T-1 The Beginning
அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் ஆதி
பகவன் முதற்றே உலகு
As all letters have the letter A for their first, so the world has the eternal God for its first.
“Amma”
No reply.
Keeping the lunch bag on the sofa along with the book bag, I started untying my shoe laces. Wondering whether she was on the terrace drying clothes, I slighty raised my voice
“Ammaaaaa,Ammmmmaa”
“Katthadha, Idho samayakattla irukken”
(Don’t shout. I am here in the kitchen)
Taking care not to step into the kitchen without washing my legs, I peeped into the kitchen.
“Amma, Janakaroda wife yaaru ma?”
(Mom, who is the wife of King Janaka?)
“Yenna da dhideernu?”
(Why all of a sudden?)
“Ada sollen ma”
(Just tell me no?)
“Team A on the buzzer”
“Sunayana”
With the most (And I cant explain it any other way) quizzical expression on his face, he peered over his gold rimmed spectacles at me and then at Team F who by the way had not reacted at all. The audience was waiting with bated breath looking at the quizmaster who was reveling in the uncomfortable silence that seemed to engulf the entire arena. It wasn’t more than 5 seconds but it seemed to be an eternity and as the lips started moving there was a noise that seemed to start up in some corner of the arena which slowly spread across the arena and reached a crescendo as Karthik punched me twice in the shoulder with unbridled joy and all I could do at that moment was just sit there with the stupidest smile on my face looking straight at nothing in particular.
Reaching down into my bag I was able to get my hands on the bottle of water and as the water started to trickle down my throat I was finally able to feel emotion flowing through me. The teams nearer were congratulating us and Team F was mouthing congratulations as they rose to get the runner up shield. Standing on our feet as we applauded them, we were waiting patiently as the quizmaster – now turned prize distribution emcee – announced
“And now the Everyday National Champions of 2007, the team of Vignesh and Karthik of Kalvi Maiyam, Chennai”
As we got up to a huge roar of approval, I could see that the prize haul was totally worth it this time. After posing for the shutterbugs with the cycles and giving a “sure,da” everytime we heard the word treat, Karthik and I made our way out of the auditorium into the parking lot where Sahana was waiting.
“Hey thanks for coming at such a short notice”
“Save your thanks. Someday, and that day will come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me.”
“Please tell me she did not just quote what I thought she quote.”
“I have gone temporarily deaf nanba”
I have always wondered what the need for these pointless exchanges is. Maybe it’s a sibling thing but I have seen it in various forms across various relationships to limit it to just that. Dumping our cycles into the back of the car and our trophy/voucher laden bag into the front seat we bade her goodbye.
And that’s when it hit home. We are national champions. THE Everyday National Champions.
And there we were, making our way out of the parking lot and out of the place where we had finally realized something that we thought would be very nearly impossible a few years back. He was standing at the gates looking back at the auditorium from outside like people do a gopura dharisanam.
“I have never realized how big a place this actually is till now.”
“Yeah. It is, isn’t it?”
“All those times sitting out on the outside for the prelims”
“And then rushing in to get the best possible seats”
“Sitting with anticipation in the AC hall”
“Wondering if our names will be called upon”
“Even though we knew we did not stand a chance”
“Still staying till the end, looking out for any audience prizes”
“And we were never picked for a question we knew the answer to”
“Yet we came back”
He paused. I waited.
“We might never ever be here again”
Now I paused. I could get in a cheeky reply to that but I knew what he meant. And he probably knew that too.
“I know”
“But whatever happens from here on out, we can be proud. And you know why?”
“Because we did it”
“Because we did it”
“Anna inga saravana bhavan engayavadhu pakkathula irukka?”
(Sir, is there a Saravana Bhavan nearby?)
“Nee epdi pora thambi? Vandiya illa autova?”
(How are you going? Vehicle or auto?)
“Pakkathula edhavadhu bus stop irundhudhuna…”
(If there is a bus stop nearby…)
“Ipde right orama ponina DMS bus stop varum. Anga subwayla erangi edhirka irukkura bus stoplendhu pondi bazaar pora bus pudichena saravana bhavanla udum”
(Walk on the right and get into the subway at DMS bus stop and go opposite and get any bus to pondy bazaar to drop you)
“Thanks anna”
“Some things never change”
“Still think it was cheeky of your to ask an auto guy to tell you the bus route”
I smiled at that incident 4 years ago. He was right though. Some things in life just don’t change. And this one has become kind of a ritual. We browse through the menus as if we were new to HSB and as if we were going to order any other kind of starter when we both will call for it at the same time.
“Rendu sambar idly”
And then we laughed. Right on cue without a missed beat. And the guy who takes the orders waits on to hear the rest of the order as we then go on different paths after starting off at the same point. Is that a metaphor I just used without thinking of it? I guess I did.
“So what next?”
“I guess I will go for a ghee roast”
“You do know very well that I am not talking about that”
“We are just giving our orders and you ask me what next and I sure should know that you are not talking about eating. Right“
“Sarcasm aside, what are your plans for day after tomorrow?”
“I have not thought about it”
“Damn. I thought you might have had some good idea or two by now”
“Sorry da but I wasn’t exactly in that zone”
“Guess I will just talk and get done with it”
“There is a thought I haven’t heard never before”
“Oh shut up”
“Ok. Shutting up”
“These idlis are late today”
Some things in life do change.
“Ennada innum saapdalaiya?”
(Not yet eaten?)
