February 2012
Happy Beginnings Happy Endings
Spark Word.World.Wisdom
05 February 2012 Dear Reader, We welcome our third year of publishing with a positive theme, full of hope and fun! Yes, the theme this month is ‘Happy Beginnings , Happy Endings’ , and we at Spark, have tried to convey the very essence of this concept through enjoyable fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art and photography! Adding to the fun and optimism, are wonderful interviews with four very inspiring and more importantly, really young entrepreneurs. We are proud to present our conversations with Rakesh Raghunathan, Director of PetaWrap, a Chennai-based Kiosk chain serving delicious wraps, with Keerthi Kiran, another young entrepreneur, Co-founder of Grassroutes, a fellowship program that excellently combines travel and social change, and last but not the least, with Kamakshi Khurana and Vishala Khurana—the sisters who run The Sound Space—an organisation that provides therapy through sound. We earnestly hope you enjoy this issue. We look forward to hearing your comments at feedback@sparkthemagazine.com or at our website. If you aren’t following us on Facebook or Twitter yet, join us soon there! We promise lot of relevant updates! We’ll see you again next month with another interesting theme! - Spark Editorial Team
SPARK—FEBRUARY 2012 TEAM CONTRIBUTORS Anjana Prabhu Anupama Krishnakumar Gauri Trivedi Parth Pandya Priya Mahadevan Vani Viswanathan Yayaati Joshi VOICES OF THE MONTH Keerthi Kiran Kamakshi Khurana & Vishala Khurana Rakesh Raghunathan CONCEPT, EDITING & DESIGN Anupama Krishnakumar Vani Viswanathan
Spark—February 2012 Issue : Happy Beginnings, Happy Endings The Long Prelude—Non-fiction by Parth Pandya It’s a Wonderful Life!—Poetry by Gauri Trivedi Marching with Pride, with Hope—Photo Feature by Vani Viswanathan PetaWrapping All the Way!—An Interview with Rakesh Raghunathan, PetaWrap The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings—Photography by Anjana Prabhu A Tale of Two Hearts—Fiction by Anupama Krishnakumar Charting Inspiring Routes to Betterment—An Interview with Keerthi Kiran, Grassroutes Ooh Mon Diu! —Poetry by Priya Mahadevan Dollars and Gadgets—I Have Won it All!—Non-fiction by Yayaati Joshi The Healing Touch of Music—An Interview with Kamakshi Khurana and Vishala Khurana, The Sound Space Absurdity, Unnaturalness, Incompleteness and Murakami—Non-fiction by Vani Viswanathan A Writer’s Journey Begins—Sketch by Anupama Krishnakumar
The Long Prelude
Pregnancy is an interesting journey for parents-to-be, an amalgamation of so many incidents, emotions and feelings. It’s something that spawns an entire range of new beginnings and is a phase that ends happily with the arrival of the new-born. With a child, life is never the same again and a brand new journey begins. Parth Pandya captures the happy beginnings and happy endings of this phase in an interesting piece. family – congratulatory wishes pour in. In one fell swoop, everyone gets a promotion – grandparents, great grandparents, uncles, aunts all feel an indescribable sense of joy. However, if this isn’t the first child, nothing beats the promotion that the elder sibling is going to get.
You plow through the months. New medical terms that sound completely alien are thrown at you. You patronize the coffee shop close to the Obstetrician/Gynecologist’s office with amazing regularity. You question your luck when things are not going well. You question your luck when things are going well. You break the news to your friends and
babymoon, the last vacation one typically gets before a car seat becomes a constant accompaniment. There’s the baby shower, a modern take on an age-old tradition of feting the mother to be.
If you are outside India and aren’t the kind who want to cling to the suspense right till the end, you’ll know whether it is going to be a girl or a boy. That allows for a few months of searching for good names on the Internet. Yes, the Internet has more resources than one can handle when it comes to naming babies. As is the norm, the modThrough the various trips to the doctor, you real- ern day parent leans towards the more exotic ise that there’s a small lifetime spent before a life- names. So Rehaan is in, but Rahul is not. Vihaan time in the world begins. The parents-to-be, espe- makes the cut, but Vinay does not. An entire gencially the first time entrants into this club, experi- eration of kids will be brought up with fairly comence a gamut of emotions along the way – there’s plex and regularly repeated names. I can see how the anxiety of expectation (or surprise as some a Sachin or a Ram will be the odd one out in a parents have reported), the ecstasy of confirmagroup in a couple of decades. tion, the nervous excitement of the voyage ahead, It is remarkable how events in the pregnancy are the bonding over a rapidly emerging future and all named after the baby even though they are the subconscious preparation for a new job. purely focused on the parents. There’s the
by Parth Pandya
NON-FICTION
“Congratulations. It is a boy,” said the ultrasound technician to us, as we strained our eyes at the screen, wondering where the source of the excitement was. Trying to decipher what an ultrasound looks like is like trying to read a James Joyce novel hand written by a doctor with bad handwriting. Black and white images bob up and down the screen and you see whatever the technician wants you to see. Nonetheless, it all came together – the little feet, the spinal cord, the tiny hands.., the pumping of that little heart - furiously going at close to 150 beats per minute stood out as a gentle reminder of a resolute life in the making.
ness of the most comely mothers-to-be. Doctors come and supervise, nurses come and empathise, the grandmothers-to-be start chanting prayers and the husband moves around clueless, trying to appear in complete control. And then it happens. The action around the room intensifies, nervous tension floats in the air as the baby makes its way through. Bit by bit, that little life you were preparing for in the past few months emerges from the safe confines of his home to a brave new world. A flurry of wiggling limbs precedes a grouchy wail – about the only time the parents will feel happy on hearing it. It is one of those rare gifts one is afforded in life – the chance to watch the miracle of birth. And just like that – it is over. A journey of a lifetime, before a lifetime. The birth certificate has a prosaic way of reporting the event. Names, places, people. It will rarely do justice to the many births that happen with that one arrival, rarely capture the scale of the new beginnings. More importantly, it rarely alerts one to the journey ahead. Nowhere on the certificate amidst the beginnings is there a little section that gently warns the parents of an ending - the end of life as they knew it.
NON-FICTION
As the end of festivities near, you realise that while you anxiously wait for the new arrival, you have barely set the stage for him or her. What about the room, you ask? What about the colours, the clothes, the toys? What about the car seat? Are you really ready? You say this aloud in your many conversations with the new born. Of all cultures, Indians have a leg into this concept of the baby listening in from within the womb. If you are mythologically inclined, you’ll go that extra mile to make sure that you complete talking about whatever it is that you intend to tell your baby and also make sure that your wife does not go to sleep unlike Subhadra who thought it a good idea to take a little nap when Arjun was discussing the ‘Chakravyuh’ with her. And then the time arrives – on time for most, early for others, agonizing late for some, and spot on the appointed time if a planned Caesarean is in your destiny. You find yourself at the hospital with a bag in tow, with an expectation that this won’t really be that long and a realisation that you are in it for the long haul. Parent proposes, baby disposes. You’ll realise in time that this was simply the first instance that your child called the shots and you meekly followed. The time the baby takes to come out may be directly proportional to the loss of genteel-
It’s a Wonderful Life!
