Not A Simple Engineer Boy!

Fifty Three: Lateral Torsional Buckling (Part 3)

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Krithika was trying to walk behind him. He pulled Dhanya with him, his arms circling her shoulder, and walked behind Satya. She saw him in confusion and muttered, "Xavi?"

"No rush, sweetie.", he winked at her.

Slowing his pace with Dhanya's, he tried to catch up with Krithika. He knew that she wouldn't match the snail's speed, she surely was intimidated by Satya. And just like that, his sweetheart started to walk next to him.

He bent a bit, "You want to kill me, sweetheart?", he murmured in her ear and she slightly stumbled.

"What?", Krithika breathed.

"Promise me, you'll never wear this fucking color.", he looked at her lower lip which she kept biting, "You are doing the worst job of rectifying your past two mistakes. Stop biting your lips or I will...", he hissed in a low voice.

"Huh, did you say anything Xavi?", Dhanya turned her head up to look at him.

"No, I was just revising my script on how to beg for forgiveness from Satya.", he replied to Dhanya.

"Oh, you can talk to her after the Poojai, hopefully after eating Pongal Prasadam she will get in a better mood.", Dhanya advised.

He showed her a thumbs-up sign as she broke free from his clutches and sprinted forward. Bringing the same thumb to his lips, he seductively kissed it while holding Krithika's gaze. He noticed how rapidly she blinked her eyes, trying to recollect herself.

Lips curled into a smile as she narrowed her eyes at him. His arm went out to hold her back but she ran past him, swatting his hand away, and catching her speed to Dhanya.

Wrong move.

He realized why she had walked behind him for the past five minutes, avoiding pacing faster along her God-like mentor. The back of her dress had a beautiful flaw, it showed enough of her delectable skin. His hands itched to feel it and he was determined.

They all turned a corner and he took one long last stride to catch up. Before he could place his hand where he intended to, Satya turned and stared at him.

Damn!

Jerking both of his arms in front, he abruptly crossed them over his chest. Maybe some sort of reflex action?

He cleared his throat, "Satya?"

She didn't say a word but rather pointed him to stand first. He noticed that they were standing across the temple. When did they arrive here?

He knew the ritual by heart. He had been a part of this for the past five years. When Satya's father was alive, he used to be the one who stood first. After his demise, Satya had urged Xavier to stand in front and take her father's place.

Xavier hadn't been religious or spiritual in any sense, he was an atheist. But from his childhood, he respected people around him and celebrated every festival with his friends. He was born into a Christian family, but he grew up being secular.

He had debated initially, that it was unfair to stand in place of the righteous Mr. Devinathan- her father. Satya had shut him saying that it was her father's wish and he had obliged. Two years down the lane and he still complied it.

She stood next to him and then her sister. Krithika walked ahead and stood across the three, facing them. Satya urged the pandit to start and he started his work. Hymns and sandalwood smoke filled in the air.

It was nostalgic to him. Samiksha's mother used to pray similarly. He smiled reminiscing how he and Alisha used to fight over Prasad while the good-est girl Samiksha tried to calm them by acting like a referee. Good old days.

Satya's hand over his arm brought him to the present and his eyes fell over the sullen face of the pandit. Did he miss anything?

"Take the Prasadam.", Satya glared at him.

Oh, the Poojai's done already?

He raised his hand as the pandit chanted something and gave him the Prasadam. Usually, it was a jaggery-based sweet dish- rice and lentils cooked till they were mushy. It was called 'Sakara Pongal'. Well, it suited the name of the festival.

He ate it and looked across, looked at her. Her eyes were trained on his face, specifically his mouth. His fingers traced below his lips and cleaned the remnant of the Prasadam. He raised a questioning brow at her. She immediately turned her face and smiled at Satya.

Wait, why was she here?

--

A/N

Introduced by one of my friends, Pavizha Mazhaye makes me think of the scene when I first went to Ooty while it was raining. A hill station with that kind of breezy rain is nothing but heaven.

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