RESCUE OPERATION

After a long stint at sea finally i was back home on my vacation. As soon as news spread that i was back from sea, many of our neighbours, relatives & friends started visiting at my home. First few days of my vacation at home, i didn't know how time passed by ... I was sitting without any tension & narrating my experiences at sea, to my family members, friends,relatives & to my neighbours. Some of our neighbours grilled me with their questions as though i was holding a press conference, I could see the curiosity & inquisitveness in their eyes......some more days passed by.. One fine day i got up early & i was planning how to spend my rest of the day...My eyes quickly moved towards news paper lying there. I started to glance at it. One of the television channel advirtised about the live telecast of cricket match between two nations, one among them was india.. I gathered all the information, when the match will start? , experts analysis about how india should play? what should be india's strategy??? so on & so forth..I decided to spend that day by watching the live broadcast of the match, it was day/night match, It started in the afternon. I glued myself infront of the telivision set & watched the first half of the match without a ball being missed.( thanks to state electricity board there was no power cut on that day)before another half of the match starts there was a gap about forty five minutes. I was still glued my self infront of the television watching experts review about the first half of the match, i was deeply immersed myself in watching television..Suddenly i could hear someone calling me, it was my mother asking me to put on the pump to fillup the overhead tank with well water which we use for our domestic purpose.we had "well" near to it a pump which is situated in a shed above which tank is situated. We usully keep the shed closed, but there was big hole drilled in the wall for the pump suction pipe which extends to well from the shed. The hole drilled in the wall was much bigger than reqired for the pipe tp pass through.. So there lies a big gap through which some animals made as their entrance to their temporary habitat. Once i remember when opened the door snake was hissing at me as though i had entered their teritory.This time when i opened the door of shed so that i can put on the pump to fill water to overhead tank , i could see strange animal in pair ran hurridly out of the shed through the gap which earlier mentioned. In doing so one of them fell in to well, the other animal didn't know what to do?? so the other animal was scampering across the ground... The animal which fell into the well making unusual howling from the well.. after listening to the howl from the well, the other animal was peeping at well to see his/her mate struggling to climb up from the well.. i was watching all these at a distance for a while...now i went near the well to see the animal which had fallen into the well.. I never seen that kind of animal before it almost looked like a wild cat... That was floating on the surface of water & making desperate attempt to climb up the well but in the proces again falling back to well.... I could see his/her mate outside the well moving here & there desperately in between looking at the his/her mate...since it was almost fag end of the monson season, the level of water in well was high enough.. I felt the animal can climb up from the well... Just for a while i thought if i put on the pump the water level in well may go down then for that animal which was floating on the water surface, it might not only be difficult to climb up but also may prove impossible..So i called my mother briefed about the incident.. As my mother & myself moved towards the well to see the animal which was floating on the water surface, it's mate outside almost attcked us in anger, thinking that we might harm it's mate.... My mom warned me not be near the well as this animal might attack & harm us .. So my mother decided not to put on the pump today, but the next day we will do it.. My mother continued to say that these animal in pair used to come to this time around every year.... So we both proceeded towards our home back thinking that the animal floating on the water surface will climb up after several attempts.second half of the cricket match is about to start...In which india was supposed to bat & chase the target... I was looking for the fireworks from indian batsman & sat down watching television..To my surprise indian batsman started tearing the opposition apart, surlely fireworks from indian batsman had begun...I was supposed to be happy with this but i donot know i was not enjoying the match, eventhough indian team was doing well....but i do not why it happened to me that day???I felt bit frustrated watching television ...I was watching television physically but now my mind was nearby the " well" & "animal" floating on the surface of water...Many questions in the form of waves started to erupt from inside.. Will the animal may climb up & get out of the well ??? Will the animal die of hypothermia??? Shlould i go back & try to save the animal from the well??? Will it be too risky if i go to help ??All these questions were pricking at the back of my mind...Now i have to decide soon on the key question among them, that is should i go & try to rescue that animal from well??? Since sun was almost set, visibility was becoming poor....Once the darkness covers there was no point in trying to rescue that animal...I was unable to decide whether i should sit back & watch the match or should i go & try to save atleast....Now i was no more watching television but i was deeply involved in thoughts, in between my father came from work & he asked me the score but i was in no mood to reply... I was lost somewhere...For a while i closed my eyes then i could see something... rather i will put it as i could visualize something...In that scene i was sailing at mid sea & i had fallen overboard.. i could see lifeline & lifebuoy which can save my life, while strugging to survive... but i could not see anbody nearby to throw a lifeline or lifebuoy at me... i was desperate.... struggling for my life..... suddenly i opened my eyes & i would not like visualize that scene anymore....I switched off the television my legs proceeded towards the "well", visibility had already became poor, i checked for the animal which was scampering around the well, but i could not see the animal anywhere