08 | I love you

~~~~~~~~~~Mahadevan~~~~~~~~~~

The two best friends were having an apologizing session.

"ei.. Sorry di.. I should not have behaved liked that with you earlier. Its my mistake for not pickign your call" Krishnan apologized first.

"pcch..leave it .. its ok.. there is a mistake from me as well for talking about you and Anjana"

"kovam pocha??" (Is your anger on me gone?" Krishnan asked.

She stepped forward and had a friendly hug with Krishnan. Sandhya looked at me sideways and detached herself immediately upon seeing me.

I actually did not take that seriously as I know the relationship they both have. Neither Anjana mistook their hug. Its a friendly hug and she too understood that.

"ok.. how did you get ready with a smiling face to meet the groom? Which means are you ok with marrying anyone instead of Deva? is that the love that you had for him?" Krishnan shot a a valid question.

I was eagerly waiting for her answer. Actually, I was broken in one corner of my heart, when I saw her. She decked herself very neatly and was having a cheerful and happy face , even before looking at me. We informed the elders as well to maintain it as confidential. If at all, she insists, we requested to give some other information to her.

But she had a smiling face. why? Has she changed her heart and mind so soon? Myself and Krishna were eagerly waiting for her answer. My heart beat raced up. Within a fraction of second, so many thoughts clouded my mind.

Did she really did not like me? Is she accepting all this because, the elders have forced her?

"I already knew it is Deva who is coming to meet me" came Sandhya's voice, looking at me through the corner of her eyes.

I felt happy hearing it. We might not have exchanged any love words, nor spoke anything about us. It is always the looks that are exchanged between us.

I looked at her with a questioning look of if she likes me? As in understanding my thoughts, she nodded yes with a blush.

If we had conversed earlier at least with the eyes just like now, we would have made some beautiful memories of love phase. But this is also good. We are going to get married.

"But how come you know about us coming? We decided to have it all confidential with you" Krishna put forth the doubt, which I too had.

"does anyone want bajji?" Anjana came in with a plate of fresh bajji's that were fried now. She asked stretching the plate to us , while chewing one in her mouth. We don't even know when she left to the kitchen, as we were busy talking.

Me and Krishnan now understood how and who is the reason behind all this.

"Anjanaaaaaa" me and Krishnan shouted. But she was too busy in eating i, t to concentrate on our tone or look.

"What?" she asked naively, still concentrating on the bajji.

"Did you talk with Sandhya in call today?" Krishnan interrogated her.

"oh.. ya.. when you went to take bath, I sneakily made call to her and was talking. I was talking about our meet today at her house. That is when you came from the bathroom , so I cut the ..." Anjana rolled her eyes left and right with the next bajji in her hand stopping in the mid way.

She realized that she blurted the truth to Sandhya and also now to us about her open mouth.

"Chatterbox" we shouted at her and she ran away with the plate of bajji, while me and Krishnan chased her.

~~~~~~~~~~Sandhya~~~~~~~~~~

I too ran behind Krishna to catch Anjana. Reason?? obviously bajji.

"sss.. aaaahhhh" I hissed in pain as my very short hair was pulled harshly, making me halt abruptly.

I stopped on track and my head hit a chest.

Clutching my hair at the back with my left hand, I shouted "ei... hairu..." I shouted in tamil. ( A/N: You know the other word for hair in Tamil , which I am not describing here.. )

I turned slightly to see that cruel face for pulling my hair.

It was Deva. Obviously only he could be. Earlier we were four memebers out of which 2 have exited. So it was me and Deva only.

Deva's eyes widened as if his pupils would come out. He left my hair immediately. I too quickly understood the reason for his reaction.

Seeing him I turned around completely to face him. I was standing very close to him. It gave a different feeling. The fact that everyone are there out in the living room, me and Deva alone like this with such a short distance. It all felt good and at the same time, I had a fear of what if others sees us? Mainly Krishna.. He will tease me to the core.

So I distanced myself. Looking at his shocked face  I understood what happened few seconds back,  "acchoo.. Deva.. no no.. don't take me wrongly.. I .. I meant my hair on the head. I meant to ask why did you pull my hair"

Deva gave me a scrutinizing gaze at me. The look he gave me was enough to understand that he does not believe me.

"Believe me Deva.. I never used any bad words. Even now I meant only the real hair on my head. You know how difficult it is for girls to grow their hair. "

He remained silent looking at me. His gaze lingered on me from head to toe and I felt shy . very shy. I wandered my eyes here and there but not to him.

Still, as in casually looking , I managed to see him.  He smiled .. no. no. smirked at me , a teasing smirk.

Sandhya.. ipdi sight adichu evlo nalaiku otta pora.. vaya tharandhu edachu pesu.. avan pesara maari illa.

Sandhya, for how long you are going to sight him. Initiate the conversation. He does not seem to do  any - I mentally thought looking sideways.

