OFFICE SPECIAL

Plot: The story revolves around two persons, Jayaraj and Shankaran working in the same company. Jayaraj got promoted as the project Manager of the firm while Shankaran, a supervisor in the site, had his salary reduced. As the recession gets tough in U.A.E, Jayaraj finds it tough to cope with the new pressure bethrothed on him, while quite relaxed but hard working Shankaran survives the recession. As Jayaraj finds his family revolt against him , Shankaran is able to bring his family to U.A.E on a visit.
Jayaraj Stumbles upon SHankaran thrice in the movie, thus the scenes being crafted accordingly. The first time they bump into each other, Jayaraj had a promotion in his kit while Shankaran faced a cut back. WHiel the second time they ran into each other, Shankaran was recompensed for his site work while Jayaraj was chastised. The third time they meet in the market, when Shankaran had his family with him and was on a purchasing spree, Jayaraj strolling directionless and meaninglessly in the market.
The film ends with camra focussing on the TV kept inside the store featuring ASIA NET news as the director gives the viewers a implausible hope that the market is recovering.

OFFICE SPECIAL

Story, Screen Play, Direction- Shereen

Artists
Jayaraj
Shankaran
Raji
Maya
Manager
James
Biju Uncle
Thomas
Daughter Shankaran
Son Jayaraj
Daughter Jayaraj

Locations
Mott Office
Studio
Bachelor room
Family room
Road
Lift Area
Market Area
Party Hall
Site Area

Thanks for all

Scene- Market
Wide Area to Long shot Jayaraj in market

Scene- Studio
Windows Opacity Short Jayaraj
Zoom out Jayaraj Back in frame

Scene- Road
Tracking shot of car

Scene- Road
Tracking shot from interior of car

Scene- Studio
Medium close shot of Maya and daughter

Scene- Road
Medium close up shankaran
Zoom into News paper

Titles (chaos style)

Scene- Office area
Extreme wide shot of Area

Scene- Lift area
Master shot – People in front of lift

Scene- Lift area
Close up of Lift display coming down

Scene- Lift area
Hi angle shot- People going in lift

Scene- Lift area
Close up of Inside lift Switches

Scene- Lift Area
Over shoulder (of lift people) Full shot- Lift closing

Scene- Lift Area
Close up- Pressing switch

Scene- Lift Area
Full shot –opening lift and Jayaraj entering
Freeze Frame Shot Jayaraj

Scene Lift Area
Close up- pressing Button

Scene- Lift area
Full shot of Jayaraj, lift closing

Scene- Studio
Zoom in Close up Jayaraj

Scene- Lift area
Mid shot - lift closing

Scene – Party Hall
Close up opening door

Scene- Party Hall
Tracking- Biju Uncle and Thomas
Pan and Zoom- Movement of Glass on tray
Pedalling Shot – lifting of glass
Mid shot-Jayaraj
Transition shot

Scene- Studio
Mid shot – Jayaraj

Scene- Lift Area
Low angle Close up Lift display

Scene- Lift area
Over the shoulder Shot- Lift Opening, people getting out

Scene- Lift area
Close up Button press

Scene- Lift area
Low angle Close up Lift display
Tilt – Raji
Two shot – Raji and Jayaraj
Shallow focus- Jayaraj

Scene- Lift area
Low angle Close –up Lift display

Scene- Studio
Hi angle Shot- Jayaraj

Scene- Lift area
Medium shot Slow motion- lift opening

Scene- Mott Office
Window opacity shot -Jayaraj approaching to frame

Scene- Mott office
Close up card to card holder

Scene- Mott Office
Slow pan to Medium shot James
Entering into frame shot Jayaraj
Tracking shot of Jayaraj to james
Dolly in to Hi angle shot (opening chart)

Scene- Mott Office
Medium Shot- Jayaraj, James
Dolly in Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Full shot Jayaraj, James
Head on shot Jayaraj
Zoom in Notice board

Scene Mott Office
Close up Coffee
Pedalling shot
Close up Manager

Scene- Mott Office
Head room shot Shallow focus Manager
Rack focus Jayaraj
Shallow Focus Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Head room Shot Manager

Scene- Mott Office
Dolly in Medium shot to Manager

Scene- Mott Office
Close up of Opening chart

Scene- Mott Office
Low angle Shot Manager, Jayaraj
Tilt Medium shot
Zoom in Shaking Hands

Scene- Mott Office
Zoom shaking hands
Fast Zoom out shaking hands colleagues

Scene- Mott Office
Overhead shot area office

Scene- Mott Office
Full shot of Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Slow Pan Medium Close shot (Jayaraj back, Shankaran)

Scene- Mott Office
Overhead shot Jayaraj and Shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Medium close shot Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Medium close shot Shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Master Shot of Jayaraj and Shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Over the shoulder shot (shankaran) to Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Medium shot Shankaran (Jayaraj back in frame)
Tracking Shot shankaran
Freeze Frame shot Shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Dolly shot (in frame at end Shankaran)

Scene- Mott Office
Low angle shot from manager chair (In frame, manager and Shakaran)

Scene- Mott Office
Eye level Medium shot Manager

Scene- Mott Office
Master shot of Shakaran and Manager

Scene- Mott Office
Eyelevel Mid shot of Shankaran sitting
Zoom out Include Shakaran and Manager(back)

Scene- Mott Office
Head room shot of Manager

Scene- Mott Office
Hi angle shot Manager opening drawer

Scene- Mott Office
Shallow focus (Paper) Mid shot Shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Overhead Scene of Paper transferring

Scene- Mott Office
Eyelevel Head room shot Shankaran reading

Scene- Mott Office
Close up Two Shot Eyelevel to manager (Shakaran with paper, Manager)

Scene- Mott Office
Tilt Close up Two shot (Shankaran getting up)

Scene- Mott Office
Hi angle Close up Two shot- (Shakanran, Manager)

Scene- Mott Office & Studio
Zoom Shankaran
Close up Thermometer
Zoom shankaran
Close up Thermometer

Scene- Party Hall
Close up Balloon bursting
Close up Tracking cake to Medium Shot Jayaraj, friends (Long Shot style)

Scene- Party Hall
Medium shot Happy b’day poster

Scene- Party Hall
Medium shot Jayaraj

Scene- Party Hall
Medium shot Raji and friends

Scene- Party Hall
Zoom out Raji and friends
Shallow focus Raji and Friends
Mid shot (Moving into frame) Jayaraj (Rack focus)
Tracking Jayaraj

Scene- Party Hall
Munich Shot (Dolly out- arc- over the shoulder)

Scene- Party Hall
Zoom in TV

Scene- Bachelor Room
Zoom out TV (to room)
Long tracking shot (person moving out of room) to Shankaran

Scene- Studio
DON style
Slow pan Maya and daughter

Scene- Bachelor Room
Close up Head room shot Shankaran

Scene- Site Area
Wide area shot of site (Priyan style)

Scene- Site Area
Dolly In (side of the bus to entrance)

Scene- Site Area
Hi angle shot of shankaran
Zoom in Helmet

Scene- Mott Office
Zoom out helmet to Jayaraj in office

Scene- Mott Office
Wide t0 Master shot Jayaraj alone in office

Scene- Mott Office
Low angle shot Jayarajan working on computer

Scene- Mott Office
Close up Computer

Scene- Family room
Departed shot (jayaraj sitting in room)
Shallow focus Jayaraj
Rack focus Raji on phone with friends
Flash cuts (daughter, son)
Shallow focus Jayaraj turning (sound of News)

Scene- Bachelor room
Medium shot Television
Shallow focus Glass and Hands

Scene- Bachelor room
Overhead shot area

Scene- Bachelor room
Low angle Shot of people sitting and standing
Zoom in Shankaran

Scene-Site Area
Zoom out Scene from Shankaran in site

Scene- Site Area
Slow pan Medium shot of People lifting the piece

Scene- Site Area
Slow Dolly to Shankaran
Zoom to Chart in hand of shakaran

Scene- Mott Office
Zoom out Office meeting scene

Scene- Mott Office
Medium Shot Slow motion of manager

Scene- Mott Office
Dolly to Medium close up Jayaraj
Pan Jayaraj to exit out of door

Scene- Site Area
Medium close up shot of Shankaran coming from door

Scene- Site Area
Dolly shot to Labourers.

Scene- Site Area
Slow Pan Hi angle Shot of Shakaran and labourers (back of room)

Scene- Site Area
Medium Close shot of Shankaran and exit room

Scene- Family room
Medium Close shot of Jayaraj entering room

Scene- Family room
Close up Watch

Scene Family room
Tilt Mid shot of Jayarajan

Scene- Family room
Medium shot of family

Scene - Family room
Low angle Tracking Shot Jayaraj

Scene- Family room
Hi angle shot of Raji
Hi angle Shot of Son
Hi angle shot daughter

Scene- Studio
Munich Shot Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Medium shot of Cart

Scene- Studio
Overhead shot of area

Scene- Studio
Medium shot of cart
Zoom out to include Jayaraj back

Scene - Studio
Medium shot of Jayaraj moving to cart

Scene- Studio
Medium close up Raji

Scene - Studio
Head room shot Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Hi angle shot Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Close up Two shot (son, raji)

Scene- Studio
Medium close up Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Over the shoulder shot (Jayaraj) dismissal Paper

Scene- Studio
Close up of Paper

Scene- Studio
Eyelevel Close up of Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Pedestal shot
Low Angle Medium close up shot Manger

Scene- Studio
Hi angle shot Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Low Angle Medium close up shot Manager

Scene- Family room
Medium shot Jayaraj waking up in dark

Scene- Family room
Overhead shot room


Scene- Family room
Medium shot Jayaraj

Scene - Family room
Close up Switch


Scene - Family room
Low angle
Shallow focus Light
Rack focus Jayaraj
Rack Focus Light

Scene- Bachelor Room
Close up Light ON

Scene- Bachelor Room
Hi angle Medium Close up shot Shakaran on bed

Scene- Studio
Head room Shot Shakaran (Maya, daughter entering frame)
Zoom out to scene in cart

Scene- Bachelor Room
Hi angle zoom shankaran on bed

Scene- Studio
Medium shot Shankaran, maya, daughter

Scene- Site area
Wide Area to Medium close shot Shankaran

Scene- Site area
Close up of Mobile phone

Scene- Site area
High angle Medium Close up of Shankaran

Scene- Site area
Tilt Medium close up Shot Shakaran

Scene- Site area
Close up of Mobile Phone pressing

Scene- Family room
Close up Mobile ringing

Scene- Family room
Zoom out (Jayaraj in frame and further Raji, children)

