பையனுக்கு பாட தெரியுமா?

"ஒங்க பையன் என்ன காரியம் பண்ணிட்டு வந்து நிக்கறான் பாருங்கோ!"

"ஆமான்டி, கணக்குல நூறு வாங்கினா ஓம்புள்ள. பிரச்சனணு வந்தா எம்புள்ள. ஏன்டா ஹரிஹரா, என்னத்த பண்ணிட்டு வந்துருக்க? மறுபடியும் அந்த veena போனவன் கண்ணாடில கிரிக்கெட் பால் அடிச்சியா? "

"என்னண்ணா நீங்க! வெவஸ்தகெட்டதனமா பேசிண்டு! லவ் பண்ணிட்டு வந்து நிக்கறான்!"

"ஹாஹா. வயசு பையன் லவ் பண்ணலைனா தாண்டி பிரச்சனை."

"லவ் பண்றது தப்புன்னு சொல்லலை! யார லவ் பண்றான்னு கேளுங்கோ. நாராயணா!"

**********

"ஏன்டி பேய் அரன்ஜாப்ல இருக்க?"

"பின்ன எப்படி இருக்கரதாம்? சாயங்காலம் அவன் சொன்னதெல்லாம் கேட்டேளா இல்லியா? நாலு அற வெச்சு புத்தி சொல்லாம, அம்மாவ நான் பாத்துகறேன்னு தைரியம் சொல்றேள் அவனுக்கு. மற கழண்டுடுத்தா?"

"என்னடி பண்றது? அவனா வந்து சொன்னானேன்னு  திருப்தி பட்டுக்கோ. காலம் மாறிடுத்து. நம்ம பையன். நாம தான புரிஞ்சுண்டு போகணும்?"

"அதுக்காக இதெல்லாம் எப்படிண்ணா? ஆத்துல மத்தவா கேள்வி கேப்பாளே. அவாளுக்கு என்ன பதில் சொல்றது?"

"தீபாவளிக்கும் பொங்கலுக்கும் வந்துட்டு போறவனவிட என்னோட பையன் தாண்டி எனக்கு முக்கியம். எவன் கேள்வி கேக்கறான்னு  பாக்கறேன்"

"நீங்களாச்சு ஒங்க புள்ளயாச்சு. எக்கேடோ கெட்டு போங்கோ."

**********

"வெள்ளிக்கழமை நல்ல நாள். அவா ஆத்துக்கு போயி பேசிட்டு வந்துடுவோம். ஹரிஹரா, அவா ஆத்துல விஷயம் தெரியுமா இல்ல நாங்க போன் பண்ணி சொல்லனுமா?"

"தெரியும் பா. ஒரு நிமிஷம் பா. வேற குடும்பத்தல பொறந்துருந்தா என்ன அடிச்சு ஒதைச்சு அமக்களம் பண்ணிருப்பா. குடுத்து வெச்சுருக்கேன்  நான். மன்னிச்சுடுங்கோ பா."

"என்னடா மன்னிப்பெல்லாம். எம்பையன் சந்தோஷம்தாண்டா எனக்கும் சந்தோஷம்"

**********

"வணக்கம். நான் வரதாச்சாரி, ரிடயர்டு மாஜிஸ்ட்ரேட். ஹரிஹரனோட அப்பா. விஷயத்த பையன் சொன்னான். இவளுக்கு தான் நேரம் ஆச்சு ஒத்துக்கறத்துக்கு.  பசங்க சந்தோஷம் தான முக்கியம். என்ன சொல்றேள்? கல்யாணத்த சீக்ரமாவே முடிச்சுடலாம். சம்மதம் தான?"

"என் பேர் கல்யாணசுந்தரம். ஏஜிஎஸ்ல இருந்தேன். நானும் ரிடயர்டு தான். நீங்க சொல்றது சரி தான். பசங்க சந்தோஷம் தான் முக்கியம்."

"ஏன்டா ஹரிஹரா. என்னடா சொல்றா ஒங்கம்மா?"

"அவன என்ன கேக்கறேள்? ஆமாம், பையனுக்கு பாட தெரியுமா?" என்றாள் ஹரிஹரனின் அம்மா.

"கணேஷ் நன்னா பாடுவான். ஏழு வருஷம்  சங்கீதம் படிச்சான். ஹரிஹரனுக்கு சமையல் வருமா?" எனறாள் கணேஷின் அம்மா.

"பேஷா சமைப்பான். என் கைப்பக்குவம் அப்படியே வரும் அவனுக்கு."

**********

கல்யாணம் ஜாம் ஜாம்னு நடந்து முடிஞ்சுது. ஒரே வருஷத்துல பெண் கொழந்த ஒருத்திய கணேஷும் ஹரிஹரனும் தத்து எடுத்துண்டு சந்தோஷமா வாழ்ந்துண்டு இருக்கா

ஆரபி

"சத்தியமா சொல்றேன்டா அதே பொண்ணு தான். இந்த தரம் சீக்ரமாவே கண்டுபுடிச்சுட்டேன் அவ இருந்த கோச்ச. நான் ஏன் பொய் சொல்ல போறேன்?"

"என்னவோ சொல்றடா மகேஷா. எவ பின்னாடியோ சுத்திண்டு அப்பா பணத்த வீணடிக்காத. நா சொல்றத சொல்லிட்டேன் இதுக்கப்பறம் ஒன்னோட இஷ்டம்"

"என்னடா இப்படி எல்லாம் சொல்லற. யார் கேட்டாலும் சாய் தான் எனக்கு தோஸ்து-னு சொல்ற என்கிட்ட போயி எப்படியோ போங்க்றியே?"

