Thursday, April 26, 2012

A Friend and Rum
Vivan Kamath
For my book, I made a handwritten diary loosely based on two stories I had heard casually from a family friend of ours. The story revolves around life in the Indian army and what some of the responsibilities you're given and the choices you make. I hand wrote the diary as if the main character was narrating and also put in dialogue in Hindi. The diary came in  sort of holdall that is issued to all people in the army which includes medicines, sewing kits, pens and pencils and other objects. The diary, apart from the text, comes with a picture of the two characters in the story, a picture of the main character's family and a picture of the main character's god (which I found out all officers usually carry with them). 
I don't know too much about the army life so it was difficult at first to get into the tone that I would use but I spoke to some people I knew in the army who helped create that scene in my head for me. 



As an officer in the military, you learn how to put aside your own opinion and unquestioningly follow orders. You figure out how to filter out the superfluous and learn to prioritize. Your sense of morality and the ‘greater good’ goes for a spin the day you put on your uniform and in time, you can’t tell when you got which scar. All this may sound terrible, as if I’ve destroyed my soul but I still believe in the purity of my principles. And I can say that with no shuddering of conscience.
The tone of voice in my writing may suggest a lack of emotion and you may presume that even that’s been filtered out. But, like I said, there’s filtering and there’s prioritising. Being an officer doesn't mean you become a slave to the government. You’re just a government employee with a difficult job. And like at most work places, you do make comrades and friends. You need to create your own system of understanding even with the civilians in the region.
At times of crisis, people want to grab onto those closest to them; part of this job is to contrive to be the closest and get the masses at your polar end. A number of strategies and tools are used to achieve this relationship; a key one being rum. As cold as it is up here in the mountains, rum is a big favourite with civilians and officers alike. And over a drink or two, you sometimes make friends with informers willing to share what they know for certain compensation.
I had called my ‘friend’ to the dhaba where we usually meet. The fire was lit, on the table stood two glasses and a bottle of rum. The food was still being cooked.
The cook was an ex-jawaan who had been injured and couldn’t serve anymore; he’s taken up this position to stay as close to the action as he could. He knew what the conversations we conducted were about but always kept them to himself. He knew where his loyalties lay.
My friend arrived a little while after me and greeted me warmly as he always did; more so than my own brother does. We sat and I poured him a drink to bring him some warmth in the blistering cold. He asked, “भाई  साहिब , आज  कोई  खास  बात  है  क्या ? जनमदिन  या  कुछ ? में  तो  आपको  परसों  खबर  लेकर  मिल्ने  वाला  था.” 
नहीं , नहीं  यार ,” I replied, “आज  बस  मिल्ने  का  मन  किया  तो  बुल्ला  लिया . काम  की  बात  हमेशा  होती  है.” The cook brought out some chicken, still steaming.
I began to tell my companion my favourite story. I hadn’t told it to anyone before and I didn’t know a better person for the first hearing. It was a story from a very long time ago; before I had the first white in my hair or the belly pickled by years of rum and chicken.
It was when I first joined the Army. We had been tipped off by someone that there were three terrorists hiding in a small house in the market place. I was picked as part of the team to bring them in. Geared up and racing through all the training tactics in my head, we arrived at the market place right in front of the house. We burst in with guns pointing in every direction, but there was no one in the house. All we got was the glimpse of a foot escaping through the window. It was them, they were running.
Split up, I was ordered, and pointed in the direction of one. He knew the marketplace much better than I did and managed to duck into every galli possible, darting over every wall he could find. His exit had been planned and he knew that it would be extremely difficult for anyone else to keep up. He largely kept to the crowded areas so as to not allow me to take a shot at him. No one stopped him but I didn’t really expect them to.
उस  कुत्ते  ने  मुझे  इतना  भगाया , इतना  भगाया ! और  तब , मुझे  मौका  मिल  गया .” He turned into a path with no one about and I took my shot. It hit him just as he took another of his turns; the bullet missed his back but went hard into his shoulder. I could see him fall to the ground around the bend. I moved forward slowly, ready for any surprises and stuck to the wall. I turned the corner and pointed my gun straight at him. He was bleeding profusely and didn’t seem to be armed. He didn't try to escape; he knew he didn’t have it in him anymore.
I took out the cuffs and approached him cautiously to arrest him when he shrugged me off and asked, “गोली  पहले  किसने  चलाई ?” “मैंने ” I said. “ तो आप  मुझे  Iरने  ही  वाले  थे . अगर  आप  मुझे  वापिस  लेजाओगे  तो  या  तो  aap  लोग  मेरी   आधी  जान lekar  हमेशा  के  लिए  कब्ज़ा करके रखोगे  या  फिर  मेरे  लोग  मुझे  मार  देंगे . अगर  आप  मुझे  पहले  गोली  चलाकर  मारने  ही वाले  थे,  तो  ab  भी  मार  सकते  हो.” And so I shot him dead. That was the first person I ever killed. Till then I had wondered if I would be able to handle it; to be able to kill another person. And I realised after that, killing them is what should be done, for us and for them.
और  आज  आप  मुझे  Iरने  वाले  हो.” My informer said as he finished his drink. He didn’t ask, he said.
There was an incident earlier today where some of my men had died. Good men. And it was because of my friend, the informer. He had been double crossing me; getting me to kill their people whom they needed sent away. But like the man I killed that first day, I didn’t want my friend to be tortured like I know he would be. I wanted a respectable death for him even if he hadn’t led the most respectable life. And that’s when I shot him.




The book I made was a children's illustrative book. The first half of the book is a pop up and and second half is a 3D book. The book was completely made digitally. Its a story about a 9 year old girl waking up to a loud bang which she hears in her backyard. As she investigates what it was she discovers that it was an alien and which can only be seen by her and no one else.
   It was quiet interesting working on it as it was my first time making a pop up as well as a 3D book. 






























Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Project123.pdf (narendraraghunath.onceuponatime@blogger.com)

PDF I've shared Project123.pdf
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Book in Hindi

ßbdVw fcV~Vw xf.kr le>rkÞ

vkHkkj

eSa bl ikB~;dze esa ekxZn'kZu ds fy, Jh ujsUnz dks] vuqokn esa enn gsrq Jh /khjsUnz flag dks vkSj ikB~;dze ds 'kh"kZd ,oa fdrkc dks fgUnh esa fy[kus gsrq izsfjr djus ds fy, dq0 vuqd`fr dsfM;k ,oa dq0 fiz;k vkj0 xkWa/kh dks /kU;okn nsrh gwWaA

Page 1

fcV~Vw ,d ckjg o"kZ dk yM+dk gSA  og gWaleq[k vkSj fouksnh LoHkko dk gS vkSj mlds dbZ fe= gSaA  lHkh mls ilan djrs gSaA  og O;fDr tks mls cgqr ilan djrk gS] os gSa mlds nknkthA  mlds nknkth mlds f'k{kd Hkh gSaA  os mls xf.kr i<+krs gSaA  xf.kr esa mldh :fp mRiUu djus ds fy, mlds nknkth izk;% NksVs&NksVs [ksyksa dk iz;ksx djrs gSaA  bl ckj dk [ksy Fkk& [ktkus dh [kkst] fcV~Vw dks lw= le>kus ds fy,A [ksy rS;kj djus esa nknkth dks iwjk fnu yx x;kA 

Page 2

nknkth fcV~Vw dks u;k lw= le>kus ds fy, cgqr gh mRlkfgr FksA  tc fcV~Vw fo|ky; ls okil ykSVk] nknkth us mls fcBk;k vkSj [ksy 'kq: dj fn;kA  fcV~Vw dks [ksy esa dksbZ etk ugha vk jgk FkkA  ,slk ns[kdj nknkth igys rks nq%[kh gq, vkSj fQj ijs'kku gksdj fcV~Vw ij fpYyk iM+sA  fcV~Vw vkWa[kksa esa vkWalw fy, dejs ls ckgj nkSM+ x;kA 

Page 3

fcV~Vw jksrs gq, lks x;kA  lksrs gq, mlus eglwl fd;k fd dksbZ mls mBk jgk FkkA  mls yxk fd os mlds nknkth gSaA  fcV~Vw iyVk vkSj cksyk& "ikWap feuV vkSj nknkthA"  rc fdlh us dgk& "rqe fdls nknkth cqyk jgs gks\"  blls pkSaddj fcV~Vw rqjUr lh/ks cSB x;kA  mlus vius nknkth dks vaxoL= vkSj /kksrh esa ns[kkA 

Page 4

fcV~Vw vk'p;Z esa Fkk og ugha tkurk Fkk fd D;k gqvk FkkA og ,d vatku txg ij mBk Fkk tgkWa ij mlds nknkth mls ugha igpku jgs FksA  mlus ml cw<+s vkneh ls iwNk& "rqe dkSu gks vkSj eSa dgkWa gwWa\"  vkneh us dgk& "cs'kd] rqe Hkkjr esa gksA"  ml vkneh us fcV~Vw ds gkykr vkSj eu%fLFkfr dks le>rs gq, crZu ls ,d fxykl ikuh fn;kA

page 5

fcV~Vw mBdj f[kM+dh ls ckgj ns[kus yxkA bekjrksa vkSj okguksa ds ctk; mlus Hkkjrh; xkWao dh >yd ns[kh] ,d cgqr gh iqjkuk Hkkjrh; xkWaoA  og vkneh mlds lkeus vk;k vkSj viuk ifjp; fn;k& "eSa vk;ZHkV~V gWwa] ,d xf.krKA"  fcV~Vw tSls [kks x;k] ,d vkneh tks mlds nknk tSlk fn[k jgk Fkk] vius vkidks vk;ZHkV~V crk jgk FkkA

Page 6

fcV~Vw us vkneh ls iwNk&"D;k rqe ogh vk;ZHkV~V gks ftlus ikbZ dh [kkst dh\"  izfrfdz;k eas vk;ZHkV~V us cl gkWa esa viuk flj fgyk;kA  rc mlus Åij ns[kk vkSj fcV~Vw ls iwNk fd og ;g dSls tkurk gS D;ksafd ikbZ ml le; Hkh  iz;ksxkRed LVst ij FkhA  rc fcV~Vw us vk;ZHkV~V dks viuh dgkuh crkbZA 

Page 7

fcV~Vw dh dgkuh lqu dj vk;ZHkV~V dejs ds dksus ij x;s vkSj ,d ckWDl mBk;kA  mUgksaus mls fcV~Vw dks nsdj [kksyus dks dgkA  fcV~Vw us vk;ZHkV~V ls ckWDl ysdj ,dne ls [kksy fn;kA ckWDl [kkyh Fkk] mlesa nwljs lkeku j[kus ds fy, [kkWaps cus gq, FksA vk;ZHkV~V us mls vlgk; ns[kdj mldh dqN enn djus ds fy, mlls dgk& "eSa rqEgkjh enn dj ldrk gWawA"  fcV~Vw us flj ?kqek;kA  vk;ZHkV~V us dgk & "eSa ml O;fDr dks tkurk gwWa tks rqEgsa rqEgkjh nqfu;k esa ys tkus esa enn dj ldrk gSA ;g ckWDl cgqr gh egRoiw.kZ gSA" 

Page 8

vk;ZHkV~V us fcV~Vw dks crk;k fd ;g ckWDl mldks ,d LFkku ls nwljs LFkku ys tk;sxkA  vk;ZHkV~V us fcV~Vw dks viuk ikbZ fn;k vkSj dgk & "eq>s vk'kk gS blls rqEgsa enn feysxhA"  ueLrksijkar fcV~Vw us ckWDl [kksyk vkSj xk;c gks x;kA

 

Page 9

fcV~Vw tehu ij ysVk gqvk FkkA  mls T;knk dqN ;kn ugha Fkk fd D;k gqvk Fkk rHkh rhu vkneh vk;s vkSj mlds lkeus [kM+s gks x;sA  vkSj rc] fdlh us ddZ'k vkokt esa iwNk& ";g yM+dk dkSu gS\"  fcV~Vw fgy ugha ldkA  "bls njckj esa dkSu yk;k\" cyoku O;fDr ds ihNs ls vkrs gq, ,d vkneh us dgkA 

