Saturday, May 20, 2017

Its all in the name

She hurriedly prepared all his favourite dishes. She finally made his favourite cold coffee and set the table for dinner in as best way she could. She switched the channel to his favourite one and she got dressed in the dress he always loved.

Time seemed to drag as she kept waiting. In a couple of hours he was in. He was surprised to see her awake. "What happened dear? I sent you a msg that I will be late and you are an early bird. Why did you stay awake this long?" He asked her.

She came to him and hugged him and said, " I thought you had a bit bad day at office and you are stressed. I thought all your favourite things and me will cheer you up. "

He was surprised. He had never even spilled a word about a bad day or a stressful event. But that had been true. He asked her how she came to know about it. She took her phone and showed the message she had received from him.

It read ," I will be late today. Dont wait for me. Love you lots". He couldn't nail the reason. He looked with a puzzled expression. She smiled and said , " There is no ammu in the message which means you are not your usual self. "

In the dim lit walkway they both could feel stress walking away from them. 

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Eyes

He went to get his eyes checked for that month. He is 80 and was advised regular health checkups to follow on his health. He never cared about his appointments for the checkup except for his eye. He never missed even one appointment.

He used to wear glasses. Other than that he never had any issue with his eyes. But still he cared his eyes like anything.  "There is nothing to worry about your eyes. They are perfectly fine sir." The doctor gave his verdict.

He went to his house and carefully placed that months medical report along with others and went to his room. "See I am keeping my promise. There is nothing to worry about my eyes." He told her who smiled as usual. "The doctor just gave me an eye drop in case of any irritation. Other than that it's fine." She never replied as usual.

He was chattering and was doing something when he suddenly looked at her. There was a flower on her. He screamed his lungs off. The Maid came running. "How many times have I told you not to put any garland on her portrait? She is still alive to me and will always be to me. Now remove all that." He yelled. The maid obliged.

He came near her and her sweet voice echoed in his heart, " I will always be around. I live in this eyes of yours all the time. No one can take me away from there." And kissed his eyes for the last time on her death bed.

Drops of tears poured but he wiped them off immediately and picked up his mobile phone to ring the people to schedule his next eye check up appointment.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Treasure from the Lent : WISDOM

Wisdom - Quality of having good Knowledge and Judgement

 All the lessons learnt in this lent season is to make us wise in all our judgements and decisions and move us one step closer to God. Any Lesson learnt will be useful only when it's impact is felt in real life.

It's our duty to make an impact of all our learnings to mark our steps in this world. Being wise is now a choice left to us. Let's not make any hasty decisions. Practically there is no happily ever after.

Life is full of hurdles. God will never fully remove all the hurdles from our path. He will show us a way to handle them to make us even more wiser and stronger. We should have regular communication with him through prayers to seek his help to face any problem.

Throw away all the controversies that surround Him. He was born as a human. He had a mother, father and relatives. Personally don't care if he had a spouse too. There cannot be any man as noble as Him.  Trust in the finest Gentleman who ever walked on this earth. We can proudly say He is our Heavenly Father.

Thanks a lot for all your support to have stayed with me in this lent season and read all that I could share.

WISHING ALL OF YOU A VERY HAPPY EASTER. 

Friday, April 14, 2017

Lent Lesson 45: VIRTUE

Virtue -  Behavior showing high moral standards

He never cared about his looks or attire. He was always focused on doing all the good things he can in his time. His neighbor was just the opposite. He was always into hoarding wealth and advertising it.

This went on for quite some time. His popularity grew while his neighbors declined. His neighbor started to feel jealous and started concentrating on more ways to show off his wealth. He spent so much time to select his clothes and accessories carefully which would speak of his wealth.

Still many did not respect him. He wanted to know the reason and asked someone about it. The person looked at him and said,  "While you were busy trying to show off he was busy being virtuous. His virtue is so huge that your wealth looks meagre in front of it. Maybe that's why he is better loved than you."

Virtue is not just a lesson. It's the way of life God has given. God has lived His life in such a way that it's an example for everyone to follow. Today as He is laid in the grave He has fulfilled His promise of redeeming each and every one of us from all our sins. We should be ready to resurrect with Him from our unworthy ways to lead a virtuous life.


Thursday, April 13, 2017

Lent Lesson 44: TRUTHFULNESS

Truthfulness - Being true and honest in all dealings and making it a practice in day to day life.

She came home tired and sleepy. She was about to relax in her cosy chair when she felt something amiss. Her favorite vase was missing from its usual place. She was enquiring about it to her husband when her toddler came running and said, "I broke it Mummy. It fell into bits."

She was about to lose her temper when he came on her lap and hugged her tightly and said, "it's good I told you the truth now. You will not be angry on me as you told me speaking truth will never bring me harm. "

She was so moved by the innocent confidence of her son that she forgot all her anger and hugged him back. This lesson of truthfulness will linger in both their minds for a very long time.

We can have this same confidence with our Heavenly Father too. He will reward us back the same way when we practice truthfulness as a habit in our lives. Our Savior has given us all that He has promised in our lives ever. His words have never been a lie anytime.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Lent Lesson 43: TOLERANCE

Tolerance - Persistent endurance in an uncomfortable environment.

He got irritated as usual. His superior officer has thrown one more of his tantrum on a simple issue. This happens almost every day. When he is about to start the day on a good note he will receive a mail or a call from the senior officer and he will shout at him asking for explanation on this and that.

He always used to finish his assigned tasks on time and even plan and coordinate his work for the   next day on time. But his senior officer was very hard to please. But every time he was interrogated he always held his cool and never let his temper off. He explained his regard to him properly.

This continued for a long time and he tolerated all his tantrums. He continued his good work and soon he was noted by the owner of his concern. He started observing him closely and found the superior officer mistreating him badly. He immediately changed the senior to some other department.  He was then able to work peacefully and with even more vigor to contribute more to himself and the company.

When Our savior was sentenced to crucifixion,  given crown of thorns and whipped till he bled he tolerated everything to redeem us from sin. We can have one part of His tolerance and await His judgment in our life which is an assured paradise. 

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Lent Lesson 42: SINCERITY

Sincerity - Genuine and true to one's own faith

She tried standing up. She couldn't. The fall was a bad one. She hurt her knee and her dress got torn. She composed herself and got up. The pain was unbearable. She was a professor and was going to attend to her class one fine day when she fell down and hurt herself.

She thought of giving up and going back home. Suddenly a thought hit her hard. If she is not sincere today in her duty what example would she set her students to face hardships to get further in life.

She sat down for a minute and breathed deeply. She went to the nearby first aid Centre and got attended to. She went and taught with a great zeal that day. The satisfaction​ of completing her duty sincerely made her forget all her pain.

Our Savior is the same. However we hurt Him,  He is always sincere in His duty of protecting us and setting an example we can never match. We can show Him what we learnt from Him by being sincere in all our actions. 

Monday, April 10, 2017

Lent Lesson 41: SENSITIVITY

Sensitivity - Delicacy and subtlety in emotions.

He woke up for the fourth time in the train. He was bringing his son and wife back home after the delivery and stay at her father's place. His 5 month old son was having his first train journey and he didn't want anything to trouble him.

He made sure he packed everything ready for him. He got his favorite rattles,  music toys and comforters and what not. He made sure the seat was clean and covered it with a even more soft blanket before placing his son on it. He ensured the window was open to the right level of comfort for his son.

He went an extra mile to make sure his son doesn't wake up in the night and enjoys a comfortable journey. He didn't shut his eye even for a minute but at the end of the journey when his son woke up from a deep slumber and started playing he forgot all his tiredness and joined him happily.

If this is how a father treats his son just imagine how much more care the Heavenly Father will have on all His children. He is sensitive on regards to each and every living being He has created and cares for them so tenderly. We should be sensitive enough in all our actions not to bring any sinful acts in our life to keep our Heavenly Father happy. 

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Lent Lesson 40: SELF CONTROL

Self control -  Ability to control oneself at difficult or tempting situations

The aroma was so alluring. It was the best sweet meat shop in the city. She just couldn't stand near it without drooling. She was 3 months pregnant with gestational diabetes. She was strictly prohibited from eating sweets but she had a strong craving for it.

She was even prescribed a strict diet. She often wished to comply with her craving but she practiced self control. She strictly obeyed her dietician. Whenever she was about to give up her baby's kick would remind her of her duty towards it and she would control herself.

This continued till her delivery. She gave birth to a very healthy baby boy. Her self control finally got paid. The tiny fingers that held her made her feel happy for all those small sacrifices she did. She applauded herself for retaining her self control to have gained such a treasure.

Our savior who is the master of the Universe had immense self control to have lived a human life enduring all pains and finally after crucifixion justifying us to the Heavenly Father. Even one ounce of His self control will be enough for us to resist sin and move one step closer to him. Once we are successful a great treasure is waiting to be rewarded to us. 

