Stars in my backyard - 2

Friday

6:42 p.m.

           If you think this world is the most ideal place to live in, then I might have something different to tell. This guy Krish, who is lying down there, is a victim of this society bathed in heinous crime and vicious people. Selfish people who loves to complain the government about bad roads and at the same time never cares about littering their neighborhood. He never believed me when I warned him about the darker side of this world. He used to mock me saying, "Stop it Phantom !! don't be so pessimistic !!"   

            For them, we are a group of maniacs living on our own agenda. They categorize people with logical values, as eccentric guys. They brand them as 'depressed souls' and they fail to understand that, one way or another, they had been responsible for our unprecedented melancholy. Krish was never like this, until he saw the true color of his fellow men. 

               "it was a Monday morning and you can pretty much understand how we would have felt. We were too reluctant to start our day, but still we pushed ourselves to move on. Our mornings are usually spent in Aachi mess with the aroma of idlies making our mouths to water. Soon we realized that aroma and taste were two different entities that never goes hand in hand. Idlies were so awful that we had to swallow in chunks, with a sugary sambar to dip in. 

                    it wasn't the idlies or the samber that kept us so loyal to the mess, but it was her. Mrs. Geetha, the mess owner, who was so kind enough to give us credit that ran deep. She was a plump woman in her early fifties and often carried her best smile, with giant kumkum on her forehead. Every morning she never forgets to advice us, "nalla padikanum kannu" (study well!!) On that day, I was itching to comment on her idlies, but Krish pinched me to shut my mouth.

                     The sky was cloudy with humidity levels soaring up and sweat trickling down Krish's face. An elderly lady with a straw bucket full of jasmine garlands was at our mess doorstep.She was all geared up for her day's business. with a small box filled with bundles of green twine and a rusty blade. Every morning she used to offer a garland at the small Ganesha statue that sits under the banyan tree across the road. 

                         Today was no exception, with the jasmine garland in her hand, she was halfway across the road, before which the hands dropped the flowers and went on to grab her head. Only then we realized that she was about to pass out. Before our reflexes could sense the gravity of the situation, a speeding van stuck her. The impact was loud that she was thrown away a good 20 feet. There was a deafening silence which seemed to engulf everyone on the road.

                         We ran towards the slowly mushrooming crowd and we had to wriggle to move past them. The old lady lay motionless with her arms twisted at an awkward angle. Slowly, a pool of blood was masking the tar road. Krish went near the lady and turned her head. Her temples were wet with blood and she gave a deep sigh with her eyes rolling upwards. That's when someone from the crowd,

" Thambi !! Don't touch her !! It's an accident and we've to wait for the police to come by" (1st guy)

"We don't 've time for that, the longer we wait, we're likely to lose her" said Krish.

"Can anyone call the ambulance?? " (2nd guy)

"It's 108!!" (mumbled the 3rd guy) 

     No one seemed to be responding, except being spectators. I could see that Krish was losing his head now and the sight of blood gave me a dizzy feeling. With the old lady resting in his lap, he flicked his mobile phone, but to his horror, the phone had no charge in it.  

"aayyyy !!! you are getting into unnecessary trouble. If she dies, you will spend the rest of your life shuttling between the courts and the police station!!" (4 th guy)

"She isn't dead !! we can't leave her like this!! Can someone call the ambulance or at least help me to carry her to my college hospital ??" pleaded Krish.

     No one gave a damn to Krish. There was a steady murmur in the crowd and the old lady was losing her blood rapidly. I could see that in Krish's blue shirt, it was turning dark now. Krish could feel her blood close to his heart, begging him to do something, that's when an autorickshaw came near to us. The driver helped us to carry her to his auto,

"Anna, please go fast, her pulse is feeble. VSB medical college, anna !! Take the first left from the bridge and then on to your second left.... "  trembled Krish.

       The auto driver signaled to tell us, that he knows the place. The auto shrieked, jolting us with the vibrations and it began its ride with the three of us into the busy traffic. 

        "Just when we thought we had hope, things took a dramatic turn in our college hospital. We had the lady in the stretcher and rushed her in the corridor. A male nurse came from no where to stop us. He had a hand on the stretcher to prevent us from going further.

"Accident?? is the police here??" asked the male nurse.

"We're losing her. can you alert the nus station about the trauma case??" shouted Krish.

"Nothing doing. We can't take her in.. you are a student! don't you know that we can't handle such cases without the proper consent from the police?? take her away"  said the guy, still holding the stretcher.

"Fuck your shitty procedures, Don't you see she is dying here?? I'll be fucking responsible if something happens" yelled Krish.

            The whole hospital was watching the acrimonious duel between Krish and the staff. The lady at the reception rapidly punched the nos. at her phone. Every now and then, Krish was feeling for the pulse in her, and he was losing hope. Soon, a middle aged doctor with a pot belly came towards this commotion.

"What the hell is happening here? Don't you people understand this is a hospital?? we've patients here !! " said the doctor.

"Professor, this lady met with a accident and she has a head injury. We need to treat her but no one seemed to understand the gravity of this. Please professor admit her, please !!" pleaded Krish.

       Meanwhile, the male nurse whispered to the doctor and the doctor nodded his head in approval of that.

"I see your concern but we can't treat her here. She needs to be taken to a government hospital. Your a second year student and you have to get through a lot. So I'm advising you to stay away from this." said the doctor.

"what?? why do you need a government hospital?? what are we then?? " shrieked Krish. 

"Are you nuts?? are you going to ruin your career for a stranger, who is going to die?? shouted the doctor.

               I could sense that the situation was way beyond my control and Krish was going crazy. He chuckled,

"Screw your fucking degree" yelled Krish and we moved out of the hospital towards our auto driver.

                    The auto driver promised that he would take us to the nearby government hospital. Krish sensed something wasn't right and I could see that in the old lady's face. She was turning pale and there was no warmth in her body. Her eyes opened wide enough to look at us. We felt something for the first time in our lives, a soul leaving the body. She was calm with her eyes half open and dried blood near her temples. 

                   The auto came to a halt by Krish's shrill cry. He was sobbing and tears were rolling down. We have lost a soul in our hands, something which could have been avoided. We killed her by our fellow men's fucking attitude. The whole auto seemed to be filled with Krish's cry and the fragrance of jasmine. The driver turned towards us and said,

"This is an ugly world and its definitely not for her " 

7:22 p.m.

                     Krish was never the same after that accident. Even though she was a total stranger, the sorrow left him with a void. Before he could recover from it, he had to pick up a brawl with Mahesh in the cafeteria. When I had things under control for him, his dad had other plans. I know how it feels, when someone like your dad, whom we have been idolizing all our years does something shit like this. This is world is sick. Hang on.. I guess, Krish is waking up,

"Krish!! Krish!! are you alright bro??"

