Like a doll…

It was Vishu. Being able to slog in one of the metros was one of the offshoots of prestigious campus selections from lesser cities. That left the family tucked away in some innards of Kerala to celebrate Vishu or anything special without me. It was in this state of matters that we chose to entertain and perhaps console ourselves with wearing the set saree and making paal payasam for our Tamilian friends. We, here being me, Bindya and Manisha who stayed together in our flat and worked for one of the MNCs nearby.

Last minute plans altered and I was the only one wearing the 2 piece traditional beige kasavu mundu set. I couldn’t care less, as all the attention went to the glam dolls dressed to kill, on special occasions, it always happened region wise. On Pongal the namma-ooru ponnus would dress in pattu podavais, on Deepavali, it would be the benguluri ponnus who dished out their longish cholis, southernised ghagras and heavily ornate chunnis. So on Vishu, I could after all, be the centre of the universe for one day at my corporate.

As the hectic workday wound up, I was in an offbeat mood. Noori called up Rahul and asked him to take me out somewhere, for dinner perhaps and keep me happy.

So we set out, to please our selves. Initially we went to Menaka cards, to select Rimi’s wedding card. As we proofed the written matter and waited for the final draft on the pc, we stood facing a mirror on one of the doors. Through the corner of my eyes, I could see Rahul admiring me. He bent and whispered in a hush tone, "See yourself in the mirror. You look like a doll." I blushed.

It was in this indeed sweet mood that we landed on Adayar beach. At around 9 in the night. The bajji lady was almost winding up her business, yet dished out few potato bhajj's and molaka bhajjis just for her two regular customers. I saw Rahul pressing some extra bills into her hands. She beamed brighter than the full moon that shone above the beach, above our faces.

We sat in one shaded corner and at some point of time; Rahul's hands protectively wrapped me around my shoulder. It was like a trance. Not many words were spoken. Sometimes Rahul brushed a stray strand of hair off my face, behind my ears. We just sat there, savoring every moment of that night, every roll of wave, every beam of moon shine. Many people would have felt the unrest when in love, but we were totally at peace, totally content in our loves. Totally secure in one another. We knew it was a love that was meant to be.

A flash light waved from behind, off and on. Rahul turned around to check the source. Someone was clapping out their hands and asking us to come near the streets, away from the beach. Slowly we got up. Rahul gingerly looked at his watch, it was 11. We never realized, the clichéd passage of time. The police patrol on the beach was doing their duty.

Rahul motioned with his hands, "Saree sheriyakku". I realized with discomfiture that one side had slipped off, on the right side. I draped the pallu over my shoulder, as JayaBachan does in Sholay all the time. As I tried, climbing the built up stone path in the sari, I skidded slightly. And the patrol was like, "Ennadi, romba nadikkathae,” and whacked his police lathi on the stone hedge. He thought I was faking the fragility. Little did he know the inconvenience caused by saree on regular jeans wearers! Rahul instinctively took my hands, pulled me up and grazed the guy with typical Chennai rowdism, "Daii." To which the police went "Ennada, unakku avallu thimira," and wielded the lathi yet again.

The senior police officer immediately cut off the junior drunk officer and checked us out. He looked intensely at my brave face, trying to hide the shivering inside my heart that threatened to dissolve my steel veneer.

He barked, "Studentsaa? Loversaa?"

 I looked at Rahul, who replied, offended by the indecent innuendo in the officer’s voice, "Software Engineers. We are engaged."

And the police officer was like, "Does your parents know what you are up to? Give me your parents’ numbers!"

I was on the verge of tears. If they woke my mom at 11 in the night and told her the story of arresting me with Rahul from a beach, I was sure; I would have to meet her in the hospital ICU, on parole. I could never explain ‘Moral policing’ to her or win her emotional blackmailing.

Rahul somehow gathered his wits and showed him our access cards.

 "Software engineers from A Inc., huh?. Nalla padichirikkinga, enna prayojanam? You professionals have no common sense. Don’t you know there are many antisocial elements roaming about on the streets at this hour of the night, especially deserted places like beaches? How the hell will you protect your girl, if 5 or 6 goondas take her? And all police people are not good too. We can have you arrested and in jail for a night for immoral conduct. And one night is plenty of time!” Saying this he looked hard at me and laughed at his own sickly nauseating not-at-all-funny pun.

“Go!!” he barked.

Somehow, at that moment, Rahul pulled my hands and we were out on the roads in his bike, within seconds. Rahul, pulled my hands onto his waist and then to his chest. I sobbed and fell on his back, the best way; you can get and give comfort on a bike and in a sari. Sometime, I sensed Rahul’s warm breath on my hand, the taste of a kiss on my skin.

He left me at our flat and waited till I closed the door. The air hung around us heavily. He called back half an hour later after reaching his home at Pallavaram.

"Did you change?" he asked softly. All I did was sob.

"I am giving you 10 minutes. Change and drink a glass of your Cadbury milk and wait for my phone. Only 10 mins ok"

The phone rang after 10 minutes.

"I know you haven’t changed. Never mind. See, listen to me, Manya.”

He paused to discharge a bit of the charged emotions that radiated electromagnetically between us.

“Nothing would happen, ok. I will die before letting your worst fears materialize. I promise you this, now and forever."

How did he know, I was thinking just that? That I looked like an exquisite doll one moment and if kismet was bad, I could have been a rag doll that very night. One night, was all it would take, to take away...

And that, I was wondering if Rahul would try to fight men five times stronger in physique and in number?

I knew an insane logic when I saw one. I knew, all that happened only in movies, where Vijay would dishoom and annihilate five- ten men in a row to protect Jyothika. In real life, only reality happened, not fantasy. No such magical fabulosity.

But, it didn’t matter; Rahul never lied to me. I knew he would die, if it came to that.

That night, I let myself sleep. Fitfully, peacelessly. The next day, I and Rahul resolved never to wander about after nine. All our romance till marriage had to have a curfew at 9.30 maximum. Especially, when you look like a doll in Kerala sari.

Author’s note:

This is a true story. Suitably fictionalized. And names changed (obviously!). Yes, it happened to me. Only, I and Rahul weren’t engaged. And we were not lovers. Rahul made that up, when the police patrol decided to go tough on us at 10.30 on Adayar or Besant Nagar (can’t remember which one) beach. And NO! We weren’t leaning on each other on the beach, as in the story, we were (and still are) good friends and seated apart :) [Very authentic fact, unlike the statements the Bollywood actors make :P ]. Wanted to write this story when I read this one today http://poornimavijayan.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_archive.html

Tamil and Malayalam Translations

Vishu-Kerala New year

kasavu mundu  - set saree -Traditional Malayali Saree

paal payasam- Rice kheer like payasam

Pongal- Tamil New Year

Namma ooru ponnu – As the Tamilians call their state girls “Our place girls”

Pattu Podavai- Kancheepuram silk saree

Benguluri Ponnu- Banglore girls

Ghagra Choli chunni- Embridered skirts and Blouses

Bhajjis- Fried snacks

Molaka Bhajjis- Chilly Fried snacks

Saree sheriyakku"- Make your saree proper

Pallu- End of Saree

"Ennadi, romba nadikkathae,”- Don’t act too much

“Daii." –Hey You!

“Ennada, unakku avallu thimira," – What, you are so haughty?

"Studentsaa? Loversaa?"- Are you students? Are you lovers?

“Nalla padichirikkinga, enna prayojanam? – You have studied well, what is the use?

Goondas- Hooligans

Dishoom- Punch

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