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??? 

Chillari - Chapter 2

Read the earlier part here before proceeding further...



Although I had tried, I just wasnt fast enough to reach the car from the teashop. So once again in a gap of a week, I saw another kid being pulled into the confines of the rear seats of the car. Just as I reached about two feet behind, the car which was slowly idling and gently moving forward, spun its wheels and took off like a rocket, leaving behind dust and splashing water on me. At least this time I was closer and was in a position to do something about it. Unlike the last time. Chandru. The last thing i recall about him was his face, frozen, without any emotions of surprise or fear being jerked into the same car that I was following now.

The car raced through the wet roads of the city at breakneck speed, but well within creating any mishaps. I kept up as much closely as I could without sliding down the tar roads. It required all of my driving skills and focus to avoid the potholes, disguised by the stagnating water in it and keep the vehicle in sight. We came tearing out of GP road onto Mount road without losing speed or toppling over, both of which I had so far thought impossible to do. Both of us sped on Mount road, weaving between the slight traffic at that hour.

I wiped my face, not knowing if it was rain or tears that blinded me. The past one week had been a myriad of emotions. Shock at the accident that I had caused. Relief that there wasnt any serious injury to the boy. Happiness at the friendship that I made with him over the next two days over cups of tea. Expectation when I went to meet him on that day to give him my old pairs of jeans. Shock at seeing him plucked off the road like a wayward flower. Anger at myself for not doing anything. Frustration with the police for not taking my words seriously. Both of these led me down the path of discovery of the underground life in Chennai, into the dark world occupied by these invisible citizens clinging on to life at its lowest form in a city growing huge on the grime of a sub-society. I roamed the streets surrounding the mall trying to make sense of what had happened, piecing together whatever information that I could get about Chandru and the life that he had led, to find out about his family if any.

The people I met were reluctant to speak, to say the least and downright offensively aggressive when they realized I wasn’t going away without answers. Finally a girl not much older than Chandru had opened up for a promise of a 500 rupee note and a glass of tea. Chandru had no family. He wasn’t from the state even. He had come running away from his hometown which was either a village or town somewhere in northern AP, I couldn’t get the name of the place clearly. Here he had managed a string of petty and menial jobs before being “bought” into the business of begging. The girl, Anandhi had stopped at this juncture scared to open up more. The lure of more money, more hot food didn’t seem to work. She was genuinely frightened and refused to talk more about her “handlers” or for the fact, Chandru’s “handlers”. However much I had pushed she didn’t talk again about the same. While leaving however she turned and said,” ennaiyum yaaravathu seekram vaanguvanganu vaendren…akka sollichu…avana yaaro vaanga poranganu..”. I watched her move away into the darkness of the city which absorbed her fully, which had already taken in so many others like her. Buying? Chandru was bought? So that cab was the buyer? For what? The options that came to my mind gave me a shudder.

After I spoke to Anandhi, I tried to emulate the same conversation with others but wasn’t so lucky. It was as though someone had come to know about me and had warned them not to speak to me. They ran at the sight of me, not being tempted by the lure of money or food. I spread the word that I wanted to know what happened and that I was willing to pay. How much ever I tried, I couldn’t get them to talk. I needn’t have tried too much, for “they” sought me out. In the most inopportune time and place. I was having dinner with my parents at Saravana bhavan near Peters road when I saw them enter. They didn’t fit in. A man and a woman. Don’t get me wrong. They weren’t in rags. In fact they were the opposite. They were dressed well but it wasn’t sitting well on them. Call it intuition or whatever you may but I knew that they were there for me. They stood at the doorway with no apparent hurry or plan. I excused myself from the table and went towards them. As I approached they moved outside the hotel and I followed them onto the street.

“thambi, neenga thana athu…niraya kelviyoda suthikittu irukkeenganu porul sollichu.”

“porula? Enna porul”

“pasanga thambi..namma pasanga sonnanga..”

I was slightly revolted at the callous way that they equated kids to products but kept a straight face.

“Chandru ku enna aachu”

“atha than naangalum unga kitta ketkalam nu vanthom…nalla paiyan…enna achu..moochey illa avana pathi…moonu naal amount um varala.”

I retold the entire incident that I saw, not knowing why I was doing that to these people. As I finished they turned and looked at each other, some hidden message passing between them.