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Lent Lesson 39: SECURITY

Security -  A sense of protection or feeling protected without any threats.

She looked around for the tenth time now. She started to feel uncomfortable. She felt she was in a hostile environment. There were so many people around she did not know or have never seen. Some looked friendly and smiled while some looked not so friendly.

She searched for her all around again. Her savior. She could not find her. She was about to do the only thing she knew. She wanted to cry aloud. As she started to cry a gentle arm touched her and picked her from the cradle and carried her close to her chest.

She finally found her mother's warmth. She felt secure now. She was no longer scared. She smiled and drifted to sleep almost immediately.

Our Heavenly Father is always ready to be this sense of security to each and every one of us.  Only He can keep us safe from any threats. We can feel His warmth thorough regular correspondence with Him through prayers.

Lent Lesson 38: RESPECT

Respect -  Treating or Considering someone in high regard

He stepped on the brakes on the traffic signal. A little boy tapped on the windows. He rolled it down. He was asking him whether he would like to buy a small stuffed toy. As he saw it he could see it was not made that good and looked frayed at the edges.

It won't last for a long time if he buys it. He was about to reject when he saw a small tag protruding out of his pocket. It was an identity card.  When enquired he got to know that the boy was a school goer and he sells toys during his free time to help his mother.

He got overwhelmed and paid more than the worth of the toy. The boy objects initially but after much persisting he accepts. The boy gets the money and puts in a small box and says "Thank you sir. The money for the toy goes for my studies. The extra will be saved for my brother's education. He has  just started school. " He learnt that respect is not only meant for elders that day.

There are so many people in this world who leave behind selfish thoughts and live for others. They belong to God's Kingdom and deserve high respect from everyone. God respected people's ways and endured pain when he came to live among us as a human being. He deserves the most respect and love above all from each and every one of us.




Thursday, April 6, 2017

Lent Lesson 37: RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility -  Being accountable and answerable to something within one's control.

He counted his piggy bank for the third time. He was just 6 and took a long time to count. After ensuring he had enough to buy a chocolate he was finally happy. He took the money and went to a nearest shop and got the chocolate.

He carefully held it all the way and made way to his neighbor's house. He ringed the bell.  When it was answered he held the chocolate with his little hand to the elderly lady and said,  "  I am sorry for the disturbance caused by my dog when you are sleeping. The dog is mine and I am responsible for his actions too. I got this Chocolate to compensate. Hope you forgive him."

His great act of responsibility and sweet attitude made everyone forget everything else. Anything and everything else was forgiven.

Our Heavenly Father holds responsible for all of us and our actions that He feels it's His duty to compensate our misdeeds and gives us umpteen times of forgiveness. Our only responsibility, He says, is to be dutiful children to the wonderful Creator.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Lent Lesson 36: RESOURCEFULNESS

Resourcefulness - Being smart and clever to find a solution  to unseen problems.

He just started a business of selling meat at a busy crowded street. The competition was so high that he found it very difficult to cope up with. The rent of his shop was getting too much for him to afford too. Many advised him to close the shop and go for some other business.

He did not want to lose hope. He wanted to get a solution to his problem not to run away from it. He decided to apply technology to his business. He created an app that will enable to place an order and he will deliver it to the customers place.

This reduced his dependency of a rented space too. He got the necessary items from the vendor and supplied it on demand. His resourcefulness helped him overcame hardship and become a master in this new line of business.

Our God wants all of us to be highly resourceful. He always gives us problems that we can face and emerge victorious. He gives us new techniques and ways to handle a problem. We need to be updated on Him through our communication with   prayer to face any shortcomings. 

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Lent Lesson 35: PUNCTUALITY

Punctuality - Being on time for all appointments and not keep anyone waiting.

He had been driving buses in the same route for the past 10 Years. He was always on time every time. He always took it a personal responsibility to take people who board on his bus on time. He was always punctual.

Though he never got reprimanded for the same he was never rewarded either. One day as he started to go as usual he saw a surprising sight. A pregnant lady almost on labor was waiting at the stop. He rushed to the stop and enquired the people.

They said they were waiting for the bus. He scolded them to have called the ambulance and go to the hospital. They replied,  "We do not know whether it will come on time. Whereas we are sure you will take her to the hospital on time." Their trust was reward enough for him to remain punctual ever.

Our God is always punctual. Whether it is blessings for our good work or warnings for sinful act we will get it on time. He is punctual in every act of His. We just need to follow in His path and proceed on with His teachings in our life.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Lent Lesson 34: PERSEVERENCE

Perseverance - Tolerating all unpleasantries and keep on trying till you succeed.

She scanned the newspaper again. No new news on competitive exams. She checked her mail and noted down the dates for all the exams she already enrolled for. She started preparing whenever she can.

Any and every moment she could spare was spent in the preparation. She was not satisfied with the corporate Job she held and wanted to join a bank. She flunked in the first time at the bank exams. She was dejected but not the one to give up. She enrolled again. And again. Her friends and family supported her.

She never minded about the distance of the exam Centre from her place,  the preparation hassles and all hurdles that came between. Her target was clear. Finally she succeeded. She learnt one  important lesson the day she joined her dream job. Perseverance never fails.

God wants us to have this perseverance to not to give ourselves to sin anytime. He has shown his great perseverance of not leaving us on our own even after sinning against him umpteen times. He is willing to care and love us ever and gives us hope of a great future. 

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Lent Lesson 33: PATIENCE

Patience -  Tolerating or accepting inconveniences without annoyance

She was patiently waiting for her son to finish his morsel of food that was lying in his mouth for a long time. It had been an hour since she started feeding him. He was just a year old and always had trouble eating.

She told numerous stories and carried him here and there to make him eat. She was completely exhausted not having eaten anything herself. She was about to give up when she saw him. She knew he will not have any energy to play if he doesn't eat properly.

She decided to be even more patient and try more tactics to make him eat. He finally completed his food. Once complete he started playing. The loud laughter was reward enough for her.

We often face so many incidents which test our patience. We succeed sometimes and fail many times and give in to our temper.  Our savior who has the control over the alpha and omega of the Universe, has control over Himself too and has never ever lost patience on us. We must make it a practice never to indulge in any situation that will test His patience level.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Lent Lesson 32: ORDERLINESS

Orderliness -  Maintaining a schedule or arrangement in a neat fashion.

She always accommodated everyone in her schedule. She was a home maker and she had kids and elders to take care. She had a good schedule and worked about it all day.

Food, bath, snacks and drinks for each and everyone was on her list. It so happened once her husband got to see her schedule one day. It had everything planned properly. He was going through it when he found something amiss.

There was nothing about her on it. When asked her about this,  she replied, "There is never a separate schedule for me. When I take care of everyone I am complete."

Similarly our Savior has a complete order on His creation and a perfect schedule for everyone. He never gets anything in turn. And He never has a plan for Himself anytime.  Everytime it's only about us with Him. The only way we can replicate this perfect order is my maintaining a proper schedule to communicate with Him regularly in prayer.

Friday, March 31, 2017

Lent Lesson 31: OBEDIENCE

Obedience - Compliance and submission to another one's authority

His father was always prepared about the next day. He would keep things in place ever ready to meet tomorrow . He insisted everyone to do the same. Storing water,  edible goods for the next day was always his priority.

Many teased him for that character. Many even advised him not to continue this and asked him to face every day as new. But he continued his duty and instructed his son to follow the same.

His son was very obedient. Though the old man left for eternity he always did as was instructed. He was always on toes to be prepared for the coming days. He was also taunted but he did not budge.

This continued till there was a sudden cyclone hit in the city. People were so much affected and did not even have the bare essentials. They greatly suffered without milk and other much required perishable commodities. Only he had everything prepared and he opted to share this with everyone he can. This time they had no words to say. He was finally rewarded for his obedience.

Our Heavenly Father has instructed a lot of things to us which when followed obediently brings us nothing but joy and everlasting Happiness. He has given a great path and words of wisdom to instruct us to move in the path.  Only thing He asks is to obey. 

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Lent Lesson 30: MEEKNESS

Meekness -  Submissive when required to and handling a situation without anger.

She wanted to literally shout at the guy who was  taking everyone's time at the long queue. It was a fast food Centre and the place was packed for lunch. The guy at the front was taking his own leisure time asking about each dish and making his  mind before ordering it.

She was the one who was taking his order and she got literally angry. There were people who looked  hungry in the line and she felt so bad for them . Some people murmured and some even shouted at him to hurry. This angered him further and he intentionally took long now.

She had to handle this now. She knew getting angry and shouting at him wouldn't work. She decided to remain meek. She patiently explained the details when he asked for and finally said,  "Sir,  the third in the line behind you is a little girl and she looks really hungry.  I am glad to service you but cannot see the look in her eyes. Can we move a bit faster here?"

