a trek to wilderness...

There are some things in life that you wouldn’t ever want to forget in your slightest of dreams. I also have one latest addition to my list of un-forgetful memories. Not because it was an awesome trip to a place which I never had visited earlier, but because of the hospitality of the people who were our hosts on those two days and due to the serene nature that refreshed my mind and body on those days. I had fresh air and lots of new friends.

I went to the wilderness of our God’s own country, to the beauty called Kollangode and Parambikulam – a few hours from Palakkad, Kerala’s Rice Bowl on the last weekend of July 2006.

All were setup by Abhi and his friends and I and PP were just to join the gang. Trip, stay and food were all arranged Ajith, Vipin and his brother Nipin and behind them where Vipin and Nipin’s father and mom.

DAY 0

We (I, Abhi and PP) assembled at the Dairy Circle KSRTC bus stop in Bangalore and waited for the bus. We were joined by Vipin and Vinod who were not known to me before. I got introduced to them and another guy called Sarath, who is Vinod’s colleague. It was strange; we all were meeting for the first time except Vinod and Abhi, who were classmates. The bus came an hour late, and we soon settled into our own seats. Abhi was cracking jokes, Vinod busy selling the extra ticket we had to a ‘girl’ and things soon settled in and we had a tough ride ahead and bad roads. At Krishna Giri we had our dinner, in the form of Thick Porottas and Egg Curry. It was HORRIBLE. I almost had an upset tummy.

DAY 1

It was early dawn when we reached Palakkad KSRTC Bus Stand. We were joined by a small gang from Chennai – Binoy, Sumod and Lajiraj. The dawn so beautiful. I never had a chance to see the dawn with my camera, and I didn’t waste any time clicking a few. After a morning tea, Vipin guided us to his house. The half an hour journey to Kollangode was refreshing and thrilling due to the bus. From Rajahamsa to a local Kerala private bus I was a big change. The one like moving from a PG to a bigger rented house. That journey provided me everything. Rains and early morning cold winds to refresh my mind and soul from hectic time I had the days before (I moved in with Abhi and PP a day before). I could also see the place where Ravi, the protagonist in O.V Vijayan’s Khasakhinte Ithihasam, got down to walk up to Khasak.

At Kollangode Vipin’s father came and picked us in his Jeep. That ride reminded me about the numerous jeep rides I had from my house to my father’s house in Vadakara. Jeep Taxi’s are one good mode of transportation in Vadakara and I always enjoyed them, especially hanging behind.

And as we reached his place, boy it was beauty all over. I haven’t scene nature at its best any where else. A small, but spacious house on the road side, with paddy fields behind it touching almost the horizon. And in the back drop the Sahyadri’s guarding you from almost anything. With those small and big waterfalls adorning her, she looked like a princess with the diamond necklaces around her neck. That was awesome and on the road in the rain, a two bullock carts passed against the back drop of those hills. It was really nice atmosphere.

After a good tea made by Vipin’s mom we were off to the Ambalakkulam (Temple Pond) which was a kilometer away from his house and oh boy the water was so cold and the place was so divine and peaceful. I took a few pics and then jumped into the pond. Even though I don’t know swimming, I am good enough to have an effect of swimming by pseudo swimming. That means I will hold my hands on the steps of the pond and move my legs :) .. Great isn’t it !!.. The bath was so refreshing and it was followed by a rain. Luckily we could enter into the Oottupura and watch the rain and the hills in the backdrop. The temple elephant and the mahout were there with us for a company. When rain stopped we started walking back, enjoying the scenery around and through the rain lashed road, I felt I am back to my school days. The people were looking at me like something from the another world, with a big camera bag and walking through the water streams, they might have felt .. Evidunnu Vanneda Yevan. On our way back, we met Ajith, Nipin and Retina who came by 10 AM bus. After a sumptuous breakfast that includes Idli and Sambhar we were off to Parambikulam that was 2 to 3 hours drive from Kollangode. Vipin’s father had already made the arrangements for the van and that guy was on time, but we left by quarter past 12 only.

In the initial part of the journey I slept and woke up only when we reached the Tamilnadu Border. Interesting part of the forest is that, even though it is in Keral, to enter it we have to go through Tamilnadu there by paying tax for them for seeing our forest. But after all we are all Indians right? At Kerala Check post it was raining and from there Saravanan, a Kerala Forest Dept Official came as guide with us.
They are trained to show us all around the Forest and tt is the department’s duty to provide a guide to accompany every visitor who comes to Parambikulam. So guys who go next time, make sure you have a vacant seat for him.

