Pondycherry - two day trip from Bangalore

Planned to visit Pondicherry for a two day weekend outing with hubby. I booked the KSRTC volvo club class multi axle bus on Thursday and we left on Friday night. Our bus was from St.John's and we had a tough time searching for the KSRTC pick up point. We had a nice plate of chitranna and curd in the bus stop and boarded the bus for a short peaceful journey to Pondy. What I had thought was a short journey took almost 10 hrs.

After landing, we were told that there is good accommodation near the bus stand area. My husband is the kind of person who searches for Udupi bhavan/ hotel everywhere he goes. We searched for a good number of hotels and resorts before we got one next to the Udupi bhavan on the main streets of Pondicherry and we checked in for a cozy twin AC suite.

It has become a hobby that when we land on a new land in the mornings of the journey, we roam on the streets of the city after a cup of hot tea. So once we checked in we dumped the luggage in the hotel room, we had hot watery tea in the Udupi bhavan. The tea was sick. The search for other tea shops which sell good tea was not very fruitful.

I noticed that the whole of city was dirty on that sun risen morning. There were bars across every second building and people were happily littering, loitering, puking in front of the bars. There were tea stalls on the gutters. Some kerala parota stalls were lined up the road where white dough is knead near garbage junks. One scene took me by shock. A man was peeing to the high lamp post that stood at the center of a large bus stand. In the midst of 2000 people, 200 buses, 50 tea shops, how one could take out to pee without any embarrassment is what I wonder about.

The day was too sunny. The breakfast was a little better than the morning tea from Udupi bhavan. We took a share auto to go to the rock beach. The idea of going in the share auto was to know people and their life styles. At the end of the caravan, all we got to know was that, the people are too rude and no body understands a single syllable if its not Tamil.

The rock beach is a sweet place to be. We imagined that the place will have tides where we can touch waters and take a dip. But it turned out that they have cut short the shore area by throwing stones at the sea. Its breezy and lots and lots of shopping options are available for sea made items. Plenty of eateries are also present which sell french pasta, Chinese momos, manchurian, Modhak(they call with tamil equivalent), peanuts, sweet candy, bhel puri, vada, bajji etc etc..

Out of heat and humid weather, we were exhausted. We had fish for the dinner at Annaporna hotel. The specialty of Pondy hotels is that they don't serve any dish with spoon. You insist on getting a pair of spoons and it comes to you probably after you complete eating the dish.

Next day was very eventful. We took a early rise to catch the sun rise at the beach. The rock beach was not all that peaceful. There were people jogging, hogging here and there. After a long time the sun rose and it was a stunning scene. Some pics follow below.

We booked a taxi and visited Aurbindo ashram, Ganabadi temple(yes, its pronounced as Ganabadi and not as Ganapathi), Narasimha temple, Govt Museum, Auroville, a beautiful and handsome church near the railway station. All this took around 4 hours. For the afternoon we settled for the Auro beach. The water was too good for anybody to refuse it. We got wet and played all the possible sport on the beach. There were French men and bikini clad women. The bikini women, as usual had a great bunch of followers, fans and admirers. They term them all as stalkers.

We made some shopping in the Auroville and had good food to eat at the Adiyar Anand Bhavan. The evening tea was held at beach. We returned to catch the bus back to Bangalore.

How to reach from Bangalore:
By Bus: From Majestic, there are many buses that go to Pondicherry. Buses that go to Thiruvannamalai also go to Pondicherry. It takes around 7 to 9 hrs.
By Car: The route is via Hosur, Krishnagiri. Takes 6 hrs.
By Train: There is a railway station at Pondy.
By air: Airport is in Chennai and from Chennai it takes 3 hrs to Pondy.

Places to see: Aurobindo ashram, Auroviile, Thiruvannamalai temple, Ganabadi temple, Narasimha tempel, Church, Rock Beach, botanical garden, Auro beach.

Best time to visit: Oct to Dec

Kudteri Shantha Durga MahaMaya Temple

Kudteri Shantha Durga MahaMaya Temple

Recently I visited this place as this being our Kula Devatha place. Before visiting, I browsed to no end to know about the place and its surroundings. But there was no blog/site that would help to sojourn  in this place. Hence I decided to write about Kudteri Shantha Durga Mahamaya temple located in Ghudo, Avedem in Quepem(pronounced as Cafe as in Cafe coffee day). The devi is kuladevatha for Kamaths with Vochcha gothra. Kudteri is famous not only among Kamaths but among all konkanis with Vachcha gothra.

The temple is built recently - May be in the last decade. Inside the temple, there are two Goddesses. One Murthy is of Shantha Durga and other is of Chamundeshwari. The murthys are placed side by side in two different sancta sanctorum. The murthys are made of white marble stone and dressed with clothe and jewelry. There are different sevas available to be performed by the devotees which range from 20 INR to 2 lak INR. The temple also houses two - three storied lodges. The admission is strictly reserved for GSBs who have their family tress imprinted in the records of the Temple. So when you go there and want to reserve a suite, you tell a name of your ancestors and you get it booked. You can also update their records with your name and your children names in the family tree.

The accommodation is plush with a view of the forests in the backdrop of the balcony. I enjoyed being on the balcony where I could hear the birds chirping, croaking of frogs, clucking of chickens and whole lot of mysterious sounds which I could not identify. In the ground floor of the lodge, there is a canteen maintained by a certain Nitte uncle. He's been living in the temple surroundings for nearly 10 years doing seva to the Goddess by feeding the devotees. He is available 24/7 and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner along with coffee and tea during the evening times. All the temple goers visit him. His tariff is from 5 INR to 30 INR for two course meals of Dalitoy and variety of madgaNes. His Dalitoy is one of the authentic konkani delicacy that I have tasted ever. It was an ecstatic feeling.

It is believed that when the outsiders attacked on the temples of India to loot the treasures hidden in the temples, the Mahamaya temple associates safeguarded the shrine and transferred it to a remote village in Goa from West Bengal. There they hid the actual Mahamaya shrine and installed the Chamundeshwari shrine in the place of actual shrine. After many centuries, when India was independent of foreign rule, they resumed to offer prayers to Mahamaya shrine in the foreground along with chamundeshwari shrine.

Some of the pics taken here are as below:

Here is the address to reach the place:


Samsthan ShantaDurga Chamundeshwari
 Kudtarai mahamaya 
Ghudo, Avedem, Quepem, Goa - 403705
Ph: 0832-2662423
      0832-2663881
      09822131503


How to reach from Bangalore:

Train and Bus services are available to Mudgaon.
From Mudgoan, hire taxi to Ghudo, Avedem or Kudtarai(Both mean the same)
Show the above address to the taxi organizer and he gets you a prepaid taxi for 400 to 500 INR.
The ride is about 20 min(taxi) to 40(bus). The temple is a little interior to reach by bus. The bus stops at the main road and have to walk around 7 to 10 min to reach the temple.