"ஆரம்பிக்காதடா  ஒன்னோட புராணத்த. என்ன பண்ணனும் நான் ஒனக்கு?" 

"எதுவும் வேண்டாம். நான் சொல்றத கேட்டுண்டு பொறுத்துக்கோ. இத எல்லாம் ஷேர் பண்ணிக்க நேக்கு யார்டா இருக்கா இந்த ஊர்ல?"

"பேசாத படுடா. லேட்டா போனா அந்த எகனாமிக்ஸ் வாத்தியார் கடன்காரன் வெய்வான் கம்மனாட்டி னு எல்லா பொண்ணுங்க முன்னாடியும். நாளைக்கு சாயங்காலம் பேசிக்கலாம். தூங்கு"

சொல்லிவிட்டு தூங்கிவிட்டான் சாய். மகேஷ் தூக்கம் இழந்து ஒரு வாரம் ஆனது. 

"நாளைக்கு அவ பேரயாவுது கண்டு புடிக்கணும்" நினைத்துகொண்டே கடந்த ஆறு நாட்களின் நிகழ்வுகளை மனத்திரையில் ஓட்டிப்பார்தான் 

முதல் முறை அவன் அவளை பார்த்தது தாம்பரம் ரயில்வே ஸ்டேஷனில் தான். அண்ணலும் நோக்கினான் அவளும் நோக்கினாள்-இல் பாதி நடந்தது. அண்ணல் நோக்கினான் நோக்கினான் நோக்கினான்.

கடலும் ஆறும் ஒன்றோடோன்று பிணைகின்ற இடத்தில் நீர் இருக்குமே ஒரு கருநீல வண்ணத்தில், அந்த நிறத்தில் ஒரு புடவை. ரயில் பெட்டியில் உள்ள கைப்பிடிக்கு இணை குடுத்து அவள் காதில் உள்ள தோடுகள் ஆட, அவன் கண்ணிற்கு மட்டுமே பட்டிருக்க வேண்டுமே என்று தெரிந்த தெய்வத்தஎல்லாம் கூப்பிட வைத்தாள். ஆஞ்சநேயர் ஐயப்பன் உட்பட .

முதல் நாள் இப்படியே சென்றது. மாம்பலத்தில் இறங்கி விட்டாள் அவள். கூடவே அவன் மனமும் கால் முளைத்து ஓடிச்சென்று அவள் வலதுகையின் சிறு விரலை பிடித்துக்கொண்டது.

அடுத்தநாள் அதே ரயில். இளஞ்சிவப்பு நிற புடவை. அருகில் சென்று முகத்தை இன்னும் தெளிவாக பார்க்கலாம் என்று தைரியத்தை வரவைத்துக்கொண்டு அவளுக்கு ஒரு மூன்றடி தள்ளி நின்றான். 

கையில் இருந்த ரேடியோவிலிருந்து மகாராஜபுரம் நாகராஜன்  "ஜூதமுராரே" பாடுவது  கேட்டது அவனுக்கு. "சாயங்காலம் நாமளும் ஒரு காசெட்டு வாங்கணும்" என்று தனக்குதானே சொல்லிக்கொண்டான்.

இப்படியே நான்கு நாட்கள் கழிந்தது. 

ஐந்தாவது நாள். பேசியே தீர வேண்டும் என்ற முடிவுடன் காலையில் கோவிலுக்கெல்லாம் சென்றுவிட்டு கிளம்பினான். 

கண்ணுக்கு இதம் தரும் கிளிப்பச்சையில் புடவை ஒன்று அணிந்திருந்தாள். "இவ்வளவு அழகு ஒருத்திக்கு ஆகாதும்மா" என்ற பிரம்மிப்புடன் நடந்தான் அவளை நோக்கி. 

இன்று பாலமுரளிகிருஷ்ணாவின் "தீன தயாலோ". கண்ணை மூடி ரசித்து கொண்டிருந்தாள். இவனும் பாட்டு முடிந்தவுடன் பேசிடலாம் என்று காத்துக்கொண்டேஇருந்தான். மீனம்பாக்கம் தொடங்கி சைதாபேட்டை வரை இழுத்துக்கொண்டே இருந்தார் பாலமுரளி. 

"அப்பாடா. ஒரு வழியா முடிஞ்சுது" என்று எண்ணிக்கொண்டே "எக்ச்குஸ் மீ?" என்றான்.

"அட மகேஷா !! சௌக்கியமா டா? எட்டாவதுல பாத்தது. எவளோ மாறிட்ட டா நீ! மீச எல்லாம் மொளச்சுடுத்து. ஞாமகம் இருக்கோல்லியோ என்ன? சாம்பு மாமா பையன் டா. சக்கரபாணி. எறங்கு கீழ. கோமதி சங்கர் ல காராமணி மிச்சர் சுட சுட போட்டுருப்பான். வா போயி சாப்டுண்டே பேசலாம். ஆறு வருஷ கதை பாக்கி இருக்கு பேச!"

"பூஜைல கரடி மாறி நோழஞ்சுட்டு காராமணி கேக்கறது பார் பக்கி" என்று சபித்துக்கொண்டே "கூடவே டிகிரி  காப்பியும் " என்று சக்கரபாணி சொன்னதை காதில் வாங்கிக்கொண்டே இறங்கினான்.

ஆறாவது நாள் தூக்கம் போச்சு.

