It's been twelve years since they found a new life in the realms of Boston and Srishti was nothing but grateful. Benevolence was something that she felt again when Haritha, Her professor 's mother asked for her help at the hotel when one of her pastry chefs had a family emergency.
Srishti was enthralled by the hotel and sighed, Haritha 's son had made sure that his mother had the best Indian restaurant in all of Boston,
'Sasha kanna… I have to thank you, na koopta odanae vanthathuku' She hugged her to her heart as an act of adoration,
'Mam.. thanks laam edhuku' she smiled at her ,
' Unaku evlo Vela irunthaalu unna namba help keta ne illa nu solla maata nu Adhi sonnathu sari dha' she pinched the younger one's cheek and took her around the place to show her around,
' Anike kekanum nu nenachen.. unaku epdi Baking la interest vanthuchu?' she had offered her some coffee and a few butter cookies,
' Athu.. Literature maathiri Baking uhm enakoru therapy dha.. something that makes me happy ' she smiled at her.
Srishti soon busied herself in making beautiful cup cakes and pastries with Haritha, the duo spent a considerable amount of time bonding over cakes and coffee that Srishti hardly noticed time passing,
' Sasha.. innu rendu cup cake eduthuko..
The strawberry tart is your favorite right?'
'Kandipa mam.. ' she giggled cutely, munching a cupcake,
'Sari.. vaa na unna veetla vidren ' the elder one smiled,
'Ore nimisham … kelambarthuku munnadi na restroom mattum poitu vanthrava?' she pouted, making Haritha chuckle and nod her head.
Srishti bounced through the door passing by a security camera when something caught her eye,
AV SECURITY SYSTEMS, BOSTON. CONTACT FOUNDER, ADHIRAN VEDHAMANIKAM .
Beneath the wordings was a landline number.
'I have a side job that keeps me financially stable'
'Paathiya ,namba college la security cameras install panirkaanga '
Srishti quickly took two business cards and rushed to the front door as she heard Haritha calling for her, her heart crumbling into pieces seeing the extent of his generosity towards her.
How she wished she could bury herself inside his profound heart and never come back .
Srishti took the momos she made in a small container and smiled to herself and stood outside his classroom awaiting lunch hour to begin, she had initially planned to leave it on his desk with a thank you note if he wasn't available but something in her wanted to see his smile when he relished the momos ,
Given that Adhiran had helped her with the application process for all the masters program she chose to apply for, he kept his word and indeed wrote her personalised recommendation letters assuring her that she indeed deserved the previlge. Her heart swelled with nothing but adoration and gratitude for the man who has done so much for her,
Avoiding him was impossible, given that he affected her so much.
Her eyes fell on the window and saw him sitting on his desk, reading something on the laptop screen as he took notes, he stood up with a sweet smile when he saw her enter, his tanned forearms and veiny palms still clutching his pen,
' Good afternoon,Sasha!'
'Good afternoon, Professor Adhiran.. neenga ukarunga.. I just wanted to drop something off' she told him, handing him the tiffin,
A smile graced his rosy lips when he opened the tiffin,
' oru nimisham iru!' he told her and Srishti noticed how suave he was in his black shirt and tailored black slacks that made him impossibly handsome , Adhiran entered the room again with two cups of coffee and handed her one,
' Idhu pudi.. stay and share with me!' he chuckled and nodded at her as he looked at the tiffin with so much adoration. Srishti's cheeks crimsoned feeling the moment,
He gestured her to sit on the other side of the desk and waited till she sat before taking a seat in front of her,
'To what do I owe the pleasure?' he watched her with intense eyes, gauging her reaction,
Srishti couldn't look into his eyes and buried her nose in her coffee,
'Illa.. application process la enaku neenga neraya help panninga… also the saree…
Ungluku proper ah thanks sollanum nu thonuchu athunaala dha..
It would've so hard without you' she told him , sincerely,
His face remained serious, ' we both help each other ,Sasha.. na edhumae expect panla '
'Illa.. athu..'
