Aaromale, my beloved // Chapter 2 - Flashes

The flashes from the cameras almost blinded me, the  photographers didn't seem like they were going to stop anytime soon. I was forced to put on my shades to reduce the impact on my eyes. Gurumann was briefing me on how to politely proceed with the meeting . He  knew that I was like a volcano ready to erupt anytime. I was so distracted  by Avishka's presence, that I wasn't able to pay any attention to Gurumann. I couldn't stop myself from glaring at Avishka. He seemed relaxed and displayed  his Asian championship belt on his left shoulder, which actually  should have been mine. "Fucking cockroach!" I muttered. "Did you even hear a single word I said?!" Gurumann asked in an exasperated  tone of voice.

  "I am… I am" I said. Avishka squinted at me while the promoters were presenting the reporters with the match details. He was 32 years old, had a dusky complexion, was muscular and had a Mohawk with a beard. His looks were intriguing, but this is not a Street fight and neither am I an amateur to be intimidated by these theatrical gimmicks! Appearances matter the least inside the ring. I knew that this clown was not comfortable in his own skin. I knew it because the bastard would not look me in the eye for more than a few seconds at a time, I could sniff his insecurities from yards away. During our last fight, while the referee listed the rules of the match, we were glaring  at each other like two dogs inside a pit, who are going to maul each other, it was at that moment that I noticed him turn away for a second. That one gesture spoke volumes, I knew that I would beat him. Eyes. they tell you a lot of things about a person.

"We'll start with Avishka," a reporter in the front said, "Avishka, how does it feel to hold Asia's greatest title? Did you believe that you would own it today if not for the accident?" I snickered. "It has been my dream to eventually hold this title one day, and obviously I am so glad that my dream has finally been realized. As for your other question. Yes, you idiots seem to  think that it was because of freak luck that I won this match but I'll prove it to each and everyone that it wasn't. You guys seem to have forgotten that  I  became the number one contender and have the most number of KO's in the last two seasons, more than your hero here". "But Dhruvah was in a hiatus then", the reporter didn't seem to give up. "There are no ifs and buts , don't give me your analysis, I've defeated him and the referee raised my hands up. If that's not enough then wait till December."

" Dhruvah, Dhruvah ..."  A bunch of reporters yelled at me  "one at a time please" Gurumann requested. A woman reporter shot her question at me "Dhruvah everyone knew how the fight progressed and who would have won, if it were not for the accident, how do you look at it?" "Well! That one fight gave me insomnia, but if you look at the bigger picture we Tamilians are used to being low-blowed. We have witnessed backstabbing on several occasions, just take a look at our history! Nothing is new and sadly nothing has changed. But now my heart is fixated with the upcoming match. I want to make  a statement this time, not just win the match" "Dhruvah, do you think that you can regain your title, fighting a mighty opponent like Avishka?" A reporter hurriedly raised a question. " Yes! there you are, I was expecting for at least one moron to show up from the league. I tell you! I don't give a damn how many pounds he weighs, you all saw me roasting him last time. He's got no technique and his footwork sucks. He can probably visit  Chennai to learn proper boxing. Our kids will be more than happy to teach him, but he'll have to give them guruthakshana and  fall at their feet!" saying that, I grinned. Gurumann shook his head in disapproval. Boiling with anger Avishka stood up from his chair and roared at me.

"The sport doesn't need trash like you,  I'll make  arrangements for a proper send off  after it's all over" I shouted. Pandemonium erupted. Gurumann was trying to pull me away from approaching Avishka, "in the ring, in the ring, not here!!!" he shouted. The bouncers came in between us. Unable to control the fury, I threw my shoe at him, it hit him right on the cheek !! He got into a frenzy, and screamed like a mad man, punched a couple of bouncers and tried to approach me but somehow they managed to make him leave after some more commotion. "I ll make sure this will be your last fight" Avishka screamed at the top of his lungs as he stepped down. "Poda baadu" I retorted, showing him my middle finger. Gurumann looked at me with a straight face "Dhruvah , Dhruvah, why won't you ever listen to me? Sometimes you behave like a teenager" he said. I didn't bother answering him, I was content that he was humiliated in front of everyone. The beast inside me was chuckling. "You better leave I have to speak with the promoters" he said.

When I left the building it was raining quite heavily. There were puddles of water scattered here and there. The rain water and moisture had condensed on the window of my car. I kept driving, quiet satisfied with the proceedings at the conference. There weren't many vehicles on the road as it was past 10 P.M. and also because it was raining. My sound system was playing "Kanmani, anbodu" an evergreen Ilayaraja hit! Suddenly, from nowhere a bike drove alongside me, it was a sports model bike, two guys were on it and I could see in my rear view mirror that another bike was fast approaching, some punks were holding a bike race in the rain.

The first bike overtook me and the other guy was trying hard to catch up. I had a feeling that either one of those punks were going to die tonight. Then out of nowhere a puppy appeared right in the middle of the road, it was probably trying to cross the road and the two bikes had scared it frozen. Whimpering, it stood in the middle of the road perplexed! I pulled the brakes as I myself drove at a high speed. My car wobbled, skirted, and then totally went out of control and ran over the median. Finally, it lay topsy - turvy. The airbag protected my head but something had hit my ribs, I felt a hot sharp pain searing through my left leg and there were scratches all across my body. My favorite car was ruined. Well, at least the puppy was safe, I thought to myself. So, I lay there in the middle of nowhere, inside a car that was lying upside down with the music system playing "Ninaivo oru paravai" by Illayaraja. My vision slowly dimmed, things were turning black... I wondered 'Am I dying?' Its the last thing I remember thinking....


- To be continued