Page 10

fcV~Vw dks njckj esa ?klhVrs gq, yk;k x;kA  fcV~Vw us viuh vkWa[ksa [kksyha vkSj ,d vkneh dks flagklu ij cSBs gq, ns[kkA og mls dqN ifjfpr lk yxkA  og flagklu dh rjQ dqN dne vkxs c<+k ftl ij og vkneh cSBk FkkA  rc mls Kkr gqvk fd flagklu ij cSBk gqvk vkneh fcYdqy mlds nknkth vkSj vk;ZHkV~V tSlk fn[krk FkkA  flagklu ij cSBs gq, vkneh us mls crk;k fd og cschyksu dk jktk ukcksuklkj gSA  jktk us mlls iwNk fd og ;gkWa D;k dj jgk gSA  fcV~Vw us mls crk;k fd og fdlh pht dh [kkst esa vk;k Fkk fdarq og ugha tkurk fd og D;k gSA  ml vkneh us ;g tkurs gq, fd ml dSnh ls ckr djuk csdkj gS mls dkjkxkj esa Mkyus dk vkns'k fn;kA

page 11

fcV~Vw dkjkxkj esa ,d csap ij cSBk gqvk Fkk rHkh mlus dqN inpki lquhA  jktk ukcksuklkj vk jgk FkkA  jktk vk;k vkSj dkjkxkj ds lkeus mlls ,d gkFk dh nwjh ij [kM+k gks x;kA  rc og cksyk & "vk;ZHkV~V us eq>s rqEgkjs vkus ds ckjs esa crk;k Fkk ij eSaus ;g dHkh ugha lkspk Fkk fd rqe brus NksVs gksxsA"  rc jktk us fcV~Vw dks crk;k fd og mls vxyk lw= nsxkA 

Riddle 1

foHkktu dk fpUg crkvks\

Page 12

fcV~Vw us lkspk fd mRrj fdruk vklku gSA  mls mlds nknkth }kjk yh gqbZ cWkMekWl d{kkvksa dh ;kn vkbZA  foHkktu ds flEcy esa ,d MS'k ;k LyS'k gksrk gS ftlds  Åij vkSj uhps fcUnh gksrh gSA ckWDl pedus yxkA  mls :yj tks fd mlus Hkkjr NksM+rs le; izkIr fd;k Fkk ds cxy esa ,d dEikl feykA  ckWDl esa vc nks phtsa FkhaA  fcV~Vw us jktk ls feyus ls igys dqN le; lksus dk fu'p; fd;kA

Page 13

lqcg tc fcV~Vw lksdj mBk mlus ns[kk fd jktk ckgj mldh izrh{kk dj jgk gSA  jktk ds psgjs ij ,d eqLdku FkhA  rc jktk us mu lHkh lokyksa ds tokc fn;s tks fcV~Vw iwNuk pkgrk FkkA  mlus fcV~Vw dks crk;k fd tSls&tSls og igsfy;ksa dks gy djrk tk;sxk ckWDl esa phtsa c<+rh tk;saxhA  ubZ phtksa ds tqM+us dk eryc mldh okilh vkSj djhc gks x;h gSA  izR;sd txg tgkWa og tk;sxk mls de ls de ,d pht tksM+uh gksxh tks ml ckWDl esa tkuh Fkh vU;Fkk og vxys ns'k esa ugha tk ldrk FkkA jktk us mls ;g Hkh crk;k fd le; vkus ij og [kqn tku tk;sxk fd mu flEcYl dk D;k djuk gSA  jktk dks /kU;okn nsrs gq, fcV~Vw us vxys LFkku ij tkus ds fy, ckWDl dks [kksykA 

page 14

fcV~Vw ,d jsfxLrku esa igqWap x;kA  ogkWa ij dqN Hkh ugha Fkk vkSj dksbZ O;fDr Hkh ugha fn[k jgk FkkA  og D;k djs bldk mlds ikl dksbZ ladsr ugha FkkA  fcV~Vw us Nk;k dh ryk'k esa pyuk 'kq# dj fn;kA  ?kaVksa pyus ds ckn varr% fcV~Vw dks ,d fijkfeM fn[kkbZ fn;kA  mlus [kq'kh ls rst&rst pyuk 'kq# dj fn;k vkSj jkgr dh lkWal yh fd varr% mls ,d txg fey x;hA 

Page 15

blls igys fd fcV~Vw dqN dg ikrk] vkneh us mlls iwNk&"D;k rqe fcV~Vw gks\"  fcV~Vw us gkWa esa viuk flj fgyk;kA  "ge dgkWa gSa\" fcV~Vw us iwNk\ ml vkneh us crk;k fd ge bftIV esa gSaA  mlus ;g Hkh crk;k fd mldk vxyk ladsr fijkfeM esa gS vkSj fijkfeM ds vanj tkus ls igys fcV~Vw dks dqN igsfy;kWa gy djuk FkhaA  bruk  dgdj og okil eqM+k A

 

Riddle 2

eSa uhps ls QSyk vkSj Åij ls tqM+k gwWaA

eSa gj rjQ ls ,d tSlk gwWaA

esjs nks rjQ ,d tSls gSaA

esjk ,d gkFk ysVk vkSj nwljk gkFk [kM+k gSA

Page 16

fcV~Vw dk ckWDl pedus yxkA  bldk eryc Fkk fd ;g ns[kus dk le; vk x;k gS fd vc mlus D;k vftZr fd;k gSA  mlus ckWDl [kksyk vkSj ns[kk fd ckWDl dk lHkh lkeku viuh&viuh txg ij  iw.kZ FkkA  ogkWa ij fMokbMj] izksVsDVj vkSj isfUly Hkh FksA 

 

 

Page 17

fcV~Vw us fijkfeM ds vanj izos'k fd;k vkSj ml vkneh dks iqu% ns[kkA  ml vkneh us vxyk loky djus ls igys fcV~Vw dks tjk Hkh le; ugha fn;kA

gkfFk;ksa ds vkB iSj dc gksrs gSa\

 

Page 18

fcV~Vw bl igsyh dk mRrj cgqr vPNh rjg tkurk FkkA  ,d pht ftlij mls xoZ Fkk og Fkh mldh vadxf.krh; ;ksX;rkA  mls vadksa ds lkFk [ksyus esa cgqr etk vkrk FkkA  mlus mRrj fn;k& nksA  bftIV;u mlds 'kh?kz mRrj ls izlUu gqvk vkSj mldk vfHkoknu fd;kA  fcV~Vw us ckWDl fudkyk ;g ns[kus ds fy, fd vc mlesa D;k vk;k gS\ ckWDl vc iw.kZ Fkk ftldk eryc Fkk fd vc mls dsoy ,d LFkku ij tkuk Fkk vkSj lcdqN Bhd gks tk;sxkA  fcV~Vw us bftIV;u dks ueLdkj fd;k vkSj pyk x;kA

