HALF WAY IN LOVE (CHAPTER 3)

Chapter 3

A night, few months back...

"What is it Arjun?"

He had braked the car suddenly, and the car turned and stopped safely, just clear of the road.

"Tyre burst sir. Front right".

Arjun is a responsible driver. His gift is that he reads my mind. When I am in a hurry, he drives fast. When I require peace, or prepare presentations on the way, he drives it steadily. Almost of my age, he has been my reliable guy for past five years.

We were coming back from a felicitation ceremony organised by a renowned college in Coimbatore. A new role, I was being dragged into. A motivational speaker.

Writers and motivations!

It was past eleven at night. We had reached Navakkarai, and were stranded just in front of Nandi temple. The temple had a huge statue of Nandi. I have heard many illegimate stories about how Nandi statue is growing in size every day.

Arjun was punching the tyre to ascertain its condition.

"What the f... Arjun, even this One crore car?"

He smiled at me faintly.

"Temperature fluctuations sir, may be."

I smiled back realising the foolishness of my words. I had tripped off into a half sleep during the drive back. I opened my eyes only when the car shook hard with the sudden brake.

"What do we do now?"

My thoughts went flying home to Gayathri and kid. She had called twenty minutes before, and I had assured her that I will be home in next forty minutes.

"It is doubtful, whether we can get a tyre guy now. I will get you a lift sir, and you go home please. Not the right place, at this time sir. All those fake accidents and deaths that we keep hearing about. Not at all right."

I understood the gravity of his words. I too had heard many stories of accidents and sabotages of luxury and semi luxury cars in recent times.

"What you will do, Arjun?"

"Don't worry sir. I have a friend nearby. I will stay in his home. You go home peacefully".

And thus we waited, near the edge of the road. For a lift. Vehicles were whizzing past, mercilessly.

It is only when you stand out on the road and watch the vehicles passing by, you realise the actual speed at which they pass. With a chill in spine.

We were in the receding phase of the second wave of Covid 19. The chances of getting a lift, was less.

Still, we waited, for that person, who will rise above all apprehensions and lend a helping hand to the people stranded on the road.

God always has his plans for us. Even while we are sleeping tight on our beds; or are helplessly stranded out on the road at midnight.

It must have been a Toyota Fortuner, as I could make out from the shape of headlamps from a distance.

We waved our hands, in hope.

And, this time the vehicle slowed down, and came to a halt near us.

After a second of observing us, may be, the left window glass came sliding down.

"Bharath Sir? What happened?"

The person in the driving seat asked.

I felt touched. Someone recognised me, at this hour, at this remote place.

Before I could answer, Arjun, desperate to get me home, intervened, keeping his head down to look at the driver and answered.

"Tyre burst sir",

"can you please drop him to the nearest place where he can catch an auto ?"

He asked. Then, with a shock, as he recognised the person at the wheel.

"Sir, you are..,"

Arjun, scratched his head as if  to retrieve the name of the face he had recognised at once.

The face felt familiar to me too. But I was too touched by this guy stopping, and recognising me, his familiarity by passed my brain. It was clogged already with some sort of happiness.

It doesn't take much to be happy.

"I am Dev, Devanarayan". He answered Arjun.

Arjun, stood, stranded on the road, his mouth wide open in some sort of shock, as we sped away from him.

Now I turned slowly towards him.

A handsome, clean shaven man, in his mid twenties.

"Dev Narayan, of the Emerald Builders? and the Emerald Mall? A real honour."

I said, without making any attempt to hide my surprise.

"Just Dev, Devanarayan, sir. Your huge fan. Read both your books. Something in those words of yours. Truely inspired. I never thought I would pick up the very own Bharath on my way back from Coimbatore."

He laughed affably.

I thanked his words in a smile.

"Can you WhatsApp me the location of your home sir?" He asked, after a pause.

I did.

He copied it to his navigation system and drove now in silence.

"Where did you go? I didn’t know the super-rich like you drove around on your own." I asked.

I could see his face suddenly turning red, and his lips joining in a shy smile.

"I went to airport to drop someone."

That shy smile still remained on his face. He was not aware that I was noticing.

"Your girlfriend?"

Driving alone, at this hour, one of the top builders of Kerala...

You don't require the services of celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes for that deduction.

He turned to face me now.

"She is Revathy. I don't know whether you can call her my girlfriend."

"Not yet"

He completed after a pause.

His smile, betrayed his words.

And next forty minutes, I listened to his story.

Cont... chapter 4 on 29/03/2024