He seemed to understand the situation and moved bit faster. She was able to manage the situation properly because of not venting out her temper.

God has thousands and thousands of reasons to be angry on us.  But he remains meek and always waits for us to realize our mistakes and get back to Him. It is time to understand and change our lives and move onto Him. Also its our duty to control our temper and be Submissive as not to hurt anyone.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Lent Lesson 29: LOYALTY

Loyalty -  Strong devotion and faithfulness

He was always doing this work or the other without minding other's teasing. He used to stay late and leave office only after completing the work. People used to talk behind his back a lot. He never minded their murmurs.

He continued his duty without any compromise. For him loyalty to the Company came first before  anything else. His manager also used to tease him for working so hard. He never replied back to such comments.

One day the Manger received a letter demanding explanation for a certain amount of money spent from the CEO of the company failing which he will be fired from the Company. The Manager was shell shocked.

He never had a proper track of anything and now he cannot even justify his end. He was at wits end when he came to the Managers rescue. He always maintained proper records and he had clear record with explanation for the amount spent. The Manager was finally relieved and thanked him profusely. He politely replied,  "It's my duty."

God created everything and made us masters of His creation.  Eventually when we started falling in sin, he gave thousands and thousands of chances to make us realize our blessings and turn to His path in life. We can repay all the favors by being loyal to Him. 

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Lent Lesson 28: LOVE

Love - A strong feeling of affection

He loved his cat so much that he always fed it first before sitting for his food. Always used to see whether his cat was comfortable before he left for school and in the evening used to rush to see it.

One fine day it got lost when it went for a short stroll in the fields. He just could not accept the fact. He became all teary eyed and started searching for it frantically. His parents too joined and helped him find his cat. One could neither find the cat nor console him.

He was so aghast. He wouldn't eat properly. Finally his father got him a new cat. He was so happy to get a new one and started loving it from the instant he set eyes on it. Still he did not give up the search for his old cat.Finally he managed to find it and he loved and lived with both the cats.

Our savior is the same. Though he has so many to love and live for, he would not give up on any one of us. We all are so very precious in His eyes that he just wouldn't mind forgiving us and bestowing us with the choicest blessing. Only thing He asks us is to love Him back. 

Monday, March 27, 2017

Lent Lesson 27:JUSTICE

Justice -  Fair treatment in any situation.

He was in a big dilemma. His 3 year old daughter was taking part in a fancy dress competition in which the first prize was a pack of sketch pens. She was constantly telling him that she wants the colors so badly.

It so happened he knew the judge who will give away the prizes very well. He thought of convincing him to give the prize to his daughter. He was all set to go when he glanced across the hall. All the kids were eagerly dressed to impress the judge to get the prize.

He decided against going to the judge. He felt it unfair to take advantage. Finally when the results were announced it was another boy who won the prize who happened to be his daughters friend. On getting the color pens he shared it with her and they started playing happily.

God knows what to give and when to give. He gives all the people fair share of His creation. It is our duty to be just and righteous to enjoy what is bestowed on us. 

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Lent Lesson 26: JOYFULNESS

Joyfulness - Enjoying the pleasures in life without having self pity all the time

"It will cost you ₹5000 to change the damaged unit and to make the ac start working." The mechanic gave his final verdict. He felt so bad. The summer heat was flaring up and ac has became a necessity but his ac was down with repairs.

He has to shell out so much now to get it repaired. "Why me?" He thought. He was so full of self pity when he decided to go for a drive to vent his frustration. As he opened the gate of his house,  there was loud laughs and giggles.

The children in the nearby hutment were playing joyfully in the hot sun.  He stood silent for a minute.  They too have to bear the blasting sun and they cannot afford an ac. Still they find something to enjoy life and have reason to laugh.

He decided to do something.  From then on he used to offer his Maid and cook juices everyday all summer to help them battle the sun. He realized celebrating life is the only way to fight self pity. He became a better person.

God has created everything with so much care and love and have given the control over everything to us. Celebrating each and every day with this wonderful gift of life and praising Him for His grace and mercies will make life meaningful. 

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Lent Lesson 25: INITIATIVE

Initiative -  Taking charge of or acting on a thing independently and setting an example for others

She tried hard asking her family to go to church every Sunday. One or the other member would have an issue and wouldn't get up in the morning. Ultimately it would end up none going to the chapel.

Finally she took the matter into her hands. Instead of being fed up and getting angry on all for not getting ready she decided to take the initiative of going to the church everyday on her own.

She used to wake up very early and go for the first prayer at church. Initially it was hard to go alone. But as days went by she got used to.  Her family members saw this great initiative of hers and decided to follow her. One by one all started to accompany her.

In a couple of months they all went to the chapel as a family regularly and had a great start of a Sunday praying together. She thanked God for the wonderful change.

Similarly God has taken the initiative to love us and care for us whatever we do. It will be fitting for us to love Him back with all our heart and lead our lives in His path. Also to treat all others as we treat ourselves. 

Friday, March 24, 2017

Lent Lesson 24: HUMILITY

Humility - Being humble when you can be boastful

He was the only one from his family who could read English. All teased him at school because he came from a non educated background. With the exception of him all went to elite tuitions to get the maximum marks.

He put on his complete efforts and left no stone unturned when he had doubts on a particular topic. He went to the teachers and got everything clarified. The teachers observing his keen interest helped him to the core.

The day the results were to be published,  all were eagerly waiting and boasted they would be getting the highest marks. He just stood in the corner praying he should pass so that he can continue his education.

When the results were out,  he was the only one who passed with distinction while people who teased him could not even manage to pass.

God has given his word - "Those who humble himself shall be exalted and whose who exalt himself shall be humbled." Even Jesus who is the King of the world was born and brought up by humble parents in a humble home. God always keeps up his word. Let's Humble ourselves before the Lord and do our duty. God's rewards will be much more than we ever imagine of. 

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Lent Lesson 23: HOSPITALITY

Hospitality -  Friendly reception of guests to make them feel at home

They all got up early to make things ready. They had guests at home who were coming from Japan. They wanted to give a nice time to them that they planned it well ahead. They searched for Japanese recipes and prepared them as best as they could.

They even practiced eating with chopsticks to give them a atmosphere of feeling at home. They tried to match the ambience of authentic Japanese home too. When the guests finally arrived they were very happy. They were literally so much into the warmth of the hosts that they really didn't need a Japanese environment to feel at home.

Our savior is creating every comfort that one can ever imagine in heaven since the day he left for there after His resurrection. He is always awaiting the day we will reach him. We have to just prepare ourselves to be eligible guests to His kingdom.
Being Obedient to His word and living by His values will make us enjoy the hospitality of Our Heavenly Father.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Lent Lesson 22: GRATEFULNESS

 Gratefulness -  Being thankful or appreciating something done for the benefit of others

He never said no when others asked for his help. He would either help financially or physically according to his discretion. One day as he was walking down the street he saw a small girl begging in the street.

She looked so tired and weak. He decided to do something for her. He did not give her money. He took her to the nearby snack stall and made her eat her fill. Then took her to the nearest temple and got her flowers. He taught her to tie it in a string and helped her sell it.

He helped her for the next couple of months to get flowers regularly. Meanwhile he got her enrolled in a hostel which provides basic education too for the underprivileged. Days went by. He grew old. He was no longer able to support himself. He did not want to be in anyone's favor.

He decided to join a old age home. When he was walking towards it,  he saw a finely dressed lady come and hold his hands. She was the little girl he helped long back. She made him change his decision and stay with her. He hesitated initially for which she said, "There is something I learnt the day you changed my life for the better. It's called gratefulness and it's time to show what I learnt now."

God has given us everything and even the troubles we face is designed by him in such a way to strengthen us. It's time to show our gratitude by obeying His words and follow His path in life. We will not only have a secure future but a colorful present as well.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Lent Lesson 21: GENTLENESS

Gentleness -  Being nice and mild mannered.

She reminded him another time. "This may hurt a bit sir. Please bear it. I will hold your arm and wait till you are back to normalcy." The nurse was always gentle to everyone in the old age home . She understands everybody's pain and goes as far as she could to feel them at home.

The patients were very old and hardly ever recognized her the next time they come. But she always used to be so caring. When asked the reason for it she used to say, "I know nobody recognizes me for being extra caring but if I don't I will fail to recognize myself."

Jesus said on the way to the cross to the women crying for him. "Do not cry for me. Cry for your children"  Who can be that gentle when you are destined to die on the cross?  As children of this finest gentleman it is our duty to be as gentle as Our father to care and understand the pain of others and acting in such a way to lessen it. 

Monday, March 20, 2017

Lent Lesson 20: GENEROSITY

Generosity - Providing for others with a large heart.

