SHE : Ekla Cholo Re - Book Review #3

Before I begin, I would like to thank Mr Santhosh for asking me to review his book and for sending a signed copy of the same. A correction, its not a novel, but rather a short story.Spanning just 50 pages it can be finished within an hour or so.

Mr. Santhosh is an alumnus from IISC Bangalore. I haven't had the opportunity to read any of his previous works. In his latest book titled SHE, the author tries to bring to light a topic that has been shunned and/or considered taboo especially, in the context of our Indian Society. The story revolves around a transgender, who narrates his/her life story. The protagonist was born a 'he'. But he was more inclined towards the feminine side. His struggles while growing up and the challenges that he faced from all angles of life make up the main content of the book. Social norms are what often dictates and draws the line when it comes to notions of right and wrong. And social norms in turn are born from one simple rule - majority is always right. The dogmas by which our civilized society operates on a daily bases when torn apart for a closer look seems mostly fragile and shaky. 

Hats off to Santhosh for writing a book on such a controversial topic. Coming to a review of the book, there's not much to comment on. The story is solid, engaging and well written. The downside is that it is too short and before you know it, you are at the last page. The editing is a bit off, here and there, could have been improved. This could be overlooked given the fact that the book was written as more of a social message. The characters are likeable and do not stand out, rather they blend in seamlessly into it. Definitely this book is something more than the bullshit  romantic novels being churned out by the Great Indian Romance Mill. I would have loved to see a full length novel emerge from this.

P.S. - Loved the ending!!

My verdict-

Kanyakumari - Part I

The 2nd and 3rd of October 2014 were holidays for Infosys. And for a long long time, everyone has been looking forward to these two days because of the simple fact that it was a Thursday and a Friday. Couple that up with the normal weekend and you are left with 4 consecutive days to do whatever the hell you want. Erase from your mind that damn cubicle, those TL's, the ever annoying PM and the stupid formalities that you have to adhere to, even if its just to ask someone 'Hey, can I do this instead of that?'. Thank god they haven't laid down ground rules and policies for farting. 

Driven nuts by various reasons, which I am not at liberty to discuss here, I decided to go on a trip. The only place close enough so that I can be back home the next day was Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin. Travelling along with me was my close friend Bichu and his brother Kichu. On the 2nd of October we took the 9:10 train (a MEMU) from Kollam To Kanyakumari.

The train was almost empty as we left Kollam Junction and after three or four stops it was gradually getting filled. It stopped at every station between here and Kanyakumari. After an hour or so, we started feeling down. We were looking at our watches, staring at people and just gazing outside the window. It was also the day when our PM had started the 'Swacch Bharath' initiative. All the railway stations were teeming with volunteers. Its kind of sad that we always need to put a label on things to give it more of an importance. Only when there is a name and some publicity attached to these things do we get into the groove of it. We had started wishing for the train to somehow reach our destination. The heat was also becoming a bit of a bother when it was noon. After Trivandrum Central Station, the views were all new to me. Half an hour later we passed into Tamil Nadu, the station names printed in Tamil confirmed this. After another grueling hour or so, we started seeing mountains on either side of the horizon.

We were nearing Nagercoil, which meant that we were getting close.  On stopping at Nagercoil Town I was disappointed to see such a small station. But I was proved wrong when the train halted at the next station, the real Nagercoil. The place looked really good. Maybe next time I'll come here.

After some more time, and a couple more stations we halted at the Cape. Not a very busy station from the looks of it. Could be because the majority who come here are tourists. Besides it was almost 2 in the afternoon. Anyway we needed to find accommodation for the night. So we just walked into the station building and  asked the first auto-rickashaw guy we saw, to take us to a lodge/inn. He was more than happy to help. And the only condition that we put-forth was that it should be as close to the town as possible. This way we could walk around the town and always make it back to our room. Had a short chat with the guy along the way. It turns out that his name is Michael, and it was no surprise that he could speak as well as understand Malayalam. After all, we were only just a couple of hours away from Trivandrum. There was this sloping path which went up from the main town center and on both sides of this path there were many lodgings. He first took us to a place run by some christian priests. But it was already at full capacity. And then it was another hotel, but the guy there tried to swindle us. Then finally as were coming downhill, there was a hotel where we didn't stop because Michael said that it was full. I just asked him to stop and said that I'll enquire anyway. By some weird stroke of luck it turned out that there was a party checking out and we grabbed the room right away, The guy there charged us Rs. 750 per day. It was a pretty good deal, and we were also not in a position to  bargain. And we gave  Rs.50 to Mr.Michael for his 'services'. This unprecedented rush was due to the long weekend and you could say that the town of Kanyakumari was at it maximum capacity.

