Man's Best Friend!

Till 3 years ago, I used to be mortally petrified of dogs. And with good reason too. Sure the puppies looked cute and adorable and stuff. But then they grew up. And that’s when they scared the shit out of me. I have had my share of being chased by the canines for absolutely no reason at all. The prospect of a late night drive returning home from a movie or something would give me goose bumps. 

I guess this fear was instilled in me thanks to my brother’s friend’s German Shepherd who had the time of his life scaring the daylight out of me when I was 7 years old. More than once this devilish hound chased me around my brother’s friend’s house; once again, for absolutely no reason at all. Perhaps he thought that it was good sport. Perhaps he despised irritating 7 year old kids like myself. Come to think of it, it wasn’t really that difficult to understand. The dog with its ferocious fangs, was huge, almost like a wolf. And to him, I was perhaps, a tiny little rabbit.  

Anyway, the fear grew with me. And I was too proud to accept it. So when a good friend of mine brought a dog home, I stopped visiting his house altogether. Before that I used to frequent his home quite a lot. That afternoon I decided to give my friend a visit.

“I’ve got a surprise for you” he said with a smile.

Before I could ask him anything, a furry black figure came running towards me. It was a black lab. And before I knew it he had placed his paws on my shoulders. He was as tall as me. Perhaps even taller. And he was strong. I wanted to scream. I really did. In the words of Michael Jackson,

‘You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You're paralyzed’

“Get it off me” I finally managed to say with whimper.

“Relax, he is just a baby. He wants to play with you” he said.

His words fell on deaf ears. I was sure that the dog had smelt fresh meat. And then without warning, he got down on all fours and started smelling my crotch. What the hell was he doing?

“He must really like you” smiled my friend again.

I thought he had lost his mind. His cute baby was sniffing my thing like a tasty treat.

“He’s just getting to know you” defended my friend.

“That’s the weirdest thing I have ever heard” I said with relief as the dog stopped sniffing me and sat down near my feet.

I never visited my friend’s home again. And the following years made no difference to my fear. It all changed one day.

***

4 years ago, I got a call from my brother.

“Come home soon. Got a surprise for you.”

I reached home excitedly wondering what surprise lay in store for me. As I rang the door bell I heard a yelp.

“Oh dear God! Please let me be wrong” I prayed as I realized what the surprise probably was.

The door opened and I was greeted by my mother who had a very prominent frown on her face. Behind her, stood my father grinning from ear to ear. He pointed to something on the floor, looking at my inquisitive gaze. On the floor sat one of the cutest Labrador puppies I had ever seen in my life. He was so tiny. Its brown fur glistened as it looked up at me. Those eyes! I fell in love with him that very moment.

He was my brother’s gift to my father, who unlike me, was very fond of dogs.

The first few days were very trying, not only for us but for him too. He was hardly a month old. He would cry every now and then. Perhaps he was missing his mother. And it would break my heart as he would sit in a corner, looking at all of us one by one, perhaps wondering what fate awaited him. Although mom agreed that the dog was indeed cute, she however, refused to attend to him. And worse was his habit of defecating anywhere he pleased in the house.

“I am not going to look after him. Trust me on that.” She said with finality in her tone.

Apparently she was bitten by a dog when she was young. So that’s where my fear for dogs came from. Suddenly, bringing the pet home seemed like the worst idea. We were clearly not ready for a pet.

And then one day, something beautiful happened. I returned home that evening to see my mom with the dog on her lap. And I saw in her eyes, love only a mother could show. She told me what happened that afternoon.

“I was sitting on the floor watching TV. And all of a sudden, he came up to me, put his head on my lap and dozed off. And I could no longer stay mad at him” she said with a smile. 

We decided to name this four legged bundle of cuteness – BRUNO. And that’s him.

Bruno got over his initial discomfort quite quickly. And pretty soon he became our darling. Even our neighbours grew fond of him. Every day kids from our society would come to our home and play with Bruno. And he too had a blast. He loved all the attention. And he was naughty to the hilt. And he had a gala time chewing up all our slippers and shoes. Here he is with his favorite slipper. 