We are lucky to have this wonderful life and every second of our time in this earth is precious, says Gauri Trivedi. Read on to find out why she thinks each phase in our lives is a happy beginning and a happy ending in itself. The bottom line, she suggests, is to make every single day count.
Poetry by Gauri Trivedi Author’s note: Count your life in decades, years, months, days or hours; the clock starts ticking the second you are born. Do what you want but your days on this earth are numbered. Scary thought? My intention is not to scare you. It is actually to remind you of how lucky you are to have this wonderful life. At some point in our lives, I am sure most of us would have wondered if our life has been or is wonderful. It has happened to me too, but when I actually sit down and think about it – I feel life has indeed been delightful. So what is it that makes our time on this earth so precious? What is it that makes a life wonderful? Each phase of life has its own joys which are sometimes overlooked. No one stage of life measures better compared to others, there’s happiness at every corner if you can just find it. In a way it is ironical, the day life begins you know it is going to end but in that irony lies the secret of making each day count. You can look back at the very beginning (childhood), jump ahead to when most of the days are gone or pick up from anywhere in between, each phase is a happy beginning and a happy ending in itself. Every day is a new day and I believe it is possible to make a happy start at any point in your life and conclude on the same lines.
Wonderful it is to live a childhood in trust and innocence The days all unruffled and the nights so serene A pure heart and a restless mind, could you hurt a soul even if you wanted to? The older you grow the more you miss those childhood days Will there ever come another time, the one that you left behind?
Cute and naïve is all a thing of the past You are almost as tall as mom and can’t wait to show that off The world hasn’t changed as much, only you see it differently now. The thrill and the passion of a teenage mind; neither fathomed nor explained Appearance and attention become the focus of your existence And friends become the oxygen needed for survival. These are the days of dreamy afternoons and sleepless nights First crushes and stolen kisses. Your heart breaks easily but mends in a day or two You may not know this but your parents dreaded these very years.
A heartache, a lost friend, you have endured it all You are wiser and smarter but still very young Occupation and commitment are no longer just heavy words. Maybe you’ve claimed your seat in the family business Or lived your dream doing art. Maybe you travelled far away to discover the ways of other worlds Or have thrived in familiar surroundings, rooted to the core. Maybe you’ve waited for the right person to come along Or made home with your childhood sweetheart The possibilities are endless and I wonder what comes next Because all you have to do is reach out and grab.
The next few years just whizz by you, faster than anything else It isn’t always that you get a chance to live all over again. Those tiny feet and curious eyes redefine the way things get done You want to be right more than wrong Nothing else seems important enough. It isn’t always rosy the thing that they call parenthood At times it feels like a thankless job You falter, you forgive, and you set them straight The one thing you never do is stop loving them.
A settled existence; you worked for it and have it now. Mostly engaging and mildly boring, that’s the curse of falling into a routine. It is a contrast in itself that middle part of life. Can’t go backwards, don’t want the years to move forward A unique dilemma and not a solution in sight. The zest may not be gone but the killer instinct probably died off. Slowing down is not half as bad, a chance to spot things sometimes overlooked Finally free to indulge on spurs and rejoice in the knowledge of time at hand.
Poetry
This is but a short reminder of the wonderful days you lived Not just passed by or deemed regretful but the ones actually breathed. Beyond this very moment you are powerless to see There may be many more to come or your time may just freeze. Remember you have a rare gift today, ‘a someone’ doesn’t have One more day to cherish and love, waiting for you to live it up.
It’s a Wonderful Life!
Marching with Pride, With Hope A Photo Feature by Vani Viswanathan On January 28, 2012, Mumbai celebrated its fourth Queer Azadi March. Vani Viswanathan attended with her camera in tow and attempted to capture the pride, joy and humanity among a sadly -rejected minority in India.
The Queer Azadi March is a space for the queer population – homosexuals, transgenders, transvestites, hijras, intersex – to come together to mark their stake in the world as rightful citizens deserving of respect and equal rights and opportunities.
pass the opportunity to lug my camera along to capture the myriad emotions on display. But I could not have been prepared for what I eventually saw – and felt – a resounding sense of pride, no matter what one’s identity; solidarity, despite seeing your fellow I have met many homosexuals in my years overseas humans being wronged, and most of all, a large – many of whom became close friends and people I group of people different from the society’s norms respect immensely – and I had always thought they but who showed that they are no different at all – had it easy overseas, for they could flaunt their sexu- they were humans too, they functioned similarly, they too felt love, happiness, despair, like anyone ality openly, at least in the industry I worked and moved in, but I knew the situation in India would be else. After all, when God created them, he didn’t think of adding something different to the mix, did a very different matter. I frankly didn’t know. So I didn’t need much convincing to be part of the fourth he? The following photos will, I hope, demonstrate at least a fraction of the infectious enthusiasm I saw Queer Azadi March in Mumbai. that sunny evening in Mumbai. My first ever time witnessing such a march, I couldn’t
Marching with Pride, With Hope The Pride Flag that swallowed us – we marched in its shade, flaunting its colours, revelling in its meaning: for if a society can’t accept diversity, what will it progress to?
Towards equality, ahoy! The March begins.
The leads of the Pride March – unafraid to flaunt their feelings, sexuality, pride…
A Photo Feature by Vani Viswanathan
Marching with Pride, With Hope
… for if Dumbledore did it, it can’t be wrong, can it?
So we’ll pull you in, even if you didn’t plan on being here, and we’ll make you one of us. [This lady was on her way home with her grocery purchase but got drawn in, and enthusiastically participated!]
So shout with us: ‘I’m gay – it’s OK! I’m lesbian – it’s OK! I’m a hijra – it’s OK!’
A Photo Feature by Vani Viswanathan
Marching with Pride, With Hope
Let your hair down...
Share a hug...
And revel in who you are...
A Photo Feature by Vani Viswanathan
Giving Shape to Dreams They are young, smart, dynamic and extremely passionate about what they do. They dreamt big and began earnestly and are now running successful ventures. Their entrepreneurial efforts are instances of happy beginnings that have had fruitful action as a consequence. Meet entrepreneurs, Rakesh Raghunathan, Keerthi Kiran, Kamakshi Khurana and Vishala Khurana. Rakesh Raghunathan is the Director of PetaWrap, a Chennai-based kiosk chain, whose name is an inspiration from the A.R.Rahman composed song PetaRap (Kaadhalan). PetaWrap serves fresh and healthy grilled wraps out of an auto rickshaw shaped kiosk. Keerthi Kiran, an Electronics & Instrumentation Engineer from BITS, Pilani is the co-founder of Grassroutes, a Fellowship Program which enables outstanding and passionate youth to travel across rural India, discover and work with changemakers, do their bit to change the world and inspire more youth into social action. Kamakshi Khurana and Vishala Khurana, sisters, are also the young Founders of ‘The Sound Space’, an entrepreneurial venture that uses the power of sound in different forms to offer therapeutic treatment to people with different needs. It has been a pleasure talking to these young and spirited people who are driving positive change and not to mention, charting inspiring journeys that have had happy beginnings, resulting in happy endings for common people. We wish them all good luck in what they do! Catch the interviews spread out through the rest of the issue.
