Who the hell?

Here is my latest !

The container says, Tobacco kills.

Tobacco, my foot

Love kills

Lover kills

Food kills

Hunger kills

Simply a word kills

What if tobacco kills

I don’t care

I live and I choose to die

Many things kill me

Firstly my decisions,

Only then other things

I don’t care!

Telugu Version added on 03-07-15


పోతే పోనీ పోరా

పొట్లం మీద అక్షరాలు భయపెడుతున్నయ్

పొగాకు చంపుతుంది, అని

అవునూ,

పొగాకు చంపుతుందా?

దానికంత దమ్ముందా?

ప్రేమ చంపుతుంది!

ప్రేమికురాలు చంపుతుంది!

అన్నం చంపుతుంది!

ఆకలి చంపుతుంది!

మామూలుగా ఒక మాట చంపుతుంది!

ఇక పొగాకు చంపితేనేమట?

పోతే పోనీ పోరా!

నాబతుకు! నాచావు!!

అందరూ చంపే వాళ్లే!

అన్నిటికన్నా ముందు నా ఆలోచనలు!

ఆ తరువాతే మిగతా అన్నీ!!

పోతే పోనీ పోరా!!

Be Happy!

You can be happy!
Not that all good things are happening to you!
You can, if you choose to, be happy!

I was reading this and thought, you too could read it!

Happiness (real happiness, which feels like a warm, steady glow inside your
body), comes from the inside out. A person who manages this emotion well
wakes up happy in the morning. And when he encounters challenges throughout
the day, he can maintain a certain level of his happiness. In fact, his happiness
buoys his spirits when encountering the trials and tribulations of daily
living, and it keeps his mind clear, preventing him from getting caught up in
unproductive self-pity or other non-helpful emotions. Happy people come up
with more solutions to problems than sad or depressed people do.
Although sad people generally pay more attention to details than happy
people, happy people accomplish more than sad people. Of course, because
happiness and sadness are emotions, they do fluctuate. So, you can control
your mood to serve your own purpose. Being emotionally intelligent involves
knowing when to be happy, sad, excited, anxious, or even vigilant.
People prefer being around other people who are happy. Happy leaders have
followers who are very engaged. You can find many advantages to being
happy. People will appreciate you more, you can get through tough times
easier, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be more helpful to others. Research even
shows that happy people live longer (or miserable people die sooner).

Cuty Scape - A Photograph

Looks like my photographic expeditions are limited to my balcony.
Then also, I thought, this picture is good enough.

Rumi on Love

One went to the door of the Beloved and knocked.

A voice asked, "Who is there?"

He answered, "It is I"

The voice said, "There is no room for Me and Thee ."

The door was shut.

After a year of solitude and deprivation he returned and

knocked .

A voice from within asked, "Who is there?"

The man said, "It is Thee ."

The door was opened for him .

(Jalaluddin Rumi)

Anwari, like the Western magician-poets of old, emphasizes

that the poet and lover shade into one another :

If to be a lover is to be a poet, I am a poet ;

If to be a poet is to be a magician, I am a magician ;

If to be a magician is to be thought evil, I can be

thought evil ;

If to be thought evil is to be disliked by worldlings, I

am content to be such .

Disliked by worldlings is to be a lover of the true reality,

more often than not .

I affirm that I am a Lover!

A Sufi poet of the seventeenth century says, in the Key of

the Afghans:

The arrow needs an archer, and poetry a magician .

He must ever hold in his mind the scales of meter, rejecting

the long and the short. Truth is his mistress,

astride a black steed, veiled in allegory. From beneath

her lashes shoot a hundred unerring glances . The poet

will decorate her fingers with multihued jewels, adorn

her with the perfume and scent of saffron metaphor .

Alliteration will ring like foot bells ; on her bosom will

be the mystery of concealed rhyme. Together with the

secrets of inner meaning, the concealing eyes, these

make her body a perfection of mystery.

Kahlil Gibran - Poetry, Story and art

Life is not only a merriment;
Life is desire and determination.
Wisdom is not in words;
Wisdom is meaning within words.
Greatness is not in exalted position;
Greatness is for he who refuses position.

In what poetry he wrote, the philosophy was the same as in his prose. The following translation gives an example of this philosophy:

“During the ebb, I wrote a line upon the sand,
Committing to it all that is in my soul and mind;
I returned at the tide to read it and to ponder upon it,
I found naught upon the seashore but my ignorance.”


