Premam FanFiction: Story Of Malar

She watched him grow smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror as the jeep left the college compound. Arivazhagan, her cousin was driving. She was smiling as she sat there lost in the memories of the past few weeks.

“Malar? You look very happy… going home na?”, Azhavi asked her.

She smiled as she looked over at him. “yes… going home.”, she lied.

She knew she couldn’t tell her family the truth yet. It would be hard for them to understand or maybe even comprehend how she has… yes, she has fallen in love with a student.

George. She smiled even more as she thought about him. That smile. His rough looks. She laughed out loud as she thought about how they met. “hey saari”, he had called out to her .

“Malar um I have something to say, serious…”, Azhavi said, visibly tensed and trembling.

“Go on..what’s the matter…”, she smiled back a bit confused.

He took a deep breath,” um.. I don’t know how to… Malar i… I like you… I’d like to marry you…I’ve already talked to your Appa and Amma, I have their blessing… um how about you?”

He was looking at her hands on the steering wheel, smiling a stupid smile while she stared at him dumfounded.

After a few seconds of silence and a lot of assurances from him about she can take her time to decide and other things, none of which registered in her head she managed to speak.

“Azhavi… I Don’t know wha to say… I’m… sorry…but I’m.. I love someone else..”

He was staring at her now, completely lost for words and visibly sad. All he could manage was an “oh” as he continued looking at her, his eyes tearing up.

“Azhavi…”, she started, looking back at the road when she screamed,” LOOK OUT LORRY”.

He turned his attention back to the road, but it was too late. He swerved hard to avoid the lorry and the jeep flew off the road hitting a tree in its path. She couldn’t make sense of anything. She could smell blood and a deep pain on her forehead. Her vision was losing focus. Azhavi was unconscious his face resting against the steering. She cried as the pain increased unbearably until she blacked out.

*******************************************

She woke startled. She was in a strange place. A hospital. Her vision focused around the room. There was someone in a white coat standing next to her, restraining her from jumping out of the bed. Her arm was in a sling. She was struggling to break free. She didn’t know where she was. She kept asking,” where am i? who are you”

The aged doctor his grip on her still strong replied in a firm soothing voice,” Malar. I am doctor Sathyamurthy. You are admitted in K.G. Memorial hospital. You were in an accident.”

She calmed down a bit. Accident? What accident she thought to herself. She couldn’t remember anything. Her mind was a total blank. Malar. She knew that was her name. “I don’t remember”, she managed to blurt out. “that’s okay Malar, you are just recovering. “ the doctor spoke as he shined a torch at her eyes. “ I have a few more tests to run and then you can meet your family. Im going to put you to sleep now.”

He readied the injection and had an elderly nurse who had just walked in administer the it.

“Family…”, she said before falling into a dreamless sleep.

*******************************************

“Look Mr. Arivazhagan , the brain is a complicated thing. She has lost all her memories. I’m sorry, but I cannot assure you that she will get them back. She may get them back in the next hour, in the next decade or never.” The doctor explained to Azhavi and Malar’s parents as they waited outside her room.

“but doctor..”, Azhavi started but the doctor cut him off. “please no more questions now, she has waited long enough to meet her family, remember though, she may not recognise any of you.”

*******************************************

She was waiting, tensed. Dr.Sathyamurthy had promised she would meet her family today. She was tensed, and afraid that she would not recognise them.

She was lost in thought when she heard the door open and she sat up. Dr.Sathyamurthy walked in with three strangers. She recognised them from the photographs he had shown her earlier, but other than that she had no idea who they were. She smiled at them reluctantly. They smiled back.

There was a moment of awkward silence after which her “Amma” sat by her and held her. She recognised the touch. She knew she would be safe in those arms.

“Amma” she said, her eyes wet.

Her Appa came by and held them both, he couldn’t control his tears.

“Malar”, Amma spoke, “My beautiful daughter.” She was crying too.

After a few minutes she wiped away her tears and gestured Azhavi to come close. “Malar, this is Arivazhagan.. Azhavi. He is your cousin. Um… he was to marry you.”

Malar looked up, Azhavi was handsome, well built, he was a stranger but there was something so familiar when he held her hand in his , smiling a tensed smile. She liked him. She smiled back. Even though she couldn’t remember them she knew she had found her family. She was happy.

****************************************

“Malar”, Azhavi spoke as they sat watching the moon glowing in the night sky. “mmm?”, she replied, comfortably resting against his shoulder.

“You remember I told you that you were teaching at this college in kerala ? Shall I forward your resignation to them tomorrow?”

“Yes please do…Now keep quiet, I’m enjoying the view” she whispered.

He laughed back in response.

****************************************

“Malar?? What happened??”, Azhavi walked in tensed.

“Why did George walk out? What happened?”

Malar just looked at him confused,” I don’t know. i..Sorry…”

He rushed to her side,” Calm down, its okay, its okay. “

He embraced her as she started crying. She felt sad. Very sad. But she couldn’t understand why.

****************************************

She stood there by his side greeting guests. It was their pre wedding reception.

She remembered George, Koya and Shambu from when they had visited her.

They exchanged pleasentries and took a photograph.

As he said goodbye, she noticed a sadness behind George’s eyes. It tugged at her heart…

****************************************

She was sitting on her balcony watching the rain. Happy .

Her phone rang. It was Azhavi.

“Tell me Azhavi..”, She smiled as she spoke.

“Darling, the principal at the college you taught was sick, that’s why he couldn’t make it to our wedding, he had helped a great deal to get you the job, do you think we should visit him?”