His favorite pastimes however, were eating and sleeping; his tiny stomach always hungry for more. Bruno grew up quickly. Today he is 3.5 years old. And he hasn’t changed one bit. He is as naughty as ever. And he has grown up into a strong and handsome boy. The stray bitches lust over him while he conveniently ignores them. Even the other strays don’t mess with him and stay out of his path as he walks with authority during his walks. Although the sight of a cow every now and then does scare him quite a bit. 

And at times I feel that he is more human than the actual ones. I know he dreams. So many times I have watched him yelp and make running motions in his sleep. I wonder what he sees. Perhaps he sees himself chasing a squirrel up a tree. Or perhaps flirting around with some female friend of his.    

For us, he is still the baby he was 3 years ago. And while he has gotten over chewing the slippers, his new mode of mischief is to sleep on the couch when none of us is watching. Now whenever he wants to sleep on it in our presence, all he needs to do is give us his long droopy faced expression. And that does it. All our strictness goes out of the window. The couch is unofficially his property now. If one of us tries to sit on the couch whilst he sleeps on it, he will push and nudge us till we get up and sit someplace else. 

He hates bathing in winters and will slide under the farthest corner of the bed, hoping that we won’t be able to reach him. His face is a look of meek surrender when he realizes that we, in fact can reach him. His fur hair is all over the place and on every one of us. Its on my shirt, its on my trousers, its on my office bag. And at times its on my hair too; something which makes people ask “did you and your dog wrestle or something?”

Scolding him is pointless as the very next moment he does this.

He shares a special bond with my mom and dad. He is immensely possessive about mom. Every time I hug her, Bruno jumps up and pushes me away with his paws. 

Dad spoils him rotten. He gives in to Bruno’s every demand and tantrum. And at times I fear that Bruno would end up getting a higher share in my dad’s will. Dad speaks to him as he would with a kid. And Bruno too listens to him attentively, almost as if he understands him. Dad is the one looking after his daily routines. He wakes up at crack of dawn to take Bruno for his walks. He also takes him out for a ride in the car every morning. That’s Bruno’s favorite activity. The way he looks out of the window with his tongue hanging out…sometimes makes me wonder if he too loses himself in thoughts the way we do.

There are many things I would like to write about Bruno. But perhaps none would convey my feelings for him. A dog is perhaps the closest thing to perfection that God made. Bruno is perhaps the most wonderful and the most honest being I have ever had the good fortune of coming across. Every day he teaches me how to live life. Every day he gives me a reason to smile. Every day he greets me with the same enthusiasm every time I enter my home. Every morning he sits outside my bedroom, patiently waiting for me to wake up and give him a biscuit. And each day he teaches me the value of trust, understanding and innocence. He knows that he can bolt away to freedom every time the leash is off. But he chooses to stay. He knows that he can snap by bones in two with those powerful jaws, and yet he lets me irritate him when he sleeps. He knows his barks can scare the toughest of men, and yet he lets me scold him. All the life’s problems seem trivial when I come home. Because I know that no matter what, my buddy will be anxiously awaiting my arrival. The one who doesn’t judge me, or despise me, or hurt me. The one who smiles with his tail. My friend, my buddy, my Bruno! 

The Unconquerable!

Ajit was afraid of the light. He was mortally terrified of it. He couldn’t place a finger on the ‘when’ or the ‘why’ he developed this fear. But he knew he would be destroyed the moment he stepped into the light. He preferred waiting in the dark, like a serpent. 

But now, as he lay on the moist soil waiting for a quick death, the light didn’t seem to bother him anymore. Perhaps it was the excruciating pain in his legs that made him overcome his fear. He had long abandoned the efforts to stand up on his feet. They were useless now. And he knew very well who was to be blamed for it.

***

“Die, you swine!” Pawan’s son had screamed in rage as he swung his weapon for the last time.

“Coward” bellowed Ajit as he crashed to the ground like a mighty tree. It was pain like he had never felt before. Perhaps, only the pain of being treated like a villain came close.

The impending death did little to quench his desire for vengeance. He couldn’t bear the humiliation any more. But there was very little he could do now.

“Look, how the mighty have fallen!” mocked his oppressor.

“You are enjoying this, aren’t you?” gasped Ajit.

