Author's Note:

It's been a really long time since I wrote anything. This was just to get back into writing mode so it might not be up to the mark. Apologies just in case.

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"Inum mudiyalaya?", Meghna could not help but wonder if there would be an to this infinitely long introduction session that had been going on without a pause for the last hour so that she could find herself a quiet corner.

Nope. Neither Parties or People were her thing.

"Just one more. Final one. Promise", Krithi, her best friend promised and led the way into a corner.

She was glad that her best friend was still the same person that wanted her to know everyone in her life but it did come at the expense of her cheeks hurting bad from all the non stop smiles, giggles and small talks that she had to show fake interest in just to keep her friend happy.

Having been living in two different cities for a few years now, their worlds were very different from one another. While Krithi was an extrovert that loved making new friends that this party was a clear reflection of, Meghna was an Introvert with the exception of her closest friends which some people called Introverted Extrovert. Meghna's world was small yet complete in her books and she was not looking for anyone new.

"And this is Athreya", her best friend introduced and with a ceremonial smile her eyes moved to face the guy. She blinked to avoid gawking at him.

The guy looked looked dapper.

Hot and Sexy were the words that came first to her mind when she saw his perfectly chiseled body complemented by his charming face with captivating eyes that could pierce into her soul in a moment and his perfectly trimmed beard that elevated his jawline.

With a nod and a formal smile, the guy had quietly acknowledged the introduction but did not extend the eye contact for even a split second more than required.

On any other day she would be glad that she did not have to do small talk with a guy she has only known for seconds but not today. Not with him.

Something about him made her want to have a conversation. A rare occurrence.

Of course it was a courtesy introduction and there wasn't any need for him to pay attention to her Meghna thought to herself but subconsciously there was this smallest hint of disappointment that lingered which she brushed off and moved on.

Being her introverted self, she found herself a corner that was far from all the action and put on her AirPods, pulled out her iPad and pencil to slip into her own creative world.

"Netru illadha Maatram Ennadhu" started to play on her shuffle and she began to hum the lines along while she continued to work on her sketch for a new design studio for a fashion designer.

It was not her first project but it certainly was her first solo endeavor which made it both exciting and nerve wrecking.

Between her music and designs, the face of this guy that had totally failed to notice her kept popping up and she consciously kept shutting it down knowing too well that it's of no use when she felt someone gently pat on her shoulder.

Annoyed by the disturbance, she turned around to snap at whoever it was for not knowing boundaries but was completely caught off guard that it was the guy who had blown her off a while ago.

Raising her eyebrows she gestured questioning him to which his response was an eyebrow raise.

"Who questions a question?", she mumbled before pulling an airpod out.

"Why are you sitting alone?", he questioned in a plain tone that did not give away any emotion.

His masculine tone threw her off balance and it took her a few seconds to gather back her control.

"Why do you care?", she snapped visually annoyed over the fact that he was affecting her on so many levels within just a few interactions.

"Because you seem to be lost", he said looking straight into her eyes.

For a moment nothing made sense. The sounds of the party seemed to fade and pause. It was a blur. Breaking away from the trance that this guy put her in, she slowly gathered back her senses and tried to comprehend.

"What?", she could not mask the surprise in her tone.

Without waiting for her to respond, he sat by the window next to her and unconsciously her eyes followed suit.

"Are you ok?", he asked in the most caring way possible but then the look in her eyes left him deeply perturbed.

Before he could ask further the conversation, "Hey!", their friends' voice came blazing through the hall breaking up the tension.

"That's the girl I was talking to you about", his friend whispered pointing towards a girl on the dance floor who looked nothing short of amazing in the black mini dress and high pointed heel that complemented her curves well.

"That's Akrithi", she proudly announced.

"The girl that would fit you perfectly", she added.

Although she was a little disappointed that her best friend thought someone else would fit him perfectly, she told herself that it's probably true and put her AirPods back on to go back into her own world.

