A Mobile Is Good...But.. Poem by Narayanan Nair. P Perunthanam

A Mobile is Good …But.
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Friends and relatives crowded, The illumination added beauty to the newly painted palatial building. The sky was glittering with stars and the new moon. At the auditorium specially made for the marriage function, the chorus sings with skillful orchestra team. At the mess hall guests in great enthusiasm relish their dishes.
As so tired, I slowly glided to drowsy sleep. Adjoining to my room, niece Naseema chatted with her friends.
Yes, it was by half past two, my wife shook me up and bewailed, ” Please, get up, she is missing! ”, She said. No more music heard.
What? , I asked.
Yes, Come, Naseema is missing. I got out of the room to see the ambulance in to which my brother-in-law is carried. Everywhere silence intruded. Red bleared eyes appeared and sigh accompanied them.
One of the old lady said, ”She was not interested in this marriage.”
Another asked, ”Then why she was pressed to it? ”
I too entered the ambulance. It dashed to the hospital. Brother -in -law Jaleel was admitted with Cardiac thrombosis.He is in the ICU.
I rang my wife, Salma. Her mobile was busy. I tried my second wife Nabeesa.With a sigh she told me that Naseema had gone with her lover Salim.
”Any information? ”, I asked.
“No, ” she said.
I heard the cry of my seventeen month old baby born of seventeen year old second wife. So I switched of my phone.
Doctor came out of the ICU and said, ”Nothing to worry. He will be O.K.? ”
“O.K.”, Ya Allah, let every thing be O.K.”, I could only pray.
Salim was a Computer Engineer. His father Shaji is in Gulf. My brother- in -law Jaleel was his room-mate. Naseema and Salim were in hostels at their school days and class-mates, till the end of Higher Secondary. He was with his father and working in a Computer Company. Recently, he returned here on leave, Then how? I was confused. Suddenly, my mobile vibrated. A call from Salma:
”Hello’”
“Hello, She left to Dubai from Mangalore air port. Just now, she called me.”
I sat in a chair at the corridor by the ICU. She continued. Sulekha was with her in the room when Naseema attended a call.She did not reply but answered only by humming. There after, half an hour later, she told Sulekha to leave her room. as she wanted to sleep. Sulekha went out to drink a glass of hot coffee. When she returned after an hour with her another friend Naseeba, Nseema was not in her room. They searched her in vain. All in panic searched and found Naseema missing. Sulekha also said that Naseema had phone contact with Salim but she never thought that they would elope.
Cold wind swept me and passed.
Doctors rushed in to ICU. I peeped to see that they are beside Jaleel. A Nurse came out and told me, “He is in critical condition and to inform relatives urgently.” I called my wife Salma again.
The time dragged.I was impatiently waiting when the Chief Medical Officer came out gloomy and told that Jaleel passed away.
When I opened my eyes I am here on this bed.
“Oh, very sad, Nasru, a Mobile is good but..it can make us cruel”, his friend Latheef groaned holding his arm.
The curtain of the hospital window fluttered very lazy.
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