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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Twenty Rupees

I still don’t know why we decided to take that walk.


It wasn’t rainy. It wasn’t winter. There is no winter here anyway. It wasn’t the calm, cold October month. It was hot, sultry and sweaty. Summer making its obvious presence felt on our armpits, and our foreheads, where little beads of perspiration pondered sliding down our noses.


Am not sure if we talked that day. I remember sly glances and colour on cheeks. Yellow dupatta and a bright green slawar kameez, a white tee and Bata chappals. But nothing of conversations. Funny how a few days ago when friendship was the term that had defined our relationship, words would never stop, tumbling over each other in their rush.


But now friendship was lost. And in the first walk together to nowhere, there was something else. And we were smiling all the while.


It was she who wanted the watermelon. I watched her as she ate. It was as if even watermelons loved her. Or perhaps I was too lost to really think of the careless way in which she bit into the pinkness of the melon.


Two brown seeds were sticking to somewhere between the tiny crook where the lip starts and what you would perhaps refer to as the chin. I looked at them (and her). My hand rose hesitantly, fingers wanting to brush the seeds off, wondering how it would be to feel her skin.



My hand must have just begun the sojourn to her face.


“20 roopa chetta” (that will be 20 Rs.)


She brushed the seeds away herself. My hands found two ten rupee notes in my pocket.

36 comments:

Abhi said...

That's a good pic of a watermelon! ;)

here = kerala? bombay?

Anamika said...

Abhi
the language seems like Malayalam.so must be Kerala?

Amu said...

"She brushed the seeds away herself. My hands found two ten rupee notes in my pocket."
I love the way you always bring unexpected twists to your stories. :) :) :)

Anamika said...

amucall it d O henry influence...

_caca said...

awesummm..[:D] lost for words, am.:-)

Anamika said...

SUJI :)

Abhi said...

ummm.. i have no idea how malayalam would sound like, but yes, agreed, doesn't sound like anything in bombay. i had totally forgotten about the language part, made my guess from the weather conditions :)

shafeeq valanchery said...

it's so so beautiful. I can feel it

Anamika said...

Abhi Now you know what Malayalam sounds like :D

Anamika said...

Kaatib :) thank you

pied piper said...

But now friendship was lost. And in the first walk together to nowhere, there was something else. And we were smiling all the while.

is friendship lost in love?I disagree. But the way you've narrated is great. gentle and suggestive. leaving most to the readers.makes reading interesting.

Anamika said...

Pied Piper I intended that the term friendship was lost, its place taken by something else. Perhaps special. Perhaps not.

crumbs said...

meanie :P
do authors often enjoy doing this to her/his characters???

Anamika said...

Crumbs
erm....:D
I guess am a sadist :P
cant see any other explanation

Abhi said...

Oh, I just noticed.. this does not even have a 'to be continued..' postscript!

Can't figure out the twist ending now? Or is it a Jhumpa-Lahiri style 'life goes on..' style ending? :)

Usha Pisharody said...

You know, it's that art of not naming, and leaving pronouns hanging heavily in the air, letting the reader take home, and connect with the rather universal characters, in your writes...especially in this one, that I really admire.

You still command the attention of the reader right through the maze of thoughts, and the weave of imagined action:)

Lovely, Vrinda. REally lovely!

[And the pic... *sigh* delicious!!!]

Anamika said...

Abhi

hmmmm could be...:P
i like jhumpa lahiri

Anamika said...

Usha

thank you for such a lovely comment...made my day...n yes. i agree with u on the watermelons

manu said...

tht was a lovely watermelon

Ammu said...

yummy but crispy watermelon story...!:-)

Anamika said...

@manu and ammu

thank you for liking the watermelons :)

Anonymous said...

reminded me of my own series of 'firsts'..
*sighs*

Anamika said...

sonal the firsts are always the cutest arent they?

The Mind Bedouin said...

i liked the way you describe the normalcy and mediocrity of life in such un-mediocre [;)] words... what u spoke abt is somethin so mundane and 'daily'..if u kno wat i mean... but u hav given this whole new flavor to it that it makes for a real good read...

Anamika said...

anon as i said to sonal earlier...little everyday things do mean a lotin life...dont they?

The Mind Bedouin said...

yes yes... they do... :)

The Mind Bedouin said...

jus a piece of info... this is anon..let me be.. i hav changed my name... :) ... true to my name, i have wandered...

Anamika said...

bedouin i see tht

Anonymous said...

write more...
people waiting to read!!

Anamika said...

sonal writers block re! :(

Sandeep Balan said...

hey hey hey...great to catch up with a fellow mallu writer...sadist eh...another similarity...he he....i simply loved your narration..." It was hot, sultry and sweaty. Summer making its obvious presence felt on our armpits, and our foreheads, where little beads of perspiration pondered sliding down our noses."...in detail...slowly building it up...creating an image in the readers mind...hats off! too good....hail mallustan! ;)

BaKfIrE said...

pervert....but funny twist ..nice one.

Anamika said...

@sandeep
hail mallustan to you too *chuckles*

Anamika said...

@bakfire

ermmm...pervert????

Practical Dreamer said...

“20 roopa chetta” (that will be 20 Rs.)" ...Cool mixing of the regional language. Reminds me of "God of small things"

Anamika said...

@P. D

i somehow cant keep away from malayalam...but tht's not so bad aint it?