ஏழாம் நாள். "இன்னிக்கு அவ பெயராவது  கேட்டுடுவேன்" என்று சாயிடம் சபதம் போடாத குறை. சொல்லிவிட்டு கிளம்பினான்.

அதே ரயில். சவுக்காரம் விளம்பரத்தில் வர அளவுக்கு வெண்மையான நிறத்தில் ஒரு புடவை, கருப்பு பூக்களுடன். "சினிமாக்காரியா இருந்தா அப்பா ஒத்துப்பாளா?" என்ற கவலையெல்லாம் வரத்தொடங்கியது அவனுக்கு.

அருகில் தோழி போலும். "இன்னிக்கும் முடியாதோ என்று கவலையோடு அவளை நோக்கி பார்த்தான். அவளும் நோக்கினாள்"

பாம்பே ஜெயஸ்ரீயின் "ஸ்ரீ சரஸ்வதி"  ஒலித்தது ரேடியோவிலிருந்து.

விரல்களால் ஏதோ சேதி சொன்னாள் அவள் தோழியிடம்.

"இந்தாங்க இத படிங்க" என்று மடித்த காகிதம் ஒன்றை கொடுத்தாள் அவள் தோழி.

"ஆறு நாளா ஒரே ராகத்துல பாட்டு கேட்டுண்டு இருக்கேனே. இன்னுமா புரியலை? அசடு.!" என்று ஆரம்பித்தது அந்த கடிதம்.

அவள் பெயர் ஆரபி.

..And all fall down.

"Ajay! Be a responsible brother and take care of your sisters. Look at the Pooja. Careful, Ajay." Lalitha screamed through the living room window above the noise the vacuum cleaner was making.

"Maa. I'll take care. They're just playing. Don't worry", said the pseudo responsible eleven year old.
Lalitha was married to Ashok. Ashok was an affectionate husband. A chemical engineer turned Human resources manager. He knew how to handle people. And Lalitha was a Math teacher at the neighborhood school. They were a happy family of five. Ajay the eldest was in class seven while the younger ones, the twins,  Priya and Pooja were in class three.

*****                                                            

"Lalitha, Vinay wants to meet you. He looked a bit worried.", said one of their mutual friends.

"I'll meet him on the way back home."


"The fuck is this Lalitha? What is happening? I go out of town for a week and your dad sets you up with some other guy? He promised right? He said he'd wait.". To say Vinay was agitated was like saying winters are quite cool in Kashmir.


"I know, Vinay. Calm down. He says he won't marry me off to some punk"


"I'm a musician. Not a punk"


"I know. He doesn't. What should I do, Vinay?"
"Stand up to him. I can't take you with me now. Stall for a couple of years. Can't you do that? You didn't say 'yes', did you?"
There was no reply.


"You did? You agreed? Fuck!"


"No. I did not. But I didn't say no either. He is like, mom and he are getting old. They have to make sure I settle well and all that"


"I am trying, Lalitha. It's not like I don't want to get settled. I still don't think dropping out from engineering was a mistake. I love the guitar. I love you as much. Wait! It is not Bharath right? Tell me it is not him. It should be him. Software engineer, my foot. His codes can't make people happy. My music can. Tell me it is not him!"


"No it is not him. Why would it be him? High school was a mistake. Why would you even ask that question, Vinay?"


"I'm sorry. He is better than me in every way. Except that he is an asshole. Also I love you more. He earns a handful. he was the ideal student in school."


"It doesn't matter Vinay. It doesn't matter if he earns a handful. It doesn't matter if he is my dad's favorite. You're the better person because he chose to leave and you didn't."

*****

"Pooja. Don't sit on the ground. Get up now. Come lets play "ringa ringa". Amma, look at Pooja here. Get up, now"


"I'll be done with this room in ten minutes. Hang on till then"

*****

Lalitha weds Ashok. Yes, it did happen. There was no fairy tale episode where Lalitha could've eloped with Vinay and lived happily ever after. Alas, "happily ever after" is a theorist's perception of life. Vinay returned home to this news and was not outraged or saddened. He was rather helpless. It was a perfect marriage. Some US returned MBA fellow they said. He couldn't contact her. Even facebook did not lend a hand.


It's been twelve years and three months. Vinay had grown numb. But the fact that he finally found out where she lived and with whom. He decided to give her a surprise. He reached Lalitha's place. He saw the kids playing in the garden. Smiles were exchanged. He felt the pain after a long time. It should have been his kids which she bore. And then reality struck. The garden wouldn't have been this big. The house wouldn't have been this huge. Lalitha did settle well. Just like how her dad wanted her to. 




Vinay went in search of her. Madras. Then he thought someone said something about Bangalore. So he went there. He gave up. It is a huge country. Maybe they left the country. He took up drinking. He was a familiar face in almost every bar in Bangalore. He started playing the guitar in one of those bars. He had a stomach to fill. He had found a job for himself. 

*****

He knocked the door. Lalitha was more shocked than surprised. She didn't say a word. The sunlight from the sharp blade fell on her face. He closed her mouth. She couldn't scream above the vacuum cleaner's noise.

"Amma! Look at Pooja. She is playing with the mud again" Ajay came running. She breathed her last and the vacuum cleaner died. He turned towards the kids.

Pooja and Priya were holding hands "Husha, busha, all fall down..."

Not a love story

It was a killer smile. She looked at me after sipping from her cup of coffee and smiled with the milky mush. That was the moment for me. Who would expect to be swept off their feet by a girl's mustache? 


