Sarkozy,Carla and Kochappan

Gentlemen ! ( even if you are not one please go ahead and read !)

My mind was not neither in e mail nor fe males for quite some time; to be precise for almost two months. It's an issue which has been of concern for the Govt of India and me. Believe me, it is such an issue.

Mr.Kochappan, whose wiser counsel I seek on such occasions of predicament was away in Kottayam.

I was lost without his guidance. I was standing at a place where 'Two roads diverged into the woods' and I had to choose the right one. The only other person who had faced a similar situation in his life could be the poet Robert Frost; no one else to my knowledge.

Sitaram Yechuri and Prakash karat had whisked Kochappan away to Kottayam to to reconcile the warring factions of Pinarayi and Achumama. Such is Kochappan's counselling capacity.

I got him over phone at Kottayam; trifle late at night. From his tone I guessed that he was nursing a drink; he nurses only a drink or two at night these days; nothing else; age is catching up.

'' Iam anxious, so is Manmohan Singh, and the Foreign Affairs ministry,'' I said.

'' Regarding what?'' His questioning skill was evident.

'' About the visit of the French Premier Sarkozy and his woman Carla to India'' I replied in one breath.

'' Don't beat around the bush as Jyothi Basu does on Capitalism and Communism'' Kochapps warned.

'' Manmohan Singh is happy about Sarkozy's visit to India, but the Foreign affairs ministry has reservations about his girl friend Carla acompanying him. She cannot be accorded an official welcome. Prime Ministers should not be allowed to visit India with their living-in girl friends.''
I paused for breath and continued. '' Even Clinton had the sense not to bring Monica with him when he came here. He came alone to India. May be Monica would have come separately. But never together. Sarkozy can come alone but not with Carla. If she desires so she should come separately not with him .'' I put across my points of view bluntly to Kochapps.

There was a pregnant silence. Kochappan by habit weighs options before giving opinions. While he was weighing I had another gulp of fresh air and waited for his verdict .

'' Aniyan, how can India ever tell Sarkozy that he and Carla should not come together. A s a boy friend and girl friend they can come together or separately. And Sarkozy cannot dictate when Carla should come; he can make attempts to make her come when he wants her to come or delay it or prevent it, but then it is not fully in his hands. You must understand that it is even beyond Carla to decide whether and when she should come. So I suggest you don't worry whether they come separately or together. It's a family matter. It's Physiological, Aniyan, it's Physiological'' He disconnected.

As it happens always I couldn't understand what has Physiology got to do with Carla and Sarkozy coming together at the same time.

I want clarification and will ask him when he returns from Kottayam; but then if he and Brinda Karat are coming together even that may not be possible!


menon ( aniyan )

Kochappan, Karunakaran and Chicken shit.

The last I heard from him, he was in Sri Lanka. He had mentioned to me that he was released by the LTTE militants who had kept him captive,after he identified himself as 'The Kochappan' of Kochappan mails and the blog hero. The reason of his release, he secretly learnt, is their fear of his unleashing lessons in English, under captivity. They felt that they are better equipped to suffer the bombs dropped by the Lankan Airforce than suffering his lessons in English.

They don't know what they are missing !.

Keeping in line with his request for noting the important news items, and feeding him with that through Email, I had prepared the following news items and sent them for his nourishment,at his breakfast. Here are some of them with his responses & comments.

Nairobian Giant cobra - This is a new species of giant 'Spitting Cobra', about 2.5m long has enough venom to kill 20 people in one bite.The 'Naja Ashei species' is named after it's founder James Ashe, the owner of a Kenyan snake farm. It can be identified by it's 'black neck'.

Kochappan responded thus - This is no great discovery by the Kenyan. We have been having such cobras in India, particularly in Kerala, for years. They may be 5 to 6 ft long. They are found in different colours here, instead of black. They are seen in Tri colour, Red, Green and Saffron colours.They move around freely without any fear and pose as if they own the land.
They can spit poison and kill not just twenty but anything which comes across them.They 'hiss'
not from their hidings, but from the platforms through audio equipments, esp during the election season.

Doris Lessing, the British Novelist , Nobel Laureate in Literature - She could not attend the function but sent her lecture ' On not winning the Nobel Prize' which was read out by her British editor Nicholas Pearson.

