Scattered Fates by Ram Garikipati (best affordable ebook reader txt) 📕

‘How did he land in Corea? Naga asked, growing impatient.

‘Young man, I told you not to interrupt me,’ Ganapathy chided and continued with his story.

After his disappearance, your mother moved back to Hyderabad with you, but I continued to teach at the university. Most people believed my story that Subbaiah had been kidnapped, but his opponents continued to spread rumors that he was a communist and had defected of his own free will.

My wife's brother was principal secretary to MGR, and he even lodged a formal complaint to the United Nations requesting investigations. We feared that he was languishing in some Hindustani prison. But there was no progress since Soviet Union and China vetoed any moves.

Nine years after his disappearance, I received a phone call from him late at night and we had a very long conversation.

He told me that he had slipped into the hole and out of curiosity had decided to check out where the tunnel leads. It was very dark, but he could see a light at a distance. After just ten minutes, he walked right into the arms of two Hindustani soldiers who were surveying the freshly dug up tunnel. They took him back with him, and he was interrogated. The first few days, he was constantly tortured, but a high-ranking army official recognized him, and realized that it would be a publicity coup if they could announce that Subbaiah had defected of his own free will.

He was taken to Delhi, now they call it Delhi, and was forced to teach Dravidian languages to potential spies. He was also responsible for their cultural training, so that the spies would easily dissolve into our local crowds once they crossed the tunnels.

After many attempts he finally managed to escape to Nepal. It took him nearly a month of trekking in the Himalayas, interior China and finally Bangkok, from where he decided to give me a call.

He originally wanted to go to the Dravidian Embassy for help, but I warned him of the situation. There was a danger that he could be arrested if he came to Madras. His opponents would have ensured that he be tried as a communist spy under our National security law.

I did not know anyone in Thailand to seek help for Subbaiah.The only foreigner I knew was Moon, and I contacted him on the number that he left with us before going back. It took some effort, but Moon finally called back, and I explained the whole situation to him.

He had just finished his PhD and was teaching at Seoul National University. He arranged for a teaching spot for me, while I used my contacts and got a fake passport for Subbaiah. I did not tell anyone this news, not even my wife. Utmost secrecy was the necessity of the day.

I met Subbaiah in Bangkok and we then flew to Seoul where Moon took care of our arrangements. After a couple of months, Subbaiah also got a teaching position at the university. I had to arrange for fake certificates in his new name. It was not that I was cheating, we had just changed the name, but all his qualifications were intact.

‘My father never mentioned anything to me. I am sure he would have told me, at least before I came to Madras,’ Maya said puzzled.

‘He knows that it is very dangerous for this information to slip out. You could have mentioned it to anyone casually. He was only trying to protect Subbaiah.’

‘So he is the Venkatramaiah who was your roommate in Seoul?’ Naga asked, still in a daze.

‘Yes he is now Venkatramaiah. He looks slightly different, having lost all his hair, and you may find it hard to recognize him,’ Ganapathy said.

‘Are you still in touch with him?’

‘Yes, we stay in touch through email, he has retired and is a Corean citizen. Moon helped him settle down in Pyongyang. He keeps pestering me to find out about your mother and you, but I could not trace her whereabouts. After your grandmother died, she changed her address. Wait till I tell him this news. Imagine, his son and Moon's daughter together, it is going to astonish him.’

‘Amma will be thrilled. I am supposed to take Maya to Hyderabad tomorrow, we can break this news to her,’ Naga said, tears rolling down his cheeks.

‘Hold it; do not tell her anything now. It is very dangerous. No one should know that he is alive. You should take her to Corea and surprise her.’

#

A week later, on August 1st, at 11 pm, Naga was pacing the floor at Gate 23A of Annadurai International Airport, impatient for the boarding announcement of Flight CE 609 to Pyongyang.

Maya was sitting next to his old mother, taking care of her needs. She decided to cut short the visit and come back for her research later. Meeting Naga's father was more important, and more importantly she could get to see her baby once again.

The only way they could get Naga’s mother to accompany them was to pretend that they were going Corea to meet her parents and finalize their marriage. A white lie for now, it was still a possibility, though it would take time. Of course his mother would forget the deal, once she met Subbaiah and caught up with her past.

Finally the boarding call, as Naga stopped in his tracks, his heart thumping.

‘Whatever happens, happens for the good!’

