The Dawn Of A New Era

Disclaimer: This is a continuation of my previous blog post, http://whyshouldibloghere.blogspot.in/2013/05/the-glimmering-shadows-of-arkhamistan.html So please read that first.If you still want to read this you are welcome.

The Gotharnaut galaxy was a dangerous place. Even in its most peaceful state, the galaxy witnessed the death of stars or even a star shower. Star showers occurred when multiple stars died simultaneously changing its matter into billions of burning infernos. Then the skies lit up and many people of Arkhamistan were blinded. Then there were the wars of Arkhamistan. People from other Extra-galactic planets seldom visited Gotharnaut, unless they were seeking adventure. But now everything was about to change. If someone was watching the galaxy now, they would have gotten confused and alarmed. At the place where the great planet Arkhamistan stood ,now there was a giant emptiness. Arkhamistan had been about ten times the size of Jupiter the largest planet of the star system sol.

The space above Arkhamistan glowed black. The black hole was still expanding at a rapid pace.

Kacarote and Kayati stood on the deck of the spaceship and watched the world changing.They were still fleeing from the black-hole."So this is what the overlords wanted",thought Kacarote. Kayati was too dazed to speak. The brave warrior in him just couldn't believe it. Arkhamistan and everything in it has perished. The place where his ancestors rested is no more. His ancient race is on the verge of extinction!

The ship was now at a safe distance from the black hole. Kacarote pressed a switch in his ships console which initiated the auto-pilot. He went near another set of dials and pressed a button named "Caffeine". He gave cup to Kayati and said "Drink". Kayati drank the coffee, it tasted good.
"Great drink,never tasted this before.",said Kayati. "Oh yes, i discovered it on a visit to a small blue planet called Earth",said Kacarote. Kacarote remembered the small blue planet and its funny aliens. Although a primitive race, Kacarote was interested in the art and music of humans.

"What do we do now?",Kayati asked. Kacarote was deep in thought. Then he spoke ,"Lets ask the overlords". Then they set sail to the lonely triangle.

When they reached the triangle, the ships sensors showed that most of the stars in Gotharnaut was already consumed by the black hole. Then the overlords spoke to Kayati ,"Stay here, you will be safe". "Why have you destroyed them?Is there any way to save them?",Kayati asked his tone trembling. "Their fate is not for you to decide", the overlords had replied.

Soon the darkness spread to other galaxies. Slowly each of the billions of galaxies were beginning to get sucked into the black hole. The universe was collapsing! "There got to be something that we could do!",cried Kayati. "The overlords won't help us",Kacarote replied sadly.

Sad and frustrated they waited for the end. But then they saw a light in the skies of the triangle. It appeared like the brightness of a star. The light seemed to be approaching them. They were confused. "Is it a dream?",asked Kayati. "I don't think so", replied Kacarote. Then they saw it.
"Goddess Nauriya!!!" ,screamed Kayati. With the light of a thousand stars, with the sound of a million thunders she arrived.They had never seen such beauty before. Kacarote and Kayati were standing with bowed heads. Without the help of a space ship ,she traveled. Without words she spoke, " I have come to save your universe.The other lords doesn't want your universe to survive anymore. I have come without their knowledge.Do as i say and you may save the universe but at a great cost to yourself."

Kacarote and Kayati heard everything with bated breath. So it was that their hope was not yet lost. When the goddess had left, they both touched the ring that she had given them. It was the ring of a goddess! "You should ride to the center of the black-hole.There you will find the three relics which caused this disaster. Put this ring on top of the relics and then the black-hole shall be destroyed."
The goddess also had said,"You may not succeed on your journey, even if you do you won't survive the backlash. The ring would protect you from the black hole, but once its destroyed, your chances are slim."

For the next few hours Kacarote was busy modifying the space ship. Then they were ready.
"So be it",said Kayati. "Let's save the universe",said Kacarote. Thus they rode into the black hole.
The ring had strange powers, they could control the ship even with the tremendous force of the black hole. They had no idea , when it was that they actually entered the black hole. But they knew for sure they were inside it when it was pitch black. The ship was experiencing heavy turbulence making it impossible to control. "Let the black hole suck us in, we will reach the center anyway",Kacarote said.

