18 Jun 2011

The Bike Ride






Ting! My message tone.

“Vaa di poratheku” (Come outside).

I see him outside my window, on his black Karizma, aviators on, completely drenched from the rain and a huge grin on his face. My first thought was that he had had fever yesterday and now this; but I knew there was absolutely no point in reminding him of that or asking him to get back in somewhere warm.. He was just like that, a major pain in the ass. This man drives me crazy.

He looks straight at me and sets my insides on fire. Just like that. That’s all it takes every time. And I don’t know if it’s good or bad that he doesn’t have a clue that he can do that.

‘Erangi vaa di pothe’(Just come the hell out) he texts again.

I smile. Shaking my head and putting on my sternest face, I go out to tell him off, maybe persuade him to come in and wait the rain out.

His grin grows wider as I go out the gate. He swipes the water off his face and says ‘Keru’(Get on).

I said, “Are you frikkin’ crazy? Pani iniyum maaritilla, ennata. Agathotu keru” (Your fever isn’t even better yet. Get inside).
“Jaada erakkandu keradi” (Stop throwing a fit and get on).

 He has this look in his eyes as if daring me to get onto the bike. He knows that my instincts to unleash my wilder side are warring with my eternal goody-two-shoes image. He’s the only one who even knows I have a wild side.

I ignore the butterflies that erupt.

“Njan varunilla, ponael pokko. Vayyande aaya ennodu parayan varandannu maatram”. (I’m not coming, go if you want. If you get sick just don’t tell me)
“Nee varum” (You’ll come.)

“Jitin, please. Paranjal kekku” (Listen to me)
“Ok listen, one round… you come with me and when we get back I’ll come in and dry my hair and drink your shitty hot chocolate and whatever. Deal?”

My resolve was weakening. “How long is this ‘round’?”
The handsomely evil glint is back, “Very small, promise.”
“One round.”

I get on and hold onto the sides real tight because I know from experience that if I don’t, I’ll end up in the middle of the road on my backside with a hard bump. By now, I’m also drenched completely. He gives me the helmet, I refuse. He knew I would. It’s creepy how well he knows me.

Off we go with the torrential rain hitting hard on our faces, the icy wind chilling us to the bones. The roads are empty, not even animals dare defy the rain this day. He rides fast but I detect a holding back. I couldn’t resist a jab, ‘Enthu patti? 175cc speedne modal edukkathadu nthe?”(What happened  *smirk* Not taking advantage of the 175cc speed?). “Ennittu venam nee kadannu kaaraan.” (For you to screech the house down? No thank you). “Hmph.”

I realize we were going to the old fort. The scene changes from city roads lined with shops to the wide NH.

I’m actually glad I came. A drug-like euphoria spread though me as I extended my hands out… This is the closest I’ll ever get to flying. I'd always cherished our bike-rides for more reasons than one. Then I realized that he was looking at me on the rear-view, I held his gaze for a full minute, then I had to look away. Self-consciousness struck and I pulled my hands back in and wrapped them around me.

Something made me look back in the mirror. Disappointment colored my emotions when I saw him looking straight; I preferred self-consciousness to disappointment I realized.

I knew this was unhealthy on so many different levels and my friends had tried to help. Initially, they told me it was a crush and that it would go away with time, then they told me I was in love and I was besieged with tips on how to make him fall for me including one about seducing him (none of which I had the balls to try), then when they realized I’m never going to tell him anything nor was he going to come out of his oblivion to the way I feel, they gave up.

It would have actually been funny if I wasn’t head over heels for him.

I had no clue what he thought; neither did he put me into the ‘pengal’ (sister) category nor had he ever given me the slightest reason to believe that I was his ‘type’. Girlfriends came and went but no one serious enough to hold his attention for long. We had always bordered on the kind of friendship that was laden with potential but nothing ever happened. And after two years of holding my breath, I’d given up and resigned to have my insides twisted and heart thumped every time he came into my vicinity.

“Enthe onnum mindathe, kilukampetti?”(Why aren’t you saying anything, chatterbox). I snapped out of my reverie, “ Eey, onnum illa” (Nothing).

That was the instant something changed. I don’t know what made me… will never know, I guess. I put my hands around his waist, pulled myself flush against his back and put my head on his shoulder. I felt him stiffen… I waited for him to tell me I’d gotten the wrong idea… to gently let me down for I know that whichever way we chose go, he’d never hurt me on purpose.
He didn’t say a word.

He relaxed slowly against me and rode on in silence. I stole that moment from a lifetime and savored the feel of his jacket, the way he smelt, the curve of his stubble-roughened cheek. I knew it wouldn’t last long. I didn’t care anymore actually, I'd stepped over the cliff headlong into the gorge; I was ready for the pain of heartbreak.

