A Challenging Vow

Hours after celebrating Deepak’s birthday

Now it’s midnight. Inside the EFS headquarters, on the rooftop of one of the houses, Vikram, wearing nothing but jeans and boots just like in the pic given below, has a grip on a handrail as he watches the pitch black tidal waves.

(Note:- The abdominal scar is created by editing the pic just for the story. And please ignore the facial hair.)

(Note:- Please ignore the watermark.)

Despite the passing of the minutes, Vikram continues to gaze at the tidal waves and he doesn’t move even a bit.

Then the gazing is interrupted by a voice saying “Seems like someone is worshipping an ocean which is the scariest at midnight!” in a teasing tone.

As Vikram turns around, he looks surprised as the one who said the above-mentioned words is revealed to be Ponnila who is in a pitch black sleeveless crop top and gray printed sweatpants just like in the pic given below.

(Note:- Please ignore the sunglasses.)

VIKRAM (eyebrows lifted and eyes widened): Comrade Ponnila????? Why are you here??

PONNILA (in a playful tone): Why are YOU here? Aren’t you supposed to sleep?

VIKRAM (shaking his head): I’m consumed by numerous thoughts. How can I sleep?

Ponnila now gets curious and stands closer to Vikram, their bodies almost touching.

PONNILA (curiously): May I know what you are thinking about?

VIKRAM (appearing ‘Ice-Cold’ despite multiple worries): A lot of things.

PONNILA (still curious): Care to share some examples?

VIKRAM (gently nodding and still appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): Sure, comrade Ponnila.

PONNILA (chuckling and speaking in a playful tone): Just ‘Ponnila‘ is enough.

VIKRAM (gently nodding and still appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): Alright, Ponnila. You joined this movement while I was being hospitalized. Do you remember?

PONNILA (tone shifts from playfulness to seriousness): Yes. I do.

VIKRAM (still appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): Do you know how I ended up being hospitalized?

PONNILA (in a serious tone): Yes. Dr Varsha told me everything. You have been on an espionage mission against the Blizzard?

VIKRAM (still appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): Yes, Ponnila. I have indeed been on an espionage mission against the Blizzard. And I have spent nearly two months there. And day by day, the atrocities committed by the Blizzard got more severe. Women are getting punished, sometimes even to death, even for an accidental exposure of their Thoppuls. Young children, especially males, are getting belittled or even flogged even for “accidental” touching of the tummies of their respective mothers. And mothers are getting punished, sometimes even to death for simply “letting their little ones, especially sons, touch their tummies“.

Vikram takes a short pause before resuming his speech.

VIKRAM (tone getting more serious): A woman baring her Thoppul is not at all a bad thing. It never is. And the same can be said about the act of a male child touching his mother’s tummy.

PONNILA (pointing her finger towards her navel): Notice me wearing clothes that leave my Thoppul bare?

VIKRAM (in a serious tone): Yes, Ponnila. I noticed that. And it’s good for you as long as you are comfortable in it.

PONNILA (smiling subtly): I’m glad you accept me for being myself.

VIKRAM (subtly smiling back): I also encourage you to become a better version of yourself without having the need to sacrifice your personal “standards“.

PONNILA (smiling subtly): Thank you.

VIKRAM (smiling subtly): No need to mention it. And there should be no more women like Haridra.

PONNILA (curious): Haridra? Let me guess…

Ponnila looks somewhere else with a finger on her chin.

A few seconds later

Ponnila puts her hand down and turns back to Vikram.

PONNILA: A woman who got murdered by her own husband for simply letting her little son touch her tummy? I guess her little son is none other than Deepak who is now adopted by the comrades Dheena and Nivi.

VIKRAM (surprised and curious): Wait. What? How do you know?

PONNILA (smiling subtly): I just told you that Dr Varsha told me everything while you were being hospitalized.

VIKRAM (nodding his head and appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): I see!!!!!

PONNILA (now pointing her finger towards the scar on Vikram’s abdomen): Thankfully, the bullet missed your Thoppul otherwise things would have got way worse than anyone could ever imagine.

VIKRAM (nodding his head and appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): You can’t be wrong, Ponnila. Besides, even if the bullet hits me in the Thoppul or any other vital area that could result in my death, I would be least bothered about it.

PONNILA (shocked and eyes widened): Why would you say that?

VIKRAM (appearing ‘Ice-Cold’): Deepak has got our comrades Dheena and Nivi as his new parents. Our comrades Harish and Lux have become another couple, and Lux just announced her pregnancy even though she doesn’t look pregnant at all. The families are being created despite the ongoing war. Why? Because of hope that children can live in a judgment-free society. I have to protect that hope even at the cost of my own life. Therefore, if I die, I’ll die with a smile.

PONNILA (stepping closer, her voice trembling slightly): You talk about burning yourself… but what about the people who want to stand beside the fire? What about me, Vikram?

Vikram looks at Ponnila. The moonlight hits her bare midriff—a symbol of the freedom he is fighting for. His “Ice-Cold” mask cracks for a second.

VIKRAM (slightly nervous): That’s why we are here, right?

PONNILA (hopeful): Didn’t Dheena marry Nivi? They have even adopted Deepak despite the ongoing war. And didn’t Harish marry our comrade Lux? Lux just announced that she’s 21 days pregnant. Did they wait for the perfect moment? If they can form a family in the middle of a war, then so can we. We don’t have to wait for the world to be perfect to be together, Vikram.

VIKRAM (turning back to face the ocean, hardening his expression): No, Ponnila. I can’t be Dheena. I can’t be Harish. Not yet.

Vikram’s grip on the handrail gets tighter.

VIKRAM: Even if the Blizzard has been defeated, it still exists.

PONNILA (eyebrows go up): You think it’s easy to completely wipe out the Blizzard? Ideologies don’t die so easily, Vikram.

VIKRAM (sighing and nodding his head, then facing Ponnila): Okay. Fine. Then if the Blizzard can’t be completely wiped out, we at least need to kill its chief who is none other than Loki. A snake, despite decapitated, can still bite. It will truly die only if it’s head is completely crushed.

Ponnila notices Vikram’s stubbornness. Yet she hasn’t given up her hope on trying to convince him to marry her in the middle of the war.

PONNILA: First of all, we need to……..

VIKRAM (interrupting): First of all, we need to kill Loki. No matter whatever it takes. No matter whoever kills him. Be it me, Dheena, Harish, or anyone else, including you. We will marry only after Loki’s death.

Ponnila sighs, realizing that there’s nothing she can do about Vikram’s stubborn decision. She eventually accepts.

PONNILA: Alright, Vikram. I agree with your decision. But remember, it’s challenging. It’s not easy to even get close to Loki. We need to take a lot of safety measures. We can’t let any of our comrades, especially you, die.

VIKRAM (stepping closer, speaking in a firm tone): Remember, Ponnila. Expect disappointments and you will never be disappointed.

PONNILA (nodding her head): You better be right. And now, let’s go to sleep.

VIKRAM (nodding his head): Sure.

The conversation ends, and both Vikram and Ponnila hit their respective beds.