After several attempts which all resulted in failure, my legs simply refused to move an inch. I couldn't get out of the car. Sai carried me inside. My paati swooned, this was too much on top of everything. I am sure my paati was visualizing my marriage with Sai or the christening of our firstborn.

Sai placed me down gently. I tried to amble towards the sofa, but I couldn't walk straight.

"I am so glad that I am the reason you couldn't walk straight. Every time it hurts you will think of me," he said with a sneer worthy of Draco Malfoy.

This is 'the' dialogue a hot romantic hero would tell his Lady Love after making love to her all night. I thought I will blush if I ever hear a guy say that to me, but now all I wanted to do is murder!

"Paati," someone called and I knew the voice. I raged a strong battle inside me not to look up. After everything he put me through, why can't I just hate him? Why did I yearn so much just to look at him?

"Senthil! What are you doing here? Why aren't you at school?" asked paati.

Yes, Senthil! Why aren't you at school? After all the trouble I went through to avoid you. 40 km to be precise.

"Today is the last day to submit a Tamil assignment. I think I left mine with Ananya." 

I tried my best to act as if no one was there.

"You are making it too obvious," Sai whispered to me. I glared at him.

"Ananya, if you have completed yours I will take it with mine."

"I haven't." I had planned to complete it yesterday with Senthil's help.

"I will help you."

"No thanks. I will manage it."

"You can't, your Tamil still needs improving."

"I don't mind getting a zero again."

"Don't be ridiculous." 

He was accusing me of being ridiculous. Funny how the world works. 'Well you walked 40 km just to avoid him, maybe he has got a point', the infuriating voice inside me said.

Turing to Sai I said, "Sai help me, I want to lie down."

Senthil moved forward blocking Sai's way. "I will help you, I am going to your room anyway to search for my assignment."

Sai sidestepped Senthil and carried me in bridal style saying, "I don't think you will be comfortable carrying her around."

I didn't look at Senthil, but I felt his gaze on me. Senthil followed us to my room. Sai placed me gently on the bed whispering, "I am whispering just to annoy Senthil, just play along."

I glared at him in response. He pulled my toes making my bones crack.

"What did you do that for?" I asked indignantly.

"This will help you relax your feet, darling," he continued cracking all the fingers on my toes.

"Are you sure you are not breaking my bone for biting you?"

"Trust me, darling."

Senthil who entered the room froze watching us. Our eyes met and my cheeks grew hot. I didn't know how long we kept staring at each other. Our trance only to be broken by Sai clearing his throat loudly. Senthil turned and did a great show of searching for his assignment.

"Can you give me an aspirin or spray instead? My leg hurts like the devil."

"I didn't think you would walk the entire way, you should have stopped."

"I didn't want to hurt paati's feelings. If this brings her peace, I don't mind. But you are going to pay for the extra 18 rounds you made me walk."

"You were paying me back, we are even."

"No way! You are going to help me complete my Tamil assignment."

"I am not good at Tamil."

"Come off it, I remember you scoring 1196 out of 1200. Losing 4 marks in Tamil is what you mean by not being good."

"I didn't take Tamil in Higher Secondary."

"What? I thought two languages were mandatory?"

Sai looked at me, there was a look which I knew all too well. He had some devilish plan, but he had a major slip that he was planning hard to fix.

"Sai Ganesh! What are you hiding? Tell me or I swear I will rip you."

"Two languages are mandatory, but that doesn't have to include Tamil."

"What?" I growled.

"You can take French, Sanskrit, or Hindi. I took French, as it was easy."

I glowered at him, he knew Tamil was not mandatory but he didn't tell me. How many times I complained about how bad my Tamil was and whether I should quit this year. But not once he told me. We were both nerds, our education was always our first priority. He knew I wanted to be a doctor just like him and for that, I needed a perfect score just like him. I was hurt.

"Anu..." he laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't 'Anu' me. This time you went too far." I said and pushed his hand away.

"You know my dreams, I came to this damn village so I wouldn't have to take a break in my education. You knew all that but you still didn't tell me." I saw hurt in his eye, but I was angry.

"Anu, I am sorry. I was planning to tell-"

"When? Once I failed my final exams?" I cut him off mid-sentence.

"Anu, please listen to me."

"Don't try to patronize me."

"Anu -" he started but I didn't let him finish.

"Whatever cooked-up reason you come up with, I don't ckkk-" Sai had pinched my lips together preventing me from talking.

"I spoke to your grandpa the day you told me you scored zero in Tamil. He has already spoken to the Headmaster for you to be transferred to French. There is some procedure since your school doesn't have a French teacher, that's taking time."

I was shocked, Sai continued.

"It was fun to watch you struggle with Tamil."

Cupping my face with both his hands he said, "Anu.. your dream matters to me as much as mine."

"You should have told me, High School French syllabus is not a piece of cake. I have to study for that too."

"It's really a piece of cake Anu. The syllabus is simple grammar and vocabulary for basic words. You could pass it with your eyes closed."

I just pursed my lips sideways. He laughed.

"Am I forgiven?" He put his arms around me, I didn't push him away.

I turned my face away from him muttering, "Not even close."

In my bickering with Sai, I forgot we had an audience.