நாதப்பிரும்மம்-சார்வாகன்

நாதப்பிரும்மம்-சார்வாகன்

“Wind, the Lord begotten

All the good sounds of earth

Compose the sounds in melodic Harmony

Sing and rejoice”

Morning sun emerged out ripping the sky. With his thousand golden hands and Dridhrashtra’s resolve gripping all of the earth, started rising in the sky puffing up. Mr. Common man out from captivating pleasurable slumber rubbing his eyes stretching and yawning set out in search of tooth brush.

The omnipresence of the lord of Sounds gives life and strength to the world. Sparrows, Parrots, tilted head crow priests, caw in a rough tone even though no one listen to it; bells, cows and oxen, cubs, shandrydans started moving on the gravel topped roads wobbling like a drunkard.

The houses that ware dark and silent like a ruined hall came lively like the temple of festival times. Sound of water sprinkling, sound of sweeping the floor, sounds like, Rama wake up, where is water, could not find soap, who has gone into bathroom and yet to come out, mom where is my mathematics workbook, please go to the shop and buy five pounds of brinjal, it’s getting late to school…, all sounds… sounds, house full of sounds; roads full of sounds; sound of tender feet kicking off stones and mud, writing slate brakes down, knee gets bruised; sob; cry; loud scream; smile on lips; exultation in the mind; the sound of dripping tears.

Swollen, cracked, worn-out feet; crumbling sound under the head load like the sound of Aadhiseshan’s wriggle under the burden of the globe. The sound of toes, like the claws of eagles clutching the mud and the sludge and the street and the door steps of house. The weighing stone falls from balance. The radio at advocate’s house blares. Chettiyar is ruffling himself with the turban noisily. Lady teacher is searching for white saree. Trunk opens and closes. The Bangles cling. Glass bangles brake and crush. What kind of sound that white color generates?

All through the street and in the house there are magic of cacophony like a net of a million rainbows comes lively. Dosa, Idly, Aappam make sounds, grandma two dosas for me, is chutney good or is it like that of yesterday’s? Coins fell into chest. The twisted arms, like aerial roots of banyan tree taps the ladle. Toothless mouth makes mumbling noise. Yes sir, what’s special in news paper; nothing; red trajectory from mouth to ground; the red pulp spreads on the soil; The world of colony of ants destroyed, chaos, riots, cry. Hi, is that balance alright, a kilo costs a rupee and a quarter. Have you thought of cheating me with the worthless coin. Is there anything worthless in government issued money?

In the market street the human race moves around noisily. Vehicles blare like buffalo. Buses, like Dhuriyodhan’s army rise dust along with noise. ‘Amma, Thaaye’, you will be blessed, begging for alms; Get lost. Sir, nowadays, our people have become lazy; the shameless fellow has come begging, not leading a respectful life by working. Conductor sir, give me two tickets for Sandhaipaalayam. Hello, can you lend me a hand to lift the basket. Give me forty page note book, give me quick. It’s getting late for the school. Dei, you keep going. I will catch up with you.

Dong…, dong…, dong… its school bell. Boys’ shouting there. The school roars like the noisy sea. Saranakamalaalayam is far by only half a minute. Prayer. The sound of roguish hands copying mathematics in notes. Ink bottle brakes. Ink spreads like ‘Aalakaala poison’ (poison emerged when ocean of milk was churned – in Hindu mythology). Paper adsorbs ink with sound. Hi, naughty donkey! Come here. Stretch your hands out. I will not repeat it sir. Stand up on the bench. Recitation is in the school like priest’s mantra. ‘Gnoi’ sound like disturbed beehive. Flapping bees’ sound. Peon Munisamy’s thick footwear wears out. Dragged chairs screech. Subramaniyam immortalized with knife on the table top. Books are being opened. Dust gets cleared by tapping.

