"Ramesh, I have been invited to Radha Kalyanam which will happen this Saturday. We will get good Tamil food with payasam after the event. It has been a long time since we had payasam. Lets go. We will give leave to routine subs and pizzas." said Raghu to Ramesh.
"Hey I have to meet some people and have to see if they are interested with our new product this Saturday. How many times Radha and Krishna will get married? I know monogamy and polygamy. What is this called as? But the Indian food thing makes it interesting" replied Ramesh.
"Who are those some people you have to meet?"
"Any Higher officials of some five to six corporate. I have to get the appointments."
"What if all your so called higher officials gather at a place and you ask your idiotic survey questions?"
"Better."
"Then you're in for Radha Kalyanam."
"Why?"
"See there are only few Indian families in Rolla. If you take Hindus, the count will go down. Most of them will come to the event. CEOs, MDs, Senior Executives everybody will be there. Repeat the Bhajan songs enthusiastically. People will praise your bhakti and come to you asking your whereabouts. Use the opportunity and give your survey questions at last."
"So Payasam for you and survey for me. But I am scared of the Radhekrishna group.Where is the event?"
"In Srinivasan's home."
"The guy who has Japanese wife. I remember him. We had good conversation during last Diwali function."
Rolla is in the state of Missouri, United States of America. The number of Indians is comparatively less in this state when compared to most of the states. Tamils form the major population of Indians. The Indians here have usual practice of getting together during festivals and auspicious events. They will have religious events if there is no festival in a particular month. If we ask the reason why they do so, we will result in many answers.
Some females say,"We discuss about newly bought jewellery".
Some people say," We have all our relatives in India. When we see this Indian people, we get some relative feeling."
Some kids say,"We come here since my mom & dad took us here."
Some people say,"We get time to discuss in direct about the probability of Dollar reaching hundred rupees with fellow Indians."
Few students from University of Missouri say,"We got bored of seeing Indian faces only in internet. So we come here. Also beautiful Tamil girls in saree."
Apart from these they have a common reason,"Payasam made by Ambujam mami."
This Saturday the Hindus association of Rolla has arranged for Radhakalyanam.
The day came. There are nealy three hundred people. Srinivasan's home is big like a palace so that it can accommodate such a crowd. There are specialists who conduct these bhajans. They are totally 50. They have an unusual way of greeting. They don't say Hi and Hello. Their Hi, Hello, Good Morning, Good evening, Bye everything is "Radhekrishna". They have a head. He will sing the song line by line and everyone should repeat it. They will perform Radhakalyanam( Radha and Lord Krishna marriage).
There is a festive mood. Kids are dressed like Krishna and Radha. Ramesh had fun talking with them and taking their photographs. The Bhajan group entered the room. The room had big Radhakrishna statue in the middle and people sat on the floor on either side facing the people at opposite side. Ramesh came to know that there were many officers. The event is at evening. Both Ramesh and Raghu didn't have any food from morning so that they can play their best in the dinner. The Bhajan started with formal Thodayamangalam. Ramesh had Raghu's words in his mind and repeated the song with much enthusiasm. His voice is more audible than any other in the crowd. It didn't create any panic since his voice is not that bad. Some persons started to dance out of excitement. Ramesh thought they are overshadowing him. He too got up and started to dance. Everyone's attention went towards Ramesh. Ramesh became happy. An old lady joined with Ramesh to dance. Everyone went energetic and believed they saw God through the bhajan. All had Lord Krishna in their mind. But it was dinner for Raghu. Dinner and survey for Ramesh. The bhjan came to end with Aarthi. Ramesh succeeded in his mission. He was like man of the match of a sporting event. Everyone went to him and spoke with him. He used the opportunity and completed his survey. Meanwhile the bhajan head asked people to sing some Lord Krishna songs during the time they wait for dinner. A small kid sang a song like school rhyme. An old lady sang a song with many Sa Re Gas in between. Then a sweet voice rendered a song "Krishna nee Begane". Everyone was mesmerized. She was not so white and not so black. Her color is like a chocolate shake. She had a beautiful face. Her age should be of early twenties. She had beautiful hair. Her smile is divine. The people around were comparing her way of singing with legendary singers. Ramesh went towards the wall and leaned on it. The song seemed like a love duet with him and the singer as leads. She was sitting four to five rows behind him during bhajan. So he didn't see her during bhajan. He took his camera and took as many as 100 photographs of her while singing.
Everyone went to her and appreciated her. Ramesh went towards her. Still the song is going through his mind. When he said a Hi to her, she got a call in mobile and suddenly went out. She should have got some emergency call. He felt very unlucky.
Ramesh and Raghu took the car after having the dinner.
"Everyone is saying that voice of the girl who sang Krishna nee Begane is sweeter than Ambujam mami's payasam. Morons. How a voice can be sweet? Senseless people." said Raghu to Ramesh.
"Is it? Raghu, usually what song will come into mind when people are in the mood of love?" asked Ramesh.
"Some Ilaiyaraja or Rahman song. For me it was Pachai nirame when I used to see Kalpana in my Engineering classes. She too had the same song but with some other guy."
