Judith Tramayne’s Conspiracy is a splendid novel comprised of mystery and thriller, filled with adept narration and characterization. The story revolves around a high-level conspiracy involving IRS, FBI and Congress. The suspense in the story is breathtaking and keeps the reader at the edge of their seat until the finale.
Breanna, the protagonist of the story, is blessed with supernatural powers which she has possessed and secretly maintained after she was struck by thunderbolt at the age of thirteen, which helps her to identify any defective documents by laying her left hand on them, and the fallacious disposition of a person by placing her right hand on their signature. She can even unlock any locked doors by placing both her hands on them.
During college she finds a part-time job at Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Seattle as an auditor to analyzes the tax returns and identify the authenticity of returns submitted, which she could do with tremenderous speed and spellbound accuracy using her special powers. Becoming an asset to IRS, she also becomes a close friend to Andrea Hamilton-Black, her superior, owing to their commonality – Andrea’s physic powers. Life is so smooth and Breanna enjoys her job and Andrea’s nepotism until on a meeting with Andrea on the Thanksgiving Day, where she finds out from her, about the conspiracy at the upper echelon of IRS on the misconduct of tax enforcement.
Soon after Andrea reveals the conspiracy to Breanna, she and her newly wed husband Scott were found dead in a hotel while honeymooning. Breanna determined to punish the killers of her best friend-mentor, starts her investigation to find the murderers and soon supported by Alex, Andrea’s son and an active columnist of the Washington-Post and Stone Reeves, an FBI agent, but actually a mole for the Justice Department, with whom she falls in love, in her pursuit. An attempt on Breanna life is also made. Someone wants to eliminate her desperately. Before it is too late, they had to get closer to the killer.
With danger surrounding them all around, the trio takes help of Adrienne, the lover of Alex who put them under the charge of her uncle, Jake, an antagonist of the government and wanting a revolutionary changes to the current constitution. All of them with Jack’s supporters join hands together to expose the high-level conspiracy, with their enemies hot on their tracks to find them and stop them before Alex exposes the conspiracy to the outer-world through his power of media.
The Climax is about whether their mission to put and end to the conspiracy and reform the government is accomplished, and all their attempts to safeguard themselves from their adversaries are successful.
Conspiracy is truly a gripping novel, enchanting the readers with its skillful recitation of actions.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Sardhar at his Best !!
One of the Best Sardharji Jokes I have enjoyed to the maximum.
Rajiv: Zail Singhji, How is your MBA preparation?
Zail Singh: Everything is fine, but I could not understand Logic.
Rajiv : Logic is very easy.
Zail Singh: Can you give me an example, so that I can understand?
Rajiv: OK. Do you have fish pot in your house?
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: Logically, there will be water in it.
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: Logically, there will be fish in it.
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: Logically, someone will be feeding the fish.
Zail: YES.
Rajiv: I take a guess that your wife will be feeding the fish.
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: So, Logically, you are married.
Zail: YES.
Rajiv : So, that means you are a heterosexual.
Zail Singh was very glad and he understood logic. Next day he meets Buta Singh who was also preparing for his MBA exams.
Zail: How is your MBA preparation?
Buta : Everything is fine except for the logic.
Zail : Oh,logic is easy.
Buta : Can you please explain it to me?
Zail : Do you have a fish pot in your house?
Buta : NO, I don't.
Zail : Saala HOMO!!!
Rajiv: Zail Singhji, How is your MBA preparation?
Zail Singh: Everything is fine, but I could not understand Logic.
Rajiv : Logic is very easy.
Zail Singh: Can you give me an example, so that I can understand?
Rajiv: OK. Do you have fish pot in your house?
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: Logically, there will be water in it.
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: Logically, there will be fish in it.
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: Logically, someone will be feeding the fish.
Zail: YES.
Rajiv: I take a guess that your wife will be feeding the fish.
Zail : YES.
Rajiv: So, Logically, you are married.
Zail: YES.
Rajiv : So, that means you are a heterosexual.
Zail Singh was very glad and he understood logic. Next day he meets Buta Singh who was also preparing for his MBA exams.
Zail: How is your MBA preparation?
Buta : Everything is fine except for the logic.
Zail : Oh,logic is easy.
Buta : Can you please explain it to me?
