Everything appeared like tiny ants moving actively here and there. Meenu had the feeling of looking at Google map that most of the time she prefers to do in free time. All that she could see clearly was water and land. Having been the first time in air borne she was looking at everything with amusement like an excited kid. The air hostess came nearer to her and offered a tray full of chocolates and other preliminary things as usual. As soon as Meenu saw that she was reminded of the whole lot of instructions and precautionary that was told by Imran starting from what to eat and what not to eat, when to step down of the plane, where to go for exchanging money till the time she has to go to bed. Immediately she was also reminded of her mom’s words while waving good bye in airport, “Meenu, make sure you don’t skip breakfast how you used to do here”. “Yeah yeah ma. I will take good care of myself. Not to worry”. And her dad’s usual asserting tone “Be cautious and don’t forget to give a call from France and also after reaching America” . “Ok pa, after food 2 tablets for Amma and one in morning for you pa”. As she was thinking about all these tears rolled down her cheeks. With the same speed she wiped off her tears she wanted to wipe off the missing thoughts and decided to take a nap. She just followed the others who was also going to America mechanically and realized that she has landed United States of America.
Tring tring……..Tring tring… Cling…..“Alo,amma. Meenu. I reached safe ma. Tried appa’s mobile and it is not reachable. You inform appa when he comes for lunch. Took the medicines ma?”. “Yes appa gave me before he left to office.” “Ok ma I will call after getting settled. Love you ma!”. She was quite confused if she has to call Imran about her reaching safe. Meenu was greatly surprised by her change in the past few months, especially having been with Imran in the same project and having been spent most of the time together both at office and after office hours. She feels she is very happy being with Imran. Whenever Imran says he is suffering from Arthritis, her heart wants to say “I want to be with you and give all the comfort I can and I want to take good care of you”. She then consciously realizes it is not something that a friend has to say. With all these thoughts she grabbed the phone from the desk and dialed Imran’s number. His ring tone Unakkul naaney urugum….. was heard and “Dai Meenu, why so late? Was everything comfortable? Where are you now?” She was quite surprised as how he guessed right it was her and then thought may be seeing the ISD number he would have guessed it right. “Hm..Yeah, am safe and am at my friends place. Just now called home and then thought of calling you. How is Romeo & Juliet? Have they got accustomed to your place?”. “Yes, they are just fine and I am totally responsible for them. Don’t worry!” “Ok Imran, have a good day. I will talk to you later”.
“Meenu you forgot to logoff your messenger account. Some message from Imran has popped in the screen. Are you coming?”. “Ya Kalai tell him I would buzz in another hour.” Having been away from home very often for studies Meenu never felt home sick but the long distance did make her feel a little odd. She is a kind of person who has a lot of friends always around her. Meenu comes out of the kitchen and announces to her friends “Kodumai is ready. Please come to the dining for animal testing!”. Followed by giggling sound, Kalai replies “Won’t be worse than our kodumais da”. After dinner Meenu gets hold of the only laptop there in the room. In her buddy list Imran appears online. As she types “Oi Meesakara!” there pops a message “Meenu I have to go out in couple of minutes, will wait for another 5more minutes, if you don’t turn up by then, I will call you tonight by IST time”.
Meenu: Escape aagatha…Inga than iruken.
Imran: Adi kalli. Were u here all these time?
Imran: Ok ok …wait a second. I got to tell you something right now. The whole day was horrible. I am very much afraid as how am going to spend every day without you. Invariably my eyes peeped in your cubicle whenever I passed by your place and when I ordered things in cafeteria, I ordered for two persons. And for every Vodafone or my other friends SMS I thought it was you. Sounds dumb???? Yeah yeah apram than nenachen nammala pudicha oru saniyan US poirukuda athaan am feeling like missing something nu. :P Ni rumba methagatha! :D
Meenu: Hahaha hehehe hohoho…Unakku theva da ithellam. Did you ever respond to my calls properly? Or did you ever come in time whenever I called you for coffee? Nalla iru! I wish to hear more like this as days pass by! :P
Imran: Hm…Did you call Ravi there? Sollu enoda friend’nu kodumaya gavanichipan ;)
Meenu: Oi I wanted to tell you something else, Arthiritis ku illa etho operation panna sari’a poidumam. Shall I ask for more details? Will you be considering this?
