LORROR: WHEN GHOST FALLS IN LOVE Part-2

Those who missed the first episode, click here- Part-1

Things were normal for the next few months. It started off with formal forward messages, then to messages sharing about the personnel, favorites, slowly moved to calls in a week and continued to calls a day in forth came days. The attendance percentage of Arunkumar soared to 90% from the fluctuating 75% and even the Principal was surprised on this. The conversation in canteen continued at Coffee Shops, Pizza Hut and then to theatre where Archana’s favorite star film was running to packed houses (Bet her that if he gets the ticket FDFS (First Day First Show) she has to come with him for which readily she nodded without knowing he has his friends at ticket section in multiplex. Poor girl!) The meetings which had 5-6 heads of their friends accompanying gradually reduced to nil. Arunkumar could find the change in himself. For the first time everything around him was good. First gift, first silly fight, first outing with a girl, first coffee that chilled in his throat (because he forgot to drink it, lost in her speeches, only to sip it after 15 mins) the first day he spend without smoking (She hates smokers, for which she didn’t speak with him for a week and after that he gave-up for her)  and for the first time he got 75+% in his college (Lecturers were stunned) was she more of a lucky angel than a love angel? Shall I propose? What she’ll think? Did I misinterpret her friendship? Is this how the girls who were wooing me feel? When it comes to love, no one is an extra ordinary guy. It transforms you a very human. And the P-DAY (Proposal Day) he’d been waiting for happened at last.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR" all the TV channels and people in the street were bellowing and Arunkumar was blighted by his mobile which kept on showing MESSAGE SENDING FAILED while he was sending a NEW YEAR wish to ARCHANA. The network was jammed as the populace tried to send message at the same time. he threw his mobile at bed disgustedly and then it cried,

Madhuban mein jo Kanhaiya kisi gopi se mile

Kabhi muskaaye, kabhi chhede, kabhi baat kare

Radha kaise na jale, Radha kaise na jale 

He sprang to get his mobile; this is the ringing tone he set for Archana and saw Hearty calling… (Her pet name)

“Hi!!! Happy New Year!!”

“Wish you the same!”

“No outing today? Resolution not to drink ehmm?”

“Budget problem!! If you sponsor few bugs now, I’ll be indebted for you throughout my life! Raise the mug high and say ‘To Archana’ in the party hall”

They laughed

“So any new year resolution?”

“1024*768 pixels!”

“OMG! If you need a change, then it should be a full stop to your mokkai jokes! Just kidding! But I like it anyways. Your girl is lucky enough to get you!

The CUPID gave Arunkumar a little nudge at this point

“Ehmmm.. Really? Why it couldn’t be you?”

“Whaaat??”

The way is illuminated for him. An exhilarating sense of infinite opportunity stole through him and the madness into him erupted out.

“I Love you Archana!”

“Whaaaat??”

“I Love you!”

 

BANG!! The call ended. It had not happened. It had not happened. He called her back only to hear THE SUBSCRIBER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH IS CURRENTLY SWITCHED OFF. The next day at coffee shop, they had a long discussion of their life. Her mobile was in NIL charge, so the call got cut mid way through and she said “You were more of a friend to me (as usual Girl’s dialog) Think of the life ahead. You are in final year. Yet to get a placement and how could I imagine a life with you being unemployed? No cinematic dialogs please like you are ready to give me food, shelter by lifting sacks of weighs. If you win in love, doesn’t mean you can win in life. Get a job. Show me you can stand in life without your parent’s support. Life is once. Triumph in it. Life makes Love beautiful. Get ready for the next campus interviews. All the best!” 

 

The coffee was saline for him (Sob! Sob! Now emotions!) Talking her golden words he worked hard for his campus interviews. 2 interviews went by, the first one cleared in Aptitude and missed in Technical interview. The second had further improvement only to lose in HR interview. Before the third interview she prayed for him and applied Vibuthi (Holy Ash) and Kumkumam in his forehead. At the exam hall, his mind went blank and he couldn’t recognize any formulas. Biting his pen as if it was his breakfast he closed his eyes. Images of Archana laughing at coffee shop with him and the scene dissolved; now Archana advising him at the same coffee shop, Archana, Archana, Archana everywhere in his thoughts and Archana dressed as bride walked with some other guy dressed in Kurta and the monster in his chest purred. Archana was walking towards him, now letting loose the bridegroom’s finger and applied Vibuthi, Kumkumam in his fore head. He opened his eyes and touched his forehead. Still it was there. Looking at his watch showing barely three-fourth of an hour left, he scanned the question paper again. Now all the formulas were dancing before his eyes and he worked all the sums with ease.

 

Clearing Quans, he fared well in both Technical and HR interview (touching his fore head every time before he entered the interview hall) HR came with the list of selected candidates and his heart beat was pounding for every name being called. As he called ARUN KUMAR, he turned white with surprise and disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. It’s been a long wait, succeeded in life, what’s next, might be love? He called his parent who were thrown into a state of shock and enquired him again and again did he bribe the HR. He called Archana to which she responded weakly saying CONGRATS. There was no excitement in her voice. Tired of entire doling out, he went to sleep, the excitement in him being placed faded slowly because of Archana’s response. Then by 11 when he was snoring loudly, something below his ass was buzzing aloud. He wake up with a THUD to find Hearty calling….

 

“Congrats!”

“Thanks! So…!”

“So…...” she laughed

“I can stand on my own leg now as you have expected from me…”

“Then why do you still lying in your bed? Stand up first!”

“Oh!!! Ya! I stood!”

“Get down the stairs! Open the door and I guess a letter-box is attached to your house gate. Right am I?”

“Yeah…..” he said with awestruck running down the stairs.

