"What else I need...
More than your single 'dharsan..'
To fulfill my day....."
The mobile phone was ringing continuously, karthik is in deep sleep, he didn't respond for the first time. When it rings second time, he just turned to sleep on the other side.
Once again it's started ringing for the third time, Karthik came into his senses, he felt tiredness in each and every muscle of his body, without moving an inch from his prone position he just extended his hand towards the phone and took it, by the time mobile stopped ringing.
He struggled to open his eyes, to look at who's calling at this time as it's his personal mobile. Official mobile, he switched it off already while started sleeping. The mobile showed cutie pie 3 missed calls. Why adhi is calling now, what's the time, he checked. It showed 3.40 pm. He called Adhira's no, she picked up on the second ring, and said, " hello, KS are you still sleeping? Don't you feel hungry?!!"
He smiled in response, because of the emergency cases, it was past nine in the morning when he came back from his night duty, after refreshing and breakfast, he started sleeping only after 10.
Before he started speaking, she said, "but I am hungry".
"Hey, what's this, didn't you eat till now?!! Didn't your mom scold you?! What's she doing?! " getting confused, he came upright.
"We're waiting for you..." She replied.
"What?!!!..... Oh.....I am sorry baby, I forgot.. you asked me to come to your house for lunch know...I totally forgot..oh shit.. what a jerk I am..." Karthik cursed himself, he just remembered that right now and got up quickly from his bed. " You people start eating, I will be there within 20 minutes" he said before he hung up the call.
Today morning, Adhira called him, as he was busy, he didn't pick up, so Adhira sent a text that invited him to their house for lunch. He read the message and replied ok, but forgot totally because of the rush in duty, it haven't registered in his mind at all.
He just now noticed, Adhira sent series of texts starting from 1 pm, all requested him to come home for lunch. Such a sleepyhead I am, once again he scolded himself, after a quick bath now he's on road, slamming his accelerator. But it's evening peak time, rush hour, heavy traffic slowed him down.
Almost a month had been over since chitra talked with Ramya about marriage in his house. Until now Ramya said nothing about her decision. karthik didn't ask her anything regarding that, as he doesn't want to trouble her with that by persuading her. He wanted to give her enough time of her own. Chitra told him, uncle talked with Ramya but she didn't know about the details. His uncle also said nothing about that, but karthik was sure enough it won't be negative from his uncle's side. He knew that the biggest hurdle would be convincing Ramya. He already told chitra, don't insist her too much on that, whatever it is he will handle it further.
It took half an hour to reach Ramya's house. He applied sudden break in front of her house, with a screech sound the car came to halt, he parked it smoothly inside the narrow compound gate within a second. Adhira was standing at the door step and admiring his skill on the wheels.
He came and knelt before her and held his ears, he knew it's a habit of seeking sorry in between Adhira and Ramya "I am very sorry baby, I am late...is your tummy hurting?! Why didn't you call me on time?! You can have your food at time and wait for me know..." He said in a bothered tone.
Adhira removed his hands from his ears saying, "no need for asking sorry, we know it's your duty off and you will be taking rest, mom strictly ordered me not to call you and disturb your sleep, she said just to text you, once you're awake, you will see to it.. and I took something at 2'o clock itself, I am just waiting for you to give you company, mom only haven't had anything...." By the time while she's talking, he took her in his arms and entered inside the house.
His eyes searching for Ramya, she is in the kitchen heating some of the items once again as she's having only two hot packs in her house.
Adhira got down from him shouting "mom, what are you doing inside, come quick, KS arrived already.." she held his hand and directed to the dining table.
After washing hands both sat in front of that small dining table. The table was crowded with many vessels covered with lids, all of them were arranged neatly.
" oh...so much... " he exclaimed on seeing that, "What baby, what's special today....he asked casually while turning the plate in front of him, his eyes still seeking Ramya.
"Babycorn..." Adhira answered, she placed the soup cup on the plate in front of him saying, " this is babycorn special soup..."
Karthik was surprised on hearing that, before he could ask anything, adhira started saying, " Gokul sir told babycorn is your favorite.... that's why mummy did everything with babycorn.... starting with babycorn biriyani, babycorn kuruma, babycorn dol sambar, babycorn chilli recipe, babycorn Manchurian, babycorn salad, babycorn sabzi, babycorn Kara kulambu, babycorn rasam, even she tried babycorn halwa..... the only item here without babycorn is plain rice...." by opening the vessels one by one showing items to him.
"What?!.... Babycorn halwa??!!!! How did she do that...." Karthik jerked lightly.
"It's only under trial.... don't be panic, we won't give it to you today...may be in future you could expect..." adhira winked at him.