I am deeply impressed with the works of Kahlil Gibran and his philosophy.

His stories are as interesting and profound as his poetry.

GARMENTS

Upon a day Beauty and Ugliness met on the shore of a sea. And they said to one another, “Let us bathe in the sea.”

Then they disrobed and swam in the waters. And after a while Ugliness came back to shore and garmented himself with the garments of Beauty and walked away.

And Beauty too came out of the sea, and found not her raiment, and she was too shy to be naked, therefore she dressed herself with the raiment of Ugliness. And Beauty walked her way.

And to this very day men and women mistake the one for the other.

Yet some there are who have beheld the face of Beauty, and they know her notwithstanding her garments. And some there be who know the face of Ugliness, and the cloth conceals him not from their eyes.

(his art work is equally interesting)

దుస్తులు

ఒకరోజున అందం, అనాకారితనం సముద్రపు ఒడ్డున కలిశాయి. సముద్రంలో స్నానం చేద్దాం అని అనుకున్నాయి.
అప్పుడిక గుడ్డలు వదిలి నీటిలో ఈదులాడాయి. కొంతసేపు తర్వాత అనాకారితనం ఒడ్డుకు వచ్చేసింది. అందం దుస్తులను తాను వేసుకుని వెళ్లిపోయింది.

అందంకూడా సముద్రంలోనుంచి బయటకు వచ్చింది. ఆమె దుస్తులు కనిపించలేదు. గుడ్డలులేకుండా ఉండడానికి సిగ్గుపడింది. అందుకే, అనాకారి బట్టలను తాను వేసుకున్నది. అలా, ఇక అందం తనదారిన పోయింది.

అందుకే ఇవాళటికీ, ఆడా మగా అందరూ, వాళ్లిద్దరినీ సరిగా గుర్తించలేక పోతున్నారు.

అందం ముఖం చూచి, వేసుకున్న గుడ్డలు ఎట్లున్నా ఆమెను గుర్తించే వారు కొందరున్నారు. కొందరికి అనాకారి ముఖం తెలుసు. ఆ అందమయిన దుస్తులు వాళ్ల కళ్లను మోసగించజాలవు.

(Telugu translation by Vijayagopal)

Corporate Training - Spreading Happiness

This is a photo after a training session of mine at one of the Rane Group Company.
My happiness is about the happiness of the boys!!

I notice that I did not sport my beard those days!

Failure to Deliver Meaning: The Higgs Boson Case

When Higgs Boson was being deified and being mentioned as some thing beyond discussions, I wrote a piece in local Telugu press questioning the whole affair of communicating about the matter. People world wide called it a God Particle. Telugu press called it Godly particle also. There is a subtle difference between the two, at least to me.

I am happy to share this piece written by another friend who thinks like me!!

How much do you know about the Higgs boson? The elementary particle confirmed to exist in 2013 was big news around the world. Physicists waited a half-century for this event. The media told us the breakthrough was huge. If you read about the discovery, can you tell me why it was epic?

My learning experience with the Higgs boson wasn't so much a revelation about physics, but about how many communicators fail to deliver meaning to their audiences. I read several articles and blogs that described great zeal over the discovery. Yet in some of the world's most respected media outlets, no reporter or blogger could explain why this particle was a paradigm changer in a manner I could understand.

It bothered me that I couldn't comprehend this story. I wondered…am I just that dense when it comes to physics? Or are these articles ineffective? So I surveyed the morning regulars at Peregrine Espresso here on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to see if any of them got it. A group of mostly middle-age-plus guys, and an occasional brave woman or two, meet there most mornings to discuss politics, sports, relationships, and just about anything on anyone's mind.

This collection of college professors, lawyers, international aid workers, government executives, a few random politicos, and a social worker turned handyman aren't shy about expressing their opinions. If this group of highly educated, well-informed latte drinkers didn't grasp the significance of the Higgs, I figured, most of America wouldn't, either. My suspicions were confirmed: Everyone had heard about the discovery, but no one comprehended it. Later, a physicist I interviewed for this book, who chose not to be identified, told me he estimates that probably less than a percent of Americans can speak knowledgeably about the Higgs boson or why it's important.