There are no other attractions in the surrounding locations except for Mudgoan. Mudgoan is a world in its own - very beautiful with old Portuguese buildings. The beach is a nice place to visit but crowded most of the time.

Celebrating Love by Sri Sri Ravishankar Guruji

This book belongs to more of spiritual than personality development category. There is much of non-human component and it treats the reader as some Godly creature who has overcome the human inadequacy.

It aides in understanding the purity that rest within us. Purity by meaning to say the innocence and genuineness of the soul. 

Secretes of Relationships by Sri Sri RaviShankar Guruji

The book starts with the definition of the relationship and lets us understand the types of relationships we hold with the people, society, world and the lethargic components of the surroundings.

This book did not hold my interest for long and I skipped pages reading the same gyaan. But when I was reading the book, I made a great comparison between the preaching of Ravishankar Guruji and Sri Sri Bhramha nanda Swamiji. The basis for both is same but the way in which Ravi Shankar Guruji preaches  is more famous among the  fast, modern, youth whereas Bramha Nanda Swamiji’s is more applied to the  middle aged,  family stuck and troubled people.

Secretes of Relationships is available as CD and book. The book cost is around 50INR and available in all AOL stores. 

Mind Matters by Sri Sri RaviShankar Guruji

Of late I have been reading a lot of books by Ravishankar Guruji because I get them all free of cost.  This one is the best of the whole lot. It talks about the importance of mind control and the ways to achieve mind control. The book is quite small but speaks in volumes.

The author tells about the difficulties of not having the mind control and then about the benefits of mind control and many challenging ways to achieve it.

Mind control is a technique through which one can achieve immense elation of the spirit. It basically means controlling the turbulence of the mind and keeping a steady state of mind in the moments of glad and sad. It prepares one accept the surprise of the birth and grief of the death alike. Though a man having worldly regulations and disciplines may not achieve such a state of calmness, he would get a blissful mind which enables him to see good and bad as one.

The book is a great eye opener and lets us understand the barriers that lay deep inside us for pursuit of truth.

ಬೇಡ ಮಾಡಬೇಡ ???

ಎಣೆ ಎಣೆಯಾಗಿರುವ ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು

ಎಣ್ಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕರಿಯಬೇಡ |

ಮೃದುವಾಗಿರುವ ನನ್ನ ಹೃದಯವನ್ನು 

ಬಾಣಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುರಿಯಬೇಡ ||

ಬೆಂದಿರುವ ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು 

ಬಿಸಿನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕುದಿಸಬೇಡ|

ಕಲ್ಲೋಲವಾಗಿರುವ ಮನವನ್ನು 

ಮಾತಿನಿಂದ ಕದಡಬೇಡ|||

ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಕೋ ನಿನ್ನ ದುಗುಡವ 

ಪಡೆದುಕೋ ಉಸಿರಾಟದ ಹಿಡಿತವ |

ಬಿಗಿದಪ್ಪಿಕೋ  ನನ್ನ ನಿನ್ಹಿಡಿಥದಲಿ

ಸೇರುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ  ನೋವುಗಳು ಮನೆಯ ಗೂಡಿನಲಿ||

ಹೋಲಿಸಬೇಡ ನಿನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯನೇನಕೂ

ಸಿಗುವುದು ನಿನಗೆ ಶಾಂತಿಯ ಬದುಕು |

ವಿಶ್ವಾಸವನಿಟ್ಟಕೋ ನಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರಲಿ 

ದೊರಕುವುದು ನಮಗೂ  ಸ್ವರ್ಗದ  ತಪ್ಪಲು||

 ಜೀವನದ ದಾರಿ  ಬಲು ಕಷ್ಟ 

ನೋವ ನುಂಗಿಕೊ ??????

ಆಗ ಆಗುವುದು ಇದು ಬಹಳ ಇಷ್ಟ || || ||| |||

                                                                             ಚತುರ್ಮುಖ 

Hai Hum me Hero

Yesterday was the 64th Independence Day of India. As usual I was jobless and happened to watch the movie Gandhi on sony pix. (My dad has been persuading me to watch it since I was 4yrs old when I won the awards for speeches on Gandhi’s biography. I remember precisely every time the competition is over on the mornings of 15^th Aug, he would hurry down the award giving ceremony and rush back home to watch this movie. I’ve had never been keen on it to watch. This time I made it)

The movie starts with the day of Gandhi’s death where he quotes ‘When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.’

It shows how Gandhi had been successful in winning the rights of Indians in South Africa, his journey to India and non- cooperation and non-violence. The movie also fables on how Gandhi fought with the Muslim communities and Jinnah against the India – Pakistan partition.

It’s a four hour movie and a lot slow paced compared to the contemporary movies (Eg: Avatar which I also watched yesterday). At the end Gandhi’s death scene has been recalled from the beginning of the movie.

More than the movie, what moved me most was the intermittent Hero Honda ad by AR Rehman singing ‘Hai Hum me Hero’. The ad has a gymnast, a dancer in the India challenge TV show, an old Sikh climbing a hill, an IAF pilot and a bungee jumper. The gymnast falls in the practice sessions but wins the grand finale, the dancer battles the challenge and wins, the Sikh views the panoramic view from the top of the hill and by that they show that all of us have a Hero in Us.

With the ad in the background, I concluded that Gandhi had a big job to do and so does Anna Hazare or our most gallant army soldiers. Gandhi was identified as the leader of the Independence struggle and he did his job great. Our army officers are also doing their job right. I say anybody who does his job right without any flaw is a Hero. Every day at 11 o’ clock, a BBMP guy drops at my door to collect garbage and he’s never missed a minute ever. I always wonder how someone can be so perfect. If his effort is very ordinary – so is Gandhi’s. I find a Hero in that garbage collector.

We are all heros in our own self because we have a goal to achieve and we are all doing it just right or we are only ordinary including Mahatma Gandhi. For now let’s just say ‘Mujme hai Hero'.

Where's God?

I am literally mad over this song.

Sung by Shreya Ghoshal, its rich and consummate in meaning.

Na kuch poocha

Na kuch manga

Tune dil se diya jo liya

Na kuch bola 

na kuch tola

Muskura ke diya jo diya

Tu hi dhoop tu hi chaoon

Tu hi apna paraya

Aur kuch na jana

Bas itna hi janu

Tujh mein rab dikhta hai

You didn’t ask anything  

You didn’t demand for anything

Whatever you gave, you gave from your heart 

You didn’t say anything

You didn’t weigh the pros and cons

Whatever you gave, you gave with a smile

You’re the warmth, you’re the shade

You are my own yet a stranger

I may not know much

but this I do know

I see God in you

Honor among thieves: Jeffery Archer

It is a thriller set in the United States of America, Iraq, Israel and Middle Eastern countries. The plot is that Saddam Hussein plans to avenge America by stealing the declaration of independence after his defeat in the gulf war. 