The ride after that was full of enthusiasm and interest as we could spot any wild animals any time and luck bought us a wild elephant group. As I sat on the wrong side of the van I couldn’t get any close up views. We spotted a few deer also. We had our lunch at around 4PM on the way near the lake side. Vipin’s Mom had packed us rice, Sambhar and chicken curry and that was great. I ate around four small plates of rice, which Pophabhi might say is not a big thing. I have become an eating specialist (aka akkranthan) these days. Hmmm.

We reached the main forest office area at 5 in the evening. Hard luck turned out as we missed the Erumadam (Hut on Roof Tops) by an hour. The Erumadam is a bit far away from the main land and one has to travel one and half our in the boat to the island and that too with food and water. There the food can be cooked after collecting fire wood. It would have been one hell of adventure in the wilderness. Stay on the trees for a night. Huh and we missed it since we were late, it would be even late by the time we reached there and it is not at all encouraged to reach there late.

So we wandered around, went to a small Tunnel Project and then came back and ordered the food. We also went out for a walk in the night. With a good road and ample lighting it was easy to walk but the atmosphere had the sounds of crickets. That irritating sound of the wild night.

After a good chappathi-chicken curry dinner, we retired into our lodge which was big spacious 3 bedroom house. The Bison Valley Lodge. Me, Abhi, PP, Ajith and Laji sat and talked philosophy in night. The philosophy of Oolans.

DAY 2

We had already planned for a trek the day before with the Guide. We had chosen the ‘soft’ trek from the various treks that were offered. It cost us Rs 50/- per head. The trek was 7 km long and will start from the base forest camp and reach the Kannimara Teak, which is considered to be the oldest teak in Asia.

The start of the trek was boring as we mostly walked through the tarred road, but a kilometer into it we were truly surrounded by jungle with us following the way the Safari Jeeps used to go. That was our only direction, and that was the needed one. A few minutes into the walk we saw bison’s and deer at a distance. There was also an Earumaadam setup on the walkway. We all got a better view of it from there. We then walked, walked and walked and kept waking with only the sound of crickets, the bites of leeches and the wilderness of the evergreen rain forests in company. It was tough, but it was exciting – following the trail. The three hour long trek came to an end at the Kannimara Teak. By that time our van reached there. Some of us went and had a wash at the near by river and then we were back to the base station.

We missed the boat ride there as the boats were already gone for a ride with some people. So we decided to have the breakfast and push it off from Parambikulam. The breakfast was dosa, idli, chutney and fish fry. And after some time the hoteliers ran out of dosa and informed us with a great difficulty that the whole of the Dosa Mix is now finished. And after that at around 11 we bid adieu to Parambikulam, before making it possible to visit the Parambikulam Dam.
The Dam was awesome, with wonderful scenery behind.

Next target was Seetharkkundu a place close to Kollangode. It’s a small area where water falls from the high Sahyadri’s and have formed a pool with a small waterfall. It is believed that Seetha, wife of Lord Rama, had taken a dip here during their Vanavasa. To reach Seetharkkundu we had to walk for 15 minutes from the place where our van could go.

That walk was like we were walking into the mountains as we were going towards the mountains just below it. We could see numerous small waterfalls at the distance.

And finally we reached Seetharkkundu. The bath in Seetharkkundu was very refreshing. The water was so cold and it took some time for me to get into the water. Till that time I was capturing the beauty and the boyz. Ajith almost drowned and PP had a fall, but still we were enjoying. We had some fun for around 45 minutes there and then pushed off to Chinganchira.

Chinganchira is a place near to Kollangode where there are lots of big banyan trees and there is a temple also here which is inside a banyan tree. Couples who doesn’t have a kid, come here and offer wooden cradles to the deity. These cradles are then hung on the tree. When we were there, there was a group of people who had finished their offerings and returning back. It was here the few scenes from the film Kaliyattam was shot. We returned from there soon and at Kollangode had a great evening snacks (we didn’t have lunch) at a local thattukada. People had Porottas, Beef, Chicken, Egg and an occasional Biriyani and good high tea. Yea Snacks they were !! And our stomachs were full, we were happy. Because we are happy when we have a sumptuous food isn’t it ?