Karthik laughed at her comment, asking, "oh..come on baby, how can I eat all these, first of all how did she do this much all alone, where did she get the recipies from?!
"By you tubing only, you know what, for the past one month she is pestering me with all these recipes taking trial one by one.... Before Gokul sir told babycorn is your favorite, we haven't heard of this item even exists...but after that whatever she cooks she adds babycorn in that..still we are having some babycorn in our fridge...I think in this whole city all the super markets selling babycorn became empty stock because of her.... now my head is spinning full of babycorn.... whenever I close my eyes, Shin Chan and Doreymon eating babycorn in all my dreams...." While adhira is speaking continuously,
"Shhhh....adhima!!....." Ramya's voice came behind the kitchen door in a hushed tone.
Ramya doesn't know why, when karthik entered inside the house, when she heard karthik's voice, instantly her legs stopped moving an inch, her feet rooted to the spot. Her face started spontaneously blushing, she able to feel that her cheeks becoming red....What will he think about, when he came to know about the items in front....she haven't had any idea beforehand while planning this, it doesn't seem a big issue then at the time... but now it's making her feeling totally shy....'oh god... stupid Ramya...'
Not knowing how to go like this in front of him, she's standing behind the kitchen door for long and trying to control herself with all her effort. Now adding to her uneasiness adhira also making it a slapstick comedy by rolling her eyes and moving her hands doing prank about her mother.
With that meek voice coming behind the door, Karthik who was laughing whole heartedly at Adhira's narration turned his face towards the kitchen. He sensed Ramya's feelings perfectly and his curiosity to glance her once gone for peak..Now he knew why she's not coming out...
Please Ramya.... come out babe!! I know you are blushing right now...I want to see that cute lovely face of yours.... karthik is dying inside to see her face whereas Ramya is hiding herself behind the door.
While his attention was towards the side of the kitchen, something was touching his chin, he turned to see that Adhira's small arm extending towards him with handful of rice mixed with dol. With a heart felt smile he opened his mouth to get it from her. Then he took a small amount of food and placed it inside her mouth. She's now beeming with a smile. In that gap, by gathering her strength Ramya came out silently and slowly started serving him.
He find her soft, smooth hand with slender fingers serving him the food. Instantaneously he looked up at her face. Her hand stopped serving, not only that, her lungs also stopped taking breath.... with at most care she controlled her blushing. To avoid his gaze which would definitely lead her to blush and shyness, her head gone down automatically.
He lost his appetite completely by looking at her cute lovely face, half mixed with innocence and half with utter shyness, his heart overflowed with an emotion , he couldn't decipher it belongs to which category. Euphoria..?!! Ecstasy...?!! Or what they called as Bliss... something like that?!!
With that satisfaction, he then diverted his gaze and started eating by looking at his plate as he doesn't want to disappoint her, after all..... she has taken so much effort to please him.
"Chitra aunty told, you refused to eat chicken on that day, why baby? It's your favorite know..." He asked adhira casually to change the topic and make the circumstance comfortable.
"Mom stopped eating that after hearing you are a pure vegetarian, both my deary persons you and mom are not taking, then why should I, so I also stopped..." Adhira was saying just like that while concentrating on her soup trying not to spill over.
Astounded by her words, he gone still for a second. Doesn't know what to say, he could feel an invisible emotional bonding tied between all three of them, even before they join into a family structure...he could clearly see that... what else he need in his life...he got his meaning of life...he is fulfilled now...
**********
A week had been over then. It's a Sunday, Ramya was doing her household activities, adhira was doing her homework.
Only Ramya's hands were doing the work, but her thoughts were roaming around karthik as usual. She has to talk with him, that too about his marriage...a bitter smile appeared on her face. How could I suppose to convince him about his marriage with other girl?!
"Then why did you agree with his uncle to do it, he didn't ask you to do it, it's only you whom willingly agreed of doing it" her inner self asked her.
"How could I tolerate karthik being single in his whole life that's just because of me, that's not fair... that's indigestible... he deserves a best ever happy life....chitra sis clearly said he had been refusing marriage strongly by thinking about me in his mind.....then it becomes my responsibility to convince him to marry someone else.." her conscience argued.
"Ok...then go and do it... How are you going to make it possible when he clearly knew your heart is being behind him?! Her inner self mocked her.
"How am I going to do that?!"....That's what she was thinking continuously, still she haven't found a way....One part of her mind was constantly thinking about that after her talk with his uncle, how to start this topic with karthik, what to talk, when and where, how's she going to work it out?! What will be his reaction, how's she going to face him and how to convince him... Ramya felt her head spinning...