' Nalla iruku idhu… Ne saapadu koduthu thanks soldrathu
Ipdi cook panna kaalam muzhuka help panite irukalam polaruke ' he told her, his smile lighting up his features,
Srishti blushed looking down and distracted herself with her coffee,
' jokes apart Sasha ma but as much as I appreciate your cooking, I don't want you to strain because of me…
Ne kashta pattu dha na taste ah saapudnum nu illa' he told her with earnest eyes and Srishti 's heart felt like it'd burst into particles if he kept on showering so much kindness on her,
'Hey.. Athela onnu illa ma.. ' Srishti bit her lips , trying to cover her slip up, 'Athu.. Kashtam laam illa..
Na nethu amma bakery ku poirunthen.. anga oruthar ku family emergency ndrathunaala enna help ku kooptaanga. I hope you don't mind' she told him ,
' Sasha.. enna paaren ' he whispered softly, his voice softer than velvet,
She did as she was told and gazed into his eyes, Adhiran's beautiful brown eyes were her definition of divinity,
' I really don't mind' he told her, his eyes smiling with his luscious lips,
' Okay' Srishti's lips twitched, ' Enaku amma Bakery romba pudichiruku.. She has taught me so much! She's amazing, Professor Adhiran!'
'Amma… he whispered with an adorable smile, ' Avangla maathiri na oruthara paathathu illa. And I'm really happy you both get along so well!
Unkita na onnu kekanum' he told her, his eyes finding hers effortlessly,
' Kelunga'
Adhiran took a sip of his coffee as he leaned back on his chair, his eyes bore into hers. perhaps he sought something that only belonged to him and she wasn't aware?
' Nallaiku Oxford University la oru Literary convention nadaka poguthu.. and I'm one of the speakers.
Idha na kekalama therila.. and I know it's a weekend.. But I wish for you to accompany me..
Unaku campus oda oru feel kedaikum.. anga irukuravangloda oru exposure irukum..
And yes, Un Vaazhnaal la extra one hour ne ennoda lecture ah kaadhu valika kekara maathiri irukum' Adhiran giggled melodiously,
Srishti processed what he was implying slowly,
' Unga koodava?' she asked him,
'Enkooda ' he proclaimed,
Srishti didn't mask her desperation this time and told him immediately, 'Unga kooda varen '
'Enkooda vara..' he mumbled again before smiling , ' Sari.. I'll pick you up at nine tomorrow '
'Na edachu kondu varanuma?'
'Ne mattum pothum' he sealed the deal.
Srishti didn't consider it when Adhiran told her that she didn't need to bring anything with her the next day. But she had hardly slept that night, the blissful nerves kept her guessing all night.
If there was one thing that made her feel at home in England, it was the food that she made. Perhaps that was what made her connect with Adhiran's mother so easily, the world of culinary arts indeed had the distinct quality of containing the feeling of being home.
Indian food was one thing she found most comfort in,
Srishti had soaked some channa dal to make some chole and had already made the dough for the bhature. She had woken up earlier than usual to make breakfast and coffee for both Adhiran and herself before they left her home.
Funny how she enjoyed drinking English coffee while making Indian breakfast, and how she was a beautifully crafted amalgamation. Both of them were,
She had dressed herself nicely with a Lincoln green dress, paired with a fluffy white cardigan. Her hair was secured in a high ponytail . She smiled looking at herself again,
Was she dressed because she wanted to look professional?
Or Was she dressed to rightfully match a certain someone?
Adhiran's soft knock on the door that signified his arrival was all that she needed to break away from her trance as she hopped down the stairs to open the door, Adhiran stood outside her door gracefully as ever, greeting her with an easy smile.
Srishti 's eyes were claimed by the entirety of his five and eleven inches. Adhiran was dressed sleekly in a dark brown blazer with a lemon green shirt , two buttons unbuttoned below the chest. Her nose flared with his fresh fragrance that was intricate to himself. His curly black hair looked like circlets of dark chocolate as they glittered in the morning sun,
'Good morning ' he told her, eyeing her subtly,
' Vaanga .. nane breakfast pannen .. saaptu polam' she opened the door wide for him to enter, ' Anna uhm Chandru uhm ulla thoongaraanga.. they won't be awake so soon '
Srishti's heart fluttered at the way he entered her kitchen so easily and didn't even hesitate to serve them two plates of freshly made chole bhature and poured two coffees. She had the pleasure of watching him lean against the kitchen counter as he relished his food,
' Veetu saapdu ku munnadi evlo periya chef uhm thothuruvan' he moaned having a mouthful of her food,
' This is where my heart is …. I guess namba rendu perukumae idhubset aagum la?' she took a bite with him,
' Amma saapadu saapudra enaku theriyum..
