Chapter 4: A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED
Lisa called Ram but he didn't attend the call.She tried again but Ram still didn't attend the call. So this time Lisa called Ram's friends who were also her friends.Her friend Sadid attended the call.
Lisa informed him that Ram didn't came back home yet. So Seetha called her to ask about Ram but when Lisa called Ram,he didn't respond.
Sadid was shocked by this as he had never done like this before and asked"why didn't he come home yet?". Then he realized something and asked Lisa intruigued "Who is Seetha?Why she is asking about Ram?".
Lisa explained that Seetha is her childhood friend who is staying with Ram in her house. Sadid understood and said "Ok. Wait a minute,I will call Ram."Sadid put Lisa on hold and called Ram but he also didn't get any response from other side.He tried once again but still didn't get any answer from Ram.
Seeing Sadid's worried face ,his friends came near him and asked with concern"What is the problem?".Sadid explained the situation.
One of his friends named Balu who is the arrogant CEO that we usually see in the stories carelessly said "He will be spending time with her girlfriend." Another friend named Nakul said without thinking "Ram is not like me. He always attends call whenever we call. No matter who he is with." Yeah,Nakul is another friend who used to be funny and the youngest one among them. Most
importantly, he is a playboy.
Tharma is a guy who is so silent and speaks rarely like blossoming of kurinji flower.(Kurinji flower is a flower which blossoms once for every twelve years.)As usual ,he didn't speak anything but he was thinking about Ram as he is the most intelligent person among them.
Sadid is always resolves the frequent fight between Balu and Nakul. As he noticed there was a fight about to be begin,he stopped them by saying "It's not time to fight. It's time to find Ram."
Sadid again called Ram's number and again Ram didn't attend.suddenly they heard a Ringtone with a voice of a girl saying "I Love You".Balu said with anger lacing in his voice "Nakul,Why are you not attending your girlfriend's call?".
Nakul who was sitting on a couch said with a laugh"Haha! I changed my girlfriend day before yesterday. She calls me baby. If it is mine then the ringtone will be "Baby, I love you."
Balu who was watching Nakul's action and his words got very angry and when he was about to say something, Tharma opened the front door of their home.
when everyone's head turned to the door,they saw a handsome guy with an alcohol bottle in his hand who was lying down in front of the door.It was no one but Ram who was fully in drunken state. Ram said "Hi"by waving his hand with a sad smile in his lips. Tharma raised him. Sadid went to help him in raising Ram.
Nakul quickly stood up from the couch and was gasping in shock while Balu was also shocked but suddenly thought something and didn't speak anything.
They made Ram sit on the couch. Ram's left arm was around Tharma while right hand was around Sadid. when they made him sit,Ram couldn't balance himself and fell sideways on the couch.Immediately Tharma lifted him and placed Ram's head on Tharma's shoulder who is now sitting beside Ram.
When Sadid was about to ask something. Ram spoke with a pained smile by expanding his arms for a hug "Leela...kome here...kome here to me...".They all became silent as they couldn't understand the slurred speech of Ram
Ram told with the same manner "Leela... Why are yoo going awuy...Come here...hay".Tharma found the situation worse and told them with a worried look in his eyes "I think Ram and Leela fought with each other."
Balu got mad and said "I know,this is what going to happen."Ram looked up at Balu who was standing opposite to him. Balu just looked at him with a curiosity to know what Ram was about to say.
Ram closed his one eye and said "palu".The four pair of eyes looked at Ram. Ram smiled at Balu and continued "Yoo are right. I am the one who didn't believe yoo Leela...She told she got someone woo mat her expectations."
Balu's anger was now reduced and replaced by worry for his friend. Sadid still couldn't believe and said that Leela was not a person who would just leave Ram for some silly reason as they have known Leela for years.
Ram suddenly took a flower vase from the table and throwed it against the wall with anger and said "She needs money not me."Then his eyes were shedding tears unconsciously.
Ram's friends now understood why they broke up. Nakul noticed a glass piece of the flower vase made a scratch on Ram's hand and the blood was bleeding from his hand. Nakul ran to get the first-aid box.
While others looked at Ram with a worried look on their faces.Nakul rinsed the cut with water and placed a bandage on it. Ram's blood soaked through the bandage, so he placed another bandage on top of the first to stop the bleeding. slowly,the bleeding stopped.
When the first aid was done. Sadid realized that he didn't inform Lisa yet as his full attention was on Ram. He took the phone and noticed that the the call has not ended yet. Lisa spoke on the other side "I heard everything."He then replied." "Ok, Tonight he will stay with us and don't worry."Lisa replied with concern "Yes. Please take good care of him and apply the first aid antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin, Neosporin, Polysporin).It will help prevent infection and help in healing the wound."
Lisa was worried about Ram and told lot of precaution measures to stop the wound getting worse.She said that she will meet him next day and hung up the call and called Seetha to inform that he won't come.
Sadid filled the plate with food and was feeding Ram as he thought 'Ram was not in a good mood. So he might not eat dinner.'
Balu was cleaning the glass pieces that are shattered in the ground.While Nakul was arranging the bed for Ram to sleep.
