வானம் பக்கம் தான்
நம் வாழ்க்கை பக்கம் தான்
தோளில் சக்தி உள்ளவனுக்கு
சொர்க்கம் பக்கம் தான்

Thanking the forest officer for his lift, Kathir walked into the premises of the school. He could see most children playing around in the ground since there was still time for the school to start...

He walked towards the head master's room and knocked the door..

Hm: ulla vanga...

Kat: vanakkam ayya....

Hm: ukarunga thambi....neenga dan andha pudhu aasiriyar aa..

Kat: aaman ayya...

Hm: Chinna vayasu dan....govt udyogam....naladhu dan....

Kathir simply nodded ..

Hm: thambi idu semi govt aided theriyuma nu therla ungaluku...

Kat: theriyum sir...

Hm: adhu illa...unga sambalam 30000 aana adu neenga velaiku sendha adutha masam eh kedaikuma nu keta therla thambi...

(Semi govt are like this nu kelvi paten from one of my close associates adhan use panren....if it's not my sincere apology)

Kathir for his part was shocked....

What does he mean by these words??

Kat: purila....neenga enna sola varinga nu...

Hm: adhavadhu thambi...unga sambalam vandu 6 maasam la varalam illa 1 varusthula vara arambikalam....

Ellam DEO sign aa poruthu iruku....avaru epo sign potu approve panuvaru apolendu varum....

Adhu vara ungaluku sambalam irukadu....approve aanaduku aprom vela paka arambichadulendu irukura ellam sendu vandirum....

Munnaya solradhu naladhu la..
Adhan....

Kathir nodded his head...he had not come only for money making....though he knew the situation is kind of stringent...

Kat: adhu vara enga thanguradhu??

Hm: thangaradha pathi neenga kavala pada venam ...

Adu lan inga arrange paniyachu...

Kat: quarters aa sir...

Hm: quarters dhan...
Aana neenga city karanga nenakara madiri lan irukadu...

Kat: thanga oru edam irundha podum ....vera edum venam....

Hm: seri apo neenga inga sign podunga....neenga vandu tamizh 5 am vaguupu lendu 7am vagupu vara edupinga....

Aana 1am vagupu 2am vagupu ku kanaku illana ariviyal edukrua madiri varum...

Ungaluku edu paravala....

Kat: rendu la edu nalaum paravala...naan edithupen....

Aana ...

Hm: enna thambi...

Kat: illa nethi bus erunen...innum freshen up agala....

Inga quarters vandu ready aagalam nu irunden adhan....

Hm: aduva thambi....unga quarters vandu oru 30 nim poganum....

Kat mv: epdi poitu varadhu ne therlaye....

Hm: neenga onnu panunga thambi.....inga pakathula nama peon veedu iruku...

Naan avara koopdaren....neenga avar veetla poi kulichu readu ayitu class ku ponga....

And he called the peon ..

Hm: saravana....

Sar: Aan solunga ayya...

Hm: idu nama school ku vandha pudu vadiyar....konajm kulichu ready aganumam....

Sar: en veetuku kootitu poren sir....onnum prechana illa....

Vaanga sir...

And kathir followed him...

Kathir was very much surprised with the helping tendency of this boy who looked nearly his brothers age...

Sar: sir unga peru...

Kat: kathir....

Sar: naan saravanan.....neenga endha ooru sir...

Kat: enna sir nu lan koopda vename....

Sar: per soli lan namaku koopda varadhu sir...

Kat: anna nu vena kooptuko....

Sar: aan seri anna....neenga endha ooru....

Kat: karaikudi...

Sar: oh seri seri....

Kat; idhan unga sondha oora...

Sar: aaman anna....appa ings dhan peon aa vela pathadu...

Moonu masam munna thavaritaru....HM dan periya manasu pani...

Enaku andha velaya vangi kudutahru...

And they reached his house...

It was some 10 min walkable distance...a small decent house....he saw an elderly woman who reminded him of his amma and his two elder sister...

He wished them and went about to do his daily chores....when he came out...he saw saravana waiting...

Sar: anna saptruka matinga la...vaanga sapdalam....

Kat: illa pa...paravala....

Sar: enga veetla lannepdi sapdradu nu yosikiringala....

Kat: cha cha apdi lan illa.....school ku neram aagadha nu dan...

Vera edum illa...

Sm(sara mom): saptitu po thambi....10 nimisham aaga pogadha...

Kathir nodded his head and sat for his morning food...he expected some piping hot idly and sambar,  but poor him had forgotten it's a TN Kerala border and a tribal place...

He was served some boiled tapioca and some chutney and a glass of piping hot black tea in a glass tumbler....

Sar: nala irukum....sapdungan....

Kathir tasted the food and he literally felt heaven....it was the perfect food for the cold climate...