“There is something inside waiting for you to open it. So get soon! I’ll call you back in few minutes. Bye!”

 

He rushed to the door and opened it, reached to his gate. The letter box had a parcel. Is it a Bomb? But it was wrapped in colorful paper and he ran back to his room. He unwrapped hastily and found a greeting card inside. He flipped the card and the saccharine voice of ARCHANA filled the midnight silence of the room “ARUN KUMAR I LOVE YOU” and he closed it soon. It was a musical card. His mobile buzzed again. Hearty calling and he pressed the OK Button quickly. 

 

“If the card hadn’t worked, I have to say that YOU ARE IN ME NOW”

“Whaat??”

“I Love You!”

“Once More??”

“I Love you Deafer!!”

“What if haven’t I placed?”

“Mmmmm…. I would’ve proposed anyways!”

“How??”

“See the calendar. Its February 14 today. Happy Valentine’s day Sweet bumps!!” 

 

BANG! The call ended and the love story has started now. The CUPID in his chest started jumping in triumph. It’s been a long, hard way for him but a memorable day. He grinned down at the card, touching the name ARCHANA written in it and gestured wordlessly. He needs to jump, he needs to dance but he is so tired and immersed in over the moon happenings. It was the best night of his life and he would never, ever forget tonight. But….. LOVE LIFE IS NOT FULL OF BED OF ROSES. IF YOU THINK IT IS A SEA OF SILENCE, EXPECT THE STORM AS THE DAYS PASS BY!!

The fact that Arunkumar was going out with Archana seemed to interest a great number of people, most of them girls who were craze on him, yet Arunkumar found himself newly and happily impervious to gossip over the next few weeks. The gossips got hold of wind (or Jet Airways) and entered straight into Archana’s house. Her parents who were also love marriage was not against it and with a job under his kitty, Arunkumar became the new entrant in the family, fiancée to Archana and son-in-law to them. Even Arunkumar’s parents were not against their love and decided to tie knots for them after Archana completes her course. Two more years and with no obstacles in their path, they spend sleepless nights conversing in phone (Thank lord for bringing Group pack, unlimited calls between them) Life is like the dice that, falling, still show a different face. So life, though it remains the same, is always presenting different aspects. The girls were praying they should soon have a break up (If done will break 108 coconuts in temple was a girl’s deal to LORD VINAYAKA) and few started ill-speaking of Arunkumar to her telling he is a double-timer and soon the ghost of Possessiveness entered into her. The things that were beautiful while in love turned revolting as soon as the poltergeist came into her mind. She doesn’t like him speaking to any of the girls fearing she might be No-2 and for the first time the bossy of Arunkumar came out as he don’t like dominance in relation.

 

The morning heated fights which usually cool down by night took some 3-4 days to be solved later on days. They could find a thin wall of separation being built between them when they couldn’t compromise for other. The sleepless nights of conversation turned into silence. Adding fuel to the fire, strengthening the thickness of the barrier, the news came that he has been posted his training session at Bangalore. The girl who wanted him to get the job, asked him to quit and search something in Chennai. The world came upside down. They both yelled at each other and she didn’t speak with him in the forthcoming days. The final day before his departure to Bangalore and he was giving farewell treat to his friends at a famous hotel. His mobile bellowed with HEARTY calling…. in the screen. Before he could attend, his friends said “MAN! SHE IS GOANNA YELL AT YOU AND YOU’LL LOSE YOUR TEMPER! BETTER PING HER WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAIN. NOT NOW!” and he cut the call. In minutes a shadow fell over him and he turned to see Archana standing with red-eyed (Half cries and half anger) She blasted him forgetting it was public.

 

“I SAW YOU! I SAW YOU CUTTING THE CALL! I WAS STANDING THERE… AND YOU YOU!! DON’T EVEN CARE TO ATTEND? SO LOST YOURSELF IN THE PARTY? FELT IT WOULD BE A GOOD FAREWELL?”

“No… Archana… This is a hotel… Stay calm!”

“ENOUGH YOU….. I’M SICK!! I COULDN’T STAND IT ANYMORE… YOU MOVE ON… A NEW LIFE IN BANGALORE… BYE FOR YOU ONCE AND ALL!! THE THING IS OVER!! DON’T CALL ME BACK AGAIN!”

 

She stormed out of the hotel weeping and he stood petrified. His legs were rooted to the ground and he rushed out to see her driving the car madly. He called her but she didn’t attend. The scene shifted and Archana muttering curses on him, tears swam in her eyes. A truck in front was horning loudly at her but the road ahead appeared to be deserted for her vision. She was driving in the middle of the road and the horn sound grew louder and louder. As the lights hit the eyes, she came back to the world realizing the big Yama (ha) coming in front and she turned her steering to the right in a flash.

“CRASH!!” There was a loud bang as the car hit a tree with a deafening sound and the front glasses broke into pieces. The door broke open and she was blasted in the air, fell to the ground, blood spurted from Archana’s face and head as though she had been slashed with an invisible sword. She swayed slightly moving towards her mobile which was buzzing at her seat. Her eyes found it and her lips trembled with the effort to form words.   

“Arun…. Kumar…. Sweet… bumps… Sorry!! I…… lo…..v…e… Y…o...u”

 

And then with a little shudder she became quite still and her eyes were fixed at the mobile. She had gone where none could call her back. 

TO BE CONTINUED……………

THANKS!!! KEEP VISITING!!!

P.S: This is for all those who believe or made to believe, it is the real-life story of LANCELOT aka ARUNKUMAR. He asked me to pen a script with his name and i've done so. The character is no way related to him and like how he takes fame for his cases which were actually solved by his juniors, he is doing the same here. :P So don't believe his words. This is not his Story. :)