Page 19

tSls gh og vius vxys LFkku ij igqWapk fcV~Vw us vius vkidks fxjrs gq;s ik;k vkSj varr% ,d LVkWy ij vkdj :dkA  ogkWa fHkUu&fHkUu LVkWYl dh ykbusa Fkha] diM+ksa ls jRuksa rd] Hkkstu ls f[kykSuksa rdA  ;|fi] ftl LVkWy ij og :dk Fkk og f[kykSuksa dk FkkA  LVkWy dk ekfyd tks fd vius lhus ij vius nksuksa gkFkksa dks ckWa/ks gq, [kM+k Fkk] fcV~Vw dks vkSj mlls mRiUu [krjs dks ns[k jgk FkkA  fcV~Vw {kek ekWaxus ds fy, [kM+k gqvk ysfdu rHkh ,d vkneh vk;k vkSj mls ?klhVrs gq, ,d xqQk esa ys x;kA 

Page 20

;g vkneh Hkh fcYdqy mlds nknkth dh rjg fn[krk FkkA  vr% fcV~Vw tku x;k fd ;g vkneh mls vxyk lw+= nsxkA  ,d ladjs jkLrs ls ikWap feuV pyus ds ckn og ,d [kqys LFkku ij igqWapkA  fcV~Vw us tks Hkh vanj ns[kk mlls og HkkSapDdk jg x;kA

Page 21

;g ,d iz;ksx'kkyk dh rjg FkkA  ogkWa ij vkneh vkSj vkSjrsa CySdcksM~lZ ij] viuh VscYl ij ,csdl vkSj :fcDlD;wc ds lkFk dk;Z dj jgs FksA  fcV~Vw ds vxys iz'u dks tkurs gq, vkneh us dgk fd ;s yksx ftUgsa rqe dke djrs ns[k jgs gks] bl le; lw=ksa ij vkSj lehdj.kksa ij iz;ksx dj jgs gSa fd muls D;k&D;k gks ldrk gSA  ftKklk ;gkWa cgqr egRoiw.kZ gSA  rqEgkjk vkf[kjh lw= Hkh rqEgsa ;gha fn;k tk;sxkA mlus mls ,d fpV nh tSlk fd mlus dgk FkkA

Riddle 3

xzhd o.kZekyk dk vkBokWa v{kj crkb;sA

 

Page  22

fcV~Vw us iwNk fd og mUgsa tkurk gS ysfdu ;g le; dqN vyx Fkk] mls dqN vuqeku ugha Fkk fd mRrj D;k gks ldrk FkkA  vr% mlus dqN nsj vkjke ls Vgyus dk fu'p; fd;kA  og ,d ;qorh ds lkeus vk;k tks fd pkWdcksMZ ds lkeus fopkjksa esa xqe Fkh] og ml ij dke dj jgh FkhA  iwjs cksMZ ij ikbFkkxksjl izes; fy[kh gqbZ FkhA  mlus vuqeku yxk;k fd og ;qorh muls 'kk;n vkSj vf/kd lehdj.k gy djus ij dke dj jgh FkhA  ;qorh dks vkHkkl gqvk fd fcV~Vw mls ns[k jgk gSA fcV~Vw us mldks viuk ifjp; fn;kA mlus ;qorh dks vius ckjs esa vkSj viuh ftKklk ds ckjs esa crk;kA  ;qorh mldh dgkuh ls izHkkfor gqbZA  fcV~Vw us mls vius orZeku ladsr ds ckjs esa Hkh crk;kA  ;qorh us mls crk;k fd ;|fi mldk mRrj crkdj og mldh enn dj ldrh Fkh fdarq ;g dqN ,slk gS tks mls [kqn izkIr djuk gksxkA blds ctk; mlus mldks ,d vfrfjDr ladsr fn;k ;g dgdj fd og pht ,d flEcy gS tks fd ikbFkkxksjl izes; esa iz;ksx gksrk gS vkSj 'kwU; ls feyrk&tqyrk gSA  fcV~Vw us mu lHkh flEcYl dks fxuuk 'kq: dj fn;k tks fd ikbFkkxksjl izes; esa vk ldrs Fks] ßvYQkW] chVk] xkWek] MsYVkWÞ vkSj rHkh mlds eu esa [;ky vk;k vkSj og tksj ls mRrj fpYyk iM+k "FkhVk"A  blesa mls dksbZ lansg ugha FkkA  ckWDl pedus yxk] mldh jksekapd ;k=k ds var ds ladsr esaA  mlus ckWDl [kksyk vkSj FkhVk flEcy mlesa ik;kA 

 

Page 23

fcV~Vw dks vkf[kjh loky dk tokc fey x;kA  og [kq'kh ls mNyus yxk tc lHkh Hkkjr] cschyksu] bftIV vkSj xzhl ds yksx ogkWa vk x;sA  rc vk;ZHkV~V us dgk& "fcV~Vw bruk 'kh?kz ughaA  okil tkus ls igys rqEgsa vHkh Hkh ,d igsyh gy djuh gSA  ckWDl dk lkeku ckgj fudkyksA"  fcV~Vw us rqjar gh ckWDl ls lkjh phtsa ckgj fudky nhaA  mlus lkuku ls flEcYl dks vyx dj fy;kA  jktk ukcksuklkj us dgk fd rqEgkjk vafre dk;Z ;g gS fd rqEgs bu flEcYl dks lgh dze esa yxkuk gSA

Riddle 4

,d fpUg vkSj yxkdj lw= cukvksA

Page 24

fcV~Vw us lw= cuk fy;kA  og tku x;k fd bls dSls djuk gSA  flEcYl leku fn[krs FksA  mlds nknkth dkQh le; ls mls ;g fl[kkus dh dksf'k'k dj jgs FksA  ckWDl iqu% pedus yxkA  fcV~Vw vius ihNs [kM+s gq, yksxksa dks ns[kus ds fy, ?kwekA  lHkh Bhd oSls gh eqLdqjk jgs Fks tSls fd mlds nknkth mlds }kjk fdlh iz'u ds gy gksus ij eqLdqjkrs FksA  fcV~Vw us mu lHkh dks mldh enn djus ds fy, /kU;okn fn;kA  mlus ?kj okil tkus dh bPNk ds lkFk ckWDl dh vksj ns[kk vkSj og izdk'k esa xk;c gks x;kA