Scene- Family room
Head room shot Raji ,

Scene- Family room
Low angle shot (In frame: Jayaraj, raji )

Scene- Family room
Medium shot Jayaraj and children
Zoom In to Telelvision and finally getting off

Scene- Office area
Transition to Car window
Zoom out Jayaraj getting out of car

Scene- Office area
Extreme wide shot of Area

Scene- Lift area
Close up of Lift display coming down

Scene- Lift area
Medium shot- jayaraj waiting for Lift

Scene- Lift area
Close up of Lift display at ground

Scene- Lift area
Medium shot of Lift closing

Scene- Lift area
Close up- Pressing switch

Scene- Lift area
Full shot – Shankaran opening lift

Scene- Lift area
Medium Close shot- Shakaran and Jayaraj

Scene- Studio
Undershot of Shankaran and Jayaraj

Scene- Lift area
Low angle Close –up Lift display

Scene- Mott Office
Close up card of shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Low Angle Medium close shot Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Medium Shot Jayaraj and shankaran at door

Scene- Mott Office
Medium Shot Shankaran entering and Jayaraj following

Scene- Mott Office
Close Up Notice Board message

Scene- Mott Office
Slow Motion Tracking of Shankaran comin gout office

Scene- Mott Office
Overhead shot area

Scene- Mott Office
Slow Pan Medium Close shot (Shankaran back, Jayaraj)

Scene- Mott Office
Overhead shot area

Scene- Mott Office
Medium close shot Shankaran

Scene- Mott Office
Medium close shot Jayaraj

Scene- Mott Office
Slow motion Medium Close shot of Jayraj backing and Shakaran comin
Slow motion Tracking Shankaran (front)

Scene- Mott Office
Slow motion Tracking Jayaraj (front)

Scene- Mott Office
Slow motion Tracking shankaran (front)

Scene- Mott Office
Slow motion Tracking Jayaraj (back)

Scene- Market
Wide Area to Long shot Jayaraj in market

Scene- Mott Office
Slow motion Tracking Jayaraj (back) opening the door at end

Scene (Coda Shot)- Market
Wide Area to master shot Jayaraj walking in market
Long shot Tracking Jayaraj
Zoom cut Medium shot Jayaraj

Scene- Market
Priyadarshan Shot of Maya and daughter moving to Jayaraj
Entering the frame Shankaran side ,

Scene- Market
Medium shot Shankaran and Jayaraj shaking

Scene- Market
Hi angle shot Maya and daughter

Scene- Market
Slow Medium Close shot of Shankaran and Jayaraj

Scene- Market
Medium shot Jayaraj and SHankaran walking by
Zoom in TV at shop
Masking Shot

Titles

FILM MAKING TIPS

MOVIES as reference
CITY OF GOD, GODFATHER 1, GODFATHER 2, AZHUTHA EZHUTHU-YUVA, SCHINDLER'S LIST , DARK KNIGHT, RAAVANA, AVATAAR, Mouna RAGAM, GANDHI , SHUTTER ISLAND, TAXI DRIVE, GHOST WRITER, ORU PATHIRA KOLAPATHAKAM, TITANIC, ONCE A THIEF, PULP FICTION , GLADIATOR, DEPARTED , BHRAMARAM, MUNICH, GOOD FELLAS, THE MASK, ORRUMINNAMINUNGINDE NURRUNGUVETTAM , ISHTAM , KITES, TWILIGHT, 2001- A SPACE ODYSSEY, DIL CHAHTHA HAI, BIG B, RED CHILLIES, MAZHAVIL KAVADI, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, IN GHOSTHOUSE INN, PAYASHI RAJA, THE MATRIX, BOMBAY, HEY RAM, ROBIN HOOD, DON, OLIVER TWIST, MEMENTO, KAALA PANI, ANNIYAN, CASINO ROYAL, KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNAA, NANDANAM,


SHOTS
&
SCENES

Extreme Wide Shot
CITY OF GOD , chasing the hen

Establishing Shot
Identify where the scene is taking place usually at the beginning

Long Shot
Shows where you are and what is going on
And entire figure with respect to surroundings
The Funeral Scene in GODFATHER 2

Full Shot
CITY OF GOD when all the thugs including Lil Dice are shown in the frame

Mid Shot or Medium Shot
Shows body language and allows to identify people (waist up)

Head room shot
Includes the background scene as in AZHUTHA EZHUTHU Surya sitting in Assembly

Master Shot
The geography of scene, proximity of actors to one another and objects in scene

Wide Area to Master Shot
Camera rotating from different view to Master shot

Close up to Master Shot
(Property or person)
Eg. SCHINDLER'S LIST walking with a flower pot

Medium Close Up
Till Chest, only the character, half way between the Medium shot and Close up

Medium Close Shot
Till Waist

Close up
Shows emotion

Choker Close up
To chin level

Property Close up
Close up on Property used as a Transition

Extreme close up
To focus on single attention or single facial feature

Close up Head room
CHaracter's Close up but the Back ground visible

Eye Level Shot
Taken with equal footing with the subject being filmed used in marriages

Low Angle Shot
To instill an awe, fear or typical emotion give more power to character as in DARK KNIGHT when joker comes out to shoot Batman from Truck. This is when the camera is positioned low on axis. Technical effects include to make the cars seem to go faster

High Angle Shot
Looking down on something, to make the character insignificant and small, weak like taking children. Used in GODZILLA

Overhead Shot
Used as establishing Shot for specific purposes like two people talking and to identify location.

Under Shot
The Shot is taken when the camera is directly benath the object suggesting extreme power or danger. In CITY OF GOD, shooting of football by Rocket's Brother

Stand- up Shot
A close up shot with Character sitting and camera taken while stand up
Used in RAAVANA, when Commissioner inquires the peopel on Beera

Sit- Down Shot
When the protagonist is sitting and other artists are standing the shot is taken with the eye level of protagonist as in AVATAAR when Sam wothington is on wheel chair and others are standing

Cut in Shot
Showing some part in detail like hand movement to show enthusiasm or Frustration as in watching some exciting horse races
Eg. Mouna RAGAM , revathi’s frustration shown by her hands

Cut away
Something or shots other than current As subject performs an action, some s of opposite actors are taken into account in order to make the shot more effective. Entering of Gandhi into the court in the movie GANDHI. The expression of the judge and people are taken in order to reduce the time for entry of Gandhi. It is a buffer between shots.

Two Shot
Showing two people emotions at a time on screen side by side

Close up Two shot
One persons close up on frame while the other person remains on back visible

Close up Property Two Shot
Focussing a property infront of the frame and the /artists behind. Or
Vice versa allowed
Used in RAAVANA, when Beera attacks the camp of Police at the end . The water can be seen shaking in the front while Beera on the back of the frame .

Three Shot
Three people included in frame. Used in IN HARIHAR NAGAR sequence

Style Three Shot
One persons’ back and other two people on either sides
Eg. SHUTTER ISLAND when Leonardo di caprio meets jail superintendent with friend


Introduction Shot
Used for introducing a character on frame with close ups of body pats, dolly camera and finally Mid close up Shot
Introduction of Sergeant in AVATAR

Pan Shot
Horizontal motion. Horizontal movement of a still camera . the purpose of following action and giving movement to a scene that would be static.

Swish Pan Shot
Moves the camera from one subject to another very quickly. In TAXI DRIVER, Nicolas Cage and his reflection on the mirror is swish Panned.

Slow Pan
For example, A woman sees something on her right and a horror expression comes. Slowly, Camera executes a slow pan to where she is looking in order to make a good shot and arouse viewer curiosity. Can be provide as a Thrill
Also used from objects to master shot

Pan Zoom
Panning and zooming to a particular object

Pan Property Shot
Panning a particular property or individuals or Close ups as in GHOST WRITER, the letter indicating the name of the CIA agent passing between hands towards the end of the movie.

Tracking Shot
Follows the subject or action at a constant distance . A Tracking Shot involves a camera follwoing a person or an object on a parallel tracks.

Reverse Angle Shot
Switches between two or more subjects in a dialogue scene. Used for conversations involving particiaption of many subjects.

Reverse Angle Style
In GHOST WRITER movie, the last accident scene is pictured by people’s expressions and sound rather than showing the accident.
In PATHIRA KOLAPATHAKAM, Mammotty's expression and sound of gun, with people's movements into the chamber is used to indicate the death of Haji at the closing credits of the movie.

Long Take
An uniterrupted shot lasting several minutes.
The Last scene in the movie TITANIC when Rose enters the cabin to join with Jack.
John Woo's ONCE A THIEF entry scene 0f Hero in the party

Long Take Tracking Shot
In PULP FICTION , Travolta entering the Pub with Uma Thurman

Tracking Two shot
King and daughter conversing and moving together in GLADIATOR

YUVA Tracking Shot
In the movie YUVA, Ajay devgan being tracked from back and the camera moving faster to front

Dolly ( or follow action )
The motion of camera along with object but dolly may not necessarily follow action. A mechanism in which the camera to be moved around the scene or location. Common in films. The entry of Jack Nicholson into the store in the movie DEPARTED at the beginning of the movie.

Trucking Shot
Motion of camera backwards when object is moving. a shot in which camera is mounted on a vehicle and moves while filming to front or behind the subject following movement.

Tilt
The camera moves up or down to follow moving obejct to reveal a scene or object in order to fit in a frame. Can be used as establishing Shot too.

Dutch Tilt
Tilting camera off to aside so shot is composed with the horizon at an angle. Used to portray psychological tension.
In BHRAMARAM, Mohanlal getting mad at the end of the movie when he shows the dead body of his family to others.

Tilt Mid shot
Tilting character to show tension as the statue in GLADIATOR while the king is being killedby his son

Angular Tilt
Used in CITY OF GOD when the hen is running and the people chase the hen from the top of a single storeybuilding to bottom

Point of View
To show what the character is looking Can also be used using hand held camera
POV Shots in MUNICH when they go to kill CIA protected terrorist.