“um..okay..”, she replied hesitant.

“Don’t worry, im with you, pack your bags sweety, We’ll leave in the evening.”

****************************************

“Malar Teacher! What a pleasant surprise. Come in … come in… Mr. Arivazhagan. How are you?”, The short slightly round principal said, very happy on seeing his new guests.

“Radha please ready some tea, we have guests.”, he called out to his wife who was already in the kitchen.

They sat there talking about the college and life now, when the principal suddenly jumped up.

“Malar Teacher!! I nearly forgot. Your wedding present. Radha please bring it, it’s on my table.”

His wife brought something small, a thin square, gift wrapped.

“Sir, you didn’t have to..”, Azhavi started when the principal raised is finger and replied,” It’s not for you sir, it’s for Malar Teacher, it’s a cd of our annual day, Malar teacher choreographed the dance.”

Malar Smiled as she received her gift,” Thank you sir… But i..”

He cut her off too,” Malar teacher, You don’t have to say anything, We know about the memory loss. Please for our happiness”.

She smiled at him,” okay sir, thank you.”

***

They reached back home and the gift was left wrapped and forgotten.

****************************************

So Much time later.

Malar stood arranging stuff in the store room, she was tired. It had been a long day.

“Malar, tea ready”, Amma called out.

“Coming Amma …Last pile.”, she called out as she took the last pile and placed it neatly in a corner.

She was about to leave when a gift wrapped square caught her eye. “Oh!” she exclaimed as she picked up the principal’s gift.

She unwrapped it. Annual Day was written across the disc. She had never bothered with it. She was free for the evening, she decided to watch it, Amma was here too.

“Amma shall we watch the annual day cd from my college in kerala? The principal said I choreographed the dance.” She said as she put it into the player and made herself comfortable on the sofa next to Amma, with the remote and her cup of tea in hand.

The programs were quite good, skits, comedys, she was having fun. Then the host announced the dance. She was excited.

The tune started playing. Five men were in position waiting for the beat. The beat was so familiar she tought it would hurt her head. Then she realised that her head was indeed hurting. She closed her eyes as she heard the sound of the tea cup breaking over the music.

She opened them and stared wide eyed at herself.

She saw herself sitting on a stage cross legged in a black shirt and blue jeans, next to a music player which was playing the song. George, Koya and Shambu were standing in front of her.

The Dream Malar started speaking,” Guys, I think I’ll rewind it once more” and she pressed the rewind button. Everything blurred. Malar couldn’t focus on anything. She looked up in desperation and there it was. A wooden beam was floating above, and on it “MALAR” was written with a white chalk. She felt so happy seeing that. She looked down and she saw him, George was sitting across, smiling at her, and in that smile she knew…she felt it in her heart, love. She tried to call out to him, But everything unfocused again, this time there was a flood of images. She remembered everything. But it was too much for her to take in at a go, she felt herself falling as darkness engulfed her vision.

She lay on her mother’s lap crying. “Amma I love him…what should I do?”

Amma replied in tears,” Dearest, you are married now… let it go…I don’t know what to say…”

****************************************

She threw the plate at Azhavi.

“You knew! I told you I was in love, and you didn’t tell me you sel-“.

Azhavi cut her off, he was kneeling, his head hung,tears rolling down his face,” Selfish Asshole? I know. I’m sorry Malar. I love you. I wasn’t strong enough to let you go. I’m..”

She sat on the floor, her face in her palms weeping.

He stood up and went next to her. His voice breaking he said,” here I’ve dialled Koya, Talk to him I..”, His voice broke as he handed her the cellphone.

“Hello?”

“Koya I need to see you, this is Malar.”, she managed to say through her tears.

“Malar miss? Is everything okay? I’m um 5 minutes from your house, I’m on my way there.”

Koya sat there. Malar told him everything. He had no idea what to do.

He stared at her for a long time before he spoke,” Malar mi-, um, he loves you. He has loved you all this while. But the reason I’m here is, he… he has found someone else, he has finally gotten over you to an extent. Celine. She sent me here to invite you to their wedding. I’m not the person to advice you on what you should do, but you should come to the wedding.”

****************************************

“So is this goodbye Malar?”, Azhavi asked, the sadness clearly pleasant in his voice.

“I’m sorry Azhavi”, she said, her voice cold.

They got out of the jeep and proceeded into the hall.

She saw him on the stage. The man she fell for, he lacked the beard she loved but he was all the more handsome for it.

He was happy. Smiling.

This wasn’t the George that visited her after the accident. This person had healed to an extent.

She walked towards him, determined to get back the life they both had lost.

Their eyes met.

His face changed, she recognised the sadness. Azhavi was by her side as they approached George and Celine. They exchanged Pleasantries and took a photograph.

She approached him,” George… All the best. Goodbye.” And she smiled.

She felt Azhavi staring at her surprised. She walked away and he followed.

They spoke to Shambu and Koya for a bit before she walked back towards the exit.

Catching up to her Azhavi asked confused,” Why did you not say anything?”

“Look at him, He’s happy.”, she said looking over at George.

Their gaze met again and Malar gestured to him that he and Celine looked good together.

Then she turned to her husband and said,” I’m sorry Azhavi, Let’s go home.”

****************************************

They sat in the jeep watching George, Celine, Koya and Shambu dancing on the steps.

Azhavi turned on the ignition.

Malar looked on at the man she loved. He was happy, she assured herlself and then she said, almost to herself,” George…. Miss you.”

THE END