The Price - Part 1

Saturdays With Varalotti

I am indebted to all the ILites for the support and encouragement I have been receiving for my writing. And as your Induslad I seek your indulgence for the long absence from the site. I have a mega project in mind for IL. Looks like it may take some more time. Meanwhile I don’t want you to be idle. Starting from today we will be having something for our minds to munch on. Since you have associated Saturdays with Varalotti (most of the episodes of both the serials appeared on Saturdays. And there are gracious ILites who have associated not just Saturday but Saturn himself with Varalotti, (in Tamil Sanian)) I am now tempted to call this by the same words – SATURDAYS WITH VARALOTTI.

The first will be a mini novel, or a novelette under the title Price. This will take up about 4 weeks and by that time I will be ready with my mega project, hopefully.
There is only one thing I insist from you. Read this and just pour out your feelings. I can withstand nerve-racking criticism. I can bear a shower of brick-bats from you. But I will wilt away in indifference. An angry response is almost a turn-on for me, but lack of response will take the life out of my writing.
Happy reading, Most Gracious ILites.

THE PRICE
A Novelette By Varalotti Rengasamy

Part A

It was just an ordinary interview like the millions of such interviews aired every other day on the television. And the question posed to the celebrity was also an ordinary, much expected and a hackneyed one. But it was the answer that shook the earth, and brought tears to the millions of eyes which had feasted on the films starred by that celebrity.

The person interviewed was Bollywood’s numero uno Ramkumar. And the last question posed to him in that live interview was:

“What is your message to your fans?”

Ramkumar stared at the camera, which was focussed on the centre of his beautiful face – a face etched in the hearts of his fans. Then he took a deep breath, cleared his throat and delivered a severe blow to his fans and the entire Bollywood.

“I have learnt my lesson the hard way, that every thing in this life has a price tag attached to it. To achieve this stardom, this fame, this money and for this life I have given a very high price. At the end of the road I feel that I have paid too much and have got too little. It’s a bad bargain on the whole. And I know that only now. But what’s the use? Life is a strict trader. It does not allow return of goods or even an exchange.

I never cared to check the price I was paying for my success. Because of my bad bargain I stand before you now with abundant external riches and abject internal poverty. I am facing an emotional bankruptcy in my life. I don’t think I can act in films any longer. I am retiring as an actor. And if you want to help me in this hour of crisis, please don’t come to me. I am going to a place far, far away in search of peace. Kindly bear with me for this abrupt leave taking. Please pray for me. Thanks for your love.”
The entire Bollywood froze for a second. The industry came to a standstill. The telephone lines to that private satellite channel were jammed with calls from Ramkumar’s anxious fans. Half a dozen producers and financiers suffered a heart attack.
Every heart was full of questions. Why this decision, all of a sudden? What price did Ramkumar pay for his success? And why should he quit when he was on the top of the world? The answers were buried deep in Ramkumar’s heart. In fact the life of Ramkumar till that moment was one long answer to those questions. If only a colourful flashback were possible in real life as it frequently happens in the reel-life!

Raghavan was an ordinary accounts-clerk in an ordinary office. He was just a commerce graduate belonging to the lower middle class. But what distinguished him from the millions who form the faceless crowd were his looks.
‘Handsome’ was a grossly inadequate word to describe his personality. He was 6’ 1”. His complexion was a mixture of gold and rose. He had an athletic build and features so well defined to put a Greek god to shame. And his face……. ‘Can a man’s face be so beautiful?’ was the question top-most in the minds of all who had glanced Raghavan once.

Naturally the girls swarmed to him. They shamelessly followed him when he went about his work. Love letters came in bundles. Raghavan never cared. But one fine morning he met Vidya and fell head over heels in love with her.
Vidya was the only daughter of one of Mumbai’s wealthiest industrialists. The money Raghavan earned after a month of hard work, Vidya used to spend as her pocket money in less than half a day. But her love for Raghavan was so strong that she abandoned her parents and the enormous riches to don the role of a lower middle class housewife. Vidya was Raghavan’s whole world and he hers. It was a picture-perfect life of love and affection till Raghavan’s friend Vasu sowed the seeds of desire in him.

“You are far more handsome than the middle aged uncouth men who pass for heroes in our movies. Why are you still slogging as a clerk? If you just enter the movie world the first place is assuredly yours. This is the right time. If you miss this you won’t get another chance. And once you become a big star will you still remember your old friends like me?”

Either because such a desire was half-asleep in Raghavan, or because the words were rendered with so much power his life changed from that very moment.

You are springing pleasant-surprises galore from the morning !
First coming out of a self-imposed exile, second promising to give me your entire royalty ( I am asking my accountant-husband to work out using his best knowledge on how to invest lakhs, paying minimum or no tax - it is going to be his home-work today !!) & to top it all, taking us on a Kollywood trip.
Sridhar, we feel more at home with our own Kollywood than Bollywood.
So now we will be with you, R & V !
Please , don't use " bad words", Sridhar, the devathas will say " dathastu"- I do not want them to say it for our dear induslad. Coming from culture thread, how else will I react ?
We will stay tuned enjoyably and happily .
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Dear Varalotti,

Nice to have you back with us. Along with Kamla, was actually devising punishments for you. But on seeing this new forum- Saturdays with Varalotti, am suitably mollified.