I had just broken up with a girl. She was caring, beautiful and smart. But something didn't work out. We had been going out for a couple of years. We thought we'd found each other. Soul mate and all that. We were planning to get married and then things went bad. I had to break it. And I did it, for the two of us. She was disappointed. Threw tantrums like a kid. Yes, a kid, that was what she was. But things moved on. I hadn't heard from her for a while then.

And there I was looking at the most beautiful pair of green eyes. I asked her if we could go out for a cup of coffee and realised the foolishness of the question only after she choked on her coffee, laughing. A few hours, days and weeks later, we were going out, officially. 

It was our first month anniversary and her birthday was a couple of days away. I thought I'd give her an early birthday surprise. I took her to my place. Made the best dinner arrangements I could and there we were in the garden, under the starlit sky having what was probably the best conversation in silence. I was falling more and more in love with her. I hoped she did too for I had neither her beautiful eyes nor the killer smile.

She reminded me of my ex in more than one way. She was everything that she wasn't and everything that she was. I felt this need to love her for I thought someone else would come and take my place. It was like a kid's love towards the mother. Holding the hands ever so tight when the kid sees other children more due to fear of losing her than the love towards.

We had finished eating. I stood up, took her hand and we had a walk around the garden. I wished time stood still. I wished the dawn never broke. I wished there wasn't a limit to love.

We kissed. Gently. It was a cold night and I felt like it was summer. She said my lips tasted funny. In a good way though. She loved to say my name. We kissed again. I could feel the blood flowing through my veins. I felt a warm, surging pain. I didn't realise it was indeed my blood. I found the knife on the dinner table missing, only to find it sticking out of me.

It took only a couple of minutes for the fog to clear. But then it was too late.  She was everything the other girl was. She was here to take my blood for I had taken the one's that she shared with. The dawn broke as I lay there still.


That was the last thing I saw. It was a killer smile.

It's over.

It's over. Bye


He was staring at the screen. It took a whole of three minutes for it to sink in. He didn't know how to handle this. He thought he would try calling her. But it was late and he didn't want to land her into trouble. He stayed up for a long time, wondering where he went wrong. It was just another ordinary day made extra ordinary where the extra was because of her. He made her laugh. They exchanged 'I love you-s' and virtual hugs. Was it all a lie? What would have made her say that? He broke down. The clock struck 12.

He got a text from her which said,
'Damn you TRAI' 

Scream

She didn't know where to run. She didn't know where to hide. There wasn't enough time to think. She ran into the room screaming. She didn't know what to do. She paced across the room for a while. She placed her ears on the door and tried to listen. She couldn't hear a thing but she knew he was coming, coming for her. She looked around. She decided to hide inside the closet. She tried to lock it from the inside. She couldn't. She stood there silently, praying. She knew it was only a matter of few minutes. She could hear approaching footsteps. That was it. He opened the door and entered the room. She could see him. He came near the closet. She could hear him breathe. He opened the door slowly. She could hear herself screaming. 
"You two! Play without making noise", shouted mom from the living room. It was his turn to hide.

The two faced coin

Thursday 17th March 2011,  7:03 pm


From : abhinaya.karthik@mailsnip.com


To : karthik.abhinaya@mailsnip.com


Subject : empty


Hi. Its high time we talked about stuff Karthik. I have certain things to share. I have been waiting for the right time and now I feel I should be telling all this, for I fear the right time may never come.

***

Thursday 17th March 2011 7:03 pm.


From : karthik.abhinaya@mailsnip.com


To : abhinaya.karthik@mailsnip.com


Subject : empty




Hello. Its high time we talked about stuff Abhi. I have certain things to share. I have been waiting for the perfect moment and now I feel I should be telling all this, for it may be too late.

***

I don't know how or where to start. I thought we'd go on without talking about this but its getting more and more burdensome. By the way did you check the bills that were on the dining table? Last night's pizza is in the fridge. Its been 17 hours since I left home. I don't know when I will be back.

***

I have so much to say and I am not sure where to begin. Its getting heavier by the day. I had the leftovers of last night's pizza. And the bills have been taken care of. I came back an hour ago. The trip was a success. I don't know when you will be back.

***

Karthik, how could you do this to me? After all that happened. How? Do you even understand how I feel?

***

Abhi, how do you even do this to me? Do you feel the same way? I wish you go through this too.

***

Its suffocating Karthik. You know those times when you would go on and on and on? I wish you hadn't talked at all. Those times when I had to talk and keep waiting for your response. I wish I hadn't talked at all. Every time Karthik, every time. Whenever we danced I had to lead. Whenever we kissed I had to be the one who initiated. Come on! What were you even thinking? There are days when all I needed was a hug and a shoulder to cry. And all you would do was stand and stare. Like I conveyed nothing! What were you even thinking? 

***

Its overwhelming Abhi. You know those times when I used to talk and you listen like a baby? I just loved how much you valued putting up with me. You know those moments you talk about everything under the sky? I wish I could make you feel how I feel at those moments. Whenever we danced I let you lead. I didn't attempt to kiss you whenever you didn't want to. I wanted to be different. I wanted to make you feel special. You remember those days when all I did was to sit and look at your face. Those moments were filled with silence but I believe those are the times when we had the deepest of conversations.

***

That cover full of stuff under the bed? What was that? It started stinking. I feel like I don't even know you anymore. Check if the maid had cleaned that. Fuck! Why am I even bothered about that house. I don't want to come back Karthik. It sucks to know that there's no other place to go.

***

I can't find the bouquet under the bed. So I assume you got it. Hope you liked the card too.

