User:Agavaly

STORY OF 8 AAGAVALIS

Our beloved eight aagavaligal – Prabhu, Mani, Karthi, Bala, Raja, Senthil, Siva, and Gopi – gathered around to read the next "clue," which somehow seemed to be more of a saga than a hint.

The clue [Q88C+FM] read:

"Many, many years ago, there was a man named Thengappan. Now Thengappan was a legendary romeo in his village – or so he claimed. Ennamma kannu... enna nalla irukke! Appadi pesi pesi pakkathu ooru ellam adikka vechirundhaar."

Karthi immediately laughed and said, "Dei, namma Thengappan pola thaan! Kadhaya vida kattipidi illa!" But Senthil interjected, “Sollu, sollu, clue innum varla!”

"Every Friday at exactly 6:47 p.m., Thengappan would apply jasmine-scented oil, wear his brightest veshti, and visit the village thanni kadai, where he’d wink at all the ladies buying murukku mix. But Thengappan's real strength lay in his overconfidence. Once, he thought he could impress Ponnu Akka, the kadalai podufying queen, with a single MGR dialogue. 'Un moonjiya partha ennaku romantic feelings varuthu da,' he’d say, only for her to respond with a deadly look – Vadivelu style, ‘Enna Koduma Saravanan Idhu!'

"Da, Thengappan padam thavira clue edhavadhu theriya irukkaa?" asked Mani, half-laughing and half-annoyed.

"One day, he heard rumors of a 'hidden treasure' under the third mango tree by the village pond, the very pond where Valli akka would come for her daily oil bath. Thengappan, in typical style, thought this was his chance to not only find treasure but to impress Valli akka. And off he went, flexing his nonexistent muscles, humming a romantic song, and casually checking himself out in his hand mirror."

The boys burst out laughing as Prabhu shouted, "Da, Thengappan-ku rendu perum onnum kedayadhu, treasure-um illa, Valli akka-vum illa!"

"As Thengappan walked towards the mango tree, he found a peculiar stone. The stone, they said, was shaped like a woman's face. Of course, his first thought was not treasure, but ahem 'companionship.' But as he leaned down to inspect it, he heard Valli akka coming his way. ‘Vaathiyaar vaazhndhaalum, soththu vaazhum,’ he thought, panicking as she approached."

“Enna koduma sir idhu! Treasure-thedi pora aambalai-kku enna vendi periya kashtam da idhu,” Bala said, wiping tears of laughter.

"But wait, here’s the real twist – just as he was about to grab the treasure, he accidentally tripped and fell right into the thorn bush behind him, giving a loud ‘Aiyyo paavam!’ Vadivelu style. The entire village, including Valli akka, had a good laugh at Thengappan's expense, and the treasure, they say, remained untouched, hidden just beneath the mango tree, still waiting for a true fool to find it."

By now, our aagavaligal were absolutely rolling on the ground, roaring with laughter and completely forgetting that they were even looking for a clue.

Gopi finally caught his breath and said, “Dei, ivan yaaru na kandippa thanga thanama pona oru fool. Treasure-a vida mokkaiya irundha kadhaya kuduthaanga da ivangalukku!”

As they shook their heads, they realized they hadn't actually found a clue – just a good laugh.

As our eight aagavaligal squinted at the next clue, they found an unusually long and winding passage that seemed more interested in testing their patience than leading them to any treasure. The clue read:

"A long, long time ago, back when your thatha’s thatha’s appa’s chithappa roamed these very lands, there was a man who went by the name of Kunjipillai. Now Kunjipillai was known far and wide for his unparalleled knowledge of both the village bylaws and the art of tending to jasmine flowers. Every morning, he would rise at exactly 4:13 a.m., after a deep slumber that started precisely 10:47 p.m., a ritual he followed religiously, for he believed the odd timing brought good luck. He would then walk 2.8 kilometers towards the river, carrying a brass pot in his right hand, which weighed exactly 0.97 kilograms, by the way. This pot was engraved with intricate mango and peacock designs, a family heirloom passed down for exactly seven generations, starting from his paternal great-aunt’s elder sister’s son-in-law. But I digress.

Kunjipillai had a close friend, Vaikuntam, who was an expert in coir weaving and known to share both wisdom and a peculiar obsession with counting coconuts. Together, they would sit by the riverbank and discuss the weather, the rise and fall of paddy prices, and, occasionally, the stories of old hidden treasures buried deep under banana groves. Kunjipillai once hinted to Vaikuntam about a particular treasure hidden by their village founder’s third son’s elder brother-in-law, but Vaikuntam was too focused on counting coconuts to pay attention. And so, the exact details of the treasure's whereabouts remained a mystery to this day.

