Lyrics Eight

“....Anaivarum uranggidum iravinum neram,

Enakkadhu thalaiyanai nanaithidum neram...”

“WTF!!” “How the hell they forgot to wake me up?”

I just took a quick shower, groomed, put on my Bond Suit and shoes and almost ran down the stairs.

“Relax Rahul. Am still waiting for you.”

Ria, as beautiful as ever. A bright pink saree, it almost looked like white, with all the glittery stones and stuff. I almost whistled looking at her.

“ You too look awesome today.” She complimented me.

“Hmmmm.. Maybe..” she just giggled trying to hide her smile with her hand.

“Shall we?” I offered her my hands.

“Hmmmm...” She accepted it and we walked through the aisle in the middle of the hall.

Both the sides were completely filled with people, many were standing and kids were running around. I couldn’t make out who is who. Couple of videographers was moving around and one of them was just walking backwards in front of us focusing us.

I turned my attention towards the stage. My mom, dad, Ahmed, Karthi, Ravi, Divi and their partners except Ravi, in-laws were all waiting for us. The whole stage was decorated by beautiful flowers.

“Flowers!! Oh shit!!”

“Honey, watch your tongue”

“Forgot the red rose.” I was completely frustrated.

“Hmmm.. Its already taken care of. Enakku unna pathi theriyatha enna.”

All I could do was smile, not for the rose, for getting her. Suddenly I felt she was pulling my hand. She just tripped on the video camera wire and was falling over.

“Ria!” “Ria!”

I couldn’t get hold of her and was shook out of it.

“Dey.”

I was staring at Ahmed.

“Man, I told you not to go to Palakkad.”

“Its not Palakkad. The dreams have not gone at all.”


5 years, 10 months and 8days ago

“Just relax man. I’ve asked my brother to start immediately, once we hear from him then we can come to a conclusion.” Ahmed has sent his brother. We hoped we could hear from him in another 1 to 2 hours.

We finally received a call from him around 5am. Ahmed didn’t allow me to speak with him.

“Hmmmm....” “oh....” ”ok.... “when...” “Sure??” “Oh...” “Now??” “Ok..” “We’ll be there” That’s all he spoke on the phone.

“We have to start immediately.”

“Everything is ok right??”

“Ya da.. They have got her and they need someone to take her home and she has mentioned your name.”

“My Name!! Oh.. What the hell was she doing in Palakkad?”

“God only knows”

_

We reached Coimbatore around 3pm. Reached Palakkad around 4pm. Ahmed’s brother was waiting for at the station.

“Riaz, what did the Commissioner mention?”

“Huh? Hmmmmm...ya...the Commissioner. Nothing. Just wanted to make sure she is a college student and some signatures.”

“What about their parents? Do they know about it because I donno why they are calling me instead of their parents?”

“They have informed their parents and they are on the way.”

“Oh ok”

We were there in about 20minutes.

MALAMPUZHA POLICE STATION

“Guys it says Malampuzha?”

“Ya man.”

“Why...”

“AC is waiting here for us.” Riaz interrupted before I could complete.

He was a typical Kerala Policeman with thick moustache and was quite fair.

“You are Rahul?”

“Ya”

“Ok.. Good.. You can come with us..”

“ jeep ne vilikkae.. avane namada kooda kootikondu pogam..” he was speaking something with the constable.

Suddenly Ahmed said something to Riaz and he spoke with the AC.

“Oh...then he can come with you. Just follow us.” Saying this he left with the constables. We took our car and followed the police vehicle.

“Dey, why are we going to GH?”

“Nothing man. He has some work on the way. You just wait in the car. I’ll be back.” Ahmed left me before I could ask anything.

He was almost gone for 15minutes. I lost my patience.

“Riaz, what’s going on?”

“Hmmmm...Nothing...” The tone itself said there is something going on.

“Where is Ria?”

“Ya ya ya...hmmmm... We are gonna meet her.” It was like they were hiding something from me.

