Of Kaapi and Kujaals...

In Another Universe... Episode 2

2011-05-21T13:23:00.006+01:00

He careened a glance to his side and took in her focused stare. The corner of her mouth twitched into a slight smile and he quickly drew a ninety degree angle to his line of vision. The road loomed in front of them beyond the windshield, pristine in its texture and contour. She drove the vehicle with the hard earned precision of a seasoned truck-driver. A minute later, he cleared his throat.

“So, why do you have the habit of driving trucks, again?” he asked, a tad more annoyed than curious.

“Ah, because that’s how I like it.” she explained mock-patiently.

“You have got to be kidding me!” he said incredulously.

She burst into a ripple of girly giggles at that and he stared at her, nonplussed. A reed of frustration ran up his spine as he grudgingly admired the crinkling of her eyes and her even teeth.

She turned around to face him suddenly, and Raghav jerked back a little, startled.

“I am sure you are comfortable, aren’t you?” she enquired sweetly.

Baring his teeth in a quasi-smile, he nodded and looked to his other side. The ancient truck driver grinned back at him indulgingly, his mouth full of half chewed potato crisps.

And now, to kill Arjun!

Loosening his tie, he sighed and leaned back against the bumpy back rest. He took out his BlackBerry® for the nth time, feeding his heart some sweet hope about availability of a single stick of tower signal. Shaking his head in attuned annoyance when he saw the bright cross in the display, reflecting negation, he swore double murder.

Arjun. And Arjun again.

A quarter of an hour later, she pulled over at the edge of the expressway. They had stopped at some sort of a sorry excuse for a junction of crossroads. A road sheared its way into the thick vegetation on his left and slithered into oblivion.

“Shortcut.” she murmured, with a faint trace of amusement in her voice.

Raghav looked at her, astounded.

“You are actually thinking of turning into this tiny road? You are not riding a bicycle. This truck is colossal!” he ejaculated.

She laughed delightedly, finding sheer joy in his indignant consternation.

“What!?”

“Nothing.”

She stifled her giggles and killed the engine. Tugging out a small handbag from underneath her seat, she opened the door.

“Come.” she invited.

“What’s going on?” he asked, wondering if she had lost her mind.

If she had one, that is. He mentally corrected himself.

She got out of the truck and jumped down in one smooth movement. He hesitated. He had heard stories like these.

The hitchhiker who is desperate for a ride-the friendly traveller (okay, in this case, an absolute weirdo) who offers a lift-the halting of the vehicle in the middle of nowhere-the gagging, the abduction, the ransom, the third degree Chinese torture, the…

STOP!

He looked at her, while she stood by the truck and mussed her hair in the highway wind, eyes closed. She was dressed to kill, he acknowledged. A dark grey pencil skirt that hugged her body like second skin stopped an inch shy of her knees. A crisp white formal shirt skimmed down her torso, neither too tight nor too frumpy.

Now, why would such a woman, who is clad to seemingly attend a corporate board meeting, be driving an 18 Wheeler?

Is she an abductress?

At that moment, she whisked her bag to the front and opened it. He tensed.

No. She can’t handle the whole thing alone. Is she an associate then?

She plucked her cell phone out. He tightened his hold on the dashboard.

She must be the sexy bait for all the poor hitchhikers. What the..!

She punched in a number, tossed her hair back and rested the phone between her shoulder and head. He stared in horrified fascination.

Sexy!

“Hey shweetie,” she crooned, “I have reached. When are you getting here?”

That’s it!! She’s the mafia don’s girlfriend. She’s the villain’s girlfriend!

Alarm bells clashed and clanged in his head and Raghav shrank back into his seat, wondering why a mafia don would want to take him hostage.

“Err, aren’t you coming out?” she enquired, interrupting his train of thought.

“Yes, give me a minute.” he found himself saying.

A moment later, he jumped down next to her and stretched his body.

Okay, I will handle this! I am so going to handle this.

He leaned closer to her, a wolfish smile tempering the contours of his generous mouth, “So where’re we going?”

He chuckled inwardly, when a fleeting look of pale confusion ran past her eyes and she almost flinched back in surprise. And then, she met his eyes, with a steely challenging gaze, clear and teasing.

“Guess!?”

In Another Universe... Episode 1

2011-05-05T13:14:00.019+01:00

It was Monday morning and Raghav could not have wished for a better fate. Climbing out of his wheezing car, he touched the bonnet gingerly. It positively hissed angrily and he took a step back, at an uncharacteristic loss to think further. He rolled back the sleeves of his light blue shirt and stood there, tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead and upper lip.

Bloody Hell! I am never going to rent a car again!

Kicking the road in disgusted frustration, he quickly jabbed at his BlackBerry®, cursing every single second that kept him away from being connected with Arjun on the other end.

When the ringing ended, he barked into the connection.

“Dude, what the hell were you thinking when you recommended that travel agency?”

“Raghav!?”

“Yeah! I am stuck in the middle of nowhere. Apparently my car is opposed to being driven at 100 kmph on an expressway.”

“Damn! Where are you now? Are you okay?”

“The hell I am okay! The meeting’s in fifteen minutes and I am at least an hour’s drive away from there.”

“Alright, now relax, I will get someone to tow your vehicle from there. How far are you from the nearest service station? Any idea?”

“I have no clue. I think I’ll flag some car down and hitch a ride to the conference centre. Do me a favour; postpone the meeting to 2: 30 PM, sharp.”

“Okay. Keep me posted. I will get someone on that dump right away. Text me your location or the nearest landmark.”

Raghav agreed sourly and cut the call.

Silence reigned as he scanned the expressway for some sign of movement. A minute later, an 18 wheeler truck veered into focus at a distance.

Swallowing thickly, he walked into the middle of the road and stood with his legs slightly apart. The truck trundled down the slight slope, the trailer bobbing faithfully in the rear.

The trees lined along the road rustled in acquiescence as the vehicle cleaved the road into two with its ostentatious monstrosity.

He stood resolutely, firmly believing that a thumb movement from the side of the road in a typical hitchhiker’s mode would not secure him a ride.

The truck displaced the air above the path with as much fanfare as it could muster and inched closer. Raghav squinted through and could make out the silhouettes of two people sitting in the front.

He saw the truck lose acceleration for a mild second and realized the driver had noticed him. Mentally preparing a hitchhiker’s speech, he waited impatiently for the lorry to ramble forward.

Suddenly, to his surprise, the truck picked up speed quickly, in an astonishingly hardnosed way.

Bracing himself, Raghav flailed his arms wildly, hoping to bring the truck to a halt. The 18 wheeler had a mind of its own and ploughed on, deliberately ignoring the minuscule hitch in its path.

He dove towards the side instinctively when in an abrupt swoosh of wind, the truck edged past him, barely missing him by a few inches. Stunned into immobility, Raghav stared after the vehicle as it wheeled ahead callously.

And then, a split second later, it came to a screeching halt.

The keening sound brought him to his senses. Outraged and enormously furious at being treated so poorly, he sprinted toward the front.

Walking quickly around to the driver’s side, he jumped up and banged on the door continuously.

“Hey!! Open up! You **@%^&$!!” he yelled, trembling with rage.

The door opened slowly and he jerked headfirst, determined to pull the man out by his shirt and break every single bone in his body.

And he found himself gazing into a pair of perfect almond eyes.

A voice tinkled into the space between them, laughter laden. A single word. A single question.

“Yes!?”

That Greek God...10b- The Grand Finale

2010-11-13T18:13:00.001Z

“Oh!” managed Gautham, finally.

“Yes.” I agreed, secretly joyful to see Gautham utterly mortified. It was a feeling that even surpassed the relief of being able to scratch a persistent itch in an inaccessible place along the spine.

The rain poured down, heedless of the worldly knowledge being shared in the middle of a deserted road, God knew where. Gautham ran his fingers through his wet hair, slicking it back from his forehead. I shivered more in response to the sight of his chiselled face, than the cold precipitation all around. I turned hastily and proceeded to walk off from the place, determined to stop only when the stairway of my apartment complex came into view; I promised myself that I would take the elevator from there.

“Hey, where are you going?” he called out from behind me.

“I am going home. And I’m not coming with you on the bike.” I offered in rejoinder, without turning around.

Gautham sprinted after me, “Oh, no. You’re coming with me. You’re not walking home in this weather.”

I stopped for a fleeting moment and gave him an ugly look.

“Watch me.” I murmured caustically and resumed my walk. The hemline of my expensive saree trailed miserably along in the dirty puddle on the road and I pledged retribution.

Gautham jogged forward, darted into my path and successfully stilled me with his solid presence.

“What?” I protested, extremely annoyed with his attitude.

“You’re not going anywhere. At least, not without me.”

On a whim, I pushed past him and trudged on, splashing water in all directions.

Suddenly, he caught hold of my hand and twisted me around. To my chagrin, I found myself nose to nose with him.

“You’re not going anywhere without me.” he repeated silkily, with a steely gaze.

And that was precisely what undid me.

With a superhuman effort, I pulled my hand free from his grip and pushed him backwards with all the force I could gather. Taken off guard, he fell down on his posterior end, and sat there for a second on the road, too stunned to react.

“How dare you handle me like that?” I hollered, indignant at being treated like a second-class donkey. In an attempt to reinforce my question, I quickly fell to my knees, felt around and located several numbers of what I wanted.

Aiming carefully, I sent one small pebble flying through the sheet of rain. It plonked on his head.

“Yeooww!” Gautham cried, rubbing on the sore spot, “What the heck are you doing?”

