Saturday, 1 August 2009

Chapter 10- Author's note

This is supposed to be my first biopic. I'd like to thank Velupillai Prabhakaran, of the LTTE, for have been the inspiration to write this piece of fiction. I'd like to thank Baby, who told me my stories were getting stereotyped, and asked me to change for the time being my style of writing. The usual thank you's stay. I wanted to start writing this story on the 19th of May, 2009, but many incidents which happened hence, hindered my progress in this. Finally I sat to write this and got it finished. Thanks to everyone who's been with me through everything. Thank you.
Chappli.. :)

Chapter 9

The Palar river was searched entirely. No body was found. Probably it had just sunk in. But finally Brahma was dead. The government was awarding Arivu and Lakshmi for their brave efforts and for have contributed so much in the vanquishing of the ARA. The chief minister felt safe at last. There wasn't a threat to his position or power any more.

Arivu and Lakshmi became national heroes. There were interviews and debates all across the country regarding Brahma's motive. Many felt, though the motive was very noble, the methodologies applied by him to achieve the motive were terribly wrong. But Brahma was made an anti-hero through out the country, one with the right motives, but the wrong ways.

In a small town near Kumbakonam, a boy was trying to secure admission in class six for his younger brother. The school authorities outright refused as they were afraid to look up away from the reservation conditions applied by the state government. The local councillor was demanding a donation of rupees five lakhs, if he had to sanction the boy's admission. In walked a middle aged man. He was bald, and had a scar on his left arm. He asked the boy to wait outside.

Then he told the councillor, "Face the music, as you always have been doing."

When he came out, the boy had the councillor's signature and seal on his admission letter, and the man a broad smile on his face, which seemed very used to dealing with these issues.

The mission of Brahma continued....

Chapter 8

Brahma turned back to see who it was. He realized it was LakshmiNarayana, who had been playing the game with him. He wanted to probably usurp power from him, he thought. As he moved towards Lakshmi, he found a very familiar figure at the back. It was Arivuthangam, IAS. He introduced LakshmiNarayana as his brother, who had been in the ARA as a police informer. He had gauged Chandru's mentality pretty well, and had made them speak in a way such that Chandru and Brahma would separate. After that, he had made a private attempt on Chandru's life, which got him infuriated. This provoked him to join the government for safety purposes. But there also, he was killed by Lakshmi, and so were Ganesh and Karthik. The idea was to make Brahma a solitary figure, and render him responsible for all the crimes committed by the ARA, and thereby kill him.

The plan had been executed to perfection. They had him cornered now. He seemingly didn't have a way out. But then, he was Brahma, he was a creator by himself. So, he knew the in and out of his creations. So did he know, that right below the place he was standing, was an open jeep, with which he could try an escape. He then said, "Face the music, as you always have been doing."

He tapped slowly with his legs, the hollow sound was very clear. As Arivu sensed something was wrong, and tried to come forward, Brahma stamped his foot on the floor with all his might, breaking through the hollow floor, and falling right into the jeep. The jeep had a key in it, and Brahma rushed out. Lakshmi and Arivu rushed on to their police jeep and gave him a follow. He was never too far away, but the mental edge was with Brahma. As the gear settled out at fifth, and the foot was on the accelerator, Brahma recollected the days, days when Chandru and he were childhood chums, the day he created the ARA, his times with Amritha, his kids, their deaths, the killing of Shukla, that evening when everything changed after the meeting with the chief minister, Chandru's death, everything came to him in a flash. Moments passed by him. The roads he was now riding on for survival were the roads which had brought him up. The roads which had made him from the son in a very orthodox Brahmin household to such a dreaded gangster.

As he drove, for once a teardrop fell from his eyes on thinking about Amritha. She hadn't known of Chandru's or Ganesh's or Karthik's death. He wondered how she'd be able to take his sudden disappearance also. As he was driving, he reached the bridge over the Palar river. Suddenly there was a bullet shot on his tyre, Arivu had been on target. He got down from the jeep, and to escape the two, he tried to run, when they shot him on his left arm. To avoid being killed by them, he jumped into the river.

