POLITICALLY INCORRECT

Shot 3

written by saisthoughts

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When Sivaangi was little, she dreamed of a life with love. She didn't know what love was, she didn't know how it worked. But she wanted it. She saw it in the way her servant maid looked at her children, the way the bashful girl next door looked at their newspaper boy. She could see the enamor on their faces, the bliss. The happiness.

Love for her came in the form of Ashwin Kumar. Like a freefall from the highest edge, she felt like she was constantly falling and all she could see was his blazing brown eyes. And then like a whirlwind, she was swept up by him and a yellow thread hung from her neck now. And like stars that blend in together with the dark sky, they started to fall together.

The gunshot rang loudly in the air, ringing in her ears. Ashwin looked at her and for the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. His eyes were shaky, and he wobbled as he stood up. Just as he took a step forward, Sivaangi caught his wrist. He turned back to look at her and she had a soft smile on her face.

"It will be okay," she said lowly.

Ashwin inhaled, like her words were oxygen. He walked over to the window, peeking through it. Pitch black and silent. He pulled on his clothes and walked over to Sivaangi,

"Namma ingenthu poganum, eppadiyavathu. Forest ah  thaandina Andhra border. Anga namaku protection kedaikum."

Sivaangi stood up and said, "Gunshot satham ketchu aana yaarum illaye."

Ashwin handed her clothes, "Therila. But we can't go out front."

Sivaangi looked at him, "Appo eppadi?"

Ashwin clasped her hand with his and walked out of the room, and up the staircase to reach the terrace. The entire place was shrouded in darkness, even the moon seemed to be gone.

They ran over to the side of the terrace and he peeked down. "Emergency ladder, keezha poi, antha forest vazhi ah pona highway. Angenthu eppadi nu pakal-"

A knife was unsheathed.

Ashwin looked around sharply. The night was so quiet that he could hear the noise of a knife being taken out. His breathing quickened and he whispered,

"Po, we don't have time."

Sivaangi swallowed thickly and lowered herself onto the ladder. She landed with a thud and said, "Seekiram vaanga!"

Ashwin looked around the terrace one more time before jumping down the ladder himself. He took a hold of Sivaangi's hands once again, before rushing into the forest. The air turned cooler and sharper. Sivaangi tugged on his arm as she panted heavily. "Irunga, two minutes."

Ashwin was beat himself, and crouched down slightly. That was when he heard the gunshot. His head shot up to look at Sivaangi who had a frown on her face.

"Avanga antha veetu pakathula thane irunthanga. Yen ivalo loud ah kekuthu."

Something was very bad. Ashwin felt the dread crawl up his skin. He looked around frantically.

Small orange flickers danced in his vision. The cool air grew warmer. The green leaves looked like it was crumbling to black, withering at his sight. At first he thought it was his tired mind playing tricks. But he blinked twice and when he walked forward, he saw it.

The forest was on fire.

"Oh shit," he muttered. The vines and branches next to him were covered in flames. He looked back at Sivaangi, who looked equally mortified.

Once again, they sprinted. But he felt his face get hotter, the flames drawing closer. Ready to burn them down to ashes, and mix together with the night sky. Sivaangi pulled his arm back, making him stop. She pulled him towards the edge of the forest, away from the fire.

"Ipadi oditte irukom. Fire vera perusa aaguthu. Who knew we were here? Ennaku ethum puriyala. Are we going in the right way?"

Ashwin let go of her hand briefly and inhaled deeply, trying to catch his breath. "I don't know, usual ah ennaku theriyum. But intha smoke and fire la ennaku ethume therila."

Sivaangi sighed and said, "Seri vaanga ipadiye povom, I think ennak-"

Her sentence was cut off by a loud scream, Ashwin frantically looked in her direction and found a large man holding her against him tightly with a knife to her throat. Ashwin felt panic surge through him like no other and he lunged forward but the man pressed the blade to her throat tighter.

"Enna CM sir? Katula first night ah?"