Kochapps said - This is no big surprise news either. Salim - Javed had prepared a half an hour speech on 'Not winning the Nobel Prize' when their fiction 'DEEWAR' was rejected in the competition for Nobel. But then later on, the film made on this fiction won the 'Filmfare Award' and that went a long way in assuaging the hurt feelings of S&J . Even Vinayan, whose
' Vasanthiyum, Lakshmiyum pinne Janum' had the same fate. The Nobel committee, Vinyan says, had informed him that it's the length of the title that cost him the award.

Karunakaran's return to congress- After vociferously abusing Sonia Gandhi and her leadership the former CM of Kerala is now singing in her praise and is awaiting her permission to join congress.

I didn't get the return mail with his comments. He called me up to tell me about his return trip from Sri lanka.
After that talk I mentioned about the news about Karunakaran's request to Sonia Gandhi to take him back.

'Man is the only animal who blushes ; or needs to.' wrote Mark Twain.
''Karunakaran needs to'' said Kochappan.

'' I may not know much, but I know chicken shit from chicken salad'' Lyndon Johnson said that about Richard Nixon. Take it from me, Aniyan. Sonia Gandhi also ought to know that much''. These were last words of the day from Kochapps from Sri Lanka.

I am awaiting his arrival. I miss him; his words, and wisdom, very badly.

menon ( aniyan )

Abraham Lincoln, Gandhiji, and Kochappan.

'' I have done nothing to make any human being remember that I have lived. yet what I wish to live for is to connect my name with the events of my day and generation, to link my name with something which will be of interest to my fellow men.''

Abraham Lincoln ( 1809-1865 )

Kochappan used to quote this frequently, saying that the purpose of his life is also the same; to provide something of interest to his fellow men.

Steven Spielberg's movie "The Close Encounters of the Third kind" gives you an audio visual idea of three encounters with the UFOs (Un identified Flying Objects).

'Heard but never seen.'
'Heard and seen', and
'Coming in actual contact with the object'

Having had the fortune of having the close encounter of the third kind with Kochappan I have been at the receiving end of matters of interest from him.

Let me relate to you and provide you with some of them.

I sent him a mail of ' Heartfelt Congratulations' on his receiving 35th Anniversary Commemorative Award for Management Services from the ICRISAT, a UN organisation, at Sri Lanka two days back.

In reply, instead of thanking me for the message, he corrected my English and mentioned that
though 'Heartfelt' means sincere, it's normally used with sadness like 'Heartfelt' condolences,
and that I should have used the word 'Hearty' if I meant what I sent. This is what he wants to
provide people during his life time.

Many a time in my life have I got such invaluable guidance from him, a few of them I would like to relate to less fortunate people like you, who have not had the 3rd type of close encounter with him.

When I was infactuated with a young lass of surpassing beauty during my adolescence, he had warned me that though she is like 'pure snow' to look at she has a tendency to drift like snow, and that if she drifts like what she was doing then, she would end up like the 'Indian Railway' ; laid right across the country.

Once when I used the expression, 'I want to have the cake and eat it too', he admonished me by saying that I should have said 'I want to eat the cake and have it too' to mean what I really meant.

When I reminded him to put his 'best foot forward' when he was entering his newly built flat
at Hyderabad he asked me sarcastically whether he had the option of 'good' and 'better' foot to choose! Such is his brilliance!

In another occasion while travelling long distance by train he asked me ''If a turtle loses it's shell
is it naked or homeless?'' Another occasion when we were in his car he asked why one gets
'in' and 'out' of a car but gets 'on' and 'off' a bus. Questions of sheer brilliance which made me think.

He advised me not to 'assume' things in life because it will make an 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'.

To impress upon me the necessity to know about great people and their lives he used ask me questions about them. One late evening,while sitting and sipping a cup of tea in his balcony he asked whether I knew what one leg of Marilyn Monroe say to the other when she was dead and laid in the coffin. I couldn't give the answer. '' At last we are together''. He gave the answer himself.
'' Between you and me we have made lot of money'' ; before being buried, at the end of a long journey of life, that was what one leg of Marilyn in it's last conversation to other said; with a sigh of relief.''These might sound a bit lewd, indecent. But see the construction of the sentences
and the clarity of expression'' .He added.
Profound knowledge; that was what he was parting with .

He taught me that 'History' is about past and I need not say 'Past history', that I need not 'lift up' (because I cannot lift anything down) nor 'raise it up', he doesn't like getting 'free gifts' and 'advance warning' and that I should not ' mix things together' and that he won't 'repeat again' these lessons.

While on the topic of history he told me that they were called 'Romans' , because those people had the habit of roaming around.

