Highway between Chennai and Bangalore
"Sollamallai yaar parthathu. Neenjodu than poo puthathu. Mallai sudigintrathai adi athu kathala. Thee culirkindathei adi ithu kathala. Intha matrangal unalai uruvanatha"
Praba lowers the volume of the car's stereo system and wipes the windscreen with a tissue because of the mist outside and AC inside the car.
Deepa is looking outside through the window.
Praba, "Deepa! College mudinji ja apporam ena panna pora? Placements ethavuthu varutha college la?"
Deepa turns to look at him, "Ama, adutha masam 2 companies la irunthu varanga placements ku."
Praba, "Oh! Good! Appo interview ku ellam prepare panniruya?"
Just then a truck over takes their car.
Deepa, "Illa. Nan placements ku ukara illa.š²"
Praba siping his coke, "En?" The truck moves slowly making it difficult for Praba to overtake it or even move at a normal speedš.
Praba puts his coke on the coke holder and honks at the truck.
Deepa, "MBA padikilanu asa padureinš." slowly and carefully.
Praba, "Ada. Super idea! Entrance ku padi." Deepa chokes.
Praba offers her the coke. Deepa takes itš. "Super college la admission vangiralam. Australia la poi padikiriya? Nan padicha college."
(Eschusme Suchi also studied there and left you, right?)
Deepa, "Australia va? Nenga lum varuveingala?"
Deepa puts the coke in the cokeholder, just as Praba changes the gear causing friction between their hands.
For a moment there is sheer silenceš³.
Then, Praba nods no, "Inga business a pathuka vendama? Rendu varsham anga hostel la irunthu padichitu va. Nala exposure kadaikum."
Deepa, "Nenga varalana vendam."
Praba, "Ada. Admission time varuvein. Holidays ku nee India ku va."
Deepa, "Sorry ga. Neenga illatha edathila nan iruka matein."
Praba turns to look at her. Both of the look at eachother's eyes. (Road a pathu ottu!)
Deepa, "ENA GA!š²", Praba turns to see a car left in the middle of the roadš” and he is just inches away from itš².
He swirls the car to the left. The car heads over a sloppy bumb.
He tries to handle the steering and in a haste presses the accelerator instead of the breakš². Deepa holds on to the side of the car with one hand and the other on Praba's seat, not making a sound. The car heads to a river. Both of them look at each other with terrorš²
(Ippovum a? Road please! Sorry..plants..no..sand..whatever, look wherever you are goingš”). Putting all his might Praba stamps on the break. The car halts. Both of them breathe out a sign of reliefš.
Praba, "Are you ok?" Deepa nods yesš³.
The car starts moving alarming themš². Praba quickly puts the hand brake.
(I think that's the first thing you should have done!š”)
Praba, "Ippo entha perchanaiyum illa."
Both of them look out. In front of them is a river flowing rapidly with the moon bathing on it. Around them no lights, but pitch darkness.
Worst of all there is hailstorm.
Thodarum!