The Last Song

INT - COLLEGE CLASSROOM- DAY

The class is buzzling with many students who are about to leave for the day. That moment a middle-aged man enters the room places his one-sided laptop bag on top of the table in front of the whiteboard. He gestures everyone to sit down and the students frown. There a young girl in her early 20’s who is sitting in one of the middle benches in the left-hand side of the classroom is looking outside the classroom widow with a very impatient look on her face. Panning close to her reveals that he is looking at a car which is waiting outside. She looks at her wristwatch and the car back to back and is growing impatient minute after minute. She is almost at the verge of tears. Exactly at 5 PM on there watch the bell rings. She is the first one out of the class. She is hurrying down the steps and almost knocked over a Janitor who was coming up the stairs. She reached the ground floor and rushed through to the college gates exiting the campus.

EXT - ROAD - DAY

Coming out of the campus she runs towards the campus and reaches the blue Toyota hatchback car. She opens the car and gets in it. There is a Boy in his early 20’s who is fuming with anger but not uttering a word. She gets in with a bleak silence as the car starts and moves forward.

INT/EXT - INSIDE THE CAR - DAY

The bleak silence still follows between both. There seems to be a cold war that not spoken about. The boy seems to be angry about some unknown reason and the girl has a guilty face. The girl switched on the music system in the car and the song Mannipaya plays in it. She looks at the boy and the boy is still not diverted from the road.

Sruthi:
You can at least speak to me. I have not done anything that unforgivable.

Kedar:
Huh… You wish.

Sruthi:
Just tell me what I did? As per my knowledge, I could not be physical with you. I said I did not feel like it. What's wrong in expressing my feelings here?

Kedar:
Do you think that is what I am upset about? Do you think I am that cheap?

Sruthi:
Then bloody tell me why you are acting this way with me.

Kedar:
You are not how you are with me. Something with you is really off. I can feel it. You will normally return my calls if I had given a missed call. It has been 7 days since we have talked over a phone. You never felt something that there is something missing. I texted you several times but that ended in vain. You texted me with a “hmmm”. What does that even mean?

Sruthi:
If I tell the reason for it you will still not understand what this is all about.

Kedar:
Don't give me that as a reason. This is silly.

The song progresses towards the mid-portion.

EXT - BEACH - DAY

2 years ago….
The couple is sitting on the golden sands of the Besant Nagar beach both staring at the vast ocean crashing against the shores. The same “Mannipaya” song is playing from the “Yen en vaazhvil” portion. Kedar looks at Sruthi and takes a deep breath. Sruthi looks at Kedar instantly. Both lock eyes and feel the connection. Kedar without realising smiles which makes Sruthi smile.

Kedar:
I never thought I would fall head over heels for a girl after a nasty break up that I had. What I feel now is magical.

Sruthi:
I still don’t know how this happened. Everything was soo sudden. As you mentioned, feels magical.

Kedar:
One thing, let us make it straight. Let's not get caught up in silly fights and lose the beauty of what is in front of us.

Sruthi:
I would not recommend that. Every fight makes us get to understand each other even better. Even if it is for a silly reason, let's fight over it. I think we will have the maturity to get back together after a fight.

The song is particularly at its end where Rahman is singing “Kanne thadumaari nadanthen” as Kedar gives a cute laugh at Sruthi as Sruthi pulls Kedar’s arm and wraps her arm around it and leans on his shoulder.

INT/EXT - INSIDE THE CAR - DAY

The Mannipaya song ends and the next song starts. Kedar’s instantly reached the music system and plays Mannipaya song again. Sruthi looks at Kedar and a tear rolls down her eyes.

Sruthi:
I was guilty that I turned down what you had asked for. I got my periods and I was scared. That is why I was not able to speak to you or even face you. It's not on you. I am really sorry.

Kedar instantly stopped the car, pulled up the handbrake and saw Sruthi.

Kedar:
I am not so stupid to not understand that Sruthi. All you had to do say that out to me. Why are hesitant to speak that out to me?

Sruthi:
I don't know. I just feel guilty to not give you what you asked for.

Kedar:
Sometimes I can take a no. It's not like its the end of the world. You are the one who said that we are matured. Treat me like one. Act like one.

Sruthi goes forward and hugs him tightly. He also embraces her. They both have a moment. Sruthi comes back and kisses him. Its a short one but communicated many things to them. Sruthi wraps her arms around Kedar and leans on him. The song again comes to an end. Now it is on loop. The song starts again.

Sruthi:
I think this song plays a major part whenever we come together after a fight.

Kedar:
This song will certainly be the one go-to song for us till our last breath.

They both are silent there as they share some sweet moments of beautiful silence with the song playing behind them.