Frustrated, I dedicated a couple of days to doing nothing but research to discover the mystery of the famous particle. I read and reread dozens of articles and blogs to see if I could find a glimmer of light that would lead to some low level of understanding. But in everything I read, nothing seemed to bring meaning to me. I felt either assaulted by physics jargon or underwhelmed by fluff. Nothing was helping me figure out why this was a big discovery and why I should care about it. It doesn't matter to me if physicists are excited about confirming a theory; I wanted to know what's in it for me! Why should I care about the Higgs boson?

If I had been asked to write about the Higgs boson at this point in time, my summary would look something like this:

Scientists are celebrating because the discovery of the Higgs boson confirms that the Standard Model of particle physics is consistent with what they hypothesized. Physicists use this theory to explain how the universe works. The confirmation of the Higgs boson's existence can help them better understand how the Big Bang occurred.

That summary may be factually correct. But we could do much better. My readers can take away from this that the discovery is an important scientific breakthrough, but there's nothing there that is particularly meaningful to them.

After hours of research, I finally came across a video clip of Columbia University physicist and best-selling author Brian Greene lecturing on the Higgs boson at the Aspen Ideas Festival (like a Western Chautauqua). Eighteen minutes into the twenty-minute video presentation, he said something that finally resonated with me. The clichéd light bulb went off over my head. Greene said that the Higgs boson discovery has no practical implications of which scientists are aware—yet. That piece of information gave me some relief. I'd been waiting for something tangible to help me comprehend this revelation…and it turns out there is none—just yet. We humans crave tangibility.

Ironically, it was the understanding of the lack of tangibility that finally created the spark that helped me grasp the enormity of this discovery. Greene, apparently a super communicator, eloquently explained: Sometimes we need to “wait for theoretical discoveries to turn into practical applications.”¹ He drew an analogy to the discovery of quantum mechanics back in the 1920s and 1930s. Apparently, quantum mechanics was as abstract to people back then as we find the Higgs boson today. But Greene explained that quantum mechanics helped scientists and engineers in unprecedented ways—they understand more about molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles. The discovery of quantum mechanics ultimately led to the invention of things that today we couldn't imagine living without. Take, for instance, personal computers and cell phones. Anything with a circuit wouldn't have been possible without the discovery of quantum mechanics.

With this example I now understood that the Higgs could soon usher in a new era of scientific understanding that could lead to more, greater technological breakthroughs.

Now, let me try again to rewrite the summary. This time with meaning:

The discovery of the elusive Higgs boson confirms the theory scientists have been using to understand how the universe works. Physicists are celebrating this breakthrough because it can lead to other significant findings like the discovery of quantum mechanics did almost a century ago. Quantum mechanics led to the invention of many of the twentieth century's most notable technologies…like cell phones, computers, and even the atomic bomb. The discovery of the Higgs boson could be equally important…if not more so. It can lead to innovations we can't yet imagine.

By linking the Higgs boson discovery to tangible examples that resulted from the discovery of quantum mechanics, I was finally able to grasp some of the significance of this highly hyped science story. The discovery of the Higgs boson is possibly much bigger than opening the door to new technologies, but this simple comparison helped me put the Higgs discovery into a context I could comprehend. From here I could grow to understand more about this great physics discovery. Finally, I found meaning.

Vemana Padyam

After a long time I am posting one verse of Vemana here.

buddhi nilipina venuka mOksha cintanamEla
manasu delisina venuka bandhamEla
gatiyu lEni vaLLa batimAlanElarA
viswadabhirAma vinura vEma

buddhi nilipina venuka = once the mind is held in one place
mOksha cintanamEla - why think of salvation
manasu delisina venuka = once you know the heart (intention)
bandhamEla  = why bonds
gatiyu lEni vaLLa = to those who do not have means for themselves
batimAlanElarA = why beg

Vemana talks philosophy as is his wont. 
He says why think of unreachable things like salvation etc., usually discussed by enlightened people, if you are already able to hold your crafts. Once you know what you want and are able to control the desires salvation and bonds are easy things to achieve and break in that order.

If you are begging for alms, you should know from whom you are such magnanimity. if you stretch hand s before people who are themselves in need, you would end up with your empty hands.
the hands that are to give are empty. How can they fill your hands?

One should know ones inner strengths, requirements and what is expected and who can give it.
This all leads to a discussion about knowledge of self.
A simple verse has a lot to expound.

Mukunda Rama Rao - Vimanayanam

This was an event with difference.
The name of the book released meant Air Travel
Event took place on a boat in the famous Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad.
There were a galaxy of guests.