Voices of the Month
PetaWrapping All the Way!
An interview with Rakesh Raghunathan, Director, PetaWrap
In an interview to Spark, Rakesh Raghunathan, Director of PetaWrap shares some interesting thoughts on his journey with his entrepreneurial venture, including the inspiration for PetaWrap, the research that goes into it, future plans and some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Anupama Krishnakumar listens in.
Voices of the Month
Interview by Anupama Krishnakumar
Rakesh Raghunathan is the Director of PetaWrap, a Chennai-based kiosk chain, whose name is an inspiration from the A.R.Rahman composed song PetaRap (Kaadhalan). PetaWrap serves fresh and healthy grilled wraps out of an auto rickshaw shaped kiosk. To know more about PetaWrap, visit http:// www.petawrap.com
A food entrepreneur with an interesting product. was born. Tell us how PetaWrap came into being. Why did you decide to go the food way? Why did you specifically choose the kiosk model? Food (be it cooking, creating new recipes) has always What inspired it? been something I have identified with. You blame my I would certainly say the push carts/ hot dog stands mother for being a splendid cook and spoiling me in the U.S. were a source of inspiration for me to with the brilliant food she turns out. even think of a kiosk set-up. The Kiosk model in India, While in NYC (where I worked) I used to enjoy the although present, existed in a very unorganised manMexican burritos and always thought if I started a ner (push carts, hawkers selling stuff). It did not adfood business, I would work on creating a ‘desi’ style here to strict hygiene and health standards. I wanted burrito joint. The move happened and I was back in to create a brand/ product that would be affordable, Madras (prefer calling it that way). While pondering while not compromising on health and hygiene facon whether I should join the workforce or start up, I tors. preferred starting up. While discussing the concept of a healthy and fresh Indian wrap joint, a friend sug- With just 25 sq ft of space, manned by one person, the kiosk model is very cost-effective and is very gested the name PetaWrap (a pun on the song PetaRAP from the movie Kaadhalan). Thus, PetaWrap quick to scale up too.
Interview with Rakesh Raghunathan Was there any particular reason why you chose to start off in Chennai (or as the true-Chennai lovers would like to call it, Madras!) apart from the fact that you belong to the place? Madras is home to me and it was easy for me to launch it here. It also happens to be an unexploited market with great potential. Very cash rich too. Besides, I found the idea of building something that would take the Chennaiite beyond his usual conservative food choices, challenging.
You have worked with other firms before you launched PetaWrap. How was your earlier work experience useful in the setting up of PetaWrap? I worked with HP (Hewlett Packard) in Chennai. What I learnt from there is how to put processes in place. I learnt the importance of recording every bit of day-to -day work and putting systems in place to monitor it (not necessarily technology, but even a simple excel sheet print out to record processes). I got my green belt certification / Six Sigma from them. When I think about new processes or products, I certainly think about the turn-around time to create that particular process or product.
materials, labour, fuel etc. But we are unable to increase rates and pass it on to the customers.
What's the sort of research that goes into PetaWrap? Particularly the fills? They are all shelf life tested. No product has any form of preservatives and/or added colours. We assure our products are fresh and healthy. When we refer to ‘healthy’, we don’t mean the “calorie-conscious” healthy. What we mean is zero preservatives and no added fats, only lean meat used etc. This is truly where the Indian market is heading.
What's your personal favourite among PetaWrap's offerings? What's the mass favourite? I love the new menu we have come up with. The Corny Cheesy Wrap is my new found love. The mass favourite is the Fiery Hot Paneer Wrap and the Bhuna Chicken wrap which are simply PetaWrappic! ;)
What's that one compliment about PetaWrap that made you smile really wide and one feedback that made you sit up and think - oh yes, I should work on this?
What is it about your business that keeps you on When I go to a kiosk without wearing my PetaWrap T your toes? Have there been any specific challenges? -shirt and overhear people biting into the wraps and How did/do you tackle them? going “Mmmmm”, my day is made. After a hard day’s work the sound of that is what keeps us going. Labour issues haunt me. Gone are the days where you find loyal people. This is a kiosk model managed by just one person. There have been days/ times when some kiosk employees don’t show up after their pay check. I would sometimes be greeted with the sight of a shut kiosk on my way home! Not a pleasant sight! Inflation is yet another issue that worries us. Our margins dwindle due to increases in prices of raw
We have had issues in the past where our supplies made wouldn’t last enough for the entire day. We have got complaints and even lost out on sales. But we have made significant efforts to improve our supply chain model. When I take my friends to the outlets, I pray that all the items they want should be available.
PetaWrapping All the Way! Will we get to see Petawrap in other cities too in the Narrowing it down to three things is challenging confuture? Would the kiosks be auto rickshaws in these sidering everyday is a new beginning. places too? :) I can say, let not the comfort of getting a paycheck Yes. PetaWrap is scaling up. We are looking to exevery month, dissuade you from starting up. Starting pand in Tier 2 cities. And yes, auto rickshaw all the up is hard and involves a lot of courage, but is exway!! tremely satisfying.
Are you thinking of expanding the menu going forward? In what ways? The Food industry is growing, so are the consumers’ taste buds. They are becoming a lot more experimental, and I have seen this transition even in the last two years, since the time I started. We will soon be launching international flavours.
You are a young entrepreneur yourself. What are three very important things that you would like to tell from your experience, to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Look out for mentoring sessions offered by networks and organisations that are looking to enable entrepreneurs. The NEN and Tie are certain examples. They provide a platform to discuss your startup idea with industry experts, and give you the much-needed sense of where you’re going. Focus Focus Focus – You are answerable to yourself as you do not have a boss to report to. I have had the ‘Monday morning blues’ of a different kind, often because I wouldn’t know where to start with no rigid schedule and plan in place. But yes, you learn to motivate yourself and work through it. PetaWrap on Facebook
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The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings Photography and Poetry by Anjana Prabhu
Like the beginning of that tread, To a distant unknown path, Which paved the way for that dream, Where my life and smiles reside.
Photography and Poetry by Anjana Prabhu
The journey of thousand laughs, Begins with a toothless smile, This alone can disarm, The cruelest of a man alive.
The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings
Photography and Poetry by Anjana Prabhu
The clouds bathed me on that dawn, Infusing me with pure bliss, Letting the fragrance melt with me, To shower the day with colours.