Saddam and party contact international mafia don and set a deal to steal the declaration of independence from the national archives of America in Washington.  When the declaration is stolen, it is passed on to the Iraqi ambassador at the UN and in turn brought to Iraq. 

One CIA agent Scott Bradley and Mossad- Hannah Kopec together bring back the declaration with illogical, poorly built Jeffrey Archer drama before the press gets to know about the theft. 

The book is disappointing even for hard core Jeffery Archerians.  May appeal the naïve readers.

Train to Pakistan: Khushwant Singh.

This is one of the most acclaimed books about the India Pakistan partition happened in Aug 1947. It talks about the human dimension of the partition in comparison to the political and economic dimensions of the contemporary books.

The story is set in a fictional village of Mano Majra on the borders of India and Pakistan and dominated by Sikhs. The protagonist- Juggat Singh is a Sikh in love with a Muslim girl. The day before the call is given for Muslim separation in Mano Majra, the village’s only rich man is murdered and Juggu is captured in relation to the murder.

The lover girl is pregnant and she with her blind father leave for Pakistan to be taken as refugees. Juggu is released from jail to find that there is a train arriving at Mano Majro full of dead Sikh bodies. There’s not a lone man who is alive.

There is more violence and bloodshed. Muslims say Hindus planned and started the killings and Hindus in turn say Muslims are to blame. But the fact is both are killed. Both are stabbed and speared and clubbed. Both tortured. Both raped.

If the initial down-for-count pages are passed through patiently, there is a good picture of the 1947 partition event and a wonderful narration follow.       

Lajja- Taslima Nasrin

In Ayodhya- a town in Uttar Pradesh, on 6^th December 1992, Babri Masjid is demolished and the demolition has it repercussions even in Bangladesh.

The book is about the impact of this event in on an average family in Bangaladesh. The Dutta family feels and faces the heat of the communal  hatred.  Sudhamoy, the patriarch of the family, feels that Bangladesh, his motherland, shall never let him down. Kiranmayee as a faithful wife stands by her husband’s views. Suranjan, their son, believes that nationalism will be stronger than communalism, but is progressively disappointed and finds himself adopting communal reactions which contrast entirely with the ideology of patriotism he has always had faith in. Nilanjana curses her brother’s apathy and coaxes his brother to take the family to a Muslim friend’s house for safety. It is a story of metamorphosis, in which disastrous events create disillusionment, resulting in violence and resentment.

Take away points from book:
1. Don't buy a book for its public hype
2. Don't be patient to read an unimpressive book.

ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ೮ ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳು - ಏ ಅರ್ ಮಣಿಕಾಂತ್

Again a collection of short inspirational stories. Manikanth is an editor of vijay karnataka. The book has a small story of the author himself on how he battled the life of poverty. His writing is excellent. Below is the story of ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ೮ ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳು.

ತುಂಬಾ ದೂರ ಅಲ್ಲ ಸಾರ್, ಇಲ್ಲೇ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು-ತುಮಕೂರಿನ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ನೆಲಮಂಗಲ ಇದೆಯಲ್ಲ? ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಅಂಟಿಕೊಂಡ ಹಾಗೇ ಇರುವ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಗ್ರಾಮ ನಮ್ದು. ಹಳ್ಳಿ ಅಂದ್ಮೇಲೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಬದುಕು ಹೇಗಿರ್‍ತದೆ ಅಂತ ವಿವರಿಸಬೇಕಿಲ್ಲ ಅಲ್ವ? ನಮಗಂತೂ ಬಡತನವೇ ಬದುಕಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಕೂಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅಪ್ಪನಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ನಿಶ್ಚಿತ ಆದಾಯ ಅಂತ ಇರಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಕರೀತಿದ್ದ ಸಾಹುಕಾರರು ನಾಲ್ಕು ಕಾಸು ಕೊಡ್ತಿದ್ರು ನಿಜ. ಆದ್ರೆ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಜನರ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ತಿದ್ರು. ಹಗಲಿಂದ ದುಡಿದು ದುಡಿದು ಸುಸ್ತಾಗ್ತಿತ್ತು ನೋಡಿ, ಅದಕ್ಕೇ ಅಪ್ಪ ಕುಡಿತ ಕಲಿತ. ಸಂಜೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದವನು ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ಒಂದಿಷ್ಟು ದುಡ್ಡು ಕೊಟ್ಟು, ಮಕ್ಕಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಕುಶಾಲಿನಿಂದ ಮಾತಾಡಿಸಿ, ಸೀದಾ ಹೆಂಡದಂಗಡಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ.

ಇಂಥ ಸಂಕಟದ ಮಧ್ಯೆ, ಸದಾ ಅಣಕಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಕಡು ಬಡತನದ ಮಧ್ಯೆ, ಬಂಧುಗಳ ತಾತ್ಸಾರದ ನಡುವೆ, ನೆರೆಹೊರೆಯವರ ಸಣ್ಣ ಮಾತುಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಅಮ್ಮ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಬೆಳೆಸಿದಳು ಗೊತ್ತಾ ಸಾರ್? ಆದರೆ ಹಾಗೆ ಬೆಳೆಸುವ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಮ್ಮ ಸಂದರ್ಭಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕ ಹಾಗೆ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳಿಕೊಂಡೇ ಬಂದಳು. ಆ ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ಸಂಕಟವಿತ್ತು. ಹಸಿವಿತ್ತು. ಕಣ್ಣೀರಿತ್ತು. ನಿಟ್ಟುಸಿರಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಬದುಕಿನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬಡತನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ; ಸಿಡಿಮಿಡಿಯಿತ್ತು. ಏನೂ ಮಾಡಲಾಗದ ತನ್ನ ಅಸಹಾಯಕತೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ವಿಷಾದವಿತ್ತು. ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಚನ್ನಾಗಿರ್‍ಲಿ ಎಂಬ ಒಂದೇ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅಮ್ಮ ಮೇಲಿಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ಒಂದೊಂದೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳ್ತಿದ್ಲು. ಅದೆಲ್ಲ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಅಂತ ನಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುವ ವೇಳೆಗೆ ತುಂಬ ತಡವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಈಗ, ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದ ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಸಂದರ್ಭ ಸಹಿತ ನಿಮ್ಮೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹಂಚ್ಕೋಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನಿಸ್ತಿದೆ ಸಾರ್…

