He's walking towards the pantry on the floor below, the usual hasi mazaak happening, and it's quite a cheerful day today, everybody laughing around, being loud...and now he's carrying Sowmya and scaring her saying "I'm gonna drop you now!" ('why the hell am I carrying HER?!') and that's when somebody shouts out from ahead of me, "She's BACK!!"
He looks up, turns around and sees her there. He thinks this is a dream. He can't believe it. He wonders why she's wearing that kind of make up. He wants to believe it. He can't. He checks out her weird sunglasses, resting on top of her head. He tries to say something, but mumbles.
He eventually puts Sowmya down (gently) and says "You're back!!" and gives her a hug ('why the hell is she so disinterested and aloof?') and then she smiles, not uncharacteristically, and says "I'm back" in a rather disinterested and aloof manner...
And then...
They're both walking together, him imploring her to tell her what the hell happened, where the hell Rama is, and what she was doing there!! ('how the hell did I get to Dispensary street?!') She proceeds to tell him some vague story about how one of Rama's projects required him to be all alone, keep his wife out of his life, and when it came down to choosing between work and wife, he chose to ignore the latter, and how that was the nail in the coffin..He's unable to hide his joy at seeing her, but does offer the customary laments and apologizes for the way things turn out...And he tries to test his luck, and calls for a celebratory lunch, to mark her return! And that's where he rubbed fate the wrong way, for she makes up some reason, some commitment and leaves him hanging :)
Not very later...
He must not be there, must not be seen, she tells him...begs him to leave NOW, quickly, get out of sight...('wasn't it like 2 seconds ago that she left my side, and now she's already with Rama in the car?!')..."I must run", he thinks and is running ('great! just what I needed to complete this macabre scene...Rain!') down the road ('Sheshadripuram?!') and he catches a glimpse, miraculously, of Vishnu's photo on a phone which says "Incoming call Vishnu".
He's wondering how that got there. He's wondering whose phone is that. He thinks he should pick it up off the dirty, leaf strewn, muddy street and answer it. He's wondering why he isn't doing that. He's also thinking how the hell did he spot it??
And now he's running for he has to avoid them, as she asked him to ('why??') Soaked. To the feet. Camouflage and well done!
And now he's running for he's late for a meeting at the office! ('at 8 pm??') His right calf refuses to move, every step feels like he's sinking deeper in the mire...The pain is unbearable, the helplessness agonizing!
An old man, who's also running, gets hit by a car.