“You think you are God, don’t you. Let me clear matters for you. You are not God, alright?” I growled and threw one more stone at him.

Gautham had managed to haul himself up by that time and the small rock got him in his solar plexus.

“Aowww! You crazy fool. Are you trying to kill me? Stop it!!”

“Take that!”

“Oww!”

“And that!!”

“Ouch. Arrrgghhh!!”

“And that!”

“STOP WITH THIS NONSENSE!!” Gautham bellowed, having had enough of it. He deftly caught the last of my geological missiles halfway through its trajectory and thundered again, “I SAID, STOP!!!”

Lightning streaked across the sky at that moment and lit up the whole street in a surreal fashion. A sinusoidal wave of luminosity flashed through, and illuminated Gautham in its wake. I stared, rapt with attention, as he stood, with the rain pouring down, his clothes plastered to his well toned body like a second skin, one hand held high in the sky with a stone clutched within its fist. It was the expression on his face that churned my insides and made the hairs on my nape stand up. It was a countenance that embroiled a mixture of infuriation, titanic rage and umbrage. His eyes held an unholy emotion and for a split second, I couldn’t recognize Gautham.

That Greek God…

Thunder clapped an opus of a high tenor in the skies and cognizance seized me instinctively.

Of all the things that complete a Greek God’s wardrobe- thunderbolts, tridents, spears, winged sandals, sickles, blah blah, mine had to have a stone for a divine weapon in his hand. A Stone, I thought wryly.

Gautham dropped the stone in disgust and moved toward me, “What the hell were you thinking? You lost your mind!”

“Don’t come any further. Or I will…I…will..” I stammered in fright.

He rose to the challenge in the blink of an eye.

“Or you will? What? What will you do?” he smirked.

“I will… I will tell Jahnavi that her boyfriend misbehaved with me.” I replied in a rush, heady with an unknown fear.

“Her boyfriend? Jahnavi, what?” he stuttered, confused. He halted midway and watched me warily as I bit my lip, willing myself not to cry. I brushed a lock of wet hair off my face and sniffled desolately.

“You’re in a relationship with Jahnavi. I know everything.”

“I am in a relationship with Jahnavi?” he echoed.

“Yes. You are.”

Gautham chose to remain silent and continued regarding me in an unnerving way.

“What?” I asked, uncomfortably.

“Nothing…”

“Tell me. What?”

“Well, it’s just that I am no more in love with Jahnavi than you are in love with Karthik!”

“You’re not in love with Jahnavi?” I confirmed stupidly.

He pursed his lips and shook his head in negation. I gaped at him, waiting for the sudden feeling of emptiness to fill my heart, the same nothingness that I felt for Karthik when he had validated about the non-existence of his love life.

I felt nothing… nothing at all… nothing…

…BUT an incredible feeling of elation and absolute liberation. I panted for breath as a thousand different species of butterflies flew around inside me, casting light spells of exultation and thrills of joy. Helpless and at a loss to understand any of the emotions, I burst into tears abruptly, startling both Gautham and myself.

“Damn, are you okay? What happened?” Gautham enquired, shocked and bewildered.

I shook my head and sobbed louder.

“Hell! Okay listen, yes… I’m not in love with Jahnavi. Please don’t cry. Please. But… but if it makes you feel any better, I’m in love with you!” he admitted sincerely, hoping to calm me down.

I stopped, gazed at him incredulously and then burst into a fresh batch of tears.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh…” I howled to the heavens, not quite recognizing all the alien sentiments enveloping us both in a thick Scotch mist.

“What happened? Please don’t cry. I really don’t know how to handle it.”

“It’s raining all around me,” I bawled and panted for breath, “My face is probably streaked with water-proof mascara. My saree is ruined and my shoes are drenched. And you tell me you love me? How can you be such an insensitive jerk?”

“Anu, I really am in love with you. I wasn’t kidding.” he confessed earnestly.

I peered into his eyes and saw his trademark honesty. He had not been teasing me at all.

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

I sniffled morosely and glanced at the ground. The rain was relentless; it was as if someone had forgotten to shut off some water faucets high above.

“Well?” Gautham pursued hesitantly.

I looked up at him and wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands.

“Well?”

“So, you are not going to say anything?”

“Should I say something?” I asked lightly.

“Anu…” he warned.

“Alright! Yes, I love you back.” I shrieked ecstatically. That was the first time, I had even admitted it to myself, and it felt amazing to be able to share it with him.

“Whooa!”

As Gautham wrapped his arms around me in a monumental hug, I sighed and revelled in the moment. I had been friendless, boyfriendless, soggy, tired, tearful and angry with the whole wide world a few minutes earlier. And then my best friend (okay, ex-best friend) deemed it necessary to change his position in my life. In his arms, I felt a sense of insanity which struck me as absolutely perfect. I was in the safest haven, a truly astounding place to stay. Explanations could wait until later…

And then…

“Wait a minute! Where’s Jahnavi by the way?” I gazed at him curiously and then realization dawned on me, “Did she plan this rendezvous?”

“In a way, yes,” he said mischievously and continued, “She knew how I felt about you right from the beginning and wanted to help me out. She’s in an important meeting with Veerappan right now.”

“Veerappan?”

“Yes...” Gautham agreed and dropped a light kiss on my head. I snuggled further into his sopping wet arms and closed my eyes contentedly.

Seriously, Veerappan?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In Some Other Dry Part Of The City…

Veerappan shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other not knowing how to explain to Jahnavi. She leaned on the ledge wall and stifled a yawn surreptitiously.

“I don’t know how you will take this, Jahnavi.” he ventured timidly.

Jahnavi rolled her eyes and then twisted around to face him.

“What are you talking about, Veerappan?” she asked, coating her stance generously with a faint twinge of alarm.

“Jahnavi, I know how much you like me.”

She sighed theatrically and clasped her hands under her chin, “Yes, Veerappan, yes. I like you so much. I am glad you understood that.”

“But…”

“But…?”

“I am under an obligation to marry someone from my own town. She’s my relative.”

Jahnavi cuffed a hand to her forehead in a dramatic pose and groaned regretfully, “Oh, Veerappan, Whatte Kodumai. I had dreamed so many dreams, of us together, of our wedding and our life.”

“I know. I know. But I am obligated to marry this girl.” he lamented.

“Veerappan, I have an idea,” she snapped her fingers mock-excitedly, “Let’s elope. We will get married and meet your parents. They cannot do anything after that.”

He appeared so scandalized and petrified that Jahnavi nearly felt sorry for him. Swallowing down a sudden burst of hysterical laughter, she batted her eyes and looked expectantly at Veerappan.

“Jahnavi, I really cannot do that. They are my parents. Such things are possible only in movies. Not in reality.”

She gazed at him, pretending to understand and blew her nose exaggeratedly into her handkerchief.

“I understand, Veerappan. Sacrifices are important for the perfect love story. I will always remember you here.” she patted sadly on her heart and tapped on her temple with a finger, “And here.”

Veerappan’s relief was profoundly tangible. Jahnavi could almost see it develop tiny wings and fly around victoriously.

“Jahnavi, can I leave now? I have an early morning bus to catch tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course.”

He got on to his two-wheeler and kick started the engine.

“Veerappan, can I ask you just one thing? Please do not say no.”

“Yes, go ahead.” he croaked nervously.

“What’s her name? The one you are going to marry.”

He declared it quite proudly, “Oh! Her name is Kothamalli.”

That was the last straw. Jahnavi choked on her laughter and somehow managed to convert it into fits of coughing.

“Please say hello to the future Mrs. Kothamalli Veerappan, on my behalf” she said, wiping the tears off her face.

Veerappan nodded and hastily made his exit.

Jahnavi watched on until he was out of sight and then gave in to the cackles of laughter. After effectively convincing the startled crows around, that she had indeed lost her mind nevertheless, Jahnavi started walking toward the main road.

She mentally blew a kiss to Reverse Psychology.

Five minutes down the road, a car pulled to a stop next to her and a young man stepped out.

She looked at him, puzzled, and waited for him to say something.

“Hi. I am sorry I had to barge in on your thoughts like this. You don’t know me. But I know you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I know this might sound like a cheesy pick-up line, but I have seen you before.”

“Okay, that definitely did sound like a cheesy pick-up line.” Jahnavi said scornfully.

“I am sorry,” he laughed self-derisively and smiled into her eyes, “I have seen you yell at a guy some months back. I assume it must have been some random stalker. This was near T. Nagar, I guess. I don’t even know if you remember it.”

That was the Veerappan episode, right after the Diwali shopping trip.

“Yes, I kinda remember it now. So… what’s this about?” Jahnavi posed curiously.

“Oh, well, I actually admired your guts, the other day. But I didn’t get a chance to talk to you about it.”

“Okay…” she urged him to continue.

“Umm… I know this might sound like another cheesy pick-up line. Would you like to have coffee with me sometime?” he put forth, hopefully and smiled again.

“Hmmm… so what’s your name again?”

“Oh, yeah. I totally forgot. My name’s Bhargav. Hi, pleased to meet you… err...”

“Jahnavi.” she supplied helpfully.

“Ah Jahnavi, nice name. Umm, about that coffee…?”

“Let me see… Unless you have a ready-made fiancée named Karuvepellai?”

“Huh, sorry?”

The End

That Greek God... Part 10a

2010-11-13T17:55:00.002Z

It usually takes a Wednesday to bring the chaos of the entire world to my doorstep. The rest of the week is just crammed with adhering to emergency protocol from the Damage Control Rule Book.