Zail : Do you have a fish pot in your house?
Buta : NO, I don't.
Zail : Saala HOMO!!!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
The 11:11 Syndrome
Lately the 11:11 syndrome has struck me deeply! The name might suggest a disease, but it’s not…. it’s rather a silly experience which I am calling it a Syndrome, for a very simple reason that, I am frequently experiencing the symptoms of it.
Now what is this 11:11 syndrome??? – It is simply nothing but too much of a time coincidence…
Whenever I glance at my system-clock, wall-clock, or any kind of timepiece, I don’t miss to see the time 11:11 during the day (even when writing this article, when I glanced at the clock – I was looking at 11:11). Seeing that, it appears to me that time has come to a standstill at this particular time frame and has become eternal.
Is my brain programmed to subconsciously look at the clock whenever it strikes 11:11? An instinct tells me “Hey, look at the time now”, and when I see it, there it is…. 11:11 All around me!! The other times when I don’t see this number on the clock, I don’t fail to see numbers like 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55, 1:11, 8:08, 9:09, 10:10 etc regularly…To extrapolate, they seem to be unique single digit numbers most of the times.
Every time I look at single-digit numbers like this, I just raise my brows. Initially what started to be a look of amusement turned out to be a feel of obsession as the experience of seeing them happened almost everyday, I couldn’t shrug it off as a mere coincidence anymore. The benefit of my obsession was owed to the increasing regularity of the 11:11 occurrence.
Every time I saw such unique timings, I got excited and called my husband (if he is near-by) and point out with pride to him, “see the time now is 11:11”, “see the time now is 5:55” etc. As though I have done a major discovery of the modern times. Initially what he saw in me as a kiddish excitement got over his nerves as a constant nuisance, mulling over the same senseless finding again and again…. finally he was confirmed that I have gone nuts! Nevertheless, I was undeterred to find out more about it (instincts provoked me again!!) and maybe to do some little investigation on it.
Couple of days back, as curiosity got the better off me, just like that I tried testing the encyclopedic knowledge of Google and simply typed 11:11 and clicked on Search…. Out came a response giving some tip-off to several related information to 11:11…. The result caught me by surprise, more to say, by happiness. If I had considered myself as a nut, I just realized, I was not alone…there were lots of others (nuts) to accompany me. So many like me had similar experiences and have shared their feelings on these brain-teasing numbers on the net…. going through each one of them, made the entire “syndrome” (I won’t cease to call it a syndrome, as I am now assured that, I would be seeing them more often in the future too) very authentic and rational (at least to me!!).
Now having got some insight about the topic, 11:11 to put it in very simple terms, it’s a blessing from Guardian Angels (Legend has it that there were 1,111 angels guarding mankind, but now it’s believed that the numbers seems to have increased), These Guardian Angels pick-up few persons (their parameter of choosing is not mentioned though) and their method of telling whom they pick that they’re guarding them is through this 11:11 symptom (or any such unique single digit number symptom). When asked for any wishes during this revelation time, it is granted by those angels, is the belief behind this 11:11 syndrome. I am not a superstitious person to believe in guardian angels, nonetheless, to chance upon something, which favors some benefits and gives optimistic grants, so to say, about what I see, made me feel good and coax me to believe about these angels (If I had read anything negative about it, I would have discarded that page as a junk, that’s a different story).
With unbelievable belief about what I read, I have decided to feel good whenever I see 11:11 on my clock again (or any other single digit number). When I shared what I read with my husband, his feelings about me only grew stronger…But am satisfied and convinced that I have some relevance and references to what seemed like uncomprehending coincidences that's been racking my brains for sometime now.
So, if you’re a believer of “11:11 syndrome” and you’re superstitious, know that you have angels blessing you and make a wish whenever you encounter this syndrome and feel good about experiencing it. For those who are not superstitious, just feel good about experiencing the syndrome (forget about the angels and blessing part), for feeling good makes you cheerful and happy, immaterial of what caused that feeling…. That itself is a blessing for you, isn’t that good enough?
Finally, If you’re a non-believer of such syndrome and when you experience it, whether the theory behind it comes to your mind or not, you will definitely think of me. Isn’t that the biggest of all the blessings you got in your life…
Hehehehehehe..............
