Maaya Nathi

2.Lost

[Sidharth rises his head and looks up. The frame focuses on him.. his calm expression changes into shock/panic. The next frame shows a young woman hardly balancing on the top of a ladder. She is struggling hard to paint the top of the wall. Her face isn't seen yet] His general caring mode gets activated for the first time after he came out from his home. [He walks forward and holds the ladder] and says "paathu ma" (be careful). She replies "ok ma" (ok). [ Her face isn't shown yet. She's seen as standing high on ladder and is turning backwards, the painting that she's doing is been focused and she is out of focus. The artwork that she is painting is about a girl emerging from a book and flowers blooming around her] She finishes her painting, rushes down with full energy and excitement to know how her painting came out. The way she climbs down the ladder is shown in slow motion, as she walks, her hair is moves like it's dancing in front of her face. She reaches the ground. The frame widens and the whole artwork is shown. Then, her face is focused. She tucks her hair behind her ear. Her bright eyes and the face layered with excitement makes her glow in the moonlight] She jumps and claps her hands seeing her artwork. Meanwhile he is lost admiring her cuteness. He has never seen someone this cute. He enjoyed the way she was living the moment to the fullest.

[Her gaze slowly shifts to him] she gets lost, his eyes that were deeply admiring her gave her a different vibe, she felt a snowfall internally. The first thing that she remembered after her few seconds of insane admiration was that a few minutes ago she address him as brother. She was full of regret for that.  She spills out "anna nnu kuptadhukku sorry" (sorry for calling you brother) innocently without a second thought. He was about to say "paravailla ma apdiye kooptuko" (no issues, you can call me like that) but some part of him did not allow those words to escape his mouth. She broke his thoughts asking his name and he replied "I am Siddharth" she smiles back. He appreciates her art and thanks her for what happened in the evening "nee mattum antha spill panna paint aah seri panla nna naan apove gaali" (if you haven't modified that spilled paint, I would have in big trouble) she replies "athelam oru prechanaye kedayadhu" (that's not a problem at all) he replies "ok Madam, ippo ungalukk unga payment vendama?" (don't you want your payment?) She smiles and says "payment mukyam bigilee" (payment is very important) excitedly.

She receives her payment and waves to him saying "bye Siddhartheyy his already glowing eyeballs enlarges making spark visible, hearing the way she called him. No one ever called him that way. He returns from his trance realising that she is slowly disappearing from his vision. He feels like waking up from a dream at the moment. A dream that overpowered the depression that ruled his head. All the cells of his body were charged with a lot of positivity and that too from a little interaction with a stranger. He felt those moments magical.

[Imagine this while reading the next para. A time-lapse focusing Sidharth. He standing in the crowded shooting spot, everything happening in a hurry around him, the moving clouds and people doing different things all in a hurry whereas he is lost in his deep thoughts]
While the last scene was being shot, he analysed his life and came to the conclusion that his passion is the cause of his depression. He made up his mind to quit his passion and help his dad in his business. He decided to go home after the shoot.

[A busy railway station, Sidharth is standing on the queue for his ticket]
At the railway station he notices the same girl waiting in his queue for ticket.
When he was about to get in the train, she approaches him and says "Hi sidhartheyy neengalum intha trainla dhan poringala?" (are you travelling in this train?) He nods positively. She follows him towards his seat, he wishes if she sits opposite to him. As if she read his mind, she sits opposite to him. He gets vaaranam aayiram vibes but he stops his overboard thoughts by reminding himself that she's just a stranger and nothing else. Deep down he felt her like the proton of his life. He wondered how just her presence around gives him positive vibes.

~Chap 2 Ends here~