The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings
Photography and Poetry by Anjana Prabhu
The other side I see, With clouds full of glee, Waiting for the time to come, To come back home to happiness.
The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings
Photography and Poetry by Anjana Prabhu
Suspended in time, On the tip of life, The pregnant drops stirred away, To bless the earth with greens.
The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings
Photography and Poetry by Anjana Prabhu
In this circle of yes and nos, In this tale of love and loss, Like churning smiles and laughs, Out of the ocean of life.
The Many Hues of Happy Beginnings
A Tale of Two Hearts
Fiction by Anupama Krishnakumar
A Tale of Two Hearts It’s February – the month when “Romance” is the word in the air. Here’s a typical Romance @ Work story. Gautam is head over heels in love with Radhika who although within her heart, reciprocates the same, is not ready to admit it as yet. But it all ends well. There’s a happy ending and a happy beginning waiting to be unwrapped in this tale of two hearts written by Anupama Krishnakumar.
If I tell Dad about her, I imagine he would rub his beard and scratch his chin and remain thoughtful.
The first time I had seen her, Radhika was leaning against the slab on which the espresso coffee maIf I tell Mom about her, I visualise her smiling from chine is hoisted, next to the ‘Deep Ocean’ conference room. She was drumming the paper cup in her ear to ear. She would want a photograph immediately and would die to invite her over for lunch the hand with her lovely, long fingers, all beautifully ringed. She was engaged intently in conversation next day. with Ruchi, the HR manager. I hadn’t wanted to If I tell Sister about her, well, she would first want to waste even a moment following that. “Would it know her name. seem shameless to barge into a meeting informal And I would tell her, Radhika. The beautiful name of though it was, where I would be found unnecessary?” I had thought– but love had sent logic packan equally beautiful woman. ing into oblivion and the heart effortlessly stormed When I saw Radhika for the first time, I froze, quite ahead of the mind. And I was prepared to take all like ice. Or put more warmly, I was paralysed with the chance, even if it meant I would land up looking unequivocal love, love at first sight. It was a rather like a preposterous idiot. cinematic moment, something I had least expected to encounter in my ‘normal’ life. She was the wom- So, when I casually excused myself to pick up coffee, an who made me turn my head. She looked smart in casually said hello to Ruchi and casually asked the a very traditional sort of way, dressed in a beautiful new lady whose name I didn’t know right then, ‘I am sorry, have we met before?’, her voice, deep and cotton saree (she continues to enthrall me with more of those and a mind-blowing collection of Fa- serene, the first few of her uttered words, so wellspaced, that ricocheted off my ears, left me dumbbIndia Kurtas), with kohl-lined large eyes, dusky struck; Radhika, the senior programmer, had introcomplexion, arched eyebrows, matching it all up duced herself. with a stunning diamond nose ring, and terracotta jewellery. And like the men would say of women Love is magical, people. And I don’t care if you raise they usually eye (and like I, well, have never said, your finger (hopefully not the middle one – I would but yes, once in a while do think), I realised she had rather like to hope that you are just wagging your the perfect figure. forefinger) or scorn at me or start saying, ‘look, here
Fiction by Anupama Krishnakumar
A Tale of Two Hearts goes another one’. Come on! Have you ever fallen in love? Dreamt of holding her hand and walking into a beautiful sunset? Imagined marrying her, bringing a hand over her shoulder and introducing proudly to everyone as ‘my wife’? Looked forward to having a boy and a girl? Pictured yourself teasing her in your 50s and continuing to have petty fights? No, these are not stuff just movies and mushy books are made of. I mean I really pity you if you dream of these with every other hot-looking woman. What I really mean is this: when you do meet the right person, your heart cracks up, chuckles and radiates warmth. It spurs your imagination, fills you with a passionate desire. No, don’t think I am one of those saintly heroes professing love of a divine nature. I do believe that eyes are the windows to the heart. So, my love began, so to speak, when I saw Radhika. It set off the spark to know her more. And that’s how I believe my love for her has grown. I was really intrigued – curious to know what lay beneath the woman who had indeed turned my head for the first time ever in my life. Thus began a journey of discovery, encouraged by providence that provided the right moments and opportunities to learn that I had indeed been lucky – that my love of first sight had all the reasons to turn into the love of a lifetime. As someone leading the team she is part of, I realised her grit, passion and devotion for her work and during some informal chats over coffee, learnt about her family (she lives with her mom and a pug she calls Toto!) and discovered that she also loved poetry.
splendid yesterday morning and, how I wished I could have looked on without taking my eyes off her. But, with the CEO and the client’s team head in the same room, nothing could have risked my work life more. So, stuffing sense desperately into my head, I had tried to look ahead but heart (and knees) weakening with adoration, I stole one look at her and caught her looking at me intently. She shook her head ever so slightly, gently touching her saree, and as if responding by some program wired within my head, I nodded and gazed at her a moment longer. Oh, what a beautiful instant it was! Last night, I decided I had to talk to her. It’s half past six in the evening now. Today being Friday, the office is pretty much empty. IT folks live life thus, unless they have a neck-wringing deadline looming ahead. If all is chill and well, they set off to celebrate the onset of the weekend. I observe all the action from my cubicle. Radhika is busy winding up for the day, shutting her system down and clearing her desk. I decide now is the time to speak and walk up to her place. “Hey! Would you like a walk up in the terrace? Please. I need to talk and I would need just about ten minutes.” Radhika hesitates. “Please,” I insist, the desperation perhaps blatantly evident. She nods and climbs up the stairs with me to the terrace.
Sometimes, when you are in love, you look for those **** really small signs of possible reciprocation. Yesterday, we had an important presentation to a client and Radhika was making it. Ok, I go all about her dressing sense again – but she had looked especially
A Tale of Two Hearts Up in the terrace, as we had stood watching the setting sun and the many, many vehicles departing, silence and a chilly wind whipped us hard.
“But why not? Why can’t you believe in you and me?”
“I know you are intelligent, charming and absolutely beautiful both outside and within. What more do I need to know, Radhika?”
I watched him walk away as his handsome silhouette gradually disappeared and was replaced by steady, resounding taps of determined feet, slowly receding into footsteps echoing through the narrow pathway. He didn’t turn even once.
“Because, I think there’s no such thing as love. It’s all Gautam spoke first. And it was a question. meaningless attraction that wanes unbearably after marriage and the heart hardens – the pain is excruci“Radhika, will you marry me?” ating, I know it, Gautam. So much so that the heart I stood in shocked silence. The silence came with the only longs to burst and die. Farce, that’s all it is.” realisation that a rehearsed response to an occurGautam sighed and after a brief silence said, “But, rence that was expected and thought upon in the my eyes don’t lie, Radhika. Neither do yours.” realm of imagination, doesn’t tumble out as imagined, when the imagined instance occurred in reality. Without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking. “Gautam, what do you know about me?”