Finally we reached Vipin and Nipin’s house. By that time the sun was setting and the paddy fields behind were giving a great treat to the eye, with colors of red, orange, blue and grayish black all playing their roles in giving us he perfect blend of nature. It was just amazing. We had our usual photo posing and enjoyed the evening out there on the bunds that separated the paddy fields. It was a once in a life time feeling that I was having.

And then the Chennai Kings were getting ready to go. They left soon and after that we visited Vipin’s paternal house which was a bit far from his house. Had another round of eateries there, with achchappams and neyyappams again filling our stomachs.

We came back and while we were getting ready Vipin’s mom packed us the dinner. God only knew where we are going to fill it. We took the last bus to Palakkad. Got down and got another bus to Olavakkode Junction, from where we were to board the Yeshwantpur Express to Bangalore.

It was just that break we all needed after a lot of idle weekends in Bangalore. Some where far from the city, where there is no one to bother you, no pollution, no traffic, no telephone network. Just you own your own. It was a nice time me, PP and Abhi had since it happened just before Abhi going out of his comfort zone. It was a time that we could be altogether just to crack our jokes and enjoy even though we missed a few of them.

This trip definitely is going to be with me for such a long time. And we may keep visiting that place, may be on our birds. Because that place offers you a lot, a lot that even you cannot think off and you will just end up sitting admiring its beauty.

And that’s why we call her “God’s Own Country.”

PS: I was yearning for a break and a trip all these days, and ever since this trip I have been travelling all the weekends to K-Gudi, Mysore, Home and recently Kochin and Kollam. And thats why this post was late.

PPS: All pictures (c) Dhanush Gopinath 2006 :)

an open letter to my soulmate...

Dear Buddy,
You are no longer with me any more. Now that I have decided to distance myself from you, I feel that void around me. You were my soul, you were my love. You were my passion; you were the one who unleashed the beast in me. I cared you like my kid, and you were happy to obey me.
It was with you I roamed around. From the day you roared in with me through the streets of Pune, to the days in Bangalore were we wrooooomed at 100 kmph we both were one mind, one soul. You were my machine, the definitely male machine. Sure you were; One macho machine. I could see the hot chicks drooling at your masculine chests when we rode past them. Those Karizmatic Unicorns were looking at you with jealousy. And you enjoyed it, right? Chasing and beating them in the race. Getting that attention from sweet babes, gals giggling and saying ‘You are hot’. Anything on the road you thoroughly enjoyed.

Where all we have covered da? Our first trip was to Malshej, alle? On those Ghats of Maharashtra, were some fool said there was a big waterfall, and when we reached there it turned out to be a stream of water. Then I took you out alone to Mumbai. Another one day trip to Bhimashankar. And the 3 day trip to Mahabaleshwar, were we both chilled. Finally the big trip to Murud, Janjira and Harihareshwar that covered close to 500 kms in 3 days. In all these trips, it was me who rode you and we had a good company.

You never let me down; not a single time. Every time i thumped in the accelerator cable you just roared. And I guess you didn’t like anyone apart from me, right? I could feel your anger for not looking after you last year when I was away. You didn’t like Sreeku rt? Nor you liked Jaat, I know. The grumbles that you produced after his ride told me that you didn’t like his frequent gear shifts. Or rather was I possessive about you? I was; I know otherwise I wouldn’t have interpreted your grumbles like that.

The day when I was shown your dent on the rib cage - that happened in transit to Bangalore - I was shell shocked. And I cried. Your whimper was unbearable when I touched you. Boy, you suffered a lot right? I should have driven you down here. My mistake da, I am sure you wouldn’t have let me down, nor you would have tired me. We could have covered those 800 kms in two days. But da, I was not brave. Sorry dear.

And after that recovery, with a new chest and paint you were simply shining. Bangalore roads were blessed with your presence. You even threw away that bloody bugger on the Unicorn, who made an unexpected entry from the side road. Luckily you were not so brutal, and he escaped. But you lost your face and I was so sad. That was the first time we erred. The very first time in my life and yours too. You were a bit sad about that episode weren’t you? I know, but that’s ok. You just showed what you could do, if some comes across you very badly.