                      His eyes looked bloodshot and the eyelids were half closed, he was trying to look at me. He was constantly swallowing and his Adam's apple moved rhythmically.

"I'm all good man, but my mind is fucked up" said Krish.

"I can see that bro. The driver was fucking true, this world isn't for us!!" and I hugged him.

"Let's go somewhere where we can meet some real people. What do you reckon?? Shall we ?? asked Krish.

                      I nodded my head and we both moved towards our balcony. The city looked electrifying with million lights and a buzz of traffic. We stood there watching the horizon in front of us. A world where people were doomed by hatred and spreading the sickness. They consider us as psychic and if we don't leave this place, in few years time we would be filled hatred. Krish smiled at me and I stepped on to the steel grill of our balcony. The cool air blew across our faces to welcome our new journey and we jumped into the new world that was waiting for us.

Epilogue:

          The auditorium was quiet except for the group of press reporters occupying the first row of the hall. In few minutes time, there was a buzz in the hall. The Principal of VSB college and the Inspector of Police entered the hall and without the slightest hesitation, they jumped onto the diaz. The Principal was not happy to see his college to be flooded with media and press. That was the last thing he needed at this stage with his retirement in few months time. With a stern face, he gave the sheet of paper to the inspector. The inspector then began his address,

         "It's a moment of grief and agony for all of us. Last night, one of the med students from VSB Medical College, Mr.Krish committed suicide by jumping from the seventh floor of men's hostel in the campus. The hostel guard had seen him standing on the balcony grill a few minutes before he made his jump. It is said that Krish had shown signs of mental disorderliness in the last couple of days.

           He had been found talking to himself on most occasions and his friends have ascertained this. As per the Dean's statement, it is highly likely that he could have created an imaginary friend to fight his solitude and anguish. There has been no suicide note left in his room, but the walls of his room had been scribbled with a name called 'Phantom'. We are assuming that he named his altar ego or his so called friend to be 'Phantom'.

            The body has been sent for postmortem and we've informed his dad about his suicide. Once the report comes, we will have a clear evidence on his death." said the Inspector and he began to move outside with the reporters stalking him like a fox for some more blood and gore. In the mean time, the sky outside grew dark for a shooting star to began its journey into a horizon.

                                         ----------------------------------------------------
 
                 
               

                


   

                    

                       

Stars in my backyard - 1

Friday

3:36 p.m

        The room appears to be silent, which is quite unusual for its occupants. Martin Scorsese was smiling at us from the huge wall poster that was stuck in the faded beige wall. A small cot occupied most of the space available in the tiny room and Krish was lying on the mattress. He is a second year med student in VSB medical college. He is just another typical guy whom you are likely to find among the millions in our country.
     
          He was staring at the ceiling with his arms and legs positioned like Leonardo da vinci's-Vitruvian Man. He has been waging a battle in his mind with a high tide of emotions. He talks to me every now and then, to discuss his issues, but often he tends to go inside a shell. Today, he has promised me that he would vent out and so I'm here to listen to him. I'm Phantom, his room mate and I've another name too (which isn't really important now).

'Still staring at the ceilings, Krish ??"

'Sorry man. I didn't realize that you were here. I feel like talking to you, man' said Krish.

'I'm all ears,bro. Hope you have got something to say'

'Yaa.. yaa man. No games and I'm dead serious this time'. said Krish and he was staring at his knuckles to begin his story.

        'I'm pretty much sure that you are the right person to share... nope.. confess my last two days. There has been a series of events occurring during the last two days and it has left a void in me. Before bringing the events into light, I would like to tell you something interesting. Most of my friends in the college call me a nerd, because of my ideas and visions. You know about me, I'm not the stereotypical guy and my rationale is put to shame when I find people wrapped up in themselves. They call me a jerk, geek and all terminologies found in the vocabulary to degrade me'. 

          'Do you think, I look like an eccentric guy?? To be honest, I don't 've a charming or a pleasing look either. I'm a typical guy, who thinks that every girl that passes him is beautiful. What's your go about that, Phantom??' asked Krish.

'You mean the girl or your eccentricity. I was just kidding, I don't think you look like a nerd but....'

'I know what you mean Phantom, the other day I came home with a broken cheek bone. Is that what you are saying??" said Krish.

I nodded my head in agreement and Krish chuckled. He sighed heavily as if preparing for a lengthy speech and he narrated the event behind that bruise

            'All the conventional or the so called symptoms of a normal guy have been slowly wading away from me in the last couple of days.They (supposed to be my friends) told me that I'm behaving in a weird manner. Let me tell you something that happened at my cafeteria on Wednesday (day before yesterday), which will give you a rough idea.

It was just another day at my college cafeteria with students buzzing all over. Couple of my friends and myself were occupying the table at the corner of the dinning hall. It has become an unwritten rule and we were squatting that place. The chit chat began with our assignments, anatomy lectures and our mockery about the guy, who passed out at the sight of a cadaver ('cadaver' means dead bodies).

              Everything was so good and seemed so hilarious until one of my friends, Mahesh passed a remark about a girl.

"Did you see that girl in yellow salwar ?" said Mahesh.

"Are you talking about the voluptuous one or the gal over the phone?" said Sebastian.

"hahaha.. You have a craving for buxom clad ladies,!!! My man, you are right, it's her" said Mahesh

"What's interesting about her, bro? did you screw her?? said Mahesh 

"you mean fuck her?? no way!!! I saw her hanging out with our bio chemistry lab technician" and Mahesh chuckled. 

" aaahhhhhh!! now I know how she made  20 in her pracs (practicals).. Holy shit, man !!! What do you think she would 've done to him" said Sebastian.

         All my rage came pouring in when Mahesh made a vulgar reply to Sebastian and the whole crowd erupted in laughter. I could tell from the stares across our tables, that the comment would 've reached many ears. All I could manage was a single comment that was implosive in nature.

"Do you want to hear about your sister Rekha's dirty secret??" 

            Everyone fell silent, before Mahesh in an anxious tone,

"what the fuck are you talking about?? shouted Mahesh.

"About Rekha, your cute little sister. If you guys are interested I'll show something kinky about her? 

             That's when I realized a blow has landed right across my cheek bone. Mahesh was all over me, swearing and trying to wrestle with me. Soon, everyone came around to watch us bleed. Sebastian pulled me out of the brawl and he had to literally drag me out of the hall. With the sick taste of blood in my mouth, I was trying to stroke my swollen cheek and Sebastian came near me,

"Are you nuts? asshole !! why the hell did you talk to him like that??" asked Sebastian.

"why not??"  

"Because it's her sister. Don't we all know about her?"

 I laughed, "Don't you people realize that even the girl you were mocking is someone's sister???"

I could see the reaction in Sebastian's face, full of fury and defeat.

"you are a fucking freak, Krish !!"

                 'Now you know why I have a swollen cheek and a cut lip' said Krish and he began to search his anatomy textbook. I knew what he was after, something that I've been hiding away from him.