Now what is this 11:11 syndrome??? – It is simply nothing but too much of a time coincidence…
Whenever I glance at my system-clock, wall-clock, or any kind of timepiece, I don’t miss to see the time 11:11 during the day (even when writing this article, when I glanced at the clock – I was looking at 11:11). Seeing that, it appears to me that time has come to a standstill at this particular time frame and has become eternal.
Is my brain programmed to subconsciously look at the clock whenever it strikes 11:11? An instinct tells me “Hey, look at the time now”, and when I see it, there it is…. 11:11 All around me!! The other times when I don’t see this number on the clock, I don’t fail to see numbers like 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55, 1:11, 8:08, 9:09, 10:10 etc regularly…To extrapolate, they seem to be unique single digit numbers most of the times.
Every time I look at single-digit numbers like this, I just raise my brows. Initially what started to be a look of amusement turned out to be a feel of obsession as the experience of seeing them happened almost everyday, I couldn’t shrug it off as a mere coincidence anymore. The benefit of my obsession was owed to the increasing regularity of the 11:11 occurrence.
Every time I saw such unique timings, I got excited and called my husband (if he is near-by) and point out with pride to him, “see the time now is 11:11”, “see the time now is 5:55” etc. As though I have done a major discovery of the modern times. Initially what he saw in me as a kiddish excitement got over his nerves as a constant nuisance, mulling over the same senseless finding again and again…. finally he was confirmed that I have gone nuts! Nevertheless, I was undeterred to find out more about it (instincts provoked me again!!) and maybe to do some little investigation on it.
Couple of days back, as curiosity got the better off me, just like that I tried testing the encyclopedic knowledge of Google and simply typed 11:11 and clicked on Search…. Out came a response giving some tip-off to several related information to 11:11…. The result caught me by surprise, more to say, by happiness. If I had considered myself as a nut, I just realized, I was not alone…there were lots of others (nuts) to accompany me. So many like me had similar experiences and have shared their feelings on these brain-teasing numbers on the net…. going through each one of them, made the entire “syndrome” (I won’t cease to call it a syndrome, as I am now assured that, I would be seeing them more often in the future too) very authentic and rational (at least to me!!).
Now having got some insight about the topic, 11:11 to put it in very simple terms, it’s a blessing from Guardian Angels (Legend has it that there were 1,111 angels guarding mankind, but now it’s believed that the numbers seems to have increased), These Guardian Angels pick-up few persons (their parameter of choosing is not mentioned though) and their method of telling whom they pick that they’re guarding them is through this 11:11 symptom (or any such unique single digit number symptom). When asked for any wishes during this revelation time, it is granted by those angels, is the belief behind this 11:11 syndrome. I am not a superstitious person to believe in guardian angels, nonetheless, to chance upon something, which favors some benefits and gives optimistic grants, so to say, about what I see, made me feel good and coax me to believe about these angels (If I had read anything negative about it, I would have discarded that page as a junk, that’s a different story).
With unbelievable belief about what I read, I have decided to feel good whenever I see 11:11 on my clock again (or any other single digit number). When I shared what I read with my husband, his feelings about me only grew stronger…But am satisfied and convinced that I have some relevance and references to what seemed like uncomprehending coincidences that's been racking my brains for sometime now.
So, if you’re a believer of “11:11 syndrome” and you’re superstitious, know that you have angels blessing you and make a wish whenever you encounter this syndrome and feel good about experiencing it. For those who are not superstitious, just feel good about experiencing the syndrome (forget about the angels and blessing part), for feeling good makes you cheerful and happy, immaterial of what caused that feeling…. That itself is a blessing for you, isn’t that good enough?
Finally, If you’re a non-believer of such syndrome and when you experience it, whether the theory behind it comes to your mind or not, you will definitely think of me. Isn’t that the biggest of all the blessings you got in your life…
Hehehehehehe..............
Monday, January 09, 2006
The Battle
Dr. Vishawanath could not ask for more happiness in his life. When Atul broke the news of his passing the MBBS Exam, his joy knew no bounds. His 25 years of dreams and ambitions is going to come true atlas with his son stepping into his own profession as a Doctor. Being a neuro-surgeon himself, having one more from his own kin, gave him a sense of unexplainable joy and achievement. Atul is on his way to meet him now and Viswanath was waiting expectantly to hug his son and rejoice with him, over his success.
