“Enough. I have sent my pics to your mail.”
“Why don’t you start an account in FB or download
whatsapp? Are you truly an Engineer?”
“That's not good for family boys like me. A mail works
just fine for an Engineer like me.”
“I have FB and Whatsapp. So am I not a family boy?”
“Just go and see my pics. I am busy with my research
proposal.”
Shravan hurried to the nearby netcafe.
‘www.gmai...... hmmmm.....
No. First I must delete that.
www.planetromeo.com’
After a minute....
DELETE ACCOUNT AM4U?
YESSSSSSSSSS.....
Back to
gmail again.
1 New Mail from Kevin
6 Attachments
Shravan waited impatiently as the 6 pictures started
to get scanned and start downloading. And finally.
‘He is truly a family boy. Oh my God! How cute he is
in dhothi! Chocolate brown. Average body. Am really lucky.’
Kevin calling.........
“Seen?”
“Mesmerized.”
“Don't play. Am just an average boy. Not handsome like
you.”
“I deleted my account in PR now.”
“Hmm.... I did it on the very next second you gave me
your number.”
“I want to say something to you.”
“Before that. Do you really like me?”
“You are such a cute monster. Who will hate you?”
“Then?”
“I love you.”
“Ok.”
“What? Only ok eh?”
“I asked you a question on the very first day. First
answer that.”
“Ask it again and I will tell you.”
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Idiot.”
Shravan could not hold him back. In his seven years of
gay life, Kevin is the only person who have asked him this question. ‘Will you
marry me?’ There are people who say ‘I love you’ as easy as a ‘hi’. It really
takes a genuine person to ask ‘Will you marry me?’
Shravan had kept himself locked for almost a year
following his inglorious breakups. But Planet Romeo is something which he could
not resist. In 2013 alone he created around 5 profiles. He deletes it out of
despair and returns back desperately within a week. AM4U profile is something
too close to him. He encountered some weird proposals and interesting persons.
Kevin with his pictureless profile somehow managed to get the attention of
Shravan.
10 PM
Kevin calling.....
“Hello cute puppy...”
“Hmmm.... Then?”
“I was just kissing your picture now.”
“Hmmm......”
“What's wrong? You sound too sad.”
“I found the bracelet of Gowtham.”
“Come on puppy. Try to forget him.”
“First love da. I could not.......”
“You are blessed. Your ex is dead. But mine is still
living and trying to spoil my life too.”
“My Gowtham is not like your ex. He loved me and me
only. Why do you try to upset me?”
“Hey sorry. I tried to cheer you up.”
“It’s ok. But am happy now.”
“How?”
“I don't have anything in his remembrance or my life
with him in 2012. You know? I have not even seen his body. Now at least I have
his bracelet.”
“If it makes you happy, keep it with you. No problem
for me.”
“Thanks da hubby!”
“Hubby? We are not married yet.”
“Ok. Come to Coimbatore. Am ready to marry you even
tomorrow.”
“You come to Chennai. We will go first to
Kapaleshwarar Temple and then to Santhome Church. How’s my idea?”
“Excellent. Once my research gets the approval, I will
come to Chennai. But before that come and meet me at least once in Coimbatore.”
“If getting raped before marriage is ok for you, then
I am ready to come.”
“Rascal. Everything is after marriage only.”
This is another thing about Kevin that Shravan used to
admire. Whomever the Gay or bisexual he has seen so far in his life has seen
25, 50, 100, and some even 1000. Kevin is the first boy who had sex with his
lover only and that too only once.
“How do you live in so much of self-control puppy?”
“After hearing about his death I lived only in his
memories. Now I got you. Simple.”
A week passed. Every day began at 7 AM and ended only
by a ‘Good morning’ with a kiss by 12.01 a.m. By now, Shravan kissed the
picture of Kevin at least a thousand times and said ‘I love you’ even more than
that.
“I wanna see you now. Send your recent picture puppy.”
“Hmmm... Check your mail tomorrow.”
1 New Mail from Kevin
1 attachment
Shravan made a hasty call to Kevin
“Hey puppy. What happened to you? Fever eh? You look
so dehydrated and slim. Very pathetic look.”
“Nothing pa. Those pictures which I sent last week are
taken during my PG days. Now am eating food from outside. So became slim.”
“Don’t worry. After marriage, you will gain weight.”
“You said you don’t know to cook.”
“After seeing you, I decided to learn it.”
“Come to Coimbatore soon pa. I want to see you.”
“Next month I will be there. Promise puppy.”
“Please da. I want to marry and start my life soon.”