Dolly in Zoom out
Taken by Dollying camera In while Zooming Out
The Hotel Scene in movie GOOD FELLAS

Dolly Out Zoom in
Taken by Dollying Camera Out while Zooming In
The entry of Cameroon Diaz and the expression fo Jim Carrey in THE MASK

Zoom Out
In ORRUMINNAMINUNGINDE NURRUNGUVETTAM movie song Poovenam, from bird in cage to three people Parvathi, Nedumudi venu, SHarada in frame

Zoom out Shallow Focus
In ISHTAM movie scene between dilip on phone and nedumudi venu behind the frame

Zoom in
denoting Close ups, Used as transition to another scene
In the movie KITES, the Zoomed visiting card of Casino is used as a transition scene to flash back

Dolly In to High angle shot

When subject is opening an book or packet, the camera is dollied and taken to a high angle shot in order to view what is subject looking
In AYUTHA EZHUTHU, Meera jasmine opening the parcel to take gun

Dolly out to High Angle shot (using crane)

In order to get a view of the artist with respect to surrounding. Used in Action movies.

Hi Dolly in
&
Hi dolly Out

From Overhead, camera moves down and Up . Used in TWILIGHT, while artists lie on the ground.

American Shot
Group of people gathered so all visible to camera. Used to show scenes whent he character goes unconsious and people agther around the artist.The frame shall include all the artists looking down on the actor.

Bird’s eye shot
War scenes are taken normally

Crane Shot
Overall view

Freeze Frame Shot
Acotrs freeze during a performance like walking
Or still shots as in CITY OF GOD when narrator introduces the Trio

Match cut
Matching the action, Linking ideas. A smooth Transition between scenes and elements of meaningful comparison between elements in both shots.
In 2001- A SPACE ODYSSEY, Caveman throws a stick up and changes to Satellite.
Two shots taken.. eg: a person with mobile phone ringing taken from distance and picking the phone taken closer to match the scene

Flash Cut
For example On a table 2 people are sitiing and in next shot, they are having cofee in their hands.
In movie RAAVANA, when police raid the forest to find beera, he escapes in a boat. The scene is taken in flash cuts.

Zoom Cut Shot
Zoom in cut
Zoom out cut
Zooming in and zooming out with BGM

Jump cut scene
Walking down stairs taking too much time, we can take jump cut scene

Straight Cut Shot
The abrupt transition between two shots is straight cut.

Sequence Shot
A sort of Long Take Scene

SnorriCam
It is a camera device ed in film that is rigged to body of actor, facing the actor directly, so when he walks, he does not appear to move, but everything around him does.
in DIL CHAHTHA HAI, this technique is used for Amir khan

Chest mount camera
Used in RAAVANA, when Beera rotates in a boat while having conversation with Aishwarya.

Hand Held Camera
To obtain the point of View shots to bring in originality used in SCHINDLER’s LIST especially in holocaust area.

Over the head conversation
Shot and conversation when the camera is placed over the head.

Over the shoulder conversation
The mosts standard shot and conversation when the camera is placed between the shouldrs and following the golden ule of 180

Angular Over the Shoulder conversation
In an angular manner, camera is placed over the shoulder

Over the body conversation
Usually when the character is sitting and the opposite actor standing , the camera shall be placed over the body of the opposite actor in order to obtain an eyelevel shot of the character sitting.

Face to Face
WHen two actors converse face to face in a frame.

Wipe Conversation
Used in BIG B as two actors Mammotty, Bala come together in the frame with a separator talking to each other but in different locations.

TWO Shot Conversation (zoom out shallow focus method)
RED CHILLIES Style, Mohanlal appearing in the frame and Biju menon in the frame

Panning Conversation
SCHINDLER’s LIST Conversation Actors talking in front of window and moving outside (Medium Close shot) with camera panning to ensure lively conversation

Swish Pan conversation
in AZHUTHA EYUTHU, Conversation among the crowd when Surya declares the candidate for election

Slow Arc conversation
Camera moving around the artist while conversing
USed in RAAVANA, when the starting of discusiion between three brothers after capturing Govinda

Slow Track conversation
Camera moving along with actor while conversing, typically used in investigation movies

Leadroom Conversation
Used in conversation giving more space in the frame when one actor talks to another.

Attenborough style conversation
A variety Dialogue conversation but in frame the opposite actor who is moving towards the subject presenting the dialogue in GANDHI

Manual Focus
Focussing but not with a depth of focus.

Deep Focus
Using large Depth of Field. In deep focus, foreground, middle ground, and back ground all are present.

Shallow Focus
Means focussing a subject, whether in background or foreground resulting in every thing else being thrown out of Focus. This is done to direct viewer's attention to something.

Rack Focus
To shift attention of viewer by changing focus from subject in the d to subject in the background. Also used when Focussing an object and later the subject

Depth of Field
Focussing a particular subject among a group while the others remain blur accompanied after Manual focussing

PAN Manual Focus
Used to Focus on particular characters from a group not visible clearly with the intention to show protagonist. In MAZHAVIL KAVADI, Jayaram points out to Innocent, sreeja.

Lead room shot
Giving space for car moving and thus lead lines . Used to show sport scenes too as there is afrequent movement.

Fast Forward Shot
Increasing the speed of duration of a frame. Accompanied by Dolly, Arc, trucking, tracking shots.
In movie GHOSTHOUSE INN, the starting scene when camera moves around the house and gate in order to invoke a horror feeling

Eco shot
Shot of echo type scene coming after the scene

Window opacity shot
The opacity of window is used to show expressions. In SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, when the body of son arrives to home, the window reflection is used to show mother's tears.

Water wave shot
Image reflection from water
used in PAYASHI RAJA,when heroine travels on acart in the song kunnathe poovinum, the scene starts form the reflection.

Mirror Shot
Using Mirror to show movements and expression as
in MUNICH, the informer travelling in car

Reflection Shot
Used for table glass reflection or any material reflection
in RED CHILLIES, when Mohanlal conversing, his reflection n table is used
MUNICH when hero goes to embassy to collect the money prior to mission.

Mosaic shot
For flash back

Transition Shot
Two video shots joined together is a transition shot
Eg. In SHERLOCK HOLMES movie, Watson getting up and the camera moving up to change the scene for long shot in a market.
In 2001- A SPACE ODYSSEY, Caveman throws a stick up and changes to Satellite.

Dialogue Transition Shot
Eg. In GANDHI, after Gandhi gets idea on civil disobedience on the beach then next scene changes to British officers starting dialogue on Salt as an indication to what gandhi's idea was. Here dialogus is used to link scenes.

Sound Transition Shot
In order to start the next scene provide sound to any item like opening book, moving of car. This should come after silence or slow music. In MUNICH, opening the book by the treasurer is used a s transition.

Property Transition
Linking property of one shot with the next scene

Swish Pan Transition with music
A sudden change of scene to a completely another location can be done by a swish Pan transition. n the movie GOLMAAL RETURNS, each scene is linked to next scene this sort of transition.

Light Transition
Heavy light used to show change of scene. used in AVATAR, in the beggiining when Sam worthington makes a narration and scene changes to his brother
In the closing scene of TITANIC, when the camera goes through ruined ship and suddenly changes original Titanic.

Establishing Shot Transition
Scenes starting with tilting or panning to Master Shot.

Dissolve Transition/ Wipe Transition /Fade Transition
In CITY OF GOD, Rocket and others going to school, and when a car passing through they turn big theryby going to college

Arc Transition
In CITY OF GOD, ROcket's memory goes back into his childhood from the present scenarion when he gets caught between police and Lil dice

Time TRANSITION
In RED CHILLIES, when Biju menon waits near bridge to kill Thilakan

Manual Focus Transition
In ORU NAAL VARUM, the scene starting from Manual focus of Program banner before the song in the auditorium

Comical Transition
Transition from one scene to another based on items or objects in the succeeding scene appearing in the concluding scene eg. In AtHITHI TUM KAB JAOGE

Trunk Shot
Shot from trunk of a car as in PULP FICTION
Also with properties similar to situations

Musical Shot
Certain scenes taken parallel by providing music
The drug taking scene in PULP FICTION, by Travolta usually Slow Motions and Extreme Close ups
In the movie MAZHAVIL KAVADI, Jayaram escaping with Sreeja to register for marriage

Blue Screening
Eg: Through keyhole and camera zooming eyes..
Eg. Editing technique in which person may be indifferent area but shot in another

Multi Take Shot
Different angles for the same shot
In RAVANA, Aishwarya falling from the branches into the riveer.

Look at -Field of view Shot
Eg.Harvey tuning to find Batman gone in DARK KNIGHT

Arc Shot
To move around object in circular motion- eg: Twentieth century fox logo
In CITY OF GOD, ROcket's memory goes back into his childhood from the present scenarion when he gets caught between police and Lil dice

Slow Arc Shot
To move around a character very slowly as in RAAVANAA, when the theree brother start discussion on releasign Govinda

Fast Arc Shot
As discussion between brothers get hotter in RAAVANA, the arc shot turns fast.

Head On Shot
When the action comes straight to the camera
The car falling down from the truck and coming over to the car at the back in KITES

Tail away shot
When the action moves away from camera
In DARK KNIGHT, Batman's Bike moving away from camera after crash.

Pedestal shot
To move vertically the camera as the object like picking up something.. But Not tilting
In SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the introduction of Tom Hanks inside the vessel from his fingers.

Wipe Shot
One Scene progressively replaces another
In CITY OF GOD, Rocket and others going to school, and when a car passing through they turn big theryby going to college

Fade In and Fade Out
A Transition Shot device for moving one scene to another. A Fade Out is used to end scene.
Particularly used in GODFATHER 1, in order to show the change of scenes.

Dissolve Shots
A gradual transition in which one scene fades out and the other fades in. Usual for passage of time, flash black or a dream In RAAVANA , Aishwarya rai sitting on the steps , camera moving in and then Dissolving shot for Close up

Flip over scene
Used for Memory flashback

Dissolve Zoom Shots
Used to show distress or particular emotionIn RAAVANA , Aishwarya rai sitting on the steps , camera moving in and then Dissolving shot for Close up

Over the shoulder +Dolly
In GLADIATOR , the Emperor king speaking and his movement towards Maxiwell

Arc + dolly
In DEPARTED movie, Police commissioner speaking to Matt Damon about Capello

Moving into Frame style
Object in the frame when characters moving into the frame usually for introducing a character

Over the Shoulder + Hi angle
When a person looking down into well, in order to capture vision for the audience

Aside
Speaking directly to camera as Mohanlal in RAAVANA PRABHU

Coda
Wordless epilogue usually at end of filmIn ORRU MINNAMINUNGINTE NURUNGUVETTAM, scene at the end of movie as Nedumudi venu and Sharada become lonely

Masking
Point of view Shot through binoculars, keyholes etc.