“Every moment of it. Oh, you can’t even begin to imagine. Rot in hell, oh king of the world!” he laughed as he wiped the bloody sweat from his brow and flicked it on Ajit’s face. And he walked away leaving Ajit to die.

***

His words enraged Ajit further. He tried to get up again. It was in vain. The pain killed him, bit by bit. He felt foolish. He should have finished him when he had the chance. Searing pain shot through his body and he twitched violently. He screamed again. But no one could hear his lament.

How he wished Pawan’s son would have just killed him! He had left him worse than a corpse.

“Its only fair. Now all you can hope to do is repent” Shyam had said. Ajit laughed like a rabid dog at Shyam’s comment.

“Fairness. The word loses its essence coming from your wretched mouth. Do not forget, I could have crushed you like an ant long ago. You live because I chose to let you.” Ajit managed to put up a brave face. He was not going to give Shyam the pleasure of watching him die a broken man.

He wished he could just get enough strength in his legs to destroy Shyam – the forever smirking devil. He was the main conspirator after all. He coughed blood as his lungs gasped for air. His throat felt parched. But there was no one around to give him a few drops. 

He felt wronged. He cried at the injustice everyone had done to him. He had been a good man, a devoted son, a loyal friend, a powerful man, the greatest warrior. He had been his own master. He had made it this far despite being wronged by his own people. And yet he was subjected to this humiliation- by his family, his enemies, and now, by death itself.

“If only Vasu was here” he thought. Vasu – his only friend. He too had left him.

It was perhaps the impending death that made his entire life flash in front of his eyes. And his mind stopped at the moment which had caused this calamity today. Had he been wrong? He had insulted a woman. Perhaps the only moment he had erred. And if it wasn’t for his mistake, he would have been the one standing over the corpses of his enemies and laughing at them.

But if he really was wrong, why hadn’t anyone stopped him then? Why had everyone been silent? Perhaps he was right after all. A woman who lived with 5 men deserved to be humiliated. She deserved to be treated like a slave. She deserved to be disrobed. After all wasn’t she the one who had taunted him in the first place? Such audacity! Yes, the whore deserved to be punished.

As he closed his eyes he could hear himself laughing and mocking Draupadi. She was after all his servant. It was her duty to obey him, to satisfy him. She was his trophy. He had won her in all fairness. And he could treat her the way he wanted. He could see himself slapping his thigh and inviting her to sit on it. He could hear his brothers egging him on. He could hear Vasu, his dear Karna slap his back in encouragement. And he could hear Bheema bellow in fury as he vowed to smash those very thighs one day.

Bheema, the son of Pawan, had kept his promise. Goaded by Shyam, Bheema had broken the rules of battle as he smashed Ajit’s thighs with his mace. And he had finally managed to defeat Duryodhana, the unconquerable one – Ajit!

<blockquote>
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A film called DRISHYAM

It’s a lazy winter evening. The climate is incredibly lethargic thanks to a light drizzle in the morning. Rains in winter!  Now I know why the movie ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ was titled so. All I want to do is go on hibernation. I share the plan with my wife who yawns and nods in agreement. And as if in response, I too yawn like a whale gulping shoals of fish. 

But good sense prevails and we decide to catch a movie instead. It had been a while since we saw a good film. Flooded by the likes of Krish 3s, Dhoom 3s, Rajkumars, and similar crap, my eyes thirst for sensible cinema. The last movie my wife and I saw was Shahid, almost 2 months ago.

 I would have watched Krish had Vivek Oberoi not given this iconic interview. 

With that smug look on his face, don't tell me that he doesn't deserve a public flogging.

After scanning bookmyshow.com, my wife and I zeroed in on Drishyam – a Malayalam film starring Mohanlal. Mohanlal is the guy who played the commissioner in Company. He is the one who says “ye jo kuch bhi ho reha he, ye therey khambany ki jaath he”. And also, “saanb ki dosthi jeb tek he teb tek he”. This guy in black;

And while people might make fun of his size or his poor Hindi, the fact remains that this guy can single-handedly kick the combined asses of Amitabh Bachchhan, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Aamir Khan, and any actor considered to be a good one, with his acting skills. And that isn’t an understatement. 