***

I don't even know why I'm mailing you all this. I tried telling all this to your face. Then I thought I should be talking to the same face that doesn't react at all.

***

I don't even know why I'm mailing all this. I would love to tell all this to you directly. But you render me speechless, every single time.

***

I wish I never get back home. I don't love you anymore Karthik. Bye.

***

Waiting for you to knock the door anytime. I love you Abhi, more than ever. Missing you. Bye.

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

Thursday March 17 2011 7.31 pm


The mail service provider was probably flipping a coin to decide whose heart to break first.

The hand that rocks the cradle

The baby was crying. It was not of hunger, something that says he's been disturbed, something of sleeplessness and she was trying to make the baby sleep. She started playing with him. Took him in her hands and started walking around the house. She wanted him to stop crying. 


She started telling him stories. 

"Let me tell you about daddy and me. You will listen to it and sleep like a good boy. Will you?
Here you see the balcony? Here's where we sat when Daddy brought me home for the first time. He made me tea. We had cookies, yes your favorite ones. Come we'll go to the other room. Here is where the bedroom was previously. See the cupboard there? Inside it was a card, a rose and a ring. Daddy asked me if i will marry him. Guess what I said? Of course you know what I said. I said I will. And then we got married. Come we'll go to your room. We shifted the bedroom here. This room had the window through which the moon is visible. Daddy's idea it was. And this is where you were born. And you slept "

She left him in his crib. She was watching him sleep. The calmness in his face made her glad.

"And you slept. Let me finish off the story. You were born and made us happy. Immensely happy. Everything was perfect until she came. Yes, that aunty who gifted you the train. I didn't like her even a bit. Right from the beginning. And whatever I feared happened. She stole Daddy from Mommy. You wouldn't like that would you? But she did. And Daddy moved in with her. Now you are all my possession. You are my only ray of hope. And know what Daddy did today? He came with some papers. He wanted me to sign them. Are you sleeping baby? Good good. And he wanted me to sign them. I said I wouldn't. You don't like the other room, no baby? Very good. Mommy will be back in a while"

She went to the other room and started digging Daddy's grave. With a satisfactory smile. Looking at the corpse that lay next to her. She was digging the grave, with the hand that rocks the cradle.

A little bit of truth

This is not some lame attempt at sweeping  you off your feet. If I could've I would've.

You,

Yes, you. I sincerely hope you are reading this. This is the first time I'm writing to you and I really wish this is the last time too. Yes, its been too much of a burden to carry and walk around. And it tires me. Its hard. You wouldn't know. Do you? Don't surprise me by saying yes. As I hear, you know what I think of you. Or as I would like to put it 'thought' of you. It was hard to type it in the past tense but what the hell? Am putting an end to it tonight. You grew in me like so badly. There have been several good memories which, you probably forgot or worst case you never knew they existed. Who would remember asking some ridiculous physics formula to some stranger? Well, I do. Ah, chuck it. People would probably go 'Awww sweet' but yeah, it doesn't matter. Not anymore to me, just like it never mattered to you. Its been a terrible 5 months and I must thank you for all the good memories. I'm sorry you might be the subject of a million stories I might write in the future, just like how you were a part of a few that I had already written. I made plans of asking you out and all that. Very funny when I come to think of it now. Very funny. Its like a very bad probability problem that remained unsolved. 1, .95 and it went on towards zero and just to give me a little ego boost I'll consider myself worthy of a 0.25 probability of being the one, alright? Just play along. Life works in strange ways, the six degrees of separation and all. So there's always a mighty chance of running into you at weddings or someplace else. I'd be skipping a beat even then just like how it happens(d) every time. Now listen, I'm all done. I wouldn't have written all this but this is what a sleep deprived exam facing 19 year old guy does at 3 am in the morning. So yeah, I'm over you. It took me 3 minutes to type the last sentence. But there, I did it. Listen, I'll never be able to ask you out even if I wanted to. You're a tinge way too awesome for me. So calm down. Don't freak out. I still kind of like you, savoring this for the bed time stories I might get to tell my kids. I want to end this, I can sense you're getting bored. So yeah, continue staying awesome. Go, be a good girl :)

Me.

Let go 

Again, This is not some lame attempt at sweeping  you off your feet. If I could've I would've.

Christmas

There were smiles all around. Knee deep snow, yet people were out of their houses very early. Everyone was busy shopping. It was Christmas eve.

She was extra happy. She had a wide smile. As wide as a moon pie. She blushed at the very thought of it. He calls her that, yes, a moon pie. She walked through the crowded street hoping that none noticed her red cheeks and ears. She was so excited about this Christmas, it was their first Christmas together.


She put a lot of thought in buying a gift for him. She wanted to give him something that he'll always remember. Of course she knew he's going to remember whatever the gift might be, she wanted it to be something sweet. She peeped into every single shop she passed by. She had a few hours left till she began her surprise trip to his place.

Oh yes, you people are not familiar with these two, are you? So here it goes. They met roughly ten months back. He works in a firm about two hundred miles from where she stays. The charm of their love for each other kept the relationship going. It was time they realised they were made for each other.

Coming back, she was all burned out and tired of searching and hence she thought she'd take a break and get done with lunch. She was looking at her mobile and was lost in thoughts. She was done with her lunch and when she came out of the restaurant she knew what she was going to get him.

The sun had set and she set out on her journey. A long, tiresome drive. But what the hell, its him.

She finally reached. She had a wider smile. Only to be disappointed to see a post it stuck on his door. "Away for the weekend, Merry Christmas :) "

She never had a plan B. She wanted to surprise him and now it seemed life had played a cruel trick. She called him on his phone.

