Manjal Kudai

It was just another day at office for Indra till she was interrupted by a note labeled ‘breaking news’ while anchoring the morning program. She glanced at it, and nervously ran out of the studio without bothering about the live coverage. When she entered home she saw Amudha with her drained out eyes piercing into the TV screen in which Indra's colleague reported with some footage that the government of neighboring country has won the war after killing the leader of the militants group followed by a genocide in which almost all the militants are  killed. Indra hugged amudha and cried. But Amudha didn’t take any notice of that.

Thiru came out of the kitchen with two teas and said hi to Indra. Indra pointed to the TV and Thiru nodded. Without taking the eyes off the TV, amudha sipped the tea. Thiru sat next to amudha and looking at Indra he told 'you aren't joining us this time'.

Thiru knows well that this could be the only way to save amudha who is on the verge of depression. After much procastination, Thiru took the decision when the war is at intense and bought the tickets for two on the next day amudha successfully completed 30 sleepless nights.

After amudha left the living room, Thiru bear hugged Indra and told 'I thought you never allow' for which Indra replied, "Did you asked me permission?"

.

.

.

After his aunt passed away, Vickremasinghe lived alone in that house. He made the guests rooms ready and went to receive them. During travel to home, vikram and thiru had a brief discussion about the situation in the country. Vikram informed Thiru that the country became too dangerous post war and ‘only the war is stopped not fear’. Thiru told he didn’t bother about that as he mastered the surviving skills in the last visit. Though, thiru know well that the search is going to be tougher than the last time he never lost his hope on Shama and decided to find her and return back to home within a week.

With all the first two week's search efforts went in vain, Vikram finally managed to get special permission to access the 'prison for militants'. Thiru postponed his return for the second time as this chance came as a real hope for them to find Shama. Both of them were distressed to see a prison entirely different from what they foresee in their mind. ‘This could be the cruelest prison in the world’ thiru told to himself. It has been too late for them to come out of that trauma and start their search as the prison officer already signaled that ‘it’s time for them to leave’. Thiru didn’t care about it and searched intensely while vikram tried in convincing the officer which became futile. When the officer forced them to egress, thiru furiously started reciting the poem which saved him from the militants seven years before. Just before exit, vikram hold thiru’s hand as he heard another sharp voice reciprocating the poem. They both pushed aside the officer and eagerly went near to the militant who declaimed the poem. The inmate came to the front of cell and starred at them. But the reluctant militant refused to share anything initially. But after seeing Thiru's condition he understood how deliberate his search is and referred to the same place where Thiru proclaimed the poem before and said he could find a lot of them there. May be Shama too.

Thiru was even unable to differentiate days and nights in the past two weeks. But when they reached that place, his senses were alleviated as the place remained as green and fresh as it was before. The drizzle from the orange sky and the chilled breeze from the greeny bushes has consoled his spirits and made him realize how beautiful the evening girl is. As they gaited into the bushes, Vikram initiated the conversation by describing the beauty of that place, the whole country and the whole world. Vikram also replicated his opinion, to throw away all the weapons in the mid-sea and thereafter no life should be lost for war. Thiru told, 'the ones who always lose in the war are the civilians'. They didn't realized how much time they spent there. They even started rejoicing their reminiscence forgetting why they came for. As the sky seemed to be dark soon after, they decided to resume their search tomorrow.

Out of the blue, Vikram got his legs struck in the wet mud and unable to retrieve it. Even with Thiru's help Vikram was unable to pull of his legs. Thiru plucked a twig from the bush and started digging around Vikram's foot. Finally when Vikram managed to take out the leg, both got a glimpse of the land and in which his legs got struck. Their bodies shivered and started running on their weak knees.

Later that night Thiru woke up several times as the images of mass burial in the land struck his mind often. Unable to sleep, Thiru started to pen down a story in anguish. He brought down his moral anger, fear and anxiety to the papers. And finally when he was exhausted after four hours of scribbling, his tear rolled out from the eye marked the full-stop to his writing.

Next morning, amudha was shocked to see Thiru lying over the table in an unconscious state. She went near and tried waking him up, but when she saw the writings around him, she understood the reason behind his state and took the papers. She read it, torn it and threw into the bin. She left the room without disturbing him.

When amudha came to the living room, Vikram felt it is the right time to have a much needed discussion with Amudha. He called her and made her to sit aside. He moved away the hair from her eyes and she leaned on his shoulder.

Vikram in a subtle voice said,”Appa is very tired. Don’t disturb him." Amudha with tears replied, "I already did it a lot." Vikram hugged her and kissed in her head and told, "You have a beautiful family, loving appa, caring amma, god-blessed two brothers and the soul always cares for you, your late grandpa. It should not get destroyed because of you. You are a gifted child. Now you have the age to understand what happened here." After yesterday's experience, I felt we are riding in a road which leads nowhere. Amudha after reading Thiru's writing understood easily what vikram is trying to say. Amudha stood up and asked vikram to take her to the park where she met Shama for the first and (possibly) the last time. Agreed to amudha's request, Vikram decided to go there and come back before Thiru woke up. But before that he made all the arrangements for their departure to home and informed Indra about their arrival.

.

.

.

Indra went much early to the airport and waited to receive them. Her eyes were dying to see them. As they postponed the return for three times and for some unknown reason for the last time her eagerness to see them, hug them, kiss them has reached sky high. After three hours wait, the flight arrived and she was puzzled to see Thiru coming alone and walking almost like a corpse.

She pulled his shirt and asked "Where is she?” Thiru replied in a cracked voice, "She got some work there".

Indra broke down and cried loudly hugging Thiru. Thiru didn’t react..... Indra furiously asked, 'how did you allow' and thiru looked into Indra’s eyes and with tears replied, "Did she ask me permission?"

.

.

.

As Thiru and Indra started leaving the airport helplessly, an airport TV telecast reported a news that the fallen militants in the neighbor country have rose again; thanks to an unidentified 16 year old who is trying to unify the scattered militants and preparing them to take on the war again.

.

.

.

P.S. : "Manjal Kudai" is the title initially decided for the movie 'Kannathil Muthamittal' later which is changed to "KM", so I felt this could be the best choice to its sequel.

"VELLAI POOKAL ULAGAM YENGUM MALARGAVE... VIDIYUM BOOMI AMAIDHIKAAGA YEZHUGHAVE"