It was one such Wednesday when I fell asleep on the couch while watching the Abominable Bear-man share unsolicited wisdom along the lines of “Thangachi! Vendaikka saapta improve aagum Kanaku. Sundaikka saapta disprove aagum Vazhakku…” on TV. When a niggling sensation deep in the recesses of my sleep woke me up abruptly, I knew something was wrong. I winced helplessly as a stinging crick froze my neck in an awkward position. Turning my whole body with the dexterity of a one legged Barbie doll, I squinted at the clock.

And it started right from there.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I am going to be so late...so so late. I shouldn’t have slept off like that and I can’t believe no one woke me up either.

I hurriedly applied some kohl to my eyes and stepped back to see the overall effect. The mirror never lies, I agreed, running my eyes up and down over my reflection. All I could see was a puffy-eyed, white-pallored Amazonian woman excluding the resplendent war-gear and a powerful stallion. I narrowed my eyes and turned sideways, attempting to strike a pose. Pouting dramatically, I blew a kiss to the mirror, twirled around and successfully tripped on the complex hemline of my saree. I caught hold of the window lattice just in time, to prevent from falling flat on my face and breaking my already-samosa nose. Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself.

Okay, there’s no time. I have to leave now. I will indulge in the histrionics later.

“Ah, you actually look kinda pretty.” acknowledged Jahnavi, as I walked into the living room.

“Yeah, right. Hey, you’re not dressed yet?”

“Oh, wait a minute. This is a pair of sweatpants,-” she said plucking at her cottons, and pointing to her shirt, she continued seriously, “- and this is my tee. If your question meant, why I haven’t dressed the palms of my hands yet, that’s because I don’t enjoy wearing mittens in Chennai’s heat.”

“Okay, you lost me after ‘sweatpants’. Now, answer my question. Aren’t you coming to Vichitra’s wedding reception?”

“Hmmm, let me see. Okay, I don’t think so. I have got some work.”

“But I thought you were coming with me. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Oh, I got reminded of it just now.”

“Yeah, whatever. It’s actually pretty obvious you just don’t want to come with me. Anyway, I’m leaving now. I’ll see you later!”

Tearing down the stairs with whatever flexibility my saree could allow me, I made quite a racket with my clippity-cloppety designer footwear; I really had no time to take the elevator.

I just hope the heels don’t break!

Unlocking the car, I got in behind the wheel and shifted to the first gear.

An hour later, I finally had to admit that I was not particularly good at carrying myself through shortcut routes as an alternative to the main-stream traffic. It was a reluctant acceptance, but quite inevitable from where I stood- bang in the heart of a maze of back streets, trying to comprehend whether to take the left turn or the right.

Five minutes after this self realization, the engine stalled and the car wheezed to a stop.

Complete silence ensued.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The dark sky stretched endlessly beyond the silhouettes of the trees, occasionally lit up by streaks of random lightning. The subdued light from the sodium vapour lamps only served to make the road even more cheerless. A swift gust of wind had my saree flapping like a mad flag on a stormy night. I leaned against the car, the warmth of the bonnet offering little comfort, and wrapped my arms around myself, trying to think of happy thoughts.

I walked about the vehicle, fretting over why Jahnavi had not made an appearance as yet. It had been over an hour since I had called her, tearful and panic-struck. My car had turned ballistic at having to chauffeur me round and round with no sense of direction and had finally broken down.

Traitor!

And so there I stood, on a deserted road, playing the part of the proverbial victim in a Friday horror movie. I half expected a flurry of bats down the road any minute, eventually sealing my fate.

All of a sudden, a beam of light turned into the street from around the corner. It followed the bumps, potholes and the three whopping speed breakers, steadily blinding my dilated pupils as it approached nearer and nearer. When it finally stopped a few yards away, Gautham got off my rickety two-wheeler with as much style as he could muster, most probably borrowed from a 1970s movie star’s Bullet antics. As he walked toward me, with a rugged jauntiness, I could clearly perceive a glittering gold jumpsuit (bell-bottomed, of course), complete with a gold bandanna and a vintage microphone in hand, everything illuminated and enhanced by floating disco lights, mirror balls and the DJ’s screeching interruption of the record. I tipped my head slightly and smiled dreamily as he jangled the microphone in front of me. I wondered what he wanted to sing to me. He rattled the mike again.

And I blinked, mystified at his unexpected, a rather more earthly appearance, a persona clad in a pair of faded jeans, a white tee and an open shirt on top. Gautham jangled the set of keys in front of my nose again and I pulled back, dismayed and embarrassed.

“You!?!” I spat, not entirely thrilled to see his mortal self.

“Yes. Me.” he confirmed sardonically and went on, “Unless you were expecting Karthik here; in that case, I’m sorry to have disappointed you.”

“I was expecting Jahnavi to pick me up. Why’re you here?” I enquired hotly. I really was not in a mood to be grateful and gush about his good will.

“Jahnavi had some work. That’s why she sent me. So, let’s go.” he finished with mock patience.

“I am not coming with you. I’d rather die in this street all alone than ride on the bike with you!”

“In another circumstance, I’d have left you here to die all alone, as you put it. But I had promised Jahnavi that I’d bring you back home, safe and sound. You have no choice.”

“I am not sitting on that bike with you.” I huffed vehemently.

“Oh, yes, you are.” he stated as a matter of fact.

I took my bag out of the car and announced as casually as I could, “I am walking home.”

Suddenly, fuelled by an impulsive spark of temper, he leaned forward, roughly banged the car door shut for effect and continued with nonchalant indifference, “You’re not walking home.”

“What have you done, you idiot! The keys were still in the car.” I yelled plaintively.

At that moment, the heavens parted as if on cue and a shower of water poured down without any mercy or concern for the tiny crumb of my dignity.

“OMG!” I wheezed in shock and looked down at my ex-beautiful saree. It seemed as if an ancient washing machine had wrecked its spirit and wrung its life out. “Damn you Gautham, it’s entirely your fault! You have ruined everything!!” I screamed tearfully and stamped my foot in the rapidly gathering puddle of water.

“What’s my fault? Geez, grow up kid!” Gautham retorted, clearly annoyed by my tantrum. And that really served to rile me up even more.

Kid!... Kid??!

“Everything’s your fault! Everything! You, your superior-than-thou attitude, your amateur psychology sessions regarding Karthik! Everything!!” I burst out, regardless of the pitch of my voice or the location of my paroxysm.

“Aha! I knew it. It’s about Karthik, isn’t it? Seriously, how many times should I tell you to stay away from him?” he swooped in.

“Why the hell should I stay away from him? Who are you to tell me about what to do and what not to do? We are not even friends anymore!!”

“Yes, we are not friends anymore. But there are certain things that I am required to do, for greater good.” Gautham completed smugly.

“Who died and made you King? What I do with my life is no one’s business but my own.” I shouted over the heavy roar of the downpour.

“Karthik is a decent guy. He is better off without you adding complexity to his life. It’d help you a lot when you realise you’re not in love with him any more than you’re in love with me!” he snarled menacingly.

“Love? You are talking about love? You don’t even know what happened, you egocentric brute!”

There was a moment’s silence, as I tried to catch my breath. He stared at me.

“What happened?” he enquired, torn between curiosity and an acute urge to hit me; I could see.

An Hour Earlier…

I sat in the car, trying to restart it again and again. It neighed pathetically in response and burred to a silence. Every time.

My phone rang then, taking me by surprise. It was Karthik.

“Karthik!” I gasped in relief, rushing on to say, “Thank God, you called..-”

“Anu, I have got to tell you something very important. There’s no time to wait anymore.” he interrupted quickly.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“Where are you now?”

“I am on my way to the convention centre. I will be there soon. Don’t worry.” I said, concerned and confused.

“There’s no need for you to come over. I am sorry I couldn’t call you before and let you know.”

“Is everything alright?”

“The wedding’s been called off!” shouted Karthik, almost maniacal in his euphoria.

“Oh my God! What the hell happened? How’s Vichitra? Why was the wedding called off?”

For a moment, I imagined Vichitra, a red cloth tied around her head in a Phoolan Devi style, stalwartly refusing the unreasonable demands made by the groom’s family. I envisioned her holding the tip of a huge musket at the groom’s throat, ordering him to keep quiet, the noncompliance of which would provoke definite likelihood of being coerced into watching all the movies listed under the Vettaikaaran’s exclusive almanac. Alone. And with a loop count of a hundred and thirty three.

“She’s fine. Okay, now listen. You are the first person I am telling this to. I mean, apart from her.” he said, bringing me back to the present.

“Right. Go on. I am listening.”

“I am in love with Vichitra.”

“OMG, What!?!!”

“Yes.”

“What are you saying?”

“It was that question. You’d asked me when I was going to marry Vichitra. I never had any idea till then. Well, and that question triggered everything.”

Oh, that question certainly triggered a lot of other things as well…

“I realized how much I was in love with her and that it was too late. She was engaged to be married to someone else.”

“Wow...” What a turn-around!

“So, I confessed about my feelings today afternoon. Apparently, she feels the same way about me, but didn’t know how to tell me. It would have been so awkward if either one of us didn’t feel the same way.”

“Awesome! This is such a nice surprise. I am so glad that you guys have got together. Congratulations!” I said, extremely happy to hear him sound like a normal person at last.

A lot of things started to come into place in my mind then. Now I knew why he had been roaming around like a bear with a very bad toothache all the while.

What a climax! I never even imagined it could take a twist like this.

“Okay, Anu, I have got to go now. There’s stuff like press conference; routine things. I’ll finish off with all that and we’ll all meet up tomorrow.” he promised fervently.

