.png)
A Story by Haritha Sivakumar l (Part of) Monday Blossoms l
CHAPTER 05
The star studded monsoon sky looked contagiously lazy as it hovered over the busy life of Mumbaikars, but breaking the rhythm of the laziness, fourth home in the third floor of the Rose Petal Apartment was brimming with laughter and merriment. And like all of us, even the moon peeked out to known the reason behind of the merriment, and it shined directly into the open window of Priya’s Apartment which she shared it with her friends.
“Argh!!” Siddanth cried out in painful-surprise, as he massaged his thighs while next to him Kavya was apologizing to him while trying to control her laughter at Shefalika and Nipun’s bickering over food.
“She hits while she laughs!” Tilak informed as he practically rolled on the floor while Priya wiped her tear of laughter, as they could not agree on whether to laugh at Nipun’s joke or Siddanth’s shock. Their laughter trailed along for a long time until it was half-past- ten when Siddanth and Nipun decided to head back to their home, but they have to stop as they heard a call from behind.
“Priya!” Nipun said, as they saw Priya walking towards them in the rear-view mirror of the car. She stopped near the right side of the car, and leaned down a little so that she is of the hearing level with Siddanth.
“Here. You forgot your wallet again,” Priya held out the purse with a solemn face, now clearly understanding the sentiment behind it, “ I am really sorry for getting them all wet. Though it was not my fault, still the things got ruined, so, I tried drying them, but I couldn’t save the picture or the letter.”
“Letter?” Siddanth enquired in surprise.
“Yes. The handwritten letter from your grandmother, I tried drying them but the letters all got smudged . S- What? Why are you both looking at each other and smiling? Siddanth, what happened?” Priya looked perplexed as she waited for an answer.
Siddanth bit his lips as he turned the dried, brittle paper slip around his finger, slowly with a strained voice he spoke, “ This is not a handwritten letter from my late grandmother. (A slow chuckle escaped his mouth) It was a grocery list from Nipun, but I will accept your sincere apologies.”Siddanth completed his sentence with difficulty, not long enough for the two men to break into a soundless-chuckle, as they watched Priya’s face turned from looking perplexed to embarrassment.
“Ah! I see. Well. Good Night then.” Priya stuttered, as she felt her cheeks on fire as she half-ran , half-jogged away from Siddanth who was screaming at her something, “Why do I always have to make a fool of myself before this guy?” Priya asked a legitimate question to her fate to which she never received a response.
But, five days later when everyone thought life could never get more boring, Siddanth was prancing inside his cabin restlessly.
“ Stop thinking . Stop thinking about her,” he was scolding himself, when he felt himself being drawn towards the memories that happened few days back, when they all gathered in the Pheonix Mall.
It wasn’t any special moment where Arjit Singh’s music was playing in the background or fragrance of red roses filled the surrounding. However, among those golden hues, and with a giggle in her laughter that touched the core of her eyes, and when she smacked her lips slightly after applying the lip-balm, Siddanth felt his whole world seized to exist only in her form, Priya. He forgot to move, he even forgot to breathe that, when he finally he did after a minute it was raspy and urgent while horsing his heart as he felt her eyes on him.
“Magnificent!” Siddanth breathed those words as he felt as if transported to that moment, but suddenly coming back to his presence, he scolded himself, “Stupid Mororn! Stop thinking about her. Well! I am not, who is thinking about her, we have more important things to do than think about her-” Siddanth’s monologue remained incomplete as he felt his heart skip a beat, as his assistant came through the front door revealing Priya standing in the reception speaking with Shefalika. He felt his throat grow dry, while his stomach somersaulted, “ I haven’t felt this weird for a very long time.” Siddanth wiped the sweat beads forming on his forehead.
“Are you alright , sir? You look pale?” His assistant asked him.
“Do you also see that woman in pink kurti and jeans with Shefalika?” Siddanth enquired.
“Oh, That’s Priya, sir. She is Shefalika’s friend. We just met.” She answered with an enthusiastic beam, “ She wants to meet you, sir. May I send her in?”
Siddanth for a second froze, his worst nightmare of turning into a boy of seventh grade meeting his crush was turning into reality. Though he did not understand any of the above mentioned emotion, that was his worst fear while meeting a woman- and, apparently he was turning into a jelly while reciting to himself to stay manly. “Can I send her in, sir? Or do you want me to schedule another day for the meeting?”
“No. It is okay. Send her in,” Siddanth answered too hastily.
