Showing posts with label ALAR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ALAR. Show all posts

April 8, 2009

ALmost lost and almost recovered - Chapter 7

Her search for Malar inside the college ended in vain. Both the class room and lab were stark empty. A few of her classmates were found hanging around the veranda. Sheela, one of Malar's best buddies at class narrated what had happened during the last session; the dental pharmacology lecture at 4. Maanu could not believe her ears. She froze as though hit hard by an arctic blizzard. 

"Malar's mother passed away in a massive heart attack. A relative of hers, Agilan came to the university to take Malar back to Coimbatore. She left the campus that very instant."
Sheela's words were still lingering in her mind as Maanu entered her room drenched in sweat and collapsed on the cot. Sailu was off for basket ball practice leaving a note behind, directing Maanu to the dine without awaiting her arrival and that she would be back only by nine.  

Maanu felt sick. She wondered if she had been prone to any real suffering like Malar except for the ad-hoc teasing and swear words that were muttered unintentionally. She had unnecessarily complicated her life with her own imaginations. That day everything had fallen into place. Her imaginations had masked her conscience as a result of which she could not decide between being a Tamil and a Telugu but reality had revealed that she was now impeccably an amalgamation of both. 

But Malar ? 

Born a pauper. Lived the life of a shadow fighting hard with her hopelessness and aspirations at the same instant. And now? What will she do? Malar has still not even found the question, save the answer. Which question should she try answering first ?? The question if to live here of flee to Srilanka? Or rather the worst one if to live or die? 

Maanu's mobile began to vibrate. She flipped it open. 
"Maanu". She could feel Malar's cold voice on the other end.
"Malar". Maanu felt a lump in her throat.
"Maanu I have called to convey something." 
"I know. Sheela told me. I am extremely sorry."
"No. It is not that i wanted to tell you"
"What is it then?"
"We were right in our perception about the world. It is cruel. Indeed cruel." Malar almost choked. Maanu felt tears drenching her cheeks.

"Agilan has offered to marry me. We are going back to Ceylon. The situation is better now or so they say. My mother dreamt of making me an Indian citizen and she partly succeeded. It is now my turn to dream of making my child an Indian citizen after my marriage when situation worsens yet again. This will never end Maanu. Thousands of Shyama's are dreaming of another thousands of Malars becoming Indian citizens and leading a peaceful life The plight will continue. We are cursed Maanu and the curse will not be lifted until truth and tolerance dawns. Hope I will be blessed with an entirely Indian heredity at least in my next birth. Pray for me Maanu."

"Malar " Maanu broke into tears.
"Do not cry for me dear. It is all over. All that I need are you prayers"
"My blessings and prayers will always be with you Malar" Maanu could not think of anything better to say. Malar hung up. 

Maanu cried for a while and fell asleep. Sailu woke her up as soon as she returned. Maanu emptied her heart to Sailu. She felt relieved to a certain extent. She grabbed her mobile and dialed her father's number in a hurry.
"Maanu" Chandran was concerned since she had called an unusual hour.
"Daddy, now I know why the refugees are given reservation and exempted from taxes. I have understood that they neither complete their studies nor earn a living." Malar could not help but cry. 
"I am sorry Maanu. I gather you have been informed of Shyama aunty's death. That is life Maanu. I shall talk to you tomorrow. Now catch some sleep." Chandran decided to call her as early as possible the next day for his little daughter had now learnt some really big lessons in life and was in need of someone to direct her further. 

-----------

And still the world consists
of only two kinds of people.
Ones who are almost 
lost and lost for ever
and the others
who are almost lost yet
almost recovered.
Neither the former kind
loses itself due to insanity
nor intelligence eradicates
the other kind's vanity.
Something else aids in
setting things straight.
An element called FATE.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Almost lost and almost recovered - Chapter 6

Rejoice or grieve.
Everything turns out 
the way we perceive.

--------

Back at Block A, room 202, Sailu had returned from home. She conveyed that Siri would not be coming for another week since she was down with some viral infection. Sailu got into the bathroom for a quick shower. Moments later her mobile started to vibrate. The girls had got used to the vibrations for it was a cardinal sin to use mobiles inside the engineering college hostels, especially the girls' and a little bit of carelessness like turning on the audible ringtones would result in grave disaster.  

