A Money Order to Tamil Nadu His brain’s barren like the surface of the moon – alphabet could never grow there. I fill up the money order form at his request. Our tongues are diverse –doesn’t matter – necessity fumbles and finds its way. He’s one of the inter-state coolies sweating for our state. I decode the signals from his mind – he’s soft within a hard shell like a coconut. He stares at the strange words falling from my nib. He rewards me with a smile like a cashew nut. His ‘thanks’ drops into my mind, and makes a sweet ripple. It’s an illiterate, who truly values letters. (Tamil Nadu and Kerala are neighboring states with different mother tongues in India.)