Multi Masking
In RAAVAN , Police Commissioner making holes on photo with cigarrete and film shot through Holes

Motif
An element in a film , a symbol or pattern, a thematic element In NANDANAM , the idol of Sree Krishna being

Set Scene
A scene standing on its own,
eg. Bullet dodging scene in MATRIX

Sight Gag
Silent shot for comedy, in CID MOOSA when the artist falls of the building and is seen lying on the ground.

Soft focus
Filter placed over the camera lens in order to show love scenes etc. eg. In BOMBAY , the love scene between Arvind Swamy and Manisha during the song.

Ghost Shot
Certain scenes where a character appears although physically not present in scene

Darkness Shot
Shot taken from darkness.
SCHINDLER’s LIST, the starting scene of lighting candle
In RAAVAN, opening room to inform the death of sister when Beera is inside on bed

Mani Ratnam Style
Using Natural scene available as Frame, adjusting actors accordingly
From equipments to Master scene or
From other sceneries to Master shot

Quentin Tarantino Style
Car exiting scene in PULP FICTION showing the name of the pub Travolta is heading to

DON style
Dialogue conversation while doing establishing shot before master shot
Used in SUPERMAN 1 movie in the Newspaper Office

PULP FICTION Style Shot
Dialogues with no people in frame, eg. Searching medical book by actor and only dialogues

Cartoon effect
Eg. In ATHITHI TUM KAB JAOGE the scene from cartoon is transformed to Ajay devgan

SHUTTER ISLAND Style
A typical establishing shot when the main object like ship comes visible from dew

Imaginative Shot
Eg. HEY RAM, the love making scene of kamalhassan and vasundhara
SHUTTER ISLAND - Dying of Di caprio’s wife inside the burnt house
RAAVAN, Aishwarya crying for help on island

SCHINDLER’S LIST Shot
Opening the box of moneyby the SS agent.

Crowd Shot
Taken in GANDHI when Gandhi leads the Dandi March. From the protagonist’s Medium Close Shot to Crane shot and then Long Shot of the crowd.

Thrill Shot
In GHOST WRITER Passing of paper with the name of the criminal using BGM
In GODFATHER 1, moving the bed sheet to find the head of horse with BGM

Narrative Style Shot
The scene being depicted when the narration is going on maybe else where as in GODFATHER 1 about Hagen describibng about narcotics dealer or
Starting scene of AVATAR when there is a story narration

DEPARTED Shot
Looking onto the computer to search details on Capello

Montage Shot
Techinque in film editing in which a series of shots are edited into sequence to condense space, time and information
News paper cuttings or pictures to tell history
eg. title in the movie CHAOS

NOTEBOOK Style Shot

Hero lying down and camera moving up and down and rotating

Speilberg Style Shot

Prime minister coming in frame after file is moved in MUNICH

MUNICH Style

Flashback of incident or any events parallel to present scene depicted throughout picture

MUNICH SHOT

Arc shot to Over the shoulder to see the area, colonel looking into the TV in The film MUNICH

PARALLEL SHOTS /Christopher Nolan Style

The DARK KNIGHT , a series of scnes, include Harvey caught, batman trying to catch, Joker escaping etc.. all done parallel

Flashback Style Shot

Used in BIG B for the mother saving children from boat

YUVA Shot

Shot taken from over the head upside down as in song between Vivek Oberoi , Kareena kapoor.

CASINO ROYAL Shot

James Bond opening his eyes in the hospital

ROBIN HOOD shot

Point of view of moving arrow

CITY OF GOD Shot

Using the part of a property to show emotions of a character as can be seen in a shot in the car when she finds her lover being shot

Typical shot used in ANNIYAN with hero’s point of view shot through hair

Used in IN GHOSTHOUSE INN, when Jagadeesh places chicken in the freezer.

CAR SHOTS

Front Car Shot, Back Shot , Two Car Shot

My Friend Kavitha-II

Was that a hallucination or was it faked up completely by Kavitha just to rattle me up? I was completely mystified at the incident and could not understand the enigma of that numbers. Was it a code that has to be scratched to get into the bottom of this? 1101. 1+1+0+1=3, was it that three times she had attempted to suicide but met with success only the third time. Or was it that the numbers contained something digital ingredient in it owing to the fact that Rita was an engineering student and so even her ghost would be quite aware of the technological innovations. 20 + 0 + 22 + 23= 13, Ajay might be her 13th romantic affair, and on losing him she was very depressed which persuaded her to commit suicide. I looked at Kavitha. Her eyes were completely on the numbers and she kept moving around the table, sometimes going close to it and then to the side. Then she bent down on her crotch as if ready to take a leap which resembled a lady Sherlock Holmes on action (as per the narrations of Arthur Conan Doyle). All of a sudden she snapped her neck back. Then she came over to me and in a megalomanical style, she said “Shereen, tomorrow we leave early to our college”.

Madurai, our destination, was 200 kms from kavitha’s locality and due to the long and tiresome journey; we preferred to go by train although she was adamant to use the bus. We started as soon as the first ray of the sun had hit the earth. She never uttered a single word throughout. Occasionally she coughed and then was fully preoccupied in her thoughts. I never asked her intentions or what she had deciphered from yesterday. Often she turned sepulchral. I felt quite relived when the train approached Madurai station for her silence was piercing through my nerves. I had already drained four packets of cigarette. We had hurriedly moved out of the station and picked an auto rickshaw that was parked in front. I was about to say our college name (that was quite enough for it being the most famous university in Madurai) but Kavitha caught hold of my hand.
“Sethuram Lodge”
I was surprised for she had said that in a preposterous manner. For a moment I thought she did not want to go to the college right away and would want to fresh up before she jumps into any of her friends. It was almost four in the evening and the lodge was just a few minutes drive from the station. While she was in her room, I would drop in for a hearty meal as I was feeling very hungry having survived on just cigarettes throughout the day.

Sethuram lodge was located in the centre of the market. There were mobile stalls with flowers and fruits neatly arranged on it. Jack fruits were cut open with flies swarming around it thus infiltrating the premises with a disgusting stench owing to the fact that the jackfruit season had just commenced in Kerala, the aroma of which was pulverising and the most comforting element for the people around. Ladies, with wide variety of resplendent flowers painstakingly arranged on their back, wore thin sari unveiling their blouse and their bare stomach, tightening the sari just below their immensely huge belly button, sat on the street on either side selling flowers and other house hold items, gently pulling up the sari to their thighs, whenever a male customer approaches them. The lodge was centred in between a audio library shop, that played devotional songs solemnising Madurai Meenakshi( the goddess of Madurai) throughout the day, and a vegetarian hotel, that naturally would be the biggest crowd puller in that area owing to the fact that Madurai residents always had a heavy appetite and were enormously food loving. Before the auto rickshaw had come to a halt, Kavitha jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the lodge. I felt perplexed at her actions but my eyes were all fixed on the menu card, written on a stand, placed in front of the hotel. The odour of food stiffened my nerves while I could not resist the force that pulled me to its doorway. All of a sudden Kavitha came running out of the lodge and I saw her huge eyes swaying rapidly.
“Shereen, come over quickly”
I slowly took our luggage and followed her as she ran through the steps. She had the key with her for I could hear the chinking sound while she ran. I did not have to climb much for I lost her when I had just managed to reach the first floor tracing her in front of a room, already placing the key in the key hole and moving it back and forth for she was least concentrating on it as her eyes were fixed on to the crest of the door. With a loud bang, she opened the door and went inside. I came in front of the door, kept the luggage down and looked up inquisitively wondering what was that her eyes were bulging out at. Suddenly, I felt a twinge in my heart as I saw the number written in bold italics on the steel plate. 1101.

For a moment, I grasped why my friend was in such a hurry and why was she concerned throughout the journey. Probably, this was the lodge where they had spent their time for the exams. But all these days gone, what was Rita was trying to confer on her friend Kavitha, regarding something suspicious concerned with the room. Kavitha was staring at the walls as I saw her move her eyes hurriedly as if she was hunting for something that she had kept in the room.
“Shereen, Listen. I know you might have understood that we had stayed here during our exams. On that day, our exams got over (since we belonged to different sections our practicals varied), we had reserved our tickets back home and was about to vacate the room. She said that she was waiting for Ajay and would join me in the station. I waited there in the lounge till morning only to return back and find her lying on the track”.
Tears rolled down from her eyes when she had finished with her words that left her mind pondering for a moment. I did not console her for I knew that tears remained the most soothing practise to ease your tensions (based on the old law of thermodynamics that energy has to be converted from one form to another). When one feels tensed, tears prove to be the best factor to diminish the repercussions of the mounting pressure. Suddenly, she stopped crying and took a deep breath inside, a technique she had always told me to follow so as to pull out from the mongering thoughts, at times when our mind dithers. I moved near to the window and pulled the curtain. The crowd, with the typical evening purchase syndrome, had started pouring in as the market drooled on approaching the final hours for the business transactions of the day. I opened the window. A sudden gush of wind streamed into the room that pushed me back with a sudden force and with great difficulty I pulled the window back that had unbolted widely and most surprisingly without a bang.
“What the hell is this wind and that too on the first floor?”
There was no response from Kavitha. I turned around. She was staring at something she had picked up from the floor. It was a few pieces of broken bangles that had accumulated near her legs. She was staring at it when the silence was ruptured by a knock on the door. As the intensity of knocking intensified, I went and opened the door.
“How can I help you?”
A rough hoarse voice greeted me at the door. An old bearded man, his hair uncombed and falling over to his eyes, with a crooked figure and long hands, small eyes, thick eyebrows stood at the entrance, the very sight of him would spoil a month’s appetite.
“I heard the door bell”
“No thanks, we would let you know and by the way no one rang”
“Not in my all this age, I have missed a waiter’s bell”. He replied with his eyes firmly fixed on Kavitha.
“Ok, It might have been a mistake may be this is your first” I just wanted to wind up the discussion.
“Mistakes in this age surely is a premonition for something evil”
I gave him a warm smile unable to grasp what he had just delivered and closed the door to turn back to Kavitha.
“These belonged to my Rita. She had brought me here to show me this. What does this mean?”
“May be she wanted you to keep those bangles as a reminiscence of her”. I spoke out bluntly.
“No. Rita’s pose in that photo, the broken bangles, she wants the world to know something”. After a brief pause, she brought her face close to mine and said in a very malleable tenor “Rita did not suicide. She was killed and that too my poor dear was strangled to death”.
I was petrified. For a moment my mind became completely blank. Her eyes refused to take leave from my face as her looks intensified my fear. I tried to evade her looks and moved my face to and fro expressing vivid range of emotions at what she had just arrived at. Subsequently, I took both my hands and gripped her on her shoulder.
“Kavitha, if this is what you think, we should immediately go and meet Ajay, for I am confident that he was here on that wretched night”.
“Yes and I want to ask him why did he do that for she loved him very much”.

