#author m

SOMEONE IS IN LOVE:

Murali reached home at his usual time. His mom welcomed him, and he frisked into the hallway, which made his mom smile rather than dwell on how difficult his day would have been. Murali dropped his bag like a kid, free from exams, and got freshened up, slid into the dining space with his good-looking phone. His mom already knew the reason. She continued,” So did you hand over the gulabjamun to that girl?” Murali got struck for a second,” Yeah, Mom, we shared it.” “What did she say? Did she like it?” “Yup, she said that you are a pro, and she even finished the whole box!” “The whole box? It seems like she has curly hair with headphones all the time around her neck. She loves snacks. Am I right? She even calls you brot..” “Mom!” interrupted Murali. “You didn’t give her the sweets which I made.” “The impressing process has to be done by me! Mom, why would you do it for me?” “ Then do it for yourself,” said Mom. There was a beautiful conversation about the bud that will never bloom.

Murali had a happy hour in the kitchen and was watching his mother’s favourite TV show with her by confusing her to his best. He entered his room casually and opened his cupboard to find his old T-shirt, which would layer up his biceps. He loves to wear it whenever he feels good. His eyes were caught by the files which were made to stand in the corner of the shelf behind his clothes, which were standing like a pillar, stocked neatly. His fingers urged him to pick it up and open it, but his hands were trembling like a kid who had fallen off a motorbike. It says,’ Muralidaran- 28 years old. The diagnosis cornered SLE- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Found two years ago. The treatment is useless; we can just extend the lifespan. In Murali’s case, it was diagnosed late. He has one year in his pocket. He still does the strength training to keep himself healthy to face the driver who wears black. He experienced intense fatigue, and later on, partial seizures popped up. Now he is on the journey where he can watch the window-side sunshine for a year or so, and then?. 

His phone rang. He picked up the call as he wanted to divert himself from the revised, current situation of his immunity. His neighbourhood friend called. “Hey, are you ok? Just wanted to check on you”.  “What would be wrong with me? I am perfectly alright exclaimed Murali by pushing the files in their own place, which had been hiding there for a long time. “I heard giggling and funny shows on TV from your walls. Wanted to know everything was alright with you guys.” “Is being happy a sin, bro?” Murali suspected something odd. “Your house usually stays silent, can even hear you convincing mom for even a small gummy bear sort of things. Never heard you and your mom laughing out loud like a maniac for two years. Are you ok?” He finished like he was doing a sarcastic play in a circus with no audience. 

‘Yeah, bro, we are fine. What about your layoff? Trying some other job? Should I help you with that?’ Murali tried to divert him in all the possible ways; his approach never failed him. ‘I’ll be glad if you help me, bro. I have a mind to send you my resume. “Why are you giving a second thought? Do send me your resume,” And there was a healthy conversation regarding their future. 

PART-09 - THE UNSEEN BY AUTHOR MAHIZHAVATHANA (Author. M)

BREAK WHERE SHE SPILLED THE BEANS:

Murali has loved cardamom tea since his teenage years. He likes it for all the flavours of the tea leaves,  the way the dried cardamom is boiled in the red dye, and how it suffers throughout the process. Slowly, it releases its aroma and calls not only tea lovers but also those who love to drink it through the nose.  He had his cardamom tea sip by sip, He and his only tea, he believed. His back got slammed by Goshan, who stuffed his morning snack plate.” Enjoying the time alone, huh? Imagine yourself as a bigshot?” entered his chaos close to his heart. Goshan was almost ready to have his most enjoyable time of the day. But never alone, it is always with his friend Murali. 

  “Why don’t you try ginger tea or tulasi ones? It is boring to have the same all the time,” exhausted Goshan. “Would you love to erase your childhood memories from your brain? It tastes good even though the years rolled by, right?” stressed Murali. Poor boy, he just wanted to chew his good old days whenever he had alone time. Himaye rushed to get her filter coffee with double decoction, definitely the strong one. Her eyes wandered, finding a good space to enjoy her beloved coffee. Goshan raised his arms quicker than Murali noticed her. His eyes opened wider as he saw Himaye in the broad spectrum daylight with a floating outfit, slightly loose and comfortable pants, which caught his heart as she chose her comfort over being unfit, trend following, random girl. And it was very surprising that his crack head is inviting her to sit next to him. Murali could neither nod his head nor take his eyes off. Himaye was called by another woman who looked friendly to her, and she had already met her. Hima chose the woman-to-woman rather than sitting and chatting with the boys. Amy was very curious to know about her. She started asking questions like the one she had faced in the interview as soon as she sat next to her.        

 “Oh, I saw you on that day; it seems like you work here too.” Himaye was trying to be a nice girl with a voice which had speed breakers, as she had social anxiety. ‘Yeah, see we are friends now, how is it going, everything is fine?’ by dragging the tone, Amy glanced over Murali while her body was there with Himaye, but her consciousness was on where Goshan and Murali were sitting. They could literally listen to everything they were speaking with each other the whole time, which made the period very uncomfortable for those two.

