Chillarai - the finale

Read the earlier part here 

The blinks of the indicator woke me up from my thoughts. I slowed my bike down to give some gap between myself and the car. It took me some time to realize which part of the city I was. Last spot I had recognized was when we crossed the Ekkaduthangal bridge and sped off in the side roads of Ashok nagar. I remember braking hard in kodambakkam to avoid a “kudimagan”. This area looked all too familiar. It was somewhere in the area of Kilpauk and Egmore. The yellow brick street sign had been plastered with election posters and wasn’t legible. I kept my distance and followed the car as it crept up the narrow streets. I still don’t know what I was planning to do when the situation arose. I didn’t know what is the “situation” that will arise. I was an unprepared hero or a prepared idiot.

The car switched on its right turn indicators and slowed in front of a massive gate of an equally massive enclosure. I overtook the car and slowed down, watching the car in my rearview mirror. The gate sprung open and the car jerked inside and the gates closed shut as soon as it did. I got down from my bike and looked at the enclosure. It was completely covered with tress and offered zero visibility on the building inside except through a few gaps between them. From what I could make out the building inside the huge campus was small and looked out of place in comparison to the other houses in the area. The grounds were large but the building inside was small and old. I walked along the road trying to see if there were any signs of life inside but there was nothing. Even the person who had opened the gate as the car had come didn’t seem to be there. It was a good sign. No sentry.

I found a place in the compound wall which looked low enough for me to climb over. I placed my foot in a groove on the wall and jumped over. Bad judgment. From the outside the compound wall was not very tall but the depth internally was too high and I slightly twisted my ankle when I landed, rather awkwardly. I almost let out a yelp but controlled myself. I crawled slowly towards the building in the centre of the grounds. All lights were out except for a glow in one of the side lower rooms. It was a colonial looking house, completely hidden from the road by the foliage in the grounds. I moved towards that, still unsure of what I am going to do. I pulled myself up onto the wooden windows trying to get a peek into the lighted room. What I saw was shocking. I saw rows of bunk beds. Filled with children. Between 6 and 18. Boys and girls. Most of them were asleep, while some whereas some where seated at a table at the end of the room. A tiny figure was moving about in the room. Chandru!!! I almost shouted out. I slowly opened up the window and climbed up onto the sill. I jumped into the room with misplaced enthusiasm and energy. But I had forgotten my earlier jump and landed on the twisted ankle, pain and agony ripping through my tired body.

I let out a shout of pain as I landed. The kids at the end of the room all got alarmed and started speaking between themselves.

“Sirrr…neengala”

I looked up and saw Chandru, his face contorting between familiarity and surprise and fear all at once.

“ Satham podatha…silenta iru…naan sollum pothu ovoruthara ippadi velila poi, compound wall thandidalam…purinjutha.”

“sir enna solreenga…neenga eppadi inga…puriyala”

“porumaya iru…apprama solren eppadi vanthenu..mothala kilambanum inga irunthu..silenta…”

I couldn’t complete before pain shot up through my leg again. I twisted my face in pain but decided to push the pain to the back of my mind. Speed was of the essence here. But before I could act on my mind’s action plan, the door opened up. A huge man in a colored lungi and a tight banian came out. Instantly my mind went to the earlier cigarette twirling cinemas of Rajinikanth. The villain or atleast his main thug looked very similar to this guy who had just come in now.  I got up to my feet, all the time looking to get something to defend myself. I picked up a cricket bat and stepped between the man and the kids and stuck up the most menacing pose I could muster. I must have looked funny, holding a kid’s cricket bat and hopping around on one leg.

“yaar da nee…inga eppadi vantha”

“avangala vidu…enna thandi than nee avangala ethavathu panna mudiyum,…naan thaniya varala… police vanthuttu irukku…phone pannitu than ulla vanthen..” I lied fluently trying to gain some time and get an escape plan .

“Sir..enna solreenga…” Chandru quipped behind me.

“Chandru, ivaru yaaru nu theriyuma unakku..” the man asked.

“ chandru , nee pinnala nillu…naan sollum bothu ellorum antha jannal vazhiya velila odunga…thirumbi paakama odikitey irunga..”

The man settled down on the chair at the table and stretched.

“Kaalula adi pattiruka mathiri irukku..kaatunga ennanu paapom…naan oru doctor than” He beckoned to me.

“Neenga yaaru ennanu ennaku theriyum…Vetkama illa…unna paatha doctor mathiri theriyala…yetho gym boy mathiri irukku….appadiye nee solrathu unmaina kooda, oru doctora irunthuttu ippadi panrathukku…Paavam chinna pasanga..”