 

 

Page 25

vc tSlk fd mlus lkspk Fkk mRrj Li"V fn[k jgk FkkA  fcV~Vw dks var esa viuk mRrj fey x;kA lHkh cqtqxZ O;fDr ,d ykbu esa [kM+s gq, Fks vkSj muds psgjs ij ,d larks"k FkkA  fcV~Vw dks ,d njoktk fn[kkbZ fn;k tks fd ped jgk Fkk] bldk eryc Fkk fd mlds ogkWa ls tkus dk le; vk x;k FkkA  fcV~Vw vius nknkth dks ;kn dj jgk Fkk vkSj mUgsa ;g crkus ds fy, cgqr mRlqd Fkk fd mlds lkFk D;k&D;k gqvk Fkk vkSj dSls mlus ,d ubZ pht lh[khA

 

 Anukriti Arora

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Eenie Meanie Minnie







The premise of this book is to look at the same set of events through a series of characters through the narrative. Every event is viewed differently by the viewer of that event.

The title of the book comes from the childhood game ,'Eenie, Meanie, Miny, Mo....' because of the structure that the story can be approached through any of the characters of the book.


The inspiration of the whole story, especially that of Mini comes from the Greek tale of King Minos and the Minotaur. One of the protagonists of the story abandons his family and arranges a complex labyrinth for them to find out the truth.

The handmade elements of the book are that it is an old art book that has three 14 page booklets embedded inside it with an adjoining page having book elements that are reflective of the stories in the books.


The fonts used for the body text throughout the book is a sans serif font, Century Gotham and the cover fonts include Rockwell, Ashby Medium and Kingthings Knobson.


Documentation based on the guidelines discussed in class.


Plot
The basic principle I followed was to write an overall umbrella story and divide individual stories into the following pattern

Main Plot- Sub plot- Plot- Sub Plot- Plot
The sub-plots were my favorite tools as each of the characters could have their internal personal stories outside the narrative structure.

Structure
The structure of the book was that you could start reading any of the three separate stories in any order, and end with the same story.

Words
I intended an adult audience for the book. The distinguishing factor was that Miny's story was written in first-person while the two others were written in third person.

Subject
The subject is a family story that deals with the issues of death, abandonment and the hero stereotype that we hold on to in our lives.

Style

I wrote the three stories which were characterized by 3 ways of observation; thinking/feeling, intuition and sensory.
Books and Movies that were an inspiration.

The Lilac Bus, by author Maeve Binchy.
Roshomon
Vantage Point
12 Angry Men

Friday, March 30, 2012

Saturday, March 24, 2012

story line.

please have a look before its uploaded on the website. m not very sure of it or confident as its my first attempt at writing for children. 

Friday, March 23, 2012

Front or back of the book

Welcome. You are now, the proud owner of the diary that was once mine.

Chapter one

A year from now, I will be dead. However uncanny, this is a fact. I know every little detail about my violent death as I have the ability to foretell the future and alter it. Unfortunately, while I have the power to transform the lives of others I cannot do the same for myself. This power is not a gift as one might think. It is a family business. Father, grandpa, great grandfather and his father before him have all delved in altering lives. We Fiddlers, could control our own lives at one point. However some fifty years ago, a greedy uncle chose to kill everyone in his village indiscriminately which changed everything. We lost our power to control our lives with the condition that if we misuse our powers we would be sent to another world with infinite hours of labour.

Grandpa, the best Fiddler in the village, once told me "One should learn to detach oneself from the lives one alters. A "Fiddler" modifies ones fate to benefit others not oneself. That is a sign of a true Fiddler."

It has been over ten years and I can proudly say that I have never been tempted by the power I can very easily misuse and exercise…

 

Chapter two

Cannot wait to tell you what happened! While I was sitting on my bed winding by clock as usual, a letter painted in gold, landed on my window sill. Receiving letters every morning was not new as many approach me in this manner when change is required in their lives.

 But the gold paint? Was this a special task, I wondered. So I jumped out of bed and rushed to read it.

"Wind your clock and alter the lives of the following beautiful women.

They are: Snow White, Cinderella and Lady Mermaid from Neverland.

The almighty needs them urgently. Remember, you have to do this quietly. They should be unaware of your plans. If you complete this mission successfully then you will gain the power to control your own life."

A chance, to control my own life?

I could not believe it! On winding it, the usual option of learning about their current life cropped up. . Snow White, was the daughter of a very famous king. After her mother's death, her father married another woman. Her step mother was obsessed with beauty therefore, when she saw Snow White, it gave her great happiness as she did not like associating with unattractive people.  Cinderella was a beautiful girl with two younger step sisters, stepmother and her own father. Her stepmother always wanted a pretty daughter as she felt beauty was the key to climbing the social ladder. Lady Mermaid, the princess of the sea was known for her beauty and her swimming prowess. The whole kingdom loved her for her kindness .She despised humans that lived on the shore after her dearest uncle lost his life during one of those excavations.

Key words:

Snow white –daughter of famous king-step mother-beauty

Cinderella- stepmother- step sisters-social ladder.

Lady Mermaid- Princess-strokes as swimmer- kingdom- humans

 

Torn pages-  to show irritation on not knowing what to do.

Chapter three

This is frustrating.

I know how to alter lives but to alter it to cause death? How can I bring them closer to death?

DEATH DEATH DEATH .All I can think of is this apple I am eating.

APPLE (smudged half way)

Chapter Four

 Sorry for not having written. But the unexpected has happened! Cousin Anne has married a Normal!

How could she? The Book of Laws clearly states that "if a Fiddler challenges society by marrying a Normal (a man who cannot claim or prove to alter lives), then he or she will cease to exercise any of their powers as a Fiddler.

She was so good at it and she has given it all up for a Normal. On top of that, with her departure the designation of Executive Fiddler for our Generation is open. She gave that up.  It just doesn't seem to make any sense.

Letter

"Do not brood over Cousin Anne. If you choose to ignore the task at hand , then you will have to bear the following consequences. Firstly, you will lose your power to control your life. Secondly, you will not be allowed to apply for the position of Executive Fiddler. Lastly, the Fiddler that succeeds Anne will gain the power to manipulate his or her life.

P.S:  Before you make any asinine comment attach this to your diary as a constant reminder of what is at stake."