I can go on with examples of his attempts to be of use to people. The one such saying of his which I still remember is the one he told me on the day of my marriage.

''Aniyan, a happiness of life is having a loving,caring, and close knit family; in another city''

That could be the reason why he goes on frequent tours to cities of Syria, Africa and SriLanka.

Like Gandhiji he practises what he preaches. Such is his greatness !!!

menon ( aniyan )

Paris Hilton and the elephants of Meghalaya.

'' Conservationists on Tuesday hailed the socialite Paris Hilton, who has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, for trying to highlight the cause of 'Rice Beer' drinking elephants in the northeast.'' I read the news headline and had a genuine doubt.

We, Menons, by tradition, donot like carrying doubts in our respective minds for too long. It's unnecessary; carrying doubts and walking around; esp when brilliant people like Kochappan is up and around.

I asked him ''Doesn't the head line suggest that Paris Hilton was driving around in drunken state and got arrested to highlight the plight of the elephants.?''

Kochappan looked at me. Lord Parama Shiva is the only other known person to have a look like that, which I presume, can make the receiving end burn and turn ash in colour. Ash colour we all know, is not associated with glamour or good looks of men.

''You idiot'' he said thus.'' The Hindu paper head lines are written by world class journalists. If you can't understand good English keep quiet. Read it once gain and make sense.''

We were at the airport lounge waiting for the security check call. Kochapps was leaving for Syria.

I read the head line once again.Things didn't improve much.

What is Paris Hilton?. You might ask.Well I had made a mention about her in connection with the Pamela Anderson case. To recap, she is one of those actresses of Holly Wood who fills her sweaters well.Not to the level Pam Anders or Bipasha of Bollywood does but good enough to be in business.

''Read it and tell me more about that news?'' Kochappan was arranging some papers in his brief case.

'' The wild elephants of Assam, of late, have got into the habit of getting drunk on the farmers home made 'Rice Beer', and going on rampage destroying farms etc.This alcoholism among elephants of Meghalaya is growing and is causing concern among the conservationists and animal lovers.'' I summed up the story. ''Paris Hilton came to know of this alarming news when she was attending the fifth wedding of Pamela Anderson in New York. She left the function in a hurry ; concerned.

'' The elephants get drunk all the time. It is becoming really dangerous. we need to stop making alcohol available to them.'' She said to the World Entertainment News Network, the same evening.

'' Five elephants have died of Cirrhosis of liver and three more have been diagnosed for that''
a concerned Paris Hilt told press reporters on her arrival at the airport in Tokyo yesterday, on her way to Guwahati in India to study the problem.

'' We are happy that she ( Paris Hilt) has taken note of this incident and is coming to Guwahati to prevent elephants from consuming farmers home made Rice Beer and dying of Cirrhosis''
said Sangeeta Goswami, who heads Animal Rights Group of animals in India.

Soumyadeep Dutta of 'Natures Beckon' a conservationist group said that Elephant alcohol abuse is a real problem and it will get a boost by the visit of a person who is known in this field of
alcohol abuse.

On being asked by a correspondent about Pamela's expertise and credentials in this issue of alcohol abuse, Soumya in her deep voice replied '' Nobody from Hollywood can have more credentials and commitment in this matter than Paris Hilt.Like Mahatma Gandhi has courted
arrest and jail for the cause of freedom of India, Paris has been arrested and has spent time in jail for alcohol abuse.Such is her commitment to it.Jailed not once, but several times !'' .

I conveyed the news item to Kochappan thus; sat back had a sip of coffee and added my impressions about the news.'

'' An actress from Hollywood like Paris Hilt is concerned about the growing alcoholism of elephants of India.Has any body from Bollywood shown any concern ; Has Rani Mukherjee uttered a word about?. They have no patriotism.''

'' Why do you call her Paris Hilt.? Is she not Paris Hilton as you were mentioning earlier.?'' The genuineness of his doubt was apparent from his voice.

" That's how I call her affectionately''. I said decidedly.His jaw, the lower one, was about to fall but he managed to hold it. Some silken voice announced the security check. We stood up.

Then he asked me. ''Aniyan do you know the difference between tragedy and calamity?.''

Without waiting for my answer he said. ''The fact that I am leaving you now and will not be seeing you for over a month is a tragedy.But if the security check and the flight departure were to be delayed, then sitting here, and listening to you about Paris Hilt would have been a calamity''.
I knew that he was taking a dig at me. If you ask Kochappan ' What is it that you can put down without lifting up.?' he would say 'Aniyan'. This was one such put down.

