The Right Choice

Chapter 10

'Janani. Can you get that suitcase from the car into the home, sweety?'. Her dad had arrived from US. There were only two weeks before the marriage.
'Hi uncle.'
'Hi Anirudh. How are you?'
'Good uncle. What about you?'
'Good da. Janu, what are you waiting here for?'
'Um... Uncle. I'll get the suitcase.'
'Okay da. Janu, are you okay? Usually, you literally run and get my suitcase from the car. What happened now? You seem to have grown fat da. Take care of your health.'
'Nothing dad. Just having a small headache.'
'Okay da. Go to your room and sleep.'
After a few minutes
'Janu. Janu. Wake up. I have got you your medicines. Take them and have some breakfast.'
'Ani. I feel like puking. Tell them I am not feeling well. Tell them never to disturb me. Tell them I screamt at you when you came. Make sure you tell my mom. If she comes, she will definitely know.'
'Ya okay. But if you want to puke or some sudden food craving, how will you let me know?'
'I'll text you that.'
'Okay. Eat your medicines and go to sleep.'
'Ani.'
'Yea?'
'I want to tell you something. I umm...'
'Yea tell me'
'Thank you so much Anirudh. For whatever you did to me. I dont know how I am ever going to repay you and..... (pants and gasps). Tell my child that I loved her/him.'
'Jananiiii!! You cant be dying now. What will I tell your parents? My parents? Jananiiii!! (cries). Please dont die.'
'I cant take this any more Ani. I feel the life ebbing out of me.'
'Dei Ani! Dei Ani! Wake up! You have been sleeping forever. You need to go get Janani's dad from the airport.'
(cries) 'Janani! Dont leave me alone.'
'Ya. Thats what even I told her. She is not going alone. You are going with her but why are you crying for that.'
Anirudh mutters some uncomprehendable words and cries more.
'Dei Ani!!! Wake up!!'
'unnnn....uhhhhh..where am I? Are we at Janani's funeral?'
'JANANI'S FUNERAL? Are you mad? I am going to get married soon and you are talking about her FUNERAL? Did you have a bad dream? Are you okay?'
'Oh. It was a dream! Phew! Thank god! Ya ya i will go get ready now and pick uncle up.'
'You and her have been acting strangely these days. (after a few moments) Dei Ani! Are you both in love?'
'WHAT? Akka! Have YOU gone mad? Not even close. Please go do some work and dont go around blurting your suspicions like that.'
'Okay okay. Dont get defensive. Just asked. Get ready fast. His flight lands in an hour.'
After picking and dropping her dad at home, Janani and Anirudh go to his studio.
'Janani. You will finish the story today right?'
'Ya ya. Where was I?'
'You lost your virginity next month.'
'Ya ya. Correct! I'll begin from there.'
Back to the flashback. After a month.
'Dave! We are going to be finishing 9 months in 2 weeks. How do you feel about that?'
'I feel like I have conquered the world, Janu.'
'Why?'
'Because I have put up with you for 9 whole months.'
'If I am THAT hard to be put up with, why dont we break up?'
'C'mon I was joking. You have no clue how it feels to be here. I feel like the luckiest man on earth. And I want to tell you something important.'
[J: He knelt on the ground and pulled out a ring and said 'Marry me, Janani, you'll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that's all I really know.
I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress
It's a love story, baby, just say "Yes".
A: Next time please dont sing. Its pathetic. You ruined the song. But did he actually sing?
J: No. He said the same lines because he wanted to me sing that part of that song to everybody when they asked me.
A: He was deaf also? Poor guy
Janani ignores him]
'Dave! Are you serious?'
'Janu. I want to spend my life with you. I dont need anybody else. Just you. A beautiful family for us. In India. Because thats where you want to be. Your dad will be convinced, yea? He wont ask for my academics or job, yea? He will know that I will take care of you, yea? He will know that I will give my life for you, yea? He will say that Dave is yours, yea? Because my mom will say that Janani is meant for me.'
[A: Varanam aayiram?
J: Yup. It was our favourite movie.
]
'Dave! I dont know what to say. Its all too fast for me. Give me 2 weeks. I'll talk to my parents about it. Kay?'