"Hey" she started.

"HEY" he was full of energy.

"Where the hell are you? I'm at your door and you are not here" she almost started crying.

"Oh now I know why your door is locked" said he.

Silence. And more silence. The gods were smiling and somewhere a guy and a girl exchanged I love yous.


The clock struck twelve. And they wished each other "Merry Christmas"

He sang for her, a song that he'd written for her.

"The grass are all wet, cold and full of dew,
All I wanted for Christmas was you"

:)

The stranger

He was sitting on the park bench by the side of the tree that was shedding the last of its leaves. He was staring at none in particular. He had this calmness, a saintlike calmness on his body and yet he  seemed agitated. His hands would remain silently rested on either side of him while his eyes showed pressure. His pupils dilated and expanded continuously. He was not drunk. The man with the brown coat was observing him from the bench that was a good five yards away on the opposite  side of the street. Their eyes met. The man in the brown coat came towards him and extended his hands. He reciprocated and asked him to sit next to him. They remained silent for a while.

The man in the brown coat could not hide his curiosity and asked him, "What do you do, sir?"

"I live", came the reply.

He seemed to be giving a reaction of having given a more than satisfactory answer.

"What do you mean you 'live'? So do I and a zillion others.", said the man in the brown coat. And that was the cue for him to start listening and the other guy to start talking.

"I live. By which I meant I live in a world where the zillion others you mentioned merely exist. What do you do everyday? Wake up, brush, have coffee/ breakfast, go to work and come back. You might have a family. A wife and probably a couple of kids. You might get to hug them, everyday. You kiss your wife goodbye on the way to work. So do the zillion others. Occasionally you get to drink, for you don't seem like someone who is an alcoholic. You might smoke  five? ten? may be fifteen cigs a day. May be more. You might get some sex once, twice or may be thrice every fortnight. If you have kids who are infants or toddlers that probability goes down. For all I know you might not be married. You might have a girlfriend. You go on a dinner date may be every couple of days. Probably you have a ring tucked inside your coat pocket for weeks together now. All this could be you. You are one in 13% of the country. The remaining 87% is divided into many such similar groups of similar people doing similar things. And yet you proclaim you live. Life is not a routine. That Darwin guy? What did he say. He said life is an evolution. When you and I evolved from unicellular grime. That was because the world needed change. We have been humans since a million years ago. We will be the same. May be more learned, more sophisticated. Yet the men give into the calls of women. All a man does is breathe, fuck and multiply. You asked me what I did. I'll tell you. I wake up. I take a look out of my window. Everyday I see different people. I sit and study them. They are all similar. Sometimes I wonder how two people have almost the exact same lives. Even our fingerprints are not the same. The music in no two songs are the same. There are 6 strings in a guitar. A billion combinations. There are 60 million cells in our body, yet a handful of people. Stereotypes. You asked me what I did. I dream. I dream of a different life everyday. I break all stereotypes. How many different dreams have you had? Being rich? Marrying the most beautiful woman? Living in the biggest mansion? My dreams are different everyday. I dream about trucks. With eleven wheels, four on top in case it topples. I dream about butterflies which are changing colours depending on the object they touch. I swear I can show you a purple coloured fella. Life is finding the needle in the haystack. The mistake that you commit is you are approaching it by neglecting the wrong areas. I live it differently by approaching the right ones. Equivalent labour, more probability of success. I live"

The guy in the brown coat spots two men at a distance. The other guy asks, "Have they come yet?" 


He asks "Who?"


"The two of them. I can sense it. I'll have to go now. Start living. Search for the needle"

The two men come near, give him his daily dosage of medicine. He hallucinates, faints, lies down without any struggle on the stretcher. The van at the end of the street reads "Central hospital for mental health and allied ailments"

Bedtime story

This could've happened.

The phone rang. It was picked on the second ring. 

"I'm not sleepy", said she.

"I shall tell you a story", came the reply.


"About what?"


"I don't know. In fact I don't know who the story is about, how many characters are there or how it will end. All that I know is there was a little boy of four who lived all by himself in a castle surrounded by huge walls the size of giraffes"


And thus starts our story. We don't know if its big, small or that first line is all that he has. Lets not waste time, she needs to sleep.

***

There was a little boy of four who lived lived all by himself in a castle surrounded by huge walls the size of giraffes. Everyday the boy used to wake up, play and eat the food that presented itself on the big table in the dining hall. And that day, as usual he was playing and loitering around the castle. He seemed bored. So he thought he'd go to the terrace. He sat down wondering what to do to while away time. He said to himself 'If only there was someone nearby to talk to him or probably tell him a story'. Suddenly the place turned all dark. One of the clouds floated towards him and started speaking to him.

"Feeling bored are we?"


"Yes", said the boy.


"Do you know why Sun sets when the moon shows up and comes back only when it leaves?"


"No I don't" said the boy.

"Let me tell you why", said the cloud and started its narration.

" The Sun and the Moon were once happily married. And we clouds were close friends of the sun and the moon. We were the happiest when they got together. They led a happy life and as a result of their love for each other they were blessed with seven children. Years passed by and their children grew old enough to take care of themselves. They moved out of their houses and went off to stay at different places.

The Sun and the Moon decided that they'll  visit their children once every week. And split the seven days among each one of them. It continued for sometime and then came the fights. Winter came and the Sun would oversleep. He would go to bed early. The Moon was growing old too. She did not like it. The Sun missed visiting the kids on more than a few occasions. And then it grew big. They quarreled, stopped talking to each other and they split.