A week passed. Shravan grew happier each day. Every
moment of his conversation with Kevin over phone seemed to be the only happiest
thing in his life that time. Kevin would cry in between out his memories about
Gowtham.
“I should have gone to his funeral da.”
“Then why didn't you go?”
“When his friend informed me about that fateful bike
accident, I thought that am gonna die the next moment too. Even hearing that
news shattered me. How can I go and see his dead body? When they burn it, how
can I tolerate?”
“Fine. Relax puppy.”
“That’s the only reason, I visit Madurai every month.
I relive my old memories with him whenever I walk through Meenakshi Amman
Temple.”
“Hmmm..... Don’t worry. I believe that his soul will
definitely be happy to see you living happily.”
Love is not divine on its own. Depends on those who
show it. And yes. Kevin is by far the best choice that Shravan has made. He
could not wait to marry him. But before that he decided to invite few people.
Vicky is the first name that strikes his mind. That Sunday, Shravan paid a
visit to Vicky’s room in Anna Nagar.
“Those who forgot that Anna Nagar exists in Chennai
have finally found it.” Vicky blocked the way to his room.
“I came to invite you for my marriage.”
Vicky was visibly shocked. His entire body got
loosened as he took away his hands from Shravan’s shoulder.
“I never thought that you would turn into a bisexual.”
“Idiot. I said only marriage. Not Straight marriage.”
Vicky and Shravan sat in that velvet sofa and started
to look each other with wild excitement.
“You....you....you...... rascal... You never said a
word to me before.” Vicky pounced on Shravan and started a friendly tussle in
the sofa.
“Hey Relax, That’s unexpected for me too.”
“How long?”
“Three weeks.”
“Don’t joke. You are the one who advises everyone that
love doesn’t happen overnight.....blah....blah...blah.... And now you got
knocked down in just three weeks.”
“In 48 hours..”
“Stupid.”
Shravan then began to explain the entire story. Vicky
didn’t interrupt him even for a second.
“Wonderful da. I thought that such guys never existed.
You are so lucky to get him. Don’t miss him da.”
“I won’t.”
“Fine. I will be your best-man on the day of your
marriage. Ok?”
“Sure.”
“Picture... picture....”
“Ooops.. I forgot. Wait. I will show you.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 PM
Kevin calling........
“Hey hubby. Forgot me ah?”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
“I was busy.”
“Even before marriage you started to avoid me eh? Ok
ok.”
“Have
you ever been to Chennai?”
“Only
once da. Why?”
“Anna Nagar?”
“No. Only to Anna University, Guindy. Why?”
“Don’t
lie. You have come to Anna Nagar on August 2012.”
“Promise. I have not come.”
“Then your Gowtham has come to Anna Nagar.”
“What?”
“Don't lie. Get lost.”
In a fury, Shravan threw away his mobile.
Again Kevin calling..........
“Please da. Don’t be angry. Tell me what happened.”
“Whose pictures did you send to me?”
“Mine only.”
“Don’t lie scoundrel. You have sent me your Gowtham’s
pictures first time.”
“Last week I took my picture in webcam and sent you.”
“Yes. That is your original picture. You cheated me by
sending your Gowtham’s picture to make me propose.”
“So you worry only about looks? I don’t look good. So
what?”
Shravan controlled his anger and continued...
“Looks doesn’t matter to me. If you have sent your
original picture in the first time also, I would have proposed you. I loved
your character. Not your looks. But you thought of cheating me by sending
someone else’s picture.”
“Wait. I will check my mail and tell you.”
Shravan lost all his hope. Within a minute all his
marriage dreams seems to have gone light years far.
Kevin calling......
“What?”
“Hey sorry. First time, I just forwarded my old mail
to you. I didn’t check whether it was my pic or Gowtham’s pic. I forgot to
check it before sending.”
“So?”
“If I thought of cheating you why should I send my
original picture one week before?”
That again seemed to be a valid argument. Shravan is
half pacified now.
“Ok. I believe you.”
“It’s ok. Mistake is on my part too. I should have
checked it before sending.”
“Ok.”
“How did you find about Gowtham’s visit to Chennai?”
“I went to invite my friend to tell about our marriage
plans. When I showed him your pictures, he told me that he had fun with the
person in the picture?”
“With my Gowtham?”
“Yes. Just six months before.”
“But he was dead one year ago.”
“Again a lie.”
“No. His friend told me that Gowtham was dead in an
accident.”
“Either he lied to you or you lied to me.”
Kevin started to cry. Shravan who is on an extreme
irritation lashed out heavily.
