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Stories / Novel – The Halo Reams
The
First Publication
by TA Ramesh
The Sun went
below the horizon. The darkness appeared everywhere. The Stars came to
life one after the other. The Moon came out of the Sea. The time was
just five past seven. The Sea side Hotel was bright with light. Around a
table in the roof garden, Selvam, Gopal, Balu and Vaithianathan were
seen sitting on the chairs. They were exchanging jokes among themselves
when the waiter brought bread with butter for them. Then they talked
about the facts with a little seriousness.
“Gopal lit a cigarette and said, “Last Wednesday I received a letter
from Kannan containing the first Report for our magazine. From Balu also
I received the first Editorial and two Articles for publication. Last
Thursday I received the articles from Selvam and Vaithianathan. Last
Saturday I typed out all the matters in the Bright Light Publishing
House in my spare time. Today being a Sunday, I have finished compiling
these materials in the form of a magazine. I am handing it over to Balu,
who will release it now. Okay?”
“Thank you very much,” said Balu, “for your invaluable assistance, Gopal.
I am very much pleased to see that the first issue of THE HALO has
turned out to be a successful one. I am giving the first publication of
THE HALO magazine to Selvam for his perusal. I request him to write his
comment and criticism in the back pages of this issue after he has gone
through all the articles in it.”
“I am elated with joy to see that the first issue of our Halo resting in
my hands,” said Selvam after he received THE HALO; “I shall do the best
I can in the comment and criticism column after I have thoroughly gone
through all the articles in this issue.”
At that moment Vaithianathan said, “Excuse me Balu. Shall I glance a
while the magazine before I get the chance to express my comment for the
first issue?”
“Sure,” replied Balu, “you can have a look now. And the next editor will
be Selvam and the assistant editor will be you.”
“I accept your suggestions, Balu. I think you will be writing the report
for the next issue.”
“Yes, I shall be the reporter for next month. Afterwards Gopal and you
have to undertake this work. Kannan will be sending his articles to us.”
Gopal then came forward to change the course of the talk to more
personal affairs.
He said, “I think both Selvam and Vaithianathan have got jobs in Pudu
Town itself. I want to know the nature of the jobs they have got. Will
you say about that to us, Selvam?”
“What Gopal says is true, Balu. Last Tuesday when I was going by the
side of the Head Post Office with Vaithianathan I happened to meet
lawyer Jackson. He is a friend to my father. I told him that I am
looking for a job and interested in studying in law. He said that it
would be better for me to work as a clerk in his office after the
college hours. So, I can join the Law College and do this work, which
will help me much to understand the nook and corner of this profession.
I am going to his office from Friday onwards.”
Regarding his position Vaithianathan next said, “I have passed in the
LDC Exam. I have got an appointment in the Information and Tourism
Office. I like this job. In the coming Monday, I have to join the
office. I shall think about my studies after some time.”
The waiter brought coffee for them. They took coffee, paid the bill and
left the Sea side Hotel.
The Sky was bright with Stars. The dark clouds were floating here and
there. The breeze was cool. The dragon flies were seen flying near the
Mercury lamp posts erected in a beautiful array by the side of the Beach
Road.
They walked up to the Ashram Tourist Guest House and made a turn back to
the Gandhi Statue. They decided to sit a while on one of the pavement
benches of the Grand Ground. A bench was found vacant near the Nehru
Statue in the ground. They sat there and were observing the Light House
beams. People from all walks of life were going to the beach and many
were returning through the Gandhi Ground to the Park or home.
A short and spectacled person was coming from the Park. He was slowly
walking towards the Nehru Statue. He put his hand kerchief near the
pedestal and sat on it in a thoughtful mood. He looked a while at the
Custom’s Office building, loosened his shirt a little bit and regained
his mood in the cool breeze of the Sea.
With a great astonishment Gopal said, “You fellows see there! Who is
sitting there? He is Mr. Pandyan. Do you recollect him? He was my
History teacher. He was working in the Nehru High School. He was
teaching English and Geography also. What is he doing now?”
“I heard that he was good in teaching English,” said Selvam.
Balu and Vaithianathan did not know anything about Mr. Pandyan. They
nodded their head in the negative sense.
“Let me go and talk with him a few words,” said Gopal and left them for
a few minutes.
He approached Mr. Pandyan in no minute. He said, “Good evening, sir!”
“Good evening,” said Mr. Pandyan too and looked at him for a while in
order to recognize who he was.
Knowing this, Gopal said, “I am Gopal, Sir. I was your student in the
Nehru High School. I was called as Gopu by you Sir!”
With a little smile, Pandyan then said, “Yes, I recognize you now. You
have a fine moustache, man! You have grown up too. Indeed, all the
students are so now. It is a pleasure to meet my old boys! What are you
doing now, Gopu?”