While day dreaming in his cabin about Atul and his career, his thoughts were broken by a voice. “Doctor! An emergency has come up”…It was nurse Sheila, who was standing between the door gasping for her breath, it was obvious that she had been running around floors to attend to something very critical.
Years of practice and experience has taught Viswanath, not to waste time in asking for briefs at his desk when emergencies come up and having worked under Viswanath for quite some time, Sheila knew his pulse. He immediately left the room with her and headed for emergency ward, when she briefed him the case. Two youths have been summoned to hospital one dead and the other under very critical condition with severe head injury and bleeding. The case looks apparently that of a mighty-clash in a college. One guy had struck the other a deadly blow on the head, which had killed him instantly, and the other was hit by a speeding truck, when in an attempt of escape, had madly run across the road.
Viswanath, briefly checked on the medicinal proceeding that were carried out to the guy in critical condition before ordering to set up the operation theatre ready for an immediate surgery, while he wanted to check into the dead guy. Paying personal homage to the dead was deemed to be very humanitarian and of the foremost duty to a doctor, in his view.
When Viswanath entered the room and pulled down the covered sheet of the deceased, he felt as if he received a big blow. The reality of what he saw, struck him hard and unexpected and he almost chocked to death. Seeing Atul under the sheets was last thing Viswanath anticipated and with his son dead, he felt himself half-dead. Viswanath was staggering to his feet, as his legs became weak and shaky.
The news of Viswanath’s son’s death spread across the hospital like a wild-fire, Viswanath came to know sooner that the clash had started between him and his classmate Pradeep, the son of a powerful minister, over a girl, whom Atul wanted to shield from Pradeep’s clutches of misbehavior, which led to verbal war and later to physical attack. In a moment of fury, Pradeep had hit Atul on his head with a crowbar lying nearby which had caused him instant death. Now with the hospital management confronted by ministers, pressure was mounting on the management to make over the murder of Atul, look like an accident.
The entire hospital was waiting expectantly to see Viswanath’s reaction for the operation on Pradeep, who was purportedly to perform the operation being the best neuro-surgeon on call.
*****
Viswanath was in his cabin silently debating over his son’s life and his duty that he was supposed to perform. Since the time he knew, the hospital was his world and doctor profession was his life. In all his years of service, Viswanath was known of valuing his principles and human life and had not breached the trust of his patients, under any circumstances. He recalled the doctor oath he had taken committing his life for his patients, and now he felt that his commitment has been put to challenge.
Atul was such a wondering darling and had been his only inspiration to live, after his wife latha passed away giving birth to him. Viswanath had been a mother and father to him and more a friend in supporting him in all his way to growth. He was everything to Atul, who wanted to become a doctor and follow his father in his footsteps. With all the hopes and dreams of both turning into reality, Atul’s separation from his life now, struck Viswanath like tsunami, unexpected, washing away all this hopes, dreams, ambitions, and left him with a big void in his life.
Viswanath’s fatherly vendetta against Pradeep was battling with his doctor’s duty consciousness towards Pradeep. He had a difficult battle to fight and didn’t know which one he wanted to win at the end.
After what seemed to be ageless hours of thinking, finally Vishwanath got up from his chair, went to the room where his son’s body was kept, looked over it for a long moment and sighed and exited the room.
Finally, the doctor in him won the father in him.
*****
Viswanathan turned and went into the operation theatre dressed up for the surgery. Meanwhile, Atul’s murder was hooked up as accident and necessary documents prepared, to avoid any political scandal.
After struggling hard for 4 hours to save the life of the boy who had killed his son, Viswanath emerged from the operation theatre announcing that the operation was successful. However Pradeep was comatosed, due to the severe impact of the head injury and had to be kept in ICU till he recovered, but Viswanath assured the father of Pradeep that he would come out of coma soon.
Viswanathan’s final cord of control snapped when he saw the death certificate of his son stated as an accident. He knew that Atul wont rest in peace for the injustice committed to him and blamed himself for being so helpless and handicapped, unable to fight against the unjust done to him. His urge to avenge Pradeep for the death of his son was blazing like a fire in him.
