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Avan, Aval Adhu 448
chance word origin from Old French cheance, from cheoir ‘fall, befall’, based on Latin cadere . a possibility or probability of anything happening.
Synonyms for the word chance accidental, and unforeseeable. possibility, probability. fate, luck. gamble, risk.
Rahu is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the Moon in its precessional orbit around the Earth, also referred to as the north lunar node, and along with Ketu, is a "shadow planet" that causes eclipses. Despite having no physical existence, Rahu has been allocated the status of the planet by ancient seers owing to its strong influence in astrology.
Rahu is mentioned in the Puranic texts. The tales begin in the "remotest periods of the earliest of time when the devas and asuras churned the ocean of milk to extract from it the amrita, the elixir of immortality." Mohini, the female avatar of Vishnu, started distributing amrita to the devas. However, one of the asuras, Svarbhanu, sat in the row of devas and drank the amrita. Surya and Chandra noticed him and they informed Mohini; however, by that time, Svarbhanu had already become immortal. Vishnu, as Mohini, cut off Svarbhanu's head with his discus, the Sudarshana Chakra. Svarbhanu, henceforth referred to as Rahu and Ketu, could not die, but his head was separated from his body; his head came to be known as Rahu, while his body came to be known as Ketu. Following this event, Rahu and Ketu gained the status of planets and could influence the lives of humans on Earth. Rahu and Ketu became bitter enemies with Surya (Sun) and Chandra (Moon) for exposing his deception and leading to his decapitation. For this, Rahu pursues them and attempts to consume the Sun and Moon. Since Rahu is the head without the body, the Sun and Moon exit from his throat when he tries to swallow them. This recurring cycle creates the grahana, an eclipse of the Sun and the Moon, which represents the temporary revenge of Rahu.
Any activity or journey, whether of short or long distance, initiated or undertaken during Rahu Kaalam is believed to meet a significant degree of failure, lack of success, delay, and postponement.
Meenakshi who had been drowning herself in the memory of the kiss that Ravi had given her as a parting gift nearly jumped out of the sofa chair she was sitting in. The large iPhone displayed " R calling " and its ringtone urged her to take the call.
Grabbing the phone, she quickly answered, ' Hello R. Meenakshi here. Any good news? '
' Patience Meenakshi. It's been barely a few hours since our meeting.'
Meenakshi's voice clearly revealed her disappointment along with her barely concealed anger, ' Oh, I see! I thought, No. What I thought or rather, assumed was that a few hours would be more than enough for you to take out a woman. I guess I thought wrong?'
The snorting and scoffing noises from the phone clearly revealed to her what Rajendran felt about her thoughts and she quickly went about apologizing to him.
' I am sorry, Rajendra. I meant no offense with my reaction.'
' It's all right, Meenakshi. I would have been offended and hurt if I had not known you well. But since I do know you very well, I can understand your state of mind and also understand your reactions and thoughts.'
Meenakshi thanked him and then,' So...what is going on? If you have called me then it concerns something important. Am I right? The reason why I am saying that is, that a person who values time like you do will surely not make courtesy and friendly calls just to shoot the breeze.' ( shoot the breeze - casual conversation, chatter, to talk with someone about unimportant things for a long time).
' You are right. The reason for me calling you is that I wanted to know a little more about this lady Madhurima from Mumbai and....'
' and what R ' Meenakshi asked and Rajendra replied, ' And to also warn you to stay away from Madhu and more importantly not to make any kind of moves against her on your own. Please, promise me that first, and then we will talk.'
Meenakshi in a slightly confused voice, said, ' Okay. I promise. '
' Good. Now please, take your time and tell me all that you know about this lady. Please, don't leave out even the smallest detail.'
Meenakshi's primal animal instincts came fully awake and like a shark that had smelt blood in the water, honed in on Rajendra's questions and the reason behind those questions.
Taking a moment to arrange her thoughts and her tone, Meenakshi began talking about Madhu and told him everything that she knew.
' So, all you know about this woman who you consider your sworn enemy is just her name and the city that she currently lives in.'
' Yes. Why, Rajendra? What more or what else should I know about this stupid bitch who has come to die in my land?'
' A lot more, Meenakshi. A whole lot more and if you had possessed that knowledge about this lady, then you wouldn't have made those moves, and that too twice which resulted in you losing so many men. What is worrying and what needs to be closely examined about this situation is that all your men have disappeared off the face of this planet or...'