"Exactly. It should be Rahman or Ilaiyaraja song. But I don't know why Krishna nee begane comes to my mind. She is awesome. An example lady."
"Oh! Whom do you love? The old lady who danced with you?"
"Moron. It is the girl who sang that song. She is a bronze beauty. She is like a sculpture. (Sings) Krishna nee begane baro".
"Switch off that MP3 player" yelled Raghu.
"I did a mistake. I should have taken video when she sang. I took photos. How nice her voice is!"
"Thank God. You didn't say the rhymes said by that kid came to your mind when you are in romantic mood."
Couple of days passed. Raghu took the video CD of bhajan from Srinivasan and gave it to Ramesh. Ramesh put the CD on laptop and was seeing for the song video. The song came but the videographer took the video of dinner and not her singing. But the song is audible as she sang in a mic. He cut the song part alone and saved it in his iPhone. He heard that song the entire day unstopped during all his activities. He wanted to see her badly. He asked Raghu the way which he can see her. "Indian independence day celebrations are taking place in Nayar sir's office. Everyone will come for sure since this time it is on Sunday. You can meet her and ask her to sing Jana Gana Mana or Vande Mataram. I desperately need change of song.", said Raghu to Ramesh.
Almost all Indians of Rolla gathered for Independence day celebration. Ambujam mami, daughter of freedom fighter Rajaji's cook hoisted the flag. Ramesh was searching her in the entire office ground. There was another guy searching something. Ramesh looked him and asked what was he searching for. He replied,"I am searching for the woman who sang Krishna nee begane in the bhajan.".
"I too search for her. May I know why are you searching for?"
"I just want to say her voice is so sweet."
"Is it? I am searching her to say I want to marry her. Let me know if you find her. Do you know her name?"
"No."
Raghu came to him and said, "Some of the students of Missouri University didn't come today sine they have their exams today."
"Why they have exams on Sunday? Idiots." replied Ramesh. The other guy who is searching for her intervened and said, "I study in Missouri university. She is not from there. One of my friends visits Shiv temple daily. She said that she used to see her regularly in temple. You can try out there."
Shiv temple became one of the destination points for Ramesh. He went there daily and waited for her. He was not able to see her for more than a week. He showed her photo to the pandit and asked if he saw her in the temple before. The pandit replied in positive way. He gave his number to pandit and asked him to call when she comes. He went to Srinivasan's home and asked him if he knows her. Srinivas said, "No. She was taken by Shiv temple pandit. I forgot her name. She sang very well. Man in Saranam she sang it like MS
Subbulakshmi. I am planning to have a carnatic concert of her in our home someday. What do you say?" "Ya. We can have.", said Ramesh.
He went to Shiv temple and asked the pandit if he knows her name and whereabouts. He replied, "No. She came here and sang a song when I started to bhajan. She sang well. I asked if she can come to bhajan. She replied yes and I took her." He came out of the temple in sorrow. Days went by. But he did not give up. He went to temple daily expecting her to come. A month went by.
It was a Sunday. Ramesh went to temple early. He heard a song Bho Sambho. The voice is too good and he ran towards the temple expecting it to be her. It was the same lady. She was wearing the same dress that she wore in bhajan. He waited outside to talk with her. She came out.
Ramesh went to her and said. "Hi. I am Ramesh. The song you sang that day is beautiful. Awesome. Fantastic. Fabulous. Hmmm. Stupendous. Marvelous. Hmmm"
"Hey. Enough of it. Thanks a lot. I remember you. The way you danced with the old lady is so funny."
"Ya that is for an intention. I was searching for you since that day. I was searching for you daily in the temple."
"Is it?"
"Ya. I'm searching for you even in independence day meeting. Why didn't you come?"
"I'm out of town and went to my hometown. Moreover I'm not an Indian. I'm a Srilankan."
"Went on a vacation or"
"No. The Srilankan army mistook my father as an LTTE and he was arrested. I went there to take him away from prison."
"Oh. Is he released and is he fine?"
"Ya. I have shifted him from Yazhpanam(Jaffna) to Colombo. I will take him here after his VISA is approved. I don't want to put him in trouble."
"Fine. Hey everyone appreciated your singing. I heard it more than thousand times in this 48 days. Can you sing the song for me?"
She said,"Sure" and started to sing.
After the song was over. He said, "Ilaiyaraja or Rahman songs will play in one's mind when he is in romantic mood. But this song comes to my mind. I want to make a connection between India and Srilanka."
"Are you going to construct Ram bridge again?"
"No. I want to marry you. I want to hear all the songs you know. I just wanna be with you."
The lady went to her car. She opened the door and shouted to Ramesh, "Ramesh. Start constructing Ram bridge. My father's email id is koneswaran.yazhpanam@gmail.com. She spelled it again. k o n e s w a r a n . y a z h p a n a m @gmail.com. Ask your parents to send a mail to my dad seeking his daughter to marry their son."
Ramesh jumped in joy. He stopped and asked, "Hey what is your name?"
She replied,"Prabha. Prabha Koneswaran."