nearby... so i looked in to the well , there the animal was trying to climb up & again falling back to water.. now i decided to do something to save that animal from well .... I was determined without any hesitation in my mind....Quickly i had arranged for a rope & basket, tied the rope to basket, & started to descend slowly the basket into well. once it reached the water surface, i started to manouvere the basket with the help of rope, where the animal was floating..But the animal instead of moving inside the basket , it moved away from the basket, in fear i suppose.I didn't know how to communicate to that animal i was not trying to harm in any way but i was trying to help..But i kept on trying, all my efforts went in vain.Now visibility had deteriorated further, i could not see the animal anymore in the well...but i was in no mood to leave it like that....Again i came back to home. I searched for the some piece of wire & lamp holder with lamp. I had gathered all the tools required to lit up the well surrounding..I took the eletrical supply from the pump shed & successfully lit up the surrounding near the well.Now i could see the animal in the well. By this time i had realised that i cannot convince the animal that i was trying to help. Now my course of action concentrated towards, to facilitate that animal somehow, so that it can climb up by itself...So i had decided to descend a ladder in to the well, so animal can climb up the ladder.As soon as i started descending the ladder into the well, animal floating on the surface of water moved & circled around the well in fear. How can i convey to that animal i was not harming....Anyhow i had arranged the ladder in such a way that it's lower end is at the water surface,while the upper end on the bulwark around the well..but to my dissappointment, animal did not make any move to climb up the ladder, i waited patiently, but that animal was testing my patience..Then i decided to move away from the visibility of that animal but started to watch the animal from the top of overhead tank.. so that animal can't see me but i can see it's movement...Still there was no movement from the animal.... After a while i saw animal was trying to climb up the ladder, it successfully climbed up two steps of the ladder, but again slipped back to water. i could see it was unable to grip the ladder steps.. But it was making atempts... but in vain....Now i came down from the overhead tank, pulled out the ladder from the well, i went back home & brought the fishing net, it was moderately knitted one, neither being too coarse nor being too fine...These fishing nets we used to cover the coconut peices while drying the coconut peices before we extract the oil from it. Now i took the fishing net wrapped it around & secured to lower part of the ladder. Now again descended the ladder with wrapped fishing net. Again i moved away from the visibility of the animal but i was watching it's every move from the top of overhead tank..My plan here was, by wrapping the fishing net around the lower part it won't slip back but be able to grip through the closely knitted fishing net..I waited, waited, but there was no movement from the animal.. I was sacrificing little bit of my blood to mosquitoes.... But i was optimistic..... At last i could see the animal trying to climb up, this time as i had expected it did not fall back to water.. I was anxiously watching it's everystep..I could see it's legs gripping to fishing net, not allowing to fall back. Ultimately it was able to climb up the ladder, came out of the well, & dissappeared in the darkness....I was very happy at this point of time... I removed all the arrangements made for that animal, I proceed towards my home with the sense of fulfillment..My parents were watching fag end of the match on television, where indian team was at the doorstep of victory...My parents what was i doing ?? I said all my efforts.. My father gave smile in appreciation for my work. But my mother read my mind through my eyes..She said " since you saved that animal's life today, if you are at distress while at sea this good deed may save you"I was speechless to my mother's golden words.India won the match, i was very happy. That night while before sleeping i was thinking where the other animal had disappeared ?????. I didn't had the answer then.... & slept. Next morning my mother woke me up & she was telling me dat she will show me something... ...I got up & followed her, she took me to garden where i could see the animal in pair playing freely ..I smiled at my mother & went to brush my teeth.......

OMENS

Omens always fascinated me. Well.. still i do not know whether should i believe it or not... More often than not they put my mind in dilema. As far as my mother is concerned she is a firm believer of omens. So obviously, i was brought up how to observe omens & interpret what's going to happen next????.......Before i touch my horrible encounter with one of these omens, i would like to share some of the omens over the yeras my mother taught me to interpret.....
Throbbing of right eye for men considered as good omen, while the left eye is construed as bad omen...for women vice versa believed to be true....
Hearing a dog howling at the moon fortells the death..
Single sneeze before begining of a jorney or intended good mission or task interprerted as trouble, failure ahead...
Cat sneezing is considered as a good sign while if cat moves across your way then it is considered as bad omen.
Crow croaking construed as bad omen...
Itching of right palm forecasts money & wealth on your way, whereas left palm predicts expenditure.. itching of nose fortells impending quarrel... & list goes on & on.......
Recently one of my friend told me that bees are considered messengers of god, he said if a bee enters a home it's thought as sign of good luck, whereas killing of bee is considered as bad luck..Now let me share some very interesting omens believed onboard ship( my workplace!!!). Sailors firmly believe that if all the rats leave the ship then it is destined to sink on it's very next voyage. To sail on friday considered as bad luck. To step aboard with left foot forward foretells bad luck.
These are just vindicating that omens exists througout the world. To be honest i never tried to find out the veracity of omens in my life. I always shrugged off my shoulder by saying " superstitious thoughts" untill this incident happened to me when i was studying my engineering at hassan.