“hmmm seri thambi…ithoda itha vitudu…un thalaiku mela poiduchu..theva illatha velai paakatha..puriyutha”

It wasn’t that he or his tone was menacing..but something in the way he said those words gave the seriousness of the content and the truth that will come to pass because of his words.

“uhh chandruuu…chandru ku enna aachu..”

The woman turned. She had been silent so far. She looked at me and said.

“Chandru va vidu thambi…avana chillarai thookiduchu…thirumbi vara maatan…enga iruppanu entha nilamai la irupanu yaarukkum theriyathu….chillarai kaila maatina appram thirumbi intha ulagatha paaka mudiathu..poi vera velaiya paaru thambi..”

Chillarai..The name echoed in my mind. In a city which was famous for its adjective surnames before any two-bit politico or wanna-be, this was a new one indeed. But these people looked like they have handled people like that all through their life, if not for them being people like that themselves. Who could this Chillarai be that he could strike such a fear down these swines' spines? Courage and idiocy are barely deferential.  I had to find out more about this guy. Courageous or idiotic, that’s why I am on my bike chasing a cab down the city’s arterial roads, battling this rain. I had to find out… I had to find Chandru…I had to rescue him.

Chillarai - Chapter 1

I stood under the awning of the tea shop trying to get as much cover as I could possibly get from the drizzle. I lit up a smoke and waited for my tea that I had ordered. This was my fourth tea in 30 minutes and I really didnt know what I was doing there. I was waiting. The drizzle had started out suddenly and though the people on the road initially felt a bit of relief for the sudden change in heat, it was gaining pace and now it was a irritant. I had shifted positions in the last one hour, moving from a tea shop on the opposite side to this one. I needed a different vantage point. I stood waiting.For what, was a question that I wasnt able to answer to myself. And I have been asking myself that question for so long now. Chandru. This was all because of him.

A week ago. I cant believe it all started a week ago and what an insignificant beginning to all of this. I closed my eyes for a second. To rerun the entire thing in my mind. To relive it.

I was cruising down Whites Road just about to enter Express Avenue. I was running late for a movie. Not unusual. I have never till date, watched a film from the first scene and had the notoriety for being chronically late. That day however, I tried to make up for time lost. I had my own reasons. Main one being a new girl that i have been dying to meet and who was part of the group that i was now going to the movie with. With thoughts of her on my mind, I wrested the accelerator further than it would normally go and was about to break out into a song in my mind. When he came in between the road. It was all so sudden and the fault wasnt entirely mine. He was a lithe and puny figure and had moved incredibly quick trying to cross the road amidst the racing vehicles there. Before I knew it, I hit him and there was a suspension of time and gravity as he flew a few feet before crumbling onto the road. Within seconds,  a crowd had gathered around him and I couldnt see what had happened to him. In between the gap, I saw crimson. Blood.

A crack of thunder and I came out of my thoughts to the reality around me. The drizzle was no longer a drizzle and it was coming down pretty strong. More people crowded the tea shop, trying to get an extra inch of foot space to escape from the onslaught.I finished my glass of tea and kept the glass on the counter-top. That's when I saw the car. The car that I had been waiting for, the car that had been the target of my evening.

It was a pretty innocuous looking vehicle, totally nondescript. It looked like any other cab that ferries the thousands of IT employees across the city every day, except that i knew what to look out for. The small sticker on the left side of the rear windshield.FS575. I dont know if there was really any company using the same tag but this couldnt be a coincidence. Same area, same time, same symbol. I recall seeing it a week before, the image burned into my mind. Now, if only...

There..a small girl was crossing the road. She was one among the hundreds of homeless that you see everyday. Faceless, nameless and most importantly nobody to miss her. I watched the entire thing play out in  front of me, in slo-mo as though you are running it on your dvd player at 1/2 x speed. The car shuddered to a start and switched on its head lights. The rear door opened but nobody stepped out or got in. The car slowly started moving forward towards the dimly lit section of the street. Irony in the fact that the biggest mall in the city has a seedy neighbor-hood right beside it. I had seen all this happen. Not too long ago. Just a week ago.

When Chandru was taken. Right in front of my eyes. Not this time, I muttered to myself. I leaped on my bike and pushed the electric starter and took off, my eyes not leaving the car or the girl.

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