“Ok... Am going in..” I started walking towards the entrance, I didn’t wait for his response.

“No no wait.. He’ll be back.”

I asked a constable where they were and proceeded in that direction. Once I turned to the veranda saw a old women sitting and crying. At the end of the veranda I could see Ahmed talking with the Comissioner and couple of other guy. Suddenly one of the guys saw me and got furious. The other guy and the Commissioner got hold of him. Ahmed came running towards me, once he saw me.

“I told you to wait in the car man!”

“Why should I? What’s going on? Who’s that guy? Where is Ria? She was not there at the station.”

Ahmed was just standing there calm and he took out something from his pocket.

“Rahul, this is for you.” He handed out an envelope.

“To Rahul” and my phone number was written at the bottom.

Hi Rahul

Missed Me? The other night when you dropped me, I dint know that you will be never coming back to pick me up. The last happy moment of my life was the dinner and the cool bike ride with you. And really SORRY SORRRY SORRY. This time you should definitely accept my Sorry’s, these are for your head. How’s your health now? Your injuries have healed right. And can you tell SORRY to Divi on behalf of me, I know you will? I couldn’t return her calls. My dad was asking me “When are you gonna elope?” I was keep on lying “No Never...” for almost a week, guess he has found out that I fell for you. I don’t know when it happened was it “When you used to admire me during your vacation classes?” or when you asked “Are you my friend?” No no... I guess its when you asked “iiiiii....ice cream”, it was cute. You know I was cursing you “Why dint you hug me a little longer?”, that stupid Ahmed interrupted before you even actually hugged tight. And Rahul, you should see this place at night, really beautiful, standing on the edge WoW. Probably you must be wondering why dint I tell you anything about it. I know it wont end well. One way pain is always better.

Sorry Rahul, I am selfish, “I love you Rahul”.

See you dear mayb in 80years.

RIP

Ria Rahul

_

“Does he have BP?”

“No doctor. Nothing that I know.” “Doc, he had a small accident a month back and suffered from concussion. Does that affect anything?”

“Hmmmm.. Definitely, it’s a possibility. Just don’t leave him alone for a few days, until it gets into him.”

“Can we see him?”

“Sure”

“Can guys please tell me what happened?” I just yelled at Ahmed as he entered the room.

“You remember the guy, I and the Commissioner were talking to, that’s her fiancé. They had their wedding tomorrow here in Palakkad. And her fiancé, he was the guy who beat you up. He has brought her out for the evening and somehow she managed to..”

“Please, Don’t”

“Ok. Her parents don’t know anything about this, they are on the way for her wedding. They have sent her here 15days back.”

“But how could she do this man??” I was in tears and broken down. I couldn’t say anything else.

She was in hell for a month. I never even thought that she could be so strong, at heart. She was made to starve, locked out, tormented and was forced to. I couldn’t hear more. I just wanted to see her one last time but Ahmed just took me off from that place before her parents arrived.

We loved each other but never were lovers.

_

The operating room was really tensed and was filled with voices.

“Push push..” “Breath breath”

“Can you give another 10ml?”

“Doc, she is losing consciousness.”

“Look at here honey. Ya.. final push..” “We can see the head.”

She was sweating heavily. Nurses were holding her hand and tried to help her out. It was the final few seconds, I couldn’t see her struggle and was waiting outside the room but could hear every bit of it. Her screams were getting louder and louder.

It was the final scream “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...” and I jolted in my seat.

“Day dreaming honey?”

“Hmmmmm.. Ya kind of”

“Mrs.Raagini Rahul, you are next mam.” The nurse called out for her name. She was in her 8th month now.

It was no more Ria in my dreams. Its been 2years now since we got married and its been more than a year since I got Ria in my dreams sorry its always Raagini in my dreams for the past one year.

“Naan aendra sol ini vaendamm,

Nee aenbathae ini naanthaan,

Inimaelum varam kaetka thaevayillai,

Ithupol vaeraengum sorgamillai,

Uyirae vaa...”