But now I wonder, he took a step forward as he eyed her closer, ' Ne ethana naal thaniya saaptrupa.. it breaks my heart Sasha ma..
It breaks my heart to think of all those moments ' he whispered looking sullen,
' Unmatha ' she smiled sadly at him , ' But I've been occupied by my boyfriends across time, so don't worry!' She winked at him playfully taking him by surprise,
'Athu sari' he smiled back at her.
Adhiran's eyes teared up of his own accord at the girl in front of him, how she had seen the toughest storms and here she was, joking about her misery so easily. Taking the blame entirely upon her.
It made him want to fetch the stars and the moon and drop it down her feet that very instant.
'Sari… polama?' she asked him innocently,
'Polam' he nodded his head and Srishti had the pleasure of watching his wayward curls in perfect disarray,
As they reached the door, Srishti juggled her coffee and keys, trying to hold them both as she took her coat, Adhiran's eyes perked up at the sight, ' Let me' he whispered and came to stand behind her,
Adhiran stood patiently as he waited for her to slowly help her into her coat . A sharp shiver went down her spine when she felt his pliable fingers caress the back of her neck, as he let her pony tail from underneath her coat,
She turned around to look at him, managing to whisper a small thank you to which he smiled back, ' After you'
Oxford was nothing short of the descriptions that the poet's she doted on had described, Vintage and so perfectly contained that one would easily assess the magnanimous knowledge it gave it's students and scholars was not a child's play. Oxford was the part of the earth she idolized the most and it welcomed her with pure intellectual fancy,
Srishti entered the place walking quietly by his side, she came to contact with smartly dressed people who discussed Dickens , Shakespeare , Donne and other Scholars holding cups of Coffee or Joe as it was fondly addressed there,
Her eyes fell on the man beside her and a familiar smile graced her lips. This was where this man had learned the Art she fell in love with,
One more reason to die for the place.
Adhiran had slipped away for a short moment to meet some of his colleagues and old batch mates and she used that time to consult the information booths that were kept around the place for Scholars and students who are new to that place. Srishti had already sent her application for their post graduation program and there was nothing else that she could have done. Still, she had a strong urge to get to know the English Department of Massachusetts ' oldest University.
And twenty minutes later, she walked back along with two of their brochures, a pin that bore Oxford 's emblem and a leather journal that had their contact information. The fact that she had a conversation with the Head of the English Department so easily made her smile and grin like a child !
Adhiran stood there leaning on a wall , his hands in his pockets as he grinned back at her, matching her enthusiasm.
'Professor Adhiran! Paarunga!!
Avanga laam enkita pesuvaangla nu nenachen.. but look! I've gotten myself a signed journal! All I asked was one question about Dickens and it went from there for fifteen minutes! ' Srishti laughed and clapped her hands, unable to contain her excitement anymore.
Somehow, she felt comfortable enough to let loose when he was with her,
Adhiran laughed along with her and raised his hands to do a high five with her,his brown eyes dancing in pure joy , 'Illaya pinna?
They'd be fools to not be enchanted and pour their Scholarly hearts to you'
Srishti blushed again till the roots of her hair and didn't say anything. They stood there for sometime before Adhiran leaned off the wall and started walking towards the booths offering coffee,
'Sikram vaa.. We should get some before it runs out.. Unaku sikram theriyum.. that this department drinks a lot of Joe..
Especially if they have to socialize too much for comfort ' he chuckled at the last statement,
'Sari.. epo unga lecture?' she asked him,
'Dho.. oru five minutes la' he said, looking at his brown leather watch,
'Ungluku excited ah iruka? Nervous ah iruka? I mean.. ungluku nervous ah iruka vaipu illa.. you are so intelligent and confident.. she bit her lips to stop rambling.. 'Na.. na ungla bayamurutha sollala.. I'm sorry '
'Sasha ma…you're making me nervous ' he giggled,
'Athu.. I'm sorry Professor Adhiran… erm.. Enaku romba nervous ah iruku.. na-
' You're nervous for me?' He stopped laughing entirely and smiled at her endearingly,
' That's so sweet of you ,Thangam' he held her shoulders, softly squeezing them, ' Sari poi ukaru.. na ulla poren'
The innocent touch lingered as she sat a few rows behind, watching him take control over the large podium , dominating the whole place with the purest class of his wit and intellect, he was knowledgeable and firm, speaking to adults who are well versed in Milton and Shakespeare.
