Dhira woke up to an unusual headache. She scolded herself for staying up too late doing nothing but zoning-out about some random arguments she had probably years ago. Well, don't we all do that?
She realised that even if she goes to office with this headache, it's only gonna end up getting worse so she decided to take leave and rest for the day.
Just on cue when she was about to do something for her to eat after freshening up, her doorbell rang.
Dhira scrunched her nose in confusion and attended to it to find Prathap standing outside.
He had probably noticed that Dhira hasn't come out to realise that she's at home.
She could see that he was tensed about something,
Dh: Yenna achi uncle?
Dhira asked concernly,
P: Ma, Naa urgent'ah veliya poren, vara romba late aagum. Naa Adhi'ku call panen avan class'le irukan pola. Inikki avan yedho sikkiram vandhuruven'u sonnan. Nee indha key mattum aprom avan kitta kudhukuriya?
Dh: Idhulla yenna uncle irrukku, naa kuduthuren. Neenga pathu poitu vanga
Prathap ruffled her hair and started walking to the lift with a relieved smile. Now he won't lose his keys.
~~~~~~
Prathap was right, Adhi did come home earlier than usual in the mid afternoon itself since he had fewer classes that day. When he came home to find it empty, he almost panicked until,
Vaathiyare!!!
He took a deep breath before turning to her after making sure no one else heard that,
Dh: Uncle, yengeyo urgent'ah veliya poitaru. Unga kitta indha key'ah kuduthutu ungala call panna solla sonnaru
Adhi frowned in confusion and took the key from her before muttering a thanks. He took out his phone and realised all the missed calls from Prathap. He scolded himself for not checking it after his classes finished and dialed to Prathap.
He had his phone pressed again his ears and shoulder while his hands were busy opening his door waiting for Prathap to pick it up.
Dhira was watching him from her house by leaning on her gate with her hands crossed over her chest,
Dh: Vaathiyare?
Adhi turned and raised his eyebrows indicating a what,
Dh: Phone' la panna pesanum theriyum'le?
Adhi stared at her with a straight face for delivering a lame comment when he was worrying over Prathap's whereabouts.
Dh: Seri, seri, moraikadhinga. Sorry, bye!
She sulkily apologised before running back into her house shutting the door behind.
Adhi rolled his eyes and shook his head , but what he didn't realise was that small smile that was curved in his lips.
~~~~~~
Operation poigittu iruku
Prathap told from over the phone.
Prathap's colleague and very best companion with whom he had a bond of friendship extended for a lifetime has been admitted to the hospital after a mild cardiac attack. He has no children but only his wife and Prathap was the first person she could think of calling at the rush moment.
Of course coming from the battlefield dead is no new to them. Yet now,
As days passed, death felt so near and shockingly scared even Prathap.
Adhi could very well sense the intense agitations in Prathap's unsteady voice. He could understand that seeing someone you dearly possess affection of, fighting for his life is not an easy thing to watch.
Ad: Naa venumna varatta? Unga kooda irukata?
After much hesitation, Adhi finally asked unknowingly spreading a warm smile across Prathap's face at his son's genuine concern.
Adhityan might not be a lovey-dovey person we mostly see in those soap operas but he had his own ways of showing affection.
Paravala pa, naa pathukuren
Sure?
Sure.
~~~~~~
Dhira for the nth time tried to carry the heavy package that the courier man had just delivered but it was too big and heavy for her. She sigh defeatedly while mentally scolding herself to not asking him to place it inside but she knows that it's not safe.
Suddenly she was struck by an idea. She hesitated at first but consoled herself that there were no other way anyways and approached Adhi's house.
She found Adhi sitting in the living room in the floor with his laptop and stationeries scattered everywhere.
She cleared her throat before calling him,
Vaathiyare?
Adhi had his earphones plunged with songs on full volume. Even the calling bell couldn't stir up his attention.
Vaathiyare!!
Professor sir!!
Professor!!!
Mr. Adhi!!!
Adhi!!!
