Enna satham indha neram...

A few years ago, I was working as an intern in a company for my final year project. Appo dhan naan first time Bangalore-la kaal eduthu vachu, parents vittu thaniya stay panni, mobile vangi..so it was a lot of first time things.

Nanga erkaneve academics-kaga oru threat-laye constant-a irupoma, thanks to my Mom threatening me every semester that if I don't score 80 and above, she wont pay the next sem fee, so vizhundu vizhundu project-kaga velai senjindhen. Podha kuraiku, indha company-la Dallas HQ-lerndhu thaane thedi vandha project vera, and I was dreaming of joining the company too. So irukara arva kolarellam serndhu night out ellam panni work pannindhen.

On one such night, I was so seriously working on my project, and a few other colleagues were with me. Avanga ellam regulars, unlike me, so avanga avanga office velaiya parthutrundhanga. Appo thideernu *scratch scratch*-nu oru satham. Normally engaloda office-la windows kitta sila pura koodu irukum, adhudhan-nu vittuten. But then it sounded so different from the normal sound of the doves, and then I realized that it was the sound of a mouse or rat scratching on something. Adhuvum en desk-lerndhe andha sound!! Ada kadavule, en desk-la naan irukardhu pathadhu-nu oru desk partner veraya-nu ore tension enaku. What if it comes and bites my foot, or damages something when I am not around? Seri ok, naan irukumpodhu mattum enna, adhai partha odi dhan poga poren-nradhu vera vishayam.

This sound continued, and soon en colleagues-kum andha sound kettu they came over to my desk. Enna idhu repeated-a satham kekkudhu, evalo eli iruku-nu yosanai engaluku. And since we all leave our official papers at the desk, we were all the more worried. The other colleagues were freshers from college, so not forgetting our talents honed at college, desk mela ellam eri we started searching for the rat(s). Cube-kum wall-kum nadula iruka gap-la, desk adi-la...kittathatta veerappana TN and KA police thedina range-ku thedu thedu-nu theda arambichom.

Enga cube-la nadakkara excitement parthu, pakkathu cube-lerndhu ellam makkal vara arambichuttanga. We told them that there are rats in the office, eniku edhu gaali aaga pogudho-nellam pulambittu, we were continuing our search operations. Suthama onnum kidaikkala, but by now the sounds had stopped. Seri ok, night eli ellam thoonga poirukum poliruku, disturb panna vendam appadinu we suspended the operations, and decided that we'll report it to the facilities the following morning."Ennangada idhu, MNC-nranga, facilities ellam super-nranga, oru office-a ozhunga vachikka mattenranga?!"-nu oru nyayamana kobathoda kaalaila puratchi pannanum idhuku-nu decision eduthuttu we resumed work.

Idhu mudinjappuram the following morning, I took out my mobile and called up my friend whose call I had apparently missed in this thedal koothu. 'Sorry yaar, inga oru eliya thedindhom, and in that excitement, I hadn't taken out my mobile from my bag, so un call-a miss panten last night adikaradhu theriyama'-nu vazhinjappuram, my friend said she'd call me back a couple of minutes later as she was busy with something.

Oru rendu nimisham kazhichu...a familiar sound emerged from my mobile which was set to vibration mode in an experimentation spree - *scratch scratch*..

(..and my colleagues ennai anniyan range-ku parkka...the rest is history..)

kadhai kelu kadhai kelu..

Have you seen people who can rewrite history? (Rajini/Vijay/Ajith/Sivaji fans, naan avanga range-kellam pesala ;)) Neenga ippo padikara blog-oda owner appadi patta oru uyarndha mahaan(i) dhan, chinna vayasulerndhe arivai jasthiya use panni panni, kodumai ellam appolerndhe start panten.

