Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A GREETING FOR APPU - Part 3

But fate had something else in store. After completing my 9th Std. we got transferred from Mumbai to Gujarat. Crucial board years that followed restrained me from going back to Kerala in vacations. I used to send Appu new year cards without fail. Appu would go all around Krishnapuram showing my card to everyone concerned with an air of pride about him. And here I was, as an engineer coming back after 7 years to visit Krishnapuram on New Year’s eve with a card for Appu firmly clutched in my hand.

The cart shook a little and came to an abrupt stop. “Saar! Krishnapuram Ethi (Krishnapuram has come)”. I alighted and after paying off Vasu headed for our ancestral home. I was overwhelmed by the pompous reception I received from my cousins and other relatives. Delicious lunch was lined up for me. Relatives squared up to have a glimpse of me, to hear about everyone back home.
By evening my arrival phenomenon seemed to fade out and I slipped out of the house under the pretext of taking a bath. I walked along the mud road, had a view of the overflowing river and the temple ruins, and took a shortcut along the fields to Appu’s house. I walked straight into the backyard of Appu’s house, my eyes searching for him. There he was…..my dearest friend Appu, but not in his usual bubbly self overflowing with enthusiasm.

He was eerily silent, lying still inside a large mound of mud with a few flowers by where his head was supposed to be. My dearest friend Appu, buried there. My feet suddenly gave away and I embraced the mound, letting out a loud wail, tears swelling in my eyes. The news of his death last year, when I was in my final year of engineering, had come as a big shock and hit me hard.
Our very own Bharatapuzha river had swept him along on one of his bathing sprees, taking Appu with her on the embarkment of an eternal journey.
I could not stop crying for the months to follow at the thought of loosing my dearest friend. But gradually, I began to feel that an angel form heaven was always by my side, ushering me to go and get everything under the sky with that usual stammered call of his, “Ssss…..andu, Go, Get it !!”. I placed the new year card by his side, looked up towards the sky, as I knew that Appu was up there, and whispered to the winds, “HAPPY NEW YEAR,APPU. I REALLY MISS U DA!!”
The setting sun was painting the sky with a flourish of gold and red. I had a strong feeling that Appu was welcoming me back to Krishnapuram. I listened to the symphony of the water lapping against the hull of the boat. Like a miser, I clung desperately to the moment. It was late into the night when I got back home, blew out the hurricane lantern and surrendered to the bed.

The End.

26 comments:

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Usha Pisharody said...

I wish it did not end this way, really...! And to be frank, I did not! And, that is why this is such a beautifully crafted story too! The end really hits you wham! in the solar plexus; and u had me choked up too! Speaks volumes for your ability to evoke that!

Kashtam, sherikkum parijayapetaan pattiyillallo. Saaramilla, he knows, right? and that is what matters, finally!

It was a beautiful touch, bringing that new year card too, into play!

Good going, Sandeep!

Usha Pisharody said...

Lol, typo.. I mean,

And to be frank I did not expect it to end this way...!

Tara said...

Awww! Even before we could get to know Appu well, he's....:( Didn't expect it to end this way! I read the entire story and then I realized my cheeks were wet.

But looking at it objectively, must say well written! The way you weave magic with words! Beautiful Sandeep! Just loved the beauty of the last two sentences! Good work! Looking forward to read more (hopefully with not-so-sad endings!) Kemamai! :)

Kartz said...

A touching ending mate... Needless to say, a job very well done! Loved the way you went about writing this...

Keep that pen busy!

Peace.

Another Blogger said...

loved the ending. i love tragedies - it makes a tougher impact on readers.

keep it comin - lovin it.

Sashu... said...

Juz when i was gettin to love appu..... awwww.....feelin so very disturbed :(

loved this, truly! love ur narration and the excellent choice of pictures! wonderfully crafted...!!

anusha said...

phir se sad ending!! kya re..!! newys.. nicely written ..as usual.. ab tareef ki bhi koi limit hoti hai.. u r getting better day by day.. ihope to see a book out!! cheers!!

Anwesa said...

i read d ntire series at 1 go.d 3rd part was a real masterstroke,
it left me in tears.

Usha Pisharody said...

Got something for you and appu, at the new space I have.. the link is on the Quest :)When time permits :)

Sandeep Balan said...

@priyanka

hey...i know yaar....i so desperately wanted to see Appu through...but could not...had written this story so long back that couldnt get myself to change it....thanx for all the praise yaar...feels good....n pics...hmmm...the entire credit of the last part pics goes to you...thanx a ton...

Sandeep Balan said...