It was Sailu's mother. 
"Sailu your momma is calling." Maanu kept he voice as low as possible for screaming the word "call" would attract unwanted attention and the girls were well aware that there were spies all around.
"Attend the call pilla*. Tell her that I have reached safely." Sailu tried her best to sound low but her parched voice did not give away. 
"Hello aunty this is Maanu, Sailu's room mate. She reached here just now. She is taking a bath. I shall ask her to call you back aunty." 
"All right Maanu. Sailu was bent upon bringing you ariselu*. I have made them for you. Do let me know how you liked it. I have also sent you  gonkura*. Sailu said that you liked it very much. She always keeps talking about you. She said that you are a Reddy* as well. Good to hear that. I listened to the taped version of your keerthana* , "paluke bangaaramayena*". You sing perfect Telugu. I am so proud of you pandu*. I shall hang up now. Ask Sailu to call back without fail and Good luck for your exams. Write well and come over to Nellore for the vacations."
"Thank you aunty and I shall come for sure" Maanu cut the phone. 

She was astonished at the gush of unforeseen emotions from the other side. She had never imagined of Sailu telling her mother that Maanu was a Telugu. Even surprising was the fact that Sailu had actually recorded her singing in Telugu. All this despite Sailu calling her a 'Tamil girl' always. Maanu was lost in thought when Sailu came out of the bathroom and sat beside her drying the damp hair with a towel. 

She gave a gentle pat on Maanu's back.
"What are you dreaming of pilla?? Roger winning the French open?" She teased.
Sailu was a typical leg puller, an assortment of all form of sarcasm and irony, a person who calls Maanu by names, yet an angel in disguise, the confirmation of which Maanu had just received in the form of the phone call. 
"Sailu I thought that you considered me a Tamil"
"No Maanu I just call you arawa pilla only to pull your legs. Do not take it to your heart. I am damn sure that if we sit down and work out our family tree we would end up as relatives for my mother always says all Reddys are related one way or the other. All right now stop dreaming. I shall go down and make a call to my mother from the booth. I have run out of balance in my mobile." 

Maanu was gob smacked. She locked the room moments later, climbed down the stairs frantically and ran towards Block B. Her joy knew no bounds. She wanted to express her happiness to Malar and convey that the world was not bad at all and that their perception was wrong. She knocked at the door. Malar's room mate Fatima told her that Malar had not yet returned from college. 

--------

pilla - Girl.
ariselu - A traditional Telugu sweet made of jaggery and rice batter.
gonkura - Authentic Telugu sour greens paste. 
Reddy - A telugu caste
keerthana - A holy hymn.
paluke bangaaramayena - The keerthana sung by Bhaktha Ramadasu in memory of Sri Rama.
pandu - A common word in Telugu used to address kids. Also translates to fruit in english.

March 20, 2009

Almost lost and Almost recovered - chapter 5


Drowned in sorrow?
Hold your breath.
Just an illusion.

-------

That evening while riding back home in their ladybird bicycles Maanu and Malar witnessed a stray dog which was new to the neighborhood being chased out of the street by the tamed ones. They arrived at a conclusion that the world was indeed cruel and intolerant.

Months passed by and it was time to bid adieu to the pretty pinaforms as they transformed into pants and salwars for the high school era gradually came to an end pushing them into a university for under graduation. Maanu and Karthick made into one of the prestigious universities in Chennai for their engineering degrees. Malar was also in the same university but she had chosen a dental sciences degree to try and fulfill her mother's dream of making a doctor out of her since her marks were not adequate enough for her to take up general medicine. Maanu's family decided against her dreams of becoming an astro-biologist following the unanticipated crash of the Colombia Spacecraft while she was writing her 11th grade exams. 

Shanti and Chandran left Maanu at the 'A' block hostel corridor and returned home with a heavy heart. Shyama was all tears leaving behind Malar at the 'B' block, the dental block. The university, being only a few hours away from southern Andra Pradesh was also a popular destination for the well to do Telugu family kids in search of quality professional education. Maanu's room mates Sailaja and Sirisha fell in that category. From their comfort levels for each other Maanu was certain that they must have been friends for quite some time now. She was not wrong Sailu and Siri were high school buddies. 

First day at the university brought an untold grimness into Maanu. The only face she was familiar with in her class was that of her so called high school mate, Karthick, the one who had called her a Golti. Fortunately. the three room mates got into good terms with each other well within a week since they shared the same desk at class as well. Maanu's tinge of Telugu did the trick. Nevertheless, Sailu would still address Maanu as "Arawa pilla*". Maanu had stopped being sensitive to such calls after the disastrous biology lab session two years ago for she had understood that her reaction will only be considered futile. Maanu would occasionally meet Malar during dinner hours when they would chit chat about their survival strategies. 

