As it is the traffic on outer ring road near Manyata Tech Park is very bad these days – Thanks to the underpass/fly over constructions happening at all possible traffic corners. I was heading home on Monday when I had to weave my way through the construction maze to reach the road. There was a 2-wheeler in front of me. And for no reason, he suddenly braked. Luckily, I saw this and stopped the car. However, unfornately, the truck guy behind me did not see this. He rammed into the car.

The car received few scratches. I stopped the car right there, pulled out and started yelling at the truck driver. That driver was so apathetic that he did not get off the truck nor did he hear me out… he was infact looking in some other direction as I was talking to him.

Then there was this car behind me, trying to squeeze his way out. He was desperately trying to catch my attention, so I could move my car to a side and he could continue his journey. So, apathetic!!! If it had happened to him – would he not stop there and scream at the truck driver?

My sincere request to all bikers in Bangalore. Please Note:

1. Try not to squeeze your way through 2 cars or 2 large vehicles driving at break-neck speed. This happens particularly on old airport road or koramangala inner ring road/hebbal outer ring road. You are not just putting yourself at risk – but risking us as well. If you die, police will nail us for no fault of ours!!!

2. One of the most common sense rule that is taught in all driving schools – You ought to overtake always from right. However, if the vehicle in front of you is taking a right turn, you should overtake from left Or if the vehicle is turning left, you need to overtake from right. Why have you go this logic mixed up? If I am taking a right turn, you guys overtake me from right – what happens if I hit your vehicle in the process? You fall down and I get penalized? Whose fault would this be?

3. REMEMBER: Right Lane is the High Speed Lane. You are not allowed to hog the Right Lane if you want to travel at a speed of 20 kms with your girl/boy friend riding behind you. Get off our way!!!

4. Dear Auto Drivers: With all design issues with your 3-wheeler, there is something called the rearview mirror. Please look into it before you turn (and NOT after you turn)!!!

5. Bikers – rearview mirrors are provided with a purpose. Please do not remove them from your bikes. They do not add any “fashion” to your bike. In fact, if you have removed the mirror, you have to turn your neck to see who is coming behind/beside you – a dangerous act to do -as you may miss the truck standing in front of you in this process. Then, who gets blamed? the Truck guy for having parked at the road side?

Please think, introspect and drive safe. Make our roads a safe place for all of us !!!

Everyday the brahmin used to carry pots of water to the temple to bathe the Shiva Lingam. He would then decorate it with sandalpaste. The girl would weave garlands of flowers and give it to her father, who would place it on the Shiva Lingam.

But unknown to the father, the girl had a habit. As she finished weaving the flower garland, she would wear it around her neck and look at herself into the mirror. If she liked the way she looked, only then she would hand the garland to her father to be placed on the Shiva Lingam. She told herself, “My Lord should get only the most beautiful garland. So, if it looks beautiful on me, it would look beautiful on Him”.

One day, as she is wearing the garland around herself and looking into the mirror, her fathers comes into the house. He sees the girl with the garland around her neck and is red with anger. He shouts at her and says, “Don’t you know we should offer to God only those things that we have not worn, eaten or touched? We should offer only pure things to Him. Since how many days were you doing this?. She honestly responds, “Every day, father”. The priest really loses his cool. He feels she has dirtied the temple. Mad with anger, he rushes towards his daughter. And she sees his anger and runs towards the temple crying for Lord Shiva to save her.

As her father comes closer to catch her, she runs into the sanctum sanctorum. He rushes and catches hold of her long plaited hair. At that very moment, the Shiva Lingam breaks into 2 and the girl gets pulled into the broken Lingam only with her plait left stuck to the Lingam. That is when the priest realizes what a great devotee his daughter was and that he never understood her greatness. He is left to cry for his loss – both for his daugther as well as missing to see her devotion.

In a small village, there lived a widow with her only son. She used to do odd jobs and run the family. Since the child had expressed his desire to be educated, she gets him admitted to a school in a far off village. In order to reach the school, the child would have to cross a dense forest area. For the next few days, the mother diligently escorted her child to his school. But then realized that if this continued, she will not be able to earn their livelihood. Hence, she asked her son to travel to school by himself.

The first day the child travels alone, he is really scared. The forest is dark with not much sunlight streaming in. Occasional cries of animals disturbs the eerie silence often. It is not a comfortable feeling to the small child. However, he does go to school and back. He comes home and cries his heart out to his mother. He tells her how scared he was and if she could accompany him the next day. The mother is at cross-roads. She then prays to the Lord Krishna and tells her son, “Son, I had forgotten to tell you that you have a cousin. His name is Gopala. He stays close by the forest area. He has asked me to tell you that you could call out to him whenever you are passing through the forest area. He would come to your help/rescue”.

The simple minded child believes her. The next day, as he is passing through the forest, he cries out to his cousin, “Gopala anna (brother Gopala), Gopala anna, I am scared… Please come to my help”. And soon, he sees another small boy, as tall as himself, but bluish in color with a peacock feather stuck to his hair with a flute in his hands walking towards him. The bluish boy introduces himself as “Gopala anna” and reassures the boy that from that day onwards, he would also be with the boy to and fro his journey between school and home.

Days pass by and the child is very happy. He comes home and regales his mother with all that happened in the forest between him and his Gopala anna. The mother assumes that her child is imagining things, but listens to him. She is happy that he is happy and has overcome his fear.

One day, the school teacher decides to have a potluck lunch at school and asks all children to bring one or the other food item from school. He tells the little boy to get a pot full of curd.

The child comes home and tells his mother about the potluck and requests for a pot of curd. However, the poor mother has no money to buy even a bowl of curd. Again, she prays to God and tells the child, “Ask your Gopala Anna. He will help you”.