' Or what, Rajendra? You mean to say they have been arrested and are being held captive in some unknown location.'
' No. What I meant to say was that they are all dead and are several feet underground and will never be seen again.'
A chill of fear slowly ran across her body, freezing it as she asked, ' Who is doing this? Who is behind all these deaths and how is Madhurima connected to all of this?
' I don't know Meenakshi. I am still in the process of gathering more details and I have sent a word out to some of my contacts in Mumbai and hopefully, I will know more in a couple of days.'
' Rajendra, I am sure this person who I spoke to knows more about this situation.'
Rajendra's own instincts tingled loudly and he quickly looked at Android Hybrid 25C and made a circling motion with his fingers then in a soft and innocent voice, ' Which person are you talking about and why did he call you?'
Meenakshi answered his question honestly but left out the parts where the man had broached the subject that lay in the past and that concerned the disappearance of her elder brother, Sundara Lingam.'
' He did not say much, this mysterious man but somehow he seemed to know everything. And then there was this feeling that I felt....'
Rajendra waited for a moment and after several moments of silence, asked Meenakshi what she had felt when talking to the unknown person.
' Just from talking to him on the phone and just from his voice alone, I could sense and visualize a very strong man. Strong not just in body but in mind. But, above all that I felt he was toying with me, playing with me like I was a child.'
Rajendra's voice was full of wonder as he said, ' It would have been helpful if we knew the name of this person, and would have been great if we had a photo of him.'
Meenakshi yelled in an excited voice, ' I don't know what his name is but I have a recording of him talking to Crime Branch Inspector Sargunam.'
' Are you serious? Really. But how did you manage to collect that information.'
Meenakshi's smile was full of evil intent as she informed Rajendra, what she had told one of the men to do secretly and without confiding it to anybody else.
' I told one of them, whose name is Chandran to call me if he felt something important was going on and he did and I recorded that call. But sadly, the call was cut off before the man introduced himself to Inspector Guna.'
' Good. At least this is a start. Send me that audio clip immediately and I will check it out. Maybe, my computer might be able to glean some information from it that is not possible for us.'
' Okay. I will send it right away ' Meenakshi told him and then asked, ' Rajendra, you are yet to tell me the reason why you want me to stay away from this stupid cow called Madhurima.'
Rajendra thanked her and said, ' This stupid cow called Madhurima is now known as Mrs. Prem and is the head of Premji associates.'
' So what. She is married to a guy called Prem. Big deal.'
' A small correction, Meenakshi. She was married but right now she is the widow of the late Premji and also now runs their company that is roughly estimated to be worth 20,000 crores or more.'
Meenakshi gasped in shock and Rajendra quickly added, ' That is not all about her. There is more I am sure. But right now the most important detail that you should know and be fully aware of is that she is connected to the ruling party and at the same time has powerful friends in all the major opposition parties.'
' What do we do, Rajendra? How are we going to take her out, if that is even possible?'
' Nothing is impossible, Meenakshi. Anything can be done if done correctly and with proper planning. So, just stay out of sight and out of trouble and wait for my call. Okay.'
' Okay, Rajendra.'
' No, say it with conviction, Meenakshi ' Rajendra growled and said, ' your stars are tied with my stars now. Anything you do will reflect on me and in case you didn't know one thing about me, it is that I do not tolerate mistakes and that too, silly ones made by emotional people and by those who do not heed my requests which are really commands and my direct orders.'
The call ended with that dire warning and with the new information that Madhu was far richer, more powerful, and more connected than her. Meenakshi closed her eyes in despair and cursed her bad times.
But bad times had already snuck into her life and had decided to stay put for a little while longer.
To learn more and recollect the conversation between Spartan ( Azhagan ) and Inspector Sargunam, follow this link to chapters 368 and 369.
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Avan, Aval Adhu 449
Major Param Singh stood surveying the land that lay behind Ravi Kumar's house with his binoculars and slowly lowered them and declared, ' Mr.Ravi, this portion of your house that lies in the direction of the west is the weakest link in this whole security operation ' and raising the binoculars to his eyes, he scanned the areas to the North and South and lowering them wearily, ' Honestly, in my opinion, this is a nightmare situation.'
Ravi stood still with only his eyes roving from left to right and then right to left and without turning enquired in a polite voice, ' Major, I am a civilian. So, kindly bear with me and please explain to me why you used the words " Weakest link and nightmare situation ".