Then that happened. Somewhere in the middle of the life, I fell in love with that girl. That red beauty called Thunderbird. She was beautiful, gorgeous and sexy. I immediately fell in love with her or rather she seduced me to be with her. Her curves, her feminine power, the way she carried herself, that proud look while she stood waiting to take her out, all had a dignity in itself. Or rather she was simply irresistible.

I was very much unsure about parting you. I thought, thought and thought. I had sleepless nights and in one such night she visited me and took me to another world. There she asked me to marry her, for an eternity. I couldn’t give her an answer immediately. But something in me said that I should go out with her. I too needed some one to take out for a dinner, some one charming, and some one feminine with whom I can walk along with my hands around her hips. Some one I could sleep with ;)

So finally I accepted her. But it was not a cake walk. There was resistance from all sides, including you. I could understand that as you too were very possessive about me. But I am sure you are good guy, and you rock man. When that mechanic said that you are an absolute wonder and a well maintained man, I was happy. I was proud since someone had certified you without even driving you and just by feeling how you roar. Boy I definitely had second thoughts about her then, but I had a promise to keep. And thus I decided to part you.

My heart was heavy, when I handed over your keys to that guy. There were tears in my eye, when I said him to take good care of you. He saw it and assured me.

I hope you will be fine with him. Be good and take care of him and yourself. Correct him if he makes any mistakes. And guide him to goodness.

And Finally

Forgive me whenever I have asked more from you.
Forgive me whenever I have shifted the gears improperly, choking you up.
Forgive me for breaking you head light with that freaky accident.
Forgive me for choosing to transport you in a bloody movers and packers instead of driving you from Pune.
Last but not the least; forgive me if I have hurt you.

You the Metallic Blue 150cc DTSi Pulsar, whom I called Blue Pulsar, is now not in my life. But from the depths of the heart I know I still love you. I would rather be a gay than be a straight if The Bird had not entered my life.

You always will have that special place in my heart, for you were my first love, first beast I owned on my own.

Take care da. And enjoy yourselves with him. Travel to the horizons of life and I would be sitting here proud and happy, for I was your first love, I was the first one who touched you for the first time in your life and I was the one who was cared you more than a friend.

Best wishes Buddy.

With Loads of Love.
Your's Me..

for them... an update..

I love this silence, as it is Golden.
I was made to be Silent, and I remained silent.
But they ask me why I am silent.
They ask me to break free from my chains.
I couldn't.
So I captured and frustrated. Some Craps, Some Good.

But I love them. Coz They are my passions.

It may be crap, but its my frustration :-)
Enjoy!!

badla – the vengeance sport

“… It was my turn. I walked into the middle after a fine performance from the earlier batsman. I adjusted the stumps, took a middle stump guard, did my usual routines of moving the legs away from each other, kept the bat’s edge close to my right leg, opened up my left shoulder a bit, knocked two times on the ground and waited. I was ready for the ball. It was a straighter one. I opened the face of the bat and drove it past the bowler. Next one was a short and wide one. I rocked back on the back foot and did a ferocious pull. I could feel the thud sound of the ball hitting the meat of the bat. The ball flew past the standing fielder who even didn’t see the ball and was facing his back to me to protect him. A few balls later and 6 runs under my belt, I poked at an away swinger and I was out!!….”

Thus I ended up with my highest score on the toughest pitch I have ever played cricket. It was Badla!! The cricket between the four walls. And this Sunday, I had my highest score of six runs.

What is Badla? Where did it come from? Who are it creators? What are the rules? And why the name is Badla and not just cricket? My dear friend Pophabhi will tell you more on this on his Madness Continues.

I first played this a year back, to be exact in Feb 2005, when Kich took me to Abhi’s house (Well I should say our house now, I sleep, eat and drink there most of the days) just to play cricket. Boy, never did I know that it would have been so tough, when I faced Abhi and Kich and it was a different ball game altogether. And also to field in that 8x10 square foot area, man it needed some spine in you to face the ferocious pull of Abhi and on drives of Kich. My hands will always be covering my vital organs, face almost against the batsman and all set to turn back while he hits it. An year and half later too I haven’t improved much on that, expect for the fact that I have started to spend some time in the middle, started to bowl in the right areas and go close in at least a step ahead.

