Happy days...part III

Don't walk behind me..
i may not lead
Don't walk ahead of me...
i may not follow
Just walk beside me..
and be my friend.

~ Albert camus


"Look at her.. walking down the aisle..in all glory...if only that guy next to her is her dad..i will take her to be my bride in real.."
"hey...but avaluku erkanavay kalyanam aaidichida"
"athunala enna...naan avaloda chinna veeda poidren..."

Rishi was reading through the novel written by Danny..
"Dei..enna kodumada ithu...intha story title enna.."
"Bride and subjudice.." said Danny with a smile...
"machaan..ithey rangela ezhuthitay iruda....un imasai thangama en tharkolaiku ivan thaan karanamnu letter ezhuthi vachitu evanachum mandayapoda poran...oru naal ila oru naal kola kuthathukaga una police pudichitu poga poguthu..."
"dei...kalaasathada...namma groupla oru budding Jeffry Archer...oru sidney sheldon irukarnu nenachu peruma padanumda..."
"dei Guna..etho canteenla vacha kadanaku ivan pera solitu thiriyaromnu ivan ezhuthara malgova aunty kathaikelam Jeffry Archera izhukatha..antha aalay edho dakalty velala matikitu ullara poitu ipo than velila vanthirukan...intha matter therinja inoru kola panitu thirumba ulla poiduvan.."
"mass bunk boss..agila ulaga arrears nayagan...sothappal mannan shiva paraak paraak paan parag..."
"dei ram..ennama koovarada...adikadi briyani packetoda nee sutharchavay doubta irunthichi...ipo confirm aaidichi..."
"adanguda...buddies..i want to share one news with you...some of you might already be knowing it..i've been doing part time computer hardware servicing..yesterday got a small contract from a singapore company to setup their hardware shop here...i've been asked to lead the operations...advance payment kudutha amountla..oru car vaangiruken...so inniki en treat...venue unga choice..."
Each one of us were so happy that we felt we ourselves had bought the car..we were jumping with joy arguing on where to go for treat..that day was the happiest day of our college life..we dragged shiva to canteen...poured coke on him..painted his face with cakes and even the staff in canteen joined the fun when they heard the news...shiv was the hero of that day...

********
"Dear makkas..inter college culturals season isstarting...we have a good track record..namma seniors urupadia panirukara oray vela ithu onnu thaan.intha vaati naama kalkakarom..cup vangaroam.."
"thaanagavay thanni adikum thaanai thalaivar rishi avargalay...naama examla vaangirukara cup vaikavay pallavaram pakkam oru ground thania thevapaduthu...intha latchanathula culturalsku porennu sonna antha map mandayan maths prof. uda mataru rasa..."
"dei guna..mariyatha ilama prof. pesatha..."
"map mandayar..okva Ram sir... ivar romba mariyatha thara party..vijayawadava kuda vijayavanganu thaan solvar..poda buttercutter..."
"butter cutter?"
"venna vettinu mariatha potu sonenga"
"machi...no tension..professora sari katra porupu ramodathu..yar enna event participate panrathunu decide pannanum...danny automatic choice for kavithai...ram and sridhar will take care of quiz...naan guna shiv skit pathukarom..." and the list went on..
"ellam ok...dei rishi payalay.entha collegeda host panranga..namlathu mathiriye pasanga collegena naan varala..."
"guna machi..en rathathin rathamda nee..antha mathiri thapulam nan panuvena...St. josephla thaan first event..."
"athu pakka kaadachay... veerapan areala first eventa..."
"kaada iruntha ennada...pora vazhilam kannuku kulirichi..college ulla manasuku kulirichi.."
"dei danny...ingenthay ootha aarambikatha..konjam stock vachika"

*********

"Super machis...first eventlaye kalakitom...participate panna elathulayum podium finish varuvomnu naan kuda expect panala"
"overa F1 pakarada.."
"yes rishi..aana summa solla kudathu..antha Carmel college ponnunga...ella eventlayum namakku oray competition avanga thaan"
"camera ilama poachu machi..namma shiv avanga troupe leadkita oothikiturunthanay athellam kodak moments..."
"dei adangungada...they were really talented...athan manasaara paaraatinen..."
"pathuda..romba aathatha..aarida poguthu..."

*********

"Enna shiv..ipolam Carmel collegela yarachum class cut adikanumna unkita solithan proxy poda solrangalamay....antha college pasangala vida nee regulara attend panriayamey..."
"poramada ungalukelam...nee buildup kudukaralavukelam ila..etho rendu thadava ponen..athuvum ava kooptanu thaan...nana pogala"
"tho paruda..semesteruku semester feesa katti...karadiya kathi veetla college podanu sonna kuda..class pakkam etti paaka matan..ipo enadana ava sonalam ivan poranam.."
"solvar pecha kekaama salwar pecha kekara..paathu nadanthuka"
"danny...epdida ithelamm.."
"athuva varuthu..feel aavatha"

"Ram.iniki afternoon class enathuda.."
"semma kadida...abstract maths and dynamics.."
"hmmm...calendarla theythi kizhikarchay pathen...thula raasiku thukkamnu potrunthichi...oray nalula rendu kodumaiya..thaangathu sami..."
"apo elam rishi roomuku poidlam...mathiyanam warden kuda iruka matan..poi oru kutti thookam poatutu..evening padathuku podilam..enada solreenga"
"dei guna ithukenna election vachu result edukanuma enna..ellam apeet aaga vendi thaan.."
"shiva engada kanum..as usual attendance poda poitana?"
"dei ipolam attendance ilada..classay edukaran avan...katha engayo pouguthu..."
"nalla iruntha sari..."

Shiv didnt came to class that day..Evening also he didnt came to the meeting place. we waited for him..chatted away the time and decided on what punishment he deserved the next day for fooling all of us. Even the usually calm Danny was also angry. "what the heck he thinks of himself..calling all of us and making a fool of us...if he is not coming..atleast he could've told us..."
I felt very strange. It was totally unlike Shiv to have done like that. "Vidungada..avanaku enna problemo.."
"dei..nee eppoparu support panikitay iru...unaku soranaye kedayatha..i called him before u only right..he is not even picking the fone..apdi enanda scene..seri..i dont want to waste time waiting for him anymore..u coming with me? i will drop you home on the way..naaliku iruku avanku.."
The next day also came..But Shiv didnt..Anger turned into concern and we decided to visit him at his house. Guna was staying close to his place and we all went with him. The scene we saw got branded into our hearts for the rest of our life. The first person to talk to us was Shiv's dad..
"Ipdi panitanaypa...unga kita ethachum sonnana.."..
The rest was all a blur...we mumbled our condolences and poured out from that place..we were so shocked we felt numb..we didnt even knew how to react and it took a while to comprehend the truth that Shiv wouldnt be with us anymore..
He was the first to get a job in our gang...he was the first to buy his own car..he was the first , we thought, will settle in his life...but that he would end up being the first to depart from this world we didnt imagine even in our dream...
That was the first brushup with death for almost all of us...it shook us out of our dreams..overnight our world turned upside down.