Murali rubbed his forehead between those thick eyebrows and thought of leaving the place. He was called by Amy demanding to join them. “Joining them! Joining Amy? I don’t feel good, “ said Goshan. “Neither do I,” he blew the air slowly to ease the situation and went near the table,” Heyy, how is it going? “ asked Murali quivering. “Quite good,” said Himaye in a soft voice as if she had all the air in. Amy was keenly picking up Murali’s body language around Himaye. “Ain’t I worth asking for a Hi Murali?’ Interrupted Amy. “The minute is getting over, and you are asking for Hi and hello in a sarcastic way? , Seems like your joke peeps out only at the end of the play,” teased Goshan. People slowly moved away from the snack corner as their desks were calling for them. “Ok then, see you guys later, “ said Himaye and left like she had a debt to pay. Goshan had already started his engine and moved away; he didn’t want to witness the awkward situation his friend had been caught in. Amy got up with a fixed and manipulative look at Murali,” Ok, I'm leaving too, but not that soon..,” Murali got the threat in an instant, his brain decoded what she meant. 

🐦‍🔥Phoenix: What is something that ended in your character's life (like a relationship or job or loss) that changed them in a big way?

His mom served him his favourite snack (he got convinced so!) on an authentic, well-polished brass bowl, which was much clearer than his vision. While Murali was under the warm shower, neither hot nor cold, he liked it that way. Once he enjoyed warm water running over his body, he felt his immune system was getting sick of his own body very slowly. He gave a big "Sigh", he accepts whatever happens since he learnt what was going on with his WBC.

His mom knocked on the bathroom door to hear a word from Murali. "I am ok mom!" said the bathroom door. She silently left with a note that his good-munch was waiting for him on his workspace, which sits on the corner of his wide bedroom. He came out, gazed at the plate and walked towards it.

Himaye was in her car, crossing the signal and had a mind to buy something for her mom to convey to her that she'll be an employee in her office. She got down without bothering the pleats on her outfit and walked towards the medium-levelled elevated store to buy her mom sweets and flowers for herself. Indeed, she loves flowers with all their colours. Flowers have no beauty standards, she believes!.

She bought a box full of the same sweets, only after taking a sample bite from the sweet section. She doesn't want to confuse her mom. A pink, small ball made of flour, sugar and unlimited ghee with some colour to give appetite to the eyes of customers. The sweet had a gold foil mounted on it, and rose petals sat like a crown. She left the shop with the sweets and mixed choices of flowers wrapped in an eco-friendly, delicate paper. Seems like she accepts mixed taste only with flowers.

She left like the wind and tried to cross the busy roads. On her right, Goshan parked his bike to have some spicy nuggets to satisfy the sweet taste rests on his taste buds, he had half an hour ago. Himaye didn't notice him, but Murali's bestie caught her figure and called out, "Hey, mate!" Himaye rolled her eyes and found him hanging his arms out in the wind. "Oh, hey, hi, Gosh", she called his name short as she forgot the rest of the syllables. He went near her with just two steps of hops," Came out belly full, it seems?" "Uh, no, bought some stuff for my mom. She loves sweets." "Oh, me too!" and started talking about Murali's food preferences in the disguise of his likes and dislikes! It is an unwanted excess of information for her, and she somehow kept on trying to get inside her car. Goshan also informed her about the member who left the office and his position, which Himaye is going to fill from next week. She listened keenly and thought to keep Goshan in her contacts. He is a bit impulsive yet has a good heart, which manages a smooth relationship with people, a well-qualified social element. She said the good side of her and also tried to explain to him about her wheels on time.

But she clearly sensed that he had something to say, but was gulping under his embarrassment. "Oh, that's ok what we had gone through in the cafe. I am out of it already." She added. But that was not the worm in the fishing rod. "Uh, Himaye, Murali is our HR coordinator". This new information surprised her like an intense tiny Tutu-Fruity in a plum cake. "Ah, what!? Is that..., Can I trust my ears right now, Goshan?" And she gave an immediate space for Murali, "How generous of him, Aww.." spoke her heart!.

You'll know the rest by next week. Note my number, let us be friends, we belong to the same department, same world indeed! HAHA". He never said anything about his position and blabbered all the way only about his best pal, knowing his interest.

But I had a lot to do. Life is so hard here but I am working hard and yeah I think everything is going well. I have a great part time job and made some friends at the university. And a guy from the uni has a crush on me. He is kinda cute and has such a handsome face. He is super polite and is super sweet. And from his looks he reminds me of Lee Jong Suk. His name is Min Jae O// u //O  He asked me out on a date ... can't wait for the date.

But I guess nobody cares anyway. 

What else? Block B is making there comeback and that's why I worked on the next part of my Zico story and I have another story for you guys.