The last time I heard about Ajay was that he was taken into custody the second time on a written statement from Kavitha’s father (well I later came to know that it was not of political pressure but Kavitha had provided some snaps of Rita and Ajay together). She was convinced that Ajay was cruel to Rita that day as Rita had no plans to suicide. Ajay’s father, a business tycoon, did use his political influence to bring his son out. After amassing all these details, including where Ajay was now confined in (he was in his dad’s guest house in Munnar), we decided to continue our pursuit in Munnar. After a hearty meal (the first food of that day although Kavitha ate very less), we started right away so that we could be there early before the dawdling population makes it into the streets. The mountainous ride, hair pins after every twenty minutes and red sign boards with a wide range of quotes on life and time intentionally displayed to inculcate vigilantness among the drivers but a few of it losing their resplendence with the years and the rest unable to be perused as a result of being a relaxation spot for the birds; the roads crawling through the mountains, the journey being quite bumpy at the curves, with a few locals ascending the bus with all their utensils and food materials maybe to last days in the mountains, it turned out to be a real hectic journey in spite of the striking and sumptuous scenario outside as the sun slowly started creeping out from its den. I sat looking outside at the stretched hills, huge rocks on the side of the road (beneath each hill) resembled gaol birds vying for freedom from the cell in which they remained captured; the mountain goats feeding on the tropical grass obtruding us on their survival skills and their meticulous adaptability to the local flora from their easiness to stride through the steepness of the hills, All had obtained a deluge of their creator on them, an insignia of their existence in this world as Kavitha kept her head on my shoulders; Both of us really unaware of the impending perils we would have to prevail over to unravel the mysteriousness of the polemical pose of Rita in that frame.

Munnar's mesmerising greenery, mountain scenery, calmness and cool refreshing air has always been a hub for the honeymooners and tourists throughout the year. The dawning rays in connivance with the morning breeze emanated a recipe of novelty in us, the fragrance invigorating the substance of mind already infiltrated with impugned, unsubstantial conjectures. The tea estates were a sumptuous feast to one’s eyes as the workers had already gathered to commence their routine work of plucking the tea leaves and dumping in their basket, tied around their waist. The small breeze rejuvenated the creatures around as the humming birds wafted to the rhythm of the breeze while the cats delivered their unremitting cries to rope in their much needed attention and the street dogs lay lazily on the roads with their eyes firmly fixed on the food stalls. All the spectacular scenario around bolstered our morale except a half naked fakir who sat on the pavement near the bus station exposing his hairy crotch, his huge black balls sagging and his thin long penis hanging down loosely spoiling the opulent talisman and the sketching of the true essence of Munnar. I turned around to Kavitha who was quite busy searching for an auto for she had the address written down on a piece of paper which she was unable to memorise owing to her anxiety and nervousness.

The estate which belonged to Ajay was small compared to the immensely huge estates others had over there. The gate was open so our auto drove into the mansion that covered almost two-third of the estate. There were neatly arranged flower pots with different varieties of flowers in it. The area around the mansion was atrophied either due to improperness on behalf of the proprietor or it reflected the sluggishness of the workers there. A kariveetti tree stood on to the left of the mansion on which sat a crow that gave us a reception with its callous shrieks that reminded me of the old folk tale about crows on their capability to notify the house folks at the arrival of some very particular guests. I could see a frustration curtailing Kavitha’s actions else she would have been quickly on her feet and made it onto the doorbell by now. She hindered and looked at me. I could reach her feelings for all this days and years with her, it was quite feasible for me to read her mind. I knew that she had a trouble facing Ajay. She had always told me that both Ajay and Rita were terribly in love and that nothing could come in between them. But Rita’s suicide had devoured her assurances for if Rita had any intentions to suicide, at least she would have dropped a hint on this to Kavitha, which was quite enough for Kavitha to placate her so that she returned back to her normalcy. But things had occurred abruptly even before Kavitha could do something. I knew she had a hesitation to meet Ajay after quite along time. I stepped in and pressed the doorbell, with Kavitha shrugging herself behind my back so as to avoid a direct eye contact with Ajay right at the door.

It transpired just as I expected. Ajay opened the door. He looked sullen and gloomy. He did not smile at us but his nonchalant composure indicated that he was expecting one of us some day. His eyes met Kavitha’s and for a second both were left in their thoughts.
“Kavi, won’t you talk with me?”
“I never expected this situation”
Both of them sunk their heads down and an ephemeral silence spilled out disturbed by the ubiquitous cries from the crow, which sat on the Karveetti tree outside, until I interrupted.
“Can we come inside Ajay or do you wish us to leave?”
Ajay opened the door wide and nodded us to come in. We entered a huge sitting room with divan beds in the centre, fully carpeted, an old grandfather clock on to the left, and a small vestibule with the portrait of a lady at the far right. With a sheer resemblance to Ajay, the lady portrayed could be easily identified as his mom for she had passed away quite a few years back when Ajay was just seven (I knew a lot about Ajay from Kavitha). There were a flight of steps on either side in order to get to the top. (I only could explain where my eyes reached, but a lot still remains to be narrated especially a fountain like object pumping air out probably with the help of a compressor, and leaf like patterns floating in the air due to the force of the pumped compressed air, the entire thing stood on the floor above and right were the steps halted). I was running my eyes around when Ajay interrupted with his nasal voice.
“Janaki, bring some cool drinks here”.
I was expecting a middle aged lady to emerge from inside carrying a tray with the drinks on it. But contrary to my expectation, a young lady appeared. She wore a traditional dress of blanket type cloth tied around her body exposing her bare shoulders. Although dark in complexion, she had a round chubby soft face with small soft eyes, thick black hair, long and pointed nose, plastic earrings and a small traditional sticker(Bhindi) on her forehead thus exhibiting her naturalness with panache. She never looked at us neither Ajay as her eyes were completely fixed on the tray .As she turned back after placing the tray on the stand, I was fascinated by her desi(local) mode of dressing. It was a single piece of cloth first rolled around her bottom and then the piece extended like a typical sari tied around her breasts making her abdomen slightly visible. The cloth although resembled a ruck sack but she was a delight to watch for the dressing ballooned her buttock, protruding it and the curve above it taking a fine bend, exhibiting her feminity quite libidinously. She was quite young probably around 19 or 20. I was quite conspicuous of her presence there for I could sniff signs of melancholy in her looks.

“Kavi” Ajay began after a brief pause making certain that no one’s around,
“Do you believe that I would do that to my Rita?”
Kavitha looked straight into his face with her big eyes bludgeoning at him.
“No Kavi, I cannot do that. Ever since I lost my mom, I always yearned for love in my life. I had started this relationship with intentions unbeknownst to you all. But she had capitulated my masquerade plunging me into a state of contrition at my past life and pulled me out from the pit of dilemmas that would have buried me alive had she not come into my life in time.”
Before he had completed tears streamed from his eyes and he burst out crying like a child, his mind kneeling way down to his emotions. I got up from the seat leaving him behind for self consolation, trying hard to divert my attention to a knick knack sound coming from the window the perpetrator being a crow tapping its beak on the window pane.
“I know you were there in the lodge to meet her” Kavitha continued not heeding to his whimper.” What did you do to her then”.
“Yes, I was there. But I was informed that both of you had vacated the lodge two hours ago and that you were already late for the train”.

“This bloody crow, shoo…”. The bawl came from outside which was followed by a loud banging of the door.
“Get me the gun, I wanna kill this fucking crow”. A young man, almost around the age of Ajay, with a long face and piercing eyes, pursed lips, with cropped hair entered the hall. He was rubbing his fingers on his arm as if sustained to some injuries, when he noticed some new faces in the room.
“Rohit, these are my colleague or rather my juniors Kavitha and Shereen”. Ajay introduced us audaciously.
“Oh my.. another case of astute romancing and escapade”. Rohit blurted out eyeing at us.
I felt shy at what Rohit had just delivered as I profoundly swayed my eyes over to Kavitha. She was looking down neither interested in the conversations nor in the guest who had just dropped in, her concentration completely drawn into her intimate friend’s dilapidated tale.
“No, No” Ajay interrupted. “This is something else, I will tell you and by the way guys, this is my intimate friend Rohit”.
“OK, guys not breaking up the matter. Carry on. I wanna wash my hand. The birds here are quite dangerous especially the crows”. He gave a pat on my shoulder, with his piercing eyes fixed on Kavitha, and went inside.
There was a brief pause for Rohit’s presence had indeed disturbed the privacy, Kavitha had wished for. She got up from her seat and looked straight into Ajay’s eyes, as if her looks pierced directly into his heart, such was the rigidness she vivified in her eyes.
“One last question Ajay”. She fettered from spilling out her emotional grievances.
“Who told you there that we had left quite early and the room was empty?”
Ajay began concentrating hard in order to figure out the person when she continued,
“Was it an old bearded man, with long hands and thick eyebrows, with a bent body shape?”
“Yes you are right. I still remember him, an ugly old man. But how did you know”
Kavitha was reticent. Without even turning back to him walked out of the room. I followed her waving my hand to Ajay as he stood transfixed at the door, quite confused seemingly unable to comprehend the character who was his lover’s most intimate friend. As we walked by, I could hear the obnoxious cries from a crow, and Rohit’s warning on the birds made me turn back and look over and over again, keeping my hand over my head, expecting a sudden attack as I saw Kavitha speeding herself strenuously submerged in her thoughts, slightly bothered on the notification and warning.

{To be continued}

My Friend Kavitha-I

It was my sister’s sheer compulsion that made me ponder on the existence of ghosts for she believed that, with her pernickety illusions, I would be able to pen a horror script that would satisfy her permutations on chillness. I really have no such personnel experiences to share with my readers on such a frivoling topic as I adjudge the notion that the world of today had no legroom for ghosts and vampires, the entire thing nothing more than a fantasy notched up to blemish the beauty of darkness. But I really would like to share with you a horrendous incident during our university period the very thought of which would often slip me into jitters although the entire incident gyrated around my colleague, Kavitha.