Let me quickly describe the room. There were two beds, an attached bathroom and a washbasin. Sliding windows will sun-film coating were present on either two opposite walls and a ceiling fan were the air-conditioners present. A table and a chair were the only piece of furniture that I could notice. There was a TV which mostly had Tamil Channels and one or two Malayalam ones. After checking in we immediately went to have lunch. By then it was almost 2 pm. We found a decent looking place and ordered lunch for Bichu and myself and dosa for his brother. Afterwards we walked towards what seemed like the heart of the town. To be honest there were no plans in place. We just walked.

The first place that we went to was the most rated and touted as the number one to do thing in Kanyakumari - Vivekananda Rock Memorial. We didn;t have any difficulty finding the place, because the queue to the ferry service that takes you there was winding along through the streets. It was almost evening, around 3 pm and after a close look at how the queue was progressing and at the length of it, (which was increasing even while we were contemplating what to do) we decided that it was not gonna happen today. The main reason was that there was no guarantee that we were going to get that ferry, even if we stood in that queue for a full hour or so, because the ferry operated only till 4 in the evening. So there was a  good chance that we might end up wasting a full hour doing nothing but moving in queue.

Instead we decided to explore the beach. We walked towards the temple which was clearly visible from where we stood and went through it to the other side which opened into the beach. There was a multitude  there just loitering here and there, not really sure of what to see and do. I was expecting a huge beach with lots of sand, a place to sit down and stare at the sea. Always expect the unexpected, this is what I got instead. Rocks, rocks and very little 'beach'. Accustomed to the unending stretches of beaches in Kollam and Thirumullavaram this really disappointed me. However the view of Vivekanda Rock Memorial and Thiruvallavur Statue is quite imposing. Very close to the beach there's a Gandhi Memorial. Gandhi had visited Kanyakumari in 1925 and 1937. After his death in 1948, his ashes were brought here and kept for public to pay their respects. The memorial now stands where the ashes were kept before it was immersed into the sea. The memorial was completed in 1956. Entry is free, though you need to keep your footwear outside and that 2 rupees (Ha!!)

Pic taken from Wikipedia

The monument looks like this. The architecture seems to be inspired from the sun temple at Konark. It is designed in such a way that on 2nd October, the rays of the sun, through a hole in the roof fall exactly on the place where the urn was kept.( I didnt know this neat piece of fact when I visited the place, that too on the exact same date. If only I'd known this earlier, I could have clicked some photographs)

We went inside the monument....




To be continued in Part II.

False sympathies and delusions of compassion.

So the other day I was on my way to the office. Took a bus to the railway station. In the sweltering heat and the constant humidity that has been plaguing us for the past few months, I was trying to find some relief by taking in the sights and sounds through the open window of the bus. Waiting at a signal at the town center, my eyes fell on the road side vendors. With their makeshift stalls, propped up wooden sheets over plastic crates, trying to make a living selling clothes, footwear and various other items. The take up half of the footpath with their items and if you think about it, yes its a nuisance.

I've had this habit of 'observing' people in their daily interactions. There was a shopkeeper engaged in a conversation with an old woman who had in her hands a  pair of sandals. From the body language of the shopkeeper I could sense that he was adamant and that he's not going to budge on the price. From afar, on the opposite lane, sitting on a bus, I, comprehended the scene unfolding in front of me as I would a silent movie. The woman was passionately trying to get a bargain, the guy not to give one. People are passing by them, none of them paying them any mind, everyone busy with their own lives (Oh, no I'm not blaming them). I thought about the seller. My main query was how he's gonna close shop at the end of the day? The second was how he was surviving out there in the heat. The third was how much he was earning a day. What was he going to get if he makes that sale? How many people might be dependent on him? There was some weird sense of altruism taking over my mind. I looked at the other shopkeepers,  "they are all trying to make a living" - a voice inside me said. The signal turned green, with a grunt, the engine roared and the bus lurched forward. And just like that the scene was gone, the shopkeeper, the bargaining lady and the people passing by them. I tore my eyes away from the road and to the inside of the bus......