How much and what would he know about me and my Paris Hilt, and of course the elephants of Meghalaya?.


menon ( aniyan )

Mallur kaadukal (The Mallur Forests)

'' This is not a very old story. Yes,it's about those times; the bridge across the river at Kuttipuram was not there then.

Stray travellers to south, far and few, had to cross the river by ferry boats. Once you cross the river,the pathway to reach south of Kuttipuram was only through the Mallur Kaad (Mallur forest).
The sands of the river bed and the pathway has lot of stories to tell; gory stories of robberies
and murders of travellers ending up in 'Mallur kayam'. ''

'' What is Mallur Kayam?'' asked Naveen the six year old grandson of his neighbour;he drops in at night to hear stories from Kochappan and fall asleep.It's almost a regular affair. Today I also joined the story listening session. I sat on the floor stretched my legs in front and leaned on to the cot. Cool breeze blew in. It was quiet.Ideal for story listening session.

'' Mallur is a point in that jungle path. There was a huge trench filled with water; unused, un touched and filthy; quite deep too.That's Mallur kayam.''
'' Tell me the story''. Naveen was impatient.

Kochapps continued. '' The ferry man was a crooked and wicked fellow. He had a wife and a son, 10 years old.This man used to give information, about the arrival of travellers by his boat, to a gang of robbers. These robbers used to waylay people, rob them,kill them, and throw their body into the Mallur kayam. They used to give a share of the things robbed to the ferry man also.''

Naveen was listening with concentration written on his face. Let me admit; so was I. Long time since I listened to a story;Chittappan (uncle) used to tell similar ones years back.

'' One day the ferry man, for some silly reason, got angry with his son. He heated an iron rod and pressed that on to his son's legs above his knee ; like he used to brand the cattle whenever he bought a new one for identification. His poor mother couldn't stop the ferry man from doing it.
The mother was in agony seeing her son writhing in pain.The ferry man never repented any wrong he did in his life.''

I could see the pain in Naveen's eyes.

'' One day the boy didn't return from the forest where he had gone to collect firewood. The mother waited; for days and days. He never came back.The mother grew sick and died few months later. The father continued his activities and helped the robbers ; ate , drank well and lived.''
Kochappan was intense in his narration. It was not listening. It was seeing; the story.

'' And one day came a traveller who looked rich.As usual the ferry man signalled to the robbers about the arrival.The traveller refused to part with the money he had. They killed him by by cutting his throat. Took away all he had and gave the ferry man his share and left.''

'' And then it happened'' Kochappan continued.'' While taking the body to be thrown into the Mallur kayam the ferry man noticed a mark on the thigh of the traveller. It was the burn mark; the scar of the wound he had inflicted on his son years back.The wound had healed but the scar remained.He had returned after years of exile to see his parents.It was a moment of realisation for the ferry man of all the wrong things he has done in his life.He dragged the body and threw it into the kayam.Feeling repentent about the atrocities he had commited ,he also jumped into the trench and commited suicide.'' Kochappan finished the story.

Naveen nestled closer to Kochappan. He was a bit scared.Naveen liked the story. He was probably turning the story over and over again in his mind.

Kochappan looked at me. He was stroking the head of Naveen to comfort him, to put him to sleep.

'' Are things any different now?'' he broke the silence posing a question; to himself, to me, to no one in particular.

'' There is one Jessica Lal cut to pieces, loaded on to an oven and roasted;not in Mallur kayam or Chambal forest. In Delhi, not by robbers but by rulers. Now such things happen every day These children will have lot of stories to narrate like I did to day.They do not take place in forests but within the cities. They are not done by ferry men but men of power and pride.They don't hide in the forests or valleys. They walk around under the flash light of cameras. They come by BMWs, Skodas , loot, kill, rape and go scot free.''

The moral anger flared up in him.He finished his soliloquy.

A 'soliloquy' as defined in the Oxford Dictionary, is, the act of talking when alone or regardless of any listeners, esp, in drama. If you have a clinical hatred towards the usage 0f such dramatic words for such a simple situation, may I compare it to the delivery of a monologue by Amitab or
(if you are particular about south) Rajanikanth.

After finishing that 'Soliloquy' or 'dialogue' he looked at me.I was overawed by his diligent summing up of the two different scenarios , of the past and the present. I sat there looking at him admiring his capacity to narrate a folk tale to a six year old with the same expertise with which he used to teach me nuances of British and American English. Amazing man this Kochappan!
After covering Naveen with ablanket he turned and saw me sitting and staring at him.