'Take your time. It doesnt matter. Talk to them about it. Tell them about me. Good and bad. My parents agreed.'
'You talked to your parents about me?'
'Yup. I described my love for you to them and they agreed.'
'I will talk to my parents. It will work out. Relax!'
[A: Your parents didnt agree. Then you decided that sleeping with him will make matters easy for you. Right?
J: WRONG! Can you please stop second guessing? Your guesses make no sense. I talked to my parents and they agreed. I wanted to surprise him. I told him to take me out for our 9th monthiversary.]
'Happy 9th monthiversary, Dave. I have a surprise for you. Take me to your home.'
'You want to meet my parents? But what did your parents say?'
'Just take me home. I know your parents are not at home.'
'Okay.'
[J: And we went home. And I took the beer bottle and started drinking. ]
'Dave! Come to me, baby. I love you so much. I want to go live in Kerala with you. I want to live in a boat house. We will have two kids and their names will Amara and Ashwin. One Indian and one foreign.'
'Is that a yes?'
'Of course it is.'
'Oh my God! Did you just agree to get married to me?'
'Yea. I did. Now can we please discuss the next part of our life. I want to go to Finland for our honeymoon.'
'But what did your parents say?'
'They obviously said okay. Now where do you want to go for our honeymoon?'
'Yasss. We are going to get married. This is so surreal.'
'Now. If we do not start discussing further plans. I will not go for a honeymoon.'
'Okay okay. I have no problem with any place baby. We will go where you want to go.'
'Bur before that, lets have a rehearsal. Shall we?'
'WHAT?'
'Yea. Dont ask too many questions. I might change my mind.'
'Are you sure ,baby? I can wait.'
'Its not you. Its me. This is how I have been wanting to lose my virginity for a very long time.'
[A: I DO NOT WANT ANY DETAILS. Also, you got pregnant with the 1st time itself?'
J: I wasnt going to give you any details. And yes I did. I miscalculated and protection didnt work.
A: Wow! That is some serious bad luck.
J: I found out a month later. When things that were supposed to happen that month didnt happen.
A: How did you find out?
J: I took a test. The test where I didnt want to pass, I passed. Result was positive. I couldnt bear to even think about Dave's reaction.
A: What did he say?
]
'WHAT? Janani! Are you serious?'
'Yea Dave. Dont tell Amara. Dont tell your parents. Dont tell anybody.'
'Why? This is the best news I have ever heard. '
'WHAT?'
'Yea Janani. This will only help us get married faster. I cannot begin to start my life with you. I have so many plans. Where to live? What to do? Everything.'
'DAVE! I thought you will be sad or shocked or angry.'
'Why should I? Its my kid, isnt it?'
[A: I thought he committed suicide. But he was happy?
J: Over the moon. So was I. Till I got an email from him. ]
'Dear Janani,
By the time you are reading this mail, I am dead. I told my dad today and he told me to kill the child. I refused. He told me to leave you. I refused that also. I told him to get me married to you. He refused saying its too early. I dont want to leave you and live a life. So I decided to leave you and lose my life. Janani, I have never really told you how much you mean to me. I never will be able to tell because its too much to tell. But remember that the last 9 months were the best ever. In my entire life. I am sorry for this. Dont abort the kids. I know you are capable of bringing them up by yourself. I know that I dont want any other man to be a part of your life. But for your sake and our child's sake I hope you get a man who will love you like I did. More is not possible because I loved you more than I realized I can love anything. You are my everything Janani. Never forget me. I love you so much. Sorry and good bye.'
Janani starts crying badly. Anirudh comforts her and asks her if they found his body. She said no. He had some thing in his mind which he didnt want to tell her.
J: And a month later, I came here. Wondering what to do. And I found you Ani. You have done a lot for me. I dont know how I will ever repay you.
A: Relax. We will do something about this. Did you talk to his parents? Do your parents know?
J: Yes I told them that he died but not about the pregnant part. I didnt talk to anybody for that month. I didnt want to come here but my mom convinced me that this trip will do could for me. I hope it does.
A: It will Janu. It will.