@usha

sniff...sniff...even i did not wish it to take this course, especially after he had made so many friends here....but the thing was that i had written this long back. And i couldnt change the course of it yaar...wanted to this time, but later decided against it as it would have been criminal to do so....sniff...sniff....i myself went through a myriad of emotions while penning this...remained sad for a week after killing appu...and the ghosts came back to haunt me this time as well...after i had posted the third part....sniff...sniff....and yaa..he knows....and he will bless us...we all have our friend as an angel up there...he is the most brilliantly lit up star up there in the sky...

and hey...thanx a ton for that butterfly award...obliged...honoured...coming from you it means the world to me...cheers!

Sandeep Balan said...

@tara

sniff...sniff...will try to conjure up happy stories for a while for you daa...i so want to after this...its sad killing off your characters yaar....there is so much blood on your hands...it gets nauseating sometimes...you wont beleive but i went into a shell after penning this loooooooong ago...this incidentally was my first short story daa...wrote it after my 12th std. when i had just enrolled myself in an engg. college...was so sad after writing the end...felt as if i had really lost a dear friend...sometimes the characters you create tend to spring back to life in your mind...and you start living day in day out with them...sniff....sniff....i will try my best for happy happy stuff for some while now...loads of senti pill of late..he he....

hmmmm...weaves magic with words..this is the second time i have got this one....will seriously give a thought of changing my name to "weaver" if this repeats...he he...cheers daa!! keep coming back...

Sandeep Balan said...

@kartz

thanx mate...glad that you liked it. Have been down with work of late, but will sit down with that pen soon. Cheers!

@another blogger

thanx a ton for that. Wow...great to find someone who likes tragic endings...have been getting a lot of flak from friends for making them cry...and glad to know that you are liking the stuff..thnx for following...

Sandeep Balan said...

@sashu

thanx....thanx....thanx...sorry to have left you sad daa...couldnt help it :-(

keep coming back.

@anusha

he he...yup...ek aur sad ending...kya karoon yaar...sad twists keep hitting me and i pen them down...and the book bit...hmmm...god willing will one day...

@anwesa

sorry to have made you cry yaar...glad to learn that you liked the story...thanx a ton for your encouraging comments...keep coming back...

Cяystal said...

He's happy to see you down thre..
i so wish this was fictonal!

I absolutely love the third pic..
"Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I did not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle morning rain. When you awaken in the morning hush, I am the swift uplifitng rush Of quiet birds in circled flight, I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there,I did not die."

Praveen said...

after reading the 3 parts, i have one question to ask.."is it a real story?"...
really touched me somewhr deep inside..during the 1st 2 parts, I got a bit nostalgic with all those description of krishnaporam...but was in for such a shock in the 3rd part..:(
and the pics..did u click those?
awesome

Kartz said...

:p" Thanks for the congo... But tht was an old post. U late.

Mona said...

this one moved me to tears... i just have one word for this story... "BEAUTIFUL"...!!! i relished each word of this story as i dived in and out of the pool of emotions... cheers to you sandeep...!!! YOU ROCK!! Eagerly waiting for your next one... Write soon...

P.S. I love the 'lil poet' tag.. :-) thanks...

Sandeep Balan said...

@crystal

oops...yaar..this is fictional...this has been asked to me a zillion times......i think its because of the make believe nature of the story...but everything...right from krishnapuram to appu is a figment of my imagination...hope you enjoyed reading it...and those lines penned by you were simply great!!

Sandeep Balan said...

@praveen...

he he...thanx for dropping by yaar...no bro...its fiction...everything from krishnapuram to appu is a figment of my imagination...i am glad that you liked it.....and if i have managed to touch your heart with this story, then i have nothing else to achieve...thanx for all the praise bro...cheers! keep coming back...

Sandeep Balan said...

@kartz..

oops...sorry man..better late than never...he he...

@mona..

hey hey hey...the "Beautiful" term summed it all...thanx a ton...glad that did not disappoint you with this one...was expecting lot of flak for killing off a character i had so painstakingly created...and especially since he had a good fan following here...your comments are always a morale booster daa...keep coming back..oops..i dont have to say tht to you i guess...he he..cheers!

Rinzu said...

saaar...!!!!

:D

the pics are lovely...they seem real...but the ending was a wee bit sad...


:(

nan said...

The end was so gripping !!!
The series was a virtual journey through the heart of Kerala for I had only known of the skin covering it :P

Paladin said...

First read this story in our college Magazine 'Amber'. Lost that particular issue of Amber, but somehow the story remained engraved in my mind.
Finally got to read this story again on your blog.
touchy..touchy and very touchy.
Thanks to you and twitter for sharing this :)