Love story that ends in tragedy

By Ananda Agalakada

The village of Mahawa was taken by storm when news broke out about the gruesome, untimely death of a young couple. The reason for the death still remains a mystery.

Madusanka and Maduka lived in an isolated rented house.

Theirs was a childhood friendship in the beginning, and love at a later stage. Just like in a fairy tale they lived happily ever after.

Maduka was a pretty girl with good habits that would charm anyone. Madusanka was attracted to these very charms of Maduka. Their relationship dates back to their school days, when Maduka studied at Moragolla College and Madusanka at the Gampawwa Central School. They were distant relations. But it was not a barrier for their relationship. It was love at first sight for the young couple. Their relationship reached such proportions that they could not live without seeing each other.

It finally led them to decide to elope at a very young age. Although their parents vehemently objected at first, gradually they relented and gave in to their children's wishes without much ado.

Madusanka subsequently settled down in Maduka's house. When Madusanka's mother went to live overseas, he took Maduka to live in his house. However even at this stage Maduka was underage and was not in a position to attain matrimonial status.

Meanwhile Madusanka's mother living overseas never forgot to help her son financially whenever possible. She helped Madusanka to buy a trishaw.

With the acquisition of the three-wheeler, Madusanka dreamt about a bright future with Maduka.

Maduka's father	Maduka's mother

However, the couple came back to stay in Maduka's house for reasons unknown. But they always dreamt of living in a house of their own. Ultimately they made plans to build a house in a land which was gifted to Maduka.

The inspiration behind the whole-idea was Maduka's father who was a mason. Their parents' dream was for the marriage of their children simultaneously with the building of their new home.

Then they took the fateful decision to move out from Maduka's house to an independent house in Udugama. Maduka's father Anurasiri said he had even paid an advance to purchase roofing sheets for his daughter's new house and it was almost ready for residing.

The couple who left his house never returned to attend to the building of their new home.

The fate of Madusanka and Maduka would not have surfaced if not for the bad odour that started to pervade the surroundings.

When the couple did not contact their parents for a few days, it aroused suspicion as to what had happened to them. And when the parents went in search of the couple they experienced the bad stench and notified the police.

The decomposed bodies of Madusanka and Maduka were discovered by the police in their rented house.

What was the reason for this young couple's death? Suicide or foul play, only time would provide answers to this.