'' Why do you sit there and look like an envelope without an address written on it?''

I smiled in reply; looked at Naveen. He was blissfully asleep.

I couldn't get sleep when I went to bed.

No, its not the sad story of the ferry man and his son.It was this mention about me and the 'envelope without address on it' that I couldn't understand.

Hats off to Kochappan!. He always speaks things which people can't understand.

I must ask him about it tomorrow!


menon ( aniyan )

'The Californian Fire'

The name of the Drama.

The Californian Fire

The persons of the play

Kochappan - Hero
Aniyan- Hero's friend

Mrs. Kochappan- Kochappan's wife; obviously.

Mrs. Aniyan- Aniyan's wife; obviously


ActI. sceneI.

Kerala. Kochi.

Monday.
Time: 7.30am. The scene opens in the drawing room of Aniyan's Manor.

Aniyan is seated in a chair reading 'Malayala Manorama' news paper. Mrs.Aniyan enters with a cup of hot coffee. She smiles at him and places the cup closer to his lip. Aniyan holds the cup to avoid 'a slip between the cup and the lip'. Having succeded in that he has a sip and turns to the paper. Mrs.Aniyan floats out to back stage.

The telephone rings. Aniyan reaches for it without taking his eyes off Manorama; no that's not the house maid sweeping the floor, but the morning news paper.

Aniyan's expression changes to that of great concern. He drops the paper and rushes inside, returns in trousers sporting a civilised look.

He searches for and gains possession of his automobile key.

Mrs.Aniyan. ''What happened? where are you going?''

Aniyan. ''To comfort Kochappan. He is in deep distress''

Mrs Aniyan. ''What has become of him? I beseech thee. Tell me''. Mrs Aniyan was in Shakesperian style.

Aniyan while moving away. ''It's Californian fire, USA make''.

Mrs Aniyan stands with mouth and eyes wide open.
The sound of the car starting and speeding away.

ActI. sceneII

Kochappan's Mansion surrounded by neatly pruned trees.
Sound of crickets and chirping of birds.

Mrs. Kochappan floats in and around the garden.

Sound of an automobile approaching. The automobile speeds in, comes to a screeching halt.
The door opens. Aniyan comes out and runs up the steps to the mansion and vanishes into the building.

Mrs.Kochappan watches the vanishing Aniyan with open eyes; her jaws fallen. She regains composure and reinstates her fallen jaw.

ActI. Scene III

Kochappan's chamber. Huge bed at the center and a huge wall clock with swinging pendulam facing the bed. Big oil painting of Ravi Varma adorns the wall.

Kochappan is on the Persian carpet on the floor; occasionally writhing as though in terrible pain.
Aniyan enters, bends down and sits near him on the floor.

Aniyan. ''I pray you! tell me the cause of this distress!'' Touches him. Gradually Kochappan quietens.

Aniyan helps him to his bed. Gives him nourishments.

Kochappan revives and speaks. ''I am distressed since I saw the news programme on BBC this morning''.

Aniyan. ''What could be the piece which caused this agony?''

Kochappan. ''The fire in California in US''.

Aniyan. ''Any of your relatives affected?'' in Indian English.

Kochappan. ''No. Lot of dignitaries lost their homes including Hollywood celebrities''.

How does it concern him? Aniyan thought.

Aniyan. ''Any celebrity of your aquaintance?''

Kochappan. '' Yes. Pamela Anderson''.

Aniyan lapses into thoughts. Till I mentioned about her yesterday, he never knew her. What is his concern? Aniyan keeps his stray thoughts in the oak chest near the bed because he knows that Kochappan doesnot relish anybody's thoughts straying around in his chamber unnecessarily.

Kochappan. ''You apprised me about the journey of that lady from rags to riches in Hollywood. I remember your generous appreciation for her mind and body. You mentioned about her devotion to the career in the field of dramatics; her willingness to accept the challenge of dropping the clothes at the slightest suggestion of her movie directors, even in the freezing weather of American winter. Remarkable! Remarkable !''

Aniyan listens with rapt attention. His face bears a solemn look.
Refrains of Beethovan's music flows into the stage from the background.