Once during the first semester when Sailu and Siri had left for their hometown Maanu walked alone back to the hostel after the day's class. As bad luck would have it she was summoned by a group of senior boys ready to shatter her peace of mind. Maanu almost fainted when she recognized that the boy towards the right corner in the gang was none other than Karthick himself.  

"So I gather you are one of those Goltis." one person started out. 

Either they must have been observing her association with Sailu and Siri or her very own high school buddy should have had a hand' Maanu wondered. She did not reply. Should she deny? That she was not a Telgi and that she could speak decent Tamil being born and brought up in Tamilnadu. Or shouldn't she? Telugu was her mother tongue and she must be proud of being a Telgi. Maanu bent her head down without uttering a word.

"But anna* she hails from my place Coimbatore. She is my high school buddy. I know her very well. She is more of Tamil anna. She is my friend." Karthick's voice daggered into the surrounding silence. Maanu could not believe her ears.

"Oh you know her Karthick. I thought she was a Telugu up from Andra. You may leave then. But tell me, what is you name girlie ?" Their head asked.

"Maanasa" replied Maanu and started off to the hostel as quick as her legs would carry her. 

"Maanu. Maanu listen." Karthick came rushing.
"Wont you talk to me Maanu?" 
"But Karthick you have called me by names while at school. And now you say that I am a Tamil and not a Telugu. I don't understand Karthick. "
"Hey Maanu that was my way of having fun. Watching you cry, for you will never react to other stuff. I regret now if I had hurt you Maanu. What you have seen today is real. How can I ever let down a girl who hails from my place? You are a Tamil and we are friends." Maanu was dazed. Yet they shook hands

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Arawa pilla : Tamil girl. The language Tamil is known as "Arawam" in Telugu.
Anna: Translates to elder brother in Tamil.


  

March 9, 2009

Almost lost and almost recovered - Chapter 4


A mere issue of
indifference
or Racism
with a difference ?

--------


It had been 9 years since Malar had seen her mother go dumbfounded upon an inquiry regarding their native. Agilan, a distant relative had answered all her questions in relation with their native when Shyama made Malar visit the refugee camp, her birthplace at Rameshwaram, a few years later. Malar had never once troubled Shyama with that issue ever since. 

Malar and Maanu had stepped into grade eleven and they had to decide between Computer science and Biology groups. Maanu desired to be an Astrobiologist and had no issues in taking up Biology. On the other hand Shyama forced Malar, a Fashion designing aspirant to take up biology in an attempt to fulfill Mathivanan's dreams. Grade eleven was split into two during the major subject classes when biology students left to the biology lab which served as a classroom as well since there were only a handful of students. The twelve of them were separated into six pairs. Maanu shared her lab desk with a local boy called Muthu while Malar was to be Pavithra's partner. Neither Muthu nor Pavithra had any particular liking for their partners and cold wars were a common phenomenon at both the desks.

Grade twelve was well under way and it was mandatory for the students to learn food testing along with their regular biological experiments. Unfortunately for Malar and Maanu, each table was given only one set of apparatus for the experiments and they were supposed to combine and complete it. Muthu couldn't resist Maanu hurrying up for the submission. He turned to Karthick who was sitting behind and stated,

"All these Goltis* are alike!", throwing a nasty look at Maanu who was busy adding iodine to the starch solution and observing the graceful change of colour from white to mild lavender and finally blue-black.

"I am not a Golti ! ", Maanu replied while thronging her pipette which accidentally escaped her hold and went crashing on the floor. 

Pavithra joined Muthu in the conversation by teasing Malar for her unusual Tamil accent. Maanu and Malar sympathized one another with looks while their partners were still not tired of finding out faults with the girls' ethnicity in whispers. Mr. George, their biology teacher made Maanu pick up the scattered pieces of glass and pay a fine of twenty rupees for the broken pipette. Maanu had always wanted to be a part of the Tamil students' society at school but they would not accept her for the indifferent Telugu cuisines she brought for lunch and her flair for Hindi which was considered a cardinal sin amongst them. Neither would they accept Malar for her abnormal Tamil accent. 

Maanu stood staring at the jar inside which a certain Mr. Rana hexadactyla* was floating in formalin. The label on the jar read
                              
                                   
Phylum   : Chordata                      
                                 
Class     : Amphibia                      
                                                           
Genus   : Rana                          
                      
Species : hexadactyla                   
                   

Maanu tried to write down her classification.