What is it that makes us play this without any tiring? A nod of eyes between three of us, or a call from Abhi or an exclamation from Guru –“Innu Vende, Badlikkande” - just after he enters the house after his office at 8 or 9 in the night. That is enough. We are all set to cleanup the mess in the room and start playing.

The normal format of playing is the good old single player methodology. Players will bat based on their names alphabetical order, so that goes like Abhi first, then me and finally Guru. If there are four guys we play the TEST, where two innings are played and the two of us constitute a team. The follow on rule too is applied; if the second batting team doesn’t score half the runs, then they are forced to follow on. But these days PP is quite busy in his own world and he doesn’t find it much interesting. Something is cooking up I guess. ;)

Among us Abhi is the best according to me; he has that patience and temperament to play the long innings. Above all he is committed to the game. He curses himself when he plays a loose shot or mis-fields. I could then imagine how committed he would be in the original version of the game. Bowling to him is always a bit problem as he has that “ChanderPaul” kind of stance with open chest so that if there is anything short he can pull it and if there is anything full he will drive it past the bowler. I still don’t understand how he follows that, as I could never have that stance. I usually follow the normal one, but Badla is not normal cricket. And while bowling too he has that out swingers perfect as I will almost poke at everything and eventually get out. But then he has that deadly Yorker too, which he uses against me when he is fed up with my Thozhaying (moving the bat just like rowing a boat).

Guru on the other hand has a closed approach while batting. He covers the wicket with his legs and bat and gives a very slight view of the wicket. As leg before wicket is not out, he is able to defend with his legs. But there is always one or another way to get him out. In fact I always enjoy bowling against him. I will mix up this, short pitch and then a fuller one, leg spinners followed by an occasional googly. It’s always easy to get him. On the bowling front, he basically has two kinds of bowling. One which any Tom, Dick and Harry can smash it for a run (as explained above in Italics) and another one which is really difficult to get through. And at some weird moment, which he and God only know, he will shift from the difficult one to the easier one. I haven’t yet understood what the reason behind this shift is. He will bowl ten or fifteen good difficult balls to me then suddenly will pop up a dolly, just like Stuart MacGill. So there is all probability that Sir Geoffrey Boycott would not like him, if he watches Badla and Guru’s bowling.

PP is more like a proper techie stand, just like Kumble. And as he is very reluctant in playing these days, I am not remembering much of his stance. All I remember is he had a good defence, even though he had a bit problem in attacking the ball. He tends to favor scoring runs on the leg side, and he was able to do that pretty efficiently. PP’s leg glances were always directed towards the bathroom door, which is on the square leg direction – they hit the turf and bounce hard into the door. But if you manage to bowl outside off to him for sometime and keep varying the length, he is surely going to give you a chance. PP’s bowling is special. He bowls the normal leg spin, with a bit of pace, and he consciously keeps the balls bounce less so that you are cramped for space.

Kich was the best batsmen for college team, when he used to play there. He used to play drives and pulls so good in the real ground. But Badla is always a different ball game. Although he had some real difficulties playing Badla due the pace and bounce of the wicket, he adjusted pretty well to the place. Most evident was his flowing off drives which used to remind us about the good old college days. Kich did not play long enough in Badla to make an impact here, and hence there were ways of getting him out when he was around. Most noticeable thing about Kichan’s game was the way he enjoyed when the batsmen are hit on the face, be it his bowling or someone else’s. He used to get into his usual chains of unstoppable laughter, and that laugh is so contagious that the Playground becomes a laughing riot. Quite understandably, his bowling consisted mainly of bouncers, which he used to enjoy a lot. We are waiting for him to be back by December, to greet him with a host of hostile bouncers.

Aravind scarcely plays nowadays, since he is in his fat preservation mode. During the early days, he used to venture into our Badla field with a plaster on his knees for guarding that, and boy – he used to look professional. Aravind was a typical defensive batsman, with defenses as strong as the wall. Although he never used to take so much runs, he is used to stay long enough and frustrate all of us. Quite opposite to the nature of batting, bowling used to be very aggressive with quicker ones, Yorkers and timely bouncers keeping all batsmen at bay. Its long time since we saw him play, and we understand that age does get into action at times :).