                                                            ------------------------------

5:52 p.m.

               Krish was humming a song with all smiles and I could sense what's happening in him. The amphetamine is doing all tricks in his brain. If you are a med student, its not difficult to find such drugs. Krish has told me a lot about it, how students take drugs to suppress anxiety, but I've seen the worse side of that drug. Last time, he couldn't find it, but on this time he was clever enough to find it out my hiding place. Damn !!

"Phantommm !! what's bothering you man ??" asked Krish.

"It's you man, you, asshole !!. I've been warning you, not to use that bloody drug, but you never listened to me. You fucking asshole !!"

"Yeah! Yeah!! stop it man. I'm not listening to you" shouted Krish.

"Do you know something, tomorrow is your birthday! your dad has sent a gift for you, Krish. You are on to fucking drugs" and I gave him the gift wrapped bundle to him. Krish hesitated to get the gift from me and his palms slowly began clapping,

"Birthday gift from dad!! great !! great !!" chuckled Krish.. "I wouldn't touch it man. Its full of sin and its sickening to see that. Throw that  away, Phantom!!" shrieked Krish.

"What's now?? you can't be complaining about everything. I'm seriously annoyed with you man".

"Yeah, Phantom !! Do you know when a son hates his dad??" asked Krish.

           "Do you remember the last time I went to my home, that's when I found out, why he wanted me in a hostel. It was his birthday and I thought I would throw him a surprise without realizing the nightmare waiting for me" whispered Krish.

            "Our house was never the same, after my mom's demise. No matter how elegant or expensive the furniture were, it always bore a deserted look. I was across the hall and I saw a school bag lying on the couch. It was half open with few textbooks scattered aimlessly. I picked one of the books and it was labelled as 'Sheila X- A'. That's when I heard a loud laughter from upstairs and I could definitely tell that it was my dad's.

              I climbed the stairs all the way towards his room. His door was half open and I could hear a woman's voice. I pushed it open to witness the sickness staring at me. I saw a girl with a bare back on top of my dad in his bed."

"Fuck! fuck ! fuck!" yelled Krish.

"Can you believe it, Phantom?? My dad is a pervert, who fucks 16 year old girls. Shit man!! shit!! shit !! said Krish with silent tears rolling down".

 I felt like giving him a hug, but I couldn't do it. I never had the courage to go near him and all I did was watch him sobbing. A little later he passed out, with a trickle of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.

                                                      ---------------------------------------    
           

Friday

6:42 p.m.

           If you think this world is the most ideal place to live in, then I might have something different to tell. This guy Krish, who is lying down there, is a victim of this society bathed in heinous crime and vicious people. Selfish people who loves to complain the government about bad roads and at the same time never cares about littering their neighborhood. He never believed me when I warned him about the darker side of this world. He used to mock me saying, "Stop it Phantom !! don't be so pessimistic !!"   

            For them, we are a group of maniacs living on our own agenda. They categorize people with logical values, as eccentric guys. They brand them as 'depressed souls' and they fail to understand that, one way or another, they had been responsible for our unprecedented melancholy. Krish was never like this, until he saw the true color of his fellow men. 

               "it was a Monday morning and you can pretty much understand how we would have felt. 

          (more in  the sequel of stars in my backyard - 2)

Her wedding :) :)

             Do you want to hear a story?? A story with no blood sheds; full of vibe and color; a happy ending, then this is it, it’s your day. This story is about me and my better half. A vivid account of our marriage, for those who missed the fun and love. Sit back and enjoy it.

 The chapel stood tall in a majestic tone among st the tall canopies of trees. It housed the European architecture with arched doorways and windows that rose from the floors. The large stone piers with flying buttresses enabled large spaces despite the huge pillars that were erected to support this mighty structure. Everything about this place looks so good today. I have been passing through this Chapel every day, but not once I felt like this.

 The blue waters, the dusky brown ducklings and the lone bench that was full of birds’ droppings were all a part of my festive mood. People with happy faces dotted the Chapel, making animated conversations to showcase joy. Perhaps, I had a bigger reason to celebrate this day. Finally, it was time for us to take our relationship to next level. After a series of clamor from our folks, I whispered in her ears,

“Will you marry me, Renu???”

            Wonderful moments etched in my memory lane, I walk towards the mud cloaked Chapel. People were gathered outside, waiting for my arrival. The tinge of green along with the weeds looked poised to join our wedding function. The gravel beneath my toes gave way to our era. Like I said, everything is so good today. Nothing can be more blissful than Renu. I could see her dressed up in an elegant line one shoulder lace up white gown and holding a bouquet of white roses

.

            “That would be the most beautiful thing in my life”

            I still remember the single tear that stood in her left eye, when she said that. She is the type of a girl, who can steal every minute of yours. At times, I wonder if she could be a portrait with her sculpted looks. Not often, you find someone designed with such artistic beauty. With her gloved hands on top of mine, we enter the chapel, to be welcomed by the rose petals. Two little girls clad in rosy pink frock marched in front of us.

            We stood close to each other, with our shoulders brushing and occasional tiny glances to catch each one’s smile. Her elbows safely tugged in mine, we looked at the priest awaiting for the wedding vows. The priest looked small in his brown cassock and smiled at us with shyness. In a swift motion, he opened his leather book to recite the verses for us.

           (We have come together in the presence of God and these witnesses to see this lovely couple, Renu and Re…….)

            When my name was read out, I felt as if this was a fairy tale. I don’t want someone to pull my covers and say this was a dream. This isn't a dream and I can feel her sweet smell. I don’t believe in miracles but sometimes when things happen, your intellectuals are being put to test. Often, I tend to have a feeling of two different souls within me. One who accepts everything and anything, while the other wants to rebel for every damn shit.

            (….loving marriage. If these solemn vows which you are about to make are kept faithfully, your marriage will surely prosper ……)  

Being a tough nut, I don’t show emotions, but still it was one such day, when my other side was exposed. Alone in my room, clung to my lone pillow, waiting for the tears to burst out, but found the first miracle in my life. It was Renu’s comforting hand around my waist and a whisper close to my ears.

“Cry on my shoulders, and I’ll keep it safe for no one to see”

I knew it was the moment, we’ve been waiting for, the trust and faith in each other. While I was sobbing, her hug cozied me to discover each other’s secrets. It took me a while to regain my senses and bring my mind back to the priest’s words.

            (Please place your ring on Regina’s third finger of her left hand and repeat these words:

I (Renu) give to Regina, this ring as a symbol commitment to love, honor, and respect you with all that I’m always.

Having heard the vows you have made to each other, and by the power vested in me by the Parish; I solemnly endorse the wonderful women, Renu and Regina as couples.)

            She gave the final endorsement to our marriage by her sweet kiss, ‘love you, Regina!!!’