(In the picture, daughters of the poet Sri Mukunda Rama Rao and his wife along with Dr Lanka Siva ram Prasad, Prof Sikhamani and Sri Naveen (Men in that order from left))

The poet completed 70 years of glorious existence.
Greetings to him on both the counts once again.

‘నెట్‌’లో ప్రపంచం!

This is an article I wrote for Andhra Prabha Daily long back.

Let us see if it still relevant.

Certain things that were looming large at that time have become routine by now. Computers have become more than a part of common life.

Here is the article!

జీవ పరిణామం, మానవజాతి పరిణామం, లక్షల, కోట్ల సంవత్సరాల పాటు జరిగాయి. వాటి గురించి తెలుసుకోవలసింది ఎంతో ఉంది. కంప్యూటర్‌ నిన్నగాక మొన్న పుట్టింది కాని చెప్పరాని వేగంతో మార్పు చెందుతున్నది.

కంప్యూటర్‌లకు చరిత్ర లేదు. ఇప్పుడున్న రకం కంప్యూటర్లు ఇటీవలే వచ్చాయి. అయితే అవి త్వరలోనే మాయం అయిపోవడమూ తప్పదు. అవి లేకుండా పోతాయని మాత్రం అనుకోకూడదు.

1980కి ముందు కంప్యూటర్‌ పరిశోధనశాలలకే పరిమితం. ఆ తరువాత అవి పి.సి. (పర్సనల్‌ కంప్యూటర్‌) పేరుతో ప్రజల మధ్యకు వచ్చాయి. నిజంగా ఇళ్ళలోకే వచ్చాయి. ఈలోగా ఇంటర్నెట్‌ అనే మరో కొత్త తరంగం వచ్చింది. కంప్యూటర్‌ వాడకం తీరు ఒక్కసారిగా మారిపోయింది. ఈ ఇంటర్నెట్‌ మన దేశంలోకి ఇంకా వస్తూనే ఉన్నదని చెప్పాలి. చదువుకున్నవారిలో చాలా మంది, కంప్యూటర్‌ వాడుతున్న వారిలో కొంత మంది ఇంకా ఇంటర్నెట్‌ను చూడలేదు మరి! ఇది నిజానికి సమాచార సాగరం. ప్రపంచంలోని ఏ మూలనుంచైనా సమాచారాన్ని క్షణాల్లో, కనీసం నిమిషాల్లో మన ముందుంచగల వ్యవస్థ ఇది. మన దేశంతో సహా, ప్రపంచమంతటా కొందరయినా, ఇంటర్నెట్‌ లేకుండా ఎలా బ్రతకాలి? అని ప్రశ్నించుకునే రోజులు వచ్చాయి. అవసరానికిగానీ, సరదాకుగానీ, చదువులకుగానీ, దేనికయినాసరే ఇంటర్నెట్‌ ఒక్కటే మార్గం అనే రోజులు వచ్చేస్తున్నాయి.

అంటే కంప్యూటర్‌ గొప్పదనం రాను రాను పెరుగుతున్నది. నిపుణులు మాత్రమే కాక అందరూ దాన్ని వాడుకునే అవసరం, పరిస్థితి వస్తున్నది. కానీ వాటి వాడకం మాత్రం రోజు రోజుకూ మరింత కష్టతరమవుతున్నది. ఒక్కోరకం పనికి ఒక్కో సాఫ్ట్‌వేర్‌ వాడకం నేర్చుకోవాలి. ఇంటర్నెట్‌లో ప్రవేశించాలంటే ‘బ్రౌజెర్‌’ ప్రోగ్రామ్‌ అవసరం. ఇవి కూడా గజిబిజిగానే ఉన్నాయి. కాకపోతే చాలా రకాలున్నాయి.

ఇంటర్నెట్‌ అనే సమాచార సముద్రంలో ఈదిన వారు చివరకు అలసిపోయి, ఒడ్డు చేరుకుంటున్నారు. ఇక కొత్తవారయితే వారికి అందులో ఉండేది అంతా చెత్త అనే భావం కలగక మానదు.