Despite all the names she tried and loudest volume she could pull off without earning any attention from the other neighbours, Dhira couldn't gain his attention at all.
Yenna ivaru?! Vitta odachi yaravadhu ulla vandha kudha theriyadhu pola?!
She scornfully scolded him but it's not like he could hear that too anyway. She was about to give up before making one last attempt,
ADHITHYA!
Adhi quickly jerked his head up to her direction with widen eyes. Dhira was finally relieved that he had returned to reality although the shock in his eyes did astonish her but decided to not ask or he might not help her.
Adhi put down his laptop, removed his earphones and ran to the door.
Ad: Yennachi?
Dh: Oru help venum
Ad: yenna help?
Dh: Andha parcel'ah yen room'la thookivandhu koodhuka mudhiyuma? Romba heavy'ah iruku, please?
Dhira pleaded with puppy eyes but she didn't knew he had already melted before she even tried.
Adhi nodded smiling before opening the gate and followed behind her,
Dh: Romba neram try panren! Thooka've mudhila!
Ad: Courier anupumbothu avangala'ye kondu veka sollirkalamla?
Dh: Ana adhu safe illala! Naa thaniya vera irukken! Yenaku bayama irukadha?
Adhi could understand what she meant but he lighten things up as he followed behind her to her room with the parcel carried in his hands,
Ad: ennaku yenemo avanga dhan unna pathu bayapathanum'nu thonuthu
Dhira simply glared at him as she opened her room door wider for him to enter. He placed it on the floor, straightened himself to take a look around.
Dh: Neenga yevlodhan enna kalaichalum, help pannirukinga so idhukum adhukum seriya pochi. Adhunala THANK YOU VAATHIYARE
she said it as if it was like thanking your teacher before school after the last period in rhythmic way, earning a good glare from Adhi.
Suddenly his eyes fell on her bookshelf behind her, he walked to it,
Ad: These are all yours?!
He asked squealing for the first time when he saw a bookshelf that looked no less different than his.
Dh: yeah
Dhira shrugged her shoulders and went on to explain how books are the only thing that could make her sit still and shut up.
Ad: Wait you have the full collection of this?!
Something about seeing a child-like enthusiastic Adhi who found his favourite book series in her shelf brought a bright smile to Dhira's face,
Dh: Yeah
Ad: Naa idhulla book six yengenga'lam thediruken theriyuma?
Dh: Ungaluku venuma? Yedhutukonga!
Adhi gasped in astonishment making Dhira chuckle,
Ad: Nejama solriya?
Dh: Ama
Ad: Appo un collection?
Dh: Adhuku yenna?
Adhi looked from her to the well-arranged books,
Ad: Illa neat'ah iruke, naa yedhuta mess agirathu?
Dhira scanned his face amused at the how simply taking a book could be such a big deal,
Dh: Mess ana yenna? Mess is not that bad, Adhi
Adhi took a deep breath, playing with the pages of the book that was in his hand, shaking his head in disagreement,
Ad: Mess is untidy, mess has to be dealt with. Mess is the first sign of trouble.
Dhira looked at him corncernly when she realised they were not talking about books anymore.
Growing up in a colony full of well trained and mannered people, Adhi was brought up to be a perfectionist out of his own sorts. Even though as frustrating it is sometimes, he'd never really had anyone to help him understand how free would it be to not be perfect for once,
To not have perfect exam marks,
To not perfectly excel his father's expectations,
To not have a perfect job,
To not have a perfectly planned out day,
Dh: Appo konjam nerathuku munnadhi, naa vandhu pathapo unga living room full'a messy'ah irundhuche adhu yennadhu?
Adhi looked up to find her already staring straight into his eyes, the intensity and warmth made him swallow hard.
That is you, Adithya, that is reality. Adha accept panni parunga, appo theriyum, reality yevlo azhaga irukumnu
She said while recalling how surreal he looked with his outstretched fingers running through his dishelved hair, intense eyes fixed on the screen.
