Small Story 230.

Small Story 230: Travel Encounter – A Serendipitous Match Muthuswamy returned from his shopping and sank into his usual chair. Ragini, his wife, switched on the air conditioner—it was an unusually hot April in their city. “This year, the heat is unbearable,” she muttered, bringing him a cup of chilled buttermilk with a pinch of salt. “Take this, dear. It’ll help you feel better,” she offered. “What about you?” Muthuswamy asked. “No need for me, I’ve been home all day,” Ragini smiled, whispering. Just then, Ragini’s phone rang. It was her younger sister, Ambika, calling from Singapore. “I’m coming to your city tomorrow to attend the wedding of Ramesh’s friend’s son,” Ambika said. “I’m traveling alone—Ramesh is on an official trip to Australia. I’ll come directly to your Kanskapura Road house for lunch.” Before Ragini could say much, Ambika hung up. Muthuswamy was delighted—Ambika was visiting after three long years. He missed his friend Ramesh, but more than relatives, they were like close friends. Their son Vivek, a gold medalist in MBA, had recently joined a leading corporate company that opened a new branch in Madurai. Though based in the US, he frequently traveled back and forth for work. The next day, Ambika arrived for lunch. While chatting, she mentioned, “I saw a girl for Vivek in Singapore—but she’s a bit older than him, so I dropped the idea. But she’s working in a good bank and looks charming.” “No worries,” said Ragini, serving her more of her favorite semiya payasam. After lunch, the sisters reminisced about old times. Ambika had brought several varieties of chocolates and sweets from Singapore. Suddenly, her phone rang. “Hello, Madam,” the voice said, “I was seated next to you on the flight from Singapore. I saw you left your handbag and found your name and number. I’m Soumya.” Ambika gasped. She hadn’t even noticed her bag was missing. “Oh no! Thank you, Soumya. I also came for a wedding at Sindoor Kalyana Mantap in JP Nagar.” “My God! I’m attending that same wedding,” Soumya exclaimed. The next day at the wedding, Soumya returned the bag. After lunch, Ambika brought her to Ragini’s home. Ragini was immediately impressed by the girl’s simplicity and manners. “What do you do, Soumya?” she asked. “I’ve completed my MBA. My grandparents live in Tirunelveli. Dad and my mummy went to Singapore for sightseeing. They gone back to Tirunelveli, and I’ll be joining them tomorrow.” Intrigued, Ragini showed her Vivek’s photo. Soumya was surprised. “He was two years senior to me in college, but we never interacted. I’ve heard of him—a gold medalist.” There was an instant spark. A week later, Soumya’s Parents and grandparents came to Madurai to meet Vivek. Both families were happy with the match, and the wedding was soon fixed. Ambika was delighted. Although the girl she had initially considered didn’t work out, this travel encounter brought the perfect bride into Vivek’s life. K.Ragavan 29-4-25