Must say, Varalotti, you do things with style. And this new saturday edition is most appealing. Also, am loving the first edition of The Price. How true- we all pay prices for every smile, every victory we achieve in life.

You are no Saturn. If our dearest Mrs C is our Guru, you are our Vedi velli Sukran.

cheers!
Vidya24

Shridhar,
Occassionally i check Indusladies website and today when i checked i saw novel by you. I was so happy to see you back. We really missed you and your written work. Welcome back and we will desperately wait for your mega project for us.

The novel Price started very well. Definately we all r paying price in some or teh other way and i think through this novel you would bring a good message to slow down in life.

Keep up teh good work.

Cheers

Dear varlotti,
Your new mini novel was a welcome and pleasant surprise. Only I am wondering why you are so fascinated by bollywood.
You have started off in your inimitable style and by now you know ILites so well that your shoot will hit the mark. You have suddenly lifted usfrom near boredom. We are so much dependent on chitvish for value and you for entertainment. Thank you very much for once again making our weekend full of fun.
Reagards,
Meenu

Hello Sridhar,

Welcome, welcome, welcome back to IL.
I just logged on now & clicked New Posts & the first thing I see is your new thread, and I was more than surprised. Great to know, we'll all have something to look forward to on saturdays.

Normally, people dread shani God & I've heard of shani shanthi pujas but Shani God acc. to me is one who actually helps us see life in the right perspective & by giving problems, he actually helps us take the right decisions for life in the long run. So, I really don't mind if you call yourself saturn.

right in the beginning you've given something for our minds to munch on. the title itself is thought provoking. so, from a humble clerk to bollywood's numero uno; the journey wouldn't have been easy & can imagine the price this human would've paid. Nothing comes easy & if something comes easy then it would go easy or it wouldn't be worth!!!!!!!!!!!

beautiful start......... sure its gonna be a wonderful journey with you for 4 weeks.

Dear Sridhar,

Whoever thought that you were 'on your mark, ready and set to go'!! On one post you say to look forward to a surprise from you and on the next post, boom zoom, the surprise is here on a silver platter!!
Thanks for giving us all the treat and I am sure we will be hooked on to IL every Saturday from now on.
This story too has started on the now familiar grounds of Bollywood. But the title is very intriguing and heart already aches at the thought of what this hero might have lost to pay the price for prominence.
I am hooked and waiting.....

Love, Kamla

There's something in IL to look forward to(of course chitvish column bearing a staunch exception!). A very warm welcome from my end..Varalotti. loved the light reading, but almost couldnt stop skidding at the end!!! The brakes were jerky and sudden enough! Lovely..story. Ramkumars reply certainly would raise an eye for all his fans.

Great work Sir, great to have you back!!

regards,
purnima

Dear ILites,
You simply overwhelm me with your affection. I am so deeply caught in the net of your love and affection that I can't stay away from IL for long.
First, thanks Chitra! You are my first reader, first reviewer and my best friend. Whatever I write you will be there to say something about. To have somebody like that is a blessing. I am sorry that you are hurt by the 'bad word'. Looks like the same word in English is good, but in Tamil it sounds bad. How strange! Thanks for the first post.
And my dear friend Vidya thanks for so many things. First for stopping the devising of plans to punish me second for calling me vedi velli sukran. And third for bringing the substance of the story in a few words. I owe you one.
And CBI, I too missed you. Your posts have always been refreshing. And thanks for the wonderful words you have about me. Being missed by people like you fills my heart with good feelings.
And Meenu thanks for making me the entertainer of the site. Shall we say it "komali" in Tamil? Chitra is the heroine and I the comedian. I nevertheless like the role. I have written only a couple of humour stories. But it is very difficult to write in that genre. I gave up soon.
Meena, seeing your post in my thread after a long interval. Welcome back. I like your intrepretation about Shani. Regarding the planetary influence I am with the Great Nayanmar who proclaimed "Naal Enna Seiyum, Kol Enna Seiyum" What will the day do or what harm can the planets do if the God who created them in a flash of his mind is with us.
Kamla, your soft words of encouragement and sharp words of humour and wit have never ceased to amaze me. Thanks for joining us aboard.
Now to all of you,
yes I am again into Bollywood (Chitra, you thought it was Kollywood). But this time I am taking a different angle. The Bollywood we saw through Swetha and Khan was different from the one we are going to see through Ramkumar and Vidya. (Vidya, please excuse me. The heroine has your name. But she is one of the best characters I have ever created. This statement comes from my daughter who rates this story at par with The Scar) And though the setting is Bollywood the theme has an universal application to our lives - who ever we may be - a poor accountant in a mofussil town, a rich Doctor's wife, a doctorate in economics, the wife of a surgeon in Mysore or the surgeon himself.
We can apply this theme whenever we have to take a major decision in our lives. I used the Bollywood setting as that would have a kind of sex appeal to people.
Thanks once again for your support.
regards,
sridhar

dear Varalotti,
Warm welcome to you, IL was lacking the weekly excitement. Now that you are here on all Saturdays, it is going to be great weekends. Good of you to return soon, I was dreading that you may take long.
Sani is dreaded but, He showers good also. One never had to feel afraid of Sani. Actually, my lucky day is Saturday, I prefer Saturday to start any new work, buy new things, anything and everything.
With warm wishes,
varloo