Author's Note : Sorry for the delay. I was a little busy in between. Sai, I have no idea how many parts there will be.
"Hey wake up"
"Hi Krish, good morning"
“Good Morning, So can we meet up today?”
“Sure. When and where?”
“How about around 12:30? You pick the place”
“We will meet at citi centre its on Radha Krishnan salai”
‘I have no idea about the place but I guess my cousin or my driver would probably know”
“O.K”
“Do you want me to pick you up?”
“No, I will meet you there”
“Great! See you there”
“Krish, I have to talk to you about something important”
“WOW! You sound serious. What’s up?”
“I will tell you about it in person, I have to go now, will see you at noon. Bye”
“Bye”
Trisha’s phone rings.
“Hello, who is this?”
“Trisha?? Ram here. Got your number from Amrutha”
“Hi Ram, what’s up?”
“I need to talk you”
“Why?”
“Please, I have been feeling terrible since that day. Give me chance to explain. Please”
“Ram, I am meeting Krish today. I will ask him myself”
“Please, Trish, Hear me out first.”
“O.K! When do you want to meet me?”
“Today.. Now. How about “Mocha” in nungambakkam”
“OK I will meet you at 10:30”
“Thank you Trisha”
God, why are you making a soap out my life?
“Amma I am meeting Krish at 12:30 at citi centre”
“Take the car”
“No , ill just take an auto. You might need it for your shopping”
“When will you leave?”
“Around 10:15. I have to meet another friend before that”
“O.K! Have fun”
Where is Ram? It’s almost 11:00. I want to meet Krish on time.
“Hi Trish, Sorry was held up in traffic”
“That’s O.K. Just tell me what you have to say”
“I will make it short and sweet”
“Even better”
“Amrutha, Krish and I were part of a huge gang in Bombay. We were almost inseparable when we were young. It was one of tose summer holidays during college when all of us were reunited. There were so many parties on at that time and we wanted to freak out and have fun. But, almost all the parties were couples only and since Krish, Amrutha and I were all single we decided it would be best if Krish and Amrutha go as a couple and Raadhika and I go as one. Raadhika was my cousin who lived in the same colony. It started as a necessity but soon Amrutha and Krish decided to stick with it even outside the party arena, just to see where it went. But by the end of the summer holidays they realized they could be nothing more than friends and parted on good terms”
“Ram, This seems like a pretty normal story. It happens. What is the big deal?”
“I have not finished my story Trisha. Hear me out”
“This happened when Krish came back from the US for the first time. All of our parents had decided to go to Pune for a temple visit and we the younger generation refused to accompany them, Instead decided to have a drinking competition. “Who can drink the most and remain stable” We decided it would fun to egg on the girls and make them drink as well . We teased them to a point where they decided to join our competition. We started drinking and in two hours all of were out of our senses. I barely remember what happened that night. All I can recall is that Amrutha and Krish started kissing, I don’t know how it started or how it ended. I have no idea how I reached home either. The next day I met Krish and he told that he and Amrutha woke up on his couch. He didn’t remember what happened, but felt extremely guilty about it. He decided then and there he was going to marry her. I tried talking him out of it. I remember the scene like yesterday…
“Krish are you crazy? Talk to Amrutha first”
“Ram, I remember kissing her “
“You can’t get married because you kissed someone”
“Ram I don’t even remember what else happened. Anything could have happened”
“Krish don’t be a fool. You guys were fully clothed right? Nothing could have happened. You are talking in your guilt. First talk to Amrutha. What if she does not want to marry you?”
“I want to marry her. I can convince her”
“Krish I really don’t know what to say to you”
“Ram I really feel bad. How can I live like this? This incident will haunt me all my life. I can’t even imagine explaining this to some other girl”
“O.K! Krish I am leaving this afternoon to Chennai. Do what you want, just don’t drag me into this stupidity”
Trisha before you start imaging things let me complete the story. After this incident, I went to Chennai, my dad got his VRS and my parents moved in with me. I never went back to Bombay again. The other day when I got a call from Amrutha after so many years with the news about Krish’s impending wedding, I was confused. I should have known better than to blurt it out, I am sorry about that.”
“Ram, Thank you. I am getting late. I have to leave”
“Trisha ,Wait! Please, don’t be upset. I have more to say, the story is incomplete”
“Make it quick Ram”
“After Barista, I met Amrutha and asked her about Krish. She told me that after I left for Chennai, they spoke about it. She assured him nothing had happened and that she would’ve known if it had. By then Krish had calmed down, so they decided to move on and never mention it between them again.”
