“Aaru, are you going for the book meetup?”
“What meetup! When is this happening, Shulu?”
“Oh, didn’t you check our book groups WhatsApp chat?”
“You know, right? I barely check group chats nowadays. I get bored by the usual gossip and chatter there,” he replied instantly to her chat.
“That’s true. But they also teach us many things about writing and so on. That’s why I check the group regularly. Moreover…”
She stopped typing for a second, her thumb hovering over the mobile screen.
“Moreover what?”, he asked hesitantly.
“Moreover.. that's where I met you virtually and I am very much thankful to them. Also, I’m eagerly waiting for your new writings and thoughts you share once in a while.”
He responded with a simple, innocent honesty,
“But I usually share everything with you first, even before them. You know that, right?”
“I know,” she typed back with a smile. “But I like to read their comments for the writing you put there.”
“But I genuinely like your comment more than theirs.”
She smiled as she listened to him, but she quickly collected her thoughts and said,
“Wait. Where was I? Are you going to the event?”
“Nope. I hate public gatherings and meetups. I usually ignore them.”
Her smile faded away a little, but she said,
“Whatever! The meetup is in Coimbatore.”
“Oh, really? Why there?”
“The meetup is for both the Tamil Nadu and Kerala groups. So they chose a book club at Coimbatore since it’s right in the middle.”
“Ah! That’s good.”
She quickly shifted to a more hopeful tone and asked him,
“Aaru, can you show me around Coimbatore?”
“Let me think, Shulu. Actually I can!”
“Wow! I can’t wait to see it!”
Shulu was so excited that she rang him the next moment and started talking about everything under the sun in one go. Aaru was also thrilled; he listened to everything she was saying and responded every now and then. He planned the trip for her, as she would be traveling from Shornur and he from Aluva. She always loved to travel alone by bus, except when travelling by train with her family. He made a plan for her to come to Coimbatore by train so that she could enjoy the beauty of the scenic rail route. He asked her to get on the Coimbatore Passenger so that he could also reach Coimbatore before her arrival.
A day before the book meetup-their first meeting in person out of the virtual world-she told him what dress she would be wearing so that he could identify her. He did the same. The next morning while she was waiting for the train, Aaru appeared before her out of nowhere. He called her name; she was totally taken aback and surprised.
“Aaru, how are you here? You didn’t tell me!”
“Easy, easy, Shulu. I’ll tell you everything. Let's just get on the train first.”
He led her to the Coimbatore Passenger and once inside, found two single seats facing each other, and they settled in. They looked at each other, recognizing the clothes they had described the night before. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes.
“Shulu, I couldn’t sleep last night. I was thinking and searching for things to do in Coimbatore. There are not many places to visit other than the book club and Adiyogi-and we don't really have enough time for that. Then I had a spark of an idea: meeting you in Shornur and showing you the beautiful Palakkad-Coimbatore scenic route passing through the Nila river and Palakkad Gap, and heading through Western Ghats. When the idea hit me, I checked the time and saw that the first train to Shornur was from Ernakulam North. So I raced towards Aluva station and headed back to Ernakulam-which is the opposite direction-via train and took the very first train and reached here an hour early.”
“You came all the way for this. I’m awestruck,” she whispered, while looking at his face.
“Moreover, this is your first time travelling alone by train. I wanted to capture all of it with my own eyes.”
“Ha ha. Very funny, Aaru.”
“Is that so?”
“No, Aaru. I’m just teasing you. Oh-I totally forgot! I’ve always had a question in mind to ask you when we finally met in person.”
“What’s that, Shulu?”
“What’s with the name Aravshaan? A unique one indeed!” she said, looking into his eyes.
He smiled at her and said,
“I knew one day you would ask me this. The answer is simple: it was a made-up name. My actual name is Ishaan, by the way. But in the literary world, I wanted my name to be unique. So I found the name Aarav and blended it to create Aravshaan! But I like the way you call me Aaru.”
“So, Ishaan.. Ishaan.. Ishaan..”
“Stop mocking me!” he laughed. “I hate it when you call me that.”
“Okay, Aaru. Look, the train started moving.”
“Before we get into the scenic route, I had the same question in mind. What’s with the name Shulini?”
“Ishaan, my actual name is Shalini. I changed it to Shulini for a fresh feel in literature-it’s a name inspired by Durga Devi.”
“Don’t ever call me that.. and you’ll always be my Shulu.”
Both smiled at each other with a nod, and Aaru began showing and explaining the scenery, sharing stories of each spot from memory. The whole two-and-a-half-hour journey was so refreshing for both of them. After alighting at the station, he took her to a nearby restaurant, where they had breakfast at eleven. From her facial expression, he could sense she didn’t like the food. Neither did he. They left the place and caught a bus to the club. En route, they saw beautiful scenery and they got to see a waterfall and mountain view, nearing the cafe. They got off in front of the cafe, and the club people were overwhelmed with joy when they heard his name. They surrounded him and asked him to deliver a speech. He looked at her and placed his hand on his throat, and said he had severe throat pain and couldn't do so. They were a little disappointed, yet happy at the same time to have him there. They cleared the path for him and Shulu to the Forum and guided them to the front row. The program turned out to be a good one, and Shulu cherished those moments with him. After the program was over, they bid farewell to everyone and caught a bus back to Coimbatore.
At Coimbatore station, they were lucky enough to catch the same passenger train back to Shornur. Once inside the train, Shulu asked
“Why did you tell them you had a sore throat?”
“I don’t want to give a speech. Besides, I came here for you, not for them. I want to spend every single moment with you.”
“Oh, Aaru.. That’s so sweet of you. I’ve cherished every moment with you today. Thank you for being here for me.”
“It’s nothing compared to being with you. To be honest, I think this is the best day of my life.”
“Mine too.”
“I wasn’t satisfied with the food this morning. I know you weren’t either. That was the worst experience of today. Well, I’ll make up with you, if you come to Ernakulam. I’ll bring the best food for you, once you’re there.”
“One day I will Aaru,” she promised. “I want to see Ernakulam through your eyes.”
“Okay, Shulu. Let’s enjoy the evening view of the same scenery that we saw this morning, just from the window on the other side.”
The return journey was wonderful; they laughed, made fun of each other, and saw many spots they missed in the morning, before finally arriving at Shornur. They stepped off the train. Shulu was a bit emotional at that time. Unable to find words, she hugged him tightly. Aaru was stunned by that gesture, but then he also wrapped his arms around her. They stood there like that for some time; at last, it was time to depart.
“I’ve been waiting to do that since afternoon. It was like a dream come true for me to travel with you, Aaru. You made the day so special for me, and I’ve been longing to hug you.”
“I was surprised at first,” Aaru replied softly. “But I must say—the best feeling in life is knowing that you are loved by someone.”
“Okay, Aaru. It’s time for me to say goodbye. I’ll come to you for the next trip as soon as possible.”
“Okay Shulu,” he replied, watching her. “Good bye and take care.”
DoubleSpeak 