They both had stepped out of Ravi's property through the small gate that was built into the compound wall in the rear portion of the house and that which faced the west.
Major Param stepped forward and raising both his arms turned slightly, ' Look at this forest. Trees, trees, and more trees from left to right and right to left and a whole lot more into the west.'
Using his right hand to point to Ravi's compound wall, and using his left hand, Major Param pointed at the trees that stood tall and imposing in their natural grandeur, ' My dear headmaster, you have your own private forest right outside your house.'
He marched quickly and after covering a distance of 35 to 40 feet, he turned around and yelled ' Tall grass and then more grass and then trees. This foliage is really very dense and it reminds me of the Amazon forest in South America.'
He slowly walked back to where Ravi stood and placing his hands on his hips, ' How can I guarantee complete and absolute protection in this kind of Ambiance and forest environment?'
Pointing in the direction of the house, ' The East, South, and North can be watched and I can guarantee reasonable security cover. But, when it comes to the forest..' Major Param Singh paused and looked worriedly at the imposing forest whose innards looked dark and dangerous even in the bright afternoon, ' Even if I am provided with an entire army, I will not be able to cover that place.'
Ravi smiled and seeing him do that, Major Param Singh asked in a slightly irritated voice, ' Mr.Ravi, you find me and my thoughts funny. I am being deadly serious sir. If I and my men have been summoned here to watch over you, then it means that my superiors suspect that you and Madam are facing some deadly threat.'
Ravi apologized and in a very polite voice, ' Major, I am sorry if my smile has offended you. Please, forgive me and believe me when I tell you with absolute faith that this forest and this direction are the least of your worries as are all the other directions around my house. In fact, not one stranger and that to anyone suspicious-looking can enter our village without me hearing about it.'
Pointing towards the Highway, ' The distance from the highway to my house is exactly 4.7 km. The land adjoining the road into Kumarapalayam is for agriculture and so there is no way into this village through them.'
Major Param pointed to the forests that ruled the west and the area behind Ravi's house, ' What about this direction and why do you say that the forest is the least of my worries when a single sniper can hide in one of the trees and fire a bullet into us from their vantage position?'
Ravi's smile was dead serious and Major Param Singh knew that there was nothing funny or offensive about it nor what he heard next.
' Major, that forest is part of a legendary forest called Perumalvaram and most of it is forbidden land.'
' Forbidden? By who, Mr.Ravi Kumar?'
Ravi smiled, ' By the forest itself and all those who dwell in it.'
Major Param sighed and tried hard to look polite and sound polite but failed miserably for he could not hide his contempt completely. ' I am a firm believer in the concept of God and I also firmly believe that there is a lot of stuff that cannot be explained or understood.'
Pointing to the forest, ' But, this is something a bit too much to take in and understand and given the situation we are in right now, I doubt if we can rely on myths, legends, and fairy tale creatures.'
Patting his holster that hung on his right hip and which housed his Glock handgun, ' At times like this, I put my faith and complete devotion in my weapon that has served me well until now. All it takes is a single bullet to the head to end a life. Be it man or animal.'
Saying that he quickly walked away whispering some mysterious commands into his walkie-talkie.
Ravi stood staring at the forest and closing his eyes whispered a prayer.
Deep inside the forest, A set of eyes opened and blazed a fiery orange and its lips moved and whispered words and immediately the forest came alive and began to communicate with each other.
Avan, Aval Adhu 450
A man must find time for himself. Time is what we spend our lives with. If we are not careful we find others spending it for us. It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, 'Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?' If one is not careful, one allows diversions to take up one's time—the stuff of life. Carl Sandburg
If there were a little more silence, if we all kept quiet...maybe we could understand something. Contemplation seems to be the only luxury that costs nothing. Patience is a virtue and a power too. Patience tells us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that we get over there one step at a time. Patience teaches us not to rush. Knowing that there is a reason and a season for everything enables us to smile at the challenges, realizing that there is an answer to every problem. And, even though we cannot see it, yet, there is an awareness that within every crisis lies an opportunity.
Ravi had left Madhu to go and meet Major Param Singh but he had left his heart and soul behind. All his senses remained behind and entering the house, his eyes immediately sought her out and not finding her looked at Parthiban who pointed to his room and mouthed silently, ' She is in your room and I think she has fallen asleep.'
