Small Story 206.

Small Story 206. The Myanmar Mystery Gopal was deeply worried about his son Ram's whereabouts. Ram had left India twenty days ago for official work in Myanmar. A week prior, Gopal had seen reports of a great disaster in Myanmar, which made him even more restless. His wife, Vedavalli, shared his unease, and they both skipped a meal, unable to focus on anything else. No one had anticipated such a natural disaster, and to make matters worse, Ram’s phone had been switched off for days. Gopal had no contacts in Myanmar, as Ram worked for RAW, and no one would give him accurate news. But at 5 P.M. one evening, Gopal's phone rang. It was Ram. "Hello, Dad, I’m safe. I never went to Myanmar. My mission was in Mumbai, and I didn’t want to disclose it earlier. My work is completed now, and I’m in Mumbai. Yesterday, I accidentally bumped into my college mate, Vasanthy, who works at a leading advertising agency. She insisted I stay one more day. I’ll be flying to Bengaluru tomorrow, as today is Sunday." Gopal and Vedavalli felt immense relief and happiness after hearing their son's voice. They thanked RAW for ensuring his safety and confidentiality. Ram, on the other hand, was glad that his mission had been completed smoothly. He hadn’t expected to meet Vasanthy again. She was an old college friend and, unbeknownst to him, someone he had once had a crush on. Vasanthy, too, was overjoyed to reconnect with Ram. She had lost touch with him after her father was transferred, and in an unfortunate twist, had accidentally deleted his number. Meanwhile, Ram had been transferred to Bengaluru. Their reunion meeting was nothing short of special. Vasanthy’s father, Mohan, was so pleased to see them together that he immediately proposed Ram as his son-in-law. Vasanthy’s mother, too, was delighted by the reunion, as she had worked with Vedavalli in the bank. The next day, Ram arrived in Bengaluru with sweets prepared by Vasanthy’s mother to meet his parents and present the marriage proposal. The natural disaster in Myanmar, which had caused so much anxiety, left Ram and his family praying for the victims' recovery. They also felt thankful for Ram’s safe return and his future with Vasanthy. Two months later, Ram and Vasanthy’s wedding was celebrated grandly in Bengaluru, with Vasanthy’s cousins helping to organize it in the beautiful garden city. The wedding was also celebrated in Mohan's native town, marking a joyous occasion for both families. K.Ragavan 5-4-25