Flashes and fathoms-1

Kochi-Vayatila

Urban life has been sulking Madhurima Nambeesan for a long time, she missed her friends in her village in Kannur. Things were simple and people straight forward yet too many murders and bombs made her life miserable in Koothuparamba which finally forced her to shift to Kochi. Though it bears the inadvertent title of  being "The Queen of Arabian Sea" all that Madhu felt was a titular expression . Ah yes, she missed her village just like anyone who came to a city for the first time. She had trouble in communicating, it was impossible to understand what she said, basically because Kochiates are not much used with the Kannada influenced malayalam from Malabar. However Madhu survived, but what she missed was some smiling and friendly faces.

Kochi- Thevara

It was with great expectations did she gave life to her dream- "Paint me Blue". It was her ardent dream to become a social entrepreneur, Radhamani loved social service to any other career. Her friend always saw an emerging leader in her, and why not, she was industrious, intelligent and above all committed. There was an exceptional charisma about this lady, making her chutzpah the dominance at any gathering. But she was a simpleton who believed in the subtle joys for perennial happiness. She traveled a lot and it was common for her to meet and greet people. But her excellence in understanding human pain was her emphasizing and predominant character. Her work sufficed to the orphanages and old age homes in and around Kochi. But it was an ongoing work that filled her up. She thought "Arts and Craft" to the kids at orphanages  and made it a point to spread all the love she had to her little darlings. Her consistent visit to the old age homes with the hope of spreading all the happiness she has was received quite well by the grannies and grandpas. She gave them time, which was fortunately what they really wanted other than the occasional visit of a group of students presenting gifts or visiting them just for the sake of some "flashes". She never really brought anything for them other than an occasional set of books or fruits-which she grew in her garden. It made 'she' the 'object' that they eagerly waited for rather than  the gifts. Radha was living her life to the fullest, experiencing the joy in living the life the way she liked by helping in shaping others life. But then suddenly she was 'hit'- and that was when she met-
Madhurima Nambeesan

Kochi-Varkeys Super Bazar

John Mathappan was the only son of Peter  Arackkal Mathappan, a powerful name amongst the goondas in Fatehpur Sikri. He was shot in a gang war and succumbed later to the injuries. John was looked after by his mother who fled the place and settled in Kochi. She tried sending John to a nearby school, but had little success. Little John never spoke much to anyone, and when he did there was a rain of verbal abuse in Hindi. Mary Mathappan made it a point to send little John to the nearby church, especially on Sundays. Just like every other mother in the world, she feared her son would ruin his future. Slowly but gradually Mary saw visible changes in John. He stopped swearing and using abusive language and his interest shifted into painting. Mary decided to remarry a distant relative of hers due to insistence of her relatives. Little Johny was happy to be a Big Brother to the two kids who were born in time. But trouble crept in the small house of Mary after her third child was born, it was impossible to control Dominic as he felt John as an outsider. He beat the child constantly for absolutely no reason, all his mother could do was to beg and weep to spare her child. Finally John left home at 15 and never came back. He started earning money by accompanying  Painter Mani to his sites. He had money but not enough to survive. He was waiting for an interview as a sales boy at Varkeys when he saw this girl approaching him. She had the most beautiful smile in the world and suddenly the world seems to shrink down. He felt lighter, warmer and special. There was no way that he could take his eyes off this beautiful goddess send from heaven. As he looked she came closer to him and said something, John could see only her beautiful red lips forming shapes so good, her deep brown eyes with thick lashes fluttering, her hair moving rhythmically to the blow of the wind. He heard nothing but-'Madhurima Nambeesan'

to be continued.....