“Hey, take your time. This is a big moment. Call me when you are free; no problem.”

Disconnecting the call, I sat in the silence, smiling in the dark. I could not believe what had happened. That was by far the best news I had ever heard and I was enormously pleased about it.

Phew, history, actually, has a very uncanny habit of repeating itself. And I’m so glad that it does…

That Greek God... Part 9

2010-04-08T00:47:00.002+01:00

“Awesome! So when do you have to leave?” enquired Jahnavi enthusiastically.

“The letter says I’ve got to report to the Mumbai office on the 21st of April.” I replied, taking a look at the letter again. I couldn’t believe they remembered me. The campus placements had happened eons before and I had lost all hope briefly when the recession period seemed to last longer than the previous ice age.

“That’s like just two weeks from now. Oh no! There’re so many things to pack. We need to get you new stuff to wear.” bemoaned Vidya.

Trust Vidya to get down to the basics. I smiled and sneaked another satisfying look at the appointment letter again.

Ahh..Bliss…At least, some things in my life seem to have sorted themselves out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I sat amidst my entire wardrobe strewn down on the floor; on Vidya’s insistence. She wanted me to see what clothes were good enough to be used as cleaning fabric and which ones were good enough to be chewed by the neighbourhood dog. As she kept tossing all my clothes to her left and right, trying to categorize them, I realised it was going to be a lucky day for that mutt. Jahnavi watched on, from the queen’s position on the bed with a rather bored expression. I wondered how her cell phone was actually several yards away and certainly not glued to her ear.

Gautham must have probably taken a loo-break.

I brought myself back to Vidya’s stringent instructions. She promised me that she would drag me kicking and screaming to shop for my ensemble and that she would not take no for an answer. Her ‘thick-skinnedness’ has every possible tendency to put that solitary buffalo in the algae-choked lake to intense shame.

It was my cue to smile gratefully at her and throw myself into her arms, bellowing out a thousand blessings to the God who brought us together in holy friendship. But I chose to just smile nervously as I imagined Appa’s pressure cooker head turning brilliant shades of purple, when presented with a wad of shopping bills.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I banged the car door shut and trudged morosely toward my apartment building. I dragged a zillion shopping bags in my trail, looking more like a Neanderthal woman with a bizarre wedding train, rather than an Anu who has had a complex shopping trip with an off-the-rocker friend.

The neighbourhood kids were creating a ruckus over a horribly torn, flattened excuse for a football. Looking past them, I saw a familiar figure in the distance.

It took me a good number of moments to finally perceive the figure’s identity. Karthik could have easily passed for one of those metrosexual men working their posterior-parts off, toward achieving man’s best creation since the wheel & the axle- Size Zero. As he approached closer, the size-zeroed metrosexual man got replaced by a Robinson Crusoe image in my mind on account of Karthik’s unshaven face and a rather unkempt appearance coming into sharp visual focus. I waved to him wondering if he was planning on acting in a movie. Well, in support of my theory, sporting facial hair (bordering on being infested by lice and clinically-declared dangerous by the Dandruff Society), by the lead actors in movies, has become the fad of the day. (On an askew note- Acknowledging a brief stint of corporate social responsibility, Gaya Skin Clinic is offering you guys free skin grafting treatment for what is left of your faces and SBS- Stylized Beard Solutions.)

By the time he stood in front me, brief images of Karthik’s tree climbing and harpooning on a lonely island halted and vanished from my mind, as to my horror, I saw how much he had changed in a fortnight’s time.

“Don’t say anything. Just answer my question.” he said, before I could open my mouth.

“Huh, what?” I managed to croak.

“If it is true that I may not get another chance to say something, shouldn’t I actually seize this one and be done with it?”

“Huh? I don’t understand. What chance?”

I was utterly bewildered and to be honest, a teeny bit scared of the intense look that he was giving me at that time.

“They say, we might get only one chance, just one opportunity to do something in life. We should take it up, shouldn’t we?”

“If this is the best option, I think we should take it up.”

Is someone short listing probable candidates for ‘Makings of a Swami’ workshop in the Himalayas? The only things stopping him from making that trip are orange robes and a Silk Smitha scandal!

Suddenly he smiled, making it impossible for me not smile back. Underneath all that beard and rural intensity, he still was a charmer.

He pinched my cheek lightly, surprising me for a moment.

“Thank you so much. I will call you soon. Stay good till then!” he said, sounding much happier than he had been a few moments before.

“Take care!” I said after him, as he sprinted across the parking lot.

Grabbing all the plastic side effects of my shopping agenda with renewed energy, I made my way home.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was about 6 in the evening, when I finally settled down for a cup of coffee; making tediously long lists of things-to-do having sapped up my entire energy. To add to it, Gautham was home to help Jahnavi out with her project, his presence jangling my already overwrought nerves. I had avoided him so far, keeping to my room while they worked at the dining table. But the call of coffee transcended everything, as it always does in my life and I found myself sitting at the table along with them, while they chattered on enthusiastically.

I sneaked a peek over my mug at Gautham and my heart beat raced, tripped suddenly on an abrupt breath of air and landed with a dull thud, after several somersaults. Sssss!!

I yowled when a hasty gulp of boiling hot coffee burned my mouth.

“Anu, what happened? Are you okay?” enquired Jahnavi anxiously.

I nodded hurriedly, mumbled some excuse and nearly ran to the safe haven of my room. I groaned in pain as I rubbed my tongue repeatedly on a cool towel, trying to quell the burning sensation down; rinsing my mouth with cold water didn’t help either. Finally I sat in front of the air-conditioner, hanging my tongue out sadly like a dehydrated dog. That was how Gautham found me, when he opened the door and walked into my room.

“That wouldn’t help, you know?” he drawled amusedly.

I yelped, utterly mortified and angry that he had come in instead of Jahnavi, following the knock on the door.

“Who asked you to come? I thought it was Jahnavi!” I shouted.

“Impressive set of manners, I agree. But don’t make it more difficult for both of us by screaming. I can’t holler over your shrieks.”

“I don’t want to talk to you now.” I muttered ungraciously, simmering inside.

“I saw you both by the parking lot. Pretty picture!”

“What? Who?”

“You do great injustice to your intelligence by pretending to misunderstand whatever I say. You know what I am talking about.”

“Maybe, I’d understand if you stop with your smartass attitude?”

“I saw you talking to Karthik earlier. Now do you understand?”

“What am I supposed infer from this information?”

My patience was wearing thin. I thought he had just accused me by chance the other day. I could not believe that he was tagging another confrontation to that incident now.

“Let Karthik go. You are only leading him on like this.”

“I am not leading Karthik on. Why are you constantly accusing me of that?” I hissed.

“It seems like that. That’s why.” retorted Gautham, calmly.

I stared at him and felt like shaking him out of his controlled stance. I was quaking inside with his implications like dull thumps on my brain pitch. I took a deep breath and commanded myself to stay calm.

“Why do you bother anyway? It’s my life and what I do with it is none of your business!”

“Trying to act smart won’t help you at all Anu. Why don’t you make a smart move instead and stop leading him on.”

“You know what? Maybe you should be careful with what you’re saying now. I might think you’re even jealous.” I finished recklessly.

“Huh, jealous? Of what? You must be kidding me!” scoffed Gautham and I fisted my hands on my sides to prevent from slapping that grin off his face.

Jahnavi peeped into the room at that minute and I wondered if she could feel the thick tension that was so tangible, in the room. I could cut it with a knife and even help myself to two or three servings. Except that I wanted to stuff all of them down Gautham’s throat.

“Are you okay Anu? The coffee was supremely hot.” she said, worriedly.

“Yeah I am okay. Gautham was just asking me if I was fine.” I replied back.

“Veerappan had called. You know how he is. He would not let me go, till I take his call. So I sent Gautham inside to check if you were okay.”

Jahnavi and Gautham exchanged smiles.

At that moment, a searing emotion erupted from somewhere in the pit of my stomach, and spread potently through my whole body, almost making me scream in agony. Waves and waves of that feeling lashed through till it became a physical ache in my heart.

I have shared so many things with Jahnavi over so many years. I have never resented doing any of that.

Numbly, I realized that I was insanely jealous of my sister because she had something that I could never have.

Him…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To be concluded...

That Greek God... Part 8b

2010-02-05T21:08:00.016Z

Cursing irritably, I moved to answer the incessant peal of the door bell. I opened the door with a glare which immediately softened to a bewildered gawk. Jahnavi was giggling over something that Gautham had said, and both of them turned around to face me then.

“Hi!” Both of them chirped cheerfully. Too cheerfully syrupy, I could have gagged from the sweetness of it.

“Hi!” I chirped back, absolutely joyful in having them over. I love cursing people mentally, especially when they decide to grace the occasion with their actual presence.

Letting them inside, I wondered what was going on.

I mean, Gautham hardly ever drops by unless accompanied by his entourage who love to gorge on Paati’s murukku and carrot halwa, apart from complaining about girls in between mouthfuls.

Presently, Jahnavi threw her bag on the couch and went into the kitchen to get some cold water. Gulping down thirstily from the bottle in turns, they both slumped down on the sofa, clearly famished. Jahnavi caught my eye and cleared her throat lazily.

“We were just working on my project- the one that I have to submit next week. Gautham’s helping me out with that.”

“Oh, okay.”

So how does a mechanical engineer, currently studying MBA, help you out with something related to clinical pathology?

“We had just started working on the presentation, when the watchman shooed us out. He had to lock the doors.”

Before I could speak anything, Gautham interrupted.