ముందు ముందు మాత్రం పరిస్థితి ఇలా ఉండదంటున్నారు నిపుణులు. కంప్యూటర్‌లు, వాటి భాగాలు రాను రాను చేతనయినంత చిన్నవిగా మారతాయి. దీన్ని ‘నానో టెక్నాలజీ’ అంటారు. అలాగే టెలిఫోన్‌ తీగ అవసరం లేకుండానే సమాచారం పెద్ద ఎత్తున ప్రవహించే ‘‘బ్రాడ్‌ బ్యాండ్‌ టెక్నాలజీ’’ తయారవుతున్నది. వీటితోపాటు బయో మెట్రిక్‌లాంటి మరికొన్ని సాంకేతిక సదుపాయాలు కలిసి త్వరలోనే కంప్యూటర్‌లను, వాటిని వాడే తీరును, ఊహించని విధంగా మారుస్తాయంటున్నారు. ఇప్పుడు కంప్యూటర్‌ వాడకాన్ని, పర్సనల్‌ కంప్యూటింగ్‌ అనడం తప్పు. మన కంప్యూటర్‌ ప్రపంచంలోని లక్షల కంప్యూటర్లతో సంబంధం కలిగి ఉంటున్నది. కనుక ఇది సోషల్‌ కంప్యూటింగ్‌! మరో 15 సంవత్సరాలు పోతే ఈ పరిస్థితి మారి ఎకొలాజికల్‌, సింబయాటిక్‌ కంప్యూటింగ్‌ వస్తుందంటున్నారు. కంప్యూటర్లు మరీ చిన్నవయిపోతాయి. తీగలవసరం లేకుండానే వాటన్నింటి మధ్యనా సంపర్కం ఉంటుంది. కంప్యూటర్‌ అంటే ప్రత్యేకమయిన యంత్రంగా కాక ఒక పదార్థంగా మారి, ఎక్కడయినా దానిని వాడే వీలు వస్తుంది. సరిగ్గా ఈ మార్పులు వచ్చే సమయానికి ఇప్పుడు మనకు తెలిసిన కంప్యూటర్లు తెరమరుగవుతాయి.

ప్రపంచంలోని అన్ని వస్తువులు, పరికరాల్లోకి కంప్యూటింగ్‌ శక్తి ప్రవేశిస్తుంది. వాటన్నింటికీ తమ ఉనికి గురించి, పరిసరాల గురించి, పనితీరు గురించి కదలిక గురించి తెలుసుకునే శక్తి ఉంటుంది. విఠలాచార్య బ్రాండ్‌ సినిమాల్లో చూసిన ట్రిక్కులు, అంతకన్నా గొప్ప చమక్కులు వీలవుతాయి. మనిషికి, ప్రాణులకు గల శక్తులు పదార్థాలకు కూడా వచ్చేస్తాయి.

మనం ఒకరితో ఒకరం మాట్లాడుకునే పద్ధతి, సైగలు చేసుకునే పద్ధతి కలిసి ఈ ఇంటలిజెంట్‌ పదార్థాలను పని చేయిస్తాయి. తాళం చెవుల గుత్తిని మీరు ఎలా పట్టుకుంటే ఏం చేయాలన్నది తాళం చెవులకు తెలిస్తే ఎలా ఉంటుందో ఊహించండి. పెన్ను రాయడంలేదని మీరు కోపంగా కింద పెడితే అది అర్థం చేసుకుని తనంతతానే బాగయిపోతే ఎలాగుంటుంది?

ఇళ్ళ గోడలు, బయట రోడ్లు, మొత్తం వాతావరణమంతా కంప్యూటర్లు ఉంటాయి. మీరు ఇంటికి బయలుదేరితే ఆ విషయం ఇంట్లో వారికన్నా ముందు ఇంటికి తెలుస్తుంది. తలుపులు మీరు రాగానే తెరుచుకుంటాయి. మీ కనుకూలమయిన వాతావరణం, అవసరమయిన వస్తువులు అమరి ఉంటాయి. పాలయిపోతే రిఫ్రిజిరేటర్‌ పాలవాళ్ళకు తెలియచెబుతుంది. ఈ రకంగా వర్ణిస్తూ పోతే విషయం నిజంగా విఠలాచార్య సినిమా కన్నా గొప్పగా ఉంటుంది.