They rode into the blackness and the ship was uncontrollable. It spun and spun but the somehow the space ship survived in one piece. Soon they were nearing their destination. "This is it",said Kayati.
It was Kacarote who saw the relics first. "There it is,straight ahead!",said Kacarote. Kayati was already ready. They had agreed that Kayati would be the one who would place the ring on the relics.
Kayati wore a specially designed suit which could withstand the black hole. Kacarote put the entire ships power onto the brakes and extended the pod doors. A small box like pod extended from the ship to the relics. Kayati was ready,he was inside the space pod and he had the ring. "Goodbye Kacarote, you were a good friend",said Kayati. Then he extended his hand to place the ring on to the relics. But at that same instant, the spaceship lost its brakes. The space pod lost its connection with the space ship. Kayati was trapped in the space pod and was drifting away from the relics. In a split second Kayati noticed that Kacarote and his space ship was lost in the darkness. He was drifting off above the relics.

Kayati knew that he had just one choice. He smashed open the Pods door and flew out into the black hole. He dived and swirled to the side and then the ring of the goddess was on top of the relics.
In a second his whole life flashed before Kayati. He had saved the universe. The backlash that followed shook the whole universe. Kayati was lost in bliss and darkness.

Epilogue

If one were to look at the northern skies at night on a fateful day, one could have seen a strange light approaching at high speeds. Unknown to mankind a strange ship entered the Earth's skies never to leave again.
Two strange creatures walked out of the spaceship and took human forms. "Want some coffee Kayati", the first one asked the other. "Yes, Kacarote",replied the other.
The first of the Space Wraiths had arrived.

The Glimmering Shadows Of Arkhamistan

The Natibu

The village of Nau was one of its kind. It guarded the sacred temples for centuries. The temples were made of precious crystals. The people of Nau, named the Natibu were their guardians.The temples were their life. Years of fighting with the Neophytes had destroyed most of their civilization. Proud and rich with generations of knowledge and wealth the Natibu were the last of their race.There were three temples that they guarded. The Natibu called it the 'Sacred Triangle'.In each of these three temples behind the sacred doors there exists a precious relic said to be made by the gods.It is said that the relics had enormous power and their goddess Nauriya visited each temple once in a year.The legend also says that one who possess the sacred relics holds the key to the future in his own hands.No one had ever seen the relics or the goddess,but they were firm believers. Little did they know that all that was going to change.

A few trees stood along the edge of the clearing leading to the village. Behind the bushes Kacarote waited. He was in no hurry. He had waited a lifetime for this day. The stillness of the air was marked by his own heartbeat. There were many like him who had made the journey before him. The Natibu called them 'Paparoti' or Treasure hunters.The Natibu had long fought off the evil one's who had descended to take away their precious relics. "Today, i will change this world forever", thought Kacarote.

Along the great plains , below the mountains the Natibu survived. They were the lords of all that they surveyed. For till then they hadn't met the overlords. The Natibu were the noblest of all races. They were basically farmers , the Cawarori were their domesticated animals. The Cawarori gave the Natibu food. The Natibu protected their borders with a strong army. Their strength was in their great wisdom. They had the power to unite. They were fierce warriors, for they were the protectors of the most important relics of the universe.

The Neophytes

Along the plains of the great river Baltore stood another civilization the Baltori, or Neophytes as they were popularly called.The city of Baltimose was the center of the civilization.
Baltimose was a great place for tourists. Ever since Kayati could remember tourism was the biggest draw here. The Neophytes were liberals,revolutionaries. Along the outskirts stood the monuments of thousands of revolutions that shook their land. People from all parts of the universe flocked to see them.Many shed a tear for a loved one lost in the great battles for the universe. Lesser in number than the Natibu, the Neophytes had great technology. Robots did most of the fighting for them. Also they had Kayati, the most feared warrior of the universe. It is said that the world trembled when Kayati rode into the battlefield.