Interestingly, this treasure was said to be stored in a jar crafted by a potter who lived 1.3 kilometers north of the village center, on the way to the temple with the big banyan tree where Kunjipillai's cousin once saw a talking crow that spouted verses in chaste Tamil every Thursday around sunset. The potter, named Subburayan, who had a fondness for lentils and a pet squirrel, was known to use a unique mixture of clay that made his jars withstand even the heaviest monsoon rains. Legend has it, the jar was buried near a spot marked by a peculiar stone, shaped vaguely like the face of a sleeping dog if viewed from precisely a 47-degree angle, on days when the sun set at exactly 6:03 p.m. sharp.

Anyway, if you happen to stumble upon this exact stone – which, rumor has it, has slightly faded over the years and is often mistaken for the one used as a seating rock by the washerman who brings his donkey, Govindan, every Tuesday and Friday – you might just be able to find this treasure. But beware! Only one with the patience to truly appreciate every detail of Kunjipillai’s life and his intricate web of connections will be able to unlock the secrets of the final prize.

Now, having learned all this valuable history, your next step is simple: head to the mango grove, turn left where the crows sit (but only if they’re on the left branch), proceed to the third tree from the first rock you see on your right, and there you may – or may not – find another clue. But remember, patience is a virtue, and treasure waits for none but the most persevering!"

By the time they finished reading, our eight treasure hunters – bleary-eyed, thoroughly annoyed, and trying to remember if the “thatha’s thatha’s appa’s chithappa” had anything to do with them – were too drained to argue and decided to sit under a mango tree to "discuss strategy" (which essentially meant resting for a good while, sharing snacks, and trying to forget about Kunjipillai and Govindan the donkey altogether).

It was a sunny Saturday morning, and our eight aagavaligal – Prabhu, Mani, Karthi, Bala, Raja, Senthil, Siva, and Gopi – decided to play a treasure hunt. These guys are known for one thing: they do everything seriously wrong! So, they gathered at the starting point and got the first clue:

"Kadhavula paathinaalum thirakka mudiyadhu, adha niruthi vaikiradhu romba kashtam. Idhula treasure irukku, thedi paarunga!"

After deep thought, Prabhu shouted, "Da, idhu thaan cycle lock! Kadhavula paathinaalum adha thirakka mudiyadhu!" Mani, who is famous for overthinking, said, "No no, namma thiruttu police le lock-a open panna kaththikittom-la? Adhu sari aagathu. Idhu vera onnu thaan." They all went around the park, poking every locked door and cycle rack they could find.

Finally, Senthil pointed to a massive trash can and said, "Idhu thaan da! Kashtama niruthi vaikiradhu!" They tipped it over, but only found last week’s lunch boxes inside. Karthi, sighing, shouted, "Dei, clue dhaan nalladhu; aana clue-e nammalala thangala!" They got the next clue anyway.

"Romba pudichadhu neeyum naanum, inime pesa matten naanum."

The team scratched their heads. Raja whispered, "Ippo intha clue-a solve panna neramilla, thirst kalaila tea kadaila namma neraya pesarom, adha paathitu thaan clue irukka koodiyathu." But Siva exclaimed, “Bayangara idea! ‘Anjali’ padam pakkalama da? Maybe we get inspired!”

They skipped the clue and watched the entire movie for three hours. Inspired but clueless, they got the next clue:

"Veezhum idam palam, ana palam veezhum idam?"

Karthi hit his head and said, "Veedu la thaan appo apdi paathuruvan, veezha kudukuran... aana idhuku enna panna solliyirukku?" Gopi, who had dozed off, woke up and shouted, "Dei, idhu nalaiku pakkalam nu palam kodutha kadha dhaan thaan!" They roamed around for hours and finally spotted a bridge. They checked every inch, sure it had something. Bala slipped, fell, and got drenched – only to find nothing except his lost dignity.

After hours of confusion and a full lunch break, they stumbled upon the final clue:

"Endha orey oru idam-il treasure irukkum; poyaga mudiyaadhu, thedi kaanavum mudiyadhu."

Mani immediately shouted, “Bayangara code! Karpagambal mess-a?” Prabhu added, "Ithu ellam mokkai da! Treasure thaan piravikkum, namakku ennamoo tension!" Raja, the "philosopher," tried to decode the deep meaning behind "thedi kaanavum mudiyadhu" for twenty minutes until he realized they were all staring blankly.

After almost giving up, they decided to return home. Just as they were leaving, Karthi noticed something under his foot: a small paper note. On it was written:

"Yaarum yaen thedi illai, treasure idhu thaan – naan unnoda friends!"

They all looked at each other, laughed, and yelled, “Athu sari!” The real treasure was their friendship (and maybe the karuvadu fry at Karpagambal mess on the way back).

And thus, our 8 aagavaligal, without any actual treasure in hand, learned a simple truth – treasure hunt-oda aachu, aana they had the best time looking!