And his love, tea had altered to black tea with just a sip....it tasted a bit of mint, dry ginger and cardamom...something his taste buds were novice to...something he wouldn't have deciphered hadn't he been maligai kada karan for the most part of his teenage and adolescent times...

He relished the yummy breakfast and instantly his mind reminded him of calling and informing his family...

He took his button phone but he couldn't see any bar indicating the signal..

Seeing kathir look at his phone with confused look, the young guy saravana came to his aid...

Sar: annan inga signal konjam kashtam dan....

Kat mv: sutham....anga amma annan lan kavala padumem....

Kat: signal enga kedaikum....

Sar: apopo vanditu pogum....aana epovum signal kedaikanum na...

Neenga bus eranguna edam than anna...

Kat: apo quarters kita...

Sar: anga suthama irukadu....anga ellam landline dan....

Ipo sonna oru 2, 3 maasathula connection kuduthiruvanga....

Kat: ooruku phone pananum....

Sar: avalo dhane....neenga nama HM kita soli...school phone lendu panidunga..

Kat: romba nandri...

And they started walking to school

Sar: aama annan...neenga enna city aala irundum....

Thanks lan solama nadri nu solringa....

Kat: yen pa...naan city aalu lan illa...enga ooru gramma dan..

Sar: illa ellan inga varuvanga....thanks sorry nu soluvanga adhan...

Kat: enaku tamizh na pudikum pa...adhan....

Sar: ada appo neenga nama mullai akka madiri....

Kat: yaar pa adhu...

Sar: adhu nama forest officer ponnu...avungalum ungala madiri dan....tamizh na romba pudikum.....

Kat: oh....

Sar: nenega forest officer aa pakala la...

Kat: illa avaru dan enna inga vitutu ponaru...

Sar: seri annan...

And they reached school, kathie asked permission made a call to him...luckily it was his anni who attended ..

She was empathetic of the situation and asked him to take care....the rest family had gone to temple as per...requesting to convey his regards he kept the phone....

Today being his first day, he didn't have much of class as it was the mid of December and half yearly exam had started....

So, the day went in getting acquainted with the teachers amidst the exam rush and then learning what would be his work during exams....

At around 2pm, HM had asked saravana to accompany him to his quarters....

Saravana had nodded off and went to take his cycle....

Kat: 30 nimisham nu soniye pa....cycle la epdi...

Sar: adhelam pazhagidochu......neenga saman vachirukingale nu dhan...

Illa na kuruku padha la nadandha oru 40nimidham poidalam...

Kathir now was thankful of his athletic skills in his school days looked like they would come very much handy....

Though he offered to pedel the cycle, saravana refused and so he sat behind him....until he stopped the cycle before a simple 2 storey house....

Kat: idhana...

Sar: aaman annan....

Kathir looked up and down at the house....

Sar: annan...
Mela dan unga room....

Kela namba murugan sir room....

Kathir looked confused....

Sar: dhan sonenr....forest officer....

And they went to the side where he could see a wooden staircase leading to a small studio room.....which looked absolutely spacious for a single person with the right side having a small kitchen slab and rest was the room....he couldn't find any washroom....

Kat: bathroom....

Sar: adhuva ...adu anga keela iruku...
And he pointed to a bathroom in the side of the courtyard....

Kat: adhu enaku matuma...ilal...

Sar: ungaluku dan anna....keela veetu kulaye bathroom iruku...

Kat: seri romba thanks....

Sar: San seri annan...edum udavi venum na solunga....

Rathri ku enna panuvanga....

Kat: therla pathaganum....inga pakayjula kada edum...

Sar: town ku poganum...perusa vanganym na...hotel vandu neenga bus eranguna edathula irukum....

Kat: seri enaku oru Chinna help panu pa...un cycle tha  naan poi konjam porul lan vangitu varen....

Sar: cycle la ambutu Dooram epdi annan....

Kat: paravala.

Sar: mani 4 aga pogudu....venam annan....rathri sapadu naan kondu vandu tharen....

Nama nalaiku school lendu poi vangikalam....

Kalai la naan vandu kootitu poren....

Kat: illa nanane....

Sar: ungaluku vazhi tehriyadhula...paravala....

Rest edunga...

And he left....

Kathri loved the ambience and the place the only thing was the distance and the salary....

But, for now he had enough money to survive rest could take a backseat he thought...

He went and opened the window and let himself drown into the beauty of the nature.....green mountains misty windows birds ....to his longest vision all he could see was green meadows and small hut like houses....he couldn't see any pollution emitted by any vehicles all he could smell was nothing but fresh air...

He looked around saw a paai in the corner, took his blanket he had carried and went for a small power nap as he had nothing else to do...

Tbc....