Imran: As of now, I have other commitments in life. Thanks da anyways. Don’t waste time on it. I am financially very much occupied for few more years.
Meenu: Seri seri. Un puranatha cha sorry Quran aramichidatha ;)
Days pass by and Meenu makes it a practice to call her parents once in every two days. Even when she was in India Meenu just had very few time to spend at home and with family. Meenu and Kalai while on their way to the nearest grocery shop, “What a pleasant climate!” says Meenu. “Hm. Amam” replies Kalai. “Imran kooda ipdi than he just doesn’t enjoy his life. He is always worried about something or the other. I wish I take control of his brain one day *winks*” says Meenu. “Excuse me. I did agree it’s a good climate and whats the comparison all about now” asked Kalai. “Meenu I want to talk to you about something very important.” “Sollunga paati” “Don’t get offended Meenu. I just want to share my views about the relationship between you and Imran”. As soon as Kalai finishes her verse, Meenu becomes more defensive and says “It’s just like any other male and female friendship. Whats about it!”. “Hm..I feel you are talking about him more all the time. It’s like you are waiting for opportunity to speak about him and you enjoy every moment of talking”. “Kalai I can understand your concern but I am not a kid. I am 26 and he is 35. So I know about all these. It’s just unadultered friendship. Quit the topic now.” After reaching home, Meenu is lost in thought and surprised as why she became all the more defensive and vulnerable to the topic that Kalai started. She was not quite sure if she was missing Imran just as the way he confessed to her. But she was also sure about not sending any wrong signals to Imran. She was not sure if she has to consider what Kalai told seriously. She was not quite sure if she has to give a serious thought about it as well. Being the only child to her parents she never had any sibling to discuss her mind. And she thought of bringing the same topic back to the surface with Kalai. Next day from Meenu’s office she types a quick mail to Kalai.
“Kalai, I am sorry for being rude yesterday. I think I have something to discuss with you. Can you spare sometime this evening? I feel you are the right person for me to talk both my heart and mind next to Imran. Yeah yeah, I typed Imran. And it’s about him I want to discuss few things Kalai : )” As per plan Kalai and Meenu meets in the car parking and spends some quality time together and then heads home.
“Meenu you got a call from Imran and he told you to give a call in skype once you are back” says one of her room mates. After freshening up Meenu calls Imran. “Amma kitta solren iru unga ponnu anga U.S full’a suthittu irukka velaye pakka matengranu”. Meenu says ”Solli than paaren Mr.Meesakara! Sollu but next time veetuku ulla vidalanna enakkum athukum sambandam illa…hehehe.” “Apdi vera nenappa, solli Aunty nambida poranga paren. Ni India varumbothu Unna than sekka porathilla. Apram adaikalam thedi enkita than varanum. Solliten ” “Dai Imran, I had a thought while I was thinking about Romeo and Juliet today. I will tell what it is later. Before that how are they? Are you cleaning the water twice every day? Fishes are very sensitive. Please nalla paathuko : ( ni varushathukku oru naal kulikra maari athungala naara vidratha pls…Hehehe.” “Neram di neram, en solla maata! What is the thought that you wanted to share Meenu?” I had an imagination that Romeo is telling these lines to Juliet…
“Nee thediya pothu un arugil naan illai, Nee thoongum pothu unnai thaalata naanillai, Aaanal nee ninaikkum pothu un manathellam naan iruppen”.Epdi iruku Imran?? Imran asks, “Should I use my brain and answer?” “Aaaha aramichutan da. Enna solli thola!” “When did Romeo miss Juliet or vice versa for this kavithai to make sense? They are always in the same tank right infront of my bed. They have never departed from the moment they were bought, right? Romba yosikama intha kavithaya ketta very romantic and very well felt by heart and written.” “Santhosam Imran. Un kitta poi soneney!” “Dai Meenu loosu, seri iru..Juliet wants to say something back to Romeo. Do you want to know what it is?” “mm..Sollu” says Meenu.
