Hidden Object

Raji handed the cups of coffee to her younger brother Akash who was staring at the TV. "Where's your uncle?" she said questioningly.

"Somewhere else.. Put away all the mobile newspapers and settled in the bathroom for half an hour," he licked.

Sarath knocked on the door as she said, "My husband, don't get upset because of time." "Hey, open the door.. who locked it out?" that.

Akash smiled and went to open the door and said, "Maha Kadi uncle, your son.. You are pretending to tell me where you are by locking your door and hiding it."

Raji smiled and gave him the cup of coffee as Sarath looked at her fondly.

Mom called. "Would you say.."

"Hmm.. both of you are eating. Let's go now. It's a new place for me.. I can't sleep. I'm having a bad bad dream. Even Netu has a dream like someone talking to a dead person. When he wakes up, he's snoring."

Akash joked in Maman's ear about what she was talking about. Both laughed out loud.

"Alright, I'll call you later, ma'am.. after finishing all the work. Look, both of them are laughing after hearing what I said about my dream," she complained and put the phone down.

Staring and finishing eating, she gave the two tiffin carriers and sent them on their way.

After the men leave the house, there is nothing quite like the pleasure of women reclining on the sofa and closing their eyes for a couple of minutes before starting the next task. It was their moment.

Raji also sat down and closed her eyes for two minutes. Akash has been staying in this apartment in Chennai since he got a job for a year. Mom has one more year to retire. Can't come from Trichy till then. Sarath joined Machan three months ago when his job changed. Raji could not leave work so soon. She managed to get here only a week ago. She had applied for a new job in many places. Until then she is a housewife.

If we finish all other work and turn on the television, we will see one item in it. She took the book in her hand and walked towards the park of the apartment. There will be no one at a good noon. Usually weeding in the morning and evening, the park is deserted in the afternoon. She went inside and stretched out her legs on the cement bench placed in the shade of the tree and sat comfortably reading the book in her hand from where she had left it.

After a few minutes, Raji raised her head and saw someone standing there. A good-natured old man. He was wearing a Khadar shirt and pajama. A Tejas on the face. He spoke as she looked at him questioningly.

"Can I sit here?" Raji looked thoughtfully at the other cement benches there.

"Honey! There are other places in this park where I can relax. But I'm asking you that I might be talking to you instead of sitting alone," he said.

Raji immediately straightened up and folded her legs and smiled at him.

He sat down and asked, "What are you studying?" She looked at the cover of the book.

"Damn it.. Miss Janaki.. written by Devan.

Raji smiled slightly at him.

"It is comforting to think that the children of today are reading all this."

Raji now broke the silence and started talking. "There is a thrill in reading old novels and short stories..." she drawled.

He took it and asked, "Will you call Grandpa?"

"My impression is that the stories published in the era when there were no high-speed vehicles, telephones and mobile phones are no longer interesting," she said.

He said, "Hmm.. But I like all the stories and poems of this period, dear.. There is a reality. Stories that are not made up about daily problems are interesting."

"It's okay! Our difference of opinion and age difference" she laughed. They were talking for a while. She was surprised to know that her grandfather was a scientist.

When the hunger pinched his stomach, he said, "It's time for me to get hungry. I'm afraid of this curd, so go ahead and eat it today."

"Okay grandpa.. I will come for a walk in the evening and then she got up saying let's see.

He said, "I don't come here when there are too many people, dear. Let's see if it's the same time tomorrow."

After eating and taking a nap, it was five o'clock when I woke up. When Raji got up, washed his face and left the house with his mobile phone to practice walking, the phone rang... it was Akash calling.

"Tell me"

"Sister, today's lunch is super.. I called you in the afternoon. You never picked up the phone."

"Ah.. Did you praise me? In the afternoon, I took a book and went to the park. I was talking to a grandfather there. I don't know how long it was. I came to eat and sleep. I didn't have my mobile phone. I will call you if necessary."

"I see, for a year, no grandfather has spoken to you. You are a gift worthy of your age.Adri is looking for a boyfriend.

"Toy.. don't.. good grandpa.. have fun chatting. Do you know he is a scientist?"

"Who are you going to tell me? Tell me exactly", now there was an urgency in his voice.

"He said Venkataraman. He was wearing a tall Khadar shirt..." Akash stopped her before she could finish.

"Oh, sister Anbeeliwaip.. the person you are talking about has been dead for a long time. He had set up a lab at home and did some research even after retiring. He died in an accident. It has been a few months since this happened. Just like you said in the morning, you talked to someone who died."

"what to say"

"Oh sister.. Oh, don't try to talk to him again. I will be back in an hour."

After that, Raji's mind and body were not under her control. Anxiety is contagious. She closed the windows of the house. She put a curtain and closed it. Halfway through the puja, she lit the lamp and recited Shashti Kavasam.

Hearing the sound of knocking on the door, she came through fear and opened the door. Akash came in and sat down, "What time sister?" All shirts are the same soil. "What's wrong."

"It's okay sister.. I slipped a little when I came near the house. I fell from the cart. I didn't get all the blows. Go take a shower and you'll be fine," he said and moved on.

"Seh.. Nothing is fine today.." When she opened the door and closed it, she saw that her grandfather and the teacher Padma were talking there. She couldn't believe her eyes. After seeing the grandfather walking slowly up the stairs, he hurriedly ran away and asked Padma, "Unty, who is he?" she said.

"Scientist grandfather. He is the only one who knows everyone here. He talks and gets along like a man. He is a good man. He never leaves without saying a word." she said.

Now it's common sense. It was as if Machan and Maman had decided to cheat on him in the morning and kept talking. Whoever she talked to today would have killed them. The bad ones. She went inside and slammed the bathroom door. Akash shouted hearing the sound. "Hey sister, did you lock the door, open it.."

"Don't fool me.. Rascal"

"Know it.. OK, open it.."

"Stay inside for a while"

The phone rang. It was Sarath who spoke. He said, "Raji, keep calm. Akash met with an accident on his way home and left us there. Don't worry. Don't be afraid. I will come soon."

When Raji was standing idly by, he heard a voice from inside the bathroom, "I fell down, my whole body hurts. Open the door, sister."