*****
It was 10th day after Atul’s passing away and just when Viswanath was completing all the rituals that had to be conducted for his son with his family and friends, he got the call from the hospital with the news of Pradeep gaining conscious. His heart was in a state of volcanic eruption, which erupted more and more guilt with every passing day for saving pradeep, and nothing could bring it under control except one thought, which Viswanath was well aware of and was unable to come to terms with.
Viswanath paid regular visits to Pradeep, as he was under his care at the hospital, though he was performing his duties as a doctor sincerely towards him, the vengeance he had culminated against him kept increasing every time he looked at him. Inwardly, Viswanathan was working towards bringing the battle to and end and cooling the fire.
A month had passed by…
*****
Today is the last day for Pradeep at the hospital. He was getting ready to be discharged.
Viswanath’s fatherly vengeance winning over his doctorly commitment was possible only today. He had finally made up his mind. He opened the cupboard of his desk and took out the little vial out and injected its contents into the syringe and headed for Pradeep’s room.
When he slowly opened the door to Pradeep’s room, he found him with his father. Viswanathan could see Pradeep’s father’s face luminated with happiness for his son’s recovery, which he knew he cannot have for rest of his life. He was over the phone giving instructions to his family to prepare the household to welcome Pradeep after his ordeal; after all, it’s Pradeep’s second life after fighting death.
Going near Pradeep, Viswanath thought of his son Atul and closed his eye for a moment and slowly took out the injection from his coat pocket and injected it into his veins, this was the final injection to Pradeep, when he injected the syringe into his body, he felt a feel of soothing and the eruption in him slowly dying…he knew now the battle has come to an end. He has won!
When he was about to leave, Pradeep unexpectedly bent down, held his legs tight and started to cry hysterically. Pradeep in all his days of admittance in the hospital and during numerous encounters with Viswanath for his treatment has never spoken a word to him. But today, when he knew he would not be seeing Viswanath any more, he couldn’t control himself any longer. All these days his guilt had made him feel too small in front of Viswanath, who appeared like god to him, saving his life, despite he taking the life of his son. His father’s money and power gave him freedom and had saved him from imprisonment, but he felt himself imprisoned by his consciousness and that could be freed only through Viswanath pardoning him for the sin he had committed.
Viswanath didn’t expect this outcry from Pradeep, all along he looked upon him has a criminal and inhumane having no heart to realize the brutality of his deed, but when he saw Pradeep’s guilty looks and his desperate cry seeking pardon, he felt a change of feelings for him. Have I committed a great sin now, the shocked Viswanath thought to himself?
*****
Viswanath was looking outside his room window and downstairs he saw Pradeep leaving the hospital with his father hand in hand and waving at him. Viswanath waved back with a smile on his face and after he lost sight of Pradeep’s car, came back to his desk and sat down and looked at Atul’s photograph for a long moment.
Killing Pradeep would not bring Atul back to life. The moment he saw the happiness on Pradeep’s father’s face when he entered his room, Viswanath remembered he himself was a father to a son, and killing Pradeep would be more debasing than Pradeep killing Atul and when Pradeep touched his feet asking for forgiveness, he felt the volcanic eruption within him cooling down and slowly fading away and thought he deserve to be alive, for he has realized his mistake. Forgiveness is the best punishment he could give to pradeep at that moment.
With an impulse of vengeance, he didn’t want Pradeep father to go through what he is going through now - The pain of life without his son. No father in this world deserves that kind of a punishment.
Atul is always alive in his memories; Viswanath has decided to lead rest of his life with the fond memories of his son.
He took the syringe filled with the fluid that was meant to end Pradeep’s life from his coat pocket, which he had not used at all and threw it into the dustbin.
Finally, The father in him won the doctor in him.
While day dreaming in his cabin about Atul and his career, his thoughts were broken by a voice. “Doctor! An emergency has come up”…It was nurse Sheila, who was standing between the door gasping for her breath, it was obvious that she had been running around floors to attend to something very critical.
Years of practice and experience has taught Viswanath, not to waste time in asking for briefs at his desk when emergencies come up and having worked under Viswanath for quite some time, Sheila knew his pulse. He immediately left the room with her and headed for emergency ward, when she briefed him the case. Two youths have been summoned to hospital one dead and the other under very critical condition with severe head injury and bleeding. The case looks apparently that of a mighty-clash in a college. One guy had struck the other a deadly blow on the head, which had killed him instantly, and the other was hit by a speeding truck, when in an attempt of escape, had madly run across the road.