Arivu and Lakshmi came up to the river, saw ripples, and slowly the ripples became plain water, as the sun slowly dawned..

Chapter 7

Brahma received a telegram. It was one which had him shocked. Chandru had joined hands with the police. He knew Chandru wouldn't have done it without some provocation.

Brahma: There definitely must have been someone in our gang who must have tried to play with his life. This has provoked him and he has joined there. Now, there is no time left. If we try to wait with him, he will leak all our secrets out there. So its better we strike first.

Ganesh: Yes pa. Should I set someone to kill Chandru uncle?

Brahma: Send Karthik. Also ask Lakshmi Narayana to go along with him. Lakshmi's skills can help.

Ganesh: Yes pa, I'll carry the orders out at once.

Brahma just gave a thought on the course of things. He was heading to a collision somewhere. There wasn't time even to talk about reservation. He needed to immediately solve the problems within the ARA. Ever since Chandru left, the group of members, who were his loyalists, had been very dissatisfied. He needed to do something about all this. This was taking him to very dangerous domains.

At around this juncture, he recieved a call. It said Chandru was dead. It also said the police were actively searching for Brahma, in relation to Chandru's murder.

Brahma rushed to the Dindivanam Tea Estate, his most secret hideout, and went into the room he generally took in the estate. As he entered, a double shock awaited him.
He saw his son Karthik killed, stabbed on the chest. His doubts immediately went towards the police, and now doubted if they were in the estate as well. As he was hugging his son's body and wailing, he saw Ganesh's head lying on the bed in the room. It sent him into a fit of shock. The face was lying, without the body. It took him by a rage. But, on whom would he show the seething rage. He did not know what to do, his heir apparent was dead, both his sons were, his most trusted friend of once too was dead. What would he do now? As he was pondering over these questions, he heard a whistle from the back...

Chapter 6

It was the first time Brahma and Chandru were travelling in the same car. Brahma was furious at Chandru. Chandru had almost given them a hint that they would settle for 46% reservation. He knew that the government would try to make maximum of this chance.

Brahma: You acted like a fool Chandru, you shouldn't have let them a chance.

Chandru: This has to end Brahma. Sometime. We have to go step by step. 46% will only help our cause.

Brahma: When we are dictating terms, we should make the maximum of it. They were listening to us, so we should have tried to pursue them, so that they would reduce it as much as possible.

Chandru: No. Our aim is to reduce the reservation. Remember, it is not possible practically eradicate reservation. The partiality shown by government officials to their kith and kin is in itself reservation of a kind, only that it is illegal. Nothing can be done substantially against reservation. We only have to slowly eat into it.

Brahma: Nothing is impossible Chandru. If we want to achieve something, we can also find the means to achieve that something. I cannot believe your ideals have changed so much. Did you forget the days, when we walked from college to college, for an engineering seat, only to be rejected on the pretext of being a Brahmin by birth. Even if our ancestors committed some atrocities, why should we be punished for all that? What happened to you Chandru? Your lost, somewhere!!

Chandru: I'm not lost Brahma. In your high set ideals. Ideals which won't work, and won't help either. Your the one who is lost.

Brahma: Cut the crap! We will not take peace up, unless the reservation is drastically reduced.

Chandru: If your going to set such lofty goals, count me out of it. I'm moving out of the ARA, right now. I'm sorry.

Brahma: Then, face the music as you never have before.

As he said this, Chandru walked out. Brahma called Lakshmi Narayana separately, and entrusted to him the duties of Chandru. He then called Ganesh and asked him to come.

Once Ganesh came with his brother Karthik, they fell at the feet of their illustrious father Brahma. They had undergone intense training in the forest areas of Dharmapuri, in the areas of education and warfare, and had come on their father's instructions.

Brahma announced Ganesh as his heir apparent, and Karthik would be Ganesh's right hand man. They would get any sort of advice from Lakshmi Narayana, but all this would be after Brahma. He was ready to take the heat from the government now, and made the entire ARA army strong for that.