“You need to know, Gautam. You need to know that there’s still something you do not know about me.” “And what is that?” “I was married and am now divorced – a victim of a broken marriage. And it hasn’t healed yet.” Gautam turned around, shocked. “Yes, a marriage that lasted barely a few months. And before I even realised, it was all over. “ For some reason that I am not able to fathom, I spoke about who the man of my past was and what had happened. Gautam listened. I realised that the revelation was barely a ripple in a seamless ocean. It hadn’t caused a stir. Gautam looked serious but his voice was soft. “But life doesn’t end with a broken marriage, Radhika. The journey has to go on. Why don’t you think we can put a contented end to an event that gave your life nothing wholesome and believe that you can make a happy new beginning with me?” “I can’t, Gautam.”
So much had been discussed in the space of a twenty -minute conversation. A decision for a lifetime had been talked about, argued and left hanging in the air. I stayed on in the terrace for a while and left after I saw Gautam’s car leaving the premises. Tonight, it’s particularly cold, unusually so, for, the last few days have been suitably, if not exceptionally, warm. I look out from my bed into the balcony – my two little roses that bloomed yesterday dance to the wind, bathing in soothing moonlight. I sit on my bed and I feel like a child today. I want to hug my knees and think of the days when I had nothing to worry about.
A Tale of Two Hearts Try how much ever, my mind, in strange circles, goes back again and again to what Gautam had said in the evening. Over the last six months ever since I moved into my new job, my imagination has been whirling around, like a raging storm smashing windows, pulling down curtains and turning the house into an irreparable wreck. But I have been clever. This imagination hasn’t had a chance to have any of its ways with me. I have stubbornly chased away her wild children that she sent to play games with my mind. But now, this night, two years since my marriage with Nitin fell apart, for the first time, I want to dream. I want to let myself loose and drift away like a feather led through a path pre-destined, nonetheless, still unknown to it.
helplessly out of fear – fear of a dreadful past lived together for a few months with a friend of 14 years that shockingly fell apart. Didn’t our parents think we would do so well together? Yet, possessiveness and suspicion venomously ripped the relationship apart. What if Gautam too turned out to be that way? What will I do? That fear really had messed up a conversation that would have probably taken a meaningful turn.
the soft, ash-coloured incense fumes entwined in fragrance, presence and dissipation. There’s something that is exceptionally wonderful about this piece of imagination because I can’t see anyone else in that man’s place other than Gautam. It is a truth I have known from the moment I met him but have evaded
*****
But now, I am determined for many a reason. For one, I intuitively believe that life is sending my way an opportunity – to bid goodbye to a forgettable past and make a new beginning – to put a fine ending to a useless chapter. More importantly, however, it’s that feeling that has crept up unconsciously into me – one I close my eyes and dream of a man on whose shoul- that I am not able to put a finger on. It’s that feeling der I lean. We look into the distance at nothing in that made me seek him out during the client’s particular – perhaps a warm sunset. My fingers are meeting. Why did I seek his attention? Why did his entwined in his and he says something that makes look matter to me? What is this wonderful feeling me laugh softly. He seems to respond with a smile that didn’t sprout inside of me in the last two years? and a soft look in his eyes. And then it gets a little wil- Suddenly, I realise that the feeling didn’t even bloom der because my body stiffens as I imagine that we are when I had decided to marry Nitin.
The clock showed 11 PM and Radhika’s decision was made. She reached for her mobile phone and dialed Gautam’s number. A ring and he picked up.
A Tale of Two Hearts “Radhika,” he called her name, and breathing deeply, we will.” held on. With that conversation, there came a happy ending Radhika stayed silent. to a wait and a happy beginning to a new journey. Something, Radhika and Gautam intuitively felt, as “Radhika, are you alright? Have you been crying?” they lay on their beds watching the sky outside, was Radhika touched her cheeks and realised they were shining bright above, illuminating the way forward, wet. She didn’t even know she was crying. Where did and they both smiled, as they realised that it was this the tears come from? Why did they come? lovely thing called Hope. “Gautam… let’s get married,” was all she could say. Gautam laughed slightly, relieved and happy, “Yes,
VOICES OF THE MONTH
Charting Inspiring Routes to Betterment
Keerthi Kiran, an Electronics & Instrumentation Engineer from BITS, Pilani is the Co-founder of Grassroutes, a Fellowship Program which enables outstanding and passionate youth to travel across rural India, discover and work with changemakers, do their bit to change the world and inspire more youth into social action. To know more about Grassroutes and the work they do, visit http:// www.grassroutes.in
Keerthi Kiran, Co-founder, Grassroutes, speaks to Vani Viswanathan about how Grassroutes began, how the journey has been and how the effort has evolved over the years, among other things. Catch the conversation here.
An interview with Keerthi Kiran, Co-founder, Grassroutes
Charting Inspiring Routes to Betterment Let's start with your beginnings. Mixing travel and social change – what was the inspiration? Could you talk about a trip or two that told you this was the way to go? I guess the inspiration to mix travel and social change came from the lives of the founders of Grassroutes. We realised the impact of moving out of one's comfort zone to a new place when we travelled around Pilani. Coming from cities and towns, the places we saw shaped the way we thought about social change and our roles therein. Also, through different interactions with social entrepreneurs, we also realised the long lasting impact of personal experiences. These were the reasons for choosing experiential learning as a tool to sensitise and help young people discover the changemakers within them. We frequently travelled to a small village near Pilani called Garinda, where one of the founders was leading an effort to resurrect a self-help group. Through the course of development of the selfhelp group, we all learned about the huge gap between the aspirations of the kids in the village and the opportunities available to
them through the existing schools there. We also discovered how little we urban youth with elite education, knew about the ground realities of Indian villages.
I understand you kick-started the organisation barely months after you graduated. How confident were you of getting the necessary support in terms of funding, marketing, mentoring (and biggest of all, sustaining yourselves monetarily after a gruelling four-year program that usually pays graduates buckloads)? We started in our third year of college and in a few months had to shut shop because of a few reasons. That dented our confidence a bit, but not our enthusiasm and energy. So to answer your question, we were very careful and calculated. We immediately
Grassroutes 2011 Fellows. Pic Courtesy : Grassroutes
Interview by Vani Viswanathan
Charting Inspiring Routes to Betterment launched a pilot to improve and develop the idea. All of us were employed when we started running the pilot edition, so we weren't really crunched for money. We bootstrapped and self-funded the first few editions. Our biggest challenge was to coordinate between five people in three countries and five different cities. So Grassroutes took shape over Skype and Sabsebolo conference calls. As the idea grew, things fell in place, and in a year's time I quit my job to run Grassroutes full time.
