I could hear my heart beating as fast as it could..

He saw the sylloge and me..

His face changed..

I just remembered the fact that I sketched the side of him and not his face..

But..

Though..

No..

I didn't have any idea then..

And, Pavi was so scared that it was so visible in her face..

I mustered up my courage and stood like a statue..

Enna idhu, he questioned me..

I stood silent..

Unna dhan kekkren..

Enna idhu, naan uyira kuduthu nadathitu iruken..

Nee enna da na padam varanjitu iruka..

Idhukku dhan tuition vareengala neenga laam..

Idhukku andha school laye irukalaame...

Edhukku dhandathuku kaasa katti inga vandhu enga uyira edukkreenga..

Unakkum time waste..

Enakkum waste paaru..

Before he could yell at me more, somebody came at the entrance and he threw the note on the bench and went to the entrance after saying, Class mudinjadhum enna paathutu po..

He left the place and I could breathe normally..

The whole class was staring at me..

I knew..

Rajesh also must have noticed me by now..

Okay, so Iam popular now..

First day at the class and Iam already famous..

I sat back and pulverized my mind..

Pavi was staring my mind..

I got her note and copied the sums..

I didn't bother about the people who were looking at me..

I wrote them all in a jiffy and sat back..

Enna di panra, Pavi asked out of curiosity..

Ellam planning dhan, I winked at her..

She was clueless..

Rocky sir came back and resumed his class..

I glued my eyes on to the board and didn't even turn..

The class got over..

And, once the people left the room, I stood before him..

Enna, he asked..

Paaka sonneengale sir, I replied politely..

Haan, Got it..Padam varanja ponnu dhana..

Nee laam edhukku ma vara waste ah?, he tried to start again..

Sir, illa sir..

Actual ah inga paarunga, I showed the notes to him..

Naan ellame ezhudhiten sir..

Neenga anga chalkpiece eduka ponadhala page thirupi chumma paathen sir..

Adhu ipo varanjadhu illa..

Competition nadandhuchu sir pona vaaram..

School la drawing competition..

Adhukaga practice pannadhu..

Ipo varaiyala sir..

Am sorry sir..

I kept my face filled with innocence..

And I really didn't know what made him to believe..

He said like, Edhuva irundhalum class time la paakadha ma..

Padipu mukkiyam..

10th vandhaachu..

Idhellam paathutu irundha velaiku aagadhu..

Padichu munnadi varanum la..

Po..

Poi assignment lam ozhunga pannu..

Innoru time ipdi edhachum paathen na, veetlendhu parents ah kootitu varanum..

Solliten..

Idhan first and last warning..

Go go...

And I thanked him and we ran out of the class..

Pavi hit me hard at once..

Eruma, Arive illa unakku..

I asked her to take the cycle immediately and I took mine and rode back home..

On the way, she stopped and asked, enna di nenachitu iruka nee manasula..

Ipdi modha naale case ah pochu..

Nee enna da na sirichite vara..

I stopped and let out a huge breathe..

Enna Pavi panna solra, Maatiyachu..

Ipdi dhan samaalikanum..

Class full ah therinja maanam pogum..

I replied slowly..

Yen adhoda niruthita, Un love ooruke theriyum..

Adhaana, she was definitely mad at me..

I love him Pavi, I said not bothering about the consequences..

Nijamava di solra, her eyes were as wide as saucer..

Aama, I nodded..

She didn't say anything but took her cycle and started back..

I tried to talk to her several times, but she didn't allow me to talk..

She was too cold to try..

We went back to our homes..

***

Days passed by slowly..

Pavi started talking to me as usual from the next day..

We carefully avoided Rajesh in our topics..

At times, she saw me scribbling his name or sketch..

A simple glare is all she gave..

But..

I couldn't stop doing it..

Seeing him for almost 12 hours a day..

Every antic of him gave me palpitations..

I just went to the board to rub it often to cross him..

It gave me weird satisfactions..

I badly wanted to discuss about my feelings to Pavi..

No..

She wasn't having ears to my kaadhal kaaviyam..

And the school kicked off..

We had 2 new comers to our class..

One is Sanjay and the another one is Nisha..

Sanjay was a very silent guy it seems..

He didn't join the gang of Rajesh..

So, I had nothing with him..

And, Nisha, she was so damn pretty..

She was from chennai..

Her father is a banker and because of transfer, she came here to our school..

She was cool and was so friendly..

She sat next to Pavi..

At first, it was awkward for us to put up with..

Then, we got used to her..

She was so down to earth..

She wasn't that one who shows attitude when they are from Matriculation/Convent..

And ofcourse the transfer from chennai to kunnakudi didn't affect her much except few things..

She was struggling a bit at the starting, yet we managed to help with her studies and other things..

We three became a gang..

Slowly..

Gradually..

3 months passed by..

And one day,  Nisha was on leave..

Me and Pavi were back on track after a long time..

I opened up slowly..

Pavi, unta onnu sollanum..

Enna di vishayam, she asked..

Pavi, Sonnadhe dhan..

I love him..

Like, I really love Rajesh..

Avanta solanum di, I pleaded..

She was quiet for sometime..

Mulla, ipo idhellam avasiyama?

She asked in a caring voice..

Please please Pavi, avanukku theriyanum di naan avana love panradhu..

I was in a rush and was so desperate...

Enna idea, her tone was so trivial..

Anniku oru sketch pannen la..

Adha neat ah, ozhunga pannirken..

Avlo dhan..

Adha avanta kudukanum..

Adha paathave avanuku edhachum puriyum la..

Unta kaatren..

Paaren..

I showed it to her..

All her eyes showed was appreciation for the art and nothing much..

Nallarka Pavi, expectation ran through my voice..

Hmm..She nodded affirmatively..

Sure ah solriya Mulla, she asked to recheck..

Kandipa di.. I confirmed..

She folded and gave it back to me..

Apa nalaiku August 15th dhana?

Namakku school leave dhan..

Poi Kathir ah paakalam..

She said in a decided voice..

Avana yen di paakanum, I asked..

Pinna, nera idha kondu poi Rajesh ta kudutha nu vai, nee yaaru nu keppaan..

Adhunala Kathir ah vittu kuduka solluvom..

Unakku theriyuma theriyadha nu therila..

Rajesh Kathir sonna apdiye keppaan..

Solla pona, Kathir sonna mattum dhan kepaan..

Adhunala avanta help kepom..

She had decided..

Avanaya?

Avanukku idhellam theriyanuma?

Avana enga poi paakradhu?

Avanta idha kudutha kelvi keppana?

Enna judge pannuvana?

One bunch of questions ran through my mind..

And I asked the same to her also..

See, nalaiku leave..

Avan epdiyum avanga shop la dhan irupaan..

Naan neraya times poi paathruken..

Pesirken..

Illati enga veetuku va..

Avana poi paapom..

Veedum pakkathula dhan iruku..

Edhu okay nu yosichu sollu..

She left the choice to me..

I was in a dilemma and found that shop is the better place than being at their home..

To be honest, I want nobody to know my intention or my secret..

So, Pavi and Kathir's parents might have the chance of seeing this or knowing this made me to choose the shop..

Pavi agreed..

All set for the next day..

-Will brew..