Nation : India                     
State   : ????                               
         
Family : Reddy
Name  : Maanu

She realized that Malar's situation was still worse since the first row of her classification table would bear question marks as well.


--------

Golti : Informal term for Telugu speaking population in certain parts of Tamilnadu. 


P.S. This part is purely fictional. I love all my school buddies especially the biology students :).

March 2, 2009

Almost lost and almost recovered - Chapter 3


Vacationing forever at a land of 
benevolence
far from a land of threat.
A refugee.

-------------

Seven years later.

-------------

Shyama had managed to move from Rameshwaram to Coimbatore and was now a clerk at the local firm that dealt with the export of garments. All her nightmares were finally over and Mathi Malar was now a seven year old school girl put up in one of the renowned schools at Coimbatore. It was the "Traditional day" at Malar's school today. Shyama made Malar wear the "Osariya*". She was not able to help but remember Malli as soon as she had thought of making Malar wear the traditional Srilankan attire. A sudden realization of emptiness all around made her feel sick. In no mood to relish Malar's Srilankan looks Shyama dropped Malar off at school and reached her work place.

A hundred yards down the lane Shanti was trying her best to make Maanu stand still at a place in order to wrap the last piece of clothing on her to give her a traditional Telugu look. She painted a cute shwetabindu* on Maanu's forehead to add to her ethnicity. After a photo session with the newly bought camera and taking blessings from Chandran, Ammamma* and Thatha* Maanu started off to school with Shanti. On the way they stopped at the Hanuman* temple. 

Maanu was awestruck at the magnificent 15 feet high Hanuman idol at the heart of the temple. His stone eyes and broad chest were covered with plates of silver adding to his unbeaten charm. He carried his weapon, a golden Gadha* on one of his hands while offering blessings with the other. Maanu wondered why a deity of such prowess and might was given the face of a monkey. Butter brought by the devotees was continuously being smashed all over Hanuman's face by the priest. Shanti offered a garland of holy basil to the priest. The priest came out of the Garbagraha* with the saffron colored holy powder mixed with oil and dabbed a small circle of it on Maanu's forehead just above the shwetabindu. They were also offered the holy snack made of black gram batter and finely scraped coconut mixed and fried in oil. Shanti returned home after leaving Maanu at the school gate. 

The school was filled with costumes of all variety and colors unlike every other day when the kids were all dressed either in maroon or white. Sister Divine was all smiles for the attire of the tiny tots. It was high time she started general knowledge class for Standard 2 Section B. The class 
was filled with sarees, mundus, salwars, panchas, dhotis, madisaars and ownis. She had planned to make every child narrate something about their native since it was the traditional day and there would be no better time for the task.

It was Malar's turn to narrate. Malar stood up with her head bent down. Sister Divine asked her to tell the name of her native place. Malar had no answer. She wondered why her mom, who taught her the lessons never taught her about this "native". Sister Divine thought that Malar was not able to comprehend the question. 

"Where is it that you go during the summer vacation, Malar? I suppose that must be your native.", Sister Divine tried again.

"I have never been anywhere during the vacations, Sister." Malar broke into tears. 

Sister Divine consoled Malar and made her sit. That noon Mother Dorothy disclosed Sister Divine of Malar and Shyama's past. Sister Divine realized that she had made a terrible mistake by asking Malar of her native. Now Shyama would have to face the consequence of answering little Malar's questions back home. "Forgive me my Lord" Sister Divine crossed herself. 

It was 4 in th evening. Shanti had come to take Maanu home.
"Ma, why is Malar's tamil accent different from that of ours?" Maanu asked her mother.

-------------


Osariya - Traditional Srilankan costume
Shwetabindu* - A white colored mark that vaishnavite women wear on their forhead during traditional occassions.
Ammamma - Maternal grandmother 
Thatha - Grandfather (Both maternal and paternal) 
Hanuman - A famous Hindu God who has the body of a human and the face of  a monkey. Also known as Annjaneya and maruthi
Gadha - Hanuman's weapon
Garbagraha - The heart of any South Indian Hindu temple where the idol of the God is situated. The access to this place is restricted with the priest. 