How do you ensure the solutions that Grassroutes fellows work on are sustainable? We only work on projects that are of value to organisations and that require a month’s effort. Examples of some of the projects would be an impact study of the new seeds that were planted last season by the nonprofit, or designing a new nutritional diet plan for the local mid-day meal scheme, or putting together marketing collateral for the non-profit.
ensure some basic standards of living for its citizens. What are your thoughts on this? I agree and disagree with the statement, as I believe that every system will have its gaps and citizens have to step in to fill those. This is not to undermine the role of the government but every citizen has a great responsibility in improving the state of our nation. The kind of inequity that we are seeing is unhealthy and very dangerous for all the privileged citizens. It is in our best interests to make sure that growth is equitable and all sections have an opportunity to realise their social, cultural and financial aspirations. In achieving this utopian state, individual citizens have a huge role to play, more so, the urban elite. Also, democracy works on the premise of involved citizenship. We can't expect great results by passing the buck to the government on all counts.
As a democracy, India does give a good few options for people at the grassroots to take charge and lead These are of great value to non-profits and are easily their communities to a better way of life (although achieved by urban youth given their exposure and ex- we need to agree they may be tedious). Are any of pertise. We take great care in mapping the skill of the your projects to do with furthering political consciousness among the community members? Whethfellows with the requirement of the organisations. er yes or no, could you discuss your views? Having said that, we are cognizant of the fact that one month is a small time to create sustainable change at No, we do not take up projects dealing with political consciousness. While it is a worthy cause, it requires a the organisations. So, we spend great time with our partners in designing one month projects that will de- more engaged relationship with the community to create positive change on that front. liver high impact for them. On a side note, I believe rural areas have greater participation in political discourse in our country; the bigIt is impressive to see the number of NGOs and start- ger problem is with the urban areas and urban elite. ups such as yours doing great work in the community Mumbai Votes and similar organisations are doing a and raising awareness among the younger generagood job towards driving political consciousness in tion. All the same, the reason these organisations urban areas. had to step in is failure on part of the government to
Interview by Vani Viswanathan
Charting Inspiring Routes to Betterment How has the Grassroutes program evolved since its youth groups to organise a Grassroutes for their own inception? What plans do you have for the upcoming target population. editions? We look at Grassroutes fellowship as a proof of conSince inception, Grassroutes has worked with 64 cept and hope that many other youth groups will be youngsters on 34 projects at 20 different non-profit inspired to run similar programs. We are hoping to organisations. Every year we have seen an increase in make this move over the coming year. the number of applications. While we are very happy with the way Grassroutes has grown, we are nowhere near solving the problem of driving social conscious- Grassroutes on Facebook ness in urban youth. To take a shot at the bigger problem, we are moving towards a model where we will open the resources to student groups, college associations, individuals and
Working together to bring in change. Pic Courtesy : Grassroutes
Interview by Vani Viswanathan
Ooh Mon Diu!
Mural headboards made of cement Mirrored here and there Mud cottages, deep brown by the sea Memories aplenty to share.
A swing adorns each porch In the old Magico Do Mar Mosquito coils all around To keep the pesky bugs afar!
A tree too many, my sister felt All too close to enjoy The divine sunrise that lit the sky That could’ve added to our joy!
A vast beach with a calm ocean To which we took many a jaunt Playing ball bare feet in the sand Making merry mermaid on the beach flaunt.
Encountering broken glass bits Of beer bottles tossed without care Surfacing to cut the unprepared So all visitors to there, beware!
Poetry & Photography by Priya Mahadevan
Priya Mahadevan shares the joyful experiences of visiting Diu with her family for a vacation. Here’s a poem that talks about a trip that was loads of fun from beginning to end. Read on. Photographs by Priya Mahadevan.
Morning chais, dip tea and coffees And many a luncheon choice Quibbles about really blah meals,
Nature has two sides, ‘tis nothing new We have seen them both before Siesta for some, charades for others Raucous merriment, what a chore!
Jokes enjoyed so many times Over years never fail to amuse Guessing songs and musical interludes A few more clues we could use.
Second-generation huddles Invoking Freud, Disney or Alexander Planchette or planned cheat ‘Tis up to the believer!
We had our fun All said and done With an unanticipated visit To an age-old temple in the sun.
A rare gift to see such sight And hear the history of Somnath Many a storm has it seen Withstanding attacks of wrath.
A trip to a sugarcane field Gulping down sugarcane juice Ample jaggery to sample Stomachs full, still hard to refuse.
Poetry & Photography by Priya Mahadevan
Eaten nevertheless with poise.
To Diu we bid fond adieu
With purrs and roars
I think we are a fortunate few
Of lions and cubs
With this verse, I give you your due
Ducking from bramble bushes on course.
You were incredible, ooh Mon Diu!
Frozen solid by the time we were done Escorted then to a tent extravaganza Traditional dancer’s seductive swirling To catchy music after every stanza!
The merriment continued The little one danced alongside too Come time to call it a night, We called upon Hanuman, Barney & Winnie the Pooh!
Happy trotting with ponies Watching the sad parasailing A pink one pulled along the shore by a jeep People in the air, legs and arms flailing.
Banana boat, sharp turns and collisions Limo rides to an outdoor farmhouse luncheon Clean pool, colorful towels, hospitality heightened Did I mention the pool deck munchin’?
Time was nigh to say goodbye To the magic of the sand and sea And to Ammu Bhai, Giri Bhai, our handy helpers We most gratefully thank you three!
With airport rides and queues waiting The frisking, the baggage and the delays Mumbai welcomed with brotherly love Together once more before parting ways.
Poetry & Photography by Priya Mahadevan
Soon, Gir Forest beckoned
Dollars and Gadgets—I Have Won It All! Yayaati Joshi faces the same troubles with his mail box like most of us – spam mails that announce him as a winner of everything from millions of dollars to plethora of enticing gadgets. Initially having been misled smartly into reading them, he has now learnt a bit more than just ignoring such mails. He now knows how to have his share of perverted fun – a happy beginning indeed to addressing spamming troubles! Read on, you are sure to smile away.
by Yayaati Joshi
One of the disadvantages of an online identity on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the blog is that I am spammed with emails in such unmanageable proportions that I wonder if my email was created with the sole purpose of getting bombarded with spam mails. There are so many things that I’ve “won” – electronic gadgets, pearls, hard cash, among others – that if I were to set up a gadget room of my own, it would attract the envy of the richest of men.