Next day, when the child meets Gopala Anna, he requests his help to buy a pot of curd. And truly, Gopala anna gives him a small pot full of curd and sees him off.  The child hands over the same pot to the teacher, who smirks at the size of the pot. It would be the smallest of all pots other kids would have brought.

Nevertheless, the potluck starts and all kids share the goodies. Its time to eat the curd. The teacher starts serving curd to all students and to his astonishment, the small pot is always full to the brim. It never receeds down. He requests other teachers to bring big earthern ware and vessels and fills them with curd. Despite which, the small pot still remains full.

He eyes the little boy with suspicion and asks him, ” Child, tell me where did you get this pot of curd from”. To this, the child honestly answers, “My Gopala anna gave this to me. He is the one who escorts me every day to and from home to school”. To this, the teacher asks to be taken to Gopala anna. The child agrees.

That evening, the teacher accompanies the boy through his journey home. As they start into the forest, the child starts crying out to his “Gopala anna”. But Gopala Anna does not turn up. The teacher asks the child to describe his anna. The child says, “he is bluish in color and always wears a peacock feather in his hair. He wears garland made of flowers and wears yellow silk dhoti. He plays the flute so well and all cows just love him”. Now the teacher is really suspicious and accuses the boy of lying.

When thus accused, the child starts crying and calls out loudly to his beloved Gopala anna. He pleads, “Dear Gopala anna, why are you not coming today? Would you like me to be called a liar? My teacher is here to meet you and yet you are not showing up. Why are you doing this to me?.

At that instance, there is a voice that speaks to them. It says, “Master ji, you are right in guessing that it is I, Lord Krishna, who was helping the child through the forest area every day. I am visible only to those, whose hearts are pure and who believe in my existence to the fullest, without an aorta of doubt. I helped him with the pot of curd too. He is my beloved devotee”.

Hearing this, the teacher is ecstatic. He hugs the little boy and tells him there is no greater devotee of the lord than himself.  He also escorts the child to his house and shares this incident with the mother. She is muted to hear this but her heart fills with pride. From that day onwards, the small pot of curd becomes their life source. By selling the curd in the market, the mother starts earning enough money for their livelihood, and she also starts helping other poor people of her village.

From that day onwards, the child never sees his Gopala anna. But for whatever reason, he has no fear crossing the forest area. He feels safe with the knowledge that his Gopala anna is watching over him.

Once the pralaya was over and there was calm and peace reigning all across the universe. Shiva’s consort, parvati asked him which day does he like the most. In response to this question, Shiva is believed to have responded, “The 13th day of dark fortnight in the month of Phalguna is my most favorite day”. Parvathi shared this with her friends and thus word spread far and beyond.

On this day, devotees observe day/night fast and stay awake (jagarane). Devotees offer Bilva patre to Lord Shiva and temples hold Maha Mangalaarathi, Abhishek Prasadam distribution through the day and night.

The rest of us were playing cards in the spare room – apna adda – on the first floor, very oblivious of happenings on the ground floor. We were just waiting for the “kaapi” call – where aunt would serve best home made filter coffee with tidbids like sev, churmuri etc. Trust me, aunt still makes the best coffee I have ever had!!!

So, Roo went with the money to get milk and did NOT return. I guess it was almost 6 p.m. by the time Aunt realized that Roo had not returned. That was enough for her to have a panic attack. She called all of us down.

Hearing the panic in her tone, was enough to bring us down without tantrums and questions. She sent us all in different directions to search for Roo. We split ourselves as 4-5 search parties. One went in the direction of 8th cross, one towards Malleshwaram Ground, one towards Guttahalli, etc.

And eventually, all of us returned with no clue about Roo. Aunt was so shocked, that she started crying. She was feeling guilty of sending Roo instead of her own daughter. She started crying and would not get out of the shock.

We called our uncle, who was at his stores (or Angadi), we called our parents, who rushed to Malleshwaram and most importantly, we called Roo’s parents. I guess, all elders were too shocked for words. And we too were really worried about Roo, who was perhaps in her 2nd or 3rd standard (can’t remember exactly!!) when this happened.

However as time flew by, Roo came home (Or did she reach uncle’s shop and was brought home by uncle, again, these details are too hazy to me). But importantly, she came back.

And we heard what had transpired first hand from her. Apparently, a man approached her near the milk booth and told her that her mother had ordered for a Gas (LPG) cylinder. He had the cylinder with him and wanted Roo to go with him to guard the same. Now, poor Roo had heard her mother talking about booking the cylinder. So, thought this was true and went with that man.

Now, this man took her all the way to the triangle park at Guttahalli, which again was very familiar to her because it was us cousins usual playground. She knew it like the back of her hand because my parents house is close by to the Triangle Park.

The man made her sit in the park saying he would bring the cylinder. Luckily for Roo, a lady came alnog and asked Roo what she was doing there, all alone. Roo shared with her what had transpired. Immediately that lady cautioned Roo that there were too many kidnappers around and Roo should run away. May be the man was not telling the truth Or that he may be after Roo’s gold earrings. If I recollect, he had asked Roo to take off her earrings and give it to him so he could keep them safely.

When Roo heard this, she got worried and I guess decided to just walk out. So, she started walking all the way to our uncle’s shop (luckily for her, all that area was very familiar – thanks to our regular walking jaunts to movie halls and our hotel for snacks, etc).

But when she reached Uncle’s shop, it was closed. And closed because uncle was summoned home to search for Roo. Nevertheless, the gutsy girl walked all the way to Malleshwaram to a glorious welcome from all of us. What a relief it was to see her back.

And very scary incident when I look back… From then on, none of us kids were sent to the booth to get milk. If only we could go, we had to be escorted by an elder.

But I guess this was a sensational incident that we talked for months and months – and shared with all our relatives in and outside Bangalore….