I drew Jenny (Olivia Morris) and Bheem (Jr. NTR) from the Indian Telugu-language film RRR (2022). It was such a soothing experience to capture the small details of this brief, yet heartwarming moment in the thrilling film.
Ram gets Bheem ready for the party and teaches him how to dance :)
Bheem knew the clothes were expensive. And were supposed to be stylish, rather classy. But they felt so foreign, so alien that he couldn’t stop pulling and tugging at them.
‘Anna - why are these pants so tight? And these strings too? I don’t have to pull something with my back using these, so what’s the point of it?’
Bheem fiddled with the suspenders over his shirt, trying to loosen them.
‘Bheem - if you want to go to the party and not stick out, you have to wear these. I don’t like them too much either but after a bit you will get used to it. Just stop pulling everything now - you will ruin the creases.’
Ram slapped Bheem’s hands away from the clothes. Bheem huffed, but obliged.
As Ram helped groom Bheem’s hair and beard, the befuddled man threw a barrage of questions at him.
‘Anna - what will do at the party though? We don’t know anyone there.’
Ram didn’t bother to correct him that he would know quite a few people there, especially some officers. It’s a different thing he would rather puke than spend an afternoon in their company.
‘Why do you need to know everyone? Just stay with her; that’s why you are going, right?’
Bheem gave a solemn ‘hmm,’ which Ram couldn’t grasp the full meaning of, so he wrote it off as nervousness.
‘Don’t worry, it will be fine. She seems like a nice person. And she seems fond of you.’
This time Bheem smiled, and Ram smiled back.
Bheem couldn’t deny that she was nice. He knew it in his heart the moment he laid eyes on her. She had no reason to save Jangu the way she did, other than kindness.
And well, she was pretty. So pretty. Bheem wasn’t blind to that. But he had no idea how to speak to her or handle himself around her. And how to breach the topic of going inside the palace.
He voiced part of his concerns out loud. Ram held his shoulders fondly.
‘Oh my sweet friend - you are so oblivious to your charm. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about. Anyone with a good heart can see the goodness in yours. And anyone with well-functioning eyes won’t be able to resist this handsome face and breathtaking smile.’
Bheem blushed wildly. Pushing at Ram’s chest in protest, accusing him of lying. They jostled weakly, all in jest.
‘Ok, some important things. There maybe some mean people there who may say some mean things. Ignore them, they are pathetic insects. Also, you may not like most of the food there but some things are nice. The desserts especially - I have a feeling you will love them. I have never seen you not drool over anything with sugar in it. Stay by my side when we get to the food section, I will tell you what all to try.’
Bheem’s mood became markedly better. He held on to Ram’s arm.
‘Can’t wait to try them all. AND I am not leaving your side Anna, not for a second. You stay with me at all times, please.’
Ram smiled at him fondly, with a hint of suggestion in it.
‘Well, I can’t stay with you at all times, right? It kind of defeats the purpose of why you are going.’
‘But why? The three of us can be together too. Promise me you won’t leave.’
Ram crossed two fingers behind his back before lying to his innocent friend.
‘Ok I promise. Happy now?’
Bheem beamed at him in response.
‘Now, the most important thing. There is going to be dancing there. Not our kind of dance but a foreign dance. Do you want to learn a few steps, just in case it comes to that?’
Bheem nodded approvingly, admiring how worldly-wise his cherished friend was.
Ram led Bheem to the centre of the room, to a small space on the floor not covered with books.
It felt a bit awkward but it needed to be done. So, Ram stood toe to toe with Bheem, taking the younger man by surprise. He kept Bheem’s hand on his own waist, taking him by even more surprise.
‘What kind of a dance is this, Anna?’
Bheem looked quizzically at Ram.
‘It is strange, yes. But that’s how it is. Now, hold my other hand to the side, like this.’
Bheem did as instructed, still a bit conscious of the position.
‘Good. Now - how close you stand to your partner depends on how….umm…close you are in real life. I would recommend you stand at least this much apart, and leave the rest to her.’
Bheem nodded, suddenly conscious for a different reason now. The blush around his ears was coming back.
Ram started moving his feet and Bheem followed effortlessly. Ram looked at him with pride - the man really was a natural.
Just the next second, Bheem stepped on Ram’s toe and Ram yelled for dear life.
‘Annaaaaaa - I am so so sorry. Damnit I am so clumsy. Sorry - did I hurt you bad?’
Ram chose not to state how he was feeling - as if a bull had stomped on his foot. But he smiled bravely.
‘It’s a tiny scrape, I am fine now. It was my fault actually - both of us were trying to lead so we collided. Plus, I am a little rusty. Don’t worry, she will be a better partner because she would be a pro at this. She will take care of you.’
Bheem was sufficiently reassured.
