Ultimate B'day Gift..

(This story is a continuation of the first part.)

Part 1 - Unusual Train Story
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“Eat well da.. don’t hurry up while eating”, advised mom. How does she know my probs.. If I am late by even 1 minute, Madhu will eat me up..

Sam checked his watch.. it was 9:30 am. He had to meet Madhu at 10 am at Coffee Day. It was a special day.. second anniversary of their relationship. He check his pocket to see his precious gift. It was there .. safely in his jeans. Hope she likes it man.. I don’t know whether girls like gold rings.. They like those platinum ones with all 9 types of gems on them.. huh!

“Bye ma..”, shouted Sam from the front door.

“Where are you going?”, queried amma.

“Why do always have to ask the question at the front door?”, questioned Sam.

“Sorry pa.. Just wanted to know.. Sari.. Come in.. have some water and go..”, replied his superstitious mom. She always does this.. man.. Madhu’s is surely gonna kill me..

He went outside and started his Pulsar 220 bike. He loved this one. ‘Got it specially for her’..

I hope this starts off.. One kick and he was off.. Man, its gonna take me one hell of a time.. God, help me one time.. clear the traffic and I will definitely come for Sunday morning prayers.. it’s a deal!! Plzz..

Thankfully for him no traffic on the streets.. Vrroom.. He sped on..


“Would you want anything, mam?”, politely enquired the waiter.

“I am waiting for my friend.. he should be in here anytime”, replied Madhu.

“And there he is”, spoke Madhu looking at the door.

Sam swung open the door of Coffee Day shop. He could not help but feel the chillness on the door handle. I love the December climate..

“Hi Babes, Happy Birthday!!”, waved Sam as she saw his angel sitting in the corner seat.

“Late again”, came the reply.

“No da.. heavy traffic..”, replied Sam as he dragged the chair back to sit down.

“You should have started early.. and please don’t tell me what your mom spoke to you at the door.. Not again”

“Sari.. Sorry.. My mistake.. I apologize.. Okies?”

“Hmm.. You wanted to tell me something na..”, queried Madhu.

“Ya da.. I had this horrid dream..”. Sam could not help but wonder why Madhu’s was so worried. I have not even started the story and she already looks worried..

“But before that.. tell me.. why are you worried?”

“illa da.. Nothing much.. nee sollu..”, replied Madhu.

Sam touched her hands. He held it and spoke calmly. “Enna da matter?”

“Hmm.. I wanted to tell you about this for a long time. I never had the courage to ask you”, spoke Madhu hurriedly.

Sam thoughts were running rapidly. His brain had started the long list of permutations and combinations of what the matter could be.

Madhu continued.. “See da.. I am a Hindu and you are a Christian. I hope you inform about me to your parents soon da.. So that they agree..”

Sam left her hands and laid back on his chair with his head looking up. The sense of DÉJÀ VU hit him pretty hard. What the hell.. this seems to be so much like my dream man.. pochu da machi.. she is gonna go away.. Sam’s stomach began churning and his brains began thinking at break neck speed.

“Did I say something wrong da?”, queried Madhu.

“Hmm.. No da.. Just wondering..”, replied Sam. “It is very tough da.. You know about appa..”

“You have to decide fast Sam. Time is definitely not on our side”

“Illa ma.. You have to understand from my perspective. Dad will kill me if I tell now. Give me some time. I have just started working”

“You have been working for two years, Sam” retorted Madhu. “Sari, you take your own sweet time. You will definitely not listen to me. Ok.. Tell me about what you had to say..”

Sam’s heart began beating fast. What does he have to say now. It was all his dream replaying in front of him. “I.. I got this strange dream that.. that.. you had gone to Swiss and I am driving my Pulsar from Chennai to Swiss to search for you.”

“What crap dream is this? Always thinking about your bike and swiss mountains.. Not about me..”

Nalla samalicha machi.. great escape..

“You want something to eat”

“I am hungry, oru paneer tikka pizza sollu… and Fanta”

“ok nga madam.. intha ponnunga pasanga sothae aichuduvaanga..”. Madhu laughed.

“Will be back in 5 minutes”

Madhu saw Sam standing at the end of a long queue. She could see so many couples sitting all over the place. She wondered why all the lovers had chosen Saturday morning as their meeting time. ‘Enga ponnalum crowd than pa’

She sat back and wondered whether what she had told Sam was correct or not. She wandered into her own thoughts. Her mom’s words played all over her head.

“Kalyani should NOT have done this. What is her husband name.. Jaffer.. Fahad.. Whatever it is.. Can’t she get a good person in our religion? Why does she have to do this ”, spoke Madhu’s mom angrily.