Kavitha was unique. She was plump and had a round face, with her big eyes occupying a major share of her face and salacious eyelashes and most notably her straight well nourished long hair, tied and kept stiff in an aristocratic manner. I still remember my first day at the university, while I was engulfed with thoughts of discontinuing there; she came up to me and introduced herself in an audacious but belligerent style, which promulgated a lasting impression of her in me. Ever since she remained one of my close confidantes and her loquacious nature possessed a sense of respite, soothing and comforting, which made her quite popular among the boys. She harboured a diplomatic efficacy for she made acquaintance with everyone in the college, from the university principal to the canteen boy, who used to wait hours near the college gate smartly dressed just for a jiffy with her. Her most intimate friend was Rita, who was completely contradictory with her. Rita was a very silent girl. She was quite tall. Her delicate feminine features, long legs, her tight dressing and thick lips inundated one with illicit emotions as her perpetual movements were a feast to one’s eyes. Many a times, I had spotted her with one of my seniors, palpitating seeds of doubt in me, the affinity when they were together, their laughs and chatters oblivious of the surroundings. I had inquired on this matter to Kavitha, to rationalise the logic of their relationship as I did not muddle the opportunity I got, on the pretext of their relationship, to flirt with her. She was eluding away from my queries. Finally she conceded that they were in love much to my dismay as I had already diverted the questions of romantic allusions at her leaving behind the matter of subject importance.

During the university exams, they used to take a room outside the hostel for their combined study as well as for the computer classes offered by various training centres that was out of college curriculum. Since they were hardworking and outstanding students, no one bothered their stay outside. They vacated the room only after completion of all the papers. I used to be with them during the initial part of the study leave, dropping them in the middle for much broader concentration. Once after the seventh semester holidays, I had come late from my home. Poignant and heartbreaking information welcomed me at the railway station as I experienced a terrible pain in my head.

“Rita suicided. She jumped in front of a train.”
I did not believe them but the manner by which my friends expressed that, I knew that something terrible has occurred. Rita. What happened to her? Why did she do this? Questions started corkscrewing my mind as tears rolled down from my eyes.
“Where is Kavitha”.I enquired suddenly redeeming myself.
“Her parents came and took her away. She was the first to see her body lying transfigured in the railway track. She had fainted then and there and was rushed to the hospital.”
She was the only person who knew Rita personally. She might be even aware of the persuasion behind this suicide. Suddenly, the scene of Rita with my senior flashed through my mind. Instantaneously and fully rejuvenated, I enquired
“Where is Ajay”
“Ajay is missing.”

I tried to reach Kavitha but had a negative response from her mom, every time I rang up to her house. There was a sequence of events that followed the horrendous episode. Ajay was arrested a few days later and police interrogated him. He was released and the police pin pointed his fear the obvious reason behind his going into hiding at the death of Rita. Since I have seen them together on quite a few occasions, I knew there was something incongruous and suspicious. Kavitha’s father complained to the local police about their affair and later with a political backing pressurised the police to take ajay into custody. One day I was surprised to find a familiar number in my mobile. I picked it up instantly and in the most unpretentious approach and with a placating tone, I addressed the person at the other end.
“Kavitha, how are you? May I know when you are coming back for your attendance is already lagging.”
“I would like to see you personally. So please come over to my house.”
She kept the phone.
Words, sometimes petite and sturdy, hold a lot of spiralling feelings in it be it be obnoxious retorting or pedantic soothing. I knew from her voice that she had something to talk to me very seriously about. I decided to start right away.

It was almost five in the evening when I reached her house. Her house was located a few yards away from the main road but owing to its height, it was noticeable from a distance. The sun looked all set for its hibernation as it sprayed the red crayon in the sky signalling the end of an arduous day task. The winds slowly kissed the palm leaves that surrounded the house, thus symbolising a carribean style of reception delivered probably on my arrival. The gate was partly open. I went inside and knocked the door. A short, stout lady opened the door. From her resemblance to Kavitha, I knew that she was her mom. She looked worn out as if she had not slept the previous days. She did not smile neither the usual curious look sprouted on her face when a young stranger drops in to her house at this part of the day.
“Kavitha..”
“Yes, I am here”

The house was quite big. The entrance led to a big hall with a neatly arranged parapet cushioned sofa sets. Behind the sofa was the stairs that led to the upper portion of the house. I heard kavitha’s voice from the top of the stairs for only the bottom portion was visible from the entrance. She came down on the spur of the moment. She seemed suddenly to become so sophisticated.
“Mom, this is my friend Shereen. He will be with us tonight.”
With that she caught hold of my hand and dashed to her room along the stairs. She released my hand only when we had entered her room, closing the door behind us. Her room was quite small compared to the enormity of the house. There was a bed in the middle of the room and a wooden almirah (three of them together, Oh my god she really kept a huge collection with her) on to the left of her bed. To the right was a dressing table arranged tidily. On the table stood a photo which I think was the contentious issue perpetuating in her. She was in a dexterous laughing position and her hands on the shoulders of her most intimate friend Rita. There was something peculiar rather appalling in the way Rita posed for the photo. She was not smiling but postured a terrified look, her eyes bulging out, filled with terror and her lips tightened, a pose seemingly possible during a physical encounter or strangling. I really wondered what could have been her mood when such a boffin was taken. I felt scared seeing her in that appalling pose and I tried to evade my eyes from it to face kavitha.
“Shereen, What do you think about that photo?”
I looked at her inquisitively and baffled.
“It looks as if someone’s strangling her.”
“Yes, do you think that this photo was clicked with Rita pertaining that pose”
“Then”
“When this photo was taken, we both were hugging each other and were in high spirits owing to the fact that she and ajay decided to get engaged. Two days back, she had changed and retained that frightening pose. At times, I see tears dripping down from her eyes and occasional sobs at night.”
Words dried up in my mouth. A strange dreadfulness envisaged me as I tried not to even glance at that photo.
“You are joking”
“Do you think so? I would call up a person all this way just to share a joke?”

I was told to rest in the room adjacent to her. Her parents seemed very confident about her for they never had even a drop of suspicion in their looks. I kept my bag on the bed but I was worried for it sounded really mystical, the expression of Rita coz it was quite impossible, even for an artist of magnanimous calibre, to pose in front of the camera in such a dreadful manner. Kavitha had asked me to fresh up for the dinner and be alert for she would require my help sometimes way in the middle of the night. Two days back all of a sudden Rita started showing signs of smother, as if someone strangling her followed by her sobs. How could this be possible? I decided to flip through the sequence of events that followed her death. Maybe this might be Kavitha’s hallucination but for a girl of her character, adamant and full of guts, such imbecilic thoughts would rarely spring up. If kavitha was being truthful what had occurred two days back for that transformation of Rita’s expression. The only thing that was sonorous with this incident had been the arrest of Ajay, Rita’s long time boyfriend. What could be the reason? The long and lethargic journey had capitulated me for I found my eyes unable to resist the mounting drowsiness thereby pulling me into a deep slumber.

It was in the middle of the night that I heard a knock outside and I woke up to find Kavitha standing at the entrance, her hair falling down loosely on her shoulders and a few of them sliding down her forehead. (I forgot to switch off the light in the room, not that I was scared but the place was quite new for me)
“Shereen, can you come over to my room”
As she left, I could hear the thumping of my heart for a sense of fear had gripped me that resisted me from jumping out of the bed swiftly. Slowly, without the slightest commotion I went over to her room and closed the door behind. It was pitch dark inside. Her previous narrations, scuttling in me and the chilling silence disturbed by her frequent panting, made my hair stand on the end.
“Kavitha. Iam here”
(I was expecting a lady dressed up in a white sari with a disfigured face and long pointed down teeth, to appear all of a sudden from nowhere and her eerie shrieks would then reverberate in the air)
Kavitha switched on the light. She was in her gown. She was sweating. For a moment I could not really take my eyes of her for she resembled a damsel with her glowing skin, her gown sticking to her body thus evincing her fat but well shaped breasts and her protuberantial nipples. She was not wearing anything inside. Drops of sweat was trickling down through her forehead and making ingress into her parted lips for they were wide open in astonishment. Her cleavage was quite visible for she had left the top buttons open, the hastiness due to the dreadful situation her mind was entangled in. She was breathing quite hastily but was not creating a commotion, the to and fro motion of her chest, and every time she gasps out she kept a hand on her breast.
“See what is written beneath the photo”
I suddenly regained the situation to turn over and face the mysterious photo frame. Rita was in that same appalling pose but the part of the frame below her photo was completely wet as if water was sprayed on that area. And most surprisingly and to my disbelief, below the frame the water drops had collected to form a cluster of numbers 1, 1, 0 and 1.

{To Be Continued}

The Legend of "ONAM" - A Short Story

PART-I

No, I am not revising a tradition that has cultivated harmony and an indelible accountability in the hearts and emotions of the Keralites. Neither I am interested in evincing my protagonism or rather be a proponent for legitimising an ancient historical tale thereby propitiate a supercilious rumpus in the corridors of the literary community intuitionally. Onam is our traditional festival or the season of harvest and the historical saga associated with this festival has a charismatising effect on the most ordinary malayalee for it manifests their hospitability ingenuously. According to the local belief, in a war that took place between the gods and the demons, the demons won. Deeply hurt by the defeat and the intensified prayers reverberating in the premises of the deity, Lord Vishnu in the guise of a Brahmin boy, vamanan, went to destroy the incumbent king of the demons, Mahabali. During the yaga conducted by the king, he asked for three steps of land which was granted. Vamanan covered the whole land with his two steps and then he came back to the King asking him where he can place the third step. The king to honour his word offered his head as the third step. Vamanan pushed Mahabali deep down into the earth. Pleased by his honesty and generosity, the lord in turn granted him a wish that he could visit his kingdom and people on a particular day once a year. Thus the particular day (or days) envisaged into Onam festival; the reception given to the king a distinguished feature of this traditionally resplendent festival. But a king who was deeply committed to his people had such an ill fated end? As Bhagvad Gita quotes “A king is revered to a god once he is faithful to his people”. Was it because of this that Krishna, another incarnation of Vishnu added this in his sagacious verses to Arjuna during the kurukshethra war? If Mahabali was a king who ruled on behalf of the demons, why only the keralites celebrate Onam? Let the myth not eschew our desire to flip the pages through the past.

