The Power Of Existence

Ding – Dong, the onomatopoeic leaves her frightened.

Imayal notices the clock. Ethically it shows 11.45 P.M. The clock’s earnestness troubles her more.

It's a villa placed deep interior in the Western Ghats and has two floors.

Is that our father? – Imayal thinks.

She knows if it’s her father, he could have made a call before his arrival. She started scolding her father who went to attend an inquiry on an accident that happened earlier tonight.

Where is Tinu? – She murmured.

Why it does not even bark? - She asked an unanswered question to herself!

Tinu……Tinu……… the husky voice of Imayal don’t have the competence to cross the bedroom walls. This is the first time she got frightened of her utterance. But she decided to move on. Get down the bed she started moving towards the door.

As hesitation remains, she wanted to call “Appa" but settled on to call through her phone.

The night lamp assisted her to find her phone. At once, she looks for the recent call list. Her right thumb works faster than before; call connects.

I am on the way dear, within an hour or two, I’ll be there. Sorry.

Without a question, phrases flow from Karuppan, the superintendent of police.

Not satisfied with the question-less response, she screamed meticulously, “Appa where are you?”

Right now I am crossing the seventh bend. You…….. Imay…. Dear…..Ima….; resistivity of the network fails. It's a quotidian one; she knew and shows no interest in the second attempt.

Her quick-witted neurons start fighting to know, that someone, who rang the bell, as that’s not her father, for sure.

Ding-Dong, the bell screams her for the second time.

With dry throat and hammered heart, she is now calculating the consequences.

Want to open the door and confront? Or want to wait till the arrival of father.

Why should I be afraid? This is my home. Last week I attended an awareness program on women safety in my college. I got a belt of high degree in Taekwondo. I know how to defend with techniques and tactics. Finally, a diamond to the crown, I am a woman.

For some moments the power of positivity prevails.

What can I do if it’s a gang of robbers?

What should I do if it’s a Ghost? She started chanting some mantras.

Imayal’s protonic views weigh less when the bell blows for the third time. “Ayyoo”, I don’t know who is outside. Her feelings are ready to burst out into tears.

Finally, she decides to approach the monitor in her father’s office room. It’s a 24X7 surveillance setup made by her father. She knows she can easily identify anyone's presence in the main gate, main door, back door, garden, and the garage.

She prepared to come downstairs to reach the monitor. Dumb steps led her to reach the downstairs when she supposed to reach the surveillance system; she heard someone shriek her name Imayal….. Imayal…….

She confirmed the sound comes from the main door. But her confused state of mind, feel tough to catch the possessor of the voice.

Imayal…. Imayal…….

This time she got it. It’s her best friend Joana. She smiles thinking of her hyperbolic behavior. “Imayal idiot”, she started kidding herself.

Yes, it's Joana; my dear friend is back to me. She whispered.

I am coming; she is in progress to unlock the door to receive her friend Joana.

Key? Shit. It's in the bedroom. Talking to herself she targets upstairs.

Joana, stay calm - Imayal clamored!

Now the wooden steps and her feet are metaphorical to drums and drumstick.

Meanwhile, Imayal’s phone mumbled.

The speaker on the other end cried “Imayal, Imayal…

Yep, this is Imayal – she said.

“Imayal we have lost our best friend Joana” “The SUV she traveled in, rolled down the hillside". - the voice provided the fact.

Imayal identifies the speaker; yes it’s her classmate Keerthi. She is also a neighbor to Joana.

Imayal tried a lot to oppose Keerthi, but everything ended in vain and the call disconnected.

She started crying. She loved Joana a lot. They are the popular duo in their college cultural. A day before yesterday Imayal had an argument with Joana and Joana reiterated and lashed out at her.

Imayal wants to apologize Joana and she thought Joana is there waiting outside for the same.

But now, how it can happen? She raises a question to herself again.

Is that Joana waiting outside or…………. There was turmoil in her pale blue eyes.

Ding-Dong

The sound made her move like a caterpillar. Imayal came downstairs and still, she hears Imayal….Imayal…….

This time there was no response from Imayal, rather her heart delivered a lot.

She wanted to open the door and should have hugged her buddy. But the call she received turns everything upside down. She felt sorry for her behavior. Straightaway she entered into the office room and check for the updates.

She noticed the call from outside stopped for a while.

The flickered monitor is now ready to display. Imayal is tragically looking for something for god’s sake. There she is.

Joanaaaa!!!!!!!

Yes. It is blood coated Joana leaned against the door and reciting the name of Imayal.

Imayal didn’t know either she wants to be happy for alive Joana or wants to be afraid about the presence of a dead person. She misses Joana, but she had no fortitude to open the door.

Shall I? Shall I? Time utilized.

How can I?

I can.

Finally, Imayal’s query to herself gives an answer YES.

She came to a conclusion and muttered, whatever it may be, alive or dead, that’s my friend. I want to open the door. She constantly made her steps forward.

Ding – Dong, The bell screams again.

She stopped her steps and even the beat of her heart for a second.

Wuff, Bow-wow. Bow-wow…….

It’s Tinu. Yes it’s Tinu

Together with her father's voice, "Imayal, open the door".

She ran towards the door and opened it.

Without entering into home, Karuppan lifted Joana and turns back to his jeep where Imayal follows. Joana seems unconscious. All of them have moved to the hospital.

Driver move fast - Karuppan ordered.

With lots of bruises and blood flow, Joanna opened her eyes and looked at Imayal, letting her tears form a short stream.

“Sorry”– said Joana.

“I wanted to see you when I started my car. But I met with an accident. I know later I would have died. But before leaving the planet, I decided to meet you and apologize. I don’t want to leave you, with some kind of pain. Love you”. She added.

Imayal replied with tears, but more effective than words.

Karuppan shouted in his Walkie-talkie-

The girl is ALIVE…….

Only Imayal knows her friendship is still alive.