Links To: முன்னுரை (Introduction) | இதுவரை (Story So Far)
The video phone rings... Part looks at thre rear view mirror, the Reva is still following.
The video phone rings again... Part switches his camera on the windshield. The dashboard display that projects the GPS info onto the windshield now projects a picture...
From Australia? Impossible he shouted. "What Mission?" came the voice. Did not sound like her, thought Part. "What Mission?" came the voice again. Part waited, The voice again, "What Mission?" . That is three times now.
Part is happy.. It is his fiancée/ the girl who would be his wife in the near future, childhood sweetheart's picture with long hair. There on top of the picture he sees the hair clip that he sent to her last week.
The sweet voice comes on the speaker. Hi Part dear?
"Hey Goats?", shrieks Part.
"Just because I failed in aquaculture finance management in one semester , you do not have to call me that way" said the sweet voice from the other end.
"oh come on!" said Parts. "What is your real name?"
"Srirangam Kodhai Nappinai alias Kodhai" replied the sweet voice.
"What is my name?", asked Parts, "Thiruvelikeni Parthasarthy Daddhiavanam" said KOdhai.
"So as a pastoral person, historically speaking, should I not call my love , Goats?" he replied.
Kodhai without life in her words said, "you always have a way to justify what you say".
Parts,"what's happening?, why I do not hear any enthu in your words? and what is all this still photo instead of your lovely face that usually is as bright as the full moon on a dark clear sky?"
Kodhai, "you should not feel bad" she said.
Parts,"when have I? that too looking at you?", at the background in the car, the old tamil song, "Vadanamae Chandra BimabamO" was going on a remix.
Part remembered the days, the two have watched thiruvilayAdal and Muthuraman asking question about the Fragrance of hair on women's head. Kodhai always had long flowing hair that could be spread as a black blanket on a green grass. They have done that on days when they were at OOTy watching a full moon on clear sky.
Part got a huge shock and stepped on the brakes. PK screamed at the rear seat. Luckily, the Kois were in a well balanced freezer tank.
there was Kodhai with a extremely short hair. "What happened?" shouted Part.
"It is a long story" started Kodhai. "Me and my friends were going to this beach the other day, and we came upon a cute little girl probably 5 years old. She was making sand castle with her dad and mom and her brother. suddenly there was a huge gust of wind and her hair flew off and the wig landed on my lap". She stopped for a while.
Parts, "and then....". Goats continued,"and then... she started crying and went to her mom, her dad and mom were not happy either". "I went to them gave the wig back and was talking to her parents, when the story revealed. The girl had been in chemo sessions for about 3 months now for cancer. They are hoping that the chemotherapy will help". At the same time, the mom was looking at my face. She also had a bag with a sign saying "Wigs for Kids". I asked her about that, and she said, that she runs a program that makes wigs with donated hair for cancer patients. I and many of my friends here took her address and went yesterday. We parted with our hair. I did not know how to tell you last week about this when the hair clip arrived. But I was finding it a little difficult to tell you when you called from home yesterday. Amma might find it difficult to digest. Are you Sad?"
Parts, "No dear ! No. ot a bitI cannot say how proud I am!". In the annals of our history, Do you remember the story "Gift of the Magi" we used to read in our 7 th grade English class?" What you did is way more sacrifice than what happened in that story.
Parthasarathy looks away from the video for a moment, with tears in his eyes.
PoliceKAr:" Nalla peNmaNi! avaL nalla peNmaNi...."
Sarathy: "Saar, what's the state of the fish?"
PolicekAr: "The Fishes are ok"
Sarathy: "I beg your pardon, adhu fishes illa fish thAn"
PolieKar:"mAel nAttu marumaga varattum kaettu therinjikiraen"
and continues,"Sarathy, the Ice is melting... if it becomes water it might createstress on the fish"
SArathy: "oh my God! what can we do?"
kOdhai: "well what's happening?"
Sarathy:" Goats dear, I have an important mission. I need to save a set of priceless Kois"
kOdhai: "What are your bearings? sorry, thought I was talking to that old ham man, oops , ham old man"
Sarathy:"Well somewhere near chengalpattu"
KOdhai:" then go to,,,,"
Sarathy, waves his hand to her saying do not talk. He then uses the sign language to let her know that the network might be compromised.
kOdhai smiles, and walks to her CD collection, Picks, MS Subbulakshmi's rendition of Muthuswami dikishithar kritis. She puts that on the Bose Stereo.
Sarathy is confused and as usual gets irritated, "What the heck is that for?".
PolicekAr listens to the start of the AlApana. It is in BrindAvana SarangA. Turns to Sarathy, and sings, "Nalla peNmaNi ivaL nalla peNmaNi". He then takes his blacke berry and opens an application and points the device to the videophone. There is the name of the song. Sarathy reads, it says " Ranga pura vihArA".
Looks on the video phone, kOdhai is standing near a picture of Rama pattAbhishek(am) poster. He looks at her, she nods.
He says "ok dear, ciao" to kOdhai and disconnects te cal. Looks at policekAr,
"saar, lets do this, find how long it will take us to reach the brindavan mutt of Ragavendra in Rangavendrapuram in Srirangam". I need to reach there and get to talk to the famous, vet doc, Dr.Seetha rAmanAthan. Her two sons, twins, are freinds of kOdhai.
PolicekAr, by then is already in google maps looking for the place, "The fastest way is NH45 and about 7 hours. On the way we can get some loads of ice. Don't worry"
Iside the Reva....
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