We clouds cried so hard. We were very close to them you know, we couldn't bear it. Then the seven children decided they should get together and do something about it. So Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red came together and made a rainbow and bridged the Sun and the Moon together."

The boy had slept.

***

He held on to the phone for a whole minute. Heard her breathe into the phone. She was sleeping. He was smiling.

This could've happened.

First time

He felt strange in that new place. He had no reason to feel comfortable. He had always stood outside, watched people enter and leave the place and was curious about what happened inside. There were so many movies and stories from where he had gained an idea about the place and what men and women do inside but he wanted a first hand experience. He went inside, the lady gave him a look which meant nothing to him. He was puzzled. She took his hand. He gave into her. This was his first time. He wanted to make it count. The lady marked his index finger with the ink. 

Prank

The room mate was away. She was out shopping.  He decided to surprise her when she returned back. A prank has been long due and he decided this was the perfect day to carry on with it. It was a cloudy evening, would probably start raining by the time she is home. He started making the arrangements. Turned off all the lights downstairs. Lit a few candles. He wanted to make things creepy but didn't know how. He had this long cloak which was a reminiscent of the graduation party.

She was at the supermarket walking through aisles of groceries and cereals. Being a chocolate lover, she filled her cart with more chocolates than daily food. The evening sun started setting. It was turning dark. A cool night after a long and dreary summer. She walked out to her car. Got in and turned on loud music and started towards home.


It started drizzling. The transition from the drizzle to a smashing rain happened like a crescendo. It was as if the clouds were wanting to rain. Like that of someone who wanted to cry for long but couldn't. It was creepy in a strange way. 


She parked the vehicle on the drive way. He saw her walking towards the door from the window upstairs. She found the door to be unlocked. She entered, still humming the song that she last played in the stereo of her car. He quietly tiptoed towards the door of his room. The silence was eerie.

She reached the bottom of the stairs. Took a detour to the fridge. She wanted some cold water. Having found a bottle she turned. Only to find a face, pale and blank. It looked almost dead. She heard herself scream loud inside her head. But no noise came out.

He remained locked in the room upstairs.

13-ஆம் நம்பர் வீடு

அது மார்கழி மாதம். காலை பனி கூட கலையவில்லை. தெருமுனையில் நின்று எதையோ தேடிகொண்டிருந்தான். குளிரில்  அவனுடைய கை காலெல்லாம் உதறிக்கொண்டிருந்தது. மெதுவாக தெருவுக்குள் நுழைந்தான். இதுவரை அவன் பார்த்த வீடுகளிலெல்லாம் மார்கழி மாதத்தில் கலர் கலராக கோலமிட்டிருக்கும். இந்த தெரு அவனுக்கு புதிர் போட்டது. எந்த வீட்டிலும் மனித சாயலே இல்லை. தெருவை அடைக்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காகவே வீடு கட்டியிருக்கிறார்கள் போல என்று நினைத்துக்கொண்டான். அரை இருட்டில் அந்த தெருவுக்குள் அவன் நுழைய, அடி வயிற்றில் ஏதோ செய்தது அவனுக்கு. மெதுவாக நடந்தான். பனிக்காற்று எச்சரிக்கும் விதமாக எதிர் திசையில் அழுத்தியது. மூன்று வீடுகளை கடந்தோம் என்று விரல் விட்டு எண்ணினான். நான்காம் வீடு மூன்றிலிருந்து குறிப்பிடத்தக்க தூரத்தில் இருந்தது. நடுவே வெத்து நிலம். நேற்றிரவு மழை பெய்து ஓய்ந்ததை தேங்கிக்கடந்த தண்ணியை பார்த்து தெரிந்து கொண்டான். நாய் ஒன்று சத்தமில்லாமல் உறங்கிக்கொண்டிருந்தது. எழுந்துவிடுமோ என்று பயந்து வேகமாக நடந்தான். சிறு வயதில் நாய் துரத்தியது ஞாபகம்  வந்தது அவனுக்கு. நடப்பதை தொடர்ந்தான். 7-ஆம் நம்பர் வீட்டு  வாசலில் ஊஞ்சல் ஒன்று ஆளில்லாமல் காற்றில் ஆடிக்கொண்டிருந்தது. பின்னாடி திரும்பி நாய் பின் தொடர்ந்து வருகிறதா என்று பார்த்துக்கொண்டான். தொடர்ந்து நடந்தான். பத்து, பதினொன்னு, பன்னெண்டு, வாய் விட்டு எண்ணிக்கொண்டே வந்தான். பதினாலு. பதின்மூன்ரைக் காணவில்லை. சுற்று முற்றும் பார்த்தான். என்ன செய்வதென்று தெரியவில்லை. காற்றில் ஏதோ அசையும் சத்தம் கேட்டது. எதிரே உள்ள காலி இடத்தில் இடி தாக்கிய மரமொன்று துணை தேடி நின்று கொண்டிருந்தது அவனைப்போலவே. திடீரென்று ஒரு கை அவன் பின்தோளில் கை வைத்தது. சடார் என்று திரும்பினான். 

அவன் இடுப்பு உசரத்தில் ஒரு கிழவர். 

திக்கி திக்கி, "பதிமூனா நம்பர் வீடு..." என்றான். "நீ தான் அந்த புது பயலா? கொண்டா" என்று கையில் இருந்த செய்தித்தாளை வாங்கிக்கொண்டு மறு வார்த்தை பேசாமல் சென்றார்,எதிரே இருந்த வெத்து நிலத்தில் ஓரமாக ஒரு ஓலை குடிசைக்குள்.