After they completed their work, they made Ram sleep on the bed. Sadid conveyed that he told Lisa that Ram won't come. They always stayed together as they all are Orphans and the only family they have is them.
Balu slept in the left corner after Tharma and Sadid.While Nakul slept in the Right corner of the bed after Ram. Balu didn't sleep well as he was worried about Ram. While Tharma also didn't sleep for some time as he thought ' Leela is a nice person but when Balu said Leela is a money minded person, he didn't think deeper eventhough he saw that she was a money minded person as he thought Leela loves Ram.' Tharma felt guilty for not taking that seriously and slept after some time.
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Ram woke up with a heavy head and saw Nakul who was sleeping on his right side with his left hand and right leg on him. Then he slowly remembered everything that happened last night. He didn't wake Nakul and went to the hall. He saw Balu drinking Coffee, Sadid speaking to his colleague. When Balu saw Ram,he said without looking at him instead at the newspaper "Don't go to office today. Take a day off."
Tharma came out of the kitchen with two coffee cups in his each hand. He gave one to Ram and sat near Balu on the couch. Ram asked "Why?".Sadid completed his call and came near Ram and said "Let's go to amusement park today."Ram didn't get suprised or shocked because he knew whenever he was having a hard time,his friends would make him happy by going to amusement park or Beach etc...
Ram simply avoided by saying "But,Nakul don't like amusement park as he is afraid."Balu replied immediately with a smirk "Then we can leave him."Everyone looked at Balu like he has said something that he should not say. Balu coughed lightly and said "I mean he may have datings with his girlfriends.So let's leave him."
Sadid said "I already asked him yesterday night. He told me he went to the amusement park with his ex girlfriend last month and it was not that scary. He also said that he doesn't have any datings with his girlfriends today as he had cancelled it for Ram."
Ram said with no emotion "Lisa won't come as she has work and we can't go without her."Balu said with irritation "I asked her and she can't come but we went to lot of places without her and she never felt sad instead she was happy for us. Don't say silly reasons."
Ram looked at Balu without any emotions in his face and said "I am not feeling well.I can't come."Balu got more angry and shouted "Yes,We all know you are not feeling well because of Leela." He paused for a minute and continued "Did you ever listen to me when I said Leela was a money minded person?Do you still care about us? Do you still remember the time when we went to the Amusement park last time?"
Nakul who was sleeping woke up because of the shouting of Balu.when he came to hall,there was a pin drop silence and Balu was already in bad mood. Ram thought for a moment 'After college, I spent most of the time with Leela. So they might have missed me and they also took leave for me. So I must go eventhough I don't have any interest.' and agreed by nodding his head.
Balu asked with hope in his eyes "Are you coming with us?".Ram nodded again.Nakul now understood that Balu was asking Ram to come to the amusement park.Nakul hugged Ram and Sadid patted his shoulder cheeringly. Balu didn't speak anything and went to the kitchen.
Tharma instructed Ram"Go ,fresh up and after that let's eat breakfast." Ram gave the coffee cup to Tharma and went to fresh up. Nakul who was watching Ram leaving smiled and became excited for their trip to Amusement park.
Nakul went to the kitchen to take his coffee and saw Balu who was drinking water. He went near him and said "For the first time in your life , You did a great job." Balu then replied with a smirk"But look at you . You still didn't do anything good."Nakul ignored him and went.
Ram got ready and came out to eat breakfast. He was a complete different person today as he was never quite like Tharma. All the boys looked at each other except Ram. Everyone asked each other to start the conversation with Ram with their eyes. Finally Sadid started by asking " Lisa told me that there is a new girl named Seetha who is staying with you."
Ram just nodded his head. When Sadid was about to speak again Nakul interrupted "Does she look pretty?" Balu looked at him disgusted. Nakul said by raising his eyebrows "Don't look at me like that. You all know I am a world known playboy".
Balu smirked and replied "And you are feeling proud for that."Nakul replied quickly by saying "Yeah I am proud of having girlfriends instead of eating anything I see like you."
Tharma spoke at last and asked "Do you all know where this conversation started and where this was going?".
Balu's and Nakul's eyes met each other with full of madness. Sadid understood the situation and as usual he solved by saying "Ok guys, It's getting late. We need to leave now."
Everyone went out and when Sadid was about to close the door of the house, he saw Balu coming with a bag. Tharma asked "Don't Tell me,you are taking your office documents to sign at the amusement park?"
Nakul laughed and said "of course not!! He took snacks to eat there not the documents to sign."Balu looked angrily at him but this time Sadid laughed along with Nakul and Tharma instead of resolving the upcoming fight.
Ram didn't laugh but watched everyone's laughter as he was deep in his thoughts about a person. Balu came out of the house angrily and was about to get inside the car but stopped by Tharma. " We should go there by bus."
Balu was confused about why they want to go there by bus but then understood as Ram always wished to travel in bus together in the last seat of the bus. They went to the bus stop by walking as the bus stop was near to their house. They waited for the bus to arrive. When they are waiting for the bus Nakul was making fun of Balu's action and they again started getting into funny fight which made others laugh.