Lyrics Three

“...enadhu iravu aval koondhalil,

enadhu pagalgal aval paarvaiyil

kaalam ellaam aval paarvaiyil,

kanavu kalaiyavillai kangalil

idhayam thudikkavillai aasaiyil,

vaazhvum thaazhvum aval vaarthaiyil...”

We entered Coimbatore at the early hours of Friday. A hell lot of changes around the city in 5years. Ahmed used to update me with photos and videos, so it didn’t come as a surprise to me.

“Gimme your phone” I asked Ahmed.

‘Dear..i ve entered the city..ll call u by noon after havin a good sleep..luv ya’

MESSAGE SENT

6 yrs, 6months and 23days ago

“Rahul, I guess am standing here in front of you. Is there something else more interesting going on in the lab?” disrupted me like a stone on still water.

“illa...I mean no Sir..”

Days passed beautifully just because of her. I just used to look at her, through the glass, all day long sitting in my lecture sessions.

After that night, she used to have a smile as and when I passed her. It was a sign for me to take it to the next level.

_

“Hello”

“Divi, its Rahul”

“Theriyuthu sollu.”

“This Saturday, shall we go for a movie?”

“You are calling me for a movie!! We are the ones who used to pester you, what’s going on? I smell something fishy huh.”

“Hey, you are the only girl friend I have. I meant a friend who is a girl.”

“I didn’t take it the other way. Why are you stammering, nervous..? What’s going on?”

“Onnum illayae. Just calling you for a movie.”

“Hmmmm...ok...am coming.. Just pick me up at my home..”

“Actually.... We have another ticket.”

“So”

“Soooooo.... Can you ask Ria, if she is....”

“Nenechen.. I know you dude. So its Ria right?” she started not allowing me to complete.

“Hey, How could you? I just asked whether she’ll be able to come.”

“Seri seri... scene podatha.. I’ll ask her but I donno if she’ll come”

‘Oh No..!!’

“Hmmmm... Ok...just try your best to make her come”

“Why are you so desperate?”

“Nothing”

Finally it was Saturday, I and Ravi were waiting for them at the theater. I was hoping Ria would show up too. I saw Divi walking towards at from the entrance but no sign of Ria.

“Hi Guys.. Sorry am late”

“Ria?”

“Over ah feel pannatha... She had some work so couldn’t make it.”

That’s it, my second move failed very badly. The weekend was a total upset. It was Monday morning again and I was in high spirits, as usual, as I could see her today. The morning passed away so quickly and with her, even faster. Me, Ravi and Karthi were into the elevator and was about to leave for lunch. I saw Ria running towards us so I stopped the door from closing.

“You guys going for lunch??” she asked me. ‘Is this really happening to me?’ I was standing there staring at her. Ravi started to mumble in my ear “Dude, say something.”

“Hmmmm what.. Ya ya..we are going for lunch.”

“Can we join you? Me and my friend”

“Oh Sure.”

We were walking towards the cafeteria, I was walking a bit faster in front of the group with Ria and her friend behind me and, Ravi and Karthi were very slow coming last.

“Sorry Rahul”

Did I really hear that? I just turned to make sure. “Did you say something?”

“Ya..I said ‘Am Sorry’”

“Sorry!? For?”

“I was supposed to join you guys for the movie but I couldn’t...Sorry”

“Oh..hmmmm..Are you my...hmmm... Am I your friend?”

“Ya... Definitely.. Why?”

“My friends usually don’t feel sorry for skipping a movie. Are you?”

So far whenever I watch her it was like a missed call, no response from the other end. It was different now, I caught her watching me. I don’t know whether that was the usual “watching me” or something more than that. Engineering seemed easier than cracking the meaning for her looks.

_

“Hello.. Ahmed..Divi da”

“Temme dear..wazzup”

“Is Rahul serious about this girl?”

“Ria? I really don’t know. Stayed back for the vacation, maybe she seems special for him. Why?”

“Just he seems to be too much into her. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“Get hurt? What do you mean by get hurt?”

Now

We reached home finally. I got down from the vehicle and was shocked to see no one coming out to receive me.

“Iru iru iru..Athukulla avasaram..Am coming..” Ria screamed at me as I was about to enter the house.

“Hey..What are you doing here at this hour? Ahmed didn’t say anything about you” as I turned to look at him he was not there, probably taking out my luggage.

“Naan than unakku aarathi edukkanum nu nenechen.. So here I am.”

“You know those things huh. I didn’t know that you knew it.”

One..Two..Three..She circled the plate, containing a lit camphor and saffron water, in front of my face. As she leaned forward and tried to place the water on my fore head, “Rahul” Ahmed almost shouted at me. I opened my eyes to see my home in front me.

“When did you sleep man? You were awake when we were crossing Ukkadam.”

My mom, dad, few aunts and few of my cousins, all were waiting for me to get down•