Synopsis This slim volume is a collection of Neela Padmanabhan's writings. The range of his writings is wide. The themes he covers are immensely diverse. He casts the net wide and captures the essence of wisdom gleaned by him during the last fifty years of literary experience. He had suffered privations quietly, held his head high even when friends turned to enemies when they could not stand his success both in his profession and also with the pen. Some of them cast doubts on his commitment to his job as an engineer, scoffed at him saying his heart was not in his profession, but in literature. They sniped, "He gets the best of both worlds. He gets his salary; and he spends all the time spinning words, making more money." As if money matters to the creative mind! The essays reflect the sensitivity of a spirit that carries the Cross. There is deep anguish in his heart. This anguish helps him strike out in defence of the man on the street, to advocate high moral values that alone shall make man realize his true worth. These essays are thought provoking. They sparkle. They have a rare sheen. Read them and vibe with one of the leading living stars of modern Tamil Literature.