గోడకు వేసిన రంగులో కంప్యూటర్‌ శక్తి ఉంటుంది. దానికి మీ అవసరాలు, ఇష్టాయిష్టాలు, కదలికలు, వాటి అర్థాలు అవసరమవుతాయి. ఇదంతా మనదాకా వచ్చేనా? అనుకోనవసరంలేదు. కంప్యూటర్‌ రంగంలో భారతీయులు చాలా మంది అగ్రగణ్యులుగా ఉన్నారు. దేశంలోనూ ఈ రంగానికి గొప్ప గౌరవం ఉంది. కనుక వచ్చే మార్పులు ప్రపంచంతోపాటు మన దగ్గర కూడా వచ్చేస్తాయి. అయితే ఇప్పటిలాగే అప్పుడు కూడా అవి అందరికీ కాక కొందరికే అందుతాయి. ఫలితాలు, ప్రభావాలు మాత్రం అందరికీ కొంతయినా అందుతాయి.

Well of Holes

Between AD 600 and 1850, more than 3000 step wells were dug, by hand, in the Indian provinces of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Many of them had intricate staircase designs, peppered with shrines and balconies on which to linger in the afternoon heat.

They reach deep underground and provided insurance against the region's fluctuating water supply. The stairs guided local people – women, mostly – down to the water that seeps in from nearby aquifers. During the rainy season, the wells fill up, but in the dry season, you would have to lug containers up and down the entire well. This particular well, Panna Meena ka Kund near Amber Fort in Rajasthan, has eight storeys. According to local tradition, you must use different sets of stairs to climb down and climb out.

The photograph was taken by Edward Burtynsky for his latest exhibition,Water, which opens at Flowers Gallery in London on 16 October. "I wanted to find ways to make compelling photographs about the human systems employed to redirect and control water," he writes in the accompanying book. His research took him around the globe, from the fish farms and giant dams of China to Iceland's glaciers and the salt flats of Mexico.

Burtynsky found it a challenge to gain enough height to capture the enormous scale of water resources and the structures we build to tap them, and had to resort to drones, aerial lifts and helicopters. He took this picture using a 15-metre pneumatic mast, with his remotely controlled camera mounted on the top.

As well as documenting our ingenuity and recklessness in controlling water, he reveals the depth of our connection to this vital resource. As Wade Davis of the National Geographic Society puts it in his introduction to Burtynsky's book: "We are born of water... Compress our bones, ligaments and muscle sinew, extract the platelets and cells from our blood, and the rest of us, nearly two-thirds of our weight, would flow as easily as a river to the sea."

Painting - You can try!

I am sure one can try reproduce such a painting!
come on!!

Simple Water Color work!
It is really beautiful!

Batuku Poru - B S Ramulu's Novel

Batuku Poru is a novel in Telangana Dialect.
Lives of Beedi workers of Karimnagar district comes out in its true colors in this novel.
I volunteered to translate the work into English.
Now, "Struggle of Life" is available in the market.

Here I bring an excerpt from the novel. 

I don't have to now, tell that this is one of the best Telugu novels ever written.People have alreday said that!
I am happy that I could translate it!!

Time was approaching eight or eight thirty. The time the bazzars open wide, the time children hurry to go to school. The time vegetable market is abuzz. Time people complete their private chores and begin with the public work.

“Your Mother! I would go to school. What should I eat and go” Sreenu was angry with displeasure and sadness twined together.

“Am I sitting quiet? One after the other I am doing things!” said Lakshmi and washed the rice and put it on the hearth.

“Take this bag and go get some vegetables from the market” again she gave him some task.

“It is school time. Give me a head bath. I wouldn’t go to the market. Sreenu protested and hurried mother.

“Ayyo! Your Servant me! Dal always, your father is complaining for the last three days. Please Go!” Lakshmi pleaded with him.

He thought it was unavoidable, grumbling, he took the bag and walked to the market. The sister followed the brother.

Washerwoman Maisi came for the clothes, saying “Give the clothes” from ten yards afar as if cautioning.

She collected the two quits that Nani soiled, and the clothes scattered here and there and gave her. She gave some more bed clothes. Bringing the sarees that she left from the wicker box, she said, “How is it if you come once in ten days? Should there be so many sarees? I washed two sarees myself!” almost chiding.

“When did ten days pass? Friday to Friday, it is eight days. For the wages of ten rupees, if not four times in a month, how many times can we come? The money that you give would not be enough for the soda that I use for the clothes.’ May be a life that is used to fighting, Maisi raised the voice up.

“Then why are you washing clothes? Tiring the limbs… stop it!” Can’t we wash our clothes?” she knew that it was not possible,  and the soap for the task itself would cost twenty rupees, she stiil laughingly chided the woman.

