Rajalekshmi

I got a mail!
I got a mail from Sreeja!!
It was a long time since I had any communication with her, three or four years indeed.
The mail was just a forward about some swamini disgracing our national flag. Mail was relevant, but I was excited about obtaining her mail ID.
She was my classmate in my engineering days; my golden times. Of course all memories are sweet for me, let them be good or bad. She was a good and understanding friend even though she had all the inhibitions of a girl from an orthodox Brahmin family from Kottayam.
In fact I have only a few female friends. This is owing to my nature I believe, especially my indelicate way of speaking and incessant bullying. Normally none comes near me and if by any chance that happens they gets away taking hold of the nearest opportunity. The only exemptions are my engineering classmates. But they are really to be adored, since from the girls’ point of view I am always at fault since I take none of them serious that easily.
Anyway a friendship, after it is established, I never happen to lose. I value relationships very much. That’s the reason why I was so happy at receiving the mail from Sreeja. Immediately I replied to her asking her mobile number.
I received a reply only after two weeks or so.
I dialed her number. Nobody picked up. Tried again after 10-15 minutes, she answered.
I mentioned earlier, my style of speaking.
At the first “hello” I asked
“ormayundo ee swaram?”
She was at a loss. I told we sat in the same bench at college. As expected and in line with which I wanted she got angry. Reply was that she never sat with boy in class. I told that was not true, at least during free times we sat together and bullied each other and especially Rajalekshmi. At this mention she recognized me started scolding me as usual. She is teaching in some engineering college. That’s a typical job for a girl!!!! I know. They can teach because they were nerds, I was not.
But it was very nice speaking to her. I asked her about Rajalekshmi who is our centre character. She told Rajalekshmi is a faculty at TocH Engineering college now.
Rajalekshmi is one of my closest friend. She is from Thiruvanchoor. Every day morning we were together for waiting the college bus at Manarcdadu since we were day scholars. I used to bully her like anything since she was very much prone!!!. I liked it like anything. In fact in the class when we meet each other in the class it was pandemonium. Most of the girls won’t retort after understanding my nature, but she would always hit back. I liked any opportunity to mess with her.
Believe it or not through accustomedness she even learned some spoonerism (like ”Kontha tharangaano?”). Ohhhhh those were fun days....
She was the top rank holder in the entrance in our class, always good at her studies. I was excellent in all OTHER activities except studies.
But I have very good friends from that time which I will cherish throughout my life.
Really about girls because all other than my classmates turned away their faces from me. I enjoyed a very good rapport with my classmates and still I do.
Last time I spoke to her was in 2004 in yahoo messenger. I asked her about her marriage and she replied that as per horoscope it won’t happen in 2004, but will happen only in 2005. OK. But I never heard from her in 2005 or afterwards.
So it was natural that I asked for Rajalekshmi’s mobile number from Sreeja. She gave me the number.
I tried immediately but didn’t got through.
I was eager to speak with her. So I tried the next day. Her father answered my call. I asked for her but he replied she has gone out. I told him, I’m Sijo calling from Bangalore, and requested to ask her to return my call. He agreed. But she didn’t call back.
I remembered that was a HARTHAL at Kerala and a girl like her will not go out on such a day, but she could be gone to her neighbors or so.
Evening by around six o’clock I called her again and received a reply from her father that she hasn’t returned yet. I felt strange about it but didn’t thought about it much since I had other engagements.
Next day I thought about her again and called. Her mother answered and told she’s not feeling her. OK I cut the line. This happened on a Thursday
I was thinking about a job in Kerala. I left for Cochin on Friday and I had to meet Joice on Saturday morning. On Saturday around 6:30 Joice called me when I was on bus. I told him I will be reaching in half an hour. He interrupted me and told there is some news.
“What”
“Rajalekshmi died”
I was shocked “???”
“Yes, today early morning”
“But how”
“She had cancer”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “Is it confirmed?”
“yes it is”
I cut the line and called and called Sreeja.
She confirmed the news. I asked her why she didn’t tell me that she was in such a trouble?. Sreeja replied she didn’t knew anything about it.
I called Arif who was almost the coordinator of our class and who was from Kottayam. He replied it is true, they knew she had some problem, but nobody said anything for want of confirmation. Since I was in at Bangalore, I knew nothing about it.
He added that she was at some Hospital at Ernakulam, on her deathbed for the last two weeks. I was totally at a loss......
I asked about the funeral, it was on the same day afternoon.
I had to attend an interview at Cochin in the morning. I can’t make for the funeral since I have to go to Bharananganam immediately after the interview since my neighbor, my childhood mate, had a serious accident on the previous Wednesday late night and is in the ventilator battling for life with a ventilator at Matha hospital.
My GOD what can I do?
What I had done to her, no to her parents, I called again and again and they were answering my silly calls with their daughter on the deathbed.
Then only I realized the gravity of my calls.
I don’t have anything more to say.
Rajalekshmi was a very nice girl. I can vouch that all those who ever dealt with her won’t have anything at all to tell against her. She was so nice to everybody, but...





Note: All the names, characters and incidents in this narration, yes it’s a narration, not a story, are real. Nothing is fictitious.
Sreeja is getting married today (28th of June 2007), and I wish her all the best.
My neighbor is still recuperating and I wish him a fast recovery.