“Okay.” The assistant went away leaving behind a few files and a restless Siddanth who kept muttering something like reciting Hanuman Chalissa. But, the moment the door opened and screeched a little, Siddanth’s heart galloped and for a moment his fac gleamed like a seventh-grade boy.
But, the two idiots of our story were unaware of any of these.
Priya was about to say something when Siddanth budged in with an over-enthusiastic curt, “Hai Priya. Wow! Welcome. You look hideous.” Siddanth blurted out while his inner self face-palmed itself, ‘Hideous? Really, who allowed you to speak to a woman? I asked you not to say beautiful. What’s wrong with you, Siddanth?’
See you may know and accept you look bad, but hearing it from others is a complete reality slap. Hence, it took Priya a second to re-compose herself and re-think on dropping of the photo-frame or not, but after a second thought she smiled and said, “ Thanks. You look weird too, like the usual, an over-ripped apple.” They smiled at each other awkwardly when Kavya walked in suddenly, “Hai Siddanth!”
“Hai,” Siddanth smiled back, this time genuinely and with relief, that the room won’t echo his galloping heart, “As instructed by Tilak, I will keep my distance with you, who knows when you will slap.”
“Areeh, Come-on! You are safe until I am not laughing, but once I laugh, even I have no control. Priya forbids me to sit with her whenever we watch FRIENDS.” Kavya spoke proudly.
“Ya, because the last time we did a FRIENDS marathon for a half-day, I ended up in my bed with ice-pack. Can you imagine my skin colour got into darker shade of red and purple!” Priya spoke callously.
“Oh I really don’t want to imagine that,” Siddanth muttered conflicting his inner turmoil of staring at anything other than Priya, because he worried that, if he looked at her he will keep looking at her.
Feeling queasy Priya finally lifted the frame out her purse and handed it to Siddanth, “ It’s nothing a big deal. But, I felt bad that I ruined your photograph with your grandmother, so- Happy Birthday!” Priya spoke with awkwardness before handing the photo-frame to him.
“What did you do to my Grandmother, Priya ?” Siddanth teased, but his words fell short as he saw a beautiful replication of that ruined photo of him with his grandmother. It was so beautiful, that even through the picture he felt the happiness he shared with his grandmother, the very last time before he lost her, forever, “Wow! You drew this?” Siddanth enquired now overwhelmed with emotions.
“Oh no. I am not that talented. Shefalika did it. I hope you liked it!” Priya spoke.
“I love it!” Siddanth beamed with tears water lining his eyes, but he sniffed them away as he controlled his urge to hug her and thank her million times for the wonderful gift. “ Thank you soo much! This was the reason why that wallet was precious to me- this was the last picture together.” Siddanth said more to himself as he stroke his fingers over his grandmother’s outline, “They are wonderful! Thank you once again.”
“Oh no mention. You can thank Shefalika, if you want. ( the three smiled at each other) Hmmph. So, okay then. We will take your leave.” Priya said while gesturing to Kavya to move as well.
“Ahh. Wait, as a thank-you for this wonderful gift, would you guys like to join my birthday party organized by my family?” Siddanth said through his slight sniff while his whole face looked two shades of darker pink.
“Sure.” Kavya answered on behalf of both the women, while leaving Priya confused as the former took the gear and gathered all the information on the venue and time for the party. When they were both outside of the office and got inside the rickshaw, Priya finally broke free of her numbness, “ What are you plotting now? Why did you agree to attend this party? We just planned to give the photo, and this new attendance was never in our plan. So, why?”
“I know. Life is unpredictable darling, that’s what makes us to live with a hope for the future, or else we would all have been born as stones.” Kavya answered.
“ Oh, if the concept of re-birth is true , then I would like to be re-born as a stone, not even a rock , just a stone. A stone inside the garbage will be even fine with me.” Priya replied resting her head on the side of the rickshaw.
“Eww, won’t that stink!” Kavya asked while slightly pulling a disgusted face at Priya.
“That’s the stone’s problem not mine. Anyways, why did you agree to go to the party? What are you plotting?” Priya asked again.
“I think he likes you.” Kavya replied without a flinch.
“Darling, it is not possible. He just called me hideous just a few seconds before you walked into the room.” Priya said unbothered.
“No.. I am getting this feeling-”
“Darling. You thought Mukhil from the 9 th C had a crush on me when the poor guy was actually rooting for Charu. Your guesses are a fallacy of its own, stop with your matchmaking.” Priya answered lazily.
“I am telling you. I think he likes you.” Kavya repeated, as Priya’s phone rang.
“You repeat that one more I will disown you from my will of love!” Priya cautioned Kavya before answering her work call.
(to be continued)