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Mahabali, whose kingdom lied adjacent to the Arabian Sea on its west and the Western Ghats on the east. As a result of its location, the kingdom comprised of farmers, artisans, potters and many others of the working class community. The king was immensely interested in maintaining the law and order of his kingdom thereby bestowing the cumbersome work of economic management to his most faithful minister. The kingdom had a complacent law and order system with no caste or class distinction or discrimination. In order for the smooth functioning of his kingdom’s judicial system, he ensured the formation of a tangible group in every village, comprising of the elder men, contiguous with him commentating him the day to day state of affairs of their villages. He made sure that the wealth got distributed unilaterally among his people and his kingdom remained free of miseries.

Adjacent to Mahabali’s territory was the kingdom of another legendary king Indr, who unlike Mahabali was not all interested in serving his people but to wage battles so that every kings gave him his share and there by an exacerbation of his supremacy. He had a longing desire to occupy the fertile and prosperous banks of Periyar River, the river flowing through the hearts of Mahabali’s kingdom. But, Mahabali had a very well disciplined army who were willing to withstand all the predicaments to protect their king from the peppery Indr. A messenger was rushed to Mahabali’s court beckoning him to prepare for the war. The king at once summoned his army chief.
“Soldier, the days are less, I bequeath you the responsibility to protect our kingdom and our people from those wretched mercenaries of King Indr. Financially, my minister will assist all your requirements. But, at first you should make provisions for alerting our people about the impending danger we are enveloped in”.

The notion of a war panicked the people. They were quite aware of king Indr’s merciless regiment and their tales of brutalities became the heat of conversation even in the corners of the villages. Travellers, who had been to far off land, narrated them about tales of pathos of the regions Indr captured. Finally, a group comprising of village head man decided to meet the king in order to rejuvenate him and offer their explicit support to their majesty. The very thought of their king serving Indr aggravated their anxiety.
“Your majesty, we all stand beside you in this hour of despair and we offer our support to our soldiers who have been accomplished for this painstaking mission”.

The war began. The grounds trembled beneath their feet as the soldiers battled to save their pride and honour. Initially Mahabali’s army faced serious reverses, but with villagers adhering to the battlefront, Indr’s army could not break through their defence barriers. Finally, they conceded defeat and had to retreat. Probably, this was their first defeat, for Indr had suspended all his amusements in the court, the performance of the gorgeous and rubious damsels. The news of their defeat petrified him and a thumping desire for vengeance preoccupied him. But the war devastated the monetary situation of Mahabali. In order to feed the public during the war, the king had to drench his treasury to a huge extent which left the minister gasping for funds. The situation was quite morose that the king had to confer his golden necklace to garland the victorious warriors on their return. The people got no holiday to rejoice their victory.
“Soldiers and Villagers, This victory shall be perused by generations to come as not just an ordinary battle, but a battle filled with the pride, emotions and most importantly the lasting love showered upon me by all of you. But, we have no time to waste. Rather, I request everyone to commence their work at the earliest”.

But words just could not redeem the dilapidated plight of the villages. Penury of seeds resulted in poor showing by the farmers. As a result the kingdom was slipping into a viscous famine as the besotted relationship between the people strained. Village headman complained of minor burglaries in their provinces.
“Minister, I hear burglaries in my kingdom. I am sure these sprouted up due to the economic imbalance that’s developing among the people. The potters and artisans are able to trade while our most dependable economy agriculture is in shambles. We have to give them more grains”
“Sire, Treasury is almost empty”.

Mahabali opened his eyes after a deep reverie to find a fresh smile on his minister.
“Minister, my smiles have dried up like our fields outside”.
“Sire, I have the solution for your tension. A few days back some traders arrived in our territory. They expressed their willingness to buy our land. Due to our financial strain, I find this a preferable solution. Since we have a lot of barren land where we do not cultivate anything, we can give them that part of it.”
The king nodded his head unwillingly.


PART II


The traders were from the north. They bought the land and decided to do contract cultivation. They bought the seeds from outside and asked the villagers, already reeling in a magnanimous crisis, to cultivate in their land for a small share of the cultivated product. Farmers oblivious of the impending admonition, decided to work with them later found it reproachable. The traders after cultivation took huge profits and gave them only a small portion of their production. But they lured them with loans, pawning their houses and thus enslaving the farmers to work for without even paying them. Slowly they started acquiring the nearby land engaging a hidden pact with the minister. This aggravated the animosity of the villagers for they found the traders at their doorsteps even at the middle of the nights. The relation between the village committee and the King also mitigated which further intensified their woes. Finally, the group decided to meet the king.
“Your majesty, we know very well about our kingdom’s situation. But letting loose these traders will have consigning effects on our people. They come even in the nights knocking our doors, scaring our women and children. They have displaced many a families to streets, who are unable to repay what they have taken. Your majesty, it is in your hands. Only you can help us”.
“Yes, I will look after this”.

The news spread like fire. It shocked everybody in the village. It spread to other villages. Rage and emotion filled everyone’s hearts. For the first time everyone mourned together. From far and wide, people came to see the dreaded scene. Slowly, the king arrived. Tears poured form his eyes. He never knew the situation had become this worse. He saw all the villagers that had assembled there bewailing and filled with grievances. The king returned back and summoned his minister immediately. His eyes were pouring out fire. The minister knew about this in the early hours itself.
“Minister, today I saw four bodies hanging on a tree; a father, mother and two children. This is the first time in my life that such a dreadful thing occurred in a part of my land. And it’s all because of your economic modernisation. Now listen to me. I want to meet those traders. We all will repay their debts. I have decided to save our farmers. We are going to implement cooperative farming. Irrespective of the land whether it belongs to them or me, our farmers together in a cooperative style of functioning will do the cultivation as directed and managed by us. We will then pay their debts and what we have borrowed from the traders. This procedure should be implemented with immediate effect”.

This came as a big blow to the traders. People now completely aware, that it was their honourable king asking them to cultivate, took up their fresh duties with utmost sincerity. Together they worked with fresh rains pouring in as a blessing in disguise. Traders were not all happy for they lost their chance of slowly occupying the parts of the land. They complained to the minister and offered him plenty a reward including the kingdom, if he was successful in halting the king’s evolution. Every field had its own style of product. Some had banana, while some was filled with cardamom. At the end of an agricultural cycle, king directly bought the cultivated products from the people and gave them their share. The rest he showered it on the traders. He kept a small share to feed his army and men. But this did not satisfy the minister, for he found the treasury not catching up to his hidden expectations and agenda.

King was in his jovial mood when the minister came in. The minister was not that delighted to find the majesty happy after quite a long time.
“Minister, from this year onwards we are going to conduct a cooperative market policy too. In fact we don’t have to distribute the materials they are cultivating to them. Rather, those who sow should reap. This market policy will be substantiated and later thoroughly implemented with proper guidance as soon as the harvest season begins. People from any part of the world can come and sell their products and buy what they want in the most reasonable configuration. We should make sure that no farmer who produce gets cheated. This will meet the requirements of the most ordinary man. We will be able to adopt a system where people can cultivate and sell for their way of living. And as for us, since you are bothered too much of our treasury, those people coming from outside our provinces, to sell and buy, should be charged. And I am directly responsible for any farmer who gets cheated “.
The minister was completely speechless.

One fine day, there were a group of men who had come to see the minister.
“Minister, we have heard of you and your modernisation programmes. The traders who had been here have not come merely with the intention of trading alone. They are king Indr’s special force assigned to topple mahabali. They have told me about a reasonable share they used to give you for your explicit support. King Indr has all his minds set on this land. In fact there is a no way out for your king. If you stand with us we will unite and you shall be given this kingdom as such a present. Now the new market innovations implemented immaculately by your king is infiltrating into the minds of our people too. We should not let this market reforms to be a success. We should make some provisions to disrupt his experimentation. With the peoples support, your king is having, we find it very difficult to move into this territory. You should sort a way out”.

The minister was galloping his horse through the village. There was just one day left for the majesty’s glorified market to become a reality. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a house. It was a very small hut with palm leaves not fully laid on the roof. But he was surprised to see a lemon that was growing in front of the house. It was not an ordinary lemon. It was something bigger, something as the size of a jackfruit.
“Anybody inside”
A lady came outside. She was not delighted to see the minister especially when she found his eyes feasting on the lemon.
“My name is adity. This is my son’s labour. His name is vamanan. My husband, a Brahmin, filled with reverence and sycophancy for the king went into the war. He was killed in the battle. Vamanan used to daily water this lemon as a reminiscence of his father. He loves it very much and considers this most auspicious to serve his father”.
The minister reached his court and summoned some soldiers.
“On the last day of the market, you have to go to a nearby village. There you will find a small hut with a huge peculiar lemon growing in front of it. Tell the lady it’s for the king and give her a few grains in return, just the price for an ordinary lemon”.
The minister was scrubbing his hands to and fro for he knew his majesty’s love for children.


PART III

People started pouring in on the opening day of the market. There were people coming from far and wide too. The king had sent his messengers to different territories to ensure the success of his new innovation and make his market acquainted with the people. He was present at the venue when the first ray from the sun had hit the earth so as to completely envision the proceedings right under his nose. Ladies and children also had their agricultural commodities and in turn were able to satiate their requirements. Gaiety and contentment filled the premises except for the minister who stood at the entrance welcoming the people with a cold smile. An open field was divided into four zones based on the professional distinctions. The first zone, the largest and most wide spread consisted of the farmers. There were stalls with the roofs covered by the palm leaves and the banana leaves. The king was present near the grain stall which had the maximum rush. While the second zone comprised of potters and artisans who did the exchange for food materials. The third zone comprised of toys made of clay specially designed for the children. The soldiers who were at the entrance were given strict orders to let only children through. The fourth zone was made for people who had come to sell their products from outside the territory. The king had given the charge of this zone to his minister, to ensure that the treasury keeps running.

The first three days went smoothly. The trading came to a halt only at the sunset. A few stalls continued even after the sunset to meet the demand. The king had arranged the accommodation for the people, who were assigned in the stalls and bestowed with other duties in the market area, in the make shift tents near the field. The astrologer’s prediction was true for it never rained all the three days. The king on his return to the court was explicitly happy.
“Minister, just one day more for this event to go. After that, I will be the most revered king in this world for I have the happiest people with me. I will make sure that everyone is equal not only in front of law but economically. There should be no more hunger in my kingdom. With my new innovations, I will displace all those traders and distribute my land among my people under our authorised control so that they could decide what to sow and what to sell”.
Minister laughed, but his mind was quivering at very thought of the next day.