Anyway, the movie in question, Drishyam opened to rave reviews in Kerala earlier this month. And I would have probably missed watching it if it hadn’t been for the kind multiplexes of Ahmedabad who ensure to screen regional films on a regular basis.

The movie begins like any other feel good family drama associated with Malayalam cinema. Georgekutty (Mohanlal) is a cable TV owner in the small village of Rajakaat. He is passionate about cinema and spends most of his time holed up in his office watching all kinds of cinema. He has a beautiful wife (played by actress Meena) and two lovely daughters. How the elder daughter’s school trip threatens to destroy the peaceful life of Georgekutty’s family forms the crux of this nerve wracking thriller.

Some of the early scenes like when the stingy Georgekutty gets irritated on his daughters who keep failing to turn off the light bulb during the day, or how he rides a bicycle to work to reduce the petrol expenses are downright endearing.

And now the reason for this particular post. Drishyam is without doubt one of the best thriller films ever made in the history of Indian cinema. Rarely have I sat through a movie that is 3 hours long, without squirming in irritation. And rarer still are the times when I have remained on the edge of my seat watching thrillers, although Mumbai Police* – another gem from the Malayalam film industry comes quite close. 

The movie seems perfect. Right from the watertight script to the stunning locale to the brilliant actors to the smart direction by Jeethu Joseph, the movie stands tall.  It’s a movie where the screenplay had to be taut and once again the director delivers. Which brings me once again to the lead actor of the film – Mohanlal.

The past couple of years have seen a revolution in Malayalam cinema with new actors and newer directors with fresh and brilliant ideas taking the audience by storm. However, in hindsight, I feel that no other actor could have pulled off the role as convincingly as Mohanlal did. The man is simply amazing. Those of you who have seen him only in Company, haven’t even seen a fraction of his range as an actor. He surrenders to the character of Georgekutty. You feel his lust as he watches the video of ‘Aashik Banaya Apne’ song on cable. You feel his irritation as his family spends his hard earned money. You feel his desperation and his tension as he tries to save his family. The man once again proves that he doesn’t need a six pack to deliver hits.

I have always believed that the best cinema in India comes from Kerala followed by Tamil Nadu. And it is a pity that such brilliant stories and actors are bound by geographical and linguistic barriers. It is a pity that the major part of the country has never heard of Mohanlal, Mammootty, Thilakan, Murli, Prithviraj, Fahadh Fasil, Indrajeet and many more. And it is sadder that the rest of the world has not been introduced to the cinematic brilliance of Malayalam cinema. 

Perhaps I can do my bit to promote Malayalam cinema. Perhaps this post was a start. Perhaps I can convince my non- Mallu friends to maybe watch Drishyam for a change. I will translate the movie for free. Just try it out once before Jai Ho wipes it out of theaters as well as your memory. This is the poster by the way.

*Mumbai Police: This cop movie starring Prithviraj will surely knock your socks off with its bold and unconventional theme. Watch Prithviraj attempt something never done by an actor on screen before. Ah, the pleasure of watching brilliant cinema!

The Crush - Part 2

Vivek did not need an alarm to wake him up on Monday. In fact he hadn’t slept a wink. He twisted and turned on the bed; heaving a massive sigh of relief as the alarm rang at 5 in the morning. 

He rushed to his class. As he entered the classroom his eyes darted towards Priya’s seat. There she sat, looking angelic as always. She was staring out of the window; perhaps unaware of his arrival. She seemed lost, like when he had seen her for the first time. He went up to her.

“Hi.” He said.

Priya looked at him. For the first time Vivek saw for him, a hint of repulsion in her eyes. Then suddenly she smiled. She got up from her seat and walked away from him, towards Manish – the new kid who had recently joined school. Priya’s attitude changed as she interacted with Manish. She smiled widely and chatted animatedly as neither of them noticed or acknowledged his presence. With each passing second, Vivek’s heart sank deeper into an abyss of disappointment and dejection. Somehow he knew that things were never going to be the same again. Priya never spoke to him again.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. The feeling of rejection was bearable. It was her cold avoidance which made deeper hurts on his ego. His grades took a severe beating as he failed in 3 subjects in the first internal exams; the first time he had failed. To everyone around he was a failure, a loser. To his parents he had fallen into bad company. He felt miserable. Only he knew the pain that would choke him every time. Only he knew the feeling of being ignored by the person he loved the most. Only he knew the agony of not being able to sleep inspite of being perpetually exhausted. But he had to get over it. He had a future at stake. He would win back his parents’ trust. With renewed zest Vivek entered 2001 with a determination of doing well for himself.