Sun is in a hurry. Jumps in the sky holding his breath. Fire rays simmers at the top of the sky. Heat spreads with a sound. Wind simmers. Mosquitoes snore. Dogs, beggars, donkeys, old ladies, young women, lads bark; murmur; yawn.  The cart bull like a sage who attained salvation munches with sound, drops dung with sound. After shaking its head again munches with sound. Color soda drinks only two Ana, should I add ice cubes? Froth bubbles with sound. Money reduces in chest. Lawyer shouts in the court. Client becomes poorer. Sound of currency changing hands. Society takes revenge with sound. Stomach full of sound. Sound of stomach being filled.

Noise, like turbulent water from dam burst. School closed. Open shirts. Trousers without buttons but held with the knot. Shaggy heads rub each other. Bags swing like leaf of coconut tree. Sway of books like shandrydan passenger. Slate chalks, peacock feathers, tin lids, marbles all rattle inside the bag like democracy. Sounds… and more sounds… football, games with sticks, gilli-danda, sadu-gudu (kabadi), monkey play, ruffle of borderless frocks flying like sparrows. Foot on the line mondi-mondi (game usually played by girls in the rural Tamil Nadu like a lame person with one leg only). What is this shouting in the street? It’s already dark. It’s enough of playing, come home. Coconut cracks. Smell of flowers. Goodness gift changes hand. Mouth murmurs. Oh god, bless the rest of the day to pass fairly. Cot begs. Sleeping mat bemoans. Delirium. Murmur. Sob. Throwing food from stomach to mouth to the drain on the courtyard, on the veranda. Both, mother’s and kid’s hearts pulsate twinning.

Mummy I feel hungry. How much did you bring today. Twelve Anas. Just run to Naidu’s shop and buy chili for an Ana, onion for an Ana and one garlic bulb. Feels hungry. Is the rice water available? Will it be better tomorrow? Mary’s church bell rings. Like a sewing machine father mediates between heavenly father and sinful people.

Dear, tomorrow, while returning buy two gajam (unit of measurement for length) shirt cloth.

Isn’t tomorrow the salary day. The family runs like a touring cinema. Interval soda beedi, cigarette, vada, murukku, dialogue, song, humor, sorrow, love, dance, valor, talkie movie with songs. At the end of the movie people come out tapping the towels, like ants coming out of anthill. I went to the movie, since they gave good review. Too poor. That’s why we shouldn’t listen to other person. Can you please hold him? Terrible creature, troubled inside the cinema hall, even after paying. But, sleeps while returning home. Give me a pack of snack.

Firewood cracks in the cremation ground. The sound of dark rips the dark. Drumming, feet with footwear, elderly people with sticks, sound … sound. The grand old lady’s dry betel leaf and nut make sounds with melody.  Age, life, birth, death gets dissolved in sound. Cots make screeching noise. Today, I had prepared that specially for you. You gave it to the kid. Mummy, look here, he throws his leg on my head. Sleep, don’t make noise. Ai, breathing gets tough. Bit slowly, z…z…z… sizzle, kid would wake up. Hot bodies roll on. Love, lust, birth, marriage adultery and death-everything in sound.

Its two o’clock. Man became carcass. Sleep engulfed the whole place. Wick glows with pattering. Dead bodies roll on. In the sleep moan, babble, laughter, cry; in the dream world sounds of sea, voices of god, adventure, background music, dress slips. Hands rub hair. Scabies crack. Bed bugs make hue and cry. Cradle screeches. Is it a rat?

The locale has gone into deep sleep. Delusion due to food, delusion due to hunger, delusion due to pleasure had with husband, delusion due to labor pain, delusion due to death.

Dewdrop falls swiftly. Leaf murmurs, grass sprouts, buds blossom. What a sound.

The man who made loud noise is dead. But the sound didn’t die. Tranquility. You keep running in search for tranquility and you claim that you are wise….  Answer, say it now where is tranquility? In the ocean or in the air or in the droplet of snow or in an infant or in the body or in the mind or in life or in death?

Sleep. Sleep with long breath. Oh!, the people, who rejoice in sound, sleep with sound. Sleep like a tiger that crouches before leaping for the attack. Tomorrow, a lot need to be done.

Suddenly the lamp went off.

Why am I deaf.