Varalotti, I am losiing count of your laurels – they are becoming one too many !

Many Thanks, Usha!

Dear Usha,
Somebody who read the story complained whether anybody could be as loving as the boy in the story. He thought I will argue against him. But I told him, "I fully agree with you. None can be as loving as Abdulla in the real world. But let us at least allow Abdullas to live in our minds and hearts. If Abdulla cannot be a reality, let him at least be an ideal in the writer's mind. That way at least 100 years from now, we wil have Abdullas, real ones."
The critic was silenced.
Thanks Usha for your kind words,
regards,
sridhar

 

Dear Kamla,
I am eagerly waiting for you. But please dont cut down on your sleep or food, or let your relatives think that you are addicted to the computer. Take your own time.
It is worth the while waiting for years for your response; a few days here and there do not matter at all.
sridhar

 

A Rare Honour!

Dear Indhu,
Many writers like Balakumaran made their fans into their wives. Yes, Balakumaran married his fan and took her as his second wife.
But don't worry, I would never do that.
What I want to say is that they have to marry their fans to have in-house admirers. But I have the rarest privilege of my wife herself being my fan.
Thanks, your kind words mean a lot to me,
your
sridhar

 

Thanks, Preethi!

Dear Preethi,

Manitha neyam to me is the only religion, the ultimate form of worship and the only way God manifests in forms we can see, feel and touch.
Before the super religion of manithaneyam all man-made religions pale into insignificance.
When I see young persons like you liking the story so much, my faith and confidence in the future of the world is strengthened even further.
Manithaneyam is the only antidote we have with us to fight against nuclear holocaust, AIDS pandemic, famine and all other disasters, man-made and natural.

We, as a race, would do well to strengthen this quality.
I am very happy and proud that you liked the story, Preethi.
regards,
Varalotti

 

Krishna Jayanthi

Dear Sridhar,

Had the pleasure of reading the above story. The story was gripping and very touching. I could sort of guess which turn the story was taking after reading the title and the names of its characters. All your characters are reaching one or the other noble heights. You have made it your aim to show how far humanity can go and grow if it wants to. I hope these ideals will some day become true.
For the sake of criticism and just to keep up with the thread here, I too must say that Shanti could have spared her cane. But then, she was not teaching in some elite school and was trying her best to impart a little learning to the unfortunate and downtrodden kids. Maybe one needs to practice a bit of provocative harshness there..so shall excuse this heroine of yours Whether caning or feeding her children..she seems to be a very emotional person. Wish all of us had such vehement emotions to better the state of our more unfortunate brethern.
Once again, congratulations for winning all these recognitions for your writing skills. Shall always be looking forward to your next gift to us.
Manidhaneyam or not, your lovely stories are going to keep you evergreen And then, add to it your darling wife's adoration.....and all those 1,700 plus 'lovely' women's fan club!! Sure, the twinkle in your eye will keep you looking like 28 forever....just like one Ms C is forever a sweet sixteen!!
On that note, I'll take leave...

L, Kamla

 

The thread is complete only now!

Dear Kamla,
Thanks for appreciating the story and the understanding words you have for Shanti. People who are so much devoted to helping others get frustrated soon and resort to these punishments.
I take this opportunity of thanking you to share some interesting conversation I had with some of my fans a few years back. One asked me that my characters are too good to be true? Are you such a good man?
I said with absolute confidence, no. I am not good. At least not that good as my characters are.
Then isn't that an hypocrisy that you portray your characters with so much of goodness. Should you not confine yourself to the factual conditions?

Agreed, I confessed, (assuming that the same conversation is about this story; it was actually on a different story) there are not boys as good as Abdulla or women as good as Shanti (her cane-wielding, notwithstanding). But to ask writers and poets to confine to "factual conditions" would mean degenerating them to the status of historians or worse still, journalists.

The writer (and more still a poet) has got a duty to see that even if the actual condiitions of life are bad, the ideal is still living in him, in his heart and comes out in his works. That is the only hope for the humanity.

And the argument is not new. It is at least a few hundred years old. The great poet even while describing the cities of Ayodya and Mithila eulogises the people to such an extent that you feel all living are not just Gods. The great Tamil Scholar A.Sa.Gnanasambandan whose commentaries I read says, that the poet has the right and duty to project the ideal in his mind to his work.

But at every available opportunity I do not hesitate to issue a caveat that at least in my stories, the author is not even half as good as the characters he has created.

Strangely your mail provoked these thoughts in me and I wanted share with you and others who were kind enough to read my story.
Thanks once again,
sridhar