Mustering my courage and hiding my shyness, I looked at him .

"Come on , you want to ask me something ?" he asked.

I was about to ask him, but then I noticed, two strands of my hair on his hand. Seeing it instantly brought a frown on my face.

"Acchu cho . Deva.. you have two strands of my hair in your hand. Do you know how much difficult it is to grow hair? No matter what I try, I have a very short and thin hair." I said with a pout looking longingly at my hair in his hands.

He noticed the hair on his hands and threw it outside the window. "sorry.. I wanted to stop you running , as I wanted to talk.. so in a hurry.."

"I have a beautiful name 'Sandhya' . You could have called me with that. My two strands of hair, hayyo.. if it goes like this, by the time I get married, I would need to hire a wig for my marriage" I felt like crying.

"Every time, I comb, few strands of hair goes. Guys like you who have thick hair will not understand the difficulties of girls like us"

" Do you really like to marry me?" he asked while I was accusing him for pulling my hair and mourning at my hair loss.

I was still worried about my hair loss, that I did not heed to what he asked. Finding no correct reply he waved his hands in front of my face.

"Do you really like to marry me?" he asked.

His question made me comeback from my thoughts about hair.

"yes ..yes..  " I stuttered. " ofcourse.. and you? do you lov.. like me?" I wanted to ask does he love me but then changed it.

I was eagerly waiting for his answer, but he stood there smiling and bobbed his head in positive.

"why can't you open your mouth and say?" I mumbled little louder for him to hear.

He was about to open his mouth, when we heard a throat clearing sound at the back of me.

"Can I come inside?"

"Varadha apdiye poydu engayachu"  (Don't come inside. Go far away) I replied to Krishnan without turning towards him.

Deva went out seeing Krishnan, not before looking at me sideways with a small smile around his lips.

"Did I interrupt your romance?" asked Krishnan.

"Yenda?? nan unaku ennada drogam pannen? avaney ipo dhan pesalanu vaai eduthan, nee vandhu keduthuta. vaaya tharandha muthu udhirndhudumnu pakran.. "

(What fault or wrong did I do for you? Why do you torture me like this ? Just now he was about to open his mouth and you came hear as a disturbance"

"machi.. I am there to help you out" said Krishnan assuringly.

"enough paa. Krishna.. enough. I really thank you for bringing the topic of my marriage with Deva.. from here on I will take it forward. you go romance with Anjana "

"is that the friendship we have?" Krishnan uttered in a dramatic way.

"sss..mudiyala da mudiyala.. orey oru friend unna vachu nan padra avastha irukey. enayum life la settle aga vidra.. ivan koocha subavatha poki.. nan valkaila adutha kattathuku poi.. mudiyala ..enna vituden.."

( I am really finding it difficult with only one friend. I have to ward off his shyness away from him and then take next step.. and so many more are there.. )

I heard my dad call me , while we were talking. I stopped krishnan from replying and went to the living room.

The opputhamboolam was exchanged between my parents and Deva's parents. Anjana filmed it as a video. I instructed Krishnan too to take some photos and videos of  only Deva.

Amidst everyone, Deva did not even turn his head or eyes towards me.

Finally the time came for them to depart from our house. Deva is very shy around everyone. I know. Still I expected him to wave me bye. But he did not even spare me a look.

All the elders were talking while moving near the front door. I too walked following them.

"Enakum unna pidichirku.. unna matum dhan" (I like you too..only you) I heard a husky voice of Deva near my right ear.  Saying it he casually went to the front joining others as if nothing has happened.

It was just a half a  second he was near me. The smell of his perfume filled my nostrils. His mint breath near my earlobes gave me a tickling sensation and my body shuddered for a split second.

I looked at him, he did not look at me at all. He behaved very obedient. While leaving , I too went outside to bid them bye. I hoped Deva would look at me at least once.

Standing outside, my parents were still talking with his parents and Krishnan's parents. I don't care about  what they were talking.

Namma full focus epavum  Deva dhan .. (my full focus was on Deva only)

He was standing along side his parents quietly, with folded hands and smiling face. Krishnan went to start his car and Anjana too followed him.

While here I am at the entrance of my house door looking at him. Suddenly, Deva , whose eyes were straight like an arrow, diverted his eyes and face towards me.

He signaled with his eyes to look at his hands. At first I did not understand but then looked at his hands which were folded.

He actioned with his fingers of what he wanted to say which instantly brought smile on my face. I looked at him again to confirm and he mouthed " I love you".

I too mouthed him the same with a big smile on my face.  His family left in car. While I went inside happily.

The best day that has ever happened. Oh.. I did not get his number. Its ok. I can get it from Anjana or Krishnan directly now. No one will ask me anything.

I locked myself inside my room giggling like a teen girl, who had a chance to talk with her long time crush.

I never imagined that Deva would even propose me today.  Though it is not in a big manner with surprises and other fancy ways, I like this one. He loves me too, that is enough for me.