“What in the world just happened?!?”
I kept asking myself the whole day. The world was moving in a hazy slow motion and yet time flew so fast for I didn’t realize where I was for the whole afternoon. While in class, as the professor was droning away about rotary pumps and other stuffs, I caught a glimpse of a white light as that of a cell phone screen from under the desk, and soon after that, Gaurav kept glancing at me with a grin on his face as if he had seen the whole thing that happened in the isolated classroom during the lunch hour.
And I cottoned on as to why Josh had said “so you are the guy huh?” when we were introduced. I had a definitive feeling that the three friends were already in on the secret about me and Kavitha. But all these happenings were running by as if in a background, while the few seconds that I and Kavitha had shared occupied the whole of my mind.
Before I knew it I was walking out of the classroom bidding bye to Gaurav, with a wide stupid grin glued to my face, without knowing that my life was about to take a great twist. I was just about to board the bus when someone tapped me from behind; I turned to face Josh,
“So, got the bag from your girl? Here take this”
And he stuffed a crumpled up bit of paper in my hands, wished me bye and walked away. I opened it and to my surprise it had the cell phone numbers of the four friends I had made. But I already had Gaurav’s, but I was most happy to see the name Kavi and the ten digit number against it.
I had just stored the numbers when my cell phone flashed showing the name Kavi!! Hi sanju, it read, I am sorry but I had to tell the guys about us, it’s the code of honesty we had sworn. But not everything has to be said ;)…. And I immediately replied, it’s no big deal , glad that she wouldn’t be able to see me blush.
The bus started just then and a beautiful breeze was playing across my face and I closed my eyes, locking out the sight of the cemetery situated exactly outside our college and enjoying the two alphabets that gave immense happiness, “us” such a simple word kept me smiling the whole journey back home.
I started walking home, happy that I had something quiet elating to think about for my 4km hike, to my house from where I get down usually, with the small bubble of happiness that bobbed within my heart I forgot all about my depressing house.
But soon it all came rushing back, the memories which I had been fighting for a year now to forget. It was a happy family, until that accident. It changed everything. EVERYTHING!! First, the unexpected car accident and the hemorrhage of my father and his death, and soon, mom’s illness, and now……
“Hi mom!! How was the day? Who is the sweetest woman on earth?”
I said in a falsely cheerful voice, gulping down the sorrow rising up in my throat. One thing always rushed through my mind when I looked at my mother. No one should ever be cursed this way as me!!
She was lying as usual with her untidy hair in a loose bun in her green dress. She didn’t respond to my question; she continued calculating and drawing things in mid air, crying, with occasional laughter, living in her own world, with peace, but crashing mine. I again asked her the same question, for which she nodded and again went into her world talking to her imaginary friends and people who lived only within her world.
“Oh Sanjay you are back! Good, so how was college?”
I heard sandhya’s voice from behind me. And she walked into the ward, the young nurse who was assigned for my mom. She was always in a cheerful self, even though she worked in an asylum with so many people to deal with, so many people with bizarre thoughts and beliefs. I hid my tears and answered her that it was quite okay. She was giving mom her tablets and dress her up for the evening; I stayed at the bench, looking at my mom’s face, imagining how it used to light up when she looked at me in past, the shock it registered after my dad’s sudden death, and the permanent sorrow it is in now and hot tears failed me once again and this time Sandhya caught a glimpse of it and tactfully said,
“Sanjay its time, u go home, I will take care of mom don’t you worry now, go study….”
I stood up, and promised mom to meet her the next day, thanked Sandhya for her special care, and started my walk home from the hospital.
My brother, santhosh, was yet again busy studying when I entered home, he always studies and I always wondered, what is it that he studied all the time!! I never studied half the time that he did! Ever in my life!! The smell of hot Tiffin was invitingly wafting towards me, my grandmother’s specials. But I made my way over to my room to keep the bag and finish the rituals that I had to do every day, the prayers offered to sun god, Sandhyavandhanam and came to my room hoping that Kavitha would have messaged and I would have something cheerful to get me out of my dreary thoughts, but had no such luck. I heard my grandmother calling me for dinner and as I couldn’t think of any excuse to skip it, I carried myself to the dining hall.
As soon as I gulped down the food, I scrammed back to my room, to write down my unusual day in my diary. After I finished; I was about to turn in for the day when I remembered the bag that Kavitha had given, and decided to take a look at what was in it. Unprepared for the unpleasant surprise awaiting me….
a question to all my readers if there be any persistent one.... do you think this character "sandhya" should be made into an important one? or not..?
ReplyDelete“Hi mom!! How was the day? Who is the sweetest woman on earth?”
ReplyDeleteI said in a falsely cheerful voice, gulping down the sorrow rising up in my throat. One thing always rushed through my mind when I looked at my mother. No one should ever be cursed this way as me!!
She was lying as usual with her untidy hair in a loose bun in her green dress. She didn’t respond to my question; she continued calculating and drawing things in mid air, crying, with occasional laughter, living in her own world, with peace, but crashing mine. I again asked her the same question, for which she nodded and again went into her world talking to her imaginary friends and people who lived only within her world......yamunai....i never knew u wre sooo good............keep it up!!!!!!
thank you :) :)
ReplyDeletehey........release ur next chapter soon cant wait....
ReplyDeleteHey too good! =D
ReplyDeleteAm very eager to read the next chapter!!! MAKE IT FAST!!
And I feel Sandhya needn't be made as an important character ! =)
Keep writing!!
@priyanka & sreepradha: thank you :) for your support, working on it.. will soon post it
ReplyDeleteGud work! eager to read the next:)
ReplyDelete