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ನಾನು ಆಗಷ್ಟೇ ಒಂದನೇ ತರಗತಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿದ್ದೆ. ಯಥಾಪ್ರಕಾರ-ಮನೇಲಿ ಮಧಾಹ್ನದ ಬಡತನವಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ಅದು ನಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತೇ ಆಗದಂತೆ ಅಮ್ಮ ಎಚ್ಚರ ವಹಿಸಿದ್ದಳು. ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ ಹೊತ್ತು ತಿಂಡಿ ತಿಂದು ನಮಗೆ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸವೇ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೇನೇ ಅಮ್ಮ ಅಕ್ಕಿಯದೋ, ರಾಗೀದೋ ಗಂಜಿ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದಳು. ಅಪ್ಪ ಲಗುಬಗೆಯಿಂದ ಗಂಜಿ ಕುಡಿದು ಹೋದ ಮೇಲೆ ಉಳಿದಿದ್ದರಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಅಮ್ಮ ಪಾಲು ಮಾಡ್ಕೋತಾ ಇದ್ವಿ. ತುಂಬಾ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಏನಾಗ್ತಾ ಇತ್ತು ಅಂದ್ರೆ- ಅಮ್ಮ ತಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಗಂಜಿ ಹಾಕಿದ ತಕ್ಷಣ ನಾನು ಗಟಗಟನೆ ಕುಡಿದುಬಿಡ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. ಎರಡೇ ನಿಮಿಷದಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನ ತಟ್ಟೆ ಖಾಲಿಯಾದದ್ದು ಕಂಡು ಅಮ್ಮ, ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಮೆಲ್ಲನೆ ನಕ್ಕು- ತನ್ನ ತಟ್ಟೇಲಿ ಇದ್ದುದನ್ನೂ ನನಗೇ ಕೊಡ್ತಿದ್ಲು.

ನಾನು ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯಿಂದ- `ಅಯ್ಯೋ ಯಾಕಮ್ಮಾ ಎಂಬಂತೆ ನೋಡಿದರೆ- ಕಂದಾ, ನನಗೆ ಈಗ ಹಸಿವಾಗ್ತಾನೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ನೋಡಪ್ಪ. ನೀನು ಸ್ಕೂಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗ್ಬೇಕಲ್ಲ? ಸುಸ್ತಾಗುತ್ತೆ. ತಗೋ, ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ತುಂಬ ಕುಡಿ. ಹೇಗಿದ್ರೂ ನಂಗೆ ಹಸಿವಾಗ್ತಾ ಇಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ… ಅನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು.
ಅದು- ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಮೊದಲ ಸುಳ್ಳು.

* ಬಡವರಿಗೆ ಭಯ-ಭಕ್ತಿ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಅಂತಾರೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೂ ಈ ಮಾತು ನಿಜವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅದೇ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಹಬ್ಬ-ಹರಿದಿನಗಳೂ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಇದ್ದವು. ಪ್ರತಿ ಹಬ್ಬಕ್ಕೂ ಬೆಲ್ಲದ ಪಾಯಸವೇ ಸ್ಪೆಷಲ್ಲು! ಆಗಲೂ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಸಾರ್. ಅಮ್ಮ ಒಂದು ಪಾತ್ರೇಲಿ ಪಾಯಸ ಮಾಡಿರ್‍ತಾ ಇದ್ದಳು. ಹಬ್ಬದ ದಿನ ಮಾತ್ರ ಗಂಜಿಯ ಬದಲಿಗೆ ಅನ್ನ ಮಾಡಿರ್‍ತಾ ಇದ್ಳು. ನಾನು ಆಸೆಯಿಂದ ತಟ್ಟೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಅನ್ನ ಹಾಕಿಸ್ಕೊಂಡು ಗಬಗಬಾಂತ ತಿಂದು ಮುಗಿಸ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. ಆಮೇಲೆ ಒಂದು ರೌಂಡ್ ಪಾಯಸ ಕುಡಿದು, ಮತ್ತೆ ಆ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯ ಕಡೆಗೇ ಆಸೆಯಿಂದ ನೋಡ್ತಿದ್ದೆ ನೋಡಿ- ಆಗಲೇ ಅಮ್ಮ ಅಷ್ಟೂ ಪಾಯಸವನ್ನು ನಂಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟು- `ಕಂದಾ, ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಕುಡ್ಕೋ. ನನಗೆ ವಿಪರೀತ ಹಲ್ಲು ನೋವು ಕಣಪ್ಪಾ. ಜತೆಗೆ ಸಿಹಿ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ನಂಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಿಲ್ಲ’ ಅಂದುಬಿಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು.

ನಂತರ ಸರಸರನೆ ಅಡುಗೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ಒಂದು ಚೊಂಬಿನ ತುಂಬಾ ನೀರು ಕುಡಿದು- `ಹೌದಪ್ಪಾ, ನನಗೆ ಸಿಹಿ ಇಷ್ಟವಿಲ್ಲ’ ಅಂತಿದ್ಲು.
ಅದು-ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಎರಡನೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು!

* ಆಗಷ್ಟೇ ನಾನು ಐದನೇ ತರಗತಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೆ. ಸ್ಕೂಲಿಂದ ಟೂರ್ ಹೊರಟಿದ್ರು. ಒಬ್ಬರಿಗೆ ೩೦೦ ರೂ. ಶುಲ್ಕ. ಎಲ್ಲ ವಿಷಯ ಹೇಳಿ- `ಅಪ್ಪಾ, ಕಾಸು ಕೊಡಪ್ಪಾ’ ಅಂದೆ. `ಮಗಾ, ಇಡೀ ವರ್ಷ ದುಡಿದ್ರೂ ನನಗೆ ಅಷ್ಟು ದುಡ್ಡು ಸಿಗಲ್ಲ. ಬಡವಾ ನೀ ಮಡಗಿದಂಗಿರು ಅಂದಿದಾರೆ ದೊಡ್ಡವರು. ಹಾಗೇ ಇರು. ಟೂರೂ ಬೇಡ, ಗೀರೂ ಬೇಡ’ ಅಂದೇಬಿಟ್ಟ ಅಪ್ಪ.
ಅವತ್ತಿಂದಲೇ ಹಗಲಿಡೀ ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿಸಿ, ರಾತ್ರಿ ಅದೆಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊತ್ತಿನವರೆಗೂ ಬೀಡಿ ಕಟ್ತಾ ಇರ್‍ತಿದ್ಲು ಅಮ್ಮ. ಯಾಕಮ್ಮಾ ಹೀಗೆ ಅಂದ್ರೆ- `ನಂಗೆ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಹೊತ್ತು ನಿದ್ರೇನೇ ಬರ್‍ತಿಲ್ಲ ಮಗನೇ’ ಅಂದು ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಂದುವರಿಸ್ತಾ ಇದ್ಳು. ಕಡೆಗೊಂದು ದಿನ ಮುದುರಿ ಮುದುರಿ ಮುದುರಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದ ನೋಟುಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಕೊಟ್ಟು-ಟೂರ್‌ಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದು ಬಾಪ್ಪ ಅಂದಳು. ಅದು ಸಾಲ ಮಾಡಿದ ಹಣ ಎದು ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುವ ವೇಳೆಗೆ ಅಮ್ಮ ಮತ್ತೆ ಬೀಡಿ ಕಟ್ಟಳು ಕುಳಿತಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ- `ಅಯ್ಯೋ ನಂಗೆ ನಿದ್ರೇನೇ ಬರ್‍ತಿಲ್ಲ’ ಎಂಬ
ಅದೇ ಹಳೆಯ ಮಾತು ಬೇರೆ. ಹೌದು. ಅದು ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಮೂರನೇ ಸಳ್ಳು.

