therighter

A story set in the late 40s, post Independence era of India, Hemanthagaana is a journey of an idealist in a rapidly changing political environment. This kannada novel is divided into 3 sections and the middle chapter is perfectly set between the chapters of two women, which is a reflection of the main story line. Anatha Udupa, the protogonist is a man who gives up a promising future for the betterment of the society but loses his way by falling in love with a young widow of a freedom fighter. Indira, his subject of love is an ardent follower of Gandhi (or Bapuji as he is fondly called) and completely immersed in her 'seva' or service to uplift the downtrodden. In the process, she extends financial help many a time through her father, Mr.Talpade to Anantha's blazing cause and supports his struggling tabloid that reaches Kannadigas across the great industrial city, Mumbai. The background of the story is set in Mangalore and Mumbai. In Mangalore, Anantha has left his wife Bhar...

On the night I landed here all I could see from my window was heaps and heaps of moist bluish white mass covering the fertility of the land. Never did I believe that I would one day wander in a country that I thought stayed only on Atlas maps. All I remembered was my brother's off white shirt that had barren pine trees printed on it. And that to me was a foreign land. Sometimes it was Bangalore's Cubbon park that I thought London looked like. America meant tall buildings I saw on MG Road. Certain days I was transposed to New York in my dreams. For some reason it should really have been California. What did Canada look like? I had never spent any time thinking about it. Russia was more on my mind than my current country of residence. Then after a while the novelty wore off. It was the same highways and exits I saw on TV. Every city looked alike. Seasons changed. Colors of leaves changed. Leaves fell off. It all came back again. Who was I anymore? I thought. Did living in a stran...

I was reading into the wisdom of ancient science this day. The realization of how seamlessly life has been intertwined into one big cosmos was causing a mysterious discomfort inside the heart when in truth it should have wiped all my apprehensions about the big question. My eye fluttered as it began to see the retinal damage that was caused by my addiction to leave no stone unturned. Why would I do that to myself? I ask. Sometimes the answers are obvious. On other days I just get sucked into the irrationality of things. To conquer fears and questions. In that way we are alike. The reader and the writer. The blog junkie and the blogger. We seek each other hopefully never wanting to meet each other. The point here really is about the conflicts we face everyday in the little decisions we make. To buy vanilla icecream or butterscotch. To buy the $38 million lottery or let the fortunates win. Does that mean I am not? I don't know. Does money matter. No. Then what? you may ask. I don...

There are no secrets, only truth. The light that shines on you is not yours. So don’t give yourself credit for any adulation you receive. In time, they fade away like all other forms of light. What good is an idea that does not change the course of nature? Curiosity killed the cat. I might as well die. Who loves you more dearly than yourself? United we plan. Divided we decide. Look around you. And for heaven sake clean! Once upon a time Anger was my nemesis. Now it’s my foe. Don’t try to be smart. Just be. When you swim, fly or walk you always have to push yourself to move ahead. Such is life. Bend a little and you might touch the ground. Stretch a little and you might reach for the skies. With a little exercise your life should be good – ambitious but grounded. Vegetarianism does not make me a saint. I just don’t fancy looking at a dead animal on my dinner plate. I was a fool to fall in love. But look! What a happy fool I am! I don’t need a second chance. I learned my lesson in the fi...

A little girl who went by the name Humble Me Walked into the house of a Mr. Bumble Bee A friend, she thought he might be Yellow bright and jolly rounded was he! Coughing a little, Me went up the stairs Braving the trial of little red stains, She stopped just behind the white curtains Gazing down at jars of wall paints ‘Hello, Mr. Bee’, she gives a feeble shout ‘In here’ says a voice thick and stout; Round black eyes peep over the stove Little Me gave Bee a playful shove Bumble’s walls are oh! so crimsoned Humble gets all weepy and frightened ‘O ho ho, aren’t you a little flower shrunken?’ ‘No, no. I just wish you had the walls lightened’ Off goes the great Big Bee To put a smile on our friend Me Holding a tray of cookies and a pot of tea Begs he to Me ‘Please, give some company’ Atop a stool sipping her tea Humble sings for Mr. Bee Bumble in turn dances for Me Holding a cup on his knee All of a sudden the sun goes down Me knows its now time to go home Days after, this beautiful friends...