Once in our college strike had begun on some complex issue & continued for two weeks. During this time i had decided to visit my native to attend family function. Since the deccision to attend the function was taken on the spur of the moment , i did not inform my family about my impending journey. I thought i would give surprise to family members.
With this intent, i had planned my journey in such a way that , i would reach my native only few hours before the function started. I packed my bag, finished dinner, left my room from hostel & reached hostel gate. Security person at the hostel gate began opening the gate while he sneezed, it was single sneeze!!!! I didn't bother about single sneeze omen & it's interpretation. My legs proceeded towards auto-rickshaw stand, where i was hoping to catch an auto-rickshaw to reach bus-station. To my surprise there was not a single auto-rickshaw in th stand. So i waited for sometime but still there was none.....Then i decided walk my way to reach bus-station.
During that long walk to bus station some of deeply burried thoughts about single sneeze & it's interpretation began to prop up.. These thoughts were trying to correlate single sneeze omen interpretation with the fact of myself not catching an auto-rickshaw to reach bus station in time & trouble ahead of my journey.By the time those thoughts began to grow bigger & bigger , i reached bus station in time. At this point of time those thoghts slightly subsided...
Though i reached bus station in time, there was no clue about the the bus. After i waited for a while in the bus station, i went and enquired about the bus. I had been told that due to some technical snag bus was cancelled. So i began to wait for subsequent buses. To my dismay.. many buses came to bus station but i was unable to get a berth for my journey. Astonishingly all buses came there were running full...After my long wait at the bus station, one of the conductor came to me & told the ugly little truth. He said " Sir, no point in waiting anymore, you could catch the next bus which leaves around 5'o clock early morning".
At this point of time, two streams of thoughts sprung up. One stream of thought favouring superstitious thoughts convincing me to believe single sneeze omen & it's interpretation.These thoughts asking me to stop my journey & go back to hostel. Another stream of thought hell bent on disapproving superstitious thoughts. These two stream of thoughts fiercely battling in my mind. For a moment i thought if i decide to go back & cancell my journey, it would be a mere acceptence of superstitious thought. As an individual i was supporting counter superstitious thoughts. So i decided to wait at the bus station & continue with my journey.I knew that i would be reaching late by few hours to that function, but i was satisfied with the fact that i would still make it to the function.
It was around 5'o clock in the morning bus had arrived to the platform. Soon i embarked the bus & occupied a seat for myself. Within few minutes bus was jampacked. Still some time was left before the bus commenced it's journey, I was casually talking to my adjucent co-passenger. Our talk continued for few minutes. During this talk he sneezed. It was single sneeze again.!!!! Frankly i was expecting him to sneeze again!! but he did not!
Bus left from the station , i closed my eyes & slept. Few hours after the journey had commenced suddenly bus stopped. I woke up from my deep sleep... There were some noisy talk within the bus. I just got up to see what it was ?? I could see a big queue of vehicles standing ahead of our road. Soon i learnt that there was one tanker(carrying oil) had overturned in the middle of the road. It was estimated to take few hour to clear the blockade. At that point of time, i had realised i would not be able to make it to the function. Obviously at that moment superstitious thoughts had gained an upper hand. These thoughts compelling me to believe single sneeze & it's interpretation. But i was in no mood to buckle. I said to myself it could be a mere coincidence...
I reached my destination in the evening. I was horribly tired with my journey, both physically & mentally. As i was walking on my way to home, i met one of my good old friend. Since we met after very long period, he offered me to have a cup of coffee at a near by hotel. Myself gracefully accepted that offer. While we were sipping our coffee, we recollected our past times... After a while bearer presented the bill. Each of us eager to pay the bill & we were fighting on this issue.. while he sneezed!!!! it was a single sneeze again!!!!!!!!! I said not again!!!!!
Already i was battered with thought of single sneeze omen, this particular single sneeze added fuel to the fire. My mind started to think about the hidden message trying to convey by this single sneeze!!!! I tried to put the things in to perspective. My task was to reach home & take rest. My legs proceeded towards home. To my bewilderment our home gate was locked. I had no clue where my family members had gone. I enquired my neighbours. But still i could not get any answer. Now i had to wait for them!!! After i waited for an hour or so my mother arrived. She started to bombard several quesstions.. But i was in mood to answer....
Next day i narrated my horrible journey experience ,along with single sneeze & it's interpretation. I asked him many questions like....
Should i belive superstitious thoughts???
Was that a coincidence 3 times?????
But he replied firmly & said " if you believe superstitious thoughts they always follow you!!!!" For a while i was satisfied with his answer....
Same day evening i strated to question my mother. I said to her " I know how you interpret single sneeze omen, But what if a person sneezes twice????? "
She replied " nothing bad"
Again i asked "what if a person sneezes thrice & how do you interpret??"
She gave long face & replied " he might be catching cold!!!!!!!!!!! "