He looked nothing like the usual professor in well-dressed formal clothes or the guy who probably even irons his casual at home.
He looked different, he looked like he was at home.
Adhi blinked in silence trying to decipher her words.
Ad: Nee yen inniki office pogala?
Dh: Ungaluku yepdi theriyum?
She asked him with fiery innocence but it only hit her when he continued staring at her with his poker face.
She was at home during office hours. She wasn't there to race with him in the morning.
Dh: Oh! adhu.. Kalaila'ye thala vali vaathiyare, adhan. Vara vara office'la semma vela intern'uh kooda pakama vel-
Just as she was saying, Adhi wordlessly walked away leaving her bewildered.
Yenna species ivaru? Ippo yedhuku odhunaru? Mandhaila yedhavadhu mani adhichirucha?
She mumbled to herself on her way to the living room in deep thoughts. She was contemplating if she should check on him or not.
After a while, he came back but with a cup in his hands. Dhira looked at him quizzically,
Ad: Black tea. Thala valiku nalladhu
He said handing out the cup to her. She couldn't help but smile at his way of helping her to feel better.
A strong Black tea for a headache during this gloomy weather with drizzling rain was more than she could she ask her.
She went to grab it but stopped,
Irundhalum nambalama?
She stared at him from head to toe with squinted eyes, Adhi sensed what she was thinking.
Ad: Poison'la onnu podhala, ginger, cardamom dhan potruken. Nee yennakku book'uh kudukren , naa unaku tea kudukren avlothan
Dhira had a fondful smile as she exchanged the book in her hand with his cup. Before she could sip,
Ad: Nee motha..enna yennanu.. koopta?
Adhi almost stuttered hesitantly, Dhira looked up,
Dh: Vaathiyare, naa ungala apdidhane koopdhuven?
Dhira asked shrugging her shoulders,
Adhi clicked his tounge,
Ad: Adhu illa, modha anga kooptiye
He whined pointing at his house, Dhira started thinking by listing out all the names she called and finally realised,
Oh, Adithya!
Adhi chuckle with the brightest smile that reached his eyes. But Dhira became worried,
Dh: Yen? Apdhi koopdha koodhada?
Suddenly his smile shrunk into a painful one,
Ad: En amma enna apdidhan koopdhuvanga. Avanga mattum dhan yenna apdi koopdhuvanga. Adhan..
Thanks
Dhira sensed the sincerity in his eyes,
She smiled back. Adhi took a deep breath before bidding bye and was going back to his house with his book when Dhira jogged behind him and just when he was about to enter his house,
Adhitya!
He leaned back and raised his eyebrows,
Andha book'u ku badhila naa indha cup'eh vechikalama?!
Adhi scrunched his nose,
Azhaga iruku vaathiyare, please!
Adhi chuckled shaking his head,
Seri Vechiko!
She giggled thanking him and ran back inside. Adhi whispered at her disappearing shadow,
Naanum vechikiren
~~~~~~
When Dhira came back to her room and she walked past her shelf, she stopped. Her fingers found it's way to caress the one empty space left from the book that Adhi took away.
Her shelf looked messy indeed with all the other books leaning over each other comparing to the neat posture it was earlier.
But this mess was beautiful. A small smile spread across her face while she reminisced their conversation.
She held the matte ceramic cup close to her heart and sat by the window watching the rain, while sipping the tea.
🦋
After Adhi went into his house after closing the door behind. He noticed his living room floor and she was right indeed. That place was a complete mess with his laptop on one side and his notes and stationeries scattered on the other.
If it was his usual self, he would have got frustrated with the scenario and cleaned up the mess but now he didn't.
He simply shrugged his shoulder like it wouldn't bother him anymore and walked to the balcony. He sat on the nest swing chair.
He had a content smile in his face as he inhaled the deep scent of the book in his hands as he held it close to his heart while watching the rain.
Be it the messy weather after rain,
Or the mess someone creates in our heart
Mess is beautiful indeed.
==================
Hope that I managed to make up with late updates. Will love to hear from you guys.