He just got out of the fast food joint. He had a burger in his hand. That was the last he could afford. He should save it till night if he wants to have dinner as well. He had fallen into bad times and today just got worse.

As he stepped out,  a little girl came running to him asking for money. She was selling some books and was pestering him to buy so that she will end up getting a meal. He felt pity for the girl but didn't have any money.

He looked at the girl. She looked very weak and hungry. He finally decided he would do without dinner and gave the burger to the girl. She looked at him eyes wide and hugged him and said,  "Thanks brother".

He reached home and as he was opening the door his neighbor called out to him and said,  "We have a feast at home on the occasion of the birthday of our son. Please do come." He had more than he could eat that night.

When we turn to be generous enough to light someone's day, God in turn, turns us into stars so bright for everyone to see. Who could be more generous than creating everything and making us masters of his creation. He has given us a chance to share his duty now. Let us never put Him down. 

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Lent Lesson 19: FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness -  Ability to overlook someone's deeds which has hurt you a lot.

She could not forget the words. "What do you know about motherhood? You were never a mother. You cannot conceive at all." Her neighbors words felt as though a knife pierced her heart. She was watching her neighbors daughter getting spanked and rushed to her to protect her when she heard those cruel words.

She sat silent for a while. Then she decided to leave it for good. It's no use carrying it in heart.  After all its true. She did not have a child so far. She went back to her usual routine. She decided to forgive and forget.

A couple of months later she went to the doctor feeling sick. After some tests she was found  pregnant with twins. She thanked the day she decided to be forgiving for God has blessed her doubly for it.

God gave a wonderful present to us for crucifying him on the cross. His forgiveness. We may not be in a position to return any gift to Him but the least we can do is to share this wonderful present with everyone. Forgiveness always blesses us with more than we have lost or felt.




Saturday, March 18, 2017

Lent Lesson 18: FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility - Adjusting little or more discomfort to accommodate others comfortably.

He looked at the old man one more time. He looked old enough to be incapable to climb to the upper berth allotted to him in the train. But he seemed not to know the local language and hesitant to ask others for help.

He felt to have understood his feelings and went to the old man and made him understand that he is willing to give his lower berth. Though he got sprained in his ankle he struggled to get to the upper berth and looked down.

The smile and the sparkle on the old man's eyes was medicine enough for his pain. He slept soundly like never before.

We often hesitate to even adjust ourselves to a little discomfort though it may bring a big change to someone's life. Our God, the King of the Universe gave up all his comforts to change the lives of all the mankind.

We should have him as an example and be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of others as far as we can to stay blessed.

Friday, March 17, 2017

Lent Lesson 17 : FAITH

Faith -  Strong belief and complete trust

She was shouting and jumping. Her favorite cartoon character Superman was on TV endorsing a particular chocolate. She was so excited to immediately buy it and eat it.

The advertisement claimed the chocolate helped in brain development of the kid and helped her get good marks in the test. She was seen pestering her parents to get it immediately. Her father got annoyed and asked, "Why do you believe this chocolate will help you get good marks?".  She replied,  "Because Superman said so."

We often lose this belief and trust in God who have promised us and given us so many incidents to prove it to us. But God never loses his trust on us. He strongly believes we will get back to him one day and  waits for the day protecting us in His care all the while. Having unwavering faith on Him will help us renew our bond with Him and become a better person. 

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Lent Lesson 16: ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm - Eagerness and enjoyment in things

He was so eagerly waiting for his results. He was promised a lot of toys by his father if he stood first in class. He already decided what toys to get. He studied so hard and sincere and prayed well to be the best in his class.

When the results were finally out he was thrilled. He was the first in his class. He proudly showed the card to his father. He took him to the toy store. He was running here and there with eyes open wide. The toy store had shelves taller than him. He finally got the results for his hard work for which he enthusiastically waited.

God got so enthusiastic about his idea of creation of the world that he gave his best and created everything with great care. He is proud of his results. He always holds us as a Prize and overlooks all our shortcomings and gives us umpteen chances to get back to him.

The only way to reciprocate His feelings is by having the same enthusiasm towards meeting him in prayers.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Lent Lesson 15: ENDURANCE

Endurance - Bearing uncomfortable and non compliant situations without giving in.

She was admitted to the hospital for delivery. Her parents and friends were waiting outside the labor room praying for her. She was not able to even move an inch or listen to what the nurses were telling her. Her Non cooperation delayed the delivery process.

She was screaming and yelling in pain. The eldest of the nurses come close to her ears and said,  "Dear please listen and do as per we tell you to.  Endure your pain for a bit and get ready to welcome the most beautiful baby on earth. It is waiting to come to your arms."

She finally cooperated and endured her pain for a while only to experience the joy of holding her flesh and blood in the tiny form.

Our savior has conceived and delivered each and every one of the living being with utmost care. It is so hard to imagine such an endurance and patience to design each and every thing in the world. We should remember this every time we are encountering an intense situation that requires much enduring. God will make sure all the pain gets replaced with happy tears. 

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Lent Lesson 14 : DISCRETION

Discretion - Speaking or behaving in such a manner to avoid conflicts.

The situation was getting tense. They both started arguing. He paused in the middle. He wondered what will he gain if he continues to argue. He may or may not win the argument. At the end he will be exhausted and may end up losing his acquittance with the other guy.

He said, "Am sorry. I do not know the facts correctly. Will check and let you know. Let's not spoil our mood on this." And shook his hands with the other guy and left. The latter was satisfied for a while after which he verified the facts and found he was wrong. He felt bad and apologized. Their relationship grew even stronger and closer.

Jesus said to His father, "Forgive them father for they know not what they are doing" as his last words on the cross. "He had intense agony and complete reason to hate the entire mankind and vanquish everything. But he choose not to.

He choose the right words to convince the Heavenly Father not to relieve the mankind of his mercies. We can never match Jesus in this regard but can try our best to use the right words and action as to never hurt anyone or end up fighting.

Monday, March 13, 2017

Lent Lesson 13: DISCERNMENT

Discernment - Ability to Judge whatever God has decided and done in our lives is for our own good.

He was really frustrated. He was transferred back to a different place after a year and a half in this town. He has just started to plan to buy a new house in the town. This transfer came a shock to him.

All the packing and moving really had him worried. He has to take care of his elderly parents, toddler son and pregnant wife too. After a deep thought he finally concluded everything happens for his own good and moved to the new city.

A couple of months later there were a big communal riot at the previous place and would have ended up with them being victimized. He really thanked God for bringing him safely to this new place. His family has really got acquainted with this place better than the previous one.

Whatever God has decided for us will be much much better than what we plan and decide to do for ourselves. Though it may seem clumsy in the beginning we should be wise enough to accept his decision in life and go along with it.

God never forsakes even a tiny insect. We should trust him completely and communicate our needs and concerns through prayers.  

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Lent Lesson 12: DILIGENCE

Diligence - No negligence towards duty and persistent effort to get work done.

It was a house warming function. The little girl of the owner was showing a guest around the house when they praised the beauty of it. She was happy to show around the place to them.

They finally said you have a beautiful house dear. She replied,  "Well this is not my house. It belongs to the bank. Till I grow big my parents have to pay off the EMI. But one day this will surely be entirely mine. They have promised to put all efforts they can to get it done as soon as possible."

Her parents will definitely never neglect their duty to strife hard to get their beloved daughter the house they lovingly built. Our Heavenly Father is much more than that. He never gets a second rest and works all the time everyday to gets us the best things.

It is our Prime duty to take time to pray and attend mass to praise him in masses. We often crib about this. Just think of a day when God forgets his duties and takes a break.  Following the example of  our Creator,  we need to never neglect our duties and always be on toes to get it done. 

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Lent Lesson 11: DETERMINATION

Determination -  Not willing to take the easy way out even when the hard goes harder

He was the lead guitarist in the rock band. They were scheduled to give the first public concert in a month. All in the band were too excited and happy. But fate had other plans.

A couple of days later when they were returning from a show the vehicle met with an accident and he badly injured his hand. He could not accept the fact that he won't be playing in the concert.

He was determined to play. He started practicing with the other hand. It was hell painful but he did not give up. Finally he played guitar in the other hand at the concert. In due course he became the only person to play guitar in both the hands.

Similarly God is so determined on each one of us that he is not ready to disown even one from His kingdom however bad we are. He is even willing to wait forever. He creates umpteen events to help us understand His love and gives equal number of chances to come back to him.

Our only determination should be never to let Him away from our lives. 

Friday, March 10, 2017

Lent Lesson 10: DEPENDABILITY

Dependability - Ability to fulfill the duties assigned even if it means making small sacrifices.

He was always calling her name from morning till night. From morning coffee till retiring for a shut eye he used to be seen always asking her for everything.