now, and would end up wasting some time on the rubbish mails. The subject lines of such mails are often quite catchy: “Important Notice: Do not ignore”, or “Open attachment to collect iPhone”. But the ones that I detest the most are those that appear to be too arrogant (there’s some irony there): “Do not read if you don’t want 5000000 dollars”. That’s what sets my pulse racing. This is some kind of reverse reinforcement, a very smart (but annoying) trick to make you at least read the mail. I can The mails that I get are usually so cleverly worded that it used to be nearly impossible to ignore them. see some very orthodox sales pipeline methodology Now I have a keen understanding of spam mails and used there by first spamming a few ‘leads’ with can figure them by the very subject of the mail. But mails, and then expecting some of them (let’s say there was a time when I was not as well trained as about 5%) to convert to ‘prospects’ and then even-
NON-FICTION
Dollars and Gadgets— I tually of the 5%, some 0.5-1% conversion into actual ‘customers’. What the naïve responders to the mail are not aware of is this: most of these mails that promise free gadgets, or offer millions of pounds of money, are actually scammers. The scammers rely on some antiquated (yet effective) con tricks by which people get suckered into believing them and consequently, even giving them some sensitive data like a bank account number or worse still, a credit card number. But that’s the alarming part of the situation. There’s some fun to it too, especially when you play their conniving game with them. I’ll explain how. Before the ‘Do not disturb’ service was activated on my phone number, I used to receive frequent calls from credit card companies, banks, job consultancies (not to mention the messages galore that filled my inbox). Fed up of the phone calls, once I actually asked the cold caller some information about what he was selling (in this case a credit card). I asked him for the Annual Percentage Rate. Surprised, (not sure at what – the fact that I asked that question or the fact that I allowed the call to go on for more than 15 seconds), he offered to transfer my call to another department which dealt with “special queries”. But to my dismay, the “special queries” department was busy attending other, more special queries—that’s what I could surmise, after being put on hold for over five minutes. I would love to rant about how companies should train cold callers to have some solid product information before they pick up the receiver, but that’s not the point. The point is that asking for more information puts these cold callers in a difficult spot; most of them are not well versed with what they ‘sell’. The fellas who send spam mails are no different. The last time I had my dose of perverted fun was when a “sweet, innocent girl from Nigeria (who prays to God that He shower His blessings on me)”
Have Won It All!
contacted me to tell me that she had been “bestowed” with wealth but due to some ritual she had to share half the money with a stranger. Normally, I would have deleted the mail, but this was me at my cheeky best, so I decided to reply. I asked her to send me some more information. Like the servile attendant who at once jumps when he sees the prospect of a tip, she replied within five minutes, thanking me for a couple of paragraphs and explaining how both of us have done the right thing by agreeing to share the money. But then she got to the heart of the matter. Attached with the mail was a form, which had to be filled with my bank details. It was my turn now. I replied saying that I needed to see a photograph of the “sweet, innocent girl from Nigeria”. I further added that after I’ve received the money, I might be inclined to make a trip to Nigeria and meet her, so she should send me her address. With that, I guess I had rubbed it at the right place. I didn’t get mails from “her” anymore. I even followed up on that mail, telling her (or whoever it was) that I was desperately waiting for my Nigerian friend to reply, but alas, apparently, something I did had made my newfound friend upset. Thus ended my engagement (yes, it’s a cheap pun) with the spammer. I realised that the back and forth mail exchanges served no purpose. Rather, it was a waste of my own time. I have decided that henceforth, only solicited mails will be read—and any advertising/promotion/ spamming/scamming campaign mails will be sent to the trash, without much time being wasted on it. Will the mails stop now? Of course not! I will continue to win gadgets and goodies, and cash with so many zeros that it will become impossible at a cursory glance to determine whether the number is a million or a billion. But the fun I had in dealing with the cold-caller and the Nigerian “friend” was not dissatisfying after all!
NON-FICTION by Yayaati Joshi
The Healing Touch of Music An Interview with Kamakshi Khurana and Vishala Khurana, Founders of The Sound Space
Speaking to Anupama Krishnakumar, Kamakshi and Vishala, Founders of The Sound Space, share their thoughts about their musical journey that has strived to make a difference to many lives. Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s a short and sweet interview with the Music Sisters!
VOICES OF THE MONTH
Kamakshi Khurana
Kamakshi Khurana and Vishala Khurana, sisters, are also the young Founders of ‘The Sound Space’, an entrepreneurial venture that uses the power of sound in different forms to offer therapeutic treatment to people with different needs. To know more about The Sound Space, visit http:// www.thesoundspace.in
Vishala Khurana How was the idea of The Sound Space born?
on music therapy and conducted several experiments on adults and children.
Kamakshi - From my teenage years I always knew I wanted to use my music knowledge and passion for music in a different way. Further studies in Music The following questions have been answered by and Psychology helped me develop the concept of both Kamakshi and Vishala. The Sound Space.
Did any research precede the setting up of The Sound Space? Tell us more about it.
I understand that your parents are also closely involved in this work. What's the role that they have played in your journey thus far including the setting up of this initiative?
Vishala - Our in-depth study of music and its effects on humans have been an on-going effort for the Our Father Harendra Khurana has been in this field past eight years. We studied the chakras and their for the past 35 years. It is his expertise and responsiveness to sound, after which we researched
Interview by Anupama Krishnakumar
knowledge that inspired us to set up The Sound Space. Our mother Rajni Khurana was the driving force behind the administration of the concept.
Chanting is extremely beneficial. Humming sends vibrations to the brain that help both sides of the brain to work in coordination, thus enhancing concentration.
On a personal note, what does music mean to you? What type(s) of music do you listen to? Who are If I am not wrong, you have been doing workshops your favourites? primarily in Mumbai. Do you plan to have workshops in other Indian cities too? Music is our way of life. We listen to absolutely all kinds of music. As our study is Indian classical music, we listen to almost all the maestros. We also like to be in touch with commercial music, Sonu Nigam being our most favourite.
Yes, we are planning to do workshops in other cities too. We are likely to start that in another six months. Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune are some of the cities we are planning to cover.
Do specific instruments help in treating particular ailments? Could you give us some instances?
Innovation is the name of the game in any venture. In a field like yours, what are the sort of measures Definitely! String instruments are related to the wa- you take to constantly innovate? ter element of the body thus influencing the emoUpdating ourselves with new studies is one way that tional imbalances in the body. Percussion instruwe try to innovate. The experience of working with ments help enhance concentration and regulation, different people and constant research help in deand therefore are used to help treat depression. veloping new ideas. Similarly different instruments affect different areas of the human body. You work with people in all age groups - from children to adults. Who do you think are most recepYou have something called The Chakra Alignment tive (in terms of the promptness of response) to and Awareness workshop. What is that all about? your treatment? How long does it usually take for What does this therapy aim to cure? someone to start responding to your therapy? When the chakras are aligned, the body is in a state of well-being. This module is designed to help align the chakras with the power of sound. Each chakra responds to a different vowel sound sung in a particular pitch. It aims to help one experience a sense of wholeness and stability.
Are there some simple music-related therapies that can be done at home? Can you share some of them?
Each person has their own degree of reception. We find working with children very fulfilling. On an average, a person will begin to see an effect after three sessions.
Do you give therapeutic treatment for differentlyabled children and adults, particularly Downs' Syndrome and autistic persons? Does treating differently-abled people require a different approach?
VOICES OF THE MONTH
Yes, we do treat differently-abled persons. With them, each person is given an individually designed treatment based on his or her specific need.