GLOSSARY

Aatmasamaan – Self-respect (Hindi)

Abboji- Father (Korean)

Aigoo- Oops (Korean)

Amma- Mother

Anni- Sister in law (Tamil)

Apdi aa – Is that so (Tamil)

Appa- Father

Avakaaya- Mango pickle

Balli – Gecko, house lizard

Balli Dosha Shastram- Astrology that tells about the lizard falling effects

Bosingtang- Korean soup that includes dog meat as its primary ingredient

Bulgogi- Korean dish that usually consists of grilled marinated beef, chicken or pork

Chinkies- Derogatory term used to refer to the mongoloid race

Chosǒn Chǒnjaeng- Korean War

Da / Daai – Hey man (Tamil)

Dal – Lentil soup

Danil minjok – One nation with pure Blood. It is based on the belief that Koreans form a nation, a race, or an ethnic group that shares a unified bloodline and a distinct culture.

Dharna-A fast undertaken as a means of obtaining compliance with a demand for justice

Eonni- Sister in law (Korean)

Ganja- Marijuana

Garu- Respectful title (Telugu)

Ghe Shiki – Son of bitch (Korean)

Glasnost- Policy that called for increased openness and transparency in government institutions and activities in the Soviet Union

Gochujang- Savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt

Golti A racist term used for people from Andhra Pradesh, implying that they are extremely stupid in an adorable way.

Guru dakshina- Tradition of repaying one's teacher or guru after a period of study or the completion of formal education

Haejangguk- Thick, spicy, and very hearty soup made from ox (beef) bone broth with soybean paste

Hallyu-The Korean wave, refers to the significant increase in the popularity of South Korean entertainment and culture starting in the 1990s, in Asia, and more recently in other parts of the world

Ilaneer- Tender coconut water

Iljae Sidae- Period of Japanese rule over Korea

Janeu- Holy thread that is worn by the Hindu Brahmins of India

Jegichagi- Korean traditional gameIt requires the use of people's foot and Jegi, which looks like a badminton shuttlecock, made of paper, or cloth. The player kicks a jegi up in the air and keeps on kicking to prevent from falling to the ground. In a one-to-one game, a player with the most number of consecutive kicks wins.

Kaalia – derogatory racist term used to refer to black people

Kapu- Vaishya caste in Andhra

Kamzhatang- Spicy pork bone soup made with pork spine, vegetables, green onion, hot peppers and ground wild sesame seeds

Kimchi-Traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is Korea's national dish, and there are hundreds of varieties made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber

Kunjoos- Stingy (Hindi)

Lathi-Means stick and also refers to a martial art based on cane fighting. The word is used in Hindi, Bengali and various other languages.

Lorries- Trucks

Lungi- Traditional garment worn around the waist in Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula

Machchan- Brother-in-law, also used as a friendly greeting (Tamil)

Mallu – Short for Malayalam speaking people, the language spoken in the southern state of Kerala

Makgeolli- Alcoholic beverage native to Korea, made from a mixture of wheat and rice, which gives it a milky, off-white color, and sweetness

Naan – A leavened, oven-baked flatbread that is typical of and popular in West, Central and South Asia

Nadan curry- Kerala beef curry

Narak- Hell (Hindi)

Pitaji – Father (Hindi)

Rajya Sabha- Upper House of the Indian Parliament

Rakshash – Demon (Hindi)

Rowdies- Gangsters, lumpen

Saala – Brother-in-law (Hindi), also used affectionately for friends

Saar - Sir

Sambar- A vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind and pigeon peas, and is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India

Samguk Yusa- Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after

Satyagraha- Fast

Shikoro – Shut up (Korean)

Shikya- Bastard (Korean)

Soju- A distilled beverage native to Korea, comparable to vodka, though often slightly sweeter

Suprabhatam- Auspicious dawn prayer

Tauba Tauba- God forbid (Hindi)

Thalaivar – Leader (Tamil)

Thammuda- Younger brother (Telugu)

Ttong – Shit (Korean)

Upama- simple rice snack usually served for breakfast

Vatan – Country, motherland (Hindi)

Yaar- Dear Friend (Hindi)

Zamindari - A zamindar was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and held control over his peasants, from whom they reserved the right to collect tax. The Mughals introduced the system

Zutho- Fermented drink obtained from rice commonly consumed by all Naga tribes in the rural regions of Nagaland

Text: Ram Garikipati
Images: Ram Garikipati
Editing: Ram Garikipati
Publication Date: 10-01-2013

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