Raahukalam and Yemagandam

Literally, my grandmothers days start with this only. She is an ardent fan (u can also say devotee)of AMR. For those of you who haven't heard about him - His name is A.M.Rajagopalan and he is the man behind "kumudam jothidam", a weekly magazine related to astrology. So, right in the bed as soon as she wakes up, she would take the book, which is normally kept under the pillow and would read the weekly updates . My aathukarar would always tease her regarding this, saying ur paatti would do anything if AMR says.
And she is a staunch believer of all these rahukalam, yemagandam and yogam etc...She would always insist that we should not start during raahukaalam and yamagandam or during maranayogam.
And we generally just shrug it off and do as we please. But, two incidents happened which made me wonder about these technicalities.
The first one being our trip to vellore during last May. We exactly started during Emagandam and that too on a day with full maranayogam. Hardly we had crossed the poonamalle bridge, when i heard some rattling sound. Told my aathukarar so and he just brushed it aside saying you are imagining things. We generally, travel with windows shut and with AC for air circulation, cos P is allergy to dust, smoke etc. So, the outside noise as such would be just negligible. In spite of that, i was hearing the rattling sound with full force now. So, just again told aathukarar and this time he heard it too. So, we just orangattified and checked. Just then , we noticed that the left back tyre had got punctured and was literally shredding into long pieces . It was about to hit the alloys , when we finally stopped. Just seeing the tyre as such , juices started flowing inside my stomach. Imagine what would have happened, incase we had been continuing , and that too NH at full speed.
Luckily we got two good souls who helped us with the process of replacing the tyre with that of stepney.
The same puncture story happened during the return trip from Bangalore too during November last year. Should i say, same yogam and same yemagandam.....
And again today morning when i went to drop my bro in the bus stand , it was raahukalam. Yesterday, he used my two-wheeler and i think forgot to fill the tank. Me, having immense faith didnt check while starting the vehicle and just dropped him and while returning back , got stuck. So i just opened the petrol cap and to my utter dismay saw that it was dry as a dosa pan. Bayangara kovam and helplessness drove me to the petrol bunk near udhayam theatre, and angeyum oru sathi. The bunk was closed. I just didnt know wat to do. Could have called my aathukarar, but he was busy with morning tender work , so didnt wish to burden him. So i just stood there , just watching the traffic . Another man was standing with his bike and when i enquired whether any loose petrol would be available , he replied that even he was stuck in the same position. Then came a man, from the petrol bunk and told me that there would be one in the 1 st Avenue. Adaadaa, i know that and i cannot go on foot with my scooty trailing behind all the way again nnu sonnen.
Apparam avar enna nenachaaro theriyala, he said then only auto would do nnu sonnar. I was quite confused between, whether he was giving suggestion or was offering to do one nnu. After hesitating for sometime i asked him whether he would be able to get it for me. Me all the way quite not sure, whether he would do or would just escape with the money. Just thought that i would take that risk. One automan came forward and said u give 100 , 60 for pertol and 40 for auto. That man from bunk again asked whether i was interested to go. Rather i thought i would risk 100 than being taken away in autonnu nenachu, "illa illa can u go and get nnu sonnen". He readily agreed and while going told me " Bayappadaatheenga, iam working here only nnu".
After what seemed like eternity both of them came with the petrol. And i offered them my generous thanks along with some money and left the same with some advice "to take proper precautions before venturing out in a two-wheeler".
Veettukku vantha same old archanai - Naan sonnen paathiyaa rahukaalam nu, en pechai kettathaanennu...
But still even after hundreds of experiences and adventures, we would still like to think it as a mere co-incidence....