He stopped right at the top… Perfect place, so to speak. It was like the Gods were mocking me – reveling in the beauty of Nature when I was going to get my heart fractured, probably forever.

The winds whipped our hair up to a mess. The rain had eased up to a drizzle and there was the glorious view of my beloved naadu (native place) scenery in all its beauty, freshly washed by the rains.

The engine puttered to a stop. Still not one word.

I slowly eased off and got to my feet. I couldn’t bear to look at him in the eye… I started walking.

He caught hold of my hand from behind and pulled me back. My heart stopped; here it comes I prepared myself for stinging words, resolved not to cry. At least not in front of him, never in front of him. I had sworn to myself I’d never let him see how much exactly he’d gotten to me.

I turned around still not looking at him. He got off, parked the bike and turned, never once letting go of my hand, as if he feared I’d run off (which, in all fairness, I was close to doing). He lifted my face to his with a finger.

“What took you so long?”




P.S: My inherent Malayali-ness has surfaced with the feeling that English would just not do justice to the guy’s character and hence the dialogs in Malayalam. And if you do understand the language and find that the translation is inaccurate or sounds silly, please understand that my translation skills are very poor.




58 comments:

  1. I LOVE THIS.

    Enough Said!

    xx
    http://musingsofjustanothergirl.blogspot.com/

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  2. Oh wow!!! You know Priyanka...I thought I hated Mush....but this, turned me into a mush puddle :D :D I LOVED it...I don't know Malyalam, but my very good friends are....and hence, I understood all the feelings you were trying to convey.. :D :) :) Beautiful Piece!!! :) <3

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  3. :D am grinning from ear to ear and also dying to ask if this is all true. But i wont :) (i think i did ask?)
    I understand Tamil pretty well but not malayalam!

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  4. I PRAY THAT THIS WASNT FICTION...

    Being in love is the best feeling though nothing has the power to hurt more than tht :D

    nd also ‘Erangi vaa di pothe’(Just come the hell out)....doesnt mean tht :p

    COME OUT YOU BUFFALO :P

    I loved this hun!

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  5. @ MSM, LOL mush is gooood sometimes na:) Glad you liked it...

    @ TheGirlAtFirstAvenue, isn't Malayalam pretty close to Tamil? And how DO you know Tamil, you've made me curious...

    @ Red, 'being in love is the best feeling though nothing has the power to hurt more than tht'- SO true man... It's like can be the cake and the poison at the same time...

    And the pothe part xP Buffalo just didn't sound that endearing as it did in Malayalam, so I took the liberty of tweaking and then putting a disclaimer;)

    Thank you:)

    @ Ms.First Avenue and Red, as to your query if it was real, it's inspired by real people, or rather person. Only the guy is non-fiction, the rest is purely my imagination:P My love story isn't this dramatic, I'm afraid:P

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  6. Oh I LOVED it :) :D Yeah, I think if I keep reading awesome stuff like this.... :D I am sure gonna love Mush. :D I think I already love it a bit :D :D

    PS: Notice the number of times I've said "love" [Rolls her Eyes]

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  7. So beautifully written. Really. I got dragged into the post and felt s strange connect to the leading lady and a resemblance of the man in my own life.

    Well done!

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  8. @ MSM, 'awesome'? THANKYOUUUUUU!!!! :) My fiction writing skills are still in the baby stages:)

    Lol, maybe I can convert you into the mushhead type that I am:P

    And do check out my Summer, Winter, Spring.. maybe you'll like that more..

    @ Srinidhi, thank you so mush, I mean, much:P MSM here got me all tangled up in mushxD

    Jokes apart, glad you liked it; I was actually beginning to wonder if I got too lovey-dovey with this and people would fail to relate:)

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  9. Wow! This is superb... Njan fan aayi... And hence follower too... ;) The use of malayalam in the post is completely justified... Great job!!!

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  10. @ NNNiiiXXX, thank you SO very much!!:) Isn't it? English would have just detracted from the effectiveness..

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  11. I so want to do this but curse Delhi.
    Post was equipped with a perfect mushiness.

    * Suggestion- Please change your blog template. Comments are nowhere to be seen; invisible types. :P *

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  12. @ Prateek, do what? Ride a bike in the rain or fall for a girl on a bike ride?? :P

    Thank you!

    And on it...

    Heading over to comment on the poor abused hubby:P

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  13. So now I get what u meant by "I get emotional about stories like that with unrequited love" in one of ur comment on my blog :)

    A very nice and matured narrative. The story took a little time to set the mood but I really loved the flow towards the end and the parting line itself culminated the narration beautifully.

    Actually visiting and commenting on someone's blog aftr a long time, all thnx to ur commenting spree on my blog.. Keep reflecting :D

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  14. chelavu venam...o i'll sue u:P

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  15. Priyanka, you blew my mind away. Absolute treat! I mean, I hardly read any blog (out of sheer laziness), but I was determined to read one today. And I picked the absolute right one.