* ಏಳನೇ ತರಗತಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ವೇಳೆಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಸ್ಕಾಲರ್‌ಷಿಪ್ ಬಂತು. ಭರ್ತಿ ನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿ. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಹೊಸ ಸೀರೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಡೋಣ ಅಂತ ಆಸೆಯಿತ್ತು. ದುಡ್ಡನ್ನು ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟು, `ಕೆಂಪು ಕಲರ್‌ದು ಒಂದು ಸೀರೆ ತಗೋಮ್ಮ. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನು ಚೇಂದ ಕಾಣ್ತೀಯ’ ಅಂದೆ.

 ಅಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೇ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಬಾಚಿ ತಪ್ಪಿಕೊಂಡು ಹಣೆಗೆ ಮುತ್ತಿಟ್ಟು, ನಿಂತಲ್ಲೇ ಬಿಕ್ಕಳಿಸಿದಳು ಅಮ್ಮ. ನಂತರ, ಅವತ್ತೇ ಸಂತೆಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಅಪ್ಪನಿಗೂ-ನನಗೂ ಹೊಸ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ತಂದಳು.
`ನಿನಗೆ’ ಅಂದಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ- ನನಗ್ಯಾಕಪ್ಪ ಬಟ್ಟೆ? ನನಗೆ ಅಂಥ ಆಸೆಯೇನೂ ಇಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ತೇಲಿಸಿ ಮಾತಾಡಿದಳು.
ಅದು- ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ನಾಲ್ಕನೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು!

* ಕೆಲಸ ಮತ್ತು ಕುಡಿತ ಎರಡೂ ವಿಪರೀತ ಇತ್ತಲ್ಲ, ಅದೇ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಅಪ್ಪ ಅದೊಂದು ದಿನ ದಿಢೀರ್ ಸತ್ತು ಹೋದ. ಆಗ ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ಬರೀ ೩೨ ವರ್ಷ! ಸಂಸಾರದ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಹೊರೆ ಅಮ್ಮನ ಹೆಗಲಿಗೆ ಬಿತ್ತು. ಬಡತನದ ಮಧ್ಯೆ, ಹಸಿವಿನ ಮಧ್ಯೆ, ಹೋರಾಟದ ಮಧ್ಯೆಯೇ ಬದುಕಿದೆವಲ್ಲ, ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ ಸುಖ ಅಂದರೆ ಏನೆಂದೇ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದನ್ನೇ ಪಾಯಿಂಟ್ ಎಂದಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡ ಬಂಧುಗಳು- `ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಮದುವೆ ಮಾಡ್ಕೊಳ್ಳೇ. ನಿಂಗಿನ್ನೂ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ವಯಸ್ಸು. ಗಂಡಿನ ಸಾಂಗತ್ಯ ಬಯಸುವ ವಯಸ್ಸು ಅದು’ ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲಾ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿದರು.
`ಇಲ್ಲ. ಇಲ್ಲ. ನನ್ನೆದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಈಗ ಪ್ರೀತಿ-ಪ್ರೇಮ, ಪ್ರಣಯ ಎಂಬಂಥ ಸೆಂಟಿಮೆಂಟಿಗೆ ಜಾಗವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ’ ಅಂದು ದೃಢವಾಗಿಯೇ ಹೇಳಿಬಿಟ್ಟಳಲ್ಲ ಅಮ್ಮ…
ನಂಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು. ಅದು, ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಐದನೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು.

* ಓದು ಮುಗಿದದ್ದೇ ತಡ, ನಂಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಸಿಕ್ತು. ಸಿಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಮನೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಒಂದಿಷ್ಟು ದುಡ್ಡು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡೆ. ಅಮ್ಮ ನನಗೋಸ್ಕರ ಪಟ್ಟ ಕಷ್ಟವೆಲ್ಲ ಗೊತ್ತಿತ್ತಲ್ಲ, ಅದೇ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ, ಈ ಹಣವನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಅಮ್ಮನ ಕೈಗಿಟ್ಟು- `ಇದೆಲ್ಲಾ ನಿನ್ನದು ಅಮ್ಮಾ. ತಗೊಂಡು ಹಾಯಾಗಿರು. ಈಗಿಂದಾನೇ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡೋದು ನಿಲ್ಸು. ಈ ಗುಡಿಸಲಿನಂಥ ಮನೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಬಾ. ನನ್ನ ಜತೇಲೇ ಇದ್ದು ಬಿಡು’ ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲಾ ಹೇಳಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನಿಸ್ತು.
ಸಡಗರದಿಂದಲೇ ಊರಿಗೆ ಹೋದವನು-ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಹೇಳಿದೆ. ಅಷ್ಟೂ ದುಡ್ಡನ್ನು ಅಮ್ಮನ ಮುಂದೆ ಸುರಿದೆ. ಅಮ್ಮ ಅದನ್ನು ನೋಡಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬಂತೆ, ಅಷ್ಟನ್ನೂ ತೆಗೆದು ನನ್ನ ಕೈಲಿಟ್ಟು ಹೇಳಿದಳು: `ಮಗಾ, ನನ್ನತ್ರ ದುಡ್ಡಿದೆ ಕಣಪ್ಪಾ. ಮಡಿಕೆ, ಕುಡಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲ ಅಡಗಿಸಿಟ್ಟಿದೀನಿ ಕಣೋ. ಅದೆಲ್ಲ ಖರ್ಚಾದ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಹತ್ರ ಕೇಳ್ತೀನಿ. ಸದ್ಯಕ್ಕಂತೂ ನನಗೆ ದುಡ್ಡಿನ ಅಗತ್ಯಾನೇ ಇಲ್ಲ…
ಅದು- ಹೌದು, ಅದು ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಆರನೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು.