Ashwin whipped his head around to find Aditya standing there, hands in his pocket with a smug smile on his face. He walked closer and tilted his head,

"So very sad la? CM ah elect aagi one day kooda aagala. Athukulla, under the ground, 6 feet deep."

Ashwin gritted his teeth as he continued, "Nalaiku kalaila ezhunthathum, kai la oru cup of coffee aparam newspaper la headline, "Puthithaga therinthaedukapata CM Ashwin Kumar kolai."

He laughed dryly and turned his attention to Sivaangi, "Unnakaga than ellarum ipadi sanda podranga."

The fearful glint in her eyes made him smile evn more. He leaned forward and traced his finger on her jaw, "Such a useless bitch."

"Dei!" Ashwin lunged, pulling him back. "Hey, hey." Aditya said.

"En mele kai vecha, un pondati, para logathuku poiduva."

Ashwin seethed with anger as he roughly let go of his collar. "Aditya, she's my wife. Inimel oru use illa. Ozhunga ingenthu poidu."

Aditya narrowed his eyes, "Athu epadi. Enna kalyanam panipen nu solluvanga. Aparam sir engentho vanthu naalu dialogue ah pesi ennaku nichyama aana pona kadaisi nimishathula thukki kalyanam panni, enna ipadi aumana paduthivanga, naa paathutu veral sapanuma?"

Aditya huffed angrily and inched closer, "Unga rendu perayum konnu pottu than da proven."

Ashwin scoffed, "Venna Aditya. Nee yaarunu theriyama en kooda velayadra. Unnaku nalathu illa."

Aditya glared, "Enna? Yaaru da nee? Nee ippo en kai la, un uyir en kai la." He glanced over at Sivaangi, "Unnala oru mayirum pudunga mudiyathu."

Ashwin looked furtively. A glint of mischief glimmered in his eyes. He rolled up his sleeves, "Appadiya? Seri, ippo unnoda accounts lam open panni paru."

Aditya stumbled slightly, "Enna accounts? Enna solra?"

"Un bank accounts da vendru. Open panni paaru."

Aditya fished out his phone and scrolled through his banking app. He scrolled past his statements and there it was,

"The selected bank account is frozen. Please select another account."

Aditya looked at him terrified as he checked his different accounts. All showed the same message; his accounts were frozen, he was as good as penniless.

"Dei, dei!" Aditya shouted, grabbing Ashwin's collar. "Enna da panna? Enna da Pani vechurka?"

Ashwin pushed him off roughly, "Offshore account la un black money lam vecha? Kandupudika mudiyatha?"

Ashwin looked into his terrified eyes, "Oru phone call than, aparam unnala nailaiku coffee um kudika mudiyathu, paper um padika mudiyala."

Aditya breathed heavily and glanced at Sivaangi before hesitantly telling the man holding her, "A-Avala vidra."

Sivaangi was let go roughly and she ran to Ashwin's side. He narrowed his eyes at Aditya,"Marandhudatha, oru phone call than."

Aditya kicked the ground angrily as he watched them walk away. Ashwin pulled Sivaangi towards him and asked, "Unnaku ethum illa la? You're fine right?"

Sivaangi nodded as he cupped her face, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry. Ennala than ippadi."

Sivaangi shook her head, cutting him off, "Unga thappu illa."

They rested against a tree as Ashwin looked at her, "Un vishyathula eppome thappu pandra mathiri iruku."

Sivaangi laid her head on his chest, and the tiredness of her body took over. "Every mistake, every blunder of our lives, till this day has led me to you, here in this moment. Athunala, ethume thappu illa. Eppome thappu illa."

Ashwin held her tightly, and they could catch a moment together. He looked ahead and saw cars flashing by, "I think the highway is near. Konjom thooram than."

Sivaangi nodded and Ashwin felt her breathing relax.

And then a gun was fired. Ashwin jerked forward to look at the source. As he did, he felt something warm ooze on his hand and he looked down to see Sivaangi in his arms, with blood seeping out her side. He felt the entire world come to a stop, he couldn't feel himself breathe anymore. He couldn't smell the burnt air of the forest, all he could think was of her brown eyes, crooning in pain.