    Narration - Fantastic!

    What I loved the most was, the grit to write these feelings with such pureness. I'm always afraid it's a give away. You've fascinated me with the way it ends. Brilliant.

    I wanna read you more. Also, I absolutely love your vocab. I wish I had one like yours. It's neither too heavy for a reader, not at all too simple. Perfect.

    ... and you think my stories have fans. Lol.

    Keep Writing. Waiting for more. :)

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  16. @ Vipul Grover, :) yes, I'm a not-so-secretive mush-head:P

    Praise indeed, thank you SO much.

    Lol, sorry about that, I just got carried away. Honored that someone who can write as awesome-ly as you has taken time off to read my story:)

    @ Godam, story copyright endedha:P

    @ AP, aww, shucks, you're making me blush, and you just made my whole week:)I'm taking baby steps into the world of fiction and this means a lot...

    I'm glad I could live up to it:D Thank you so much...

    The ending was supposed to be my pièce de résistance, I'm glad it came out well....

    I think yours are far out of my league:| The structuring alone is so precise, I'd be at a loss if I even tried to structure mine.. And I'm fast becoming your biggest fan:P Just don't kill me with another 'to be cont' :D

    Will do:) Thanks again!

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  17. Hahaha! Yes, hopefully I won't. You've flattered me enough, I hope I live up to that hype. Haha! Cheers to you and good luck for the next post! :)

    P.S. : I really love your vocab! :)

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  18. Awesome post! :)
    Loved it!!!!

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  19. @ Ap, I'm sure you will:) I will KEEP annoying you till you put it up though:P

    And thanks again...

    @ akanksha, thanks girl:) and keep visiting...

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  20. i fell in love again!!! loved it totally....

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  21. @ HijiBijBij, glad I could contribute to that wonderful feeling:) Thanks for dropping by and do visit again...

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  22. This is an exquisite piece of writing...

    You know, I've never been a fan of those love stories that always play out perfectly. Maybe that's why I loved this...

    Uncertainty is a beautiful thing, isn't it? Painful, but beautiful. It lets you dream of things that may never be, it gives you something to look forward to. And most of all, it gives you hope. A hope that it will all be well in the end...

    I have been through that uncertainty phase.. Where is it going, what are we, what next, is this just a passing phase.. Even though it all turned out well eventually and I'm not so uncertain now, I will always remember those days, when we would look at each other and wonder "What is this?", neither opening up and saying anything...

    Thanks for bringing back all those memories to me.. seriously..

    And do you realise you run the risk of many other girls having a crush on this guy just because of the way you've described him ? ;) I know I do. :p

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  23. @ Spaceman Spiff, Exqusite? Me? I'm so *looking for right word*:) Thank you so very much.

    Obstacles are parts of relationships which are highly underplayed, don't you think? When its all smooth and perfect, there's no satisfaction.

    Beautifully put. May I quote you?

    Yes, I totally get it, uncertainty is part of what I miss in my own relationship:P Because after a while you know each other so well that you can predict everything from now on forever. But then I guess, there is comfort in predictability as well.

    I'm so glad I struck a chord:) this one was written from some deep place inside of me and I'm SO happy so many people like it:)

    Lol, the actual guy, my roomie's bf, is nothing like this:P it was something that he said that sparked the story off. I'll pass the message on though:D

    And that is one awesome blog you got there btw. I'm heading over to do my signature commenting rampage:P

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  24. Thank you. :) Comment away, lady!

    When it's all smooth and perfect, people like me actually start worrying about why everything is going smooth and will wait for the next fight to start. I guess it's the Virgo in me.(Ya, I like to put all the blame on my sun sugn. It's just so much more convenient, isn't it?)

    And ooh! I've never been quoted before! What exactly were you planning to quote?!

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  25. @ Spaceman Spiff, :D your dashboard has a lot of Priyankas on it now..

    :P Hoho, the pessimist, as portrayed eh? I hope your other half is an optimist:)I do too... I buy this incredibly expensive thing which I don't use ever and say it's because I'm an impulsive Arian:D

    Quotable part: "Uncertainty is a beautiful thing, isn't it? Painful, but beautiful. It lets you dream of things that may never be, it gives you something to look forward to. And most of all, it gives you hope. A hope that it will all be well in the end..."

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  26. Amazing.. Just Loved this post.The malayalam in it is just perfect. I could visualize the whole scene..

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  27. @ Sunitha, coincidentally my best friend's name is Sunitha:)

    Thank you so much,
    Keep dropping by...

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  28. when ever i miss the one i love...i come and read this here....muchos gracias...