“I am working as a Typist in the Bright Light Publishing House with a
salary of Rs. 200/-, Sir. How are you and what about you, Sir?”
“I was suffering from nervous ailment. I had treatment in the Central
Govt. Hospital. Now I am doing well. I have prepared guide notes for
History and Geography useful for 10th, 11th and 12th Standards. These
guide books are under print now. I am thinking about publishing guide
notes for English every year useful for the 10th Standard students. For
the present I am teaching History only in the same school. Everyday I am
coming here for a small walk to trim up my health. This is how my days
are going on.”
With this note Pandyan stopped his talk, looked at the friends of Gopal.
“Who are those persons sitting there, Gopal?”
“They are my college friends. They are working in the govt. offices
here.”
“Well Gopal, have friends, if they are good. Otherwise, don’t have any
friends and don’t waste your time in doing nothing. This is the age for
you to do the best you can so that you need not suffer after you retire
from your service. Anyway best of luck to you and God’s blessings to
you! Meet me at home if you have leisure and we can talk more.”
“Thank you, Sir!”
He took leave of his teacher and joined his friends.
“There is a lot of time for us,” said Gopal to his friends, “I am happy
to have met Mr. Pandyan after a long time. He said he was not well for
sometime. Now he is recouping himself, it seems. He is strong in History
and Geography! Okay, what shall we do next?”
“Let us go to the right hand side of Gandhi Statue, men,” said
Vaithianathan in a cynical manner. Not only he said so but also got up
as if that atmosphere was not congenial to him. Others also got up to
move away from that place.
They were again walking on the beach pavement towards the North. In that
side of the beach, they were able to see a lot of motor boats with
indicator lights floating with anchors laid firm to the bottom of the
Sea. The Ashram people were seen coming in uniforms denoting their
respective group or category. The foreigners were also seen going along
with them. They were all contributing a sort of exotic appearance to the
natives of this small town.
They sat on a bench opposite to the Balaji Park. The moment they sat
there a frail old man came and stood at a distance. Recognising who he
was, Balu left his friends and started talking with the old man wearing
a garland of beads round his neck like the hermits wear. Vaithianathan,
Selvam and Gopal knew that the old man was none but Balu’s father. It
was a surprise and an unusual thing for them.
Then Balu approached them and said, “Friends, my father has lost the
house key, when he left for the library. Not knowing what he has to do
further, he has searched for the key everywhere and has finally come
here knowing that I shall be with you some where here. I have not
another key with me except mine. With this we have to mange here
afterwards, it seems, till we fix another door lock! Now I have to go
home with him as he is not feeling well. So, see you Gopal and see you
all on some other day.”
After he left them, Vaithianathan resumed his talk with them. He said,
“Gopal, I can’t understand what is happening to each and every one.
Kannan has gone away from us. When we are enjoying a good time here this
evening, Balu has to go away from us. It seems everyone is drifting
apart from one another.”
“You see, Vaithianathan,” said Gopal, “life will be full of surprises,
disappointments and happiness. We have to learn to adjust ourselves to
these natural happenings. See Selvam, he is also like you. But he is not
talking in a pessimistic note like you. He also knows this, but how he
is keeping himself quiet, see.”
“Okay, stop it, men! Vaithianathan and Gopal let us think something
useful or let us go to some movie so that we can forget this unpleasant
occurrence. What can we do, if Kannan goes to Madras or Balu goes to
settle his problem? We have to take it as such. We cannot always do what
we dream!”
“All right Gopal let us go to a movie to night as Selvam suggests. Tell
me what good movies are running in our town.”
“Vaithianathan, you go to any movie you like with Selvam. My mother has
a small problem with her relatives. I have to be with her to solve it
once and for all. I have to go home early to night.”
“Gopal, you go home and help you mother. I shall go to Ajanta theatre to
see an old movie, CAPTAIN MARVEL with Vaithi. We have to see this.”
“Okay, see you Vaithianathan and Selvam. One of my neighbours is going
there. I shall join him and go home. He is a good chap. So, Good night!”
“Good night!” said Vaithianathan.
“Good night and see you tomorrow,” said Selvam then.
–
Continued
October 21, 2007
The Halo Dreams : A Novel
Writing a Novel | The Park |
Philosophy | The Confusion |
The Conversation
The Appointment | The Journey
| The First Publication | The Change
The Secret | The Painted Veil |
The Halo Magazine | The Debts |
The Break
A Letter | A Surprise Letter |
The Literary Muse | The Souvenir |
The Questionnaire
The Reconciliation
| The Lake
| The Final Meets |
The Surprise |
The
Settlements
The Result
Top |
Stories
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