Arkhamistan

This was the condition of planet Arkhamistan. The lone planet of galaxy Gotharnaut, surrounded by the three stars. Thus separated by the great mountains two of the most powerful races of the universe were constantly at war. The lone planet unknown to mankind held the future of the universe.
The Natibu and The Neophytes were one race millions of years ago. They were on average ten feet in height and had long tentacles on their heads. They were winged too, but they seldom flew. The gravity of Arkhamistan had grown strong over the years and made flight difficult.

There is a saying that "All that glitters is not gold". As always Kayati had known this. For the two hundred and twenty years he had been alive , he had never forgotten anything. He knew the dust storms of helium would appear at summer.He knew the great sulfurous rains of spring would appear soon. Kayati stood up, his twelve foot frame barely touched the ceiling. He was lost in thought. He held the televiewer, (a small mobile like device used to send messages across space) and then he heard the message. "All your waiting is over.The overlords arise today.They have send me to fetch the relics.I have their technology.The world is going to change my dear friend. -Kacarote".Kayati was stunned.It seemed as if the ghosts of Arkhamistan rose up from the shadows,strong helium winds blew. Years before he had watched Kacarote, his dear friend ride onto the horizon searching for new treasures. Then last year he heard the tragic news, Kacarote was dead. The treasure hunter in him had taken him far across to the depths of the universe. The Cargo ship Narsomnia returning from the Triangulum had found his empty space ship. But now Kayati knew that Kacarote was alive. He had even met the overlords. The overlords were their gods. It is said that the overlords had no body. None had met them. Kayati wondered how Kacarote had met them.

Kacarote who was resting by the trees near the village of Nau was now ready. He tried to remember his old self and failed. He tried to remember how he got here and failed again. All he knew was that he was on a mission, a sacred mission to retrieve the relics. He was honored the overlords had chosen him.
He had never met them, but he felt their presence, a tremendous power beyond imagination. They gave him instructions, perhaps they could read his thought. Kacarote was flying to the edges of the universe in his space ship when he saw it. A small triangle the size of a moon. Yet it was not a moon or a planet, it reflected the light of the stars. Kacarote tried to land on it, but then he lost control and a tremendous force sucked him onto the triangle.His spaceship drifted off in space and he was a prisoner on the lonely triangle. It was there that he felt the presence of the overlords.

At first Kacarote was scared.Then the overlords gave him tremendous knowledge.He felt the rise and death of stars.Soon he knew some part of the truth. The overlords still with-held most the vast knowledge. The overlords wanted him to give them back the relics."Why did you chose me, a mere weakling for this great task?You with such power could have done it all by yourself?"-Kacarote had asked the overlords. But his question was met with silence.With the knowledge given by the overlords,Kacarote built a great ship and weapons which were unmatched in the universe. He then set sail at warp speed to the worlds beyond the triangle to his home. As he now stood on the threshold of his mission, Kacarote knew that he would change the universe.

The Neophytes awoke with fear.They had heard the sound. It was the sound of battle.But they were confused, as soon as the battle cries were heard it was suddenly silent. Kayati rode onto Nau and surveyed the scene. The scene before Kayati chilled his bone. The people of Natibu had perished. Nothing remained to prove their existence. Smoke rose from the village in silent mourning. At the center of the village the temples still stood in all its glory. Suddenly a glimmering shadow appeared from the temples holding something. It was Kacarote, or what remained of him. He was shining as if there was a star burning in him. He put down his gun and called out to Kayati ,"Come dear friend.Lets get the relics."

Together Kayati and Kacarote went inside the first temple and smashed the sealed doors. Inside the chamber they found the first relic. It was small ,colorless like glass but hard like diamond. It shone with a brightness of a thousand stars. Then they got the second relic, it was black and dark the size of a football. The third relic surprised them, it was spherical and blue like a planet.

They put the three relics side by side.Suddenly Kacarote heard the overlords instruction, "Fit the three relics together." Kacarote looked at the relics, then he saw the groves, the three relics were part of a jigsaw. Slowly with shaking hands Kayati and Kacarote put the parts together. When they were finished they watched the relic soar up into the sky and rise again. The relic was growing at a rapid pace. Suddenly Kacarote knew the truth. "Come with me",Kacarote asked Kayati. Kayati although dazed went along with Kacarote onto his spaceship. The space ship soon was flying out of Arkhamistan. They saw that the relic had grown enormously and was sucking in the matter of the planet.They soon flew past the planet and watched Arkhamistan die. It didn't end with that. Their relic had become a gigantic black hole. It sucked in everything, it was growing exponentially every nanosecond. Kacarote knew the truth. The end of the universe.