“Don’t start it all over again. You have discussed this more than kalyani’s mother.. Now let our girl study.. Don’t disturb her..”, replied her dad.

“Illa Shekar.. These girls nowadays never listen to their parents.. in their own world.. You just see Neeya Naana program and you will how much parents suffer because their children run away and marry someone..”

“Ganga.. vidu ma.. Our daughter will not be like that.. Sari Sari.. What is for dinner?”

“Epdiyo ponga.. You and your daughter”


“Enna madam.. dream world aa”, spoke Sam. “Ithanga pa unga pizza..”

“Thanks..” quipped Madhu.

“Cooking theriyuma..?”, joked Sam.

“You only have to cook for me.. Panna matiya.. Darling”

“Sure dude.. anything else that this servant can do for you?”, replied Sam. They both had a hearty laugh.

“I was thinking about this thing pa..”, spoke Madhu

“What again?”, questioned Sam.

“What will your dad say when you tell him this matter? Periya Problem aa?”, interrogated Madhu.

“Back again to square one.. We will think about it.. No tension.. Now eat before it becomes cold”, replied Sam.

I am definitely dead man. Don’t know how these stupid dreams become reality sometimes. Now I have to think carefully and fast..


“What is the hot news da..?”, spoke Madhu

“Anything with me and Asin is always a hot news”, joked Sam.

“Poda..”, laughed Madhu.They spoke for half an hour.

“Polama.. I have to do some diwali shopping with amma..”, spoke Madhu.

“Chalo.. let me drop you..”, replied Sam.

“Illa da.. I will go myself.. Don’t worry..”

Not again.. my dreams are playing itself out here..

“Illa da.. I also have to get some petrol for my darling bike”, joked Sam.

They both sat together with Madhu covering her head with duppatta. All girls are the same..

“Polama.. “.. She nodded and they sped off.


“Where are you going?”, questioned Madhu.

“Your birthday gift is waiting for you”, replied Sam.

Madhu didn’t have a good feeling of what was coming. She hated surprises.

Sam stopped at a beautiful home which was painted in white and blue. A huge Jesus picture hung on the outside. Madhu had guessed it right and she didn’t like it. Sam had brought her to his home.

“Come in da..”, spoke Sam.

“No da. It’s wrong timing.. No Sam”, replied Madhu in a hurry.

“Trust me and come. Only my sis is in there da. Parents have gone out”, lied Sam.

He caught her hand and they moved into the building. Madhu made sure she stepped in with her right leg. One more person trusting in these beliefs. No relief for me..

Sam rang the bell. A person in mid-forties wearing a half sized t-shirt opened the door. Madhu Froze.

“Hi appa.. This is Madhu..”, spoke Sam.

“Come in..”, welcomed dad.
I hope dad accepts.. One more deal God.. A big one.. I will come on all Sundays to church.. Help me.. plz..

Rebecca, Sam’s sister and his mom joined them in the hall.

“Amma, Reb, this is Madhu”, spoke Sam.

“Hi”, spoke Madhu meekly.

Ok Sam.. You have to do it now.. come on.. don’t think.. just speak..

“I want to say a important thing to everybody. I love Madhu and I am going to marry her”. Sam dropped the bomb-shell.

Amma sunk into the sofa while Dad and Rebecca stared at him.

“Why did….”, Amma started to speak. “Wait!”, Dad thundered.

“Come with me”, Dad caught his hands and pulled him into the bedroom. DÉJÀ VU.. Amma also followed them staring at Madhu. Rebecca kept staring and Madhu just about managed to stand there without passing off. She was praying to all her Deivams.

Both Rebecca and Madhu heard a violent conversation. After 20 minutes, Dad, Sam and Amma emerged from the bedroom.

Dad spoke.. “Welcome to the family!!”.. DÉJÀ VU..

Sam froze. He thought he was going to lose Madhu. His dreams flashed rapidly in front of him.

Sam looked at Madhu and spoke, “You want to say something.. Like you are married?”

Madhu looked dumbfounded. “What? What are you speaking?”

“You love me right. You will marry me, right?”

“Of course I will. What kind of a question is that?”

Sam then explained his dream that he had last night and everybody had a great laugh. Rebecca nearly fell down on her sofa laughing. Amma and appa smiled and Madhu blushed.

“Ok everybody. Special lunch for you all”, spoke amma.

“Before that I have to give something to Madhu”, spoke Sam.

And he took out his beautiful ring, knelt down and took Madhu hands gently and put the ring on her hand. Madhu hugged him and cried. Appa and amma quietly slid to the kitchen while Rebecca gave a huge hug to her Anni.

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