“neenga thappa etho purinjikittu irukeenga…mothala utkarunga…”

“Sir, neenga vanthu…” interjected Chandru

“ellam enakku theriyum…nee pesadha…”

A hand gripped my arm, “Sir…veera sir solratha kelunga…utkarunga..” said chandru.

The tone in his voice surprised me and I looked at him, hesitant to take my eyes off the man. His voice was full of conviction. I nodded and sat at the chair, but still holding on to the bat. I looked at the man and nodded to him to give me an explanation.

“neenga enna ninaikreenganu enakku theriala…naanga yaarunu ninachu kittu irukkeenganum puriala…”

“ Theriyum…neenga than pugazh petra Chillarai “ I interrupted.

He looked at me with a surprised look on his face. Ah!! One point for me. Right now I would take whatever victory I could get. I beamed, slowly building up my confidence.

“aah aama…ungalukku eppadi theriyum..  Naanga than Chillarai...aana neenga enna ninachurukkuna theriala..”

“enakku ellam theriyum…pacha kuzhandaingala eppadiya vikka manasu varuthu ungalukku…intha pozhappa paakrathukku engayavathu poi thongalam.”

The man leaned back and I was a bit scared as to whether he was pulling back to strike at me when he started laughing.It was a hearty, deep throated laugh. The kids at the table also joined him although not so loudly. Chandru was smiling.

“sir neenga ninaikrathu thappu…naanga appadi illa”

“poi sollatha…naan paathen…anniku nee chandru va thookumbothum paathen..inniku antha ponna thookineengaley athayum paathen. Unga car follow panni than inga vanthen “

“naanga thookinathu seri than aana neenga ninaikra mathiri vikrathukku illa…antha mathiri ethuvum nadakkama irukka kaapathrathukku…En per Veera…naan than intha organization nadathren…child labor, child trafficking, sex trafficking itha pathi ellam ungala mathiri aathangam mattum iruntha oruthan naan…ippo athukku enna seiyalamnu yosichu iranginaven naan…ithu naan nadathum adaikalam…inga irukravanga engalala kaapatha pattavanga…kadatha pattavanga illa…”

I didn’t know what to believe anymore. Could it be that what he said was true?

“Chennai la mattum intha mathiri kuzhandainga motham 20,000 per kitta irukkaanga..ellorum oru vagaila exploit seiya paduravanga than…ellorayum kaapatha mudiatiyum, engala mudincha vangala kaapathittu irukkom…ippo enga adaikalathla irukrathu motham 34 pasanga..ellorum inga konja naal iruppaanga, sila peru aduthu enna seirathunu yosichu kilambiduvanga…engalala mudinja counseling, training thruvom..ithu oru halfway house mathiri.”

I was nodding unknowingly at his statements, half my mind wanting to believe what he was saying and half trying to find faults in his statement. Then it stuck me..

“appo chillaraindrathu enna unga patta peyara…ella daadakalum rowdygalum vechikira mathiri enna adai mozhi peru athu…”

He laughed once again.

“engalum oru protection vendum…protection comes from recognition..Fear comes from the unknown…Chillarai oru tag..oru aal illa..engala pathi theriyatiyum enga peyar oru bayam irukkanum intha thozhil seiravangalukku…athu mattum illa chillarai neenga thamizhla saatharaname solreenga…athaye naanga Englishla mean panrom..”

Then it stuck me. Chillarai…Change…they were bringing change to so many in the world.

“Sir, ungala paakratha iruntha antha naal kaalaila than ivangala paathu pesinen…en kitta enna seiyanumnu sonnanga..athan unga kitta kooda solla mudiyala”

I looked at Chandru, this time really looking at him. He looked the same, except he looked better. Clean clothes, washed face,oiled hair. But most importantly a spark. A spark that I had identified but which now had grown, blown up by these people. A sense of happiness, a sense of belonging.

“publica ellar munnadiyum thookanum…yaaru itha panranu theriya koodathu…publicla perusa oru sathamum varathu…aana ivangala exploit panra ellorkum theriyum…engala pathi..naanga enna panromnu… thedinaanga… thorathunaanga…aana onnum kandu pidika mudiyala..appadiye peru valarnthuchu…eppo enganu yaarkum theriyathu… aana nadakkum..nadakkalam. Athu mattum avangalukku theriyum… naangalum pannikittey iruppom”

I was left dumb-founded and in all my years was left with nothing to say but a huge glowing growing warmth enveloped me from inside. 

***the end???