Ravi thanked him and seeing his mother and Daksha busy in the kitchen, he told Partha, ' I will just go in and check on her and see if she is doing okay ' and before Partha could say something, Ravi smiled and said, ' I will not disturb her da. Just want to be sure if she is all right.'
Partha nodded, ' I know. We all know that you both were having a very deep and highly emotional conversation. Perfectly understandable da. You guys are meeting up after so many years and on top of that you guys love each other madly.'
Looking at the kitchen, Partha stared at Daksha for a few moments and said, ' I don't know how you have managed all these years, for I know for certain that I don't have the strength that you have and I would have preferred death than be separated from Ducks.'
Sometimes in a melancholic mood, one tends to express their thoughts in a very profound and meaningful way and it leaves even the person who said it in surprise.
The same happened to Partha and realizing the depth of the words that he had just uttered, he hurriedly looked at Ravi whose eyes sparkled in the beams of noon light that entered through the door and bounced off the floor and entered the house owner's eyes.
' Partha, how do you know I am not dead? How do you know that I did not die that day when Madhu went away and what constitutes life and death?'
' Dei, Ravi, please da. Don't talk like that. It scares the life out of me. I don't know what came over me and what made me say all those things. Please forgive me, da.'
Ravi looked at him funnily, ' Dei, what's with all these strange rules that separate you and me?'
Parthiban's eyes went tender in emotion as he told Ravi, ' Dei, I am a nobody. I am nothing. But, you. You are special. You are a blessing. A blessing for all of us. I have spent most of my adult life knowing that you are in my life and that you are just a call away. You know how much more confident I feel knowing that you are there, always there to guide me, protect me, and counsel me.'
' So? '
Parthiban looked at his friend, ' Ravi, most of us live out our lives in mundane ways. But, not you da. You bring hope with your presence and fill us with courage and clarity with just your voice.'
' So?'
Partha lost it and growled angrily, ' WTF! What's with you and your so, so questions? Dumb Bas.ard. What I am trying to say is that I can go, my ducks can go but not you for that loss will be felt more and will leave an irreplaceable void in all our lives, and then life will not hold any meaning or purpose for me, and for most of us.'
Ravi nodded and sighed, ' So, what you are trying to say is that it is okay for me to suffer and that it is not okay for you to suffer?'
Seeing Partha search for something, Ravi reading his mind, grabbed his hands and said, ' No violence, please. Not here and that too with my mother in the kitchen. If she catches you slapping me or punching me, even playfully she will beat you to death with her bare hands.'
Holding Partha's face in his hands, Ravi looked at him, ' At least I had all of you but stop and think of Madhu and how much she must have hurt and suffered all these years.'
Patting both his cheeks, ' We will talk more, later ' and throwing a worried look at his room, ' Give me a minute. I will just go and check on her and will be back.'
Ravi opened the door slowly and entered the room, shut it behind him softly, and looked at Madhu who lay sideways facing him and froze in fear for she was crying. His heart began to race as his mind tried in vain to fathom the meaning behind her tears.
Just as he was about to rush to her side to gather her in his arms and console her, he heard Madhu whisper and realized that she was talking in her sleep.
' I am sorry, Ravi. Please forgive me for lying to you. I had no other choice but to protect my stepdaughter. I know lying is a sin and that too lying to the person who I love so much.'
Then suddenly her eyes opened and she sat up and immediately her eyes locked on to his eyes and they flared open in fear and in a trembling voice, she asked, ' When did you come in?'
Ravi not knowing what to say looked at her helplessly and answered, ' Just now. Just a few moments ago.'
Slowly, Madhu's eyes lit up in realization and her hands went up to her face and feeling the dampness of her sad tears, she looked at him and asked, ' Did you hear anything? Did you see me cry and hear me talk in my sleep?'
Ravi being Ravi was true to his soul and so nodded and looking away said, ' Not much.'
Turning around and placing her legs on the ground, she patted the bed and said, ' Come here and sit by my side, Jaanu.'
' No, Madhu. It is okay. I will leave you to your thoughts and your privacy. Come out and join us when you feel you are ready.'
' I am ready now, Master sir ' she said in a firm voice and when he looked at her, ' I am ready to talk to you and tell you everything. Then you decide for both of us and I will abide by that decision.'
Ravi shook his head, ' Madhu, there is nothing left to decide anymore. You are here and that is enough for me. Nothing you say or share will change that. I belong to you and you belong to me and we both belong to each other.'
' No. It's not so easy ' she said sighing sadly, ' if only life was so easy, Jannu. So come and sit with me and let me tell you and let me unburden everything.'
