Twilight Zone

" Darling I am boarding the morning flight from KL and would land at Sahar sometime in the night and tomorrow evening will catch up with you in Delhi in the twilight zone," Rahul hung up as he spoke with his beau Priya. " Hello Hello Rahul... do not forget to buy the latest mobile," were the last words Priya spoke to Rahul. 

Next evening in the twilight zone she got down from her car, unmindful of honking of others in various cars as she was taking pictures of a plane in the falling sun. It was a brilliant sight to watch. She had a gargantuan collection of the sun in the twilight zone. Suddenly she shrieked and others were stupefied as there were two balls of fire.

 One, that of the sun and the other of an aircraft which unexpectedly caught fire and was diving at a ferocious speed towards the earth." Oh God, I hope this is not Rahul's plane," she caterwauled. The traffic came to a standstill as everyone on the flyover stopped their vehicles and watched the extraordinary but apathetic and disturbing spectacle. It was bumper to bumper. A squalling Priya snaked her way to the Indira Gandhi International Airport to find the place choc a bloc with security forces., ambulances, media personnel and the fire brigades. There was a virtual belam at the airport. 

And her worst fears came true. It was indeed Rahul's flight from Mumbai which crashed due to a technical glitch and there were no survivors. Some suspected this to be an act of terror. Priya swooned and collapsed. She was wheeled into an estimable hospital and was in the ICCU as a shattered Priya suffered a heart attack.

Priya was fetish about taking pictures from her extortionate mobile. Among her favourites was clicking the crimson sun sinking into the bosom of mother earth. Years back as a youngster she captured this graphic scene from her father's camera in Rourkela. Mr Sehgal her father was then working as a chemical engineer in the Rourkela Steel plant. When the Sehgal family was relocated to Kolkata she ambushed the sinking sun in the Hooghly river with a more developed camera. 

Rriya followed the quotidian practice at IIM Bangalore where she was pursuing PGDM and specializing in Finance and Marketing. The country had developed and mobile phones had made their ways in Indian households. Meanwhile, this winsome girl was bewitched by the polymath Rahul Srinivasan, who was a senior to her. North met south. Priya fell in love with Rahul, but the sun remained the same as it set in Ulsoor lake of Bangalore. This image found a spesh place in the alcoves of her mind and her mobile. " Common take my picture, not of a setting sun and the twilight zone," Twighlight Zone was also the favorite joint of Rahul, Priya, and their buddies where they chilled out on weekends and jived to some groovy music.

Soon it was a champagne time during the big fat Panjabi wedding where booze flowed and Tandoori Chicken and Seekh Kebab's replaced Idli, Vada, Dosa and Sambar much to the chagrin of the conservative Iyer family." But Appa this is customary among Panjabi's," Rahul attempted to assuage his father Venkatesan Srinivasan Iyer.

Priya was however welcomed with the traditional Tamil Brahmanical customs in the Iyer household and Rahul and Priya led a blissful married life at Chennai. They were working for Microsoft and led a hectic but a luxuriant life. Priya endeared herself to the Venkatesan family and soon Idli, Vada, Dosa, Uttapam, Sambar, and Chutney replaced Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Seekh Kebabs. Her palate and platter became " Ghas Phus," as she jocularly reminded her husband. While Priya was attired in azure blue tops and denim jeans and western wear to the office, she accompanied her mother-in-law Savitri to Kapaleeswara Temple in Kanjeewaram Saree every Monday morning for the Rudra Puja in the honor of the presiding deity Lord Shiva.

Rahul realised the sacrifices Priya made for him and their bonding strengthened. Thus began their rendezvous to Mahabalipuram, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Bangalore and Coorg in an extended honeymoon. Both Rahul and Priya gorged on Mughalai food which was savored by both Priya and Rahul as they washed it down with jugs of wine and beer. But they strove hard to cut the extra flabby hitting the gym regularly and footslogged on the treadmill, elliptic and pumped in iron.

The couple were hardworking and soon were promoted to the Delhi office. Soon the clangour and clamour for a child began from the Sehgal and Iyer families. The couple kept on postponing the addition to the family. But an unabated cacophony continued and finally, Priya was impregnated as the couple caved into parental diktats. There were many vaunted celebrations in the Iyer and Sehgal extended families as the couple was blessed with twins a boy and a girl.

While Priya was on maternity leave, Rahul continued working hard and climbed the corporate ladder and was soon to establish his own software company called RP Solutions which had a logo of a sunset. " The sun may set, but we will provide all solutions," was the mission statement of RS Solutions. 

Meanwhile, Priya was in the ICCU and was being resuscitated by a battery of doctors and paramedics. In the chambers of her febrile mind, her life history played out as she was attempting to regain consciousness. It was evening time in Delhi and nature was entering the twilight zone as the Sehgal's and Iyer's were keeping a vigil. The mothers were chanting Hanuman Chalisa and Sundara Kand as the fathers were pacing the floor frenetically.

Priya regained consciousness and in a feeble voice and with moist eyes uttered the name of Rahul. The doctors were relieved and informed the two families, that Priya had regained consciousness. The doctor's pronounced that only one person was permitted to enter the ICCU.

Slowly tiptoed a man who was disheveled. Priya could not believe her eyes as she saw Rahul and looked at the clock. It was around 6.30 pm, dusk time, and in the twilight zone. " Darling fortuitously I missed the flight and spent the night at the airport and caught an early morning flight," gushed Rahul and broke down. Both Rahul and Priya were locked in an embrace and wept inconsolably.

" Rahul, from today I will not take pictures of the sinking sun," remarked Priya in an effete voice. " No more twilight zones for me," Priya added. 

" Yes let it be the rising the sun ..... Udayan, "gushed Rahul. " And the logo of our company would be a rising sun with the mission statement, Solutions are discovered as the sun rises in the horizon."