“Illa da. Lunch eduthundu varala”
(Nope. Did not bring lunch)
“Munnadiye solli irukka vendiyadhu dhaana. Share pannirukkalaamla”
(You could have told me before no? We could have shared)
“Illa paravalla da”
(Its okay da)
“Seri vaa. Canteen poi edhavadhu annakitta kaasu koduthu vaangi thara sollalaam”
(Ok come we will go to the canteen and give money to an older student to buy for us)
“Vendaam. Enakku perusa onnum pasikala.”
(No. I am not exactly hungry)
“Dei inga paaren yaaro idly waste pannirukaanga window sill pakkathula”
(Hey look someone has wasted idly that too on the window sill)
And as my hand thrusted my lunchbox deeper into the bag, I looked at the crow eating the cold idly
“Vicky. Vicky”
“Uhhh”
“What are you staring at?”
I blinked. I was looking out of the window at nothing in particular. Yet there was a lingering echo of the memory that had shown itself to me. Guess that is why the post lunch hour is the most stressful time in school when you need to be awake, more so if you are sitting next to a window.
“Nothing”
“You are next”
“Oh. Okay”
I sat up, took a deep breath and dived into the schoolbag and got out the file that was reserved for today. As the teacher called out my name, I made my way across to the centre of the classroom and looked at all the surprisingly alert eyes of my classmates. I had wondered how I was going to start it off for nearly two full days but now it seemed to me, that I knew exactly what to speak.
“You know, having a name start with V has a lot of advantages. Like you get that extra two minutes of time during attendance time when you can come in later than most. Or when you get to sit in the exam hall right near the back bench and you have an excellent vantage point. Or days like today, when you are the last person to speak. But today, is not exactly an advantageous one you know. Especially when you know that this is the last time you are gonna be sitting in a classroom and you will never meet each other HERE after today, except only for the exams. Because lets not kid ourselves, it will be very difficult for us to keep in touch with the other 30. So already knowing this is going to be our last day like this, I don’t know why each of us had to do or talk something but in keeping up with the spirit of those before me, I too have an idea. And given that I am the last roll number in this room, this does lend itself a poetic hue”
And so I opened my file and gave one sheet to everyone in the class.
“You know on each of those sheets is a letter. I have put them in at random so more than one person could have received the same letter. Also the letter is not language specific. So why did I give you this? Its because I want you to remember today. Years down the line, you might have photographs of this day with you but very few memories associated with THIS particular day. So write down a word associated with the letter that will make you remember always why exactly this was a special day and a special place. There is no restriction on what you should write because the word need not make sense for anyone except you. Except your name on the blank side of the sheet before you hand it over back to me.”
And as the pens scratched across the papers and people came up to me, I noticed a lot of smiles. Not the ones that are on the face but the ones that stretch back to your eyes. Genuine smiles. As the last of the papers came in, I put them back in the file without going through them and looked back at my classmates.
“Well I thought I had finished up but then I could not but then this sudden random thought popped into my head. We all know about Thirukural with its 1330 couplets. That is one of the most distinguished part of studying in this school. Everyone knows it. Not necessarily remember it. So, I was wondering whether we can use that unique number as a sort of identity for ourselves. Today being January 17th 2007, lets all meet up here exactly 1330 days from now and look at what we have written here. “
Why did it have to be me? Why did it have to be now?
“Paathu po paa thambi”
(See where you are going kid)
Damn. I had almost crashed into the autorickshaw. I must not think while cycling. But I cant stop the thoughts. Not at a time like this. I straightened my cycle and then started cycling more hurriedly than before. Why did I have to complete the eating process even after the telephone call? Of all days I decide not to waste food today. Good going Vicky, good going.
Perfect. Just when I needed a clear way, good old Corporation thinks of finding a treasure in the middle of the road. And the brakes have just died on me. No. I looked down and saw the chain hanging out. I should not have pushed the cycle too much. Where is the nearby cycle shop? Ah there is one. Fantastic there is a queue now. Two punctures to boot.
“Anna chain kazhundu irukku. Adha mattum seri panni kuduthuteengana…”
(Bro, just the chain has come off. Please fix it no?)
“Thambi pakkathula saapda poirukaan. Itho vandhuduvaan…”
(The other guy who works here has gone for lunch. He is due now so he will fix it for you)
I kicked at my cycle in frustration.
“Hey what happened?”
“Nothing man. Just the cycle chain has come off. Wont take much time”
“Ah okay. By the way, nice idea that was today. Was talking to some of the other section guys and they seemed impressed at this idea. Seemed like they wanted to be a part of it too”
“Yeah a couple of ‘em approached me saying you sent them.”
“Cool eh? You seem to have a knack for such weird but wonderful ideas man.”
“Thanks but its only half finished. 1330 and yes it would be worth it”
The chain was fixed and I got up to wash my hands off the tap near the cycle stand. Thankfully I had avoided the grease rather adroitly if I might say so myself. Taking the stand off the cycle, we pushed it out of the gates and started off home.
“Will call you around seven”
“Okay”
“Hello”
“Dei naandhaan. Enna edhavadhu padichu paathiya”
(Hey its me. Did you go through any of them?)
“Pathen. Innum fulla paathu mudikala.”
(Yeah saw. But not yet completed)
“Irukaradhu oru muppathezhu peru. Adha padikaradhukku unakku evlo neram da venum?”
(Dude, there are just 37 sheets for you to read. How long does it take?)
“Muppathi aaru. Enna sethukaadha”
(36. Don’t include me)
“Pedantic. But point remains the same”
“Its not that easy you know. You kinda get blocked from doing it at a single go”
“I wonder what possibly could have blocked you from reading just 37 words?”
And my eyes fluttered onto a sheet with the bright violet A and the letters that completed it.
Amma.
