"Arjun Das?", Malar exclaims looking stunned.
Arjun grins and says, "Hi Malar, ungla pathi nariya kelvi patruken."
"What? Really?", Malar asks looking at Anirudh."Enna pathi enna ya sonne?"
Anirudh raises his eyebrow, "Enna mariyada koraiyidu?"
Arjun laughs looking at them."No one talks to him like this you know. You're the first girl."
Malar makes a face, "You mean all the girls flirt with him? It's not like I want his attention."
Anirudh cuts in with a smirk, "It's not?"
"No but I could say the same about you since you are the one who wants me to work with you", Malar states raising her eyebrow.
"Matikita macha", Arjun shakes his head laughing.
Anirudh rubs his nape in embarrassment as he says, "I just wanted revenge for how you spoke to me."
"How petty", Malar rolls her eyes.
Anirudh was about to say something but Malar ignores him and turns to Arjun."Are you here for the recording?Ninge paduvingala?"
Arjun smiles shaking his head, "No, not me,I am here because I am acting in it."
"And also because I am his best friend" Arjun adds as an afterthought.
Anirudh glares at him as Malar laughs.
"Your friend's with him.Impossible.", Malar says shaking her head.
Anirudh huffs,"Everyone wants to be my friend."
"Not me.", Malar sasses back.
Anirudh smirks, "Right, you want to be more than friends."
Malar rolls her eyes turning toward him, "Ninge ella ponnunga koodavum ippadi dhan pesuvingala?"
Arjun speaks up this time, "No actually, he usually ignores or is very standoffish to girls who speak to him. He is polite at best but very detached to even celebrity girls."
Malar looks up at Anirudh surprised to find him already looking at her. They both share an intense look making Malar blush clear her throat.Anirudh shakes his head, smiling at the reaction he has on her.
Arjun who is standing behind them notices this inconspicuous interaction.He walks towards Anirudh whispering in his ears,"Vazhiyidu,thodachiko."
Anirudh glares at Arjun before whipping his head to check if Malar heard them, but she was busy answering a phone call.
"Hey babe", Malar greets Ayira.
This shocks Anirudh who stares at her in apparent jealousy. Does she really have a boyfriend, he thinks to himself feeling dejected all of a sudden. Arjun seeing Anirudh's face fall comforts him.
"Hi, innaiku night nee free ah? Girls night.My house or your house?", Ayira asks Malar on the call.
"Ama nightu free dhan.Your house.", Malar answers back grinning at the thought of girl's night.
Anirudh's jaw drops as he continues standing there stunned.
"Ok di bye lecture irruku.Love you", Ayira says to her.
"Bye, love you", Malar says before cutting the call.
Anirudh's jaw which was hanging, now sways in the breeze as his mind registers what Malar said
Malar turns back and is amused to see Anirudh's and Arjun's comical reactions.
"Why are you guys standing there with those expressions?", Malar asks.
"Who were you talking to right now?", Anirudh asks her rather rudely.
"Excuse me?", Malar glares at him."It's none of your business."
"Boyfriend ah?", Anirudh ask her hating the way he was being rude but he couldn't help his nature.
"Yaara irrunda ungaluku enna?", Malar raises her eyebrow.
Anirudh shrugs before turning around. Malar looks at Arjun incredulously at the sudden behavioral change. Arjun gives her an apologetic look.
At that exact time, director Nelson Dilipkumar arrives and apologizes for being late.
Malar smiles and introduces herself to him.
"Ithu tha unga assistan ah ji?", Nelson asks to Anirudh, who just gives a vague nod.
"Appe recording session start panlama? Do you want to listen to the tune?", Anirudh asks Nelson and Arjun.
Both of them nod in agreement. Anirudh starts the tune ignoring Malar.
Ippo na yeena panna, why is he angry on me?Malar wonders to herself as she moves to the couch.She sees his schedule, which looks messed up with dates circled all over the place.Shaking her head, she read his schedule before slowly starting to sort it out.
Anirudh, sees her helping him despite his rude behavior and regrets his actions.
After the session finished, Arjun, Nelson and Anirudh glance back to see Malar still working intently.