‘So, I wasn’t too bad then? I won’t make a fool of myself? I don’t want to embarrass myself, Anna. Or embarrass you, since I am dragging you along.’
‘Shush. Stop thinking such things. She will be so happy to see you all dressed up like this that she will forget about everything else. I bet she will come straight to you when she sees you, leaving behind all the other proficient partners.’
‘Oh Anna - you flatter me too much. Why are you so sweet to me? Why do you do all this for me?’
Because you are the best and the purest thing that has happened to me in years, said Ram inwardly.
‘Because you are my brother. And that’s what brothers do for each other, my dear.’
Bheem crushed him with a hug, but it felt like the gentlest of feathery blankets wrapped around him.
‘Ok ok. We must hurry now. We are late - the party has already started. All the food is waiting for you. And most importantly, she would be waiting for you with bated breath.’
Bheem let go of him then. Ram took one last look at his friend, applying final touches to his hair.
‘Ready?’
Bheem nodded in excitement; he was looking forward to this now.
‘Ready, Anna. With you by my side, I can do anything. I know you won’t let any harm come to me.’
Ram pretended to smile, hiding how his throat choked at Bheem’s unfiltered display of trust and love. And the two men left for the party.
sej par kitaabon mein uljha hua main,
aur khidki par latein suljhati hui tum,
angrezi ke shabdon mein atka hua main, aur khilkhila kar wo lafz dohraati hui tum,
tumhe sher o' ghazal sunaataa hua main,
aur mujhe sonnet samjhaati hui tum.
kis qadr tumhari zubaan mein katraata hua main,
aur samne urdu ke ashaar si lubhaati hui tum.
kurbat ke khayaal se ghabraata hua main,
aur falak ki ek noor si nazdeek aati hui tum.
surkh saareeyon se almaari bharta hua main,
aur mere kurte ko daaman pe sajaati hui tum.
in palon ko os ki boondon sa pirotaa hua main,
aur apne hothon pe ishq e tarrannum gungunati hui tum.
soz e ishq e sawaar e ilaaj khojta hua main,
aur ek mohabbat ki aatish jalaati hui tum.
ikraar ki kashmakash mein dooba hua main,
aur ek nigaah se mujhe apna banaati hui tum.
sej par kitaabon mein uljha hua main,
aur khidki par latein suljhati hui tum.
“Marry me,” her mahogany hair danced in the wind as he held her close. “You are my home, Bheem. Marry me.”
“It will be a hard life,” Bheem said softly. “Filled with discomfort and danger and God knows what else. There might be days you will have to sleep hungry. I will try my best to keep you happy, but I know I will never be able to give you silks and jewels.”
“You consider me that shallow, then?” she countered. “I am hurt, my love. Did I ask you for silks and jewels? If I was after those, I would have accepted Jake’s proposal in a heartbeat. No, Bheem. I want you. Only you. I will sleep on an empty stomach by your side. But I won’t be hungry, because your love would always feed my soul. I will never be uncomfortable as long as I have the envelope of your affection to keep me warm. I will be brave and I will be strong. Do you doubt me?”
And tell me, why has no one talked about ram from reader's pov?
17 July, 1920
The first time I actually met him was with my friend Jenny and her date akhtar. He stood there, with button down tucked in trouser, suspenders attached by the waist. A chain reached around his hip in his pocket, a silver chain peaking from his neck. His hair looked soft and his mustache handlebar. His eyelashes long, so long. He introduced himself as Ramaraju- or just Raju. I opted for Rama. Suits him better. We talked a few times and his voice, so smooth yet heavy, like velvet swept me off my feet. The sun looked dim and golden in his eyes, his veins resembled river flows. The charm in his presence felt like moonlight, such glow yet so calm. His skin had more contrast than the earth and it felt that maybe laying with him would feel like the land hugged me. Ram's lose shirt was an injustice, one can easily figure out how sturdy his body would be. How magnificent his body would be. But his tight trousers did more than justice to his- well, I'll say that someday else.
Ram was one hell of a translator for akhtar and Jenny. He molded each other's words in such a way that they fit perfectly, as if pieces of a puzzle. The way his words flow so easily, like chocolate dripping down, so sweet and mouth filling. The way he explains his mind as if reading a book, so emotive but fluent. Although it felt like that despite being present here, he was somewhere else. He was, searching something so close to him. At one point Akhtar turned around and called me bhabhi, and there was an immediate shock and blush on ram's pretty face. My laughter caught him off guard and he patted Akhtar's back a little too hard. Ram knows I'm not as innocent as Jenny.
When we parted, he shook my hand and caught the ring in my third finger and there was a cast of dark clouds on his face. I giggled at his reaction, taking it off and sliding it on a different finger. "It's my mother's" I said, and the sun shone again.