Author's note:

         After this blog, I'm pretty much sure that I'm going to get weird glances or faces from my friends (especially guys). I never had a deliberation to write on LGBT (precisely, gay marriage) but, so much went on my mind, to approach a guy or girl who wasn't straight in their sexual behavior. Surprisingly, I found the girl to be more of an extrovert and ready to discuss about this. The whole narration happened over a cup of coffee, in fact, I even felt, she should be the one writing this. After her consent, I decided to capture her emotions and her portrayal. 

             Perhaps, that's why you might find most things girly in this. Eventually, I realized they had a different world and never cared being a gay (of course, gay has another meaning being happy)

Superman

 “Appa!! Superman is wonderful!!! He can fly across oceans!!!”

“Hmmm.. what else can he do??”asked my dad.

“He is big and strong. He thrashes the enemies and tears them apart… boom! Boom! Bang! Bang!”

“Hahaha..” he smiles and folds the newspaper in crisp folds. 

“You know something, appa!!! He is very brave and can save people from danger. I wonder how he could do that. He flies across the sky without wings.. and.. “ began my animated conversation, with my fists pumping and small eyes bulging in my sockets.

My dad was listening to me calmly as if hearing this story for the first time, but we both knew that we have been doing this every evening after my school.  Every time I said this story, he travelled with me with unabated enthusiasm.

“Appa! Just imaging flying like Superman!!! We can move like birds singing through the canopies!!! How fascinating would that be???”

He was staring at me, but he was in a pensive mood. I saw that in his face with his tightly pressed lips. “Well! Do you want to fly?” smiled my dad.

“ Are you serious, appa???  Can you do that???”

            The next moment I was sitting on my dad’s lap holding the bars of his Kinetic Honda. The bars of the rear view mirrors pointing in both directions felt strong in my little palms. I felt like soldier holding the turret in a canyon. The small vehicle struggled initially but soon gave its thunderous sigh and coughed up smoke from its grease stained exhaust. He adjusted his traditional ‘veshti’ and looked at me,”Polamma???” (Shall we go???)

My palms were sweaty and excitement ran in every cell of mine. My eye lashes came down signaling my dad, I was all set to experience this new ride.

            The throttle in my dad’s arms pushed the vehicle forward, to herald a new experience in my life. The road was dotted with few vehicles and our Honda moved steadily gaining speed. The wind grew heavier on my face while I tried to look at the odometer. The red needle moved slowly across the 50km mark and my fingers went numb.

            When I looked above, the trees were moving at breakneck speed in opposite direction. The birds tried their best to stay in race with us. Their wings fluttered to keep themselves floating in air. The chill air carried the scent of bougainvilleas to hallucinate my brain. For the first time in my life I was experiencing this thrill. With my eyelids coming down at frequent intervals, the tears travelled in a zigzag pathway down my cheeks.

            Is this how it feels when you fly?? Oh my God!! It was exhilarating, sending a fusillade of emotions in me. The swelling night and the phenomenal ride finally came to a halt, with our Honda stopping at our door step.

“How was it???” asked my dad.

Perhaps the reminiscence of the ride was still in me, making me immune to the reality. The word ‘goose bumps’ got redefined after this, sending arrows and slings of joy in me. I didn’t know how to respond to him, so my arms went to hug him. I buried my head in his belly with my cheek enjoying the warmth.

He brushed my hair in his palms and looked at me, “You were close to flying, isn’t it? The only thing missing was the Superman suit”.

            The world was never big when I was on your shoulders. Superheroes can be a beautiful myth often epitomizing fantasy and zeal. Sometimes realities are draped in this myth and we keep searching for it. Ironically we never appreciate the hero who showed us the world. Heroes are neither born nor created from an alien planet; they never preach, but they live like a hero and make us watch them.

            You don’t need a superman suit to pull out gimmicks and stunts, all you need is special gift called ‘Dad’. He will dare to do bend the skies for a tiny smile on our face. I looked at him with my arms around his legs; all I saw was a humble human being with a mighty heart.

“Shall we fly again, appa ??" 

              Once again I started my flight journey with my Superman :) :) 

Rites of Passage

Prologue:
               
            This is neither a story nor a poem, but stands somewhere between them. In tamil literature, there's something called as 'sledai', which is in a poetic form. The beautiful aspect of that is, the poem has two meanings (direct and indirect). This work of mine is based on such a style. Each part will hold a unique theme, but still when you assimilate them together, they will form a universal theme. The themes are portrayed mainly in the form of comparison (with nature or fantasy world), with subtle layers embedded to it. I have tried to use simple words to weave this fabric.  


          The world was so dark with feeble noises creaking around him. It smelled so divine, with no one daring to seize his kingdom. There seemed to be some mystical force forming a bond between him and his secluded world. His survival depended heavily on the ever flowing rivers, that tasted like sugary syrup. His world wasn't designed, but it was visionary. Ironically his eyes were closed and failed to acknowledge the nuances of his surroundings. There was a sudden thrust of fear engulfing him, when he thought about the fading time. He shifted himself and realized something was happening around him. He knew he can't stay here longer, at any moment his world would crumble, leaving him no option. Soon the walls of his world caved in, started to squeeze as if, they were trying to muster all strength onto him. The loss of his world and the fear of a new beginning brought a shear pain in him. The pain brought the first tear in his eyes, followed by a cry of shrill sound. The sound wasn't a shrill, but echoed 'Amma !!' in Her eagerly waiting ears. 'Birth'

          The trail of the winter was left in the footpath by its fragile brown leaves. They crumbled at the sudden weight of his foot. He loved to watch them wither, which gave him a feel of self righteousness. His sanctimonious smile soon became volatile when he felt someone stalking him. He knew it was her and she had been threatening him for a while. She was dressed in a black robe moving around with elegance and a mischievous look. Sensing panic, he took rapid strides to negate her, but she sent flowers through wind as a sign of proposal. The cool breeze was in a whirl, hugging him and dotting him with her scent. Her scent brought hallucinations in him, luring into a honey trap before the brain sent him a voluntary signal to his legs. Strides were soon replaced by a jog and his mind raced for a vantage point. Despite his valiant efforts, she was winning and saw him buckling. Sensing the defeat, he finally gave a sigh for her to join him. She came down merrily to strip his sins and showcase heavenly pleasures in her kiss. When she made love with him leaving her trail of wetness, he stood soaked enjoying the first shower of rain in his life. 'Rain'

          Was the wind trying to shove him aside or was he trying to negate its ghastly blow? With the gust of dust puffing up, his legs gained momentum to push himself towards the finish line. His eyes couldn't find the line, because his mind was in the realm of winning the race. The unending praise and fresh smell of money transformed into a cascade shading his vision and goal. Lost in the turbulence, his legs tripped and made a landing on the gravel. The sight of his fellow competitors marching towards him ached more than the bruises. Behind him, the competitors were bridging the gap between him and them. Greediness was like a mask covering his face but, there was a rush of pride, stopping him to wither his guise. He expected a mystical force to beckon him, but all he heard was his dad's voice in his mind, "Winning is more about how you raise after each fall". All his muscles now found a reason to ache more and take the ruthless pounding. The finish line slowly appeared in his vision. He rose against gravity and kicked forward towards his dream, leaving behind his competitors and failures.'Victory'     