“Ram thank you for telling me all this. I have to leave now”
“Trisha, Krish is a really nice guy. Give him sometime, he will definitely tell you about it. “
“O.K! Bye Ram”
"Bye”
At Citi Centre Chennai.
“Krish am really sorry I’m late”
“That’s O.K, Let’s go to the food court and have something to drink”
“Cool”
“Nice food court. Spacious”
“Am sure you have bigger places in America”
“Yea we do, so what did you want to ask me about?”
“Krish, your mom told me that she matched up Amrutha's horoscope with yours?”
“Oh that! Once during summer a long time ago we decided to be a couple so that we could get into parties. Amma thought we were a couple for real and decided to get our horoscopes matched, but it didn’t work out.”
“Do you feel bad that it didn’t work out?”
“NO. We were always friends. Anyway I would have never met you then. I can’t imagine not being with you”
“Cut the crap. How long will you keep uttering these dialogs?”
“As long as it can put a smile on your face’
“Krish , you are crazy”
“I am, for you”
“Krish are you sure nothing else happened between you guys?”
“Trish, Amrutha and I were only friends. Let’s not waste time talking about her. There is a movie on at 1:30. Lets go and watch that. Long since I saw a Tamil movie”
“O.K let’s go”
At Tania’s house.
“Hello Trisha, Come in’
“Hi! Mrs Jamal, is Tani at home?”
“Surprisingly she is”
“Thank you aunt, I just needed to talk to her about the beauty parlor”
“Sure, she is in her room. Are the rest of the preparations over?”
“Going on Aunty”
‘Very good. If your mom needs any help ask her to give me a call”
‘Sure Aunty”
“Hi Trish, come lets go to my room”
As the door shut close.
“You sounded terrible on the phone, what happened?”
“I had a crazy day Tani, I met Ram “
“Krish’s friend Ram”
“Yea him, It was like this …………………………………………………………………………… . Now I don’t know what to do. Why didn’t Krish tell me the truth?”
“Trish, You are being unfair to Krish. He has just met you how do you expect him to tell you everything”
“I am going to marry him Tani. I have been speaking to him for the past few weeks”
“Trish you guys are getting to know each other. If you knew each other well, you would have never gone and met Ram”
“Tani I was curious. Who wouldn’t be?”
“Krish as far as I know seems nice. From what you tell me he seems attentive to you and what you feel and frankly I don’t think I completely trust Ram”
“Why not?”
“Because, Ram should have gone and told Krish about what happened in Barista and let him handle the situation. Why did he want to meet you and tell you about it? Especially when you said you were going to ask Krish about it?”
“Tani, why should Ram tell Krish? Amrutha could have told Krish about it right? “
“I think you should give him time. Krish and Amrutha are still friends and Amrutha still speaks so highly off Krish. Maybe it was juts a mistake Trish. A mistake he is ashamed of”
“How much time? I am getting married in a week.”
“Trish, can you guarantee that the next guy along the line will be better?”
“Tani “
“Trish, listen to me. I think Krish is a nice guy. He will keep you happy just give him a chance. For all you know this Amrutha matter is probably well in his past and he does not want to talk about it and ruin what he has with you”
“Tani I need to go home now”
“Trish, are you angry he kissed her or that he didn’t tell you the truth?”
“I don’t know.”
“If you are angry that he kissed her, give him a break it was just a kiss. And if it because of the truth issue , juts give him time, he will come around”
“Hmmm..”
“Trish, don’t confuse your-self too much. Your first instinctive feeling about Krish was positive, just believe in it.”
“O.K bye”
Just as Trish enters home.
“Where have you been? Krish told us you left citi centre and hours ago. Why didn’t you pick up my call?”
“Sorry, went to meet Tani and lost track of time, I am really tired, I am going to bed”
The next morning...
Sleeping on it really worked. I am going to trust Krish. I am a good judge of character and I can’t be that off with Krish .I am going to forget about Amrutha for now and enjoy my time as to be bride. Whatever was in the past I am going to let it stay there, for now. I am going to give the benefit of doubt. I am going to give him time. Amrutha and Krish are on excellent terms , that should be an indicator for me.
“Trisha, Can I come in? I have something for you”
“Sure Mom”
“This came from Krishna, I will leave it here”
There was a huge chocolate box. The gift label read: ” You seemed dull yesterday, I am sorry If I did something wrong. I hope you are not regretting saying “Yes”. I would have sent you roses but I knew this would convince you better. I am a really nice guy. Give me another chance .Not because you have to (arranged marriage and stuff) but because you want to. “
PS: I wish I could see the smile on your face.