“My God, I understand now. Is that the guy who you keep talking about? All those jokes about me looking like him; Jahnavi, you need a huge pair of glasses.”

“I need glasses? Ha, look at yourself. Streak your hair with a few whites here and there and you look exactly like that guy.”

Suddenly, I felt horribly out of place as they continued with their playful banter. It was as if I was invisible or just smothered with the same paint as the walls of the living room, expediently camouflaged. I cleared my throat, more in an attempt to clear my thoughts.

“Anu, do you need some water? Here, have some.” said Jahnavi concernedly.

The doorbell rang then and I offered to go, glad to be able escape from there. I was surprised to see Karthik outside, waiting to be let in. Apart from the ghost of a smile that he offered, his whole persona seemed like that of a hero’s who, although at fifty years of age, is quite capable of portraying the role of a tenth standard kid bringing home some bad news- “Aathaaa… naan fail aayitten!!”. (Mom, I flunked!!)

I smiled and invited him in, wondering what was wrong with him. I introduced Karthik and Gautham to each other, and moved to the kitchen to get some fruit juice for all of us. Soon we had a light conversation reverberating between the four of us, although Karthik volunteered lesser vocal input comparatively and resorted to just nodding most of the time. When the other two got into one of their “private” conversations, I seized the opportunity to talk to him personally.

“Karthik, are you alright? You seem low. Bad day at work?”

“Huh, yeah I’m okay. It’s just been a long day.” he said with an adorable wink.

I felt a little better and smiled back at him.

“Oh, I almost forgot the reason why I came over. Just a sec.”

He rummaged in his bag and fished out a big envelope. On a closer look, it looked like a wedding invitation.

“It’s Vichitra’s wedding invitation. She wanted to invite you personally. But, you know how it is at a bride’s place with so many last minute shopping trips and ceremonies. She really wants you to come.”

He smiled and handed it over. I opened the invitation and read the words, ‘Vichitra weds Aaditya’ aloud. Jahnavi turned around and looked at the invitation in my hand.

“Whose wedding is it? That’s a lovely card.”

“It’s Vichitra’s wedding.”

“Isn’t Vichitra the famous playwright? She has her own theatre group, right?” asked Gautham.

“Yeah, she is Karthik’s best friend.” I said, glancing at Gautham.

“A lovely person.” I added, grinning at Karthik.

“By the way, she really liked the script that we worked on. She’s got a few minor changes. But I guess we can work on it after her wedding.”

“Oh, wow, she liked it? I am really glad. We can work on it anytime Karthik. It’s fun working with you.” I said happily.

I sipped from the glass and looked at Gautham accidently. A big mistake. Although there was an amused curve to his mouth, his eyes held a steely glint.

Something inside me gave a sudden leap. I decided to put to test what I had discovered in his eyes.

Giving Karthik the full effect of my smile, I positively purred, “So, Karthik, tell them about this new stuff that you’re going to introduce in your show. The one about prank calls.”

As Karthik relaxed and started explaining about the new addendum to his show, I shifted closer to him and stole a glance at Gautham. He sent me a look which promised something sinister if I didn’t behave properly.

Ah, so we’re talking about manners are we? Well, two can play at this game, sweetheart.

Throwing caution to the winds, I focused all my attention over Karthik after that and hung on to every word that he said. My ears could have been inside his mouth, literally speaking. For some strange reason, that irritated the hell out of Gautham, I could see. Although I didn’t understand why he seemed bugged with me, his annoyance somehow added fuel to fire, and I glorified Karthik with my eyes.

Sometime later, the doorbell rang for the third time that evening. This time, Jahnavi answered the door and brought back Veerappan in tow.

“Hi Veerappan, how’re you doing?” I enquired politely.

“Anu, it’s my birthday today. I actually wanted to spend it with Jahnavi. I tried calling her, but couldn’t reach through. So I came over.”

We wished him before he could say anything else. I decided to give him an Aadi Thallupadi that day, since it was his birthday and chose not to tarnish his fragile reputation in this particular blog episode.

“Veerappan, I had left my cell phone at home. That’s why I couldn’t take your calls. I’m really sorry.” said Jahnavi apologetically.

Wait a minute. Did something utterly change between the last time I blinked and now? I couldn’t believe it. Jahnavi actually apologized to Veerappan?

The only thing, Jahnavi is synonymous with in this whole world is the sentiment that Actor Vijaykanth shares on screen- “Ey, Enakku pudikaadha orey oru vaarthai- Sorry!! Ah…”. (The one word that i don't like is Sorry!! ah...)

“Jahnavi, please don’t say sorry. There should be no sorrys and thank-yous between us.” Veerappan proclaimed abashedly.

Considering Jahnavi, I was sure she had an ulterior motive behind the whole sappy set up. I hid a smile and looked at her; she was trying really hard not to pounce on him and tear him to shreds.

At that moment, Karthik got a phone call and he excused himself to take it. I watched on anxiously when after a few minutes of conversation, Veerappan got impatient. He wanted to speak to Jahnavi and pulled her aside. Suddenly to my chagrin, I was left alone with Gautham and I was so petrified he would say whatever he had in his mind. It just took another extra second to prove my thoughts right.

“That couch is big enough to hold four people comfortably.” he began without a preamble and continued, “But you had to squeeze in close to him to prove what? That it’s 18 degrees in Chennai and is an extremely cold winter?”

“Gautham! Are you crazy? What are you saying?” I spluttered, completely embarrassed.

This was the first real conversation that we had had in months and I wasn’t particularly a great fan of the topic of talk.

“I am talking about what I saw and you know what it is. Don’t act obtuse.”

“I’m not being obtuse. I was just playing an active part in the chat previously. I don’t understand why you need to have a say about where I sit and what I do.”

“He’s a nice guy. Leave him alone, Anu.” he growled.

My jaw dropped open as the implication of his words bumped on my head with a dull clang. Retrospectively, I realised then that I had been suffering from quite a good version of ADD earlier. I wanted Gautham to notice me and I understood that it was possible if I showered Karthik with attention. I grimaced mentally, not comprehending how I could have been so reckless. But I was not going to let Gautham see that.

I will bawl my eyes out privately, but now I have to hold fort.

“What? How dare you imply something like that? You have the audacity to…”

Karthik chose that precise minute to interrupt my angry hissing and came over to tell us that he had some work and had to leave immediately. As he was saying his goodbyes, the other two guys got some Gnana Oli, and decided to get going as well.

“Jahnavi, I will help you with your project tomorrow. I will call you.” said Gautham.

He reserved a look of scorching hardness for me, gave a slight nod to his head and moved towards the front door. Veerappan, surprisingly, didn’t cling to Jahnavi at all and made a graceful (by his standards) beeline for the door.

I put all the glasses for wash in the kitchen sink and sat in the terrace for a while, trying to reflect on the events of the evening. A while later, Paati asked me if I wanted to have some coffee and I could have cried out of sheer gratefulness.

“Anu, enna di, nee oru boyfriend varuvaan nnu thaane sonne. Moonu peru vandhirdhaale. (Anu, you were talking about one boyfriend weren’t you? But there were three of them at home today.)” she said with a twinkle in her eye and went inside, leaving me dumbstruck.

Paaaaaaaaattttttiiiii…. Oh, someone kill me. Kill me, right now!

That day, in my life, I had a Karthik whom I didn’t want, a Veerappan who had made a stage exit a couple of episodes before and a Gautham who was in love with my sister.

That’s the truth Paati… that’s my love-life.

That Greek God... Part 8a

2010-02-05T20:12:00.007Z

9 months earlier…

“I can’t believe you did that to me. I thought you were my friend.” said Anu indignantly.

“Of course, I am your friend. But you have to look at the truth of the situation. You were wrong in there. I had to agree with the other girl. Why do you have to take it so seriously?” he replied, clearly exasperated with her.

“She b*****s about me and you agree with her?”

“Listen, she wasn’t doing that. And stop using words that are so unlike you!”

“I can’t believe you are supporting her even now!”

“I wasn’t supporting her. Stop introducing minor arguments in the conversation. God, you girls always do that!”

Anu stomped off in an unladylike fashion at that. She resolved never to talk to him again in her life.

The final semester rampaged across everyone’s time and there was not even a minute left to think or feel about what had happened. Three months later, an unfortunate headlong crash into his car eased matters to a certain extent. They could at least look at each other and let loose a smile from their otherwise rigid countenances, after that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And now, all I can do is just talk to Gautham about stuff like the Margazhi Kolam Contest or the special episode on the hydrological habits of amphibians. Funny, how your best friend turns into a stranger overnight. Funnier is how it doesn’t happen with thunderous blaring of horns and warning sirens. It just takes a silly argument blown out of proportion.

I scrubbed furiously at the non-existent stain on the table and stepped back to enjoy my handiwork. Anyone could eat right out of the table, it was so squeaky clean. But however, it failed to give me that satisfaction. I needed to do something else to shirk off the niggling feeling in my chest.

Paati looked up from the newspaper and smirked, “Unna inikki ponnu paaka varaala?” (Is a boy’s family coming over to see you, for alliance’s sake?)

I stilled and looked at her incredulously. I couldn’t believe she asked me that. I felt this innate urge to bring her down from where she was sitting. I gave voice to the horns and the forked tail that were trying very hard to sprout out.

“Illai, ennoda boyfriend varaan, Paati. Avanoda kujaals panna poren.” (No, my boyfriend’s coming over. I am going to have fun with him.)

“Boyfriend aa?” asked Paati, more surprised than traumatized.

“Aamaam. Saayangaalam varaan.” (Yes. He’s coming over this evening.)