மனதில் அடையாளம் குறித்துக்கொண்டான்,  பதின்மூன்றாம் நம்பர் வீடு.    

What-to-name-it -4

I was sitting there watching him. He was probably 4-6 years old. You would expect such a kid to either smile or cry all the time but he was terrified. It could be seen in his eyes. He looked around. There were strangers all around him. His fear seemed to rise by the passing minute. There was this guy standing close to the kid. Must be his dad. Even his presence did not comfort him. I assumed even he was not against that which was going to happen. The kid must have felt let down by his own dad. The guy with the blade came nearer. The kid started screaming. All I could do was to sit and watch the kid scream while he got his haircut done. 

What-to-name-it -3

This story will have a cold ending.


It was a couple of hours after sunrise. His hands were frantically moving in random directions, his face had the weirdest expression. He could hear his mom screaming from a distance but couldn't quite figure out what she was speaking. His eyes were bloodshot. Suddenly pristine white froth started coming out of his mouth. None was around. The screaming continued, the froth ceased. His hands came to a rest. He could hear what she was screaming. The coffee was turning cold.

What to name it -2

It was a warm day and the happenings added more warmth to it. He had a wide grin, couldn't stop smiling. He came into the drawing room. You know people say that the smile of a baby cannot be compared with anything else? Well, it can be compared with that of a 70 year old's toothless grin. His friend was waiting for him. He started narrating the day's happenings and all through the narration he was beaming with happiness. The friend was listening intently and he wished he'd have such an experience soon. The old man finished his narration and soon a tinge of sadness filled his face. A sudden thought cast a dark shadow on his mind. It will be one more week, seven days before his son would visit him. Till then he'd spend the time listening to others in the old age home narrate their days with their children.

What-to-name-it -1

She couldn't meet his eyes. It was a cold day. Still, he made her sweat. She felt his breath on her neck. It made her more uncomfortable. She felt like she had no control. Her hands were busy. She couldn't move. The push and pull that existed between him and her defied gravity, inertia and what not. He could see the solitary bead of sweat moving down her forehead, run through the cheeks and disappear. She tried to push her hair off her face, she indeed looked beautiful. It went on for a while, the push and pull looked wild, beast like. And finally she gave a sigh of relief. It was over. The conductor blew the whistle and she finally got down from the bus.

The game of dice- Twitter style.

One fine afternoon, Duryodh decided to call Yudhistir to his place, which was followed by one of the most remembered games of dice ever played. That, in twitter style, here we go.


@Duryodh_Dude : @Yoyudhi Dude, furnished new place. Lets have a tweetup, beer and all. Bring your bros along


@Yoyudhi: Sure mate and I have to say your handle's so Orkutiya :D


@Duryodh_Dude: Sombody gonna get hurt real bad #RusselPeters


@ShakuniShakes: Seems @Duryodh_Dude has planned something, must be one helluvan evening. catchya later guys.


@Yoyudhi: Dude, @Nakul says he hasn't received the invite 
yet. Pliss to check


@Nakul: People just don't seem to notice I exist.


@Duryodh_Dude: @Nakul haha that was so gay. Check your spam 
folder.


@Nakul : @Duryodh_Dude Sorry mate, got it :) 


@Duryodh_Dude: @Nakul #facepalm


@Yoyudhi: now at fun tweet up with @Duryodh_Dude et all. Will upload pics soon.


@DraupDaretoShare: Duh, MEN.


@ArjunDash: @DraupDaretoShare Got a moment? Anyway @Yoyudhi's busy rolling dice. We can get something else rolling  ;) 


@Krish : @ArjunDash Heavy #Mahipal feel.


@Draupdaretoshare: @Krish *blushes* @ArjunDash


@Krish: @Draupdaretoshare #Headdesk @ArjunDash


@Yoyudhi: YAY, a six! take that! @Duryodh_Dude @ShakuniShakes


@Krish : @Sakunishakes and Limp-bizkit #Sameguy (atleast namesake) 


@ShakuniShakes: @Duryodh_Dude and @Yoyudhi #Nowplaying- an epic game of dice


@Duryodh_Dude: haha perhaps its now time for a #Yudhiface LOL @Yoyudhi


@YoYudhi: Hmm, lemme bet @Nakul, @ArjunDash @Vedahas and @BhimBoy 


@Duryodh_dude : @YoYudhi hahaha LOSER, again :P 


@Nakul: @YoYudhi WTF @ArjunDash @Vedahas @BhimBoy


@ArjunDash: @YoYudhi #Outrage @Nakul @Vedahas @BhimBoy


@Bhimboy RT @Nakul: @YoYudhi WTF @ArjunDash @Vedahas @BhimBoy


@Vedahas : @Yoyudhi LVDKBL @Nakul@ArjunDash @BhimBoy


@DraupDaretoshare : @Cutekunti Are you a bitch? because  @ArjunDash @YoYudhi @Nakul @Vedahas @BhimBoy are behaving like sons of one.


@Duryodh_dude : @ShakuniShakes *hi-fies* today's beer's on me dude.


@ShakuniShakes: @Duryodh_Dude we have redefined #EPICWIN machaan.


@Krish : @YoYudhi Toldja. 


@YoYudhi : @Krish :( :( 


@Krish : @YoYudhi Forget it, hard luck machaan.


@yoYudhi : @Krish Well, ofcourse.
 
@Krish : @YoYudhi Otha.