Chapter 21

One week later:

Rishi returned from the gym and saw Aadhi descending the stairs in a hurry with her hair draped in a towel. She rushed to the pooja room and did the pooja before entering the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

The next day of the pooja at Raghavan’s home Aadhi let Latha to carry on with her regular routine and cooked on her own. Aadhi never spoke a word to Rishi despite all his attempts to initiate aconversation with her. She pulled out the ingredients but was stressed that she still had a chapter to be revised for the last exam and decided to do it on her way to college.

On seeing her in a hurry, with lot hesitation and gathering all his courage Rishi entered the kitchen and cleared his throat. Aadhi stopped cutting the vegetable but did not look at him. On hearing nothing she continued cutting the onions and this time Rishi coughed and once again Aadhi stopped cutting the onions.

Rishi: Go revise for your exam and let me cook for today.

Aadhi looked at him and just a glance at her eyes, Rishi’s breathe labored as if he completed a marathon. He gulped a few times to calm his heart and dreaded to speak further so he decided the other way around and tried to hold the cutting board to take the job in hand but Aadhi pulled back the board from him.

Aadhi: Vani aunty said it is a custom in your family that only the woman should do the cooking.

Rishi Mv: Your family ? Shouldn’t it be our family ?

Rishi: I agree that I have been a douchebag to you and never made you feel comfortable but my grandpa consider you as his grand daughter and really love you so atleast for his sake don’t you think this is our family and not mine alone ? And about the customs, it is not important than your exam.

Aadhi: I have been doing this from day 1 of coming here and kept my word to her. I don’t want her to think that I m pretending or being fake. I have been managing all these days and the last day wouldn’t make much difference. Also you let a stranger stay under your roof and I don’t earn to pay you for the accomodation and the food so the least I could do is cook which is the only work given to me.

Rishi rubbed his face and walked out immediately after hearing her words. He punched the wall and slumped on the couch holding his hair in a tight grip.

Rishi Mv: I fucking made a mistake and I regret it truly. I fucking agree that I m a coward to agree that I was jealous of her and I kept pushing her away because I was scared, I was scared that I started…I.

He couldn’t complete the sentence and stormed to the wash room to get ready. As usual he was sitting all alone for breakfast and Aadhi packed her breakfast. He craned his neck and watched her ascending the stairs. He felt the bitter taste of the black tea tasted better than the bitterness in his life. He looked at the empty seat to his opposite side and shut his eyes reminiscing the days when she was the only participant in the conversation and he was the silent spectator listening to her rantings.

He arrived at his office and Sudhir as usual was ready to face another dreadful day but to his surprise Rishi walked in a complete calm state. He entered the room and placed the milk coffee before Rishi who looked at it without averting his gaze.

Sudhir Mv: Does he have some power to scan the ingredients in it ? What is he watching in the coffee ?

Rishi: Take it away Sudhir, sure you could never prepare coffee like her.

Sudhir gasped at the information and realized what was happening all these days. He picked the coffee and walked out in shock.

Sudhir: Am I dreaming ? Did he really mention about Aadhi madam ? Is the rock really melting ?

Rishi stood by the window watching the outside world. He watched the people stuck in the traffic and he saw a couple in bike laughing and chatting despite being stuck in the traffic under the blazing heat of the sun. The girl was wearing a red shorts that reached her knees and the man was wearing a track pant and T shirt. His lips curved into a smile while he reminisced the day at Goa. Aadhi wore a similar shorts and shirt and danced swaying her hip to the a beat song.

Rishi: Crazy girl

He chuckled and soon burst out laughing reminiscing all her dance movements. Sudhir entered Rishi’s room with a file but dropped it and scurried out after he got to see Rishi laughing.

Sudhir: what the freaking scene did I watch ? Did I watch Rishi sir laugh ? Did he really laugh ?

Sudhir touched his forehead and neck to see if he was doing fine to confirm and he was not hallucinating but sighed in relief that he was doing fine.

Sudhir: What is happening with him ? God, wish I knew some magic to read his mind to atleast save him and myself.

Back in the room Rishi got seated and played with the paper weight lost in thoughts.

Rishi: Her results won’t be out for atleast a month so what would she do now and after the result ? I don’t know anything about her, what could be her plans after the result ? Study further or to find a job ?

Rishi Mv: Do you even know what does she study ?

Rishi opened his draw and picked the challan Sudhir gave him and got to know that she was an economic student. He was really surprised that she was studing economics. He called Sudhir who entered the room with lot of hesitance.

Rishi: Sudhir, have you ever been in a relationship ?

Sudhir Mv: After I started working with you, I don’t think any girl would wish to be in a relationship with me.

Sudhir: No sir, but all my friends are in relationship and few are married to. I have seen them do a lot of crazy things.

Rishi: How do they convince their angry girl friend or wife ? No no no how did they approach their girl friends for the first time ?

Sudhir: Most of them were friends and later they fell in love. Basically it was a friendly approach.

Rishi’s face dropped on remembering the day he declined Aadhi’s proposal to be friends. Sudhir gulped in fear and watched Rishi picking up his blazer and storm out without a word. Rishi drove back to his penthouse and Latha was shocked to see him.

Latha: Sir, I didn’t know you will be coming home. Should I cook lunch for you ?

Rishi: No, don’t bother and you can leave if you are done with your work.

Latha hummed and walked out. Rishi rushed to his room and looked for the friendship card which laid on the vanity table for more than 2 months. He stood in disappointment when he found the card mising.

Rishi: What if she replaced it somewhere in the closet ?