“Anu, unnaala unnaiye manage pannikka mudiyaadhu. Boyfriend ellaam manage panriya? Parava illiye!” (Anu, you cannot deal with yourself. You’re actually able to manage a boyfriend? That’s impressive!)

Umm, err…Paati?

My tongue got stuck to the roof of my mouth as I stared mutely after her; she walked into the other room with a smile, to get a pen to solve the crossword puzzle in The Hindu. I didn’t know which one actually shut me up- Paati’s calm and yet caustic tenor or the high-pitched implication that I wouldn’t be able to manage any boyfriend(s).

So much for my promise that I would tie a noose around my tongue the minute it toed out of line; I quite forgot how Paati takes everything in her stride. A quip about kujaals with a boyfriend would hardly scandalize her in the least. Even a Bollywood (I hate to call it that, by the way) version of a rain-dance with the heroine wearing the most transparent of sarees (wonder why they even add the water shower when it is hardly necessary) and the hero looking at her from underneath a gazebo in the garden (forgive him, he is conveniently hydrophobic), would only serve the purpose of annoying Paati. On par with the level of a buzzing house-fly.

I flopped down on the couch, supremely dejected with life and its supplementary offers. Switching the TV on, I sagged back and idly played with the remote control.

“And we catch Gautham today-,” I sat bolt upright when the interviewer on TV continued with, “-on the onset of the audio release of his much awaited film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya…”

Twisting my mouth wryly, I wondered about my instinctive reaction. I might have tried putting my head inside the TV, if the interviewer had decided on a longer pause in the middle of his announcement.

Get a grip, it’s just a name. What’s the matter with me?

I couldn’t understand my thoughts or the direction they seemed to stray in. The best way to deal with the confusion, other than cleaning the whole house, seemed to lie in simply attempting to bury it deep down and pretend as if nothing happened. I was really tired of the surprises lurking at every corner I turned. I reclined further into the plush cushion and closed my eyes.

Just five minutes. And then I will rearrange my wardrobe. Five minutes…

Eons later, I woke up suddenly to the screech of brakes hit in the last minute on a slippery surface.

“Gaauuuthaaammmm….”

I sat up, instantly alert, wondering who screamed his name. My gaze fell on the TV and I fell back with a groan. A movie was going on; the actress was pleading with the actor to take it a bit rationally (typical).

“Gautham.. please, enakku bayama irukku. Please!!” (Gautham, please, I’m scared. Please!!)

Yeah right!

“Gautham, unnoda nooru varsham vaazhanum nnu aasai padaren. Please, purinjikko.” (Gautham, I want to live a hundred years with you. Please understand.)

Ah, jeez girl, you’ve got to be kidding right? Hundred is a number, not chocolate ice cream. You’d wish to have just led a life of severe austerities in the Himalayas all through that, when those hundred years are over. Gautham…God, this name seems to follow me everywhere!

I changed the channel…

“Gauthama Buddha found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree which is a holy…” The narrator was speaking enthusiastically in the documentary.

…and I promptly switched the TV off.

That Greek God... Part 7b

2010-01-12T22:13:00.002Z

I turned around for the millionth time and looked at the ceiling. I took some comfort in the familiar whirring sound of the fan. Such a simple life, a fan leads. It just has to keep whirling around, staying put in place. Apart from getting dizzy, it doesn’t seem to have any other problem and is quite happy to swing its blades in a circle.

I couldn’t understand myself or my thoughts. It was obvious. I had expected myself to be extremely ecstatic and jump over the moon when all the angels above finally answered my prayers. It could have been the shock of having been given, what I had asked for. Really? I wondered if something was wrong with me. How could the guy who seemed as delectable as the forbidden fruit earlier, appear as ordinary as a morning newspaper suddenly? I got up and started pacing the room. No wonder they say women are complicated. I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was nearly half past four in the morning. Needing a caffeine hit immediately to gear up the cogs in my mind, I decided to make do with instant coffee.

Opening the door, I peeped into the living room. It was pitch dark and I cursed Jahnavi with a thousand ultra-huge boils on her face for not keeping the incandescent lights on. She had wanted to study for a test in the other room and had promised to switch them on before she went to sleep. Clearly, she forgot and I sincerely hoped for three extra zits on her nose. I am terrified of darkness and would sell my soul before taking a walk through it. I took my mobile phone out and pathetically used it to light up the area as I walked forward, watching the floor. The throw of the light wasn’t enough to radiate a mosquito three feet away and that was how I ended up bumping into something really solid.

I was paralyzed with fear and my traitorous throat muscles worked down instead of up, leading me to gulp down rather than scream out. In the feeble light, I discerned the marauder to be Appa and he closed my mouth before I could scream in relief. He was dressed up for skiing. The only things missing were the gear and a pair of snow-goggles. He saw me look at him weirdly. It’s been a long time since I saw Appa at about 4:30 in the morning. Heck, I don’t even see him at breakfast anymore. I have it at about half past eleven in the morning, a few minutes after waking up, when everyone’s left for the day.

“I am going for my morning walk.” he explained.

“Ah, of course. But is Switzerland a kilometer away?”

“It’s December right now. And pretty cold outside. Don’t give me that talk. How many days has it been since you came down from the fifth floor anyway, Madame Princess? Sorry, should I say weeks?”

I muttered an apology under my breath and moved over to switch the lights on. I had to escape before he started off about my non-existent job early in the morning. Ushering him out quickly, I closed the front door after him. I made some coffee in the kitchen and was walking to my room when I heard a giggle emanate from the study. Jahnavi is not a morning person; wild horses wouldn’t be able to drag her to study or revise in the morning, however important the test is. And that surprised me, the fact that she was awake at this time.

I pressed my ear to the door. It was apparent that she was in a deep conversation with somebody on the other end of the phone line. I am basically not an eavesdropper. But certain circumstances pull out such instincts even in the most goody girl.

“..ha ha.. You can’t call that ‘love’. I am sure it’s just a brief infatuation...” Jahnavi was saying, with laughter in her voice.

Love? Who the heck is she talking to at this time in the morning? That is so unlike her.

I pushed the door open unceremoniously and she was so shocked to see me, it was almost funny. She immediately cut the call and put it by her side, nonchalantly.

“Who were you talking to?” I demanded. If she had asked me to mind my business at that moment, I would have had no choice but to do just that. But Jahnavi opted otherwise.

“I wasn’t talking to anyone. I was just setting a caller tune on my phone.”

“At this time of the day?”

She shrugged indifferently. I want to reassure you at this point that I don’t consider myself as the worldly know-it-all woman, but I am not a Kuyili from Kottaanpatti village either. It was obvious that she was lying. Curiosity reared its ugly head inside me and I had to find out who it was. I had to get hold of her mobile phone and only cheap tactics would work.

“Okay. Let’s get to bed. I haven’t slept through the night. You must have stayed up the whole night as well. You have a test today. Get a few hours sleep before starting for college.” I managed normally.

She agreed with me (Thank God for that) and picked her stuff up from the table. We settled down in the bedroom to sleep, my coffee forgotten in the study. The seconds ticked by painfully as I waited for Jahnavi to go into deep sleep. After nearly half an hour, during which I was highly strung up to fall asleep myself, I heard her breathe evenly. With a pang of guilt, I reached over for her mobile phone and checked the call log. I forgot to breathe for the second time that day. I recognized the number and the person.

It was Gautham who called her, who was talking with her about stuff like ‘love’, at 4:30 in the morning.

Gautham… My Gautham???

That Greek God...Part 7a

2010-01-12T22:04:00.001Z

“Yeah, come on in. I promise I’m not the serial killer who has been tossing young women into the incinerator.” said Karthik, with a wicked grin.

Awww, bless that dentist of his. Even the devil wouldn’t have such a perfect set of teeth.
On a serious note, I couldn’t believe the guy was actually sensitive to the tiniest of thoughts in my head. I wasn’t quite able to place the nagging sensation; but I could sense it share its basic trait with a shade of betrayal. I took a deep breath and stepped into the tastefully decorated apartment. I had been there before, to his aunt’s apartment. She had invited me over once, during Navrathri. But Karthik wouldn’t have known that.
The afternoon sun was softly hushed by the shades drawn across the French Windows. He invited me to take a seat by the coffee table and offered to get some water for us.

“My aunt loves thumbing through books on interior design. Every single thing in this apartment was personally collected by her.” he said, handing me a glass of cold water.

I smiled and took a sip from it. My insides were churning with a mixture of myriad emotions; nervousness coupled with an excitement and I was overwrought with tension. It was a wonder I kept my mouth shut firmly through it all. It felt like biting into a bar of rich dark chocolate without worrying about the extra calories- an aphrodisiac with no conditions attached; except that this was even better. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I tried to concentrate as he was explaining about the whole write-up and what he exactly wanted for the script.

“All the reading material is in my room. We can work there, if you don’t mind. This coffee table is hardly comfortable.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. It was like being given permission to enter Vaikuntam by the Dwaara-paalakas. He ushered me into his room and drew the shades back, allowing the light to come in through the window. It was the spare bedroom, sparsely furnished and I could see how much he had made himself at home with all his paraphernalia strewn about. To be honest, it looked like a disaster area, the only thing missing being the vultures scanning the zone to scavenge.

“Oh, my God, I’m really sorry; I thought the housekeeper would have cleaned my room by now.” He looked so embarrassed, I had to force myself not to giggle.

“I am guessing she didn’t.” I said before I could stop the words from tumbling out.