* ಉಹುಂ, ಅಮ್ಮ ನನ್ನ ಯಾವುದೇ ಆಸೆಗೂ ಅಡ್ಡಿ ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಮುಂದೆ- ನನ್ನಿಷ್ಟದಂತೆಯೇ ಮದುವೆಯಾಯಿತು. ಶ್ರೀಮಂತರ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಬಂದಿದ್ದ ನನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ಅಡ್ಜೆಸ್ಟ್ ಆಗಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅಮ್ಮನ ಮೇಲೆ ಅವಳದು ದಿನಾಲೂ ಒಂದಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ದೂರು. ನಿಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳೋದೇಕೆ ಸಾರ್? ಪ್ರಾಯದ ಮದ, ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಮೇಲಿನ ಮೋಹ ನೋಡಿ, ನಾನೂ ಅವಳ ತಾಳಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕಂತೆಯೇ ಕುಣಿದೆ. ಒಂದೆರಡು ಬಾರಿ ಅಮ್ಮನನ್ನೇ ಗದರಿಸಿಬಿಟ್ಟೆ. ಹೊಂದಾಣಿಕೆ ಮಾಡ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗೋಕ್ಕಾಗಲ್ವ ಎಂದು ರೇಗಿಬಿಟ್ಟೆ.
ಅವತ್ತು ಇಡೀ ದಿನ ಅಮ್ಮ ಮಂಕಾಗಿದ್ದಳು. ಆ ದೃಶ್ಯ ಕಂಡದ್ದೇ-ನನಗೆ ಕಪಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಹೊಡೆದಂತಾಯಿತು. `ಅಮ್ಮಾ. ತಪ್ಪಾಯ್ತು ಕ್ಷಮಿಸು’ ಎಂದು ನಾನು ಕೇಳುವ ಮೊದಲೇ-
`ನಾನು ಹಳೇ ಕಾಲದ ಹೆಂಗ್ಸು. ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಡಿಬಿಟ್ಟೆ. ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿಬಿಡ್ರಪ್ಪಾ’ ಎಂದ ಅಮ್ಮ `ನಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರದೂ ತಪ್ಪಿಲ್ಲ’ ಎಂದು ಘೋಷಿಸಿದಳು.
ಅದು- ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಏಳನೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು.


* ಕಾಲ ಅನ್ನೋದು ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಚಕ್ರದ ಥರಾ ಗಿರಗಿರಗಿರಾಂತ ಓಡಿಬಿಡ್ತು. ಅಮ್ಮ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಸೇರಿದ್ದಳು. ದಡಬಡಿಸಿ ಹೋದರೆ- `ನಿಮ್ಮ ತಾಯಿಗೆ ಕ್ಯಾನ್ಸರ್ ಕಣ್ರೀ. ಆಗಲೇ ಫೈನಲ್ ಸ್ಟೇಜ್‌ಗೆ ಬಂದು ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ತಕ್ಷಣ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗೆ ಸೇರಿಸಿ. ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವೇ ದಿನ ಅವರು ಬದುಕೋದು. ಆಗಾಗಿ ಹುಶಾರಾಗಿ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ ಅಂದ್ರು ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್.
ನಾನು ಹೆದರುತ್ತ, ಹೆದರುತ್ತಲೇ ಅಮ್ಮನ ಬಳಿ ಬಂದೆ. ಒಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುರಸುಂದರಿಯಂತಿದ್ದ ಅಮ್ಮ; ತನ್ನ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ತಾನೇ ಹಾಡು ಹೇಳಿಕೊಂಡು ಡ್ಯಾನ್ಸು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅಮ್ಮ; ಮಿಣುಕು ದೀಪದ ಬೆಳಕಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪ್ಸರೆಯಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅಮ್ಮ; ದಿನವೂ ನನಗೆ ದೃಷ್ಟಿ ತೆಗೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅಮ್ಮ; ತನ್ನ ಪಾಲಿನ ಊಟವನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ನನಗೇ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅಮ್ಮ; ಎಲ್ಲ ಸಂಕಟಗಳಿಗೂ ಸವಾಲು ಹಾಕಿ ಗೆದ್ದ ಅಮ್ಮ- ಜೀವಚ್ಛವವಾಗಿ ಮಲಗಿದ್ದಳು. ಆಕೆಯ ಕಂಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಂತಿ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಕಂಬನಿಯೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ.
ಅಮ್ಮನನ್ನು ಆ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದ್ದೇ ನನಗೆ ಕಣ್ತುಂಬಿ ಬಂತು. ಆಕೆಯನ್ನು ಕಡೆಗಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಗಿಲ್ಟ್ ಕಾಡಿತು. ತಕ್ಷಣವೇ, ಅದು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನೂ ಮರೆತು- ಜೋರಾಗಿ ಬಿಕ್ಕಳಿಸಿದೆ.
ತಕ್ಷಣವೇ, ನಡುಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಕೈಗಳಿಂದ ನನ್ನ ಕಂಬನಿ ತೊಡೆದ ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದಳು: ನಂಗೇನೂ ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ ಕಂದಾ, ಅಳಬೇಡ. ನಂಗೇನೂ ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ…
ಅದು, ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿದ ಎಂಟನೇ ಸುಳ್ಳು!
***

ಅವತ್ತೇ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಅಮ್ಮ ಕಣ್ಮುಚ್ಚಿ ನಿದ್ರೆಗೆ ಜಾರಿದಳು. ಆಕೆಯ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಬೆಳಕಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ!
ನಾಡಿದ್ದು ಗೌರಿ ಹಬ್ಬ ಅಂದುಕೊಮಡಾಕ್ಷಣ ಅಮ್ಮ ನೆನಪಾದಳು. ಈಗ ಹೇಗಿದ್ದಾಳೋ

The fifth mountain - Paulo Coelho

It is a poignant and spiritually rich novel that reimagines the biblical tale of Elijah, a prophet from the Old Testament, with Coelho's signature blend of spirituality, philosophy, and storytelling.

Set in ancient Israel during a time of upheaval and conflict, the story follows Elijah, a young and reluctant prophet who faces personal trials and challenges as he grapples with his destiny and faith. The novel explores themes of spirituality, the search for meaning, the struggle between good and evil, and the complexities of human relationships.

Coelho's writing style is evocative and thought-provoking, immersing readers in the protagonist's inner turmoil and spiritual journey. The book presents a blend of historical context and allegorical storytelling, offering philosophical reflections and spiritual insights that resonate beyond the biblical narrative.

It is a compelling and introspective work that weaves together elements of spirituality, destiny, and human resilience. It's a thought-provoking narrative that invites readers to ponder the complexities of faith and the human experience through the lens of an ancient biblical tale.

Who will cry when you die - Robin Sharma

Its a collection of short inspirational stories - rather experiences of the author. The book is more like "read it when you are depressed" kind and helps one instantly cheer up and face the worldly hub bub.