Siraj, before he got married, was staying with us and was one of the main initiators in the game of Badla. I think it was imperative during those evenings to play Badla for long durations, when he was around. The test cricket evolved, during one of those innovative moments that Siru always possessed. Guru and Siru became a team, while PP and Abhi were another. This was the most competitive game we ever played, with lots of first person swearing, challenges being swirled upon – Australian kind of professionalism being shown and what not! Siru always made the games wonderful with himself acclaiming that he has the most destructive ‘pazham’ bowling, and starts churning his spinners on. While he fields, it was difficult to get the ball past him, because he was as huge as the wall. J - After marriage we have not got a chance to play our test matches, guess we will catch hold of him someday!

I have been the latest and most regular member to our Badla club. I was struck with awe when I first landed up in the game. Everything seemed so new, and so quick for me to digest. But I caught up with the intricacies of the game quite fast, and became one of the ardent students of the game. I am a self-proclaimed bowler who keeps bowling the special kind of whizzing leg spin that pitches irregularly in leg and middle stump and whizzes past the stumps.

The pace and bounce of my bowling, combined with accuracy makes me a very difficult customer to face. Abhi is always excited to field for me at the short square leg position, when Guru is batting as I keep pestering Guru in the leg stump line, and he get lots of chances to improve his reflexes while fielding. The best part about me is my batting.

I am the best when it comes to ‘thuzhayaling’ outside off stump. I frustrate Abhi with thuzhayaling at his out swingers and missing every ball by around 1 mm distance, and finally he will bowl my weakness ball – the Yorker and get me outJ. My technical stands, with a high back lift, make it difficult for me to bring down the bat on time to Yorkers, and they know that this is my weakness. But I believe my tremendous spirit for the game and unending enthusiasm makes me a perfect heir to this game.

And to play Badla there is no time schedule or time frame, any time of the 24 hours allotted in a day we can play. We play till we sweat out. There are instances were sweats will be dripping out of our body and the crease where we need to stand and face the ball is fully wet. Still we play. Our shirts are saved as we normally don’t play wearing shirts. Our trousers or shorts will be soaked in the sweat. The bat handle will be wet, and since there is no grip it’s quite tough to handle it. We stop then, take some rest, have a bottle or two of TANG and then start again. Mad we are, but as Abhi say Madness Continues.

Some of the craziest things happen during Badla. It may start with Guru proclaiming, “All you chaps see how I am going to thrash you today” and only to find himself beaten up. Appealing for umpteen times is one thing I cherish, it always seems like Abhi or Guru will take an edge onto the walls, and I will appeal but it may not be. I always go crazy with Abhi because his hand and bat are so close I never really see if it took the bat’s handle or his arm. But still I appeal. If I ever played under ICC, it would have dismissed me from playing the cricketJ. The other thing that happens these days is calling PP to play with us. He will be busy with his laptop or watching a movie, and before start we will just open the door of the room a bit so that we can stuck only our heads out and nod him asking him to play with us. PP will produce his sweet smile, which tells us that he wants to play but something else is holding him. We will close the door, but then Guru will open it again and call.. .. “Peeps .. vaada..” he will blush again, but his strong mind will not allow him to play… then Abhi will climb on top of all of us, will stuck his head outside and call again.. “Edaa ... PP ... vaada .. oru kali.. enthada ninakku pattiyee …Vaada..” Then I will stick my head out and smile at PP and nod with head and eyes indicating to come and play. He will be in a no man’s land thinking to play or not to play. Till now he has been on the negative side, but we hope that one day he will break the shackles of his laziness and will tie up his lungi and come and join us to play the TEST.

At the end of all these there is nothing gained or lost. Only thing that keeps us to play it is the passion we have for it. The pleasure we get when we sweat it out in that small room bowling those bouncers aimed at the nose, pulling and driving without giving any feeling to the person fielding just a few steps in front of you and fielding to keep the batsman on their toes. The skills that you learn here can’t be used on a play ground and the skills that you use on a play ground may not help you here. Its cricket, but it is something else too, it’s Badla. You need a great amount of concentration, skills of batting and bowling in a closed room and fielding to the balls that will wiz past you at the speed of Schumi’s Ferrari, the dedication to stand there tall to face the music of Abhi and Guru and last but not the least a strong heart.

Badla will take a lot out of you. Be prepared. In the Life or on the pitch, there is always a Badla.

Text Copyrighted © by Pophabhi & Dhanush ®
Images Copyrighted © by Guru & Teju ®