Preethi (As seen in a dream)

Prologue: The story is exactly as I saw in a dream I had few days back, with a bit more added here and there. The dream stops at the second last paragraph, not sure if I should have left it there. And of course Preethi didnt have a name in my dream, Preethi was me.

The story


Preethi ran down the stairs of the big house to join the big gang of people gathered around the living room table. Some were singing, some were tapping on the table.
“Enna nadkrein inge? (What is happening here?)”, she asked, eager to join the fun
“Anthakshari, it’s a game where one team has to sing …”, Praveen offered
“starting with a word the other team ended with. I know! Who doesn’t!?”, Preethi said
“I am joining too.”

Nithin came down the stairs and saw the gang, some singing, some shouting, some laughing aloud. He joined them too.
“Hey whose marriage is it anyway?”, he teased
“Nithin Sir the groom always sits in his room, dreams about Ms Wife To Be! Who let you out?”, Preethi teased back.
Nithin laughed aloud and went to the next room.
Looking after him Preethi whispered “Guys I have a surprise planned for him”
“What?” Alice stopped singing Jaane Tu and reached Preethi’s side.
“Suspense. You will find out tomorrow”
“Oh come on”, Alice and Praveen said together
“Ava yen kitte solvein ille kanna? (She will tell me wont you darling?)”, asked Nithin’s grandmother, Vaishaki
Preethi held Vaishaki’s chin, smiled sweetly at her and said “Unakku athukku age aakale paati (you are not old enough for that Grandma)”
Anita said “Aha you know Tamil too Gran?”. All of Nithin’s friends called her Grandmother
“Oh yes, we are the Tamil-buddies”, Preethi said proudly “ille paati (right Grandma?)”

In the next room was Nithin’s father talking to a friend.
“It is wonderful Nithin changed so much”, said Peter
“Yes. Owe it all to his fiancé, Keerthi”, Nithin’s Father Krishnan said
“Who is that Tamilian girl?”, asked Peter watching Preethi skipping around Nithin’s mother for payasam
“Hehe that’s Preethi. She moved in to our neighborhood hardly a year back. Her parents complain she spends more time here than with them. I will call her. Preethi, come here ma”
Preethi, frowning, came to where Krishnan was standing
“Krishna Mama, Savithri Maamy wont give me Payasam now!”
“Does she not now! Let me teach her a lesson. By the way this is Peter, Mama’s friend of 40 long years”
“Adengappa, ivangala paatha avalom old mathri theriyilien (He doesn’t look that old)”, said Preethi
“So I look old is it?” Krishnan frowned
“Oh yes”, Preethi said eyes wide open
“Adi (Will give you a beating)”, said Krishnan in mock anger and Preethi ran away laughing
“Sweet girl”, said Peter
“Yes. She means a lot to us, she was the one who took my mother Vaisakhi to hospital one day when no one else was here or we would have lost her. She runs to the store each time my wife or mother needs anything. She does a number of things for me, for Nithin. She has this special adoration for Nithin. Its all little things Peter, but it somehow adds up to a lot. I cant believe sometimes that I knew her only for a year, and then sometimes I wake up thinking I have two children!”

Nithin had just finished talking with Keerthi over the phone when he heard another loud round of applause from the living room. “You are all enjoying lots! Not fair, I want to be in too”.
“It is my singing Nithin, they love it!”, said Alice proudly.
Nithin smiled and watched his gang of friends and relatives, all having fun in their own way. “Guys its so special to me. But let me tell you, I don’t want a huge publicity. I am expecting only the 30 odd people who are here today for the wedding. So no telling anyone ok? And keep the wedding card I gave, to yourselves.”
“What wedding card?”, asked Thomas
“Oh I didn’t give you. Here”
“It is special cause Nithin drew that picture of Keerthi you see in the card. He wants to let her know how special she is”
“Wow it is beautiful Nithin. You give it to everyone?”, asked Thomas
“No. Only you guys, and the real one, the big painting, to her. And I want you guys each to write a special message behind the card and gift it to Keerthi”, Nithin smiled
“Ahaaa!”, everyone laughed
But Preethi looked worried. “Nithin Bayya did you really mean it when you said you don’t want any publicity?”
“Yes… why do you ask Preethi?”
“Cause… oh no… I meant it as a gift, as a pleasant surprise…”
“What?”
“I send to a newspaper this card and a big photo of both of you announcing the wedding. It should come tomorrow… oh God…”
Nithin looked flabbergasted, stared at Preethi for one long minute and dashed out.
“Oh noooo naan yenna pannirkein! (Oh no what did I do!)”, Preethi kept saying

