5

Do vote and comment. Helps to motivate me.

Buzzing of familiar music disturbed Ashwin when he was sprawled in bed in deep sleep. With eyes still closed, he took his phone and spoke, "Amma, 5 minutes. Endiruchiten. Breakfast ku vandaren."

(Give me 5 minutes, mom. I am awake. I will be down for breakfast.)

He was sure that it was his mother who follows the most unwelcome trick of calling his phone when she wants to wake him up from sleep. Ashwin was about to cut the call, when the giggle from the other side of the phone caught him by surprise.

"Shivangi ma?"

The answer to that was a louder chuckle. The remnants of sleep were gone and he was fully awake. He didn't need to check the caller ID to assure that it was her. He just knew.

"Shooting polaya?"

(Don't you have to be shooting for movie?)

"Shooting cancel aaiduchu, Ashwineey. Siva anna Chennai la irundu varala."

(Shooting was called off as the hero didn't make it on time.)

"Apo unga appa?"

(What about your dad?)

"Avaruku teriyadu. Avaru kaalaila seekirame kelambitaru."

(Dad doesn't know about it. He left to Chennai early morning.)

"Apo taniya irukaya ma?" he asked suddenly worried. He was not sure if she was used to being alone. Even when she is on the sets or in events she is either with her parents or with her plethora of 'annas' who also dub as her dedicated bodyguards.

(Are you alone?)

"Ama."

(Yes)

"Oru 20 minutes naan ready aaitu vandarren."

(Give me 20 minutes I will be there)

Ashwin barely registered showering, sprinting to his car giving absurd excuse to his mother for leaving so early and driving to the hotel where she was all alone.

When Shivangi opened the door of her room after a text and three frantic knocks by him, she had no clue that Ashwin rivalled Flash in the speed he took up to reach her side today. He was panting heavily with all the adrenaline as he entered the room. He pulled out the chair and sat there. Took long breathes to calm himself down before he raised his head to look at her. All the while she was sitting on the bed cross legged looking at him bemused.

"Unga veetla irundu oodiya vandeenga?" She asked sincerely

(Did you jog from your home here?)

Ashwin chuckled before taking the water bottle she offered and gulped down the water. When he regained his composure finally, he shifted his gaze to her.

"Yen ma apdi paakura?"

(Why are you staring at me?)

"Ennala ungala purinjukave mudiyala, Ashwineey."

(It is not easy to understand you, Ashwin.)

Join the club, Ashwin thought. She was not the only one who finds it hard to understand him. His mother, his sister, his father and importantly he himself are seeing a different Ashwin.

This woman who was stranger to him five months ago has already bought out shades of him that even he wasn't aware of. The naughty side, the confident side, the goofy side, the impulsive side and most recently the reckless side.

What was he even thinking working in the pace of a robot in the past few minutes? He surely would have given his mother a mini heart attack by the way he took off in the car once out of the gate.

The calm, composed, thoughtful man that he is known to be seems like an alien version with her and she brings out different side of him every time. Not that any of it is unwelcome. It is just that it makes Ashwin overwhelmed more than often.

All that mattered to him after the phone call was that he had to be by her side as soon as humanly possible. It is 2021 and a woman alone is hardly a matter to be concerned about even in a city unfamiliar to her. Nevertheless, a surge of protectiveness washed over him at the thought that she was alone in a hotel room and felt that he was responsible to make sure that she was safe and comfortable.

She was strong, intelligent and self sufficient. In fact, she was even philosophical in a way that even experienced people aren't. But, if there was one area where he is better than her, of course apart from cooking, is his knowledge of the world gained through his age and experience. He found it important to keep her away from harsh realities of world as much as possible. So, Ashwin was convinced that it was their mutual duty to fill the blanks in places where the other lacked.

If she can be a little firecracker in his life and keep him always in spirit, he can be her ultimate samurai in warding off any unnecessary thorns in path.

"Saaptaya ma?" he asked ignoring her curious glances at his odd behaviour.

(Have you eaten?)

She only nodded a no in answer.

"Seri nee enkooda veliya variya? Brekafast ku?"

(Do you want to come out with me? For breakfast?)

A sense of déjà vu washed over them both as he repeated the question he posed to her only two days ago.

Shivangi's face that was filled with uncertainty as result of his confusing behaviour beamed with a full blown smile.

"Polame!"

(Let's go!)

Unlike in Chennai, Ashwin didn't worry about privacy here. This is his city and he had minimal influence to make their breakfast date a private affair. Within matter of minutes Ashwin reserved a table for them at his friend's cafe in a booth isolated from prying eyes.

"Pancake? Waffle? Banana split? Brownie? " her list went on and on. Her voice and eyes glowed with glee as she read every favourite item from the menu.

"Oru neraathuku order pannuma oru varathuku illa."

(Order for a meal not a week.)

They placed their order and began conversation while waiting for their breakfast.

It was easy to have conversation with her. There was never any awkward pause. She had something different to say about everything.

Once Ashwin was in mood to talk, he will be very detailed and descriptive. His friends have often complained how boring he tends to get. But, Shivangi had no issues with it. She was very attentive to whatever he said. For someone so young, she had very accurate perspective about everything and also broad knowledge.

For the first time, Ashwin saw her not as some young belle with a huge crush on him, but a grown woman with her mind as bright as her heart that is naive.

If Ashwin was not sitting with her today sharing the approbation of her affection, the light of her knowledge, the warmth of her innocence, then he would have swore that someone like her was only possible to exist in the pages of fairy tale and God wouldn't have made a human so perfect.

Damn! He was so lucky.

"Ippo enga polam?" he asked her once they were done with breakfast

(Where next?)

"Unga ooru dana neenga sollunga."

(Your city, your choice.)

Ashwin pondered where could be the right place to