Viswanath, briefly checked on the medicinal proceeding that were carried out to the guy in critical condition before ordering to set up the operation theatre ready for an immediate surgery, while he wanted to check into the dead guy. Paying personal homage to the dead was deemed to be very humanitarian and of the foremost duty to a doctor, in his view.
When Viswanath entered the room and pulled down the covered sheet of the deceased, he felt as if he received a big blow. The reality of what he saw, struck him hard and unexpected and he almost chocked to death. Seeing Atul under the sheets was last thing Viswanath anticipated and with his son dead, he felt himself half-dead. Viswanath was staggering to his feet, as his legs became weak and shaky.
The news of Viswanath’s son’s death spread across the hospital like a wild-fire, Viswanath came to know sooner that the clash had started between him and his classmate Pradeep, the son of a powerful minister, over a girl, whom Atul wanted to shield from Pradeep’s clutches of misbehavior, which led to verbal war and later to physical attack. In a moment of fury, Pradeep had hit Atul on his head with a crowbar lying nearby which had caused him instant death. Now with the hospital management confronted by ministers, pressure was mounting on the management to make over the murder of Atul, look like an accident.
The entire hospital was waiting expectantly to see Viswanath’s reaction for the operation on Pradeep, who was purportedly to perform the operation being the best neuro-surgeon on call.
*****
Viswanath was in his cabin silently debating over his son’s life and his duty that he was supposed to perform. Since the time he knew, the hospital was his world and doctor profession was his life. In all his years of service, Viswanath was known of valuing his principles and human life and had not breached the trust of his patients, under any circumstances. He recalled the doctor oath he had taken committing his life for his patients, and now he felt that his commitment has been put to challenge.
Atul was such a wondering darling and had been his only inspiration to live, after his wife latha passed away giving birth to him. Viswanath had been a mother and father to him and more a friend in supporting him in all his way to growth. He was everything to Atul, who wanted to become a doctor and follow his father in his footsteps. With all the hopes and dreams of both turning into reality, Atul’s separation from his life now, struck Viswanath like tsunami, unexpected, washing away all this hopes, dreams, ambitions, and left him with a big void in his life.
Viswanath’s fatherly vendetta against Pradeep was battling with his doctor’s duty consciousness towards Pradeep. He had a difficult battle to fight and didn’t know which one he wanted to win at the end.
After what seemed to be ageless hours of thinking, finally Vishwanath got up from his chair, went to the room where his son’s body was kept, looked over it for a long moment and sighed and exited the room.
Finally, the doctor in him won the father in him.
*****
Viswanathan turned and went into the operation theatre dressed up for the surgery. Meanwhile, Atul’s murder was hooked up as accident and necessary documents prepared, to avoid any political scandal.
After struggling hard for 4 hours to save the life of the boy who had killed his son, Viswanath emerged from the operation theatre announcing that the operation was successful. However Pradeep was comatosed, due to the severe impact of the head injury and had to be kept in ICU till he recovered, but Viswanath assured the father of Pradeep that he would come out of coma soon.
Viswanathan’s final cord of control snapped when he saw the death certificate of his son stated as an accident. He knew that Atul wont rest in peace for the injustice committed to him and blamed himself for being so helpless and handicapped, unable to fight against the unjust done to him. His urge to avenge Pradeep for the death of his son was blazing like a fire in him.
*****
It was 10th day after Atul’s passing away and just when Viswanath was completing all the rituals that had to be conducted for his son with his family and friends, he got the call from the hospital with the news of Pradeep gaining conscious. His heart was in a state of volcanic eruption, which erupted more and more guilt with every passing day for saving pradeep, and nothing could bring it under control except one thought, which Viswanath was well aware of and was unable to come to terms with.
Viswanath paid regular visits to Pradeep, as he was under his care at the hospital, though he was performing his duties as a doctor sincerely towards him, the vengeance he had culminated against him kept increasing every time he looked at him. Inwardly, Viswanathan was working towards bringing the battle to and end and cooling the fire.