Are you Listening?

Music for peace

We all listen to music. People like different genre of music. I would like to share with you the little experiences I had with carnatic music.


A decade ago a little boy just over ten years old found himself in a strange place. The day marked ‘vidyarambham’. It marked the end of the ‘Ayudha pooja’. It also marked the beginning of a new year. This was the day that most people who wants to learn new art forms, music etc. starts learning those things. So on that auspicious day, the little boy set out to learn the percussion instrument, the ‘Mrudangam’. It may be noted that prior to this day, the boy had no musical training. The boy did not know what to expect. There was a center nearby which was a promoter of arts and music. It was decided that the boy would learn from there. The boy along with his father journeyed to the arts center. Just as they were about to enter the place, the father recognized someone on the street. The stranger riding a motor bike suddenly stopped. Some words were exchanged and then strangely they went with the stranger to his house. Stranger still, the boy gave ‘dakshina’ to the stranger and he started to learn the ‘Mrudangam’. That little boy was me and the stranger was my master.

It was by fate that I met my master just when I was about to join another center to learn the instrument. My father had known my master long ago. They both learned the instrument from the great ‘Nannu Mashu’ in the 80’s. My master used to live there with ‘Nannu Mashu’ and learn. The gurukula system meant he sometimes bought rice and groceries for his master. After his master’s death, my master started teaching the instrument. Now when my father wanted me to learn, he had no idea that his old pal was teaching. Thus began the musical journey for me.


Now eleven years after that day I feel very amused thinking about those initial days. I have often wondered what would have happened if I had not met my master that day in front of that center. I would have probably lost interest and given up. My father’s enthusiasm was the key. But my sir made me what I am. The first few years are the hardest. But if you have a passion and with hard-work you can master this art. My master was very patient with me. I was a slow learner. But I liked to play the ‘Mrudangam’. First I was curious. Then I started enjoying the instrument. My sir corrected me when I went wrong. He showed me how it was done. But he never gets angry with his students. He showed me the way.

There are different basic styles for playing the ‘Mrudangam’. The Palaghat Bani as it is called is the style created by the great ‘Palaghat Mani Iyer’.This was as a result of a mix of Tanjor and Pudukkottai styles.  My masters master ‘Nannu Mashu’ followed the ‘Chennai Bani’ .So I also follow the Chennai Bani. Another style is the ‘Karaikudi Bani’ by the great Guru Karaikudi Mani. The way this guru plays makes the listener awestricken. Similarly many other styles also exist. All these greats have been a constant inspiration to all the aspiring Mrudangam artists like me.

Guru Karaikudi Mani

My interest never dwindled. All these years I have been learning at my masters home during the weekends. I don’t feel I am an artist yet. I have learned what I was taught. I can now perform at ‘kacheris’, still I have so much to learn. I feel one life may not be enough to understand the complexities of music. In case of the ‘Mrudanga’, the only thing one needs to learn is patience and practice. It usually takes a student 5-7 years of consistent training and practice to perform well. But nowadays people are more interested in competitions than art. Competitions are not bad. They help in the development of an artist. But learning art for competion is not the way. For a person to be a true artist, he/she must be able to express his own self through his instrument.

The first name that comes to my mind when I think of carnatic voacalists is of 'Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavather' His rendition of 'Vatapi Ganapathim' and 'Karuna Cheyvan Enthu' are gems of carnatic music.
'Bhavayami' and 'Kurai Ondrum Illai' by MS Subbulakshmi are so enchanting.There are so many great artists in carnatic music and I can't name them all here. There is a solid fan following for carnatic music. The crowds that gather for 'Kacheris' are usually very knowledgeable. The future of carnatic music is stable.