She used to ask him for every simple detail at home. Kitchen stuff,  shopping, home care and everything she used to ask him and finalize things. It was a regular thing for both of them.  They were so into each other that both didn't mind getting  on hands to help the other.

Both were so emotionally dependant on each other. They made sure the other was taken care of while it hails or shines. They couldn't just live without each other. Dependability on each other is the key for their survival.

Getting to know someone will be there for us whatever happens is the basis of dependability.  God has assured us of this the day He created the heaven and the earth. Though we forget him often, He holds our hand steady always and makes us see the beauty and purpose of life. 

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Lent Lesson 9: DEFERENCE

Deference -  Being polite and understanding others though the heart may be in a storm.

He was shocked on seeing his purse. It was empty. He knew well that he had kept ₹5000 on his wallet. It was gone now. He tried hard to remember where he placed it but could not. Finally he concluded it was lost.

It was the final amount he had to while the month with. Now that it was lost he did not know where to go to. He had so many commitments in hand with the ₹5000 . He felt helpless and sad.

He was sitting in a shop with all this thoughts going on his head. He did not notice the owner getting out. He was all alone in the shop. Suddenly a lady walked in and started complaining of a particular snack sold at the shop which caused tummy ache in her son.

He rose to defend saying he was not the one responsible when saw the owner coming hurriedly inside. His face was so drenched in despair that he felt pity in him and did not utter a word to the lady when she was pouring her blows.

Finally when she came to a stop he gave her a glass of water and politely told her that her complaints will be heard soon and that he prayed her son would recover soon. She got a bit composed.

Then he told her he was in no way related to the shop.  She was very much shocked and apologized to him. She was so surprised to see such a polite person that she left the shop without further word.

The owner of the shop who was watching all this intently came up to him and thanked him profusely and offered him a job as he was short handed and gave an advance of ₹10000 . He was doubly rewarded for his politeness.

 Our Heavenly Father when crucified on the cross,  prayed for the last time to his father saying 'Please forgive them for they know not what they are doing.' None can repay that gesture to the extreme rudeness of crucifixion.

We may not know what each person is going through. Though our mind may be restless if we put on a polite smile it will definitely get back to us.


Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Lent Lesson 8: DECISIVENESS

Decisiveness -  Not being double minded when you have decided to follow the right way even if it means facing trouble in the middle.

Matthew and Mark were good friends. Last new year they made a resolution of reading bible every day and complete reading the entire bible. They made a schedule to read it fully in 365 days.

They started with a great zeal.  A couple of months sped by. Slowly they started drifting from their decision. Matthew was the first to realize it. He decided firmly to stay by his resolution. When he felt bored to read he didn't stick to the schedule and started reading biblical stories to interest him and prevent him from drifting from the path.

Whereas Mark was not that firm in his decision. After a couple of months he decided that saying rosary was sufficient as he could say it anytime without having to read. As days went by he lost interest in that too.  He decided to pray everyday for fifteen minutes to stay close to God. Then it got reduced to a couple of minutes and finally nil.

At the end of the year Matthew has completed reading the Bible fully and felt close to God through His word. Mark felt lost and guilty not keeping up to realize his resolution.

Sticking to a decision is often a difficult thing. But when we decide on something good and put in all our efforts to realize it God makes sure we reap the richest rewards. The proper decision in life will steer it the right way and takes us a step closer to God. 

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Lent Lesson 7:CREATIVITY

Creativity -  Approaching things in a novel way for a better cause.

Once a kid was gifted with a play dough and some moulds. It started to roll the dough and cut shapes as per the mould. The kid liked it so much that he always played it. He reached a stage when he was tired of playing with the same moulds.

He started to lose interest when his parents decided to do something.  They showed him the way to make shapes out of it without any moulds. He got excited. He started playing with the dough again making more creative shapes everyday.

Similarly God teaches us various methods to get us interested in the word of God and the proper ways of living. We need to be proactive to identify them and be creative in our own way to get them practiced in our life.

We can have our own way of getting us to avoid temptation and follow the word of God. Once it gets obsolete we need to be creative to identify other method to get us falling away from the path of God. 

Monday, March 6, 2017

Lent Lesson 6 : CONTENTMENT

Being content with what we have and be thankful for it.

They spent a solid one hour searching for the best present for their son. They wanted nothing but the best for him. They see no rest till they are completely satisfied with the quality of the product he gets.

This time it was his birthday and they went an extra mile to get the best present. They finally selected the latest model remote controlled car and covered it with a gift wrapper. They could hardly wait to show it to him.

On reaching home,  they held out the present to him. He got it with great excitement and pestered them to open it. After opening he grabbed the wrapper and ran off to play with it. He just wouldn't see the car at all. They tried their best to get him to play with the car but couldn't. Finally they gave up.

His requirement was something to play with and he was content with the shiny wrapper. They were dejected because they were chasing the best. There would always be something better than the best.

Contentment with what we have gives us joy what nothing else could bring. Contentment can be brought in life only by being thankful to all the gifts God is showering us every day. Take a couple of minutes every day to thank God for the wonderful life God has given us. 

Episode 12

Kandasamy fainted on seeing the old man's wound heal. It was too much for him to bear. It was the second immortal he had witnessed in a day. He could not get a plausible explanation for any of that. When he regained his senses he found he was lying in a bed.

The old man was seated on a chair and watched him intently. Kandasamy raised slowly from the bed. The old man immediately jumped and rushed to him. He was clutching a portrait tightly in his hand. He was shoving it under Kandasamy's eyes and shouted, "Tell me how he looks like now. How has he disguised him after these years."

Kandasamy wanted to badly run from the place.  There was something so haunting about that old man and he feared about him. He could not make any sense on his blabber. He knew he had no choice but to see the portrait and answer the old man.

He took the portrait in his hand. It was a very old one and the person on that looked like a King. He had never seen that person before. He conveyed it to the old man. The old man looked shocked. He called out Raj.  He asked him to show the various images of the King he had photoshopped in his laptop.

He opened an album and asked Kandasamy to identify Vinoth in any of that. Kandasamy's head started to roll.  He has not seen any of that person in the album. He denied seeing any of them. Finally almost dragging,  Rajarajan took Kandasamy to the portrait room.

He took him to the shelves of the portraits and started showing all the portraits to him. He could not bear any of that.  He was getting utterly confused.  He could not see Vinoth or even his resemblance in any of them.

He was planning to somehow get out of Rajarajan's hold and out of the house.  He was planning when he suddenly saw a portrait that resembled Vinoth. He reached for it and took it in his hand. It was the spitting image of Vinoth. He shouted, "This is him."

Rajarajan grabbed the portrait and his eyes sent wide. It was never the king then.  It is Thondaiman. "Raj,"  He shouted "We need to find the Kings grave then".  Raj went mad. He shouted back, "Now that we know it's not the king why on earth do we need to find him now."

"Call Professor Shanmugam immediately and ask him about his progress. I will explain things in a while. " He Ordered Raj and went back to his thoughts. Raj,  though red with fury obliged to end it all.

He went to the other room to talk. Rajarajan was sitting in the rocking chair and rolled to and fro for what it seemed ages when Raj came back." It seems we have come to an end then.  The kings grave, skeletal remains and last possessions are found by Shanmugam. We will start immediately. "

Rajarajan could not believe his ears. When Srinivasan gave the suggestion of funding an archeologist to find the king he was skeptical bit now it had turned out fruitful. As he turned to leave,  he heard Raj say," They found everything except the Signet ring it seems. "

" What? " He screamed. A loud thud distracted them. As they rushed to the window all they could see was a bright silhouette image and street light brightly illuminated his ring in the left hand.

" who is that? "Raj shouted. The person turned back to reveal a panting tired Vinoth." Selvan stop. Our cure lies in your ring. " Rajarajan shouted and fell on the ground.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Lent Lesson 5: COMPASSION

Compassion - Contributing whatever we can to lessen the pain of the hurt.

A dog just gave birth to a litter of puppies. It was a cute briskly bunch of 6 dogs. The new born lay basking in the sun and glittered like gold. Everyone who witnessed became so excited and started clicking pictures and sharing them.

A 5 year old wanted to see what the commotion was all about and he too was excited. He watched the dogs for a while and hurried to his home. He brought his milk bottle,  opened it,  poured it in a saucer and placed before the dogs. When asked why,  he replied, "They seemed hungry." The dogs lapped up the milk in a jiffy.

We often get carried away by our thoughts of self centered attitude that we fail to feel human. Being human is sharing the pain of others to lessen it. Even a small gesture of compassion makes a huge difference in someone's life.

God has summarized it wisely,  'Love others as you love yourself.' Contributing whatever we can - money, time, physical effort, kind words to make even ones life pleasant will make our life meaningful.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Lent Lesson 4 : CAUTIOUSNESS

Caution to prevent wrong things from happening.
Beaches are always fun whether you are a kid or an adult. The sight of variety of crowd in the beach,  various stalls , the cool waves,  smooth sand and the alluring aroma of various snacks always makes us want more.