“When you are finished crying, call back.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shravan got mired into too many thoughts. What made
him fall in love after two successive love failures? Attracted to him
physically? Well he has got plenty of options in Chennai itself. Why should he
fall for someone who is in Coimbatore, someone whom he has not even met in
person? The answers seemed irretrievable.
Shravan hit the Netcafe again to distract his mind.
Logged into Facebook and checked for his messages.
Vicky had sent him a link.
CLiCK
And then bang.......
It is the profile of Gowtham. The one in the picture
which Kevin had sent him.
With uncontrolled anxiety, Shravan checked all his
posts and pictures.
1 hour before
Gowtham feeling loved with Sanjay
and 10 others
KFC was never so goooooooooooood without my darlings
Gowtham was posing with a gang of good for nothing
fellas.
Shravan, who had a fair knowledge about the faces from
Planet Romeo, was quick to identify the worst playboys of Chennai posing
alongside Gowtham.
‘He is definitely a ^&*^* too.’
With too much of anger gushing inside his skull,
Shravan made a quick escapade to Marina. Totally blinded by anger, he made
three near-miss accidents in his bike before reaching the beach. The monotonous
sound of waves; golden fleeces of Sun being swallowed by unknown
dragon; shadow of a boy and a girl merging in a shawl; group of gangsters
playing kabaddi with transgenders; teenage laborers pestering with their rare
condiments; families looking for a holy spot to settle; police announcement in
the backdrop asking people to take care of their valuables or go home naked;
nothing.... nothing distracted Shravan.
But one thing did it to the speed of light.
KEVIN calling....
“Speak out Kevin. I need the truth. No more cooked
potatoes.”
“Ok. Let my Gowtham be a playboy. So what? I loved
him. And.... And he is dead now. Why do you wanna speak ill about a dead one?
Why do you wanna hurt me by claiming that he is alive?”
Shravan could no longer control his anger.
“You dumb idiot. He is alive. I have seen his FB
profile. He is alive and prostituting somewhere in Dindigul. He is working in a
College over there. Do you want his number? Recent picture? Details about the
person whom he recently nailed? I have all details. Do you wish to see it?”
As expected Kevin remained silent.
“Am happy that he is alive.” Kevin started to respond
in a staggering tone. “But I didn’t lie to you. His friend told me that he
died. That's what I told..........”
“Oh. You are a family boy right? Since your partner is
dead, why don’t you go and die? Let your marriage be made in heaven. Am
blocking your number. That’s it. If you try to contact me again I will make you
bleed. Literally.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPILOGUE
What happened actually? Did Kevin lie? Did Gowtham
lie? What happened to Shravan thereafter?
Here are the answers. Shravan, who is heavily
depressed by the turn of events, approached me for some psychological help. I
listened to the entire story. And this was my conclusion to the questions of
both Shravan as well to the readers now.
1. Did Kevin lie to Shravan?
There is a 50
- 50 possibility. Kevin is a highly vulnerable and an emotional person. It is
true that Gowtham is his first lover. Further Kevin is not a playboy. Enquiries
made by Shravan and me confirmed that Kevin is not a playboy. If he is telling
the truth about his story with Gowtham, then it means that he is a perfect fool
and Gowtham had fooled him to the core.
The second
possibility is that he is psychologically affected because of ‘Raja Rani’ film.
That’s his favorite film and reportedly Kevin has seen it more than 50 times
since its release. There is also a possibility that Kevin used that story to
cook up his own flashback to get a good lover in his life after finding out
that Gowtham is a playboy.
2. Did Gowtham lie to Kevin?
The possibility is
low. Gowtham had fun with Kevin like he used to do it with others and then
dumped him. The claims of Kevin that Gowtham’s friend called him to inform
about his death seems unlikely. But on enquiring about Gowtham, I learnt that
he was constantly irritated by the emotional dramas of Kevin. There is also a
possibility that Gowtham might have used his friend to tell a lie to Kevin so
as to escape from him. But it is also too overboard to lie that he is dead and
that is highly unlikely, even for a guy like Gowtham. Gowtham is a bisexual and
none of his friends knew about Kevin. Then who made the call? Or is it the
imagination of Kevin to escape from the reality that Gowtham had dumped him? I
don’t know.
3. What happened to Shravan thereafter?
Shravan is
still recovering from the shock he had. He is no longer able to believe even
genuine persons. He decided to remain single for the rest of his life. Only
time can answer further questions in this regard.
There are many other questions that are
still lying unanswered. But it is one real life ‘Raja Rani’ story that is intriguing me for some
time now. The readers are free to form their own conclusion for this story. If
there is God, only he knows what really happened.
Bye readers and thanks for your patience!