The duo steered away leaving her alone but all of a sudden her friend was back which she knew when someone pulled her AirPods out without any warning.

"Stop this Meghna... indha party la kooda enjoy pannama irundha epdi ?!", Krithi chided her best friend with care and concern.

"Unaku dan theriyum la. I don't like big parties. I am here because you did not give me another choice. Yes, being back in Chennai does feel out of place after years of living in Bangalore but I don't have to make new friends to survive. I have you and our gang", Meghna replied sincerely hoping to calm her friend down.

They have been best of friends since kinder garden and irrespective of where their lives took them, their connection had remained unchanged. To be mothered by Krithi was something she had been well acquainted to and she had no complains.

"Mothama naalu per. Do you think that's good ?!", Krithi shook her head showing her disappointment which was followed by silence on the other end.

"Maybe I can be 5th", a guy's voice offered, and they both knew who it was without having to look.

They say that you can hate a person only if you had loved them at some point and it was true in her case.

"Ivan inga enna panran?", and it was evident that Meghna was more than annoyed.

"You know what? Don't answer. Krithi just ask him to stay the hell out of my life and do not ever invite me to a place if he is going to be there", and it was an ultimatum which both Krithi and Ranjith would not ever dare to cross.

She stormed out of the party with her things even if that meant she had to wait for a cab to pick her up at this wee hour.

Meanwhile Krithi was still processing what had just happened.

"Ava purinjupa", Ranjith consoled.

"Unna vida enaku avala nalla theriyum", Krithi's eyes welled up.

Before he could console her, they were interrupted by Athreya.

"Dei! I am going to get out of here. Do you want to join?", he asked and then noticed that Krithi was about to tear up.

"Enna da aachu? She was ok 15 minutes ago", Athreya could not help but wonder what could have happened between the time she came with all smiles to him to now.

"Dont worry. Ava seri aiduva", Ranjith pulled Krithi into a hug to calm her down.

It took her a few minutes to compose herself and then it hit her that she had picked up Meghna that night.

"Shit. I need to go. I picked her up", she said to Ranjith.

"You can't drive now. You have had drinks and adha thaandi she is still angry", he tried to be sensible but he also knew that it wont be safe for Meghna to take a cab at this hour.

"Athreya.. oru help pannu. Veliya Meghna irupa. Offer her a ride without mentioning our names. I will explain later", Ranjith requested to his best friend from college.

"Meghna yaaru da?", he wasn't sure who they were talking about.

Ranjith unlocked his phone and pulled up a picture of Krithi, Meghna and himself, all smiling wide.

Just looking at a picture of hers made him happy for some reason and although it was an entirely new emotion for him, he tried to contain it under his monotone look that he had perfected over the years.

"Airpods potutu irundha la", Krithi added to connect the dots for him.

"Ohh... yaa", he posed as if he had not remembered every single detail about her in a few seconds since he looked at the picture.

"Dont worry. Will keep her safe", he assured and walked out to find her punching something hard on her phone.

"So adorable", he thought to himself and walked towards her.

She sensed his presence and before he could initiate a conversation, "No. Thanks", she said with a sharp tone that could have intimidated anyone who had not seen her adorable face before.

"Nijama ?!", he could not help be disappointed which was evident in his helpless tone.

"Why are you here?", she asked without actually looking at him to shield herself from tearing up in front of a stranger, albeit very good looking.

"Indha nerathla ivlo kaduppula kooda azhaga irukra ponna epdi can kaarana nambi anupardhu ?!", and inspite of knowing too well that he was only trying to make conversation, her heart skipped a beat.

Little did she know that he meant every word of it and little did he know the impact those words had on her.

"Ohh", she looked at him with her brows scrunched.

"Please let me drive you", he said with genuine concern and she could not turn down.

She nodded a subtle yes and started to walk with them to his car.

"It's just a drive", said her mind.

"Is it?", asked her heart.

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Author's Note:

Not sure if this will be a story of its own or just a few shots.

I am going with the flow.