Friday, 31 July 2009

Chapter 5

It was a meeting they had all been waiting for. The government and the ARA, were waiting for so much time for this to happen. The occasion had finally arrived.

The meeting was set up, and the dignitaries had arrived. The chief minister was the first to arrive. Then came a Lambhorgini. Out of it, stepped out Chandru. Then, came a simple Maruti Suzuki vehicle, in which came Brahma. They never travelled together, lest operations be carried out on both their lives at the same time. Morever, Brahma rarely used a vehicle of style, as no one would generally expect him in a Maruti.

The meeting began. There were discussions made. This was when the chief minister started gauging the mood of the situation. He was ably supported by Arivuthangam, a young digilent IAS officer. They worked very intelligently as a team, and now knew how to get the right outputs from Brahma and Chandru.

Arivu: So how do you want a deal?

Chandra: We would love abolition of reservation.

Chief Minister: That is plain impossible. That will eat on our vote banks. We need to have some sort of back up in case of an electoral disaster.

Chandra: But you cannot play with us, and our people for your vote banks to stay alive.

Chief Minister: Politics has only one way, moving forward. I cannot move back in my political career after having witnessed success to the extent I have.

Chandra: It does not matter to us. All we want is a reduction in the reservation. However what you seem to be offering us is nothing close to what we would be happy with.

Arivu: Let's work it up. We are ready to reduce the reservation from 69% to 46%. Are you deal?

Chandra: Hmm.. I think that should be ...

Brahma: Cut the crap! We want it reduced to 23%. Nothing short of it will suffice.

Chief Minister: But that's way too much.

Brahma: Nothing is too much for the injustice meted out to us.

Chief Minister: I cannot give you that much liberty!

Brahma: Then face the music as you have already been doing.

Saying so, a furious Brahma, pulled Chandru out of the room, as he kept looking in disbelief, and bewilderment. But, Arivu kept smiling.

Thursday, 30 July 2009

Chapter 4

The moves were complex these days. The ARA had become bigger, larger than it once was. It carried a cause, one of the people, and Brahma was determined to see it satisfied. His comrade Chandru and he had spent all their lives fighting for this, time and again replenished by smuggling in stuff including arms whenever necessary. The entire area was his, and the people there were more than happy to feed him. After all, he had sacrificed his entire life for these folks.

The force with which the ARA were advancing, it seemed it would be only a matter of time before they got what they wanted. The government had to do something to stop them, if they wanted to save their face. So the government started working out strategies to make the ARA come their way.

The ARA were strong through out. They wanted reduction of reservation. They would not settle for anything less. How much ever the government tried to mask their attempts at nullifying the ARA, it was very obvious that the ARA was being a nail in their flesh, something they wanted out, right away.

Brahma was soon called for a meeting with the Chief Minister. Brahma insisted on taking Chandru along. They would be each other's conscience in the meeting, and would not let the other to settle for anything less than what they wanted.

The meeting was set up, the stage was set, ARA would soon go official, or so expected everyone. But what was to follow was something they hadn't dreamt of in their wildest dreams.

Chapter 3

There was this girl Amrithavalli, who was head over heels in love with Brahma. Brahma did not have time for Amritha though. He was busy with his liberation from reservation campaign with ARA. He also knew that Amritha's brother Amudhan was in ARA.

At this juncture, there was a fervour for increase in reservation. The governor of Delhi state, Mr.Rajkumar Shukla, had proposed a 69% reservation in the central level. This had stirred up a huge deal of controversy through out the country. The Tamil Nadu government had immediately subscribed to this policy and made all admission reservations to 69%.

At this juncture, the government of Tamil Nadu invited Mr.Shukla, to honour him for his excellence of thought. He was to be honoured at the Beach road, in a grand ceremony, an evening when the beach would not be accessible to the public. The plans were huge, grand.

The Secreteriat recieved a telegram from Brahma, saying he was alright with the reservations being increased this time, and all he wanted was peace. This seemed like double victory to the government, which would not only have their vote banks satisfied, but would also have Brahma by their side now.

