Shades Of Love ( Completed )

Chapter - 1

A few children and teenage girls dressed in tracks and T shirt were assembled in the vacant space under the huge banyan tree beside the pond in the village of Ayyankottai near Alanganallur.

They were seriously practicing silambam waiting for their master to arrive. They formed a circle and randomly two girls reached the centre and started fighting with others cheering them. One of the girl was fierce and the silambam from the other girl's hand flew into air with the hit from the opponent.

Before the Silambam stick would touch the ground their master caught it. Everyone bowed to their master who smiled at their sincere efforts to learn the art.

Master: Romba nalla pasanga. Seri adutha varam competition porom, ellarum peru kudukkanum. Daily kalaila 5 maniku practice varanum. Bus charge mattum vaangitu vaanga extra kasu kekka koodadhu ippo potruka dress podhum. Sapadu naa arrange panniduven seriya?

( Good children. Ok, next week there is a competition and I want you all to register your names. Come for practice at 5 daily. Get only bus fare from your parents and no need to take extra cash. The dress which you are wearing is enough and I will pack food. Did you get it ?)

Children: Yes master...

They took a bow and again they started with the practice following their masters moves. An hour later they were done. Once they were ready to leave they sat next to their master Kanmani. She is a loving sister when they were done practicing and the children loved to spend time with her.

Child 1: Kanmani akka, nee mattum eppadi ivlo nalla silamabam suthura ? ( Kanmani sister, how come you spin the stick well ?)

Kanmani: Adhuva da, en appad silambam master avar solli kudutharu. ( That ? My father is silamabam master and he taught me )

Child 2 : Appo avar yen solli thara mattenguraru ? ( then why is he not teaching us ?)

Kanmani: Avar kittaye kelunga.. Ippo ponga veetukku poi sapdunga illa na kovil prasadham tharuvanga saptu ponga ( You ask him yourself. Now go home and eat something or go to the temple and get some prasadh)

Once the children left there was a screaming voice " Kanmaniiiiiiiiiiiiiii"... A girl in her 20s came running and bent holding her knees panting for air.

Girl: Kanmani, class mudincha ? Seekiram vaa polam.

Kanmani: Hey Bommi yen ippadi odi vara, enna achu ? ( Hey bommi, why do you come running like this, what happened ?)

Bommi: Andha Shanthi akka kandhu vatti ku kasu vaanga pogudhu. Andha akka ponnu ku seemandham vechurukku adhukku kasu venumam. Andha meesakaran, singaram kitta vaanga pogudhu.

(That Shanthi sister is on her way to get money for usury interest. Her daughter's baby shower and she needs money for that. She is going to get that from that moustache man, Singaram )

Kanmani: Ivangalukku evlo sonnalum puriyave puriyadhu pola. Nee poi yen appava andha akka veetukku vara sollu. Naa pesikiren. ( How much should I say to them still the won't understand. You go and get my father to her house. I will talk to her )

Kanmani rode her bicycle leaving Bommi to run again.

Bommi: Adiye thriumbavum naa odanuma ? ( Hey girl, should I run again ?)

Kanmani: Kalaila sapta 10 idly serikkum odu di. ( The 10 idly you ate in the morning will digest so run again)

Bommi whined still she ran again to call her father while Kanmani was already on her way. She reached shanthi's house and saw she was getting ready.