Queen of Madras

Before Rise

Aranadhan, a typical fisherman from Tamilnadu set out to the shore before even the sun rose. He was wearing his veshti, had his nets and pieces of equipment and his lucky charm, a bronze bracelet, a family heirloom. It had a picture of a Mud Skipper carved onto it. The Mud Skipper was a fish that could climb trees. Aranadhan's family was known for hunting this particular type of fish. He kissed his daughter's forehead as she lay asleep on the floor on a straw mat. His wife, Alari, was boiling milk for his empty stomach. He left for the shore walking. It hardly took ten minutes to reach there from their street. Poona, a cat that roams around their house, woke up to the smell of the milk and waited. Alari placed milk in an aluminum vessel in front of the cat, Poona righteously started to suck in the feast. Aranadhan reached the shore and felt the familiar feeling of sand grains caressing his bare feet.

He sat on one of the boats and waited for the others. Little crabs kept finding heir way in and out of the sand. A few minutes later, he heard lowered murmuring slowly rising in volume. He turned to see his fellow fishermen, or 'machas', as they are called in Tamilnadu. there were around fifty fishermen who set out in that particular shore in different boats. Aranadhan's gang had five expert fishermen. The team was a combination of a teenager, Mari, a pretty old man, probably in his 50s, Muthaiya, two brothers Saravana and Karthi, and himself.

'What da, did your wife kick you out here? Never seen you this soon', said Saravana making everyone laugh.

'No da, I was worried about Chayla. Couldn't sleep all night. So came out here to clear my mind', announced Aranadhan worried. Chayla was his daughter.

'Oh right. She is nearing the Age right. She has been pampered a lot by you macha. How do you think she will manage her in-laws?' asked Karthi.

'I don't know Karthi, that is what is worrying me da', sighed Aranadhan.

'Seri, let's start da', said Muthaiya with his loud voice and everyone followed him to begin their hunt that day.

Meanwhile, Chayla was asleep, not worrying about her nearing the Age.