He gave me a wry look and raked his fingers through his hair. I had to admit that the guy had a gorgeous mane. It fell in endearing waves over his forehead and I had to drag my thoughts back to the untidy bedroom.

“At least, the table is decent enough to work on. Why don’t you start working while I get all this cleaned up?” he suggested.

I agreed and switched my laptop on. I sifted through the reading material as he finished shoving everything into the cupboard, closing it firmly, lest they should all fall off. My eyes fell on a framed picture on the table. Vichitra and Karthik were smiling into the camera and they both looked a tad bit younger. I realised that the niggling feeling in my mind bore its roots from there- that connection between them. I smiled sadly as I acknowledged that they actually looked so good together. That roused my curiosity and set in motion the chain of events thereafter, that I had no control over, whatsoever. I asked the question that put his cranial function into overdrive.

“So when are you two getting married?”

“Huh, what?”

“When’s the big day? I mean you and Vichitra.” I divulged the obvious auxiliary information in an effort to help him as he opened and closed his mouth like a confused fish.

“Sorry? I don’t get you. Did you just ask me if I was getting married?” he asked incredulously.

“No. The question was when. Wait a minute, did you say ‘if’?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, walking forward toward me.

I swung around in the chair and pointed at the photograph. He bent over across me as he reached out for the picture. His head was right above my shoulder and I forgot to breathe. He straightened up and looked at me amusedly.

“You thought we were getting married?”

“Did I say anything amusing? I don’t understand.”

“Ha, we are just friends. Vichitra and I. She’s getting married. You got that part right. But not to me.”

“Oh!”

He’s not getting married? No, he’s not. Definitely not!!

The whole world tilted around me as I tried to hoist myself out of the chair. I handled a weak smile while I desperately racked my brains to think of something intelligent to say. Karthik gave an encouraging nod and grinned back.

“So why would you think that we were going to get married?” he enquired curiously, clearly puzzled, I am sure, as to how his aunt could have such a whacko for a neighbour.

“I..umm… No. I just assumed, I guess.” I finished lamely. My mouth! How I wish I could detach it from the rest of my body and squish it, till it begged for mercy and promised to keep quiet. Like any typical guy, he took my answer at face value and didn’t question me any further. Ah, Thank God for that. If it had been a girl, my fate would not have been satisfied till it had seen me being plucked apart, pulled inside out, and giving answers to all the whys, whos and whats.
However, he continued regarding me with a strange glazed look. I fidgeted and cleared my throat. That broke his thoughts.

“Okay, so let’s get finished with all this work. We will have some coffee, later, huh?”

I couldn’t have agreed more. I was dying to get back home and just absorb the whole episode in; to have a decent reality check.

That Greek God... Part 6

2010-01-07T14:27:00.015Z

“I should get married… to at least beat this recession period.” Jahnavi quipped, crunching on some potato crisps.

Vidya and Supraja giggled in acquiescence, while Gautham glared at me. I ignored it religiously and continued pouring out the cool orange juice into the glasses set on the coffee table.

“Did your father decide to throw you out of the house to save on some monetary funds?” enquired Nakul in all amused gallantry.

Jahnavi ignored the jibe and caught on to the last embers of her statement with positive enthusiasm, “Actually if you all look at it, it’s quite a lucrative venture.”

Ending the conversation over his mobile phone with a tap to the end button, Shashwat grinned engagingly, “So how do you propose to go about it?”

“It’s very simple- find a millionaire and get married to him.” Jahnavi replied without batting an eyelid.

Nakul choked on his drink, “Machaan, she is the devil incarnate. No wonder, wise guys stay away from girls.”

Raising a brow at that, Gautham smirked, “As long as we have guys like you, girls like Jahnavi would definitely want such dim-witted millionaires in return for interludes of credit crunch, Wise Guy,” and he regarded me with a strange look, “Are you also looking for someone similar, Anu?”

“The answer is Veerappan.” Vidya intervened mischievously before I could say something.

A split second of stunned silence gave way to uncontainable guffaws from everyone. Apparently, I discovered, my friends were singularly determined to throw Veerappan into my already pathetic love-life at every possible turn.

I just couldn’t picture myself as the village belle who would come running (with arms outstretched on the sides) to the singular bus stop where the only bus for the day would somehow manage to drop off a very ecstatic Veerappan (who’s returned from the town). I would rather commit myself to third degree torture than scuttle screaming out, “Maaaaaammmmuuuuuuu”, at the end of which:

1. My vocal cords would have singed out on account of burning.
2. Director Bharathiraja would shout “Cut” and the shot be approved.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There is something logically paradoxical about walking down the streets of T Nagar a week before Diwali in the company of a younger sister who is persistently preoccupied with a mobile phone. Your best ally at combating the thronging crowds is lost to the rampant attraction of communication technology and you are left alone to claw through it all, at a pace which guarantees getting past one and a half people at a time.

Nearly three hours later, I managed to pull her out as she was using her spare arm to send a text message to someone.

“Cut it out!” Jahnavi complained distractedly.

“Do you even realise that a small kid wiped his gooey palms on your dupatta after finishing his candy bar?” I asked, completely irritated with her.

She whirled around with a shriek and dragged the end of her dupatta out. Her mobile phone fell down in the melee and blacked out. Juggling some heavy shopping bags, with her cell phone perched precariously between my fingers, I triumphantly pushed her toward the two-wheeler at the parking lot. Finally!!

“You’re going to ride now and I am going to sit behind you.” I announced menacingly.

Grumbling about the tyrannies unleashed by older sisters, she keyed the engine to life and waited till I hopped on. I would never forget the journey back home…

The bike protested sadly as it wheezed forward in the traffic. We were trying to convince Appa to donate the relic to the Madras Museum. Appa, however, was under the firm conviction that the “antique” would fetch us our own feature in a newspaper supplement. I am surprised it had not even made front page news already for holding up traffic even when the entire road held only a bullock cart for competition.

“Hey girls!...” I turned around as my thoughts were interrupted. “…do you need some towing with that archaeological stuff?” sneered a heartrending excuse for a monochromic grizzly bear, right next to my ear.

“Why yes, you jerk. Why don’t we have a little discussion over it, if you manage to survive this?” jeered Jahnavi and gave a quick twist to the handlebars of his bike. Distracted, the guy ended up banging into the car in the front. I never knew if he managed to survive the consequences. But my ears having been subjected to a steady onslaught of abuses and curses surging unreservedly out of Jahnavi’s mouth, started bleeding and by the time we stopped at the next traffic signal, I was numb with exhaustion.

I spotted a brilliantly coloured tropical bird a few feet away and wondered if the migration season was on. The bird shrugged its bright plumes and scratched its eyes with a couple of grubby fingers. Wait a minute, did I say fingers? Yes, I did and out of that radiant plumage, ladies and gentlemen, emerged the most spectacular chunk of solid rock that I had ever seen. It turned around, bared its teeth to grin at me and then I realised I was staring into Veerappan’s doleful eyes.

Jahnavi narrowed her eyes when she saw him. Turning around, she smiled painfully.

“Anu, did you see him?” she enquired.

“I did. Just now.” I replied back weakly. It is as if he is the highest paid actor in my blog. He turns up in every act.

“He has been stalking for quite some time now. I noticed him in the rear view mirror. I will handle this.”

Flailing her hands out, she beckoned him to come over to the edge of the road on our side. The lights turned green and we parked under a tree. He maneuvered his two- wheeler slowly in our direction and came to a stop with a wide smile on his face.

He was the first chicken that I had seen which was at its happiest on its way to a slaughterhouse. You shouldn’t misunderstand me, but Jahnavi finds her peace of mind when she gives her voice some space.

“Veerappan, what were you doing?” she began, without a preamble.

“Hi, Anu, I am sorry, I don’t know your sister’s name.” he smiled genially. I almost felt sorry for him.

“That is not necessary,” she snapped, “You were stalking us. Yes or no?”

“I… what?" he spluttered, not yet comprehending that a single word would trigger my boiling sister off at this point. Believe me; I have been at the receiving end.

“Was that a yes or a no?” Jahnavi snarled. I could see she was ready to bite his head off, however awful it tasted.

“Listen, I think you must be mistaken.” he tried in a complacent tone and I heard the Saavu Melam (Funeral Song) at a distance, but approaching us steadily.

“I will tell you who’s been mistaken. What do you think of yourself? Periya pancha-varna kili ya? Don’t you have any sense? Anu doesn’t know how to say no. But I do. So stop following her. Do you get me?”

Tapping her foot impatiently, she waited till he assimilated her outburst. When he didn’t speak for a second or so, she pounced on him. This time, I detached myself from the group and scanned the road for an auto rickshaw.

She continued giving her voice-box a powerful work out for a full ten minute phase after which she took a brief sabbatical. Two curious by-standers approached her and asked if there was any problem. A several danda naka-danaku nakas later, they beat a hasty retreat and I speculated if I had to bribe Veerappan to get out of the place before Jahnavi attempted homicide. I turned around to interrupt her when I noticed the emotion on Veerappan’s face. It seemed spine-chillingly familiar. He was wiping the sweat off his brow and a cigarette packet was peeping out of the pocket in his yellow jacket. Bringing myself back, to the sonic boom, I caught traces of Jahnavi’s hollering venture.

“…yes, that! So why do you smoke? Is it because your favourite actor Vijay smokes? Can’t you read English? Doesn’t every cigarette packet carry a statutory warning? You not only want to go down voluntarily, but want to pull us down along with you. How can you be so selfish…”

I then knew that Jahnavi had gone too far this time and I had to stop her. It all clicked at the same time in my mind. You never ask a guy to quit smoking. Never, ever! That is the most fundamental rule to be followed. Any breach of that rule would have the guy thinking you cared for him.