          The blue ocean was sprawled across him, with the mighty sun losing its fieriness after a long day. He was gazing at the numerous sea gulls, while his mind wandered about the coveted gift. A gift, which no one really dared to dream of, or had the cognizance to think. He was like a king, with ever flowing money and abundant health to masquerade all his grief. The world felt small for him, with very less to seize. He wondered, what could be his greatest possession? Could be the vast empire which he reigned or the sizzling sea breeze that welcomed him every evening? With gazillion thoughts fighting for a spot in his mind, he saw a beautiful woman, more like an angel moving towards him. When she came close, he found that she was white and formless, like a vapor. With a heavenly smile, she transformed herself into a million butterflies.The butterflies flew towards him, occupying one half of his body. He saw his own reflection on the water and felt like a butterfly man. With the dream still lingering on, he woke up, he knew his greatest possession, it was not the butterflies. He saw his wife lying next to him and smiling. 'Better half'

            The lady was searching for the right words to narrate a story to her son. A story which could depict victories; appreciate the fear of failure. A narration to enunciate glory and masquerade gore in life. The narration began in a blissful and boisterous tone. It was so enthralling, that the small kid visualized himself to be a part of the story. He laughed, at the characters' naive behavior; he was awestruck, by their achievements and shed tears when they were battered for free will. The story witnessed the evil side; portrayed goodness; instilled belief and hope. Every time she said this story, she felt like the light before dawn. She was able to inculcate the same in her son. Despite, hearing the same story umpteen number of times, he fell in love with the story. It was like the blue sky, every time you see it, there's something unique in it. Finally, a new thought sprang in the kid's mind, "One day, I'll be a hero like him and do wonders". A smile spread in her face, it was basked in pride and joy. She knew she has chosen the right words and the apt story for him. "You will! It's no wonder; you are the son of a hero"- 'Hero'

Vasanth & Meera- Memoirs II

                                                                 The Last Mail

            While, Vasanth was crusing at a speed of  850km/hr in airbus A330, somewhere below 35,000 ft, birds were chirping to welcome dawn and a new day. Despite early hours of dawn, few men and women were excited and moved with alacrity in the massive hall. The stage in the hall, proved to be the centre of attraction of everyone. It's no wonder the wedding stage received such praises, white lilies and roses stole the show. The velvet board behind the stage had white letters embedded on it,

                                                           "Ajay weds Meera"

 

         A young lady clad in a beautiful saree took rapid strides moving past corridors to knock on the door. Meera opened the door, leaving it half open to welcome the lady.

"Didn't you shower?? The beautican will be here anytime, so get your shower done. Aunty asked for the wardrobe keys?"

Meera gave the keys, after fiddling in her purse for a while. "Get the mugurtha sari for me, Archana"

"Aunty has asked the keys to get you the sari and jewels. Today is a big day in your life, isn't Meera??? I still remember my marriage day, which was an year back. It gives me goosebumps even now"

"You are right, Archu!! I can't believe that I'm here, after all the turmoil I've been through in the last few weeks."

"grrrhhh!! Keep those thoughts out of your mind and look for a new beginning" said Archana, giving a pat on Meera's cheek and left her with loneliness.

       The laptop screen was lying in the bed, along with the undone fleece and pillows. Meera came from her shower, with water dripping from her hair. She sat down on the bed and was staring the screen. While there's was a whirlpool in her mind, which was clearly seen from her nervous fingers. After a dilemma, she logged on to her gmail account and typed 'V' in her address book. The sight of Vasanth's email address made her cry with tears rolling down her cheeks.

                                                    vasanthmeera@gmail.com  

Dear Vasanth

           When you are reading this, most things in my life would have changed, just like my surname. I'm not sure if I had done the right thing, but I know there's no turning back. If there was a beautiful period in my life, then it would be the moments I had spent with you. In fact, I lived those moments by smiles and silent cries. You were the one, who painted rainbows and gifted butterflies in my life. Every time when sorrow or grief was engulfing me, you were there to give me a warm hug and whisper in my ears "Don't worry sweetie, I'm here for you"

           My palms are longing to hold your cheek and blissful smile. Eternity was never far away, when you carved a beautiful kiss on the tip of my nose. I'm searching for your words and warmth of your chest in the air. I wasn't given a chance, but only a choice to choose between two journeys. I was torn between the love for you and my parents. For all that you have given me, I returned you with hatred and pain. You rode into hell, leaving heaven for me to explore and cherish. 

               My heaven has no glory without you and your heart beat. Once I walk out of the door, there's new world waiting for me. A world which is ready to maul and trounce me, for the silly acts, which I'm about to perform. Even though they were silly, you termed them as divine. Nothing can abate my love for you; this was our first step in a beautiful relationship, that had a brief hiatus. We are meant to do this forever, getting lost in each other's arms and waiting for the time to tickle on. 

                 No matter what happens, I'll come for you in another life and plead for all my sins. I miss you,Vasanth.

Yours,
Sweetie

               The cursor stood next to the send tab, waiting for Meera to push on it. Her mind was racing through the plethora of events that had happened in the last two weeks and how she was pushed to this marriage. She wanted to take her mind off from this, but she couldn't do that. Finally, she decided it was time to move on and clicked the delete tab. There was a knock on her door,

                    It was Meera's mom, with the muhurtha sari in her hand and a heavy make up to cover up the wrinkles on her face. "Meera !!! Oh!!! you look so pretty ! Ajay is going to be blown off by you. Here's the sari, I'll help you to wear it!"

"Amma ! I can do it by myself"

"I know how you would make a mess out of it, do you remember Shasidaran's daughter marriage? Oh my God!! Most of the function, I was worried, if your sari might fall off!!"

                 Meera wanted some solace, but her mom was stubborn in trying to help her to wear the sari. With her mind wavering, the kanchipuram sari draped her. Finally, when she was done with her make up and costumes, she hugged her mom.

"I know what's in your mind, kanna!! you have done the right thing, Meera!

"I guess so, amma!!"

                   The room was filled with blanketing silence and tears from Meera's eyes rolled on to her mom's neck. She carefully wiped off the tears using a tissue and stepped out of the door for her new world.

Tears of Vasanth

                      The world looked haunted and deserted for Vasanth. Hong Kong airport was massive, with huge glass windows lined up from the floor to ceiling. He caught his image on the window panes and tried to focus on his face midst the huge Boeing flight across the glass. He can't believe that his life has taken rapid turns in the last month. Everything started with the text messages, he has sent to Meera and one fine day, hell broke loose when he got a call from Meera. She was crying over the phone and Vasanth never saw what was coming,

"Vasanth !! Daddy is...  appa is .. !! ... " cried Meera, with words mumbling in panic.