"Go apologise to her da macha", Arjun advises Anirudh.
"Ippe yenna ji panninga?", Nelson questioned him.
Arjun fills Nelson in on what happened.
The older man tsked."Unga jealousy kaga antha ponne mela yen ji kovam? Oruvela irrukomo?", Nelson raised his eyebrows looking at Arjun.
Arjun grinned,"Kandippa".Anirudh glared at both of them.
"Ninge rendu perum ippo kelambuna nalla irrukum.", Anirudh states.
Arjun and Nelson shake their head before leaving.
Anirudh rubs his face, before getting up and walking to Malar.
"Are you done? Come on I'll drop you home.
Malar looks up at him giving him a blank look before getting up and handing his schedule papers to him. He shuffles through the pages to see his schedule sorted out and color-coded.
"Thanks", Anirudh says to her gratefully.
She nods before taking her bag and walking out. Anirudh sighs and follows her, knowing it will be hard to make her forgive him.
"Where should I drop you?", Anirudh asks her once they are settled in the car.
"In my friend's house", she replies curtly before giving him the address.
The ride home was filled with silence and neither broke it, Anirudh was too scared to break it and Malar was too angry to face him.
As they reached the address, Malar was about to step out before she was stopped.
Anirudh rubbed his eyes and gulps before apologizing, "Sorry for the way I behaved with you. Yen thappu dhan."
"You don't treat me that way and then expect everything to be fine with one sorry.", Malar states coldly before walking out.
Anirudh groans before driving home.
***
He enters his house to find his mom sitting on the sofa watching tv. He walks to her before laying his head on her lap and closing his eyes.
"Dei Ani enna da achu?Ethavuthu work tension ah?", Lakshmi enquires as she looks at her son worriedly.
Anirudh shakes his head as a no.
"Yethavuthu sanda potiya?"
"I'll amma...adhuvandu...", Anirudh hesitates before spilling his problem.
'Oru ponnu kooda kovama pesiten aana ava mela entha thappum illa."
When his mother heard the word girl, she sits up excitedly and looks at him expectantly to give all the details.
Anirudh shakes his head, "Amma innum yedhume nadakule.She is just my assistant avlodhan."
Lakshmi lifts her eyebrows, "Yedhume nadakama ya nee ava kooda sanda potte?"
Anirudh pouts looking at his mother before whining, "Ammaaaaa"
Lakshmi laughs, "Seri da nee vandu sapdu mothale."
***
Malar enters Ayira's house frustrated at Anirudh.
Ayira watches in amusement as Malar falls on the sofa and closes her eyes, rubbing her temple.
"Enna di aachu?", Ayira asks her.
Malar sighs before telling her what happened.
"So he became angry after I called you right?", Ayira asks Malar controlling her laughter.
"Hmm ya that's when it started I guess.", Malar replies.
Ayira finally bursts out laughing while Malar looks at her as if she's stupid.
"Ayy yendi paithiyakari maari sirikura?", Malar asks her.
"Loosu he got angry because he was jealous.", Ayira replies after her laughter died down.
"What?", Malar asks confused.
"See he heard only your side of the conversation right? So what did u call me when you first picked up the phone? Hey baby right?", Ayira asks her.
"Ama", Malar replies still not getting it.
"Ahtuku aprom yenna sonne?", Ayira asks lauhging.
"Nightu free dhan.Your house nu sonne.", Malar says causing Ayira to laugh even more.
"Athu mattuma I love you kuda sonne di", Ayira says chuckling.
Malar's eyes widened in realization.
"He thought I was talking to my boyfriend.", Malar whispers blushing lightly.
Ayira nods before looking at her suspiciously and asking, "Ayy yenna di nadakudhu?"
"Naan, nee, animals ellam tha nadakudhu", Malar says looking at her innocently.
"Intha mokka joke ippa thevaiya.", Ayira scrunches her nose.
"Seri va, saptu we'll watch a movie.", Malar says abruptly changing the topic.
"Iru di, oru naal mattamala pove...apo vachikuren.", Ayira says looking at Malar.
"Vechiko vechiko...", Malar grins before dragging Ayira.
***
Hope you enjoy this chapter!