“Please don’t take that away. My son loves it so much. When he comes back he will ask for it. I will have no answer then. It’s his love and care that has blossomed into such a large fruit”.
The mother’s plea did not reach their ears for they were given strict orders from the minister.
“Sorry, but we have received orders from his majesty. This lemon should go into the market today and should be kept for sale”.
With these words, they took the big lemon which almost required a man’s full vigour to lift it. Without saying a word, they kept a few grains in front of her house and left the scene as directed by the minister.

The last day of the market was particularly crowded. There was not a space to turn around in the field. The most crowded stall was that were the big lemon was kept. It was a beautiful sight to see the gigantic lemon among the ordinary small ones. In fact, the king was eager to see it too. He arrived at the stall as soon as he had been informed about an entirely special thing setting foot in the market.
“It’s extraordinarily beautiful. Let this be a prize. At the end of the day, the most hospitable stall will get this lemon as a reward”.
With these words, he took a sword and split the lemon into two, a cut straight through the middle.

No one might have noticed a small kid, about the age of five to seven, with his bare chest, a thread stringed on his body in a vertical manner, and a thick white cloth neatly folded around his waist reaching his legs, carrying an umbrella, like the most typical Brahmin. He had come there searching for something very important for his eyes was rapidly hunting for it, but the crowd there did not let him move through easily. He decided to meet the king with whom he was quite familiar due to the blind worship by his father. He found the king comfortably seated in one of the stalls with his subjects on his side resembling a yaga, which the Brahmins used to perform for sanctity.
“Your majesty, my name is Vamanan. I am looking for a lemon that has been the subject of conversation here and outside. I would like to verify whether it is mine”.
“Soldiers, please guide this kid to that counter where the lemon is kept. Let him examine it.”
The king thought it was the kid’s mere inquisitiveness that gave birth to that question.

Tears rolled form his eyes, as he saw his lemon, cut into two, the one that he had pampered, nourished, the one that remained a reminiscence of his father, and a last look at the fruit, he could see the very same position his father was on the ground when he was killed during the war. Immediately he rushed to the king, his eyes choking with rage and fury. The king saw him coming from a distance and ordered all his subjects to be silent.
“You are the most hated and wretched king in this world. First you took my father away from me, on the pretext of some war just to satisfy your greed, whom I loved more than my life. Now you took away my lemon which I used to nourish and pamper as a token of my love towards my father. How cruel of you. You deserve to be in the same comportment as my father and my lemon is now else the whole world will one day curse you for this”.

The king got to his feet. He looked at the minister, who kept his head down. With folded hands he went to Vamanan.
“I apologise; I really was unaware of it. But a crime committed is a crime and my law is same for everyone irrespective of who has committed it whether he is the king or his subjects. Minister, I order the royal executioner to have my head cut into two in the very same manner as I have done to his father’s reminiscence.”
Words poured out like thunder bolts from the king. Everyone was petrified. People started to look into each other’s faces completely shocked and amazed at what had been announced by the majesty himself. Ladies, with their children on their hips for a moment raised their hand to their mouth in order to hide their exasperation at the unexpected proclamation by their most revered figure after the lord. The trading stopped instantaneously. Everyone rushed to the zone, where the king was standing with a kid in front of him, looks of whose were quite divine and sacrosanct. The king with hands folded, as everyone watched, bent down touched the legs of vamana.
“Vamana, you are the most precious son a father can have and any son who loves his parents is the god himself. I humbly apologize for my misdeeds. But you should promise me one thing. When you grow up, you and your generations should keep the concept of equality among the people alive and make the people realise the importance of a tangible society where all are equal in front of god as well as the law. You should also keep this market alive once in a year so that the succeeding generations will know about me and I could look up from the skies on this day to see my beloved people happy. Hope you fulfil my promise.”
For a moment words from his father filled his heart for his father used to say that we have the most humble king in the world which was lucid from the manner with which he pleaded to him.
“I promise you your majesty. I promise”.

Years passed when in 1957, EMS Namboodiripad, another Brahmin, who levered a motion for the winds of equality in the land of the legendary king Mahabali and together with the people unanimously, gave a rousing reception to the king, the materialisation of our traditional Onam. Whether Mahabali, acknowledged as the king of the demons and the glorified Vamanan, an incarnation of Maha Vishnu, were portrayed with reverence, Mahabali’s vision of a sagacious society and equality among the people propelled the malayalees to insinuate the flames of socialism in Mahabali’s own Kerala.

Holidaying with the Karkkidakam Rains

The karkkidakam rains (the karkkidakam month is acknowledged as the age of scarcity according to Malayalam calendar) had a coruscating effect on me during my holidays in kerala. The rejuvenation, the rains perpetuated had metamorphosed my emotions ameliorating my nostalgia and provoking my childhood aspirations to wander outside as heavy drops came down incessantly thereby stamping a deluge on the nature’s voracity for the incumbent monsoons. From my window, I saw a plethora of emotions on the nature’s flora and fauna as they welcomed the rains, ranging from palpitation to frustration but abhorrence was unprecedently not prevalent. The sky was mobbed with black clouds occupying the vacant slots tenaciously. The normal matting of blue and white colours were nowhere to be seen rather than that dark blue was sketched throughout the vastness of the sky. Occasionally, the lethargic clouds kept moving out paving the way for the next batch of dark clouds but at times they stammered, refusing to move out thus making the rains intermittent in nature.

The musanda plant with its stretched leaves and camouflaging chivalry impinged an enthusiasm quite paramount as its petals infringed out from the clutches that had held it during its incipient stages emancipating itself and moving out freely into the open in search for healthier, refreshing air rather than stay benign and nuke the rains until the Mother Nature’s propounded demarcatisation. The rose that promulgated to be a catharsis as with the rest of the nature’s sumptuous creations, delivered a gamut of feelings, revelry with the first drop from the skies, the alacrity sinking to despair when it became aware that the rains have no intentions to stop as a result of which it was unable to evince its resplendence to the rest of the world. The kariveeti, tall and gigantic in its splendour, kept its head high so as not to miss even the miniscule drop that impounded from the skies. The kuttimulla, the prevaricating climber, made use of this opportunity, by entwining on to the bottom of the giant kariveeti salaciously aware that the giant had its minds completely fixed on the rain. The banana tree, with its huge greenish leaves wide open striking a resemblance to a statuette with its hands stretched and directed towards the sky with an emotional plead to the almighty as never to cease this auspicious moment of their life and to keep the rhythm of the pertinacious rains as such. Its fruit, ripe and delicious, were all set to invade the markets to pertain the tastes of the traditional festival that accompanied the karrikkidakam rains in the most extravagant manner.

What had been the source of livelihood for the millions residing in kerala, a symbol elucidating the state’s reticence and congeniality, standing tall, slim figured with its head bent at the top, the coconut trees looked tired and lousy to an extent that even the rains could not bring a respite to its melancholy thanks to the foreign imports that had inundated Indian markets which struck a nail on the fortunes, the last sort of replenishment for the most ordinary agricultural community. Even the rains, quite obtrusive at times, it seemed found it amusing to tease them fully aware of the dilapidated straits they were embattling with. The mangrove that stood near my house alluded a lackadaisical attitude as they were quite capricious in their response to the rains for they had to complete a full circle of seasons to be eventually fruitful.

Prithvi lay on the car porch staring outside, with the occasional nodding of his head and quivering of lips, hesitating and unable to make a decision as the incessant rains continued their heavy downpour. Unlike most other male cats of his age, he had a long and shrivelled body, with a pointed nose occupying the major portion of his small, but shrewd face. The rains had incarcerated him as he was not able to stray outside with his mates, to stroll and trundle in the neighbour’s lawn, to hide and seek around in other’s kitchen corridors so as not to miss the cussed yells from the owners, to flirt around with the female ones and prove to be the better one among the group, the heroism sometimes quite congruous with ubiquitous cries.. When his hunger bell strikes, he makes a foray into our kitchen with great élan, even the haphazardous rains proved to be no hindrance for him, as he obsesses everyone with his immensely pleading cries and the ultimate cattish cogent style of fondling; rubbing his body on other’s legs as his tail kept an upright position, a clear indication, in the most humble manner, that the time has come for the food to be served.

Pinky kept blinking her eyes which often kept sinking deep into her face as she witnessed the first monsoon in her life. An Adorable Pomeranian dog, just three months old, this karkidikkam monsoon bought to her tribulation and woes which included separation from her mom in the budding stages of her life and thus be denied the facets of motherly love, the lullaby and pampering, a mother showered on her child with. She cuddled around and lay on the floor mat looking out with perplexity in her eyes at the not so often thunder strokes paving way for seeds of doubt spiralling in her as who is attaining such intense pleasure by spraying the water from the top, the displeasure in her being obscure when she raised her eyes with all her might to a limit where her sight could reach, that was a trifle away from her ordinary gaze, an enchanting puzzle, the curiosity fading with the deterioration of the rains.

I could see a frustration in their eyes but still I was quite sure that they never hated the rains for all of them believed that these rains cleansed them from all the wretchedness that was self perpetuating in this world of today. As Beethoven had once said that the most enticing music to one’s ears would be the sound of the rain, which made me wonder whether Beethoven would have refuted his claim, had he been to this part of the world during this season. Due to the continuous rains, the roads in front of my house turned into small puddles, with people paddling to move over through it, buses all covered to avoid the water dripping over to its passengers never bothered to slow down at theses puddles thereby splashing the water on to the people who prefer moving on their feet amid the rains, snakes losing their routine alleyways preferring not to even stick their heads out of their holes, the squirrels already prepared for the monsoon onslaught equipping their stores with provisions to last the full karkkidakkam month, and finally the old lady staying aloof who used to walk to the bus stop with her vanity on her shoulder gently pulling up her sari to avoid it getting strained and an umbrella stretched above her head. The karrkidikkam rains found it amusing that every time she unfolds her umbrella when the rain halts, so that she could balance her loosely held vanity in one hand and pull up her well groomed sari with the other, they come down surreptitiously, fully redeemed, much to the dismay of the lady but a delight to the onlookers; not because they hated her but for her massive yells at the rains.

Shereen Vijayan Kottikkal