A month had passed by…
*****
Today is the last day for Pradeep at the hospital. He was getting ready to be discharged.
Viswanath’s fatherly vengeance winning over his doctorly commitment was possible only today. He had finally made up his mind. He opened the cupboard of his desk and took out the little vial out and injected its contents into the syringe and headed for Pradeep’s room.
When he slowly opened the door to Pradeep’s room, he found him with his father. Viswanathan could see Pradeep’s father’s face luminated with happiness for his son’s recovery, which he knew he cannot have for rest of his life. He was over the phone giving instructions to his family to prepare the household to welcome Pradeep after his ordeal; after all, it’s Pradeep’s second life after fighting death.
Going near Pradeep, Viswanath thought of his son Atul and closed his eye for a moment and slowly took out the injection from his coat pocket and injected it into his veins, this was the final injection to Pradeep, when he injected the syringe into his body, he felt a feel of soothing and the eruption in him slowly dying…he knew now the battle has come to an end. He has won!
When he was about to leave, Pradeep unexpectedly bent down, held his legs tight and started to cry hysterically. Pradeep in all his days of admittance in the hospital and during numerous encounters with Viswanath for his treatment has never spoken a word to him. But today, when he knew he would not be seeing Viswanath any more, he couldn’t control himself any longer. All these days his guilt had made him feel too small in front of Viswanath, who appeared like god to him, saving his life, despite he taking the life of his son. His father’s money and power gave him freedom and had saved him from imprisonment, but he felt himself imprisoned by his consciousness and that could be freed only through Viswanath pardoning him for the sin he had committed.
Viswanath didn’t expect this outcry from Pradeep, all along he looked upon him has a criminal and inhumane having no heart to realize the brutality of his deed, but when he saw Pradeep’s guilty looks and his desperate cry seeking pardon, he felt a change of feelings for him. Have I committed a great sin now, the shocked Viswanath thought to himself?
*****
Viswanath was looking outside his room window and downstairs he saw Pradeep leaving the hospital with his father hand in hand and waving at him. Viswanath waved back with a smile on his face and after he lost sight of Pradeep’s car, came back to his desk and sat down and looked at Atul’s photograph for a long moment.
Killing Pradeep would not bring Atul back to life. The moment he saw the happiness on Pradeep’s father’s face when he entered his room, Viswanath remembered he himself was a father to a son, and killing Pradeep would be more debasing than Pradeep killing Atul and when Pradeep touched his feet asking for forgiveness, he felt the volcanic eruption within him cooling down and slowly fading away and thought he deserve to be alive, for he has realized his mistake. Forgiveness is the best punishment he could give to pradeep at that moment.
With an impulse of vengeance, he didn’t want Pradeep father to go through what he is going through now - The pain of life without his son. No father in this world deserves that kind of a punishment.
Atul is always alive in his memories; Viswanath has decided to lead rest of his life with the fond memories of his son.
He took the syringe filled with the fluid that was meant to end Pradeep’s life from his coat pocket, which he had not used at all and threw it into the dustbin.
Finally, The father in him won the doctor in him.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
The Avatar
Chennai, Saturday, Morning 6:00 A.M
In the early morning hours of Saturday, the temple was thronged with huge crowd varying from children to elderly people, standing in the long queue, pushing against each other to see, through the chain of protection laid across the threshold of the Krishna temple, the fateful sight.
On the previous evening at the same Krishna temple, the majority of the same crowd had gathered with deepest enthusiasm and devotion for a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the temple and to see the glitter of the golden statue of Lord Krishna, decked up with priceless precious stones. In the place where the effulgent Krishna stood the previous night, is now filled with vacant place. After the temple was locked, some anti-social activist group had found their way inside and had stolen the Lord and his jewels. Now the place in and around the temple is bustling with police and trained dogs going from pillar-to-post to catch any trace of the culprits and investigating for any clue. All check-post has been alerted and every place in the city were sealed with tight security and watched meticulously for identification of any possible suspects. There is no way the gang could escape.
