Akashvani

Radio Jockey Charan's show was a smashing hit among the youth. The late evening show had quizzes & the winners had the opportunity to speak on air. As months passed, Charan's fan base rapidly grew & was the talk of the town. Suparna was an ardent fan of RJ Charan & never missed a show. She juggled her time for evening tuition, studying for tests, and personal commitments to listen to his show. As time passed, Suparna's new favourite topic was RJ Charan. She spoke about him all day & every day. Kanika had almost turned deaf listening to her sister. Kanika enjoyed the show but wasn't obsessed with the RJ, unlike her sister. The constant radio irritated Kanika & she craved silence. As months passed, Kanika learnt to co-exist with the radio & her sister's chatter about RJ Charan.

As months passed, the college semester came to an end. During the semester holidays was the time of seasonal sale. The sisters decided to go on a shopping spree. The very first shop they visited played RJ Charan's radio station. Suparna jumped at the familiar radio announcement. Kanika slapped her right hand to the forehead. She cursed under her breath, "I thought I could keep away from the radio for half a day, but now that is also ruined." Throughout the day, they walked in & out of several stores. The only constant was that all stores played the same radio station.

Suparna declared, "It is all because of RJ Charan, the radio station is popular & everyone is playing the same station. We aren't missing a single song." Kanika smirked & thought, 'Yeah, right! It is only him & there are no others RJs on any other station.' She knew better than to say it out & kept her mouth shut. The day had quickly passed halfway & the sisters decided to break for lunch. They entered a busy restaurant & managed to capture a table. The same radio station played at the restaurant also. Suparna grinned & Kanika sighed, 'Is this some kind of bad karma?' The sisters were ravenous, quickly skimmed through the menu & placed an order for the food.

While waiting for food, Kanika looked through the shopping list & both discussed which store to visit next. After a few minutes, while Kanika continued to speak about the list, Suparna stopped. When Kanika looked up, Suparna's eyes were following someone. Kanika did not dare to turn but watched her sister keenly. Suparna seemed to blush. Kanika wondered, 'Who was she looking at?' Suparna's eyes followed to the table right beside them. Kanika looked at the table to see two middle-aged men busy talking & settled into the table.

Kanika kicked Suparna's leg from under the table to get her attention. Suparna frowned & turned towards Kanika. Kanika raised her eyebrows in a question. Suparna almost jumped from her seat & whispered, "That's RJ Charan!" Kanika's eyebrows knotted, "What? How do you know that?" Suparna stated, "Check out the radio station logo on his jacket." Kanika looked at the logo & turned to Suparna, "The radio station would have distributed jackets to everyone who works there. That doesn't mean it's Charan. It could even be the elevator maintenance guy!" Suparna's face drooped & the arrival of food got them busy. The duo dived into the food to satiate the hungry stomach.

During lunch, Suparna expressed, "Listen to his voice. It is him! I could recognise his voice in my sleep." Kanika widened her eyes at her sister to shut her up. Suparna persisted, "It is my gut feeling." Kanika shook her head with a strong 'NO'. Suparna ate quietly but continued to listen to the voice over the crowded restaurant. Once they finished their meal & paid the bill, Kanika looked around to pick up the shopping bags. Suparna sat with a sad face & looked at the guy at the table beside them. Kanika announced, "Let's go." Suparna dragged her feet with a heavy heart & looked back several times.

The next day was a lazy mode Sunday. After a lot of struggle, Kanika managed to rise from bed. After an earful of yelling from the mother for waking up late. As she waited for breakfast at the dining table, she suddenly realised a difference in the environment. Finally, she soaked the silence of no radio & smiled. She dived into hot dosa & mutton kheema curry. On finishing breakfast, she picked up a mug of hot masala chai & loitered towards the living area.

Kanika picked up the newspaper & quickly moved to the entertainment section. As she moved to the last page, her eyes almost popped out of her sockets. Immediately, she called out to her mother, "Where is Suparna?" The mother replied, "She's out to meet a friend. She will be back by evening." Kanika sighed, folded the newspaper & tucked it neatly into the rack.

Later in the evening, when Suparna arrived & sat down on the sofa, Kanika felt parched. The mother served masala chai & Suparna recited about the highlights of her outing. Suddenly, she realised, "Oh, it's Sunday. I did not read the weekly astrological prediction." When Suparna looked for the Sunday entertainment sheet, it was missing. Suparna called out to her mother, "Amma, where is the entertainment sheet?" The mother responded, "Kanika was the last one to read today's newspaper." Suparna turned towards Kanika for a reply.

Kanika swallowed hard, prayed to God for mercy & pointed towards the rack. While Suparna causally picked up the newspaper & skimmed through the sheet, Kanika braced herself. No sooner did Suparna reach the last page than her nose flared & seemed like she could burn down Kanika. Suparna fumed, held the sheet up to Kanika's face & screamed, "Didn't I tell you? It was RJ Charan!"

Take Away: Trust your gut, and ignore what others say.