A short trip to the beach of a family with a kid will make us understand the importance of caution. A big bag loaded with diapers,  Wipes, cloth, papers,  plastic bags, toys, water, milk,  a spare dress,  woolen accessory,  a small snack -  all these kept ready to keep the baby comfortable at all times.

The parents cannot change the way the beach sounds or the people coming there to suit the baby's comfort level.  They try to comfort the baby by giving it's favorite things and make it feel at home. Being cautious and making sure the baby is fine at all times ensures a happy trip to both the parents and the baby.

Similarly we can relate the relationship we have with our creator. We have to  be cautious and ensure that nothing bad happens to ensure a safe journey in life. We can prepare by praying and indulging in only the correct things to avoid turmoil in our life.

Be cautious enough to identify points of temptation and not falling in to have a happy life. 

Friday, March 3, 2017

Message of love

They were dating. Every night was filled with sweet nothings. She was always very expressive while he kept things to himself. She always said I love you often but he simply replied with a smiley.

Today was the same. They were chatting for a long while. She started to feel drowsy. She conveyed him the same and wanted to retire to bed.'I love you.  Good night. 'She texted for the last time for the day.

His reply was the same.' Good night dear. ' She felt a bit bad. She asked him.' Why don't you say I love you? ' He again replied with an emoticon.
She gave up. She texted back.' You tell me when you feel like.  I will wait. 'She locked the Mobile and placed it on the bedside table.

PING.
A WhatsApp message. She was pretty sure it was a emoticon. She unlocked the Mobile. It was from him. It said, ' I love you'. It continued,  ' You need not wait.  I love you always. ' 

She replied with a emoticon this time. 

Lent Lesson 3: BOLDNESS

Bold to say no to wrong things at the right time.
It was the first day at college. Pre final year students formed a gang to rag the new comers. He was one among them. His mind was nagging him all the time.

He did not want to do any of that. But did not want to be alone. The 'raggers'  started their work. He felt too guilty. Finally he came to a decision. This was too much to bear. He stood up against them.

He said they were wrong and asked them to stop. Though shaking terribly inside he was able to influence a couple of people who shared his thoughts. They stood together and managed to stop a few students from getting bugged.

God wants us to do the same. Being bold enough to say no to wrong things even when the majority does it is what the world needs now. Even if it makes a difference to one soul it is worth it.

Boldness doesn't require physical strength or financial power. It just requires a good heart to stop wrong things from happening. 

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Lent Lesson 2 : AVAILABILITY

Availability
"This is the final call for token no. 11. "Noone turned up. The teller at the bank finally gave up. He moved to the next token number.  A couple of minutes later a man hurriedly came running to the counter.

" I have been waiting for a long time. Just went out for some refreshment. How can you call the next token number? " He shouted at the teller. The teller had a simple reply. " You were not available sir. "

Humans cannot wait indefinitely but God always wait for us to realize our mistakes and forgive us with his grace ever. Only thing he asks is we need to be available to  him.

 We can be available to him through our regular prayers to communicate with him. Spare a couple of minutes every day to thank and ask for His grace. 

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Lent Lesson 1 : ATTENTIVENESS

Jevin pinched himself hard. He was slowly drifting to sleep.  He did not want that to happen. The speaker was a very distinguished person who explained many problems we may have to face in daily life and ways to resolve them with the help of short stories.

He was very wise but not a good deliverer of thoughts. The speaker's monotonous drone made everyone sleep. The speaker glanced across the audience. Only one was writing feverishly while others were minding their business.

Jevin had sworn to be attentive in his work to himself. He started writing whatever he heard in jist to prevent sleepiness. He turned to see his colleagues.  They were so immersed in their own activities.  Some were listening to  music and some were chatting. Everyone was bored because nobody could connect to Internet in the hall.

Finally it got over. Everyone was ushered to the refreshment hall. The organizer had promised a free WiFi connection in the rest area. Everyone fell upon other in a rush to reach the hall.

Once they were in the hall,  they detected the connection but could not connect to it as it was password protected. They contacted the organizer. He replied, " Oh the connection had actually been set by the speakers company.  Please contact them for the password."

They desperately searched for the relevant people and asked them for the password. "Oh.  We forgot to give you the password. Sorry.  It's the name of the protagonist in the second story as narrated by our chief."

Everyone was speechless. Only Jevin could connect to the world that day.
Whatever someone says may help in any time of our life. Learn to be attentive in whatever we do.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

The Picture

"So this is it huh?"
Her eyes widened at the voice of Ranveer singh. It was the advertisement for VIVO V5 mobile phone. Her favorite.  She usually increased the volume and sat glued to the TV set till it gets over.

He did not mind anything she does but this one irritated him badly . Her lack of attention on anything till the ad gets over drove him mad. He asked her about it.

"Do you remember our first date. We both took turns and clicked each other's pic on my mobile. I literally got smitten by you.  Though I never asked I badly wanted to have a pic of us together.  So when I went back home I edited our pics as one together on an app and used to stare at it for hours together.

I just watch this ad for the last line. It goes like this.  I pictured us together. I recall the good old times and feel immensely happy.  "

He felt too emotional and hugged her close to his heart. She came out of the coziness and looked at him and said," Also Ranveer is hot in the ad. "

They both laughed like never before.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Episode 11

Thondaiman's shrieks and commands were clearly heard by him. He was shouting aloud and asking soldiers to bring a cot to carry him outside. He was giving orders to find what he made him to reach the ultimate decision -  suicide.

He smiled to himself. "Let Thondaiman try his best.He will never live to find out a solution." The pain he experienced while passing the dagger across his chest suddenly started reducing. "Maybe death is too close" He thought.

As he looked down,  he saw the wound in the chest completely healed.  He felt like never before. He felt stronger. He was utterly confused.  He did not stir. He was deep in thoughts. Suddenly it hit him hard.

"But how?" He thought.  "I never drank it. "

This memory felt fresh. After he finished mixing the potion in the Kings soup,  he was about to leave the galley when he felt a fit of cough.  Hearing this the bodyguards of the king and the crown Prince came running and offered him a drink.

Little did he know then that it was the same fateful soup he mixed the potion with.

"I have to do something.  I cannot live like this. "His eyes could not control the tears. It was rolling everywhere from his eyes to his long beard.

" The King. He is the only solution. I have to find him now. "

He blinked back his tears. He saw that there was no one except a couple of soldiers at the entrance of the room. Seizing the opportunity he fled from the palace without alerting a soul.

PRESENT DAY

Kandasamy ran back to Raj's house to tell him what he heard just now.  Maybe the police can get a clue about Srinivasan's murder. Also he felt his life was in danger.  He wanted to get the culprit punished soon.

On reaching,  he was disappointed to see not much of policemen.  Only a couple of them were left behind and they did not seem much important to him. He decided to go to Raj and tell him to contact the chief officers to take immediate action.

There was Noone in the ground floor. He was calling Raj and made his way up the stairs by himself when he heard a big sobbing noise. He peeped in the room from where it was heard.

An old man was sitting on the corner of the bed and was crying his heart out. Kandasamy felt pity. He went to him and touched his shoulder. Suddenly the old man gripped his neck with an extraordinary force and began to choke him.

"who are you.? What are you trying to do here? " The old man began to shout.

" Stop. He is the one who can identify Vinoth. We need him. Don't do anything stupid. "As Raj came in and stopped him,  the old man controlled his fury and sank back on the bed.

Kandasamy lay frozen.  He wanted to run from this place as soon as he can.

" I don't know how many more death should I see.? " The old man was blabbering as he cried.

" It was your fault from the beginning. Now you have taken my father's breath away too.  Be happy with the reward revenge has given you"
Raj shouted back and threw a vase at the old man.

He had a deep cut and blood started to ooze. Kandasamy felt bad and rushed to the old man. As he turned to the nearest table for a piece of cotton to wipe the wound and returned back, the wound was nowhere to be seen. It had healed back.

Kandasamy shrieked and fell back while Rajarajan continued to sob.

Episode 11

Thondaiman's shrieks and commands were clearly heard by him. He was shouting aloud and asking soldiers to bring a cot to carry him outside. He was giving orders to find what he made him to reach the ultimate decision -  suicide.

He smiled to himself. "Let Thondaiman try his best.He will never live to find out a solution." The pain he experienced while passing the dagger across his chest suddenly started reducing. "Maybe death is too close" He thought.

As he looked down,  he saw the wound in the chest completely healed.  He felt like never before. He felt stronger. He was utterly confused.  He did not stir. He was deep in thoughts. Suddenly it hit him hard.