The book speaks about identifying one's own instincts,being disciplined, taking breaks, stepping out of comfort zone, taking risks, talking to strangers, recreation, practicing a hobby, talking to elders, playing with children, sending thank-you notes, forgiving, forgetting, being punctual, not to lie, enjoying the beauty of nature, sleeping at the right time, having a helping hand, seeking pleasure in the happiness of others, loving a pet, crying out loud, finding a reason to smile, lending things generously etc etc...

All in all, its a good inspirational book. Read it when you are tired of the mundane fighting with the world.

Where eagles dare - Alistair MacLean

It is World War II, in the winter of 1943-44; U.S. Army Brigadier General George Carnaby, one of the chief planners of D-Day, is captured by the Germans when his aircraft is shot down en-route to Crete. He is taken to the Schloß Adler (The Castle of the Eagles – hence the title), a fortress high in the Alps that is headquarters of the German Secret Service in southern Bavaria. A team of mainly British commandos is assembled and briefed by Colonel Wyatt Turner and Admiral Rolland of MI6, and led by Major John Smith and US Army Ranger Lieutenant Morris Schaffer. Their mission is to parachute in, infiltrate the Schloß Adler, and rescue General Carnaby before the Germans can interrogate him. Agent Mary Elison, an MI6 operative, accompanies the mission in secret.

As the mission begins, two members are mysteriously killed, but Major Smith is unperturbed and keeps Lt. Schaffer as a close ally. Contriving to get the party captured, Smith and Schaffer, being officers, are separated from Thomas, Christiansen, and Berkeley, the only three remaining NCOs. Smith and Schaffer kill their captors and blow up a supply depot before hitching a ride on a cable car - the only approach to the castle. Mary, posing as a new maid, had been brought into the castle by Heidi, an MI6 agent disguised as a barmaid in the nearby village, and Major Von Hapen, a Gestapo officer and Heidi's acquaintance, who becomes infatuated with her. Mary allows Schaffer and Smith to climb in through a window overlooking the castle's station.

Carnaby's interrogation is underway, carried out by Gen. Rosemeyer and Col. Kramer, when Thomas and the others arrive and reveale themselves to be German double agents. Smith and Schaffer intrude, but Smith betrays and disarms Schaffer, and establishes himself as "Major Johann Schmidt" of SS Military Intelligence. He exposes the identity of Carnaby - that of a U.S. Army Corporal named Cartwright Jones, posing as the real general, and also explains that Thomas and the rest are British impostors. To test them, Smith proposes they write the names of their fellow conspirators to be compared to the personal list in his pocket, and divulges the name of Germany's top agent in Britain secretly to Kramer, who silently affirms it. After the three finish their lists, Smith reveals his list to Kramer, which appears to be blank. To the room's surprise, Smith admits the rescue operation was a cover for the real mission - to discover the identities of German spies in Britain.

Meanwhile, Mary, preparing the explosives, meets von Hapen again; he takes her to the castle's cafe, and subtly forces her to recite the tale of her assumed identity. He finds faults in her story, prompting him to investigate; he happens upon the meeting just as Smith finishes his explanation, and becomes hostile. Mary's entrance distracts von Hapen enough for Schaffer to kill him and the other German officers, after which the remaining group escape. Thomas, Berkeley and Christiansen are taken prisoner. Schaffer sets explosives to create diversions around the compound and Smith leads the group to the radio room, where he informs Rolland of their success. They then battle their way to the cable car station; Thomas is sacrificed as a decoy, and Berkeley and Christiansen attempt their own escape, but Smith climbs atop the cable car they steal and destroys it with an explosive. Smith makes it back on a returning cable car and rides back down with the others, but the group abandons it mid-descent to reunite with Heidi and board a bus, prepared earlier as their escape vehicle. They drive hard to an airfield with soldiers in hot pursuit, and barely make it onto a disguised extraction plane, where Colonel Turner is waiting for them.

Smith briefs Turner on the mission and confirms a suspicion he and Rolland had shared since before the start - that Turner is the top Nazi agent in Britain, whose name the late Kramer had agreed to before; Turner had been lured into participating so MI6 could expose him, with Mary (Smith's trusted partner) and Schaffer (an American with no connection to MI6) specially assigned to the team to ensure the mission's success. Deciding to save face, Turner commits suicide by jumping out the plane.

Its a classic thriller by MacLean which has been made in to a movie in 1968. Full of action and suspense. Until you read half  the book, you'll never realize what Smith is after. A little misleading too in the end. I felt like I was watching an old Dr.Rajkumar movie with CID storyline performed by Golmaal - 3 crew. Read it with patience. You'll enjoy!

Eleven Minutes - Paulo Coelho

Maria, a young girl from a remote village of Brazil, with innocent brushes from love failures at an early adolescent stage and hatred for love goes to seek her fortune in Switzerland, only to find that reality is lot harder than she expected. After working in a nightclub as a Samba Dancer for a brief period, she realises that this is not what she wants. After having heated discussion with her manager one night, she storms out and begins to look for a career in modelling. After waiting for a long time when her funds begin to dwindle, she engages herself for "one night" with an Arab for 1000 francs. Delighted with the easy money and after compromising with her soul she lands in a brothel on Rue de Berne, the heart of Geneva's red-light district.

There she befriends Nyah who gives her advice on her "new profession" and after learning the ritual from Milan, the owner of the brothel, she begins the job with her body and mind shutting all doors for love and keeps her heart open only for her diary. Soon she becomes famous and her colleagues begin to envy her. Months pass and Maria grows into a professionally groomed prostitute who not only relaxes one's mind, but also calms the clients' souls by talking to them about their problems.

The world turns upside down for her when one day she meets painter Ralph who sees her "inner light" and she instantly falls in love with him and begins to experience what true love is. (It is a sense of being for someone without actually possessing him ) Maria torn between her sexual fantasy and true love for the painter, now believes that it's time for her to leave Geneva with her memory of Ralph as she realises they are worlds apart. But before leaving she decides to rekindle the dead sexual fire in Ralph and learns about the nature of Sacred Sex, sex which is mingled with true love and which knows to give up your soul for the one you love, from him.

This story in fact, is Maria's journey to find what true love is by letting her own life guide her. She enters a life that leads her down the path of sexual awakenings and almost leads to her self-destruction when she is introduced to all sides of sexual experience. When she has given up hope to find true love, she finds her true "inner light" and her everlasting true love.

Papillon - Henri Charriere

The book is an account of a fourteen-year period in Papillon's life (October 26, 1931 to October 18, 1945) from when he was wrongly convicted of murder in France and sentenced to a life of hard labor at the Devil's Island penal colony, from where he escaped from prison to ultimately settle in Venezuela, where he lived and prospered, free from French justice.