The day of the honouring came. Brahma's aide Amudhan had a bouquet of flowers, which he took to Mr.Shukla, and presented it on behalf of Brahma. as Shukla recieved it, Amudhan said, Lets fly, and pressed a button. It was a suicide bomb. Shukla and Amudhan were both in pieces within seconds.

As a compensation to Amudhan's death, and in reciprocation to Amritha's love, he married her, thereby acting as the perfect leader, and in the process, creating an image feared by the entire country for himself.

Chapter 2

" Lingam, Lingam, come here, have food.." screamed Parvathy Ammal as she went behind her 6 year old son, begging him to have food. He was a born leader. At that tender age, one could see the kid settling disputes amongst his friends, and sharing whatever he had with his closest chums. Born in a family drowned in Vedic traditions, taking to a spiritual life was like how a fish takes to water. Sundareshwarer Iyer, the kid's father was a purohit. The son was brought up, as in a typical Brahmin household, with emphasis on the acharaas, and the anushtanaas.

The kid used to constantly complain to his friends about his mother calling him Lingam. To his parents, he was Lingam, but to his friends he was Brahma. Natesan Brahmalingam was a student par excellence. Both in the educational stream, and in the educational and the spiritual stream, he was a fast learner. Life moved at a quick pace for him till he actually finished studying. At this stage, he was a good looking, well built guy, and had a swarm of girls behind him. But his intentions were different. To study big, to do something to his people was what he aimed at.

At around this stage, he faced problems in college admissions. He couldn't get into the institution of his choice. All this because seats were blocked there for OBC candidates. A good student, that he was, he was denied a single seat in a very prestigious institution, whereas some other people, by sheer advantage of birth, were getting a seat. This was too much for him to handle. It was in this juncture that he, along with his childhood chum Chandru began the Anti Reservation Association. He was ARA 001, and ARA 002 was Chandru.

Over the years, the ARA became a very powerful institution, operating from the interiors of Dindivanam. It got arms, and also got the name to even shake the foundations of various political powers. The very name of Brahmalingam took the entire state by fear. But the war between the political powers and the ARA was unending. It was at this stage that the ARA did something drastic, something that would catapult it to national fame, or rather infame, but showcase Brahma's powers to the entire country!!

Chapter 1

He finally reached their territory. The walk was careful. He knew he was taking on a very difficult path here. If this failed, if they were warned, it would push the government another ten years back.

Rajesh Ratnam was the editor of the famous magazine DinaNeethi (Daily Justice), but now he was doing the most dreaded job of his life. He was an imposter in these regions, and was here to interview someone the rest of the state wished to discover. The man, who from the inner forests of Dindivanam had ruled the entire of South India for twenty years now on the pretext of being his spokesperson.

He went up to a small shop, and asked for the route to Lingam's camp. There was a flutter in the shopkeeper's face, and with a puzzled look, showed him the way. He went, and with the help of the numerous shopkeepers in the way, he went up to a gate.
On reaching the gate, he knocked at it, and was opened by a security guard. On asking details, he was sent in. They led him into a dark room, one with just a single window. He found the atmosphere absolutely intimidating.

As he was pondering about how to go about the entire meeting, entered a man, with an imposing moustache, and a heavy frame. He came in, and took a chair. Then, after puffing a smoke of his favourite WILLS cigar, he came up and spoke very softly.
"Chandrakant Koundinya, ARA 002."

The name sent ripples through his mind. The great Chandra master. How many stories of valour he had heard, and the very fact that he was sitting in front of the man now made him feel his worst nightmares all in one. He gathered all his courage, and said, "I want to meet Lingam anna."

On hearing this, Koundinya took his silenced revolver, and made a silent shot at Ratnam. He then made a call to Ganesh, and said "I've killed a cheat of a dog here. Dispose him off."

He then called all the shopkeepers living on the road outside the premises, and said, " Well done boys, we have stopped yet another security breach! Poor guy did not know how we refer Thalaivar to as!! Who in the entire area of Dindivanam knows Thalaivar as Lingam! He is Brahma, and will always remain our Brahma!!"