On that Friday morning the alarm clock did not beep as usual. Vivek had slept peacefully after a long time. He felt thirsty but couldn’t gather himself to wake up. He could stay thirsty for some time more. But the daily routine in his house had begun as usual. He could hear his parents’ voices. He could hear MS Subbulakshmi’s morning prayers emanating from dad’s room. He could hear mom working furiously in the kitchen and talking loudly to the maid. It was annoying. All he wanted was to sleep. It took him a while to realize that his mom was  screaming at him. The noise from the kitchen had been that of vessels crashing on the floor. His bed shook violently. ‘Violent’ was perhaps an understatement as his mother tried desperately to wake him up. Instinct made him bolt out of the room as his mother grabbed his arm and rushed out of the house. Everything around him happened at a ferocious speed. Walls collapsed and people screamed as he tried to get out of the house. And then without warning, just like it had started, the tremors stopped. 

It took him a while to realize the gravity of the situation. Chaos and panic surrounded him. Cries and shouts reverberated in his ears. He looked around. Mom and dad were safe. “Priya” he suddenly exclaimed. What if she was in the school?

The next moment he was on his bicycle and speeding towards school. He didn’t know why but he was certain that his school wouldn’t be able to withstand the quake and that Priya was trapped beneath the rubble. He reached the gates of the school. He let out a mighty sigh as the school stood safe. Yet he needed to be sure. 

"Another quake is on the way" he had heard someone yell on the way. He rushed towards his classroom. It was on the ^4th floor but he covered the distance in record time. He met Dikshit on the way who scowled at him.

“Late as usual. No need to enter my classes henceforth” she muttered.

“What? Don’t you know? Mam, there has been an earthquake? It isn’t safe. We need to get out of here.” He screamed in panic.

“You need to get out of here. Are you trying to be over-smart? Tell me then, who discovered the nucleus?” Dikshit said without batting an eyelid.

“What? What is wrong with you? Why would I joke about this? I am telling the truth. Get out of my way.” And he ran inside the classroom.

As had been his practice his eyes darted towards where Priya sat. There she sat as usual, staring out of the window. She was safe. He could hug her there and then. He walked towards her; his breathing heavy.

“Priya?” he called her in vain as she continued to stare out of the window.

“Please talk to me Priya. I am sorry for what I did. But I can’t lose you. Please look at me once. Please.”

His pleading had effect as slowly Priya turned her head towards him. And for the first time in months she had a smile on her face. He turned around to see if Manish was the recipient. It wasn't. A huge sigh of relief escaped him.

“Thank God you are alright. I was…so worried.” said Vivek as tears welled up in his eyes. Priya kept smiling.

“Don’t worry Vivi. I am perfectly fine. And I loved your gift. Will tell you all about it on the phone. Chalo, I got to go. Bye.” 

Vivek stood there rooted to his spot as Priya walked away. He couldn’t believe his ears. Priya had finally spoken to him. She had forgiven him. And once again, Vivek broke down into tears. He sat down on the bench as he cried like a child. Only this time he was relieved, and happy. His body shook a couple of times as tears flowed freely. His angst, his feelings and his emotions finally had a vent.

***

“There, he twitched again. Something is wrong with my son.” cried Vivek’s mother.

“Mrs. Iyer please have faith in me. Your son is responding well to the treatment. The twitching is just some sort of reflex action. He will be fine” said the doctor.

Mr.Iyer hugged his wife tightly as she cried looking at Vivek’s comatose body. It had been 2 months since the quake. While they had escaped with couple of fractures and bruises, their house was reduced to rubbles. Vivek was caught under a wall that had collapsed as he rushed out during the quake. 13 hours he remained underneath the rubble before rescue arrived. He survived. The doctors however were unsure as to when he would gain consciousness.

***

Vivek lay unconscious, unaware of his predicament. He was happy though. She had forgiven him. Now he could sleep peacefully. For as long as he wanted.

THE END