Chapter Five

Mindmap of the apple-leading to Snow white's death.(unclear)

Chapter Six

The relief of finally figuring out one of the ends is indescribable! So here goes Snow White's end.

After much thought, I decided to take the idea of beauty forward.

 Since the Queen is obsessed with her appearance, I decided to tamper with that and make her insecure of Snow White's beauty. This jealousy is taken to a whole new level when the queen decides  to hire a hunter to kill her however after that fails, she decides to take the matter into her own hands and visit her in a disguise and poison her with an apple .(sketch)

The end result seems closer. I know I will struggle with the other two but having completed one has given me hope.

Chapter Seven

Mindmap of Cinderella.(circling the point of the climbing the Social ladder)

Greed is a great element to play with! I never knew I could come up with these changes.

This scenario seems too serene. I have to manipulate the relationship  the  stepmother has with her. In this version, I am going to ruin their relationship and alter the step mother's feelings towards Cinderella by slowing converting her already unattractive children into ghastly looking monsters. Thereby, increasing the animosity between the sisters. All these events will in effect ruin their chances to climb the social ladder as no prince will choose the stepsisters. After seeing these atrocities, a fairy god mother decides to take matters into her own hands and rescue Cinderella. She helps her go to the annual Ball. However along the way, the carriage loses  wheel, and goes off the road causing a fatal accident and Cinderalla is kaput.

Chapter eight

On the way back from Church, I saw Jane and Mathew playing with each other in the lake. It made me think of Lady Mermaid.

How about a love story? Got an idea!

A mission to save a dolphin from human capture leads Lady Mermaid to charge towards the crawler -however on doing so she is almost killed by one of the metal shafts. But Prince Norman comes to her rescue . Instead of thanking him, she starts reprimanding him for all the ill they have caused for the sea world down below. However, fate makes brings them together repeatedly and love blooms. A cryptic message is sent to her saying that "any contact with a human" will lead to her death. The minute they kiss she disintegrates and dies.

DONE.

Chapter Nine:

I have finally completed the task. I received one more letter.

Letter

Congratulations on having completed the task successfully. Wait for the next letter. On receiving the latter, you will gain the power to control your own life.

P.S:You cannot take any other mission till you receive the aforementioned letter.

 

Chapter Ten

The unthinkable has happened!

While cleaning my watch, an owl visited me. This has always proved to be a bad omen.

What am I to make of this?

I cannot even tell my family about this as it would mean disclosing the whole mission

(

Letter

You have been tricked. This was not a test to let you control your life but to test your greed for power and you failed. Shame on you. The ladies were informed of the untimely death the minute they reached heaven. They have been given the opportunity to seek revenge provided they work together.

How am I to react to this? I am scared. I apologize for being greedy but I do not want to die…

Letter

Stick this letter into your journal at once.

The ladies have decided to avenge their own deaths by working together. In fact , they must be on their way to your house! Don't stop reading the letter as that would put you in further danger. The ladies will take a (weapon) to kill you.I am told, you have always feared being killed by a(weapon)….It only seemed appropriate


Towards the end of the letter,a part of it, as you can see is folded. Open it.

AHA! Having opened it,you have given me the power to control your fate and the minute you finish reading this letter you will be hammered to death.

Chapter Eleven

Having killed the Fiddler, the ladies lived happily ever after by going back to their own happy lives.

The Story and flow of the book.


text and cover.

I have included my cover box, full text, and example of inside box.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

final story

Solving a problem

Z, is a twelve year old boy. He is the wittiest of all his friends. He plays pranks at his friends but at the same time he is very helpful. There is no one who is not fond of him; he has many fans right from the age of his little sister to grandparents.  But his biggest fan is his grandfather. His grandfather is also is best friend and teacher. Being his best friend and teacher, it is needless to say that his grandfather is the person who knows him best. One thing that his grandfather knows is that even though Z is witty and sharp, mathematics is something that even he runs away from. No matter how interesting or fun his grandfather makes it for him he just can't be bothered with it. This worried his grandfather a lot. "How should I make him memorize all these formulae?" wondered his grandfather once.  Just then grandpa realized that if Z remembers one formula he will be able to figure out the others as well. That day Grandpa sat down making a game on the formulas and equations so that it becomes easier for Z to understand. After all it was the big day tomorrow. It was the day of the test.

After Z came back from school grandpa made him sit down and play the game. Z was tired from being in school and then coming back home to endure this torture. He didn't show any interest in the game. Grandpa was a little disappointed at Z's lack of enthusiasm, which made him angrier at Z. Z's inability in understanding made grandpa snap at Z. Z upset with his grandpa's sudden change in behavior ran out of the room straight into in his bedroom and onto his bed. With tears of frustration stinging his eyes Z drifted into a deep slumber.

Someone was shaking Z awake. He didn't want to wake up, scared of what might await him. Then somebody said, "Wake up lad, how long do you plan on sleeping?"

Z winked one of his eyes open slightly to see who it was. He could see his grandpa's face. Z turned around and shut his eyes again saying "Five more minutes' grandpa."

"Who are you calling grandpa?" said his grandpa. Worried that his grandpa is still annoyed with him Z sat up straight ready to apologize for being so incompetent. And in place of his usual grandpa he saw a man with the exact same features as his grandpa wearing a dhoti and angavastaram. It couldn't be his grandpa thought Z. His grandpa was a thorough pant shirt person. Why would he be in this attire? Now when Z looked around him something was not right, he was lying on a bed made out of hay. Z didn't know what to make of it. Again the man said, "Wake up boy."  "Where is this place?" asked Z ignoring the man. "You are in India of course", said the man in a tone as if the most ridiculous question was asked to him. "What part of India is this?" asked Z scrutinizing the mud house with leaves for windows. It was the man's turn to ignore Z's question this time. He got off the bed and walked towards the other side of the room where a huge terracotta pot was kept with a lid on top. He picked up the lid and poured some water into a cup made of leaf. He gave the cup to Z and gestured him to drink the water. After what seemed like an eternity the man spoke and said, "I am Aryabhatta, a mathematician by profession." The cup was about fall from Z's hands but he managed to retain his grip. For a second he thought he was dreaming. He was sitting in front of the great Aryabhatta. Z couldn't contain his excitement and asked, "Are you really that Aryabhatta that invented the pi?"