Kochappan (adds as if with Abacus) ''I was consumed by pity for her when BBC reported about Pamela Losing her home in the major fire which engulfed California. Many a people would have lost but Pamela's loss ... ''Kochappans voice chokes with emotion. He holds his head in his hands and bends down. Aniyan moves near him; whispers sweet nothings in his ears. Comforts him.

Aniyan. ''Please donot be concerned about Pamela. She has been quoted to be saying that she intends to divorce her latest marriage to benefit from it and to make up for her loss of home''

Kochappan. "Divorce and benefit? Pray, don't be foolish, Aniyan, my bosom friend''.

Aniyan.'' She has said that she is a good home maker because everytime she divorces she makes a home from her ex-husband. She has three homes from her three divorces and this will be her fourth one. And for her luxuries of life she will work hard and never waste time being outside her bed''

Kochappan's face lights up. Aniyan moves closer to Kochappan, embraces him and departs.

The End


This is how I had to write to you about today's incidents; because today was a day of dramatic events. I swear on God ! It was dramatic, literally!!

menon ( aniyan )

Pamela and Kochappan's breathing.

"Pamela Anderson got married''. That's the first thing I told him this evening. I was meeting kochapps after a week or so.

"Who is she?'' Kochappan asked me with tremendous dis interest.

''Famous actress of Hollywood like MarilynMonroe and Ursula Andress'', I related to two of the actresses of our generation. ''Now Ursula is 68 and Monroe has gone under the earth, probably inspiring cabbages there'', I completed.

"She was known as Ursula undress because in most of her films she used to shed her clothes without any provocation'', Kochappan stopped . His breathing became heavy. No, he is not an Asthma patient. It's the recollection of Ursula undress. He recovered from his recollection fairly quickly.

But I never guessed that he will lapse into another bout of breathlessness; it happened
when I showed him the photograph of Pamela Anderson. He had a look at it. Then he started gasping.

The next thing he asked me was a peg of Gin; as usual I served it Cordial ly.

''Marylin used to work a lot to do justice to her career. She used to sweat it out and 'Dramatic art', in her opinion, was filling her sweater. Pamela also belongs to that category of actresses who fill their sweater admirably well.'' The Gin had soothened Kochappan's nerves. '' What about her marriage?'' The question followed.

"Pamela Anderson is as misunderstood an actress as Urs undress. Pamela's mission in life is to provide people, in these days of hardship, some moments of entertainment which she does on and off screen. She is a path breaker and has done her lot to develop and encourage the younger generation''

'' Like what?'' he was getting interested in Pamela.

'' Like in her marriages. She always married people who are younger to her by at least 4 to 5 years'', I answered; in simple English.

'' Marriages? Youngsters?'' He couldn't understand the concept; it wasn't the English as I had thought.

''Yes. She married Rick Salomon, 32, 8 years younger to her, in Les Vegas last week. It was not that Rick was unmarried. His marriage with Paris Hilton was going bad. Paris Hilton, who is also Pam's friend, requested her to look after Rick and develop him to be a good husband. Pamela took upon this responsibility and got married to Rick, putting an end to her marriage with Tommy Lee. Meanwhile Paris Hilton got married to Jack Straw and is developing him.''

''Wait. Hold on,'' Kochappan interrupted me. ''Go slow. I am not able to catch up with the scenario fully. What is Paris Hilton? Who is Tommy Lee?''

''Paris Hilton is another actress who also belongs to the 'fill- the- sweater- school' of actresses;
not as much gifted as the other two, but striving hard.

Tommy Lee is another actor whom Pamela developed when his first marriage went to rocks.''

I looked at Kochappan. For the third time today I noticed his breathing becoming heavier.

I continued un mindfully, ''Pamela the path breaker turned up in a two piece bikini for her first marriage with Tommy, but appeared in a Jeans and shirt for the third one''.

''Third one? What about her second marriage?'' Kochappan's breathing was becoming heavier.

''There are no clear records or data available anywhere of her second marriage. Pamela herself has announced a cash Award of $5000 for any body who can throw some light on her second marriage. Who, where etc''. I concluded.

''What a lady! It's a pity I didn't know anything about her earlier''. There was a sense of loss in Kochappan's voice.

'' That's exactly what all her husbands have said about her''

'' What did they say?'' He was eager.

I quoted them. ''Oh! What a lady she is! Any time she spends outside of her bed is a total waste of time!''

I stood up, collected my umbrella, and looked at Kochappan. He was gazing at the sky through the open door of the balcony of his apartment on the 8th floor.

I didn't want to break his reverie; I moved out silently.......

menon ( aniyan )