Papillon endured a brief stay at a prison in Caen. As soon as Papillon boarded the vessel bound for South America, he learned about the brutal life that prisoners must endure at the prison colony. Murders were not uncommon among convicts, and men were cut with makeshift knives for their charger (a hollow, metal cylinder containing money that is lodged in the rectum; it has also been called a plan). Papillon befriended a former banker convicted of counterfeiting named Louis Dega. He agreed to protect Dega from those seeking to murder him for his charger.

Arriving at the penal colony, Papillon immediately claimed to be ill and was sent to the infirmary. There he collaborated with two individuals named Clousiot and André Maturette to escape from the prison by a sailboat, which they acquired with the assistance of the penal settlement's leper colony at Pigeon Island. They let the current of the Maroni River take them to the Atlantic Ocean, after which they began to sail to the north-west.

In Trinidad the trio were joined by three other escapees and were helped on their journey by a British family, the Dutch bishop of Curaçao and several others. Nearing the Colombian coastline, the escapees were sighted; they could not escape for lack of wind, were captured and were then imprisoned.

In the Colombian prison, Papillon joined with another prisoner to escape. After going some distance from the prison, the two went their separate ways. Papillon entered the Guajira peninsula, a region dominated by Native Americans. He was assimilated into a coastal village whose specialty was pearl diving, married two teenage sisters and impregnated them. After spending several months in relative paradise, Papillon became motivated to seek vengeance against those that wronged him.

Soon after leaving the village, Papillon was imprisoned at Santa Marta, then transferred to Barranquilla. There, he was reunited with Clousiot and Maturette. Papillon made numerous escape attempts from this prison, all failing. He was eventually extradited back to French Guiana.

As punishment, Papillon was sentenced to two years of solitary confinement on Île Saint-Joseph (an island in the Îles du Salut group, 11 kilometers from the French Guiana coast). Clousiot and Maturette were given equal sentences. Upon release, Papillon was transferred to Royal Island (also an island in the Îles du Salut group). An escape attempt was foiled by an informant (who Papillon stabbed to death for the act) and Papillon was again sent to solitary confinement, this time for nineteen months. The original sentence of eight years was reduced after Papillon risked his life to save the life of a girl caught in shark-infested waters.

After French Guiana officials decided to support the pro-Nazi Vichy Regime, the penalty for any escape attempt became capital punishment. Realizing this, Papillon decided to feign insanity and be sent to the insane asylum on Royal Island. His reasoning was that insane prisoners could not be sentenced to death for any reason and the asylum was under less heavy guard. He collaborated with another prisoner, but this escape attempt failed. When they were attempting to sail away, their boat was destroyed against the rocks, the other prisoner drowned and Papillon was nearly dashed against the rocks as well.

Papillon returned to the regular prisoner population on Royal Island after being "cured" of his mental illness. He requested that he be transferred to Devil's Island, the smallest and most "inescapable" island in the Iles de Salut group. Studying the waters around the island, Papillon discovered a rocky inlet surrounded by a high cliff where he noticed that every seventh wave would be large enough to carry something on the water far enough out into the sea to drift towards the mainland. He experimented by throwing sacks of coconuts into the inlet.

Papillon found another prisoner, a pirate named Sylvain who had previously sailed along southeast Asia, to go along with this escape attempt. The pirate was famous for raiding ships in the Far East. He would then kill everyone aboard. They threw themselves into the inlet with sacks of coconuts to float on. The seventh wave carried them out into the ocean. After days of drifting on the ocean under the relentless sun, surviving only on coconut pulp, they arrived at the mainland. However, the other prisoner left his coconut sack prematurely and was devoured by quicksand.

Papillon then navigated the mainland to find a Chinese man named Cuic Cuic, the brother of Chang. Cuic Cuic protected himself by making a hut on an "island" of solid ground surrounded by quicksand. His pig was adept at finding a navigable route over the quick sand. The men and the pig made their way to Georgetown, Guyana, by boat. Though he could have lived there as a free man, Papillon decided to continue northwesterly in the company of five other escapees. Reaching Venezuela, the men were captured and imprisoned at the mobile detention camps in the vicinity of El Dorado, a small mining town near the Gran Sabana region. Surviving horrible conditions there, and even finding diamonds, Papillon was eventually released, obtaining Venezuelan citizenship and celebrity status a few years later.

Its a mere recounting of the facts that Papillon has done here. Its more like reading a 10th class history book. There's not even a single adjective to describe his mental state in the whole book. But when it comes to explaining the prison hardships, book stands as the master piece.At the end of the book, its all your emotions that'll make you fall in to tears. Often you get to wonder how a person be so heartless not to mention how he feels when undergoing such hardships.

Doesn't matter how soft or hard it is to read the book, ultimately you'll get the feeling that after all the endurance, Papillon was destined to win. It gives you goose bums to think nothing is impossible!

Of Course I Love You…! Till I find someone else

A book by Durjoy Dutta and Maanvi Ahuja

It is a story set in Delhi, during the years 2006-2008 that revolves around colleges, nightclubs, relationships and friendships. It’s about a young college going guy – Debashish Roy.


Debashish Roy, is as his name suggests, is ordinary. What’s not though is his enviable interminably long list of girls he had managed to date and taken to bed amongst other things. Things are going fine until one day, Avantika, a girl so beautiful that you would have a tendency to stab yourself back to reality, walks into his life and wrests away everything he has.  As his relationship with her gets steamier and deeper, everything else in his life gets on a fast track to one direction. Down.

It takes a dark and a hilarious view on modern day relationships in colleges. Narrated in Debashish Roys’ unsure, confused and testosterone induced voice, it takes a jibe at college time romances.

As Deb’s philandering days come to an end with Avantika who herself two times him, he sees everything from being hunted and followed around the city, getting kicked out his college placements, Deb is tested in every way possible….only to get dumped for a reason which is unfathomable even outside the realms of reality.

As Avantika and his luck desert him, he lands up with a job in his father’s firm, a government office amongst some people who aren’t his father’s best friends. He makes friends with Amit, the genius of the office, who is yet to have his first conversation with a girl, as he waits for his life to sort out. And for Avantika to come back…..

He helps Amit to propose his dream girl Aastha. Avantika returns to Deb upon Sri Guru's insistence. Deb finally finds love and friendship and gets a real life.

Though in the middle, the book gets too boring, its worth spending a day or two reading this book. To a certain extent its a 'A' certifiable book. But completely a 'no- no' to people aged beyond 40.

Good bye California - Alistair MacLean

The plot for the book is set in the United States. An Islamic terrorist kidnaps nuclear scientists and steals radioactive material from a California nuclear power plant. The plot focusses on the plan of the kidnappers to build their own atomic bombs which if exploded along California's earthquake fault lines could kill millions of people and destroy California's major cities.

The inspiration for the plot appears to be acknowledged by Maclean himself in his preface to the 1977 edition of the book where he describes his first experience of an earthquake while in California on 9 February 1972.

This is a fiction which introduced to the world what Islam holy war means. Haven't we so often seen fictions becomes reality?