When you look back at your journey so far, how do you feel? What are the future plans for The Sound Space?
The journey has just begun and it has given us insight into music therapy and its effects on people. As for our future plans, we would like to reach out to as many people as possible and introduce them to the power of sound.
The Sound Space on Facebook
The Healing Touch of Music
Absurdity, Unnaturalness, Incompleteness and Murakami By Vani Viswanathan NON-FICTION We all like a happy story. A happy beginning (it can be unhappy too, we don’t mind that much), a series of trials and tribulations, but a happy ending. We are also particular about the ending being there. If you don’t believe me, remember the last movie that didn’t take this route (say, Dhobi Ghaat), or a book you read that didn’t have an ending. There, am I not correct? Something seems strangely unfinished, bereft, in a story without a happy ending, and without an ending, oh God, really, now! Personally, though, I have loved stories without an ending, or if the story closes with a less-than-happy scenario. There is something beautiful about them – the story has more legs to it than the author has currently chosen to indulge in, and our mind is free to think of the futures of the characters; maybe there is some hope for a happier ending to the story
What’s a story without happy beginnings and happy endings? A lot, argues Vani Viswanathan, using Japanese author Haruki Murakami as an example. than we think, or maybe the ending is worse and the author decided to spare us the agony of it. One author who perhaps exploits this brilliantly, according to me, is Haruki Murakami. I have only read his English translations, but they are just so lucid and beautiful that you have no choice but to fall in love with Murakami’s style of expression, turn of phrases and how can I forget, the sheer weirdness that is so characteristic of his human creations! Although I have not read even half of all of Murakami’s works, I can testify to the extent of peculiarities that is quintessentially Murakami, thanks especially to a book of his short stories. Sometimes it is supernatural, sometimes it is just unnatural; most of his characters behave in absolutely abnormal ways, and crying and laughing go on to maniacal proportions; things happen suddenly, and end as suddenly.
There are certain commonalities to his characters: you will often find yourself reading about fans of jazz or the Beatles (most famously in ‘Norwegian Wood’), there is a lot of chilled beer in the fridge, the people face depths of despair and few of them find a way out of the well (perhaps the strongest motif in ‘The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle’), there are men and women who are fixated on the strangest of things (say, cooking spaghetti everyday). All this surrealism can get a little tiring at times, but plough through it, don’t give up, and you’ll be happy you went all the way till the end(!). The first book I read of his was ‘The Wind-up Bird Chronicle,’ a story of – gosh, it’s so hard to even put it into a line, but I’ll try – a man who loses his job, his cat and his wife all in a short span of time, and goes on a journey of one bizarre occurrence after another, involving a sister duo, a sensuous woman on the phone, an odd teenager, a fortune-teller, his friend, a mother-and-son team who run an incomprehensible business, and a well. Toru feels lost, but finds solace in his quirky neighbour May Kasahara, a teenager who keeps talking about death, and the fortune-teller’s friend – a lieutenant – who tells him of a deeply chilling experience during the Second Sino-Japanese War – a description so gripping and poignant that for a couple of hours after reading this, I kept reliving the terrifying story and words in my mind. Toru also meets a mother and son, who go by the name Nutmeg and Cinnamon, and have a weird, occultist duty for him.
Perhaps the most significant turn in the novel comes when Toru decides to isolate himself in the depths of a well, where – in a sequence that might be real or unreal – he mysteriously walks through the wall to go into a hotel room. Innumerable stories intersect the plot, and Toru gets to hear about the lives of people he has never met and will never meet, through people he didn’t know a few weeks back. The plot is an intricate maze with so many doors, but you don’t get to see what’s inside all of them. And in a typical Murakami fashion, a number of the eccentric strings are left untied, and you are left with a story that ends before you comprehend the bizarreness of it all. All you know is you enjoyed the journey thoroughly. ‘Norwegian Wood’ is a similarly brilliant, equally peculiar tale revolving around Toru, Naoko and Midori. Toru and Naoko are drawn to each other, but they share a troubling history: Toru’s best friend and Naoko’s boyfriend Kizuki killed himself when he was 17. Toru and Naoko meet when they move to Tokyo for college, and just when you think something might work out between them, Murakami seems to come in with a ‘Not so fast!’ – Naoko leaves Tokyo to spend some time in an asylum amidst far away hills without informing Toru till a few months later. When Toru visits her, he also meets and gets to know the unnerving past of her roommate, Reiko. ‘Norwegian Wood’ is Naoko’s favourite song, and Reiko, a brilliant singer,
Non-fiction by Vani Viswanathan
performs it for her often. In Tokyo, in the meantime, Toru also becomes close to Midori, a girl eccentric in her own right – she lies that her father is in Uruguay while he is in Tokyo, succumbing to brain cancer. Vintage Murakami is in action with his unusual characters again: there is the cleanliness freak ‘Storm Trooper,’ who is Toru’s roommate in the dorm; Toru is good friends with diplomacy student Nagasawa and his girlfriend Hatsumi who puts up with Nagasawa’s blatant cheating. I recently got to know that this novel developed from a short story that Murakami had written, titled ‘Firefly’ – in the book, this forms among the early chapters – where he explores, using a firefly, the elusiveness of so much in life.
less wardrobe of dresses and jackets that she loved beyond anything else in the world. These stories, as are his novels, are sheer magic; they are complex, intricate webs that you get lost in, so much so that when they end, you don’t realise it. You have only been enthralled by the pure absurdity and abnormality of it all; or maybe the entrenched sadness, incompleteness that most of the characters face most of their lives. Yes, there are tropes, and with time you come to simply expect weirdness as a constant part of his tales, but where they come from will still surprise you; the starkness of the thoughts and the language will floor you. Murakami is worth all the effort you need to put into reading him!
What delighted me most, though, was his collection of short stories, ‘Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman,’ a book full of eccentric, lost, wildly imaginative people, with equally unbelievable stories. Which ones do I pick for you? Maybe the story of the man in ‘Nausea 1979,’ the man with a taste for jazz and his friends’ wives, who vomited once a day for 40 days, during which period he also had a mysterious someone call him everyday. Or ‘Man Eating Cats’, set in Greece, where after narrating to his partner a news story on an old woman who dies and is eaten by her starving cats eventually, a man discovers he is a puppet, and the real he has been eaten by cats. Or better still, the repulsive story ‘Crabs’ where a man eats too much tasty crab in Singapore and throws up a few days later, and finds the meat in his vomit moving (even typing this makes me shiver in disgust!). There is also the surreal ‘A “Poor Aunt” Story,’ where a writer who wants to write about a poor aunt suddenly finds one suddenly hanging around on his back, wherever he goes, whatever he does. There is also the strangely sad and poignant ‘Tony Takitani,’ where a brilliant illustrator loses his wife whom he loved too much, and he is left with an end-
Non-fiction by Vani Viswanathan
A Writer’s Journey Begins...
Sketch by Anupama Krishnakumar
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