“It is the caste profession and that a morsel of rice would be available, we do this, otherwise what is theer in it? Washing your monthly dirty and soiled clothes, the body has dried off. All the day slogging in the sun, I turned into coal. With the spilling of the soda water, the hair turned red. With only two children people tell me that I look like an old woman. What is in caste profession. Our life is worse than all.” Saying so she folded the sarees and made a bundle. Looks like somehow Maisi is sick of the life. Lakshmi could not shout like earlier suppressing her.

“Now I would leave” Maisi started walking.

“Stop there. Don’t know when you would come again. I would give the saree on me too” she took a washed saree from the rod, and wearing it, she gave the saree on her.

“Then why don’t you give me the rice right now” taking the saree and folding it said, Maisi.

“Ayyo! I am here giving you the clothes and don’t know what happened to the rice on the stove!” she jumped to the stove in one leap. Water from the rice spilled out and the fire in the hearth was out. The rice was not cooked properly. It was half cooked and unevenly cooked. She picked through it and saw.

“May your stove burn! How many sides I should see?” she was vexed and was blowing into it. “rice is simmering, Go to another house and come. Then I would give you” she said.

“I would go the house of this sir then” Maisi went away with the bundle.

Sreenu came with the vegetables. “Brother did not allow me to carry the bag” complained Sraaswati.

“After a few days you only can go to the market alone, leave it!” laughingly said Lakshmi taking care not to suppress the urge to work.

“May be it is time, go to the school” she got up to wash the plates.

“Your Mother! You said you would give me a head bath with hot water today!” Sreenu wailed. He was tapping his feet on the floor and was moving the door sideways.

“Yes, I said, but did the work got over? Hurrying I put the rice for you only. Tomorrow I would give bath. Leave it!” convincing them she gave rice in the plates.

Sir said he would beat if at least today, I don’t take head bath, apply oil and comb” Sreenu made a sorrow face.

“What should I do then? Is my work coming to a rest? For today draw cold water and take bath go! Tomorrow I would rub your head” she cajoled him patting on the head.

People on the side are heckling that I am one with head that wreaks” Sreenu revealed the fact looking face down and with anguish.

Only one day today, if tomorrow Saturday passes through, day after is Sunday, school wouldn’t be there, I would give head bath leisurely what else?” Give sister also bath” she cajoled him.

However much it is there in the heart that she should make her children up like all the others, with the unending work, that is remaining a wish unfulfilled. Do they know how to take bath or what? If one side is drenched, the other would not even get wet. Even after pouring water in hurry, the knee remains as oily as it was. If she wants to give them a bath, the work would never come to a pause. “Poor kids” her heart went for them.

“I have to leave I have to leave” from a distance the washerwoman Maisi came yelling.

She put the rise that was put in two plates for the children into one and gave it to Maisi. Lakshmi sat to cut the vegetables.

Children took bath and dried themselves with the towel.

She gave them rice in the plates and gave some mango chutney.

“Your Mother! I wouldn’t eat with chutney go! I would get curds. Give me four annas.” 

Sreenu asked rubbing the plate on the ground as if complaining why chutney every morning.

‘Aan! As if money is there! Eat if you want or leave it!” she turned the anguish inside into anger she shouted making a grim face.

“Then I wouldn’t go to school!” Sreenu made fuss.

Don’t go, what is in it for me? Who would become wise when studying? If you don’t want to study, make beedis like me. You would at least get a little money. When I say eat well and go to school, it is becoming a big thing! Like father, would you take a job in the shop then?” said Lakshmi.

Lakshmi in order to make the existing line small would draw a bigger line. When talked about bigger tasks Sreenu would get cold. Whenever such words are told Sreenu would shut mouth like as if someone tells a rat, there look the cat!.

He did not talk further and ate then arranged his books. He looked here and there and asked mother “Where is my fountain?”

“What do I know? Wherever you have thrown it. Look for it”

“I want a slate pencil” Saraswati asked.

“What did you with yesterday’s one?’ asked Lakshmi looking angrily.

“I left it here only, now it is not there” said Saraswati pointing at a cornice.

“You need a new slate pencil every day. Would throw them somewhere. Then come asking for it. Study fistful and pencils handful! It is only after all studying!” Lakshmi became angry. She cut off the fibre on another bundle of leaves and removed the reddened leaves.

“Only you have thrown my fountain somewhere. Would give to the hand of the brother well. He would play and throw it somewhere.  Again you would blame me.” Saying Sreenu searched all the cornices.

