hearing range for the dogs is between 40Hz and 60Hz which makes their ears to be very sensitive than human ears. These sounds which may be loud and a source of happiness to us are actually high frequency tones that scares the dogs and puts them in a state of trauma. This makes them to be completely restless and go out of control by showing clear perceptible signs like shaking, trembling and excessive barking thereby driving them to take shelter under the parking cars outside. Unfortunately, they are not even safe there. The misfired rockets travel parallely to the ground and still hit their target like an eagle-eyed Olympic gold medal shooter! It's just not only the dogs but also the birds who fight for their survival during this so-called happy festive occasion. They dare not venture out from their nests during this time lest they want to be a Kentucky-Fried-Whatever bird classification! The smoke emitted by the bursting crackers can cause suffocation to the birds just like asphyxiation to us! Also, the rockets and all the other wonderful air-borne boom-boom can very well hit the cautious and scared resting birds on the trees thus resulting in their premature deaths. The same holds good for cows, squirrels, goats etc. At the end of the day, a life is still a life whether human being or non-human being. But, when I looked for any sign of dogs or cats or birds today, be it on the trees or under the cars, I was unable to find any thus lighting up my Sherlock brains to decode this million dollar conundrum!

I am not saying or advocating that no one should burst crackers. But, if we were to curtail and temper on the unrestrained nature of our violent happiness by showing a little bit of compassion towards other sentient life forms, Deepavali can truly become a joyous and rejoiceful day in the spirit of the letter of the word as requested by Bhudevi and granted by Lord Krishna.

Bridge of Spies - Strongly Built!

You have an extremely versatile and multi-faceted actor who have reprised and excelled many difficult roles with ease and panache even beyond the wildest imaginations of any director where all they can do is gasp and applaud him when he is in full flow. Then, you have a master class director at hand who has given several blockbusters like Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, AI, Minority Report to the latest award-winning Lincoln. As a part of the audience, I knew for sure that I was in for a treat. Oh wait! They have already joined hands together in their earlier and other highly successful ventures like Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal. So, there were no questions on the quality and outcome of the film. The real question which was racking my brains out was "How different is this film going to stand out for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks"?

After a breakneck travel from OMR to Velachery, I found myself just in time for the movie and sat comfortably in the plush seats of Luxe. The first scene was more than enough for me to gauge that this is going to be a no-nonsense film. The camera showed a person looking into a mirror who took his brushes and then proceeded to paint his portrait. The subtle  message underlying this scene was phenomenal - everyone has different identities and different roles to play as per the situation demands. It was even more apt for a spy genre! I was marvelling the wonderful thought process that had gone behind this scene when Tom Hanks made his presence felt in his first scene of "Bridge of Spies". As an insurance lawyer, he showcased how a proper negotiation should be carried out and concluded to the t. People used to say that the Bollywood flick "Rocket Singh" is a must watch for a MBA graduate. I felt this movie should also be included in that elite list. Even in the face of fire where Tom Hanks was faced with the daunting challenge to exchange a USSR spy for a USA spy from erstwhile USSR and an economics graduate from East Germany, he showed immense character to hard negotiate, convince and persuade the concerned authorities to exchange 2 persons for a single person. From a sales point of view, that's brilliant! It's like going to a car showroom and telling the sales person "Hey man! I need two cars for this single car". It's highly impossible to pull off such a feat. But, Tom Hanks ensured that the impossible became a possible like a piece of cake. Likewise, he literally grabbed the scene by the throat where he defended Abel in the USA court. There were claps in the theater. But, what really astonished me was the fact that the movie was inspired by true events! For a fleeting moment, I imagined how would it have been for the real Donovan to have experienced it first hand to go one on one with the then powerful USSR and East Germany all by himself.

Although serious, the film had its own lighter moments. I was laughing like anything when Tom Hanks walked into the USSR office and mistook everyone there for another lawyer and ultimately concluded that there was no such person!! It was downright funny even in the climax scene when he gives a jar of marmalade to his wife and his shrewd wife turns the bottle and finds out that he had gotten it for her from the nearby corner shop. The dialogues were also witty and were not overdone.

Overall, this Cold war spy drama turned out to be warm and funny with scintillating performances from Tom Hanks and co. "Bridge of Spies" is yet another feather in the cap for Steven Spielberg. Just like Lincoln and War Horse, there is surely another Oscar nomination for sure! :) 

The Grand Fall & the Big Guffaw (Part 2)

My mom was shouting at the top of her voice that I needed to wake up and get out of bed at that very moment so that the priest does not get delayed for the sacred thread ceremony which was due to start in 30 minutes time. As I was still sleeping like a polar bear, she came hurriedly to use her clever tactic that she had been employing ever since my school days - switch of the fan! It was then I woke up not because my mom switched the fan off but my mom was in a state of shock and screamed feverishly on seeing my injuries. I hadn't woken her up when I came quietly and slept into the room after all the dress ups and injections which the doctor had given me last night. I knew it was Avani Avittam but the intense searing and piercing pain in my arms and legs sufficiently ensured that I could neither sleep nor be ready for the festival. Before my mom could ask me any specifics on the deadly incident, I told her that everything can wait until the sacred thread is over. But, there was a catch here! The doctor had particularly warned me not to take bath for at least couple of days. However, the situation mandated that I should necessarily have a shower to complete the ritual. So, I was patiently waiting for the priest to solve this intricate problem. 

Avani Avittam is a very special event for all the brahmins world wide as the day gives them a ripe and golden opportunity to discard their old sins which they had committed in the last one year and begin afresh a new year with pure intentions and actions when their "poonal" is changed on this highly auspicious day. "Avani" is the tamil month and "Avittam" is one of the 27 stars in Tamil Astrology. Legend has it that the protector of this world, Lord Vishnu had incarnated as Lord Hayagriva - the Lord of Knowledge who restored the Vedas on this divine day. I was remembering whatever my dad had taught me about this important day when the priest arrived with his disciple. 

He was also horrified on seeing my condition and enquired whether I would be in a position to perform the rightful religious rites as ordained by the scriptures. I told him that I was ready but I hadn't taken a bath! Like the many loopholes in our Indian legal system, the priest did some quick thinking and said that as mine was a genuine case, I would be considered as an exception and exempted to take the bath to perform the rituals provided I do the Ganga snanam. So, the priest became a judge instantly and gave his judgement after careful deliberation of the facts and applicable laws to my case!

I was gritting and grinding my teeth to every inch as the pain became more than unbearable when I was asked to sit on the floor in the "chaplangaal" position to execute the rites one by one. After bearing another 30 minutes of excruciating mental torment and physical agony, the "poonal" changing ceremony was completed with the priest's blessings. Soon after the priest and his disciple had departed, it was an extremely volatile time for me then as I was thoroughly inundated with a flood of open question regarding the incident of the accident.

Epilogue:

I had wanted to write this blog as a horror story infused with my own personal experiences. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit in the element of ghost properly and the big guffaw is on me now! 

x-----concluded----x 

PS:

Whether I had intentionally created a ghost character or not and concluded in such a fashion in this blog is solely left to the discretion of the reader... :) :)

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!