"But how?" He thought.  "I never drank it. "

This memory felt fresh. After he finished mixing the potion in the Kings soup,  he was about to leave the galley when he felt a fit of cough.  Hearing this the bodyguards of the king and the crown Prince came running and offered him a drink.

Little did he know then that it was the same fateful soup he mixed the potion with.

"I have to do something.  I cannot live like this. "His eyes could not control the tears. It was rolling everywhere from his eyes to his long beard.

" The King. He is the only solution. I have to find him now. "

He blinked back his tears. He saw that there was no one except a couple of soldiers at the entrance of the room. Seizing the opportunity he fled from the palace without alerting a soul.

PRESENT DAY

Kandasamy ran back to Raj's house to tell him what he heard just now.  Maybe the police can get a clue about Srinivasan's murder. Also he felt his life was in danger.  He wanted to get the culprit punished soon.

On reaching,  he was disappointed to see not much of policemen.  Only a couple of them were left behind and they did not seem much important to him. He decided to go to Raj and tell him to contact the chief officers to take immediate action.

There was Noone in the ground floor. He was calling Raj and made his way up the stairs by himself when he heard a big sobbing noise. He peeped in the room from where it was heard.

An old man was sitting on the corner of the bed and was crying his heart out. Kandasamy felt pity. He went to him and touched his shoulder. Suddenly the old man gripped his neck with an extraordinary force and began to choke him.

"who are you.? What are you trying to do here? " The old man began to shout.

" Stop. He is the one who can identify Vinoth. We need him. Don't do anything stupid. "As Raj came in and stopped him,  the old man controlled his fury and sank back on the bed.

Kandasamy lay frozen.  He wanted to run from this place as soon as he can.

" I don't know how many more death should I see.? " The old man was blabbering as he cried.

" It was your fault from the beginning. Now you have taken my father's breath away too.  Be happy with the reward revenge has given you"
Raj shouted back and threw a vase at the old man.

He had a deep cut and blood started to ooze. Kandasamy felt bad and rushed to the old man. As he turned to the nearest table for a piece of cotton to wipe the wound and returned back, the wound was nowhere to be seen. It had healed back.

Kandasamy shrieked and fell back while Rajarajan continued to sob.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The Cleanest Tile

"Your bathroom is very clean. The white tiles simply bears our reflection. It is nice. "
This was the usual compliment for their restroom.
She was explaining for the umpteenth time to the visitor that he was obsessed with the white tiles in the bathroom and always spends all of his free time cleaning it.

The visitor today was their very close family friend. She took leave to make coffee. As she left,  his friend asked him, "Why do you trouble yourself in this age? Now that you are retired,  you should spend time in things that you enjoy doing. Don't indulge in these household works."

He calmly smiled and replied, " See, she has very bad case of urinary infection and she needs the restroom to be clean. But she won't allow me to do the dirty work.In the pretext of my obsession over the tile,  I clean the bathroom whenever I can. Don't tell her this."

As the 65 year old was giving this sweet explanation, his 60 year old spouse wiped a silent tear that gushed suddenly hearing all this, before bringing in the coffee. 

Thursday, February 16, 2017

The Dashing lesson

She loved going for long drives with him. He was ever busy and whenever he could spare time they went for long drives.  He was always in control but he loved driving fast.

Also when someone drives not minding the rules he never misses to give them a piece of his mind. She always fears he may get into a fight and will always tell him to be more patient. He seldom listened.

They were on a outing to an amusement park.  The park was very less crowded and almost deserted as it was a working day. They were on the Dashing car ride. It was literally empty except for them.

He asked her to ride one of the cars and he was on another. They started merrily.  He came on dashing car but she preferred to elude him than to dash him. Each time he came to dash her he closed her eyes tightly.

He could not handle the pain seeing the fear in her eyes.  As they stepped out of the park into the car he swore to be more patient.
He looked into her eyes which seemed to twinkle knowing it will never see fear again. 

Valentine vows

She woke up and did the first thing she ever does everyday. Checked her mobile. No messages. She went to facebook for a quick browse. All red and cuddly.

She checked for the date at the top panel in her phone. It showed February 14. Valentine's day. He seemed to have forgotten.

She went on her usual chores and it was a perfect usual day but the festiveness amiss.  She knew their love is so bonded to confine to one day to celebrate but she badly wanted him to atleast wish her.

She felt low and started to write a blog. VALENTINE DAY WOES.

She was about to complete and publish at the end of the day when she received a message.

"Happy Valentine's day baby. "

A wide grin on her face was immediately replaced by shock as he came behind her and hugged her.

There was a big bunch of her favorite chocolates.

" Why didn't you remind me of this day? You know how forgetful I am because of my work. There was not a single shop open when I turned in late today. You have to adjust with these for today and wait till tomorrow to get your gift. "

As she deleted the post she wrote and replaced the title as
VALENTINE DAY VOWS
She swore that was the sweetest chocolate she ever had.




Sunday, February 12, 2017

The lost message

He was always so busy. His job required him to travel a lot and had little time for everything else. She understood his concerns but always wanted to spend whatever time he spared.

She thought of the world of him but never shared it with him. She was always waiting for the right time.  One day when she was casually going through her WhatsApp contacts,  he was online.

She was deciding whether to share her heart with him now when she saw his status change to 'Typing'. She gets butterflies in her stomach.  They were chatting on general terms when she suddenly overcame her fear and typed her heart out conveying her love for him.

But her mobile battery ran out at the exact moment and it gets switched off.  She gets mad literally and runs to put it on charger when she trips and the phone breaks.

He calls her on landline and asks casually about her phone the next day. Since it was his usual tone she concludes the message is lost.  He offers to take her to the service center to get her mobile repaired.

On the way she asks him for his phone to call her parents back home.  She decides to check WhatsApp for her chathead to see if he has received the message.

There were more than 50 active chatheads. She goes to the contacts to search her name. It is not there. As she blinks at him he comes to her and says,
"If you are searching for your number it is saved by the name 'My gal' "

She never had to worry about the lost message ever. 

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Episode 10

King Ravi Varma and Thondaiman was about to eat when they were interrupted by a soldier announcing the arrival of Kabilan,  the chief of the spy force.  They immediately left the food and went out of have a private chat.

"You know something.  I feel so tired nowadays and not able to concentrate on anything solid. " Meenakshi was telling her 27 year  old adopted Selvan. Though very few years elder to him,  he considered her mother from the bottom of his heart.

" Don't worry about it mother.  Now that Rajarajan has returned to the palace we will ask him to have a look at you.  You will be better in a jiffy. " He replied.

" To tell you the truth I feel pregnant again.  I only hope I don't lose this baby too on birth. "

Selvan went speechless with joy. " Mother if this is true,  I would do anything to keep the baby safe.  Don't worry.  Everything will be alright.  You have your food now.  They may not return soon as Kabilan will have lots to share usually. "

She insisted on him to eat with her and they started with the tomato soup.  When it was poured,  Selvan drank it in a gulp as he felt too hungry and he reached out to pour more in his goblet.

Meenakshi who got up to help him to pour suddenly fainted toppling the table and emptying all the contents on it. Selva dropped his goblet and rushed to help her.

"Selva give me the cycle now.  It's my turn now. "

Vinoth who was lurking in the bushes to avoid Kandasamy heard the voices of two kids in the street playing and turned back suddenly.  How long it may get he can never forget that he was christened Selvan at birth.





Saturday, February 4, 2017

The Ring

He wanted to propose her. He was waiting for the right time to do it. He called her on a date. They visited an amusement park. They had the time of their lives enjoying all rides. It was a working day and the park was literally empty. They were given special care everywhere.

They finally reached a stall where they were hosting a game of attempting to throw a ball inside a loop. He offered to try. He was not able to do it for a couple of tries.
He started trying with real vigor now that she started getting tensed. At last he did it. She hugged him in an adrenaline rush. She immediately realized and let him go. He was given a small Keychain as a reward.

He immediately went on his knees and proposed her with the Keychain as a ring. She asked,”why now suddenly?, “

“Why not now? “ He replied.

“ I would have dressed up well. “ She replied with a huge blush.

The Keychain served as the model for their wedding rings. 

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Hot eyes and a cool blush

“You always have your eyes closed in all the pics. Why can't you open for eyes for a couple of minutes till the picture is taken?” Her friends chided her after browsing all the pics taken at the outing.
She always does that and couldnt help it. She was sad that her pic didn't turn out well. He came to her rescue. “ See you need not be so cautious. Look at my eyes for a couple of minutes. You will get used to it and not blink when I take your picture. Is it fine? “ He offered.
She sat opposite to him and both stared continuosly for more than the stimulated ‘couple of minutes’. “Hey what are you both doing”.
A friend’s voice brought them to their senses. He took her pic and they started browsing all the pictures together. He complained his eyes of being very small.
“Thank God your eyes are small. They are already so sharp and hot and makes me blush like never before. If it's even bigger I won't know how to handle.” She said all this in a hurry and left him thinking.
She always wakes up looking at those eyes all her life. 