If he would have proposed her directly, she could have denied then easily, a simple 'No' seemed easy for her than this big act of convincing him.....now things are different... that's why he did it this way and locked her...
Now it seemed to her like Gokul sir, chitra sis, his uncle everybody transferred their burden about his marriage on her. How is she going to do it.....this is what delaying her from replying to him.... Ramya let out a big sigh....
She's on the table for dinner, without eating anything she dropped the contents of her plate to the dustbin and slipped the plate in kitchen sink.
It was 9'o clock in the night, adhira went to bed early as tomorrow is Monday she has to go to school. Ramya was washing the vessels in the sink, her phone started ringing. She reached her phone thinking that who's calling at this hour, she saw an unknown number displayed on screen, with some hesitation she attended the call and said "hello"..
"Mam, we are calling from ICICI Bank, do you need any loan, we are providing all types of loans starting from educational loan....
"Ka... Kavita!!! Hey kavi is it you?! What a pleasant surprise.." Ramya was much delighted, as her Chennai friend was remembering her and calling her after many years...
"You totally forgot me right?! I am mad at You, you didn't get me quickly and made me talk too much lengthy...", Kavita was trying to be falsely furious but her voice is not co operating with her, it showed much pleasure on hearing Ramya's delighted voice after a long time.
Ramya was happily laughing about her reply, " you stupid fellow who will call at this hour for a loan purpose?! You haven't changed at all... you are the same funny and talkative person like back when I was in Chennai with you. Where are you now and how are you?!"
"Same in Chennai and very well fine.. called you at this time so that we can talk freely without any disturbance....I am gonna talk with you whole night....so much is there... First of all how are you and how is Adhira?! Without a word, you flew from here making you out of reach from all of us, if I would be there now, I will be beating you then...." Said Kavita stressing the last word, it showed how much she missed her.
"Pardon me kavi..." Ramya let out a sigh. "We're fine.. and tell me about your family, are you married?" she tried to change the topic.
"Yeah.... seriously married to a business man, she chuckled and continued, "happy housewife and mother of two, first one is three year old naughty boy, next one is a daughter only 3 months old.. that's why I'm here and talking to you through phone, otherwise I would have been in front of you now.." Kavita said joyfully.
"Superb kavi, I am so happy for you..how this magic happened?! where did you find your hero? Is it a love marriage as you always dreamed or an arranged one? Ramya started teasing her friend.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you some other day, anyway mine is over already, what about yours? That's the current topic now, I called you purposely for that..." said Kavita with her characteristic kidding laugh.
Ramya kept quiet, she buried her bitter smile inside her lips.
"What Ramya.... Just say ok to him, why are you delaying so much?!.. I saw chitra sis yesterday in a shopping complex, she only told everything about you and gave your number... You don't know how much I felt happy when she told about their decision on your marriage with Vijay...
Kavita was talking continuously, while Ramya gone for silent....
"You know one thing Ramya, I already knew it he is interested in you...after you gone from here, almost after 3 months I think... Vijay came to our school to meet me seeking information about you....he said, it's for chitra sister...but my instinct told that's not the main reason. All of a sudden you vanished from here, you changed your number also, you know how much disappointed I was at that time for not helping such a handsome guy....
And you told his name is popular actor's name, I called him as Ajith, he smiled and said ' my name is Vijay...' wow!!! What a smile yaar.....!! even now I'm getting goosebumps.... for that cute pretty smile alone, I could made myself stupid for any number of times...so lucky you are.....you must be gifted to see such a charming lovely face daily in your life....if you are saying no to him means I will definitely kill you then...." She's talking continuously without taking breath in a highly elated mood.
Still Ramya was keeping quiet and Kavita getting no response from other side, she doubted about existence of her connection. "Hello.. hello... Ramya are you there?... she asked hurriedly to ensure Ramya's presence.
"Kavi...I am here, hearing you..." Replied Ramya in a quiet tone.
"Oops..." Kavita let out a big sigh. Then she started saying slowly, " what Ramya...why are you keeping quiet? Why are you like this? Don't think too much and get confused yourself.... forget about the past, just think about the bright future waiting in front of you... think about Adhira, if you are married to him means then she will be getting everything in her life including a great, kind, aspirant Dad... don't make her devoid of that treasure just because of your foolish age old reasons.... it's twenty first century and everything has been changing now....I hope at least hereafter try to act smart and come to a good decision soon..we are eagerly waiting for you.... until then it's your kavi signing off.. bye bye.. take care... good night !! " She's gone once for all leaving Ramya behind to think herself.
Ramya felt complete calmness like that of being after a heavy downpour.. still Kavita's voice echoing in her ear, she started sleeping by saying herself, I have to take action soon regarding the issue.....
To be continued.....