Pen was found. He opened the cap and saw. Nib was broken.

“Mother! Nib is broken. I want eight annas. Only you have broken it giving it to brother. I don’t know! Aan!” Sreenu put the blame on the mother.

“Why did I give? You pulled it when sister was holding and did it not hit the wall? I don’t know. I don’t have money. Write however you want, go!’ Lakshmi chided.

“When I pulled it from her it was alright” those words came out as if trying to make an untruth appear true. The words were giving out the truth after all.

“Abbo! Pranks! They don’t go with me. If I put it on her, you thought I would give money isn’t it? I would slap you on the cheek if you utter lies.’ She lifted the hand as if to hit.

“The math tables book is torn. How should I get them by heart? Your Mother, Sir would thrash, I wouldn’t go to school, go!” he invented another reason to bunk school and told.

‘Ahaan! That saw is over and you started this saw! It is after all to extract money somehow from me isn’t it? Go copy tables from someone’s book in the school. Is there a tree of money in the backyard to buy a book whenever it is torn?” Lakshmi said shifting Nani from the left arm to the right and suckling.

“I would just not go to school” Sreenu made fuss, hitting the door to the wall again and again.

“If I kick, the bones should break. Till now chased me saying you would go to school. After eating well, now say, you wouldn’t go. Aaan!” Lakshmi acted as if going to hit Sreenu, acting like getting up. It was like she got the real message.

“Aan, I know you donkey. You have not got the tables by heart and making this ruse. Go get thrashed well by the master, what is for me?” Did I say no when you were studying?” she scolded.

“Your Mother! When should I study? Always you ask me to carry brother.” He wanted to tell something more. Lakshmi picked up in the middle.

“Carried him much! Leave it! If you don’t carry, would he not play?’

Lakshmi knows that she herself gives work and also shouts. Even the just to forget the stress, she would shout at Sreenu. He is the only one who would bear he anger. Poor fellow!

“Did you not make me twine the thread when I said I would mug up tables?” without his help work would not be over. Even then Lakshmi acts smug.

‘Abbo! You must have twined on bundle of thread. Then where from did you think money would come for your teas, biscuits, and pencils. I would stop making beedis. Would you eat gruel. You should get up in the night and study well.” Lakshmi made a suggestion showering love.

“I got up to study and did you not ask me to fetch dung? Did you not make me draw water for dung sprinkling? Sreenu said complaining.

Lakshmi was happy heart of hearts for the courage of Sreenu matching word for word. It is not as if she does not know all those things. They are knowingly unavoidable tasks. That is why when he makes a cross question, she would evade the answer intelligently and throw the blame on Sreenu and keeps her status.

“Have done a lot OK! It is after all, you people who jump around and make the entire front yard bumpy! If you don’t jump around, nothing would happen however many days, I don’t sprinkle dung water” she said.

“What happened, give me money for the nib” Sreenu brought up the matter that was supposed to be forgotten.

“May your chiding drown! Here1 take! With all the love inside, talking apparently with anger, handed over a eight anna coin. “Buy a slate pencil for sister also” said Lakshmi. Sreenu with the bag of books in hand, Saraswati with the slate with the eight annas ran enthusiastically.

Lakshmi heaved with rest and happiness.

“Avvalla! I would miss all the ruckus till one in the noon!” thought Lakshmi for self.

As if reminding that he is there, Nani in the arms started crying. “Ya! Now I have it with you! Do you want me to throw in some school?’ she pinched his cheek, kissed and then started suckling.

She cooked the vegetables. The hearth made of bran fell off. “may the hearth burn off! Fell off so soon1’ she muttered and showed two pieces of wood into it and threw some wood shavings and started to blow making noise. She brought water in the mud pot and placed it on it.

“When should this water boil, when should I give this fellow a bath, when should he go to sleep, when shoul my leaves be over, when should my work come to an end, when should I get to the company, she started feeling pensive, picked up the basket of leaves, scissors, and the bundles of leaves and sat with tehm before the stove for cutting the leaves.

“One task would get over if I give him a bath and make him sleep. All the clothes of the children are soiled. If I give them to the washer woman she would spoil them. Even after her washing the clothes remain dirty. “He’ has only two shirts. One on the person is also soiled. I have to wash his shirt also, so thinking again she got up from the leaves and put the clothes in the water. She washed the underpants and the vest that the husband left after bath in the morning and laid them to dry, then she with the leaves.