RECAP

T is content to settle in Mauritius. Sheila’s poor health compels T to extend her welcome to KK Dus2r and his robot nanny, Nene. This gradually becomes a permanent arrangement as T finds herself liking their presence. She wants to give KK the best of a childhood experience. However, at the virtual Parent-Teacher Meet, she receives a shock when she is told by four year-old KK’s virtual teachers that he needs a wider and mainland experience. Recalling memories from her distant childhood when all was well, she realizes that KK indeed needs a conventional environment with other children. So she decides to relocate to India. Sun is obviously thrilled when he knows that she is keen to live close to his island base and is intent upon using this opportunity to make his presentation for a merger.



CHAPTER 11

India, here I come! Bharat Mata, help me, a woman who doesn’t know the difference between a progeny and a son. For the first time ever, T prayed. A mental picture of the Statue of Liberty flashed in her mind, as she prayed silently. For, during her studies at New York City, she had always sought the awe-inspiring presence of this historical statue to draw solace in her few moments of lonesomeness. 

As her flight prepared to land, T prayed that her India experience would teach her how to be a ‘proper and attached’ parent. She wanted him to grow up with meaningful and upbeat memories of his childhood. Maybe because she herself had lost a huge chunk of it. 

Little did T know that this very fervent wish of hers was her initiation into the ‘T & T’ of parenthood!  The ‘trials and tribulations’ of anxiety, joy and pride, that essentially personify motherhood; the definition not having changed over passage of time. 

Sun was present. He seems different somehow, or is it that my perspective has changed, T wondered. She had a queer feeling in the pit of her stomach when KK climbed onto Sun’s lap, with a squeal, “Dada!” Looking at Sun, T felt a quiver of pleasure run through her, as his striking good looks registered. When Sun looked at T over KK’s shoulder, and caught her staring, he gave her a huge wink! T was so dumbstruck, she froze up, till a group of passengers jostled her and she nearly tripped over. Barely had she drawn herself up, mustering her dignity to tackle the usual droll humour of Sun, when he stepped aside and handed over a clinging KK to Nene. Then he drew T forward into a tight hug. Oh, not again! 

“Taa…aaan, its so good to see you …..,” he said to T, who was by then a bundle of nerves, not inured to such human proximity. He continued to hold her, combing his fingers through her hair and murmuring softly, “….we are the bridge across forever, arching above the sea….  

T thought she heard Nene telling KK, “Your Dada is quoting from a book by Richard Bach, you know.” She pulled herself away, pointing towards Nene, “I think I ought to attend to Nene right away. I had fine-tuned her for air travel, but now, I had better scale her down before things get out of hand.” 

“Shall we go on directly to Pullu’s Villa?” Sun asked T. On seeing her quizzical look, he elaborated, “It is a village where the upper crust have been settling down.  Post - 2036, after those successive earthquakes triggered off by the tectonic plate shifting, hundreds of coastal villages had simply disappeared, barring this one. So it is the hottest destination today, not just for the quality of fish, but because of a quaint belief that nothing can harm this village.” 

“How fascinating!” exclaimed T, as they drove in the open vehicle through a picturesque vista of endless palms swaying in the sharp and salty morning breeze. ““Just like our old-worlde Grecian beliefs! But isn’t your island too a cut-away from the old mainland?” T turned to Sun, taking a barrette from her pocket to tie up her flyaway hair. His hands clamped her wrist. “Let it be, I enjoy seeing your hair.”  

“Yes, nature gave vent to her wrath for the tourism overkill in the early century, by cutting a swathe through the Kovalam beach, and spitting it out to the sea,” Sun answered her query. “That’s precisely why I got it for a song; no mortal wanted to venture near the newly-formed island out of fear.” 

As they entered the village of Pulu’s Villa, T soaked in the serene ambience of the sprawling lawns, skirted by swaying palms and sparingly dotted with luxurious villas.  Yes, I think I will like this place, it’s so much like my home at Sparta, even nature’s conduct bearing parallels to Greek mythology. Thank you, Sun. 

“Please! No more pranks or jokes,” T pleaded when she saw they had stopped before a pond in the heart of the settlement. 

“Come with me,” Sun dragged T to the waterfront. “This is the ancient perennial pond of Kottarakku. The locals believe this pond has some spiritual significance. Hence the village was spared from nature’s fury.” Seeing the amusement on T’s face, he nodded knowingly, “Yeah, they are much like your own bucolic folks of Greece.” 

“The Government is now planning to introduce a detoxification scheme for purification of the pond, maybe even use the water for drinking purpose in future. They are looking for somebody qualified to spearhead the movement. The job could be yours if you want it,” Sun said quietly, watching her expressions with a keen alertness. 

For several moments T absorbed what Sun had just imparted. Then she nodded, “Yeah, that sounds interesting,” 

Much later, Sun escorted T on a whirlwind tour of Kovalum island, his offices and beach-house. Later, as they stood on the verandah of Sun’s island house, watching the colourful splendour of the setting sun, T said quietly, “Thank you, Sun, for fixing the kind of house and village that would appeal to me.” 

Sun looked at her averted profile and said light-heartedly, “What are friends for?” Then, turning her to face him, he brushed away the single tear hovering on the edge, speaking in a serious tone, “I wanted to give you a place that would be a home away from home, Tan. I have guessed there is some profound reason why have kept away from Sparta.” 

When T finally looked up, a shutter had come down upon her face. 

“This village and the area is much like the fishing villages of Greece, the perfect place for you to nurture KK as you fancy,” Sun commented, “the perfect setting Tan, to begin anew.” 

Switching over to a jovial tone, he confessed, “Only I couldn’t conjure up your olive trees or the river Evrotas, so you will have to make do with coconut palms and murky blue of our seas. The rest is all made-to-order, ma’am, just for you, right down to the right-angled layout of the streets and the central square, a la Spartin style!” he finished, bowing with a flourish. 

Overcome with the strange feeling of being pampered, an alien phenomenon in her hitherto self-reliant existence, T could not speak for a few minutes. Then she finally wagged her fingers at Sun, “Surya Dus2r, are you trying to make me laugh?” she said warningly. “For that, you shall have to sit through my gloomy tale of Sparta!”  

Author’s notes: For the reading pleasure of readers, I have included the complete paragraph from Richard Bach’s novel - The Bridge Across Forever.

“We are the bridge across forever, arching above the sea, adventuring for our pleasure, living mysteries for the fun of it, choosing disasters, triumphs, challenges impossible, odds, testing ourselves over and again, learning love and love and LOVE!” 

Pulluvila is presently a coastal village near Vizhinjam, 20 km from Thiruvanthapuram. It has a central ancient fresh-water pond called Kottarakkulam.

Modern Sparta, capital of Lakonia, Southern Greece, is built on the ruins of the ancient city, and forms an integral part of Greek history. It finds frequent mention in modern world literature.

Tectonic Plate shifting and Continental Drift shape landmass and ocean floor movements. This is a continual feature, with the Indian Plate gradually drifting northward. The possible consequences form part of world-wide study and concern.