February 23, 2009

Almost lost and almost recovered - Chapter 2


Extreme passion?
A heaven turns hell
and you bid farewell

---------

That very day when Shanti named her baby, five hundred miles away from Tanjore, on the island of Srilanka, Shyama was reading Sengaialiyan's* Muttathu Ottaipanai when she heard the hue and cry from outside. She could sense the reason, for it could be nothing but another military attack on the village which was considered to be a hiding spot of the terrorists according to the army and yes the village was indeed one and Shyama herself was the wife of a Liberation soldier. The bullets from a machine gun were traveling through the bodies of her neighbours lifting them and pushing them back into the walls of their home. The soldiers missed out Shyama who was hiding inside a narrow passage between the two homes. Shyama was so used to losing her dear ones that the loss ceased to penetrate deep into her conscience. Her aghast eyes emptied the final few drops of salted water she had in store. Seven years ago she had lost her mother and father in a similar attack. And Mathivanan. 

How could she ever forget him. He was the only soul she had for herself. She had not yet recovered from his loss. They were a happy couple until three months ago when Mathivanan confessed that he belonged to the liberation army and that he was to play a suicide bomber in their next plan of attack. She would have been with him by now if not for his priceless gift to her, a mass formed of a passionate combination of both their genes, a mass that would have started breathing by the time he sacrificed his life, a mass that was now fully grown with hands and legs cuddling inside her womb, a mass herself and Mathivanan had dreamt of creating a doctor from. So much so Mathivanan was still lingering in her thoughts. No one second would pass without thinking of him. 

The whole village was shattered to pieces. Undoubtedly everyone was dead. Now that the village was nothing but a huge pile corpses of her neighbours, relatives and enemies, Shyama had no choice but to abandon her land and reach the shores on the other side. She did not want her baby to suffer a similar fate. She heard someone moaning in pain by the time she reached the end of the village. It was Malli, a 16 year old cousin of hers. She was dying. The lower half of her body was drenched with blood. When the innocent people surrendered their lives to the bullets of the machine gun, the prettiest of the girl lot encountered the worst of fates. Gang rapes were a common phenomenon while such attacks took place. Only death could free Malli from her suffering. Without a second thought Shyama crushed Malli's throat and left her to rest in peace. 

She joined a group of people ready to flee to India from the nearby villages that were equally affected. After 2 hours of fearsome journey over the Indian Ocean their boat reached the shores of Rameshwaram. Shyama had her labour pains that very instant. She had awaited this moment for long. It was a baby girl. They were taken to the refugee camp nearby and their names were registered in the ledger. It was time to obtain a birth certificate for the baby. The officer in charge asked for the baby's name. 

"Mathi", Shyama could not think of a better name.
"Malar", she also thought of how much Mathivanan has wished to name the baby Malar.

Name : Mathi Malar
Place of birth: Rameshwaram
Date of birth: 07.11.1987

Authorized signature.
Seal.

Malar's birth certificate was made. Shyama's baby was now an Indian citizen born on Indian soil and would never have to go back to that cursed place.

Mathi Malar, almost an Indian by birth and almost a Srilankan by heredity.
 


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Sengaialiyan : A famous Srilankan Tamil author.

February 20, 2009

Almost lost and almost recovered - Chapter 1

 Thanx a bunch for the heart whelming comments on the prologue :)

CHAPTER - 1

Birth was my choice, I was here to stay
The name was their's and I gave away

------------

Maanu and her family were on a trip to Tanjore* for a ceremony at the family's temple in the suburbs of the city. It was habitual to visit the saivaite* Brahadeehswara temple* against authentic vaishnavite* granny's words, before reaching the family's temple. The divinity and grandeur of the Brahadeeswara temple had never ceased to captivate Maanu. This was her 15th visit to Tanjore as far as she could remember and still she marveled at the sheer genius of Raja Raja Chola*. The 65 meter high central tower of the temple had never been once found to cast a shadow during the noon time. Such was the architectural excellence of the ancient Tamil rulers and Raja Raja Chola was no exception. She used to stare at the sculptures, the epics carved on the walls, the temple elephant, the mammoth sized Nandi* made of stone, the channels around the temple that were once the home of crocodiles for protection from enemies and the vast expanse of the temple corridor. She could now imagine the supremacy of the Chola rule. Many thanks to Shivaji ganeshan* (What an actor! ) for enacting Raja Raja Chola in the movie she had happened to watch the previous day. 

Chandran's family temple was located on the remote yet authentic village of Pillayarpatti on the outskirts of Tanjore city. Maanu had always loved the walk through the narrow yet clean streets of the village. She would stop for a hot cup of Horlicks at Indira aunty's home and would finish the breakfast at Kannan uncle's. Devi's grand pa would take both the girls for a visit to his rice mill. Every family in the village was a relative of hers unlike the one back home in Coimbatore* where the colonies were an assortment of immigrants from the rest of Tamilnadu and Kerala*.
 