Now I understood the wealth of feeling on Veerappan’s face- a look of absolute, honest adulation; for Jahnavi. The same look that he had before dropping down to a knee at my feet.

Of puppy love and true love…

That Greek God... Part 5

2009-08-23T14:19:00.014+01:00

“I’m sure you’re mistaken.” Jahnavi said scornfully, annoyed with my comprehensive funeral song.

“I’m not. They are getting married. They have shopped so much. Vichitra told me herself.” I wailed.

I blew noisily into the n^thtissue that she handed over and mopped my nose in an unladylike fashion. Sniffling pathetically, I stared out of the window. My love life had ended even before it had begun.

“How can this happen to me? It’s not fair!” I wrung out melodramatically.

“Phew, cut the drama di. Seri, let’s get this clear. So you think this Vichitra is getting married to Karthik, right? Well, then it’s good; because you have a Veerappan in your life. Simple!!”

“*&**U&&*(*^ %$^^*&*(**%#@%**&*^)^&%&^*).... ”

“Alright, alright, chill!! I couldn’t resist that.” she said, tongue in cheek.

Yeah! Whatever…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was sneaking out a spoonful of chocolate ice cream from the refrigerator when the doorbell rang. I nearly dropped some of the precious stuff. Seconds later I most definitely did when Amma yelled my name out and came over searching for me. The mess created on the floor wouldn’t have attracted her attention except that I made it a point to fashion hills, plateaus and plains out of it as I chased a small dicey glob around hoping to salvage at least that.

“Anu, what are you doing? I had swabbed the kitchen just a few hours back. You had to put your stamp on that, didn’t you?”

Amma swatted my hands away irritably and proceeded to wipe the physical map off the tiles.

“Someone has come looking for you. A weird boy…Why do you make such friends anyway?”

Frowning, I walked into the living room to see who it was. Paati and Veerappan were eyeing each other like a pair of opposing gladiators in Circus Maximus. I could almost hear the swords clashing to the cheer of the general crowd. Jahnavi stood on the other side, her jaw hung open.

Veerappan has that effect on people. One would wonder if he somehow missed the normal course of evolution and landed directly in his current avatar. His resemblance to the most perspicacious of the ape family in the antediluvian era is remarkable. Privately, I think it is to do with his facial expression; a permanent fixture of a “Thinking Man” gone horribly wrong.

All the three of them registered my presence at the same time. Veerappan appended a huge grin to his hominoidal self, much to the disgust of Paati. Jahnavi rolled her eyes deprecatingly and retreated into the study.

“Paati, idhu ennoda friend Veerappan. Veerappan, meet Paati.” I introduced them to each other.

Paati nodded and moved away. I invited him to sit on the couch and occupied the seat on the other side.

“Veerappan! What are you doing here?” I hissed. I saw Paati occupy a chair at the dining table with steely resolve. She spread open the newspaper and I had a strong sense of foreboding. Thank God!! His back is to the dining table.

“Anu, you had left your purse at the café. I don’t think you noticed that.”

“Oh! Thank you so much. It’s got my movie tickets inside.”

I took the purse from him with a grudging sense of gratitude. I didn’t know what to say after that. You don’t meet the guys again; the ones whom you reject. You just say no, and flee the scene.

“Anu, why did you do a runner on me like that?” he asked miserably.

I grew impatient, “You said you wanted to talk about something really important. And you asked me out. What else did you expect me to do?”

“I really like you. Why are you so worried about accepting that?”

“You had asked Vidya out just last month. Are you crazy?”

Even if it is not for Vidya, I will never say yes to you, you moron!!

He cleared his throat, “Adhu vera. Idhu vera.” (That's different. This is different.)

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“Adhu puppy love, idhu true love. (That's puppy love, this is true love.)” he said smugly.

OMG!!! Where is he from?? The shooting set of a 1970s movie??

Paati shifted in her chair and I caught sight of her scrutinizing the whole scenario with narrowed eyes, from behind the newspaper. I knew curiosity did not provoke this. This arose more from the fact that a certain Veerappan was sitting in front of me.

“Listen Veerappan, I would prefer it if you just left now. I have already told you I am not interested. Please don’t make this more difficult for either of us.” I said firmly.

He sighed resignedly.

“Anu, you seem to be pretty disturbed now. I will meet you later.”

Finally!!

He got up and walked towards the front door. I tagged along to close the door after him. Turning around suddenly, he raised his brow.

“By the way, I saw you getting into the guy’s car after the traffic policeman let you go. Do you know him?”

“What?”

“Solli vei. Indha Veerappan kku adhu ellam pidikaadhu. Varata?” (Tell him. This Veerappan doesn't like stuff of that kind. I will be back.)

I closed the door behind him and leaned on it tiredly. What a day!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Pera paaru. Veerappan… Soorappan nnu. Edhukku vandhanaam? (Look at his name. Veerappan… Soorappan… why did he come?) ” Paati asked grouchily.

“I had forgotten my purse when I met my friends today. He returned it back.”

Smiling maliciously, Jahnavi munched on a slice of apple.

“Oh, was that all that he came for?” she quipped quietly.

I snarled, “Chumma iru. Paati kku paambu kaadhu.” (Shut your mouth. Paati’s got the ears of a snake.)

Paati continued, “Avanum, avanoda thalaiyum. Seriyana paraka vetti pola irukkan. Avanoda Amma Appa avan kitta endhum solla maataala??” (Look at him and his head. He looks like an idiot. Don’t his parents tell him anything at all?)

“His family is cool, Paati.” Jahnavi grinned cheekily.

“Enna cool? Yaarukkume micham vekkame, ella kuppaiyum avanoda thalai la pottundu sutharaan. Adhaan cool aa? (What is cool? He’s carrying around all the trash in this world on that stupid head of his without leaving anything for the rest of us over here. And that’s cool?) ” she retorted.

Jahnavi and I burst into giggles.

“Paati, nee solradhe ellam avan kitta poi sollidava? (Shall I tell him that you’ve been saying all this??)” Jahnavi asked innocently. Kedi!!

“Chumma iru di. Nee vera. Avane oru Rowdy maadhri irukkan. Apram, Maayaandi Muniyandi nnu adi aalu azhachindu vara poran.” (Keep quiet. He looks like a rowdy alright. He might bring in a Maayaandi and a Muniyandi for beating us all up.)

Both of us collapsed into fits of laughter.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To be cont…

That Greek God... Part 4b

2009-08-18T03:32:00.017+01:00

Karthik was apparently acquainted with Mr. Murugan, the fat traffic policeman. Oh, don’t ask how. I don’t even want to know. A few shoulder thumps, handshakes and a million grunts later, Mr. Murugan finally let us go.

“Always, carry a license with you.” he advised seriously.

We nodded in acquiescence and pulled our bike out. Jahnavi seemed to be in a hurry to get out of the place. I had changed my mind. I mentally gave Mr. Murugan permission to catch me how many ever times he wanted to for violation of traffic rules, as long as Karthik bailed me out of trouble.

I gaped at Karthik dreamily. It was a criminal offence for a guy to be this handsome. He abruptly came into my visual focus.

“Anu? Are you girls okay?” he enquired gently.

“Huh?? Uhh.. yeah. Of course. We are okay. Thank you so much for helping us out. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“Ahh, that’s nothing. Anything to help my athai’s two beautiful neighbours.” he teased.

I blushed on cue and could feel my feet develop tiny wings; ready to let me glide a few inches above ground.

Jahnavi started the vehicle and looked worriedly at me.

“Anu, I don’t think I have time to drop you back home. I am already late for my extra class. Can you take an auto rickshaw?”

“Why do you have to take an auto rickshaw? I am going home right now. I’ll take you.” Karthik intervened.

This time my heart soared, breached the cosmos and levitated at an infinite distance.

“Oh, that would be great. Thanks a lot Karthik. Is that okay, Anu?”

“I will be absolutely fine. You carry on”

I could hear A. R. Rahman’s romantic medley in the BG.

I waved Jahnavi off and walked over to his car. He opened the rear door for me and I got into the sleek machine. The BG reached a crescendo and teetered on the edge, when it suddenly crashed.

Vichitra, who had been sitting in the front turned around to smile at me. Karthik got in behind the wheel and introduced us to each other.

“Vichitra, meet Anu, my athai’s neighbour. Anu, meet Vichitra; she is with Sarvam, the theatre group. You must have heard about her. She’s one mean director, trust me.”

“Karthik!” she protested, “He’s just trying to make it sound bad. I am not that stringent.”

Their playful joust brought a smile to my face even though I was feeling weird inside. Karthik keyed the car to life and we started.

We stopped at Vichitra’s house to drop her off.

“Karthik, would you open the car boot please? I need to get all those bags out.” she purred.

I got out of the car for courtesy’s sake and watched as they both hauled gigantic shopping bags out from the boot. Vichitra dropped several and I bent down to pick them up. Somehow, we managed to take them all inside and Vichitra thanked me profusely.

“Wow, that was some shopping.” I said without thinking.

“Yeah, it’s my wedding. I’m allowed to, right?” she giggled and winked at him.

I suddenly lost all sensation. The place around me was abuzz with activity and yet I felt so unconnected. It was as if someone threw a massive bubble-wrap around me; enveloping me in its vacuum.

Handing over a few bags to Karthik, she reminded him, “Those are yours Karthik. How can you forget?”

Karthik and I strolled back to where he had parked his car. Somehow I don’t remember the rest of the journey home.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To be cont…