He searched every corner of his room and finally the reality hit him that Aadhi had taken the card back.

Rishi: Why would she want to be friend with someone like me ? She must be even regretting proposing to be friend with me.

He returned to the living and sat on the couch leaning his head back on the head rest. Aadhi returned and as soon as she stepped in, she gasped in fear and her mobile slipped from her hand on seeing Rishi suddenly in the middle of the day.

Rishi opened his eyes and Aadhi mumbled a sorry before she picked up her mobile and entered the kitchen. He returned to his room and got changed into his track pant and T shirt.

Rishi: I m fucking going crazy.

He entered the kitchen and saw her cooking and she had tied her hair in a bun. He opened the refrigerator and picked a water bottle. He gulped some water stealing glances at her from his peripheral view.

Rishi: how was your paper ?

Aadhi stopped her work and looked at Rishi who felt his heart thudding against it cage. He pretended to sip the water and averted his gaze from her eyes.

Rishi Mv: Why do I feel like losing my breathe on looking into her eyes. This stupid heart pounds like I came by running from office.

Aadhi: Good.

Rishi returned to the living and thinking of a way to gain her attention to start a conversation. He looked at the TV and an idea sparked in his mind. He turned on to a random music channel and slowly increased the volume.

Aadhi who walked out of the kitchen holding a casserole stopped in her tracks on hearing the song.

Adiye azhage en azhage adiye
Pesama nooru noora kooru podatha
Valiye valiye en oliye oliye
Naa onum boodhamilla dhooram odatha

Hey girl, so beautiful. My beauty of a girl,
Don’t cut me into hundreds of pieces, with your silence.
Oh painful pain, Oh my, lighting up light,
I am not a monster for you to run away in plight.

Rishi watched her frozen state and when he noticed her turning to look at his direction he quickly turned his attention to the TV but he too froze on listening to the lyrics.

Rishi Mv: How did this song match the situation correctly ?

A smile crept upon his lips which vanished on hearing the next lines.

Kaathoram ne ericha vaartha vanthu keeruthey
Aanalum ne thelicha kaadhal ulla ooruthey
Vaayadi peya en thookam thooki poora

The words you spilled near my ears, leaves a pleasant scar,
But the love that you scattered over me, dives deep into me, so far.
Oh my chatterbox of a girl, you take away my sleep like the ghosts of my childhood nights.

He gulped and slowly looked at Aadhira who was walking back to the kitchen ignoring him as well as the song.

Rishi Mv: Thank god, she didn’t kill me. Is this why everyone listen to music because they match their emotions ?

He increased the volume and made his way to the dining table and sat opposite to Aadhi.

Rishi: This song is really good isn’t it ?

Pona Poraa, Thaana Varuva, Methapula Thirinjen
Veeraappellam Veena Pochu Posukunu Odanjen

So she will go, only to come back on her own, was what I thought in pride,
Only to lose my stride and yearn for you, breaking down my stride.

Aadhi: I don’t know. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

She served the vegetable briyani to her plate and Rishi served the raitha to his plate but both their hands froze on hearing the lyrics further.

Un Soga Paarva, Orasuthu Mela
Sirikira Oosa, Sarikuthu Aala

Thee Thoovi Thee Thoovi Pona
Ava Venum Naanum Vaazha

The comfort of your loving gaze, scathing over me,
the sounds of your laugh, melting me away.

Spewing fire, Oh spewing fire, as she leaves,
she is all I need to live this life.

Rishi gulped on seeing her shut her eyes momentarily but relaxed when she continued serving to her plate but that did not last long when the song continued.

Yeno Unna Paatha Ulla Surukunu Varuthu
Aana Kitta Neeya Vantha Manasanga Vizhuthu
Yethukintha Kobam Nadichathu Pothum
Maranju Nee Paakkum Vedukuthu Saayam
Nethe Naan Thothen Ada Idhu Thaana Un Vegam

For reasons unknown, the moment I see you, I feel a rush within my heart.
But when you come near me, my heart falls deep within.
Why this anger, my love? – quit your clumsy act,
as I saw through it, when I found your hidden stares.
Is this your speed of catching up to know,
that I have yielded to you with a bow.

Aadhi picked her plate and was about to leave but Rishi stopped her immediately.

Rishi: Please have your food, I will switch off the TV or I will leave too. Please, please.. I m sorry.

Rishi Mv: Nice song, I will download this to my mobile later.

He switched off the TV and they continued with their lunch.

Rishi: I know Manjari lied to me, I heard you both talking in her room.

Aadhi looked at him for a fraction of a second before continuing to eat her food.

Rishi: Our family and I too played a role in what she is today. What you said is true, she needs to realize that her thoughts are being sick. I want to fix everything, which includes Manjari and her attitude too and I need your help. I have not been expressive like Vimal but now I wanted her to realize that I really care for her and love her. Once she realizes that she has people who love and care for her then she might change the perspective of seeing everyone around her, especially you. How do I fix things between us ? What should I do for her to realize that I m changing and I miss her ?

Aadhi: Give her your time and the attention she wants.

Aadhi picked her plate to wash her hand but halted in her steps on hearing Rishi’s next question.

Rishi: I m ready to give all my time, will things turn normal between us ?

” I mean between us ? ” he thought in his mind and waited for her answer.

Aadhi: I m not an expert or good in relationships but I think giving your time will sure fix a relationship which existed in the first place. There is no point or value in wasting your time in trying to fix something that never existed.

Rishi dropped the spoon on hearing her words and the message behind it. He watched her disappearing figure, the recent song playing in the back of his mind.