Although I enjoy listening to carnatic music, I also enjoy all types of music. Melodies have always been my favorites. Like most of the people I am also an avid A.R.Rahman fan. Now I am able to understand the difference between good and ordinary music up to some extent. I also respect rock music, but I do dislike hard rock. Hard Rock is just too loud for me. A few years ago I listened to a song ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin. Many consider it as the greatest rock song ever including me. This spurred an interest for me in rock music. A couple of years ago I heard a song ‘Hey Jude’, which made me curious. I found out that the song was by an old band called ‘The Beatles’. Then I started listening to ‘The Beatles’. Songs like ‘Yesterday’, ‘Let it be’ made me want to listen to more Beatles songs. I believe the Beatles were successful because they stuck to basics of music. The Pink Floyd songs ‘Another Brick in the wall’ and ‘Time’ are still on my playlist.

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Then came the obsession with symphonies. This was partly because I had an alien friend also obsessed with symphonies. First it was Mozart; I thought I had found salvation. Then it was Beethoven. How can one forget great musical works like 'Moonlight Sonata', 'Emperor' and 'Pastoral'. Perhaps the greatest symphony ever is Beethoven’s 9^th ‘Ode to Joy’ in D Minor. Did you know that Ludwig Van Beethoven was deaf? Then it was Bach,Berlioz and Brahms. The waltz song 'The Blue Danube' and 'Also Sprach Zarathusthra' by Strauss are worth a listen. I have a collection of symphonies now.

Not all things can be taught by the master. One has to learn some things by himself. An artist should have a distinct style of his own. For this an artist should keep on trying patiently.
I have to keep on learning. I am still trying to be an artist.

Few minutes more...

A Walk To Remember

"It's just around the corner", said Aswin as we started walking towards our destination.We that is me and Aswin was en-route to attend a concert by a famous rock band(quite similar to Avial ). As we walked in the dark alley I couldn't imagine how our journey ended up in that deserted place!It began about an hour earlier,when after a tiresome day at college, i realized that the rock band was performing live nearby. I immediately called Aswin.We didn't know the exact location of the concert.Still in-spite of all these uncertainties we decided to try. I got ready quickly and so our journey began.

Our journey actually began years ago.Here begins a story about a long friendship which has no bounds...

Early Days

Years ago, from the day I met the new boy in spectacles who spoke little, to this day Aswin has changed very little.When i first met him in school,i liked him due to his inherently silent nature.In all these years of friendship never has he been angry or overly emotional.What I admire in him is his ability to remain calm and composed even at times of extreme pressure.

School days were innocent days.While in school i neither owned a cell phone nor had access to the internet.
I never went out for movies and i had peace. :)
I regret to admit it, but our silent nature made us invisible beings at school. We weren't exactly popular.
We would watch all the English movies on television and then discuss about it.I found him a great soul with whom I shared all my problems.Ours was a pure and uninhibited friendship.What I really liked about him was his humbleness.His brilliant talent in music which remained unknown till recently was known to me in advance!

Talented Soul


How should i describe my closest friend?
Aswin was a quiet soul.Spoke very little and was highly talented. He had been trained in classical dance Bharathanatyam.But to date i haven't seen him perform a dance on stage. :)
He would sing songs and background tracks of English films to me.That was when i realized his talent for music.He was a very sarcastic friend,which i later realized through his messages. :)
Aswin is also a blogger and what I like about his blog is his inherent style of writing , which may seem idiotic to many!His style of sarcastic writing is being followed by many, including me.He projects himself as an alien from outer space!This is mostly due to his interest in extra-terrestrials and partly due to him being alienated by society(or so he believes) Click To View Aswin's Blog

Back To The Walk...

We boarded a bus which would take us near the place where the band was performing.We knew that when we had started our journey, the band had started its concert. But we didn't give up. We wanted to prove a point to ourselves by at-least reaching that place!We got down at a stop and didn't have a clue about where we were at! I asked for directions to a security guard. He told me the place is a few miles north. So we decided to walk. It was very dark and gloomy. The city streets were deserted. Few street lights were working properly. Aswin seemed quite unperturbed by the scary alleys. We walked at a brisk pace and kept on walking...

Still no sign of a concert...we kept on walking for miles and miles ....For hours we kept on walking and then suddenly it happened...