"Meera!! hey! what happened ?? Is uncle alright? 

"No!! he isn't! he is admitted in a hospital ! They say he had a heart attack!! " sobbed Meera.

"Shit!! he was okay, even a week before!"

" I guess, he saw the text messages. He never spoke to me for two days!"

"Hang on! Don't panic! Everything is gonna be alright, I'll be there in few minutes."

"No! No Vasanth!! it's not !! I'm afraid, I might lose him."

"Cha!! stop that!! I've started, I'm coming , it will be okay, sweetie"

"Vasanth, it's all because of your text messages !! shouted Meera, with her voice becoming cacophonous with cries.

"what does this have to do with me?? you were stupid enough to keep it in your mobile, without deleting it!! Don't throw the blame on me, Meera."

"Perfect!! I'm stupid to trust you ! I'm stupid to think, that I can find solace in you. What else??  I'm stupid enough to stick myself with a loser like you!!!"

        Vasanth remembered how the call and her meetings with Meera came to an abrupt end. he thought about the blunder he made on that day, by arguing with her at the wrong time. He tried to reach her, but she never wanted to. He cursed under his breath and wore a grim look with fever of desperation clouding him, when he thought about her. Without the slightest hint of calmness, he fiddled in his pocket and flipped his phone. He browsed through the messages and finally laid his eyes on Meera's text. He was staring at her message and felt her voice spilling the words around him,

"We need to talk Vasanth. Meet me at our usual spot by 2.30 p.m." 

With the previous episode and the heated argument still fresh in his memory, he reached there on time. He didn't want to piss her by making her wait. Meera was already sitting there, relaxed and calm smile . He wondered, how could girls make mess in someone's life and still appear like a Zen Master.

"I'm really sorry, Meera! I shouldn't have spoken to you like that on the phone."

"Can't you come little early, Vasanth?"

"What?? I wasn't late, you asked me to come by 2.30 and I was here on time."

"It doesn't mean that you have to be here by 2.30 p.m. You could have come earlier!"

"Look, Meera!  I don't want to argue with you. How's uncle?"

"He is okay and they have discharged him from hospital"

   Vasanth leaved a sigh of relief, " That's good news, I'm relieved now"

"Vasanth, I'm getting engaged next month." said Meera with a straight face.

  The words felt like a blow on his face, to make him immobile. He felt difficult to swallow with a lump of distress in his throat. He wasn't sure if he had heard the right words or if he was hallucinating. 

"Meera! are you serious?? How can you do this ? I .. i can't .." mumbled Vasanth and choked for words. He knew he was going to cry, but felt ashamed to do that in front of a girl. He managed to control his anger and grief by clenching his sweat palms into a fist.

"I'm not kidding. He is an IIM graduate, working in America"

"Fuck... fuckkk!!! bull shitt!!" shouted Vasanth

"Stop swearing at me!! I'm torn between the love for you and my appa. I can't stand the sight of him suffering".

" Meera! I know how it is, I'll talk to uncle, we can sort things, please. Don't take decisions in a haste, I can't believe a world without you"

"Nothing is gonna change, appa trusts me so much and I can't break his heart again. I can't lose him for you"

"I'm not asking you to desert your dad.. please Meera!! I want you in my life, there can't be anything beautiful than you".

" You are worried only about you, but I want my folks to be happy. Do you know how it feels to watch your dad crumbling? I've seen it. It's all over, Vasanth"

"No, it's not over Meera!" before Vasanth could speak, Meera stood up,

"I'm sorry, Vasanth. You deserve a better girl than me. I'll miss you"

             The speakers came alive, with the airlines announcing the boarding gate information for Melbourne flight. Before he could recover from that memory, a gentle hand gripped his shoulder, followed by a familiar voice, "If you are going to stand like this and cry, you are most likely to miss your flight".

Welcome to Australia

                    Vasanth turned to find the old man from his earlier flight standing next to him. Embarrassment and anger grew within him; he shoved the old man's hands, to walk towards the gate 61. The old man gave a half smile and slowly walked towards the gate to join Vasanth. After an agonizing wait in the queue, he entered the flight and occupied a seat in the aisle located in the middle. To his horror, the old man sat in his adjacent aisle, close to him, but not as bad as sitting next to him.
                     
"I saw you were crying and I know what's eating you, my boy. Do you want to know, what mistake you are doing? "said the man, turning towards Vasanth.

Vasanth didn't know what to make out of this guy, but he felt he had done enough to piss him. After all he has done to the old man, he still wanted to offer him something. In all these days, every schmuck on this planet were giving him advice and offering condolences for his loss. Perhaps, he thought there's nothing he could lose by hearing to what he says,

"Do you reckon so?? Please enlighten me by your teachings"

"hahaha.. I know you don't like me, but still I'll tell you something. You can't get your girlfriend and the dumping incident out of your mind, isn't?"

"Yes!! Do you think I didn't know that?? Tell me something else"

"The problem is you are trying to forget her, put her thoughts out of your mind. The biggest hurdle for you is her and if you can't leap that hurdle, better by pass that. Do you get what I' saying?"

"Go on... I'm listening"

"You want your mind to be devoid of her thoughts and your memories. Trust me, it's not gonna happen. If you have loved someone so much, you can't just wipe them out in an overnight and say I'm done. Then it's going to be just lust"

So far, this guy appeared like a schmuck with some trivial thoughts. Now, he saw something valuable in him and shifted himself to listen keenly.

"I have trouble talking to you like this, twisting myself at an awkward angle, shall I move next to you?" smiled the old man.

"Yup! Promise me, you won't ask me any questions after sitting with me!"

"Deal, young man!!" the old man held his thumb up in recognition and settled next to Vasanth making a loud noise.

"Where was I?

"By passing the hurdle...  the lust thing..."

"ya.. You passed the litmus test by overcoming the situation, now you have to live with her memories.

"For how long ?? You don't understand what I'm going through?"

"I appreciate that. Perhaps her memories will be with you until you die, but you need to find something that keeps your mind away from that. It could be your hobbies, career or anything. Now that you have research, put your thoughts in that and do some constructive work"

"It's easier said, than done"

"I know.. The world is only for the guys who strive towards their dream and you are exactly in the right path towards it. Hey.. let me ask you something, if you don't mind"

"Sure! go on"

"What did your girlfriend get up to?? marriage??"

"yup.. She's getting married to guy in America, MBA degree.. H1B Visa, Times square.. flashy isn't??"

"Nahh!! These guys sell diapers and tissue rolls. I guess who are doing a lot better"

                 Vasanth laughed after a very long time at the old man's dark humor. He saw a twinkle in the old man's eyes and this talk meant a lot to him. This might not heal his wounds; at least it would alleviate his pain.