Higginbothams at Quilon station (Pic courtesy - http://www.pksands.com)

On reaching the railway station, I looked at the white board where the trains were written. Train No 16649 Parashuram Express was late by 45 minutes. Its no big deal, nothing to be surprised about. Be happy that its late by only 45 minutes. As I walked out onto the platform, I saw an a friend of mine,on his way to Bangalore, taking a few days off, he said. After exchanging pleasantries we bid each other farewell. My train was to arrive on platform 1. Did you know that platform 1 of Quilon Junction is the second longest platform in India at - 1180.5 meters (First place goes to Gorakhpur - 1366 meters). Waiting for the train can be a real pain. And I am not every good with this whole waiting thing. I started walking around, just to kill time. A group of porters were taking a break, sitting on top of the cargo that they were carrying. There were a lot o f shops selling snacks and drinks. The benches were all full, there was a television, pouring out some nonsensical crappy advertisement about some jeweler. Everyone looks tired and half head, must be because of the heat, I thought to myself. On platform 2 separated by two tracks is the iconic Higgin Bothams store. It sticks out like something that doesn't belong there. An old relic of a bygone era. Who knows how long before it vanishes? 

To the other side of platform one is the shorter platform 1A, where trains towards Punalur start their trip. Looking along the platform, i saw a patch of white moving over the tracks at a distance. I knew it was a dog. I took another look and confirmed that it was a puppy and walked towards it. There were no trains in 1A and there weren't many passengers either. So the platform was almost empty, save for a few people standing here and there. Standing on the platform I looked down at the creature below. I was looking down on him. His fur was white, but it had mud and dirt all over. Part of his face was discolored, mostly from some skin infection. Could hardly be 3 or 4 months old, frail and weak. I could clearly see his ribs and thin limbs. The hollow eyes were crying - 'HUNGER!'. Walking all over the tracks smelling here and there for something to fill his tummy. Trying to get something before the end of the day. He was accompanied by two crows as well. It was a sad sight and I asked to myself - "Should I?" And i heard that all familiar voice replying - "Do it!". Walked over to the nearest shop and looked for the smallest packet of biscuit. The smallest they had was Goodday for 10 rupees.The guy at the counter was counting coins. Apparently someone had brought him coins. So there he was counting, 50, 55,....60,...and I stood there waiting for him to finish. All this time, I was looking at tracks making sure the puppy was there. But I couldn't see him. On reaching 100 he took out a Rs.100 note and gave it to the person who brought the coins. He handed me the biscuit and I paid him. Took the biscuit and walked over to the place where I last saw him.Alas! From the platform's edge I saw the dog walking away, feebly, I was a tad late. I stood there, with the food in my hand, not quite sure what to do. Can I call him? Will he come over here again? I can't jump down and go after him, nope. The sad white ball of fur, skin and bones walked away ever so surely, step by step away from me. Over the tracks and beyond the MEMU shed, until finally, he disappeared behind the buildings. The biscuit was still in my hand, in a swift and deft motion I pocketed it. The voice that urged me to do it was silent.

The train came in another 30 minutes or so. I got a seat and started reading. At the next stop a guy walked into the compartment with a bag full of peanut candies. From my seat, I could see that there was definitely something wrong with him. It was due to the way he was looking at people. As he came closer I saw that he was blind. The guy was begging people to help him. A compartment has 108 seats in total all of it was occupied and some 10 passengers were standing. From among them just 2 people bought the candies. It was priced at 20 rupees per packet. Those who were kind enough to buy from him, gave him the money and took a piece each. He might be able to tell apart the currencies by touch. As he came near me, the voice was back - "Buy" it whispered inside my head. I closed my book, the blind man was near my seat and almost passed me by. I caught hold of his hand, stopped him and said 

'I want one'. 

'Twenty Rupees' - he said. I took two ten rupee notes and handed it to him,

'Take one sir'- saying this, he held out in his handful of sweets. I saw that he had peanut as well as sesame sweets. I took the peanut one and put in inside my bag. Somehow I felt good. The voice was whispering  - "Well done!".

I got back to reading and soon enough, there came an old lady begging for alms. Someone up there is trying to mess with me today. I guess God is having some fun. She came to my seat and stretched out her hand in front of me. I kept my head down at the book, pretending to read. I didn't look at her not acknowledge her. The voice inside began - 

"Give her someth--".

"Shut the hell up!! I've had enough of you for one day!". I silenced him for good.

The beggar went on forward. I started reading with a clear mind. I didn't think about her, nor was I sad for her pitiful condition. I guess I've had enough for the day. How convenient huh? 

I continued reading till I reached Kazhakuttom.