Sridevi was a rich Nair girl from Kerala. During the time, the rich and the poor difference, was quite evitable. While she played after school in her jerry creased long skirts and silk tops, her under privileged class mates helped their parents in their torn attires. She was not allowed to talk or even look at them though she always found ways to wave a hello at her underprivileged friends.
Once, as she was plucking the aromatic white jasmine flowers, she noticed a new figure, working with the soil a few feet away. Noticing someone staring, Kummaran also glanced towards his intuition. Their eyes met and he hesitantly smiled at her, spawning a garland of jasmine flowers in her heart. Coming back to her senses, she ran inside her house only to peek at Kammaran from her window. It took her a few peeks to gather the courage to reciprocate the smile. She was thrilled by the attention Kammaran gave her. His attention made her feel special unlike the other attentions making her realize she was almost a woman.
As the time passed, Kammaran and Sridevi’s relationship spawned from smiles to small talks and then secret meetings. One day Sridevi’s far related cousin saw Sridevi having a secret meeting with Kammaran. Hell broke out that day at her home. Her father and uncle thrashed her black and blue while her mothers and aunties cursed her for her action. She was locked in her room. Crying oceans of tears fearing if they would hurt Kammaran, Sridevi fell asleep.
When she got up she ran towards the door, but surprisingly the door was open. She barged out with all her energy to go to her Kammaran. But as soon as she came out of her room, she realized it was not her house. “Where am I? Where is my Kammaran?! Please let me go to him…” She shouted as she cried her hearts out. As she kneeled on the ground crying, someone very softly helped her get up. “Amma, we will go to Kammaran, as of now get up, let us go inside.” She raised her head to the unfamiliar voice. A beautiful woman, who looks a little like her stands in front of her. Sridevi slowly got up. This beautiful woman is familiar to her, yet she doesn’t know who she is. As she stared at her, a young body comes in to help her. “Ammamma, be careful when you walk.”
Sridevi could not understand what was going on. Why is she calling her Amma and the young boy ammamma, she wondered? “Where is my Kammaran?” she asked. “Kammaran went outside Amma, he will come now, don’t worry.” Saying so, she helped Sridevi to the room and helped her lie on the the bed. That is when Sridevi noticed the white sari she was wearing and her skin all wrinkled. “What happened to me?!” she asked as she looked at her wrinkled hands. “Nothing Amma, you are just tired, have this medicine” spoke the lady showing a tablet in her palm. Sridevi looked at her feeling very tired, she did not have the energy to oppose. Gulping the medicine given to her, Sridevi fell asleep again.
“I think we need to hire someone to be with Ammamma all the time,” said the young boy. “I think so too dear, her Alzheimer is getting worse now” said the lady as she tucked Sridevi in bed.
Chanjals World 