"What's your name Sir?"

"Some people call me 'God'

"What?? are you serious?"

"Jokes apart, my name is Devan, which literally means 'God'. So I'm God"

"Thank you, God"

       Devan brushed Vasanth's hair, as a sign of acceptance and went back to his seat. The storm that was battering Vasanth's heart was abating now; he saw signs of recovery and his eyes closed slowly to embrace the much needed sleep. The flight cruised in the silent hours of the morning towards Melbourne.

              The skyscrapers seem to grow in size as the flight landed with a thud, before coming to halt. Excitement grew within Vasanth, when he saw the mighty city sprawled across the flight windows. The sunshine gave him a quick boost to his drooping eyelids. Hefty guys in black scanned his backpack and checked the Visa papers. With all the formalities completed, he moved across the sliding doors with his baggage.

                   Vasanth was expecting someone from his university to pick him from airport. He was looking for his name board in the small group of people and managed to spot his surname. To his surprise, he found a smiling Indian lady, holding the name board and a small girl with a bunch of flowers.

"Hi, I'm Vasanth, from India"

"Hey! I'm Anuradha. How was your flight ?"

"It was good and exhausting. By the way, is she your daughter? how old is she?"

"Oh!! Yup, she is 7 years old! I forgot about the flowers" smiled Anuradha. "Pinky, give the flowers to Vasanth uncle"

             Vasanth felt a bit weird, when he was addressed as 'uncle'. The little girl resembled a Barbie doll  with a pink outfit, holding white lilies. The little index finger was safely inside her mouth and she gave the flowers to him.

"That was so sweet. What's your name dear?"

             She eyed her mom and with a hint of shyness, "Meera! Welcome to Australia, uncle"

The pleasant shock rattled Vasanth and gave a half smile. "You made my day Meera" and he kissed the little girl.



Author's Note:

               I thank all my friends and few loyal readers for travelling with me in this journey. The whole month of July had been eventful with Vasanth & Meera. When I published my first part, I was thrilled to read the comments. Most people saw themselves in my characters and I think my success lies in it. To all those who have contributed towards this, I owe my sincere gratitude. Of course, the major share of this story's credit goes to her. Thank you, Sweetie!








            

Vasanth & Meera - Memoirs I

                                                      
Prologue

           After many debates and a slew of dilemmas, I sat down with this story. Perhaps this is a story on love and its toll on the lives of people. Moments from the lives of Vasanth & Meera have been penned down here. The characters could be fictional, but the events surrounding Vasanth & Meera were part of real life incidents ( me & my friends). This is just a collection of their memoirs, stacked up like the imaginary tower of Babel, that leads nowhere, but still when you can cherish it all your life. The whole episode has been split in to two halves (no sequels), not to annoy the few readers of mine by a bulky story and the trouble of scrolling your mouse.

                                          Vasanth's final call

                                      The boarding pass and copy of Visa in the hands of Vasanth was holding the day. Vasanth could easily slip in to the million guys you find every day, bearing the next door boy looks and enriched with the ideals of serving a western nation. He looked smart in his newly shining black suit with a fake smile, which he tried to muster to keep his folks happy. He knew, once he crossed the security gate, there's a new world waiting for him to board. The Chennai airport was infected with farewell and adieus; every tear that was shed for their loved ones lingered in the air, making Vasanth uneasy. 

                                   Over the gate, he could see his parents trying to a wage a battle of emotions; moments of pride and grief were overwhelming them. A million of thoughts engaged the geeky grey cells of Vasanth. His mom's advice echoed in him, "Don't eat burgers!! No coke and no cheese... Sleep by 10, wear your mufflers when you go out in cold.. anddd .. "

"Keep this in your closet ! Hanuman's prasadam! It'll bring you good charm, stay away from meat during Fridays and Saturdays. Call us every alternate day; don't worry about us and money." The small packet of kum kum and his dad's thoughts were safe in his breast pocket close to his heart. 

The thoughts seem to push him in a whirlpool, with his heart sending chaotic signals to the brain. "Do I really need to make this call, leaving my wonderful family here, to pursue my goal? When can I cherish the joy of my mom's chutney or an evening stroll with my dad to a chaai shop? "The final call came from the amplifiers above Vasanth's head for his flight. With a heavy heart, he turned towards the security gate leaving his parents and tears down his cheek towards the floor.

He slid past the gates to find a hostile woman officer to check his visa and passport. After a brief glance and a stamp on the passport, she shoved it back to him, revealing how much she enjoyed her work. Vasanth took small strides to make it to the small group of people queuing in a white chamber resembling a tunnel. The tunnel made a reverberation and pushed hot air, making Vasanth's first flight trip creepy. The tunnel ended with a steward welcoming the passengers and gave him the first appearance of the flight cabin. 

Vasanth managed to find his seat and it was a seat close to window, perhaps the only good thing that has happened since dawn. Before the joy could dwell in his face, a heavy built man came sliding across the aisle of seats, literally pushing Vasanth,

"I'm sorry young man, shall I take the window seat? I feel relaxed when I sit near the window" said the man.

Vasanth was wondering, why would a guy need a window seat in the middle of a night," Okay Uncle!! "

The guy finally landed in the window seat, thrusting his belly within the confined space and squeezed his legs pushing his front seat. Occasional glances fell on Vasanth's attire, they normally don't find people in suits flying in economy classes. The cool air brushed his hair on the forehead and gave him a soothing feeling. It was 15 mins past 12 o'clock , but still he couldn't bring down his eyes.

"Is this your first flight trip??" asked the man.

Vasanth felt like saying, does that annoy you, but he didn't. He answered in a single syllable, with a straight face, " Yup.. ".

"Bingo !! See how I figured that! Let me tell your history now " the guy beamed.

"Good on you"

"You are here to spend your dad's money in a two year shit course !! hahaha !!!" The old man laughed at his own sarcasm or joke or whatever he thought it was.

"Nope"

Vasanth's answer brought a mild surprise in that guy's face, but still he never stopped questioning.

"hmmm !! then what are you up to ?"

Their conversation came to a temporary halt, when the air hostess asked them to wear their seat belts. Vasanth was relieved and his inner voice thanked her.

"Do you think she is pretty?? I have the feeling ...... hang on.. aren't we off the track??? so are you on a vacation?"

"I m off to Australia to do my research.. in simple terms a PhD... "

"PhD??? you should be smart for that!! what made you to do that?? I mean .. your research.. like someone might be inspirational or stuffs like that".

Vasanth really wanted to end this talk, not that he hated his fellow passengers, but he felt sober when someone asks about his Phd. He knew where exactly it was heading to, so he replied,

" you want an answer and here it is, my girlfriend ditched me, so I was pushed in to this research thing, is it okay now???" Vasanth's tone was bit harsh and the guy stuffed his headphones in his ears.