"Ai, ai my boy I have yet to make it public. It is still in the testing stage", said Aryabhatta with a slight nod of his head. "But wait a minute how do you know about it? It is not out yet', said Aryabhatta with a skeptical look.  Z was in a fix he didn't know what to say. He was doubtful if Mr. Aryabhatta would believe him or not. Then he thought the better of it and started, " I know all of this because maybe I am from the future." Z explained his story to Aryabhatta while the latter listened patiently. Aryabhatta could see the confusion and desperation in Z's eyes. After Z finished relating his story Aryabhatta spoke, "Friend I know how you came to this world. I was outside doing my daily chores when I was this blinding light and a bam. When everything cleared up you were lying on the ground with this box tightly clutched in your hands."Aryabhatta then took out the box from under the bed. It was no extraordinary box just a plain simple geometry box. Z took the box from Aryabhatta and flipped it open. The box was empty there were just grooves in there for the other material to rest. Aryabhatta seeing Z all helpless decided to help him a little more and said, "I can help you." Z's head jerked up. Aryabhatta said, I know people who can help you go back to your world. This box is very important." When Z gave him a questioning look embarrassed Aryabhatta told him that while Z was asleep Aryabhatta had taken the liberty to examine the box. "This, my friend", said Aryabhatta pointing at the box "will act as your transportation device."

"For starters I can only give you this", Aryabhatta went to his desk and brought something clasped between his hands. Aryabhatta gestures Z to open his hands and put the pi in them. Then he said, "I can only help you right now by giving you this. It will come in use at some point of time." Z got excited as it meant the beginning of his new adventure. He thanked Aryabhatta for helping him through his quest. Then as instructed by Aryabhatta, Z opened the box ready to be swallowed by the whirlpool of light.

Z could feel himself lying on grass and sand. He was about to get up when he heard noise.  Then a sturdy looking man came and stood in front of him. And then in a rough voice he asked "Who is this boy?" Z didn't dare move a muscle. "Whoever it is take him to the court", said a man coming from behind the sturdy man.

Z was been dragged by the sturdy guy, suddenly the man stopped and pushed Z to the front. Z could no longer pretend to be unconscious now. He opened his eyes. Z was surprised at what he saw. He felt like he was in a movie with royal sittings on both sides of the corridor and a stage sort of a structure where a man was sitting. Z's attention was at the man sitting on the throne. He somehow seemed familiar. Z took a few steps towards the stage where the man was sitting and then he realized. The man on the throne had an uncanny resemblance to his grandfather and Aryabhatta. Before Z could grasp the situation he blurted out, "Who are you?" Judging by the reaction of the people sitting around the court Z immediately knew it was not a much appreciated question. Almost instantly he was nudged by the sturdy man to keep quiet. The man said, "We found him lurking outside the castle my lord, he looked a little suspicious so we took him in."

Z shot the man an irritating look. The man on the throne noticed it and said, "I am King Nabonassar and this is the kingdom of Babylon", spreading his hands as a gesture. "Now, tell me, who are you?"

"I…um I am Z", said Z. "And where are you from?" asked the king. "From the future, said Z in an unsure voice. As soon as these words left his mouth, the whole court burst into cackles of laughter. Even the king gave a smirk, then he asked, "May I ask what you are doing here then?" Z irritated with the initial humiliation said, "I come here in search of something", reluctantly. The king's demeanor changed immediately. "What are you searching for boy?" asked the king. "I don't know", said the boy. There was another round of loud murmurs in the courtroom. "You can't possibly believe him your highness. He could easily be a spy from the neighboring country", said a stout looking man beside the king. Z scared of the unknown allegations screamed, "I am no spy. I don't even know what you are talking about." The king ignored him and ordered for him to be put into the dungeons. He said that Z's punishment would be decided by the council the next morning. No matter how much Z shouted or begged no one paid any heed to it. He was thrown in to the dungeon by the sturdy man. In the dungeon there was only a cemented bed and a candle. Z sat on the bench venting out his anger tossing the pi from one hand to another, when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Z, wondering who it was, stood close to the bars. The source of light became visible and so did the person carrying the light. It was King Nabonassar. The king came to stand in front of the dungeon, at an arm's length from Z. Then he spoke, "Aryabhatta informed me of your arrival, but I never thought that you would be so young." Angry at the King's denial of awareness about his arrival Z said, "If you had known of my visit then why did you refuse to acknowledge me?" The king conveniently ignored Z and said, "My task here is to give a riddle to solve. This the only way I can help you in your quest to go back to your world."

"What is the alternate of the dot, which if shifted between numbers has the power to change their values?"

"The only dot that is there between numbers is decimal. Is the answer decimal?" asked Z.

"Decimal", said the King "is the dot. But the question says alternate of a decimal." Z started running his brain trying to figure out the riddle. All of a sudden there was glow in his pocket. The box was glowing. Z opened up the box and found something in there. He waited for the glow to diminish before picking up the object. It was a ruler. Perplexed at the new addition to his box, Z turned around to face the king with questions ready to be asked only to see the King walking back up. "Hey wait", shouted out Z behind him. Without looking back the king said, "Don't push yourself over it. You have the whole night to think about it. I will come in the morning to see if you have the answer ready and also to answer some of your questions" and left.

Z lay down on the bench struggling to find the meaning of the riddle. He also remembered his grandpa. His ever so patient grandpa but the last time his grandpa had seriously lost it. He remembered the good times spent with his grandpa. How they used to play and how easy and fun his grandpa used to make it for him to understand math. Every new thing was like a game. His grandpa taught him how to do BODMAS and how to convert division into decimal. It was a lock clicking. It all made sense to Z now. The system of writing something upon something can also be converted to decimal. Again the box started glowing. Z opened the box and found a compass lying next to the ruler along with a upon/by sign. Relieved upon finding out the answer Z decided to catch up on some sleep.

Chirping of the birds woke up Z. He propped himself up on his elbows shaking the sleep away from his eyes. "I take it you have found the answer", said somebody. Z tilted his head toward the bars to see the King sprawled across the floor right outside the dungeon. "Uhuh", replied Z. "The answer is the division symbol by", said Z. "Correct", said the king. "I presume you have a lot of questions that need be answered?" said the king. "Yes", replied Z looking at the box. King Nabonassar knew what Z wanted to ask and told him that the contents of the box will keep increasing as he keeps solving the puzzles. The addition of new things means that he is closer to returning back. Every place he goes he needs to collect at least one item that goes into the box otherwise he won't be able proceed to the next country.

