RAJA RAJA

“Hello my dear wrong number”

“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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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!