Vasanth was bit upset about his behavior,but the thing which annoyed him the most was his honest reply. Every time he tried to wither her thoughts, he knew it's going to make matters worse. He experienced the true meaning of his name (spring), when he was in a beautiful world called Meera. Meera is the girl who would like to slap and peck on Vasanth's cheek for no reason. Vasanth was still searching the reason, which made her to move out of his life. He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would give him a temporary relief, but his memory was largely laden with Meera.

                                                           Birthday gift

             Hans Zimmer's score was filling the living room, it was electric, the percussion sent a chill painting a dark tone. Vasanth tried to focus on his desktop screen, but the fabric of Meera which was brushing him, kept him at bay. Whenever she pointed to the screen, he never saw what she was up to, but he stole a quick glance of her face.

"Vasanth, shall we try to work on our assignment?"

"what ?? what did you say?"

"Keep your eyes on the screen, not on my face"

"okaayyyy!!" murmured Vasanth." Meera, didn't you forget something?"

Meera's lips formed into a thin line and she crooked her head to think, meanwhile Vasanth tried to gaze at her cute expression. "Nothing that I could remember of"

"Come on Meera, you remember this bull shit assignment but you forget the promise you have made"

"Now I know where this is heading, birthday gift isn't??"

"Ya!!!" Vasanth's face sunk. "I just can't believe a guy pestering his girl friend to give him a birthday gift"
Meera smiled sheepishly, " Fine, what do you want birthday baby??"

"I don't want anything big, just a kiss! simple as that!"

"What?? a kiss?? are you kidding??"

"No! I swear on your puppy, I'm serious !"

"Idiot! stop this!! I don't think I'm ready for this. I need to think"

"Hey I never gave a thought about this before asking you, but why do you make such a fuss for this??"

"This isn't a candy or a cookie, moreover I'm a girl and I can't say yes to everything"

        Vasanth was furious and moved towards the balcony. He tried to vent out his rage by griping the railings with his knuckles going white. Meera came behind him, with her palm resting on his back.

"Vasanth, what are you doing?? you are hurting yourself!!"

"Leave me alone, Meera! I'm pissed off at myself and I don't want anyone to say yes for me"

"Don't be so mean, Vasanth! You don't understand me, leave it."

"Stop the crap! Can you leave me alone, please???"

            Someone was shaking Vasanth's shoulder to disrupt his brief affair with Meera. When he woke up, it was the air hostess serving breakfast at odd hours. The tray was beautifully decorated with sandwiches and orange juice filling the brim of the disposable cup. The sight of tissues hanging at the edge of the tray sent him once again a wave of emotions.

"Can you leave me alone, please???"

 Vasanth really wondered, if Meera took that seriously, leaving him in a no man's land. Everything around him was filled with her, telling him that he had missed something invaluable in his life. Just like the tissues sitting in the tray, reminded him of the ice cream parlor incident.

                                                           
                                                           'Crazy about you'

         The ice cream parlor 'Boomerang' had very less sunlight entering through the tinted glasses. The walls were adorned with canvas arts of sundae and milk shakes. The place had pink theme designed to attract all the girls on the earth. It was a place where most birthday cakes and guys wallet burnt. Most tables in the parlor were occupied by people in pairs, with occasional glances from single guys or elderly people, on the endless romance that was staged for free.

           Vasanth felt bit weird, because he was never accustomed to an ice cream parlor. He found the spot as told by Meera, the one behind the cash counter. He sat down with excitement running all over his body, but tried to conceal it by flipping through the pages of the tiny menu card. To his horror, almost every ice cream was priced above Rs.50, so he decided to order a bottle of water and wait for her.The waiter came back with a small bottle of water giving him a look, which said 'if he had come all the way to an ice cream shop to order water bottle"

            Vasanth beamed a sheepish smile and gulped half the bottle, before Meera pushed the doors to come in. She wore a green kurtha which was radiant matching her jubilant smile. The smile lingered on her full lips and her dark hair moved rhythmically to the back ground music in the parlor. She sat next to Vasanth and nudged her elbow in his ribs. 

"How is my new kurtha?? I love green, my favorite color!!!" 

"you look like a princess" smiled Vasanth

"Thank you, sweetheart!"

"What ice cream do you want? I have no idea about this, guess i'll go with choco classic" said Vasanth, because choco classic was the only one that was below Rs.50.

"I'll go with a vanilla punch". 
Vasanth gave the orders at the counter and came back with few tissues in his hand. Meera took his arms in hers and was staring at his palms in a pensive mood. 

"Vasanth!! Wish I could come with you like this , holding your hands and resting myself on your shoulders"


The waiter approached them with their orders, the sight of him made Vasanth bit embarassed to hold her arms, so he quickly tried to withdraw himself from her. This act of Vasanth pissed off Meera, 

"Why did you do that?"

"Everyone are watching us, Meera! It feels bit weird to act like this in public"

"I don't care a shit about that" Meera moved close to Vasanth, slipping her hands under his elbows and resting her smooth cheek on his shoulder. Vasanth felt heaven was not far away, but came in a beautiful form called as Meera. 

"I just can't understand you Meera! last week you were so fussy when I asked a kiss, but now you are... acting different. Strange !"

"Welcome to the world of girls!!"

"grrrrhhh !! crap !!"

"Idiot!!!" Both laughed in unison, acknowledging their childish behavior. Before the smile could vanish from Vasanth's face, Meera kissed on his cheek, leaving a trail of her baby pink lip gloss. 

Vasanth was totally taken aback by the kiss, which was a total surprise and before he could relish that,it was over. Just like the wish you wanted to make, while there is a shooting star above us. 

"are you ok, Vasanth?" giggled Meera

"That.. thatttt. was bloody awesome" said a Vasanth, smiling shyly.

"Now you will understand, why I wanted you hold this table for us"

"Ya.. ya.. damn no CCTV camera above us and a vantage point too!! you are smart sweety!!"

"I'm always dear. Now I want the lip gloss on your cheek to be left undisturbed"

"What the hell!! lip gloss on my cheeks??? shit ! shit ! " Vasanth grabbed the tissues and tried to wipe his cheeks, but Meera caught his arms. 

"Sorry dude!! If you love me, don't wipe it. No one's gonna look at your cheeks"

"Are you crazy?? what's the connection between the lip gloss and my love for you??" 

" yes !! I'm crazy about you, Vasanth! Will you do it for me ??"

            The slight rumble from the plane did not deter Vasanth's ebbing memories. He touched his cheeks and smiled, wondering if the lip gloss was still on his cheeks. The old woman in the next aisle was puzzled by his reaction and gave him a scornful look.


                                                                 The Last Mail

            While Vasanth was cruising at a speed of 850km/hr in airbus A 330 somewhere below 35,000 ft, birds were chirping to welcome a new day.  ......... 

( more in Vasanth & Meera Memoirs II)