When Senthilnathan contacted Harini on the phone and told her he wanted to talk about Karthi in person, the words immediately came in a slightly harsher tone.
"Why don't you talk to his parents, Why do you want to talk to me about him?"
Senthilnathan said quietly.
"I talked to his family members at his home. Have talked with his friend Nirmal Akash also. Wanted to talk with you also. ”
Only then did she seem to realize that something strange had happened. She sighed in horror and tension as she asked slowly with tremble in her voice.
"What happened to him?"
He said succinctly. She told him her address so that he could come right away. Her voice was very low.
Senthilnathan was able to see the big difference between the face of Harini on Karthi’s computer and the face now visible in person. Harini, who used to be happy and vibrant on Karthi’s computer, now looked anxious. She overheard him briefly about Karthi's disappearance. The painful feelings on her face at the time told him beyond a shadow of a doubt that she loves Karthi.
Senthilnathan had been collecting information about her even before he got there. She lost her father at an early age and her mother works as an officer in an insurance company. She completed her schooling in Madurai and came to Chennai during her college days, leading not only in education but also in social service and feminism.
Senthilnathan asked her the initial questions about Karthi he had asked about Nirmal Akash. Her answers were in line with his answers. He will not share about the research with anyone before the research is completed, he will not tell even if asked, he has no enemies and does not know about the latest research.
She did not show the reaction that Nirmal Akash showed when he asked if the last research was about the magical disappearance, which was the last thing he searched for a lot. Instead she looked up with a moment of pride on her face.
“Maybe sir. If a question arises in his mind, he will not rest until he gets the answer. It's something I have never seen in anyone before. ”
Senthilnathan asked as he paused for a moment and then suddenly stared at her.
"In the beginning you were going to his home often. But I heard for the past few months you have stopped going. What is the reason?"
For a moment she become silent and quickly controlled her emotions. Then she told the half truth using the right words without telling the truth completely and at the same time not lying.
"He is always busy. Either he reads or does research. Sometimes he even forgets our presence in the house. Then I felt why I should bother him. So I stopped going to his home.”
Even she said it like it was a normal thing, she will never forget what happened on the last day she went home.
He had never told her his love to her. She never told him either. They have reached a position where words were not necessary to express love. The moments with him were the most lively moments. They have been talking for hours on the phone and in person for days. As well as the two have read along with each book in hand without saying a word. She is proud to say that they have reached a point where even speech is not necessary.
It is very rare for him to come to her house. But she would often go to his house. Her mother said, "You are giving him undue importance. He never gives it back” She never thought of it as an end in itself. She never thought that cracks would come between them because she had that level of acceptance. But such a day came.
He smiled as soon as he saw her that day and turned his attention to the research, noting something. Ten minutes to fifteen, half an hour to an hour. At half past one she woke up feeling ashamed. The mind was starting to boil.
She thought he would definitely talk on the phone when he regained his senses. He never spoke. It multiplied her rage many times over. She expected him to meet at the college two days later to apologize for such behavior. He still had nothing to say or hear about it. Spoke as usual in general. She answered him with a tight face to the questions he asked. That, too, did not seem to shake him.
If it had been someone else she would have said ‘get lost’. Her mind would not allow her to leave like that. He has given us so many moments to think of as a treasure. The two are steeped in intimate moments of love that transcend the boundaries of friendship.
He is very good. One who does not hurt the mind unnecessarily. He was able to notice even the slightest facial change, to be able to feel deeply the reason for it, to be able to see from the next person's feelings, she did not understand the reason why such a person behaved like that to her. Only one thing was understood. It was understood he had decided to come out of the circle of love and stay in the circle of friends. Since she was able to read his mind, she understood. When he never expressed his love, why would he give reason for the break up.
But it did hurt her. It hurt her a lot. She has been crying alone for many days without anyone knowing. Without revealing it, she began to interact with him with a respectable distance. She expected him to tell her the reason why at some point. She was even willing to apologize if he told her she had done something wrong. But there was no sign of him being so close before. Many times she thought seriously to ask him the reason out loud. She avoided it because it seemed disgusting to her to forcefully ask him something he did not want to say.
Senthilnathan asked a lot of questions even after that. She answered those. After he was gone she began to cry as she crawled into her room.
"It’s okay, if you don’t want to tell anything. I thought I could live with that watching you from somewhere far away. Now you are missing. What were you thinking about me?
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The man who was called Master had plenty of photographs of people close to Karthi and references to them. There was enough information to write a book about each one. He read everything patiently without leaving anything out. He had so many understandings about them now that even those who had been accustomed to them for many years could not understand. After getting to know everyone deeply he finally chose one of them and decided to go enter the field through that person.