The beginning of love is to let those we love to be perfectly themselves and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
Love does not mean you will always agree, see eye to eye, or never have an argument. It means despite the bad days you still can’t see yourself without that person.
Love is like the wind. you can't see it but you can feel it.
At the end of the day, nobody's perfect and everybody comes with their own unique set of flaws and features.
People who stay in love don't do so because they have no choice; every single day is a choice.
Over the course of time, you begin to realize that the person you fell in love with is imperfect, and the true act of love, the true definition of loving someone, is loving those imperfections as wholly and completely as you love the good.
Love is saying I see you, all of you, exactly how you are -- the good, the bad, the things that you don't want anybody else to see. I see what you're ashamed of, what you wish you could hide. I see these things, and I still love you. I still choose you.
And you hope and pray and plead for the other person to do the same.
Avan, Aval Adhu 451
' I lied to you about something ' Madhu confessed and saying that, she quickly averted her face away from him.
' Why do you feel the need to turn away from me and that too when you are sharing something of a very personal nature ' Ravi asked and she turned and looked at him and replied in a shaky voice that reminded him of the little girl that he had met all those years ago and had fallen head over heels in love with her.
' I cannot look at you, your eyes for I don't have the kind of strength that you possess and I also feel guilty ' she whispered in a sad voice.
Ravi smiled tenderly and said, ' Surely, you are joking. Mocking me, for I pale when compared with your strength. And then, guilt? ' he said and stopped and shaking his head, placed a finger on his lips, ' Madhu, go on. Finish it and get it out of your mind. Once that is done, we can begin anew.
She took his hands in hers and gently kissed his open palms and resting them against her lips, looked at him and said, ' My Dada once told me that the mental strength of a person can be measured only when he or she is in duress.'
Lowering his hands, she looked at them as if she was seeing them for the first time, ' Jaanu, most people who appear strong are in reality just stone. Life has given them strength to endure and continue on but as rocks and stones. Their souls, hearts, and thoughts become hard and immovable and sadly because of that, useless.'
Engulfing his face with her hands, she rested hers on his face and whispered into his lips, ' What is the point of being strong when your strength is of no use to others, especially to those who are weak and in need of it.'
Ravi moving his head backwards looked at her as if he was a physician examining a patient and said, ' That is someone else, Madhu. Not you. For you took all that life threw at you and you not only endured but you thrived in those adverse situations.'
' Jaanu, you don't understand..'
' I do, Madhu. It is you who does not want to realize that I do understand you and that I trust your every thought and resulting action.'
She scrutinized his face for what felt like a whole minute and smirked, ' You do because you love me.'
Ravi nodded, ' True. But it is also true that I would feel the same way about any other person who I am close with and trust and understand their thoughts and motives.'
Her big brown eyes quivered and Ravi caught a glimpse of something lurking in their depths. A shadow. A memory.
His eyes immediately reacted and reflected his pain, seeing her suffering and not knowing what to do, she collapsed against him.
Throwing his arms around her, he held her close to himself and told her it was going to be okay.
After a few seconds, Madhurima asked with her voice muffled against his chest and the heart that lay just inches below her lips, ' Do you like children?'
' Yes. I do. I love children.'
' I do too, Jaanu ' she said and then clearing her throat, ' Will you hate me and stop loving me if I tell you that I cannot give you that happiness?'
She felt his body stiffen in shock and then she felt him slowly move away but still holding her in his arms.
' I am sorry, Ravi. I am sorry for troubling you with my burdens and my sorrow. Please forgive me.'
Then seeing his eyes full of tears, Madhu nearly lost and began to mumble, ' I am a curse. I should have never returned. I should have not met you in the first place. I am the cause of all your misery and turmoil that you have undergone from the moment you met me.'
Pointing to his eyes and pointing to his tears, ' Now, even now after all these years, I am making you cry. I wish my heart stopped beating and my lungs stopped breathing this very moment...'
She was stopped. Her lips were shut and she could not speak anymore for his fingers had shut them and the tears that he cried nearly shut down her heart and her brain.
She looked at him but could not make sense of his expression that filled his eyes and face for they revealed his confusion more than shock or sadness.
He spoke and then she understood. He spoke and then she realized what he really meant to her and what she really meant to him.
' You think that I will stop loving you if you, we cannot have a child? You think what I feel for you will diminish just because I cannot become a father?'
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