We were back at where we started!!! Well normally i would lose my cool at these situations,but strangely we were laughing at our idiocy :D
"No other friends would tolerate such useless walking and still laugh at it",i told him.

Finally we reached the concert venue after asking for directions from a local resident. We reached there just in time to see that the concert had almost ended. We listened to the songs for sometime outside the venue and then began walking back. We then reached our first junction.
"Hey,I know this place,just around that corner there is a bus stop",Aswin said. We walked to that corner and there was no bus stop.It was very dark and there wasn't anyone outside.
"It might be around the next corner",said Aswin "I had once visited this place with my parents",he said.
We again walked and walked for the next corner, but that was a long way ahead as it was a straight road.
So then once again after walking for an hour there was no sign of the bus stop. Now we were tired and we started laughing again at our foolishness.
"Anyway we walked halfway home ,now let us complete this epic journey on foot",I said.
Aswin agreed to it and we started walking home.So by midnight we reached our respective homes tired and laughing.

Finally


Now separated by time and space still we remain close as ever.When I look back upon life, I realize how much I have changed but he hasn’t. He has been practically the same old soul ever since our first meeting.Aswin says he rants a lot but that’s just at social sites , in person he remains silent and same old friend.We have been friends for nearly a decade now and ours is a friendship that has no limits...

A Day In Life

CHAPTER 3

This is a true story which i thought i should share with you.


Ernakulam

So it was on a college working day and as usual it was the same routine repeated over and over again.I got tired of classes and was hoping for an opportunity to get out of it.

So as fate would have had it on that fateful day August 5th, Friday a friend was in need of rare A-ve blood.
In all these years i never had my blood group tested,so i didn't know my blood group.
Anyway i decided to donate my blood.(After all it was for a good cause)
He had cancer and the illness was on its last stage.

So now it's time for me to let out my secret i.e my physical appearance.
Well ever since birth i was thin.As long as i could remember ,wherever i went ,the "thin" tag kept following me.It follows me even now.
Well now i weigh just 55 kilos.
I went to the hospital and a nurse took my blood sample.
Then i was asked to fill up a #facepalm form which had a lot of funny questions.The questions ranged from "are you feeling healthy?", to "have you had coke?" and to "have you given money for sex?"
I answered only the first question with a "yes"(i.e "are you feeling healthy?")
At the hospital i learned that my friend was on ventilator.He had been denied treatment as a result of shortage of blood for transfusion.
The doctor examined me and checked my blood pressure.
She was critical of my health(The first question she asked was,"Are you not eating anything?")
Well contrary to popular belief i eat more than most people do.It's just that my genes are programmed to make me thin.
Anyway i was so determined to donate blood that finally i managed to convince the doctor to let me do it.
Well at first some anesthetic was rubbed onto my arm and later the transfer began.It was irritating at first and gradually i couldn't feel anything.
I assumed about ten minutes passed before i was lost in thought.
Then i forgot why i was there and started to think of things.It was so peaceful, calm and quiet.I was in the most wonderful dream.Minutes passed...i was still in the dream...

I was woken up to peering faces all looking anxious,it took a few moments for me to realize that i had fainted.I was unconscious only for a few moments, but now the blood transfer was stopped.
So now my head was aching a bit and continued to do so for a few minutes.
So after a few minutes i was all ready to go , but the nurses kept asking me questions.
"You didn't eat anything today?"a nurse asked ."No,not after morning",I replied.I hadn't eaten since morning and it was nearly evening.
"He doesn't have a good health",I heard them murmuring among themselves.
Anyway they let me off after half an hour.I felt fine except for my right hand which was not to lift any heavy objects for a day.My blood group was found to be A+ve.But it doesn't matter as a unit of A-ve blood would be substituted for my friend as a result of my donation.

I decided to work on my health and improve it.

Well this entire episode has taught me great lesson.A lesson about life and death.Now i realize why some people are the way they are.Now i realize why it's important for me to keep on donating blood.I want to be more healthy just to help these people.
I didn't do it for money,i did it for a soul .Now i am happy about what i have done and would donate blood again if need be.