"Sivaangi! Sivaangi," he exclaimed as he lowered down. She groaned slightly,

"I'm okay, it's fine. Just side la than. Onum illa."

Ashwin frantically looked around for her duppata and tore it apart, tying it around her wound. Ashwin could hear yelling behind him and he looked around and saw multiple people with knives and guns. Amidst the chaos, he saw a familiar figure. His face floated in the crowd before it came to a clarity.

Saravanan.

A blind rage seared through Ashwin's veins, the hot white anger he felt blurred his vision or maybe he was crying, he didn't know. All he wanted to do was murder these people.

He watched as Saravanan cackled, "Aha! Sethutala?" He gritted his teeth, "En kai ahla kolanumnu nenchen."

Ashwin shouted, "Dei! Sontha thangachi ah kolanaum nu nenaikara?"

He lunged forward and punched him. Saravanan fell to the ground with a groan. He scoffed as he got up, "Enniku un kooda odinalo, appove ava en thangachi illa."

Saravana scoffed at him, "Yaaru da nee? Onnum illatha anaatha. En veetukulla vanthu, en appa kitta urima edhutha. Adutha CM ippo. Mariyatha, gouravam, pathavi, pannam. Ellam unthu than ippo."

Saravana inched closer, "Aana. Athellam ennaku kedaika vendiyathu. Ennodathu mariyatha, gouravam pathav,  pannam. Ennodathu!" he screamed.

Ashwin couldn't think straight. In the back he could hear Sivaangi's painful whimpers. "Saravana. Ethuva irunthalum pesikalam. Avala na hospital kootiponum."

Saravana chuckled, "Ennaku enna. Ava setha, sagtum. Aana, nee uyiroda irukara varaikum, ennaku ethum kedaikathu."

Ashwin felt his blood boil with anger. He punched the nearest guy, disarming him of his gun and holding it to Saravana's forehead. They stared at each other, blood red eyes glaring at one another.

A shot rang in the air and Sivaangi groaned in pain again. Ashwin widened his eyes and hit the butt of the gun against Saravana's forehead, "Dei!"

Another shot rang. Saravanan smiled, "Ava sethathan nee saave na. Apdaiye irukatum."

Ashwin clutched the gun tightly, his knuckles turning white, before lowering his gun and shooting Saravanan in his leg, making him fall over in pain. Chaos ensued, as his goons went to check on him.

Another painful cry came from Sivaangi and Ashwin rushed to her side.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Ashwin exclaimed, tears blurring his vision as he saw the multiple wounds in her. Sivaangi groaned slightly. He hooked an arm under her knees, "It's not late. Hospital, ambulance. En phone, en phone enga? Shit. Enga? Seri iru, Inga yaaravathu lift kodupanga. Help! Hel-"

He was cut off by Sivaangi covering his mouth. He looked down at her, her face contorted with pain. She ran a shaky hand on his face, "It's okay."

Ashwin shook his head as he laid her head in his lap, "Don't be ridiculous. Come on, vaa."

"Ashwin, shh."

Sivaangi held his hand weakly and looked up at the sky, heaving a huge breath. Ashwin sobbed. He shook away his tears, wanting to see her. If it was the last time he could.

She smiled at him, "Thank you. For always being with me."

Ashwin panted. This was ridiculous. There was time, she could still be saved. She can, she needs to, she should-

"Paathingala. Inaiku vanthula, nila illa."

Ashwin didn't know why, but he sobbed even more. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. She smiled again, and whispered,

"No mistakes, no blunders."

A bullet plunged through Ashwin's heart, as she drew in her last along with him. Slowly the sun seemed to rise up from behind the pitch dark sky, with moonless night.

On that night, Ashwin and Sivaangi stopped falling.

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*****THE END******

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written by saisthoughts

A part of the Zokuhen Collaboration