Shanti was all pride for her 21 year old daughter. She had been the most obedient and understanding child ever since her kindergarten days. 
 
She was a voracious reader of novels like Shanti and was also a "where is my newspaper" kind like Chandran.
 
She was a theist when Shanti recited stories from the Mahabharata and would turn an atheist like Chandran while condemning blind faiths. 
 
Her eyes and ears resembled that of Shanti and she also had a dimple in the chin, a trait she had inherited from Chandran.

Maanu, almost a dad's girl and almost that of mom's as well.  

Shanti's memories swirled 21 years back when herself and Chandran had visited Chandran's family temple for the first time on account of Maanu's naming ceremony. Chandran had a desire to name the baby "Naagi" in memoir of  the guardian angel of the family, a sacred serpent who was called "Nagamma" in south India. But Shanti wished to name her baby "Maanasa" after a brave snake godess. 

"Shuklam bharatharam vishnum
shashi varnam chathur bhujam
Prasanna vadhanam dhyayae
Sarva vignobha shantayae"

The priest had started off with the ceremony.

Eventually Shanti whispered "Naaga maanasa" thrice into the ears of the 1 month old baby as the temple bells were rung by the kith and kin.

"Naaga Maanasa" whispered Chandran and fed her a spoonful of sugar syrup.
"Naaga Maanasa" whispered Shanti's brother. Spoonful of sugar syrup again.
"Naaga Maanasa" whispered Chandran's sister. Another spoonful.


---------
 

Tanjore - The capital of ancient Chola empire
Saivaites - A sect of Hindus who worship Lord Shiva
Brahadeeswara temple - A temple situated at the heart of Tanjore, dedicated to Lord Shiva
Vaishnavites - Another sect of Hindus who worship Lord Vishnu 
Raja Raja Chola - the emperor who built the Brahadeeshwara temple 
Nandi - A sacred Ox statue facing Lord Shiva in the temples. It is believed that Lord Shiva travel on this Ox.
Shivaji Ganeshan - A renowned Tamil actor. A recipient of the Chevalier award.
Coimbatore - The Manchester of South India
Kerala - A beautiful south Indian province with Malayalam as the provincial language


 

 

 

 

February 18, 2009

Almost lost and almost recovered - Prologue


The world comprises of two kinds of people.

The ones who are almost lost and lost for ever and 
the others who are almost lost and have almost recovered. 

PROLOGUE 

"Ma, why is Malar's tamil accent different from that of ours?" Maanu asked her mother.
"They are refugees Maanu. They speak Tamil that way in their place.", replied Shanti to her 7 year old daughter. 
"Who is called a refugee?", Maanu inquired.
"Refugees are people who abandon their motherland and seek help from the neighboring nations." Shanti tried her best to explain Maanu.
"Why do they do so ma?" Maanu did not stop.
"There are many reasons Maanu. You will get to know when you grow up. Now hush and get on the scooter." Shanti ended the conversation.
                    
                      -----------------

Chandran was back home early.
Maanu turned away from the TV screen that was showing a brand new episode of Captain planet. 
"Daddy who is a refugee?"
"Refugees are people who are forced to flee their homeland for safety. Like Malar and her family." 
"But Murugan says that we do not belong to Tamilnadu. Are we refugees as well dad?"

"We are not refugees Maanu. We are a sort of immigrants", Shanti interrupted.
"What is the difference between a refugee and an immigrant?", Maanu raised the next question.
Shanti explained how their forefathers had migrated from Andrapradesh* to Tamilnadu* for business during the reign of a Telugu ruler in Tamilnadu and how they had eventually settled here becoming a part and parcel of the Tamil province. She also described how Malar's family had escaped the clutches of death and fled to India from Srilanka. 

"What is the difference daddy? " Maanu posed the same question to Chadran as she was not satisfied with her mother's answer.
"Refugees do not pay taxes Maanu but immigrants do. Refugees are given reservation for studies but immigrants are not. Immigrants flee as refugees when a civil war breaks. Malar' and her family are called Tamil immigrants in Srilanka but they are considered Srilankan refugees in Tamilnadu. "
Daddy couldn't have sounded more confusing. Maanu resumed watching Captain planet.


Andrapradesh - A south Indian province where Telugu is the provincial language 
Tamilnadu - The southern most province of India comprising of Tamil speaking population.