The attempts made by friends to cheer her up went in vein. No one dared to go and talk to Nithin. That’s when Vaishaki said “Amma unakku athu theryatho? (Dear didn’t you know that?)”
Preethi looked inquiringly at Vaisakhi
“Oh she doesn’t”, exclaimed Anita “its more than 3 years ago now. Four maybe”
“What?”, Preethi asked looking at everyone who seemed to know something she didn’t
“Nithin had married once before, Preethi”, said Naveen
“WHAT?” Preethi asked surprised
“Yes, it was an arranged marriage, and on their way home from the wedding their car hit a lorry. Both the driver and the bride died instantly, Nithin was held in hospital critically and without consciousness for days before he finally opened his eyes”
“Oh dear!”, said Preethi
“He didn’t take it well, it was a complete shock to him. And it is Keerthi who actually took him from that dejected, depressed self to what he is now. She never gave up and was quite patient with him, reassuring him any number of times he would feel down. She was his greatest friend and he depended on her for everything. That’s why she is so special to him now. And this painting he made for her. He wanted to say thanks in some way. And what he did best was paint. So…”, said Thomas
“But I didn’t know any of this… why didn’t someone tell me before”, asked Preethi accusingly
“We just stopped talking of that old story. We never mentioned it cause we were afraid how he would take it… we should have told you”, said Alice
Preethi looked dumbfounded for some time and then went out to find Nithin. He was sitting by himself in a chair and looking far
“Nithin Bayya”
Nithin looked up at Preethi but didn’t say anything. He looked like his best friend had just deceived him
“I didn’t know Nithin Bayya. I am so sorry”
Nithin still said nothing. “I wanted to give you a big gift. And I thought this was big.”
Silence.
“I am sorry Nithin Bayya. Please don’t be upset. Its your wedding”
Nithin looked afar.
Preethi ran inside and went up the stairs

In a while Nithin came in and looked for Preethi.
“She was upset. You cant blame her Nit she didn’t know anything.”, said Praveen
“She sees you like this big idol, this big brother she could look up to. And the little fool probably thought this was something which will make you happy”. From Anita.
“She’s not a fool. I am. Where is she guys?” Nithin asked.
Everyone pointed upstairs
Nithin climbed up and on his way saw Preethi trying to hide behind a cupboard. He decided not to talk to her then. He went up to his room and in the morning called Preethi and took her there. He showed her a painting – a new one - it had Nithin and Keerthi both filled with smiles on their face. “What do you say I use this on my new wedding card?”
Preethi looked wondering what to say. It was lovely the new painting. “But what about the old one?”
Nithin smiled and showed her the old painting. But it had something more. It had a small face next to it. Preethi’s. “Two very special people, one my woman, one my little girl! I want to gift that to my little sister, to my thangachi (little sister)”
And he gave it to her.

The next day Preethi was running around the house distributing the new wedding card “New wedding card parungo new wedding card parungo (See the new wedding card, see the new wedding card)”

And she wrote the special message Nithin wanted behind the card
“Dear Anni, there is a risk behind this marriage you might not have been aware of. Cause after the wedding you are going to be held responsible for the misdeeds of a young woman called Preethi who lives in thy neighborhood. You are, without your permission being adopted as the older sister and Guardian to Preethi Subramaniam, moi! Enganna unnai thondharavu panninaal, bayapedathungo, thangachi Preethi paathu kolkirein! (If my brother gives you any reason to worry, don’t fear, your sister Preethi will look after you)”