Ram vs Ram - chapter 1

 

It's Kalyani.

"Hey, wake up! Do you know what time it is!?", she is shouting and kicking him.

"Ah! Stop it! Don't you have any other work? Why come to my house and hit on me?" Ram rubs his eyes, and sits upright on the cot, with his legs still glued to the floor. He is not aware due to the thick bed sheet, but the Sun has started glaring at him.

"Anger huh? Why did you come to my house yesterday then? You did not have any other work?"

"When I have come?"

"Yes, yes, right. You did not come up. Go and get freshened up." 

But it is easier said than done for Ram to freshen up. He takes time these days to do even the tiniest things. His mind is left alone to take decisions as his heart is not available. The poor, broken heart is still trying to recover and reorganize. 

Ram walks slowly and picks up the towel from the pile of clothes in the brown wooden chair beside his single bed. He tries to close the window. 

"Leave that to me. You go and come out fast. We can go somewhere out."

He thinks to ask "Where? Why?" But he knows that there is no use. Her words are orders. Anyone has to follow them, else face her wrath. He nods and goes into the bathroom and locks it from inside. He does all this without any expression in his face. 

Kalyani meanwhile folds his clothes, gets the broom and cleans the room. She leaves a note on the dressing table beside the bed, using two of her bangles as a paperweight that says "Come to my home once you're done. Don't forget the bangles." She leaves by closing the door after her.

After a while, Ram comes outside from the bathroom with a wet hair. He feels a bit tired. He has been feeling this tiredness at mornings for sometimes by now. Added to that is the presence of Kalyani - he has been near Kalyani, or she near him, as if Kalyani has to do something with this. He nods to himself as he wants to talk to her about this.

Ram is done. He has to visit Kalyani's house now. He spots the note and picks it up and accidentally looks at the mirror on the dressing table and groans.

He has stopped looking into the mirror long back. In fact he wants to remove the table from his room - because he is no longer smiling and blushing by looking at it. Her face, the smile, eyes - the memories of Her are all now too much for him.

He takes the bangles from the table and walks slowly one step after another away from the mirror. Finally, he is able to get out of the room. He takes deep breathes, tries hard to focus on his surroundings and control his breathing. He collapses after a few steps.

***

Ram opens his eyes to a bright light. He is not in his usual room at his home. This is very different. He checks his surroundings, as he tries not to panic. He is seated in a chair, which is very soft like a mattress. He is sitting in one corner in a room and it is packed with moving people - many times people are coming, going, talking among themselves. There is a sense of haste. Some are looking at him and smiling. An old man with a pot belly, with white shirt and dhoti came towards him, shakes his hands. 

"Congratulations!", he says and leaves. 

"For what?" he wants to ask, but that man leaves.

Then again, another old man appears - a small tummy, with the hair and moustache whose color is so black that it's revealing they're dyed. He wears a silk white shirt and panche. He smiles as he walks to Ram and reaches his hands towards him. He is Ravikanth, the father of Kalyani.

"Are you ready for the reception, Ram?" 

"What?" - Ram can not say the words with the shock, and meanwhile Ravikanth pushes Ram and they're already on the way. They go out of the room and walk through an aisle; Ram observes that this is one of such many rooms available in a building, and it seems like a function hall. 

Upon moving till the end of the aisle, he sees a banner - "Ram weds Kalyani"

-end of chapter 1-