"And what about these?" asked Z pointing at the pi and by symbols. "You will know what to do with them when the time comes", said the king in a calm voice. It almost seemed like his grandpa's. Z could feel his eyes tearing up. With everything known he was ready to leave for his next destination. Z opened the box before the light could suck him up he waved a hand at the king and thanked him for all his help. Before his departure the king warned him to be a little conspicuous of what you say. With that Z disappeared.

Z's next stop was a desert. The temperature was hot enough to melt him. He started walking in hopes of finding a shade. Z walked for what seemed like hours without being able to find any relief from the scorching heat of the desert. Finally he spotted something. Only the top pointed part of the structure was visible which meant he still had to walk a lot in order to reach that place. But now, which each step he seemed to be getting closer to the pyramid. At last, he reached the pyramid. There was a person standing at the top of the stairs right outside the entrance of the pyramid. Z had been to two countries and saw different styles of attires but he never saw a man wearing a dress. The man standing outside was wearing that. As Z approached the man to ask him about the clues for his next task the man spoke, "You are Z, I assume?" Again the man was a replica was his grandfather.

"Yes, I am", Z replied. "You took your time arriving here", said the man. "Where are we?" asked Z. The man told him that they are in Egypt. He also told Z that he has Z's next clue which was in the pyramid and Z has to draw out a pyramid in order to enter the pyramid. After saying that, he turned around to leave. Z was about to ask him about the material, and just then his box started glowing. Z opened his box to find a paper, pencil and protractor. "Where did they come from?" asked an astounded Z. The Egyptian man gave him an all knowing look and said "This is a magical world my friend. You just have to know what you want and you will get it" after that he went inside the pyramid and the doors shut behind him. Z remembered his grandpa's classes. He sat down on the floor to make the pyramid, he never thought that his grandpa's lessons will come so much in use. He marked the angles and drew the lines, everything that he was taught and with the precision he was always asked to take care of. Z finished making the pyramid. It was the first time he made a correct pyramid in one go. The minute he finished making it the paper vanished and in place of that was a cut out of a triangle. Z picked up the triangle and made his way towards the door. The door opened itself and welcomed Z in. Z saw the Egyptian man again, this time he was standing in front of a tomb. "Congratulations", said the man as Z came nearer. "My grandpa taught me this, so I knew", said Z. "Very well", said the Egyptian, "This is your final clue before you go to the last destination of your quest,

A prime number that is a double of one step after the number that is neither prime nor composite. The number, which comes in between positive and negative integers."

Z knew the answer to this riddle very well. One thing that Z was proud of, were his arithmetic skills. He had most fun playing with numbers. Z said out the answer "Two". The Egyptian impresses at his quick answer smiled at him and gave him a nod. Z took out the box to have a look at his latest acquisition. It was a number two lying on top of everything else in the box. "You just have one more location to go to before you can return back", the man said to Z. "How will I know, how to get back?" asked Z in a scared tone. Yet again Z was told to wait for the correct time. Z left for his final country where everything will be over.

Z fell on top of a stall when he arrived. The area where he landed was pretty crowded. There were rows of different stalls from cloth to gems to food to toys. In fact the stall he landed on was a toy stall. The owner of the stall was standing with his hands crossed over his chest glaring at Z and the menace that he had caused. Z got up to apologize but right then a man came charging towards him and dragged him into a cave. Before Z could ask anything the man said, "You are in Greece, my friend", removing his head. This time the man in this alternate world was a younger version of his grandpa. Z knew that he is the person who will eventually help him find answers to the final clue. "So, you are the boy everyone has been talking about", said the man. "Do you know all of them?" inquired Z. Of course I know them. All of us are men with similar interests", replied the man in an astonished tone, as if the possibility of otherwise was ridiculous.

"Will you give me my next clue?" asked Z. The man nodded in response. "Just show a little patience my friend" said the man and started walking deeper into the cave. Z followed him inside. They reached a fork; the man took left with Z one step behind him. After walking for five minutes the narrow path opened into an open space. Z was taken aback by what he saw inside. It looked like a laboratory. There were man and women busy working on the blackboards, on their tables with abacus and Rubix cube. Aware of Z's next question the man said, "These people that you see at work are currently experimenting with formulae and equations, trying out their feasibility. Curiosity is highly valued here. Also, you will be given your last clue here." He gave Z a chit that said –

 What is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet?

Z didn't know what the answer was. He couldn't even make guesses. Earlier everything that he was asked, he knew about them but this time was different, he had no idea what the answer could be. As he was thinking over it, the man left him alone and went his way. Z decided to take a stroll; he thought it might just help him open his mind. The first person he came across was a short man wearing a frock, his eyebrows creased and eyes focused on the slate lying in front of him, his hands moving at the speed of lightning on the calculator. He was clearly too busy to be bothered with a person hovering over him, so Z moved on. Next he came across a lady. The lady was lost in thought in front of the chalk board she was working on. The board was full of Pythagoras Theorems. Z guessed that the lady was probably working on solving more equations with them. The lady seemed to have noticed Z looking at her. She raised an eyebrow at him. Z introduced himself to her and told her about his quest. The lady appeared to be fascinated with his story. Z also told her about his latest clue. The lady told him that even though she would like to help him by telling him the answer, it is something that he should find out on his own. Instead she gave him an additional hint saying that the thing he is looking for is a symbol that is used in Pythagoras Theorems which resembles a zero. Z began counting all the symbols that could possibly come in Pythagoras theorems, "Alpha, beta, gamma, delta" and it clicked to him. He said out the answer aloud, "Theta". He didn't need a confirmation. The box started glowing, marking the end of his eventful journey. He opened the box and the symbol of theta there. The box was finally full. Z jumped with joy.

"Not so fast Z", said a voice, "You still have to solve a puzzle before you can go back." The man came into view, but this time he was not alone. There were others coming close behind him. Now that all of them in sight Z saw Aryabhatta, King Nabonassar and the Egyptian man along with the man. "Take out the contents of the box Z", said Aryabhatta. Z quickly removed everything that was inside the box. He separated the symbols from the rest of the materials. "Your last tack is to arrange them in the correct way", said King Nabonassar. Z spread the symbols on the ground and got on with his work. It seemed familiar to him all the symbols. He had seen it many times before.