Wishing someone over the phone on his marriage is hilarious.
Radhika calls me and says, 'mahesh NOW!'
'What?'And before she could answer I hear all that tumultous happy sounds of the marriage.
'Oh yes, ramdas' marriage I say to myself and mentally chide Radhika for not following the lengthy protocols we had laid earlier, which had to do with a relay of missed call signals and hence was cheaper.
But i guess this is better. The cellphone, apparently in Radhika's hands, was covering the event live: The melange of happy shrieks and giggles didn't mean much, yet meant a lot. 'There goes Madhavi with that high pitched joyshrieks of hers. Does this giggle belong to Radhika? By the way where are Pooja's fitting repartees; where are Priya's softer tones?'
Some familiar tune is played in the background. I try to decipher what it is. I know this a tamil film number. Yet the excitement of the situation and the fact that I shall have to appropriately wish Ramdas in a few moments from now keep my attentions divided. The two sides being, what could be that number and how shall I wish Ramdas.
'Good luck maaaan!!'-with full force of cheerfulness
'I am happy for you Ram, I am happy for you...'-measured and punctuated by pregnant pauses that is supposed to communicate gravitas and thoughtfulness
'Heyy happy married life Ram!'-served with an extra dose of enthu
Eh everything sounds conventional. Either from the textbook or handed down as tradition or as seen in the movies. How shall I wish him in an inimitable manner?
'Deii maapilai, kalakku daaa..nallaa ensoi pannu!' in a tone that derives from the streets of chennai
'Many many happy returns of the day' Is this apt? Would he like to stand like this sweating and posing every day of his life even though the gifts may seem adequate compensation?
'Mmm mmm nadathu nadhathu, asathu daaa!' in a conspiring, naughty tone
'Irandai petru Inbamaaga vaazhudaa!' Uhh, it sounds like a government worker propagating birthcontrol measures.
Suddenly the booming voice of Ramdas cuts through my selection process and puts a stop to it. 'Thanks machhaan, for calling up and wishing me...'
'Err..I haven't yet delivered..'
'Romba nanri daaa, I am glad you called..'
'Yeah, sure,..good luc...'
Suddenly his gushing ends. And I am left high and dry, again listening to the sounds of the marriage while they are apparently posing for the video and the photos. That's virtually the end of the call as a few second later Radhika says goodbye to me to pounce upon two vacant seats at the marriage feast.
My immediate surrounding come into picture again. The unobtrusive orange light throwing around mellow shadows, the measured footsteps of the security pacing the verandah, the hurried footsteps of a student rushing to take some printouts, and me just transported back from the ambience of a wedding. I feel like a space-time traveller easing out his mental panting and looking around to see if he has arrived back as unobstrusively as possible.