It all started with my sadhikara parents. Naanga car-la native place-ku every year povom for some festival, and we take the NH47 route. Andha route-la oru bridge varum, and the bridge starts with two huge pillars on either side. Indha idathuku varumpodhellam oru standard kadhai solvanga ennoda parents..they will start off saying "ingadhan ramanujam-ku accident achu", and will continue saying "Ramanujam was driving a car with his dad and mom sitting in the rear, appo indha idathuku vararche, the car lost control and he just drove right into the right pillar. Appo avaroda appa was thrown out of the car, and Ramanujam had several injuries, and all the 3 died". Idhellam naan kettundruppena, appo ellam the only Ramanujam I knew was the mathematician Ramanujam, coz that is what keeps coming in my lessons. So 1+1=2-nu naan decide panninten.

Next scene - Std VI, I am sitting in the classroom. Naanga class-la chumma ellam iruka mattom, edhavadhu teacher kelvi ketta, nanga mattumdhan badhil sollanum-nra arvakolaru egathuku irukum. Adhuvum vera, teachers kitta nalla per vera vangittoma, adanga mattom. Appo Math master ulla vandhar in his usual pink suit (yeah, romba vidhyasamana taste avaruku, ramarajan madhiri). He started off with some lesson, and as fate would have it, it was something that Ramanujam had come up with. So the topic turned towards Ramanujam. Math master kettar, "so does anyone know how Ramanujam died?". Ungaluke ippo therinjirukanum, endha arivali student-oda kai mela poirukum-nu - yep, naanedhan andha thappa senjen. My hand shot up, and he looked at me.

"Ramanujam died in a car accident!" - I said, my face glowing with pride. Ennai parthar master, avaruku thittavum mudiyala, coz edho sumara padikara student, so face-a kashtapattu normal-a vachittu he said, "Ramanujam died out of an ailment". Viduvena naan, naanga oru badhil sonna adhu eppadi thappaga mudiyumnu, I insisted, "no sir, Ramanujam died in a car accident, you know what, it is near my native town, and I have seen the accident spot too!!". Now he was really not sure if I have to be sent out, or I should be smacked up, but he patiently repeated, "no, he died from an illness". Naan, "no sir, my parents told me the story while we were going to our native town"-nu romba confident-a sonnen. Avar romba paavam, anegama adiche pazhakamilla ninaikaren, he gave me a pathetic look, and silently looked at the book he had in his hand. Inimel indha ponnai onnum panna mudiyadhu-nu, he simply said, "ok students, lets work on this problem" and continued with the problem. Oru vetri siripu appo en mugathula.

Idhu nadandhu konja naal aanappuram, I and my family traveled the same route for some other reason. Appodhan enaku nyabagam vandhadhu, indha madhiri oru discussion nadandhadhu class-la, and I had the last say(?!)-nu. So romba perumaiya ennoda appa amma kitta, "Amma appa, you know what, konja naal munnadi we had this class on Ramanujam, and my Math master did not know how Ramanujam died!! Appuram naandhan avaruku accident-nu sonnen"-nu sonna udane, thideernu car-la oru silence. En amma thirumbi ennai parthanga, "Usha, nee appadi nijamave sonniya?".."aamamma, avaruku adhu therila, thappu thappa padam edukarar" appadinu naan accusing-a sonnappuram, my Mom said slowly, "Usha, naanga sonna Ramanujam was our relative, and definitely not the mathematician". Avalodhan, en mugathula litre litre-a ennamo vazhiya arambichudhu (adhu enna-nu idhu varaikum enaku therila, any pointers?)

Paarunga, idhu ennoda thappu edhuvume kidayadhu!! Edho chinna kozhandhaiyache, solradhellam moolaila azhama padhiyume, parthu pesanum-nu theriya vendam? Ada atleast per solrache oru intro koduthuttu pesa vendam? Idhanala oru edhirkala VIP-ku evalo avamanam? Ennala appuram andha Math master-a nimirndhu kooda parka mudiyala, but great man, aniku class-la kelvi kekkardha niruthinavar dhan, appuram kekkave illa en class-la :))