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  29. @ HijiBijBij, awww, most welcome you are, hope you get to meet soon :)

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  30. This is beautiful!!! Wow!! and good you used malayalam! because that gave me the perfect feel!! :)

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  31. @ Cindrella, your name brings back my favorite fairy tale:)
    Thanks you so much! It does, doesn't it? Nothing conveys the emotion better:)

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  32. I told a friend of mine to read this post of yours. He, who doesn't have a single romantic bone in his body, wanted me to let you know that even he was touched by this, and that he loved it. And that he loves your blog. :) SO here I am, letting you know, very proudly, because I'm the one who told him to read it. :p
    Although, his complaint is that, and I agree with him, that your page takes years to load because of all the images and widgets. :/

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  33. Dyaaamn! This is fiction??

    Oh, come onnnnn...this was just breath-taking prose. You can't write like this unless you've felt all this yourself for real.

    I hope you find (secretly I hope there really is) the guy of your dreams, kilukampetti :P

    This was indeed chocolate sauce, and this time I felt like pouring it all on me. Wonderful writing, girl!! Keep it up. :)

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  34. Oh, and liked the way you started it - "ting! My message tone."

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  35. @ Spaceman Spiff, OMG:) Thank you so very much and convey it to him as well:) It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when people love my work so much.
    About the loading, I'm at my wits' end as to what I should do:( I'm not all that tech-savvy. And since this comment, I have taken off a couple of things.. Hopefully, it's slightly better now?

    @ phatichar, :D Like I said, the guy's character is inspired by a real person, otherwise it's all fiction.
    And as for the feelings, all the pieces I write contain dramatized versions of my own feelings:) But I didn't have to dramatize too much for this one:P
    I already have my Prince, thank you so much *blush*

    You make my day with your comments:) Really do.

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  36. See?

    Wow...that's way too cool. I hope he reads all this and realizes what a great writer of a princess he has in his life.

    You tell him that. :)

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  37. Oh, and liked the way you started it - "ting! My message tone."

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  38. @ Cindrella, your name brings back my favorite fairy tale:)
    Thanks you so much! It does, doesn't it? Nothing conveys the emotion better:)

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  39. @ Spaceman Spiff, Exqusite? Me? I'm so *looking for right word*:) Thank you so very much.

    Obstacles are parts of relationships which are highly underplayed, don't you think? When its all smooth and perfect, there's no satisfaction.

    Beautifully put. May I quote you?

    Yes, I totally get it, uncertainty is part of what I miss in my own relationship:P Because after a while you know each other so well that you can predict everything from now on forever. But then I guess, there is comfort in predictability as well.

    I'm so glad I struck a chord:) this one was written from some deep place inside of me and I'm SO happy so many people like it:)

    Lol, the actual guy, my roomie's bf, is nothing like this:P it was something that he said that sparked the story off. I'll pass the message on though:D

    And that is one awesome blog you got there btw. I'm heading over to do my signature commenting rampage:P

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  40. i fell in love again!!! loved it totally....

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  41. It's just amazing how much i loved it.
    When I fall in love.
    I kinda wish it'd be like this. :)

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  42. @ Mugdha, really?:) aww, thanks milady:))

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  43. @ Mugdha, really?:) aww, thanks milady:))

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  44. Wow!! This is so cute! I can relate to it cause i know how it feels to find out your crush feels the same way about you! I loved the story! Loved the description! Loved the narration! fabulous!!


    http://myblawghh.blogspot.com

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  45. I loved this story....made me go all awwww and mushy...the mallu dialogues I felt, did justice to the character... Maybe its coz of my own mallu traits...this was lovely :D ♥

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  46. Now that was a real sweet story. Sad that I came across this so late.
    Taking the sweet time to confess love for each other is actually the best part of it. loved it.

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  47. You have this ability of setting the mood for romance. I don't know how to put it in words, but here I am sitting in my room, that has a bed, a laptop, and a desk, yet I could feel the rain, the wind, the presence of a man who can make me go weak in the knees. See what I mean? If this is the kind of stuff you promise you'll churn out after hibernation, 'Take your time' is what I'll say. :)

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  48. tat was so romantic... :) loved it!!

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  49. Please tell me this is REAL!... WOW! WOOOW!!.. That was simply the best post I have read in a loooong time. Malayalathil ezhuthumbol vere oru suganu molee!.. Kidilan Kidilan BLOG!.. Following you..
    PS allelum nammalmalayalikal van romantic aanu allenkil verum boranmar.. THe middle path is very rare out here. :D

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    Replies
    1. Nope.. I used to wish it was though :P
      Athoru valiye satyam thanne :D
      Thanks!

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  50. i dont know why but.. goosebumps!!

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  51. Even though I was reading this, I thought I was watching a movie! Ahhh love!

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  52. This is the second time I'm reading this.. *stalker alert* And do I need to tell you that I love it more and more each time? Pls write more... I miss your posts... :)

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Go on, you can say it.