The unwanted app

"These are the tasks to complete today.   We should prioritize and complete it ASAP." He was planning his daily work with her at the cafeteria. As usual she recorded all he said.

He was initially annoyed but got used to it later.  She insisted on recording all he says when they discuss something important. She said she may forget the details and made it a regular habit.

She left her place to get something from the counter leaving her mobile on the table. He absent mindedly opened her phone and started browsing. He went to the gallery to hear his records when he found nothing on it except the one she recorded now.

He saw that there was a separate personal folder and out of curiosity he opened it. There were so many recordings with his voice just saying her name.

She returned to the table.  He gave her phone back and asked her about it.  She seemed too blushed. She didn't respond immediately.

"I love to hear the sound of your voice. My name sounds so sweet when you say it. " She turned beet red.  He came closer to her and told her to delete the recording app and that she should no longer record his voice.

She was about to go in tears when he came close and held her hands and said," We are going to talk and talk and talk so much in our lifetime that no app will have the capability to store. The voice and the bearer are forever yours. "

His name became her surname very soon after that.  

Monday, January 30, 2017

The sixth finger

“What is the meaning of this? This is your third smoke today. You promised to leave this habit as soon as possible but I cannot believe you haven't even started to try quitting.”
She was yelling for the umpteenth time at him. “Am sorry dear but cigarette has become my sixth finger.I hold on to it to relieve stress. You know how stressful my job is. Please understand me.”
She came close to him and hugged him. She held her finger to him and said “ This is your sixth finger now. Hold on to it ever to relieve your stress. Please don't touch cigarette anymore.”
His new finger stayed on to him ever after.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Lifting hearts

They were on a casual date. They were roaming aimlessly and made plans on the go and were enjoying each others company thoroughly.

When they were making plans on where to go next, it suddenly stared to rain. They were in a fix. His gym was nearby and he offered to take her there.

She accepted and they both went on. He introduced her to all his friends there. He then proceeded to give her a tour of his daily routine.

He started lifting weights and asked her to try one. She couldn't and sat down panting.
"You are so strong to lift these weights. Which is the most difficult weight you have lifted?"

"There is just one thing that's most difficult. Not because of its weight but because of its handling. I need to hold it ever and keep it safe and never let it down. "

"It sounds so difficult. What is that?"

"Its your heart." He replied. 

Love is not blind

"Please focus and observe. Can you see my ear clearly or not?"
The doctor asked for the third time. He was having little irritation in eyes and she accompanied him to go to the doctor. He was bit fidgety and restless.

She came close to him and asked him to focus. " Hey her ears are bit dirty. I cannot stare at it for a long time. " He whispered in her ear. She started to giggle uncontrollably.

The doctor gave a stern look. She offered to wait outside. He joined her in 10 minutes with medicine in his eyes. He should be made to sit for 10 minutes to let the medicine rest.

They were chatting on and on and he made her laugh without a halt. She looked at him lovingly. She badly wanted to be near him all the time.Sadly he turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to her advances.

 They consulted the doctor again and she dismissed them with just a eye drop.
They went to a restaurant from the clinic. It was bit crowded. They could not find a empty table to themselves. They were made to sit in the same side of the table.

"Thank god she didn't ask me to wear glasses. I would look horrible."
" Your eyes are more important than looks. If required you should wear it." She replied.

They went on to argue a bit and finally he took his mobile out and took a selfie with her.
"See this picture will come good in our wedding album. The same with me glasses on will spoil the picture."

She blushed as he continued.
"Maybe that eye drops washed all the love's blindness away. The love for you in my eyes will never go blind ever. "

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Episode 9

Vinoth was sitting on a bench panting. He badly wanted to retrieve his treasured ring but he did not know how. He did not have the strength to plan also. He touched his pockets to check if he has any money.

His wallet contained some. He decided to eat first and then work on a plan. He spotted a small restaurant nearby and went there. Little did he knew that Kandhasamy was sitting at an adjacent table in the same restaurant.

Kandhasamy had his own share of thoughts. He got confused on seeing Vinoth's unique healing nature and was wondering on it when the doctor offered to give a plausible explanation. But he couldn't get the doctor to meet Vinoth which left him with a blinding headache.

He decided to eat out and spend some time in the open air. He was about to get up from his table to leave when he saw Vinoth. His face lit up. He wondered what to do next.
He decided to call Dr.Srinivasan.

" The number you are trying to reach is currently not reachable." The same message greeted him on all his trials. He did not know what to do next. He was watching Vinoth helplessly.

Vinoth had eaten enough to retrieve his energy and got up. He reached the counter to pay.
"Sorry sir. We do not accept this 500 rs note anymore. Please give a different note sir."
Vinoth looked as if he was slapped in the face.

He was not prepared for this. He did not know what to do. He did not want the police's attention on this. Kandhasamy saw this at a distance. He thought of helping him.

He went to him. Vinoth's face went even more pale. He paid the bill and both left together in silence. " I wanted to  ask you something. " Kandhasamy started.

"Kandha some things are best if left alone.please don't ask me more. I am forever indebted to you for this meal you got me today. Its good bye for ever now. "  Vinoth spoke in a hurry and ran from the restaurant.

Before Kandhasamy could react, Vinoth fled the scene. Kandhasamy could feel his head ready to burst. He wanted to do something about it. He thought of going to the doctors house and talk to him about it.

He beheld a sight he never expected. Police were swarming the place.  He went to one of them and asked what happened. He came to know of Srinivasan's death. He felt great remorse.

He thought it best to leave the place now and come back after a few days to talk to Srinivasan's son about all this. He just turned to the next lane when he heard voices. He wanted to confirm the route to the main road. He thought of approaching the people when he heard this clear.

" Dr. Srinivasan's murder was ineveitable. He deserved it. Now it seems Kandhasamy may trouble Vinoth. He is interested in exploring things. If it exceeds beyond our control, we may have to kill him too. "


Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Will you marry me?

“Will you marry me? “ She was shocked at his words and turned back. He was reading a greeting card at a stall. Her heart skipped a beat. She badly wanted those words from his mouth but he seemed not interested in her. Or so she thought.
He wanted to get a stress ball so badly that they came shopping for it. He was so short tempered and people advised him to use one when he felt angry. There were whole lot of other things except the ball.
They came to the stationary section. There were a wide display of wedding memories log book. She was flipping one when he came beside her.
“This is utter waste. No one has time for these nowadays. “
“If you are willing to help me I can fill this. No problem.” She hinted with a smile.
Still no reaction from him. He didn't seem to understand. She gave up. They bought the ball and went back home. When she was fishing for the keys at her door, she found a small bag in her handbag.
His stress ball was inside with a paper.
“He made me walk a lot for this and now forgot it. What a memory. “ She was voicing her thoughts and opened the paper.
“Now that you are there in my life, I no longer need anything else than your sweet face to control my anger.
Your eyes asked My heart why I didn't propose you still when I read that greeting card playfully at the mall. My heart’s reply is this.
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
P.S. I am very slow in picking things. Your eyes have a lot of work. “
Her eyes were moist for a long while.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Falling in love

She felt distant. They were too much occupied with their work that they couldn't spend quality time for each other. She felt sad. She couldn't bear that they are falling apart anymore.

She decided to talk to him. He seemed so cool about it. When she explained how much she misses him and the pain she felt he did not seem to be much interested to know.

Her remorse felt exponential. She was hiding her sobs in the pillow when he came and touched her. He turned her and hugged her hard. 

He said,  " When we fall we don't feel the pain till the ground breaks the fall. Falling in love is similar to it. As long as we keep falling in love we have no pain and nothing to worry about. I have never broke the fall till now and ever will. "

She fell in love with him again.  

Credits : The theme of the story was told at a sermon by Fr.Gandhi at Madurai.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Melody of life

"Maalai neram.."
A romantic melody was playing in full volume when she boarded the bus. She could hardly control her eyes from getting moist. Her mind reeled a day back.

He was supposed to travel onsite the next day and he dropped her home from office. The same song was playing in his car. The lyrics brought her great emotion.

She was already sad that he is leaving and the song added oil to troubled waters. She never expressed her love for him. They said good bye and parted ways.

She knew she will feel a big void at office till he is back. Did not know how to express this to him too. Finally with heavy heart she entered her cubicle. He was sitting at his desk.

She jumped on him in joy. " what happened? Have your trip been postponed?"

"After dropping you I felt I couldn't leave you and go. I felt like taking you also with me. Check these papers on your details. Its for your visa. And also one important document needs to be attached"

" What's that? "She asked excitedly.

"Its our marriage certificate."

He held her hands and met her eyes. Silence spoke for a very long time.