He wasn't holding himself back as he expertly analyzed them all, tying them with the modern world. Srishti had so many comments and questions, but what dominated herself was pure adoration and respect for everything that he was,
He finished his lecture gracefully and was awarded with words of praise and some questions which he answered politely. He wasn't let go by all the people who surrounded them, all of them wanting to have their moment with them. Srishti smiled at him from afar as he answered a Scholar 's question,
She didn't expect him to walk in her direction when a tall woman, dressed in a red Satin dress walked up to him with an eager smile . Srishti was in awe of her posture and the confidence she possessed and instantly recognised that she wasn't just interested in regency literature,
Who wouldn't be captivated by him?
She felt guilty for even feeling envious but she couldn't help but allow herself the tendency of being a human, for wanting someone whom she could by nature and by law never have, Adhiran looked at her way suddenly and she instantly averted her eyes away from him,
She prayed to God that he shouldn't read the emotions in her eyes and just when she thought of walking away, a hand felt her shoulders gently from behind,
' Enkooda va' echoed his voice, firmly,
'Illa.. athu avanga laam unglukaagha wait panraanga ' she saw some people awaiting him to come back ,
'Wait panatum'
He took them both outside and stood silently, watching her wear her coat again,
'You were great, it was such an insightful session!'
'Thank you' his strong arms propped up against the metal railing of the corridors as he leaned against it, he looked so deep in thought that it was hard for her to read what went by behind those ever composed eyes of his,
'I have a question related to your lecture ' she slowly told him,
' Sollu ma'
' It's from Shakespeare… classic Romeo and Juliet … I keep dissecting it's meaning every single day'
'Edhu da?'
' These violent delights have violent ends, and in thier triumph die like fire and powder which, as they kiss, consume
Idhuku enna artham nu neraya yosichirken.. like was Shakespeare trying to foreshadow us that Romeo and Juliet were doomed? .
Illana.. Love is just the lust.. passion until it withers.. it never ends well for lovers nu soldrara therila' she explained him,
' Is that how you view love? Passion until it withers?' he asked her, very much interested by how her brain worked,
'I'm a hopeless romantic.. manasu oruthar ku koduthuta.. athu avangluku dha.. forever..' she smiled,
' Proof iruka madam kita?' he asked her,
' We can die by it, if not live by love,
And if unfit for tombs and hearse
Our legend be, it will be fit for verse
Namba sethaalu namba pera solli thudikara antha idhayatha vida Vera enna precious ah iruka mudiyum?' she asked him with a dreamy smile,
,
Adhiran was surely a learned Scholar and she didn't give into the thought of him being a serial romantic as well, 'To answer your question… he cleared his throat..
Shakespeare thavira athuku yaaru sari ah explanation thara mudiyathu.. but you have all the right to make interpretations.. antha urima unnodathu..
Enna porutha vara.. He wrote it for two people whose love would burn too bright, so bright that it has the capacity to destroy everything that's laid against it…
The violent fire can burn the entire society that weak enough to withstand it.. avlo powerful antha love.. ' he had the same lone look as she did that minute,
Something about his tone made an oscillation, was it Shakespeare he related it with?
Or was it his own struggle with his growing feelings for a certain student?
'Sila neram na edachu keka poi ungla kova paduthreno nu enaku thonuthu ' she sighed,
'Kovama.. Sasha, enna paaru ' his eyes seeked hers, and she did momentarily,
'Oh god.. not like that' he hissed slowly, cursing under his breath,
'Ennachu? Na edachu thappa solitena?'
'Nothing, Sasha ma.. it's all me.. ' he huffed steadily,
'Im sorry na-
' No, My Darling' he cleared his throat again, his fingers falling on her chin to angle her face to look at him, ' Onnu illa.. Vaa.. saapda polam.. it's lunch time already '
Tbc
Hey guys!
This chapter is my ode to English and love, and it celebrates English Literature and the feeling of being Indian at the same time !
This chapter has a lot of ' Me' in it. Hope you like this one.
I'll be really happy if you'd tell me what you think!