“Ninaivodu than pesa mudiyavillai..
Kanavodu pesalam enral,
un ninaivugal ennai thoonga viduvathillai”
“Are they sleeping in different rooms Imran? To my knowledge you are very stingy to provide each of them a fish tank, apram epdi intha kavithai?” asks Meenu. “Vidu Meenu vidu, Adikadi ni valaravey illa’nu prove panra. Un room mate yarathu iruntha koopdu kavitha solli madakka mudiyuma pakren *winks*” “Oh padipa padipa, Inga unaku Maami vela pannava vanthen naa??” “Udaney murungamaram eridatha : ( I am not that badly hitting girls dear. Paathi kelavan naan ;) evalum thirumbi kooda paaka maata!” “Oh rumba varuthamoooo” “Ithu othu varathu vitruvom antha pecha!” “Po po ni yevalayathu nenachu kanavu kaanu, naa kelambren. Vela iruku neraya. Aprama pesren. Tata” “Ok marakkama un room mates ellarayum ketatha sollu. Orutharayum vitratha! :D ” “PODA Kezhava, I am loggin off!”
Imran was sure that he likes Meenu even more than a friend. All that it mattered to him was how compatabile Meenu would be for his society and his family & friends. As far as only both of them are concerned Meenu is perfect for him. But he was not sure about his parents and Meenus parents view about them getting married. Months pass by and Imran’s mobile sings Unakkul naaney ring tone. Seeing the ISD code Imran attends with so much happiness and its not Meenus voice but some other girl saying She wants to talk with Imran about her friend Meenu. Imran gets all the more tensed and enquires “Is Meenu alright? Where is she and who is this?” The lady voice says “Yes she is doing great. This is Kalai her room mate.” After a 45minutes conversation Kalai says “Let Meenu not know about this right now and disconnects the line”. The next day Imran decides to meet Meenu’s parents at her home.
(To be continued…)
Apdinnu potta enna kola paniduvanga Imran and Meenu ;)
Story continues....
Imran visits Meenu's parents and explains that their daughter likes him and he is craving to get married to their daughter Meenu. Kindly consider our wishes and Meenu has still not yet given any reply, I assume she is waiting to consult with you or is reluctant as her decision might hurt her parents. All that I could say now is 'Unga ponna en ullankaila vechu pathukaapen!' This is my card, you can call or come to my place any time.
Kalai's conversation with Imran the other day triggered all these. "Imran, Meenu is these days very different. She is so much worried about her future. One day when I asked about you, she told me "Kalai many a times when Imran says he is not well i have felt very bad and had wanted to be by his side. Ni ketapo enaku kovam vanthuchu nethu than i was thinking about these Kalai. Not just this many occasions I have found my dad's replica in him. I always have dreamnt that my guy should have atleast some features of my dad. I really saw appa in him. In short i feel a day is not complete if i dont talk with him or talk about him and i feel my life would be incomplete without him in it said Meenu." I shoud say I was happy that Meenu realised her love for you and something else is stopping her from expressing her love towards you. I think its my responsibilty to let you know about it. Let Meenu not know about this right now and disconnects the line."
P.S: 1) I wish a very happy married life to Padma and Karthik :)
2)I wish a very Happy married life to Ash and Sarin who are going to be wedded very soon. :D3) Kavithai is not mine. Got it as SMS forward.*Updated*
Disclaimer: 1)
The characters, events and the story picturised in this post are purely fictitious and are not intended to reflect the life of any individual(s). Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead or to any real events is purely coincidental. 2) Girls minds are elusive. So unless and other wise they explicitly tell that they are in love do not make any assumptions unlike in the above story.3) Each of our lives are different so dont try any of the above tactics in your own lives, it may or may not suit our lives.