Unveil the Other Side

There are many here missing yearly trips to exotic places or missing going home to meet loved ones or missing travel for business but here I am missing the simple travel in the local buses, missing going to the grocery and picking up fresh vegetables looking at each pile.  Today's world : A day we had never imagined, an era that is running with faces covered under masks, little ones not experiencing the social life. Heart aches seeing the plight of the world. 

 First day of school is a roller coaster of mixed emotions. Some kids and parents are really excited and some are extremely nervous. The separation anxiety hits and there are moms who's hearts silently wail as they let go their baby to be growing into an independent kiddo. Its a new chapter of the little one's life filled with wonderful opportunities ahead. Each day as I drop off my kid to school I look at those emotion filled eyes surrounding the main gate at school saying byes and kissing them , mentions of 'have a great day", 'have a good day', enjoy your day'.. the little ones responding back " 'Bye mom, love you', ' Have a great day dad'.. Its a special moment every parent cherishes. Most mums and dads experience a complex mix of emotions when it comes to sending their baby to school on the first day. However the 5 year olds are now eager learners who are excited about everything in the world around them. They know how to handle a ...

ಅಂದು ಭಾನುವಾರ,  ಮ‌0ಡ್ಯ‌ದ‌ಲ್ಲೊ0ದು  ಮದುವೆ ಸಂಭ್ರಮವಿತ್ತು. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹೊರಟ ನಾವು ತಲುಪಿದ್ದು ಮೇಲುಕೋಟೆ. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಮೈಸೂರು ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇರೋ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಮಂಟಪದಲ್ಲೂ ಒಂದಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ಮದುವೆ ಅಥವಾ ಮುಂಜಿ ಕಾರ್ಯ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಸಡಗರ ತುಂಬಿತ್ತು. ರೋಡಿನುದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ವಾಹನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಳಿತ ರಮಣಿಯರು ಮೈತುಂಬ ಒಡವೆ , ಜರತಾರಿ ಸೀರೆ ಧರಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಆ ಹನ್ನೊಂದು ಘಂಟೆಯ ಉರಿಬಿಸಿಲನ್ನೂ ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸಿ ಇಂತಹ ಭಾರಿ ಸೀರೆಗಳನ್ನ ಉಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾದರು ಹೇಗೆ ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ನನ್ನ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ. ಇನ್ನು ಅವರ ಸಾರಥಿಗಳೋ (ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಅವರ ಗಂಡಂದಿರು) ಯಾವ ಎಂ. ಪಿ , ಎಂ ಎಲ್ ಎ ಗೇನು ಕಡಿಮೆ ಇರ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ . ಏನು ಇಲ್ಲ ಅ೦ದ್ರೂನು ಕೈನಲ್ಲಿ ೬ -೭ ಗಟ್ಟಿ ಚಿನ್ನದ ಉಂಗುರ, ೧-೨  ಸವರನಿನ ಬ್ರೇಸ್ಲೇಟ್ , ದಪ್ಪದಾದ ಕತ್ತಿನ ಚಿನ್ನದ ಚೈನ್ ಪಳ ಪಳ ಅಂತ ಹೊಳೆಯುತ್ತ ಇದ್ದವು. ಹಾಗು ಹೀಗೂ ಮಂಡ್ಯ ತಲುಪೋ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ 12:00 ಘಂಟೆ ದಾಟಿತ್ತು. ಇನ್ನೂ ಮಂಟಪಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ  ವಧು ವರರಿಗೆ ಹರಸಿ ನಂತರಾ ಪಂಕ್ತಿ ಊಟಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾದು ... ಅಯ್ಯೋ ಅಷ್ಟೋಂಡು ತಾಳ್ಮೆ ನಮಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದು ಆ ಉರಿಬಿಸಿಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ. ಸರಿ, ಎಲ್ಲಾ  ಪಯಣಿಗರ ಒಮ್ಮತ ಪಡೆದು ಬಂಡಿ ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿಯೇಬಿಟ್ಟರು  ನಮ್ಮ ಸಾರಥಿ ಭಾವಮೈದ. ಸುಮಾರು ೪೦ ಕಿ. ಮೀ  ದೂರದಿಲ್ಲಿತ್ತು ಯೋಗನರಸಿಂಹನ ಗುಡಿ - ಅದು ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ, ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಕೆಳಗ...

The sun had kissed the mountains, birds were making their way back to their nest, the sky was painted red. It was a cold breezy evening. Sharada and Padmaja were not done playing their hopscotch. Sharada's grandmother Girijamma was sitting on an easy chair and reciting soundarya lahari as her daughter in law Mangala swept the front yard. Soon night pitched in and there came the call for the girls to get back home. Ranganna, Girijamma's son was a clerk at the local bank. He'd returned after an exhausting day at work. Mangala laid out food and water for the family. It was her tradition to feed all of them before she could eat her supper. Having finished her duties Mangala crept into her room where exhausted Ranganna was already asleep. Mangala was a bright student in her young school days. During those times where girls were not encouraged to study more than matriculation(current days' 10th grade), Mangala's dad who was a teacher by profession had gone all odds to ma...

It was pure love. She couldn't resist being away for so long. The daily visits had turned into a friendship that created a feeling of wanting more. She was lured and her fantasy grew far beyond. It was a cold night. Christmas wasn't far , roads were covered in snow, twinkling lights on the trees shining all night, the path cleared by the mover. She could see you standing tall and inviting. Being stuck at home, she was waiting to run into you - of course you MC Donalds double cheese burger that she'd been craving for the whole of last week. 

 ಅಂಗಳದಿ ಅರಳಿದ ಹೂ ಚಂದ ಗುಯಿಗುಟ್ಟುತ್ತಾ  ಅತ್ತಣಿಂದ ಇತ್ತ ಹಾರುತ್ತ  ದುಂಬಿಯು ಬಂದಿದೆ ಅದರತ್ತ  ಅಂಗಳದಿ ಅರಳಿದ ಹೂ ಚಂದ  ಅಂದವ ಸವಿಯುತ್ತಾ  ಬಿಂಕದಿಂದ ಬಂದಿಹಳು ಹಾಡುತ  ಹೂವಾಡಗಿತ್ತಿ ಅದರತ್ತ ಅಂಗಳದಿ ಅರಳಿದ ಹೂ ಚಂದ ಸುವಾಸನೆ ಬೀರುತ  ಗಾಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಲಿಯುತ  ಇರುವೆ ನೀ ಎಲ್ಲರ ಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯುತ  

Shyam walked into the veranda and sat on the comfortable chair that had been his companion since his childhood. He had spent most of his student life sitting on this wooden chair, specially crafted by his grandfather. Today as he sat there holding a magazine in his hand his thoughts curled down into one of those days when he was holding his history text book. The door in front was left open to let fresh air from the lush green bushes fill in. Perfume of the Parijatha flowers that was about to bloom that night, lingered all over the veranda. Kaveri came in and held out her hand to offer a brass cup of foam lathered filter kaapi filled right upto the brim. It was piping hot, so she held it with the end of her saree pallu. Shyam had taken the coffee from her hand as usual but his gaze was still fixed on the road that was opposite his chair. Kaveri went about her usual rant of the overdue bills in the household. She mentioned "Ranganna had come home today asking for the money we ow...