Chennai, Sunday, Morning 6:00 A.M
The dark and stout figure dressed in dirty attire patched up to cover the torn, with a fishing net and sack in hand, started the motorboat into the sea, with his fellow-mates boarding into it. They looked unmistakenably like fishermen starting their day into the deep sea to catch something big for the day. There were other fisherman’s around too, getting ready to start their boats into the blue sea for a good catch. When the motorboat had traveled miles into the calm sea and was within the safety zone away from the sea patrol, everyone on board relaxed and the leader of the gang opened the secret compartment, by pulling the small hook-like protrusion from the lower corner of the boat, which looked like an unfixed nail, calling for no attention.
Lo and behold! Out came the sparkle, which made everyone’s eyes shrink and nictitate. Behind the sparkle lay the dazzling sight of the idol of Lord Krishna with his precious jewels. The entire gang roared with laughter seeing the idol and shared a bottle of Champaign to celebrate their successful mission. The robbery was planned so well and executed with extreme caution and care that they left behind no clue and now they are heading towards safety and freedom. With the boat steering towards Srilanka, where arrangements has been made for their escape and travel to foreign country with their loot, the gang was priding about their fortune. The leader of the gang holding the idol of Lord Krishna in hand criticized loudly, “Hey Krishna! People believe you’re a destroyer of evil, they say you cannot stand atrocities by wrongdoers. What are you going to do to us now? Going to create any new avatar to split the sea into two to destroy us???” he let out a menacing laugh. The entire gang joined him with their ominous laughs and taunts, enjoying the plight of the helpless god in their mercy.
The gang is unaware that a new avatar has already been created deep down the sea, which has split the sea into two and it’s on its way to destroy them soon.
The new avatar is called Tsunami and it is savagely heading towards the boat from a very far-away distance.
The day is the morning of December 26th, 2004.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, the temple was thronged with huge crowd varying from children to elderly people, standing in the long queue, pushing against each other to see, through the chain of protection laid across the threshold of the Krishna temple, the fateful sight.
On the previous evening at the same Krishna temple, the majority of the same crowd had gathered with deepest enthusiasm and devotion for a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the temple and to see the glitter of the golden statue of Lord Krishna, decked up with priceless precious stones. In the place where the effulgent Krishna stood the previous night, is now filled with vacant place. After the temple was locked, some anti-social activist group had found their way inside and had stolen the Lord and his jewels. Now the place in and around the temple is bustling with police and trained dogs going from pillar-to-post to catch any trace of the culprits and investigating for any clue. All check-post has been alerted and every place in the city were sealed with tight security and watched meticulously for identification of any possible suspects. There is no way the gang could escape.
Chennai, Sunday, Morning 6:00 A.M
The dark and stout figure dressed in dirty attire patched up to cover the torn, with a fishing net and sack in hand, started the motorboat into the sea, with his fellow-mates boarding into it. They looked unmistakenably like fishermen starting their day into the deep sea to catch something big for the day. There were other fisherman’s around too, getting ready to start their boats into the blue sea for a good catch. When the motorboat had traveled miles into the calm sea and was within the safety zone away from the sea patrol, everyone on board relaxed and the leader of the gang opened the secret compartment, by pulling the small hook-like protrusion from the lower corner of the boat, which looked like an unfixed nail, calling for no attention.
Lo and behold! Out came the sparkle, which made everyone’s eyes shrink and nictitate. Behind the sparkle lay the dazzling sight of the idol of Lord Krishna with his precious jewels. The entire gang roared with laughter seeing the idol and shared a bottle of Champaign to celebrate their successful mission. The robbery was planned so well and executed with extreme caution and care that they left behind no clue and now they are heading towards safety and freedom. With the boat steering towards Srilanka, where arrangements has been made for their escape and travel to foreign country with their loot, the gang was priding about their fortune. The leader of the gang holding the idol of Lord Krishna in hand criticized loudly, “Hey Krishna! People believe you’re a destroyer of evil, they say you cannot stand atrocities by wrongdoers. What are you going to do to us now? Going to create any new avatar to split the sea into two to destroy us???” he let out a menacing laugh. The entire gang joined him with their ominous laughs and taunts, enjoying the plight of the helpless god in their mercy.
The gang is unaware that a new avatar has already been created deep down the sea, which has split the sea into two and it’s on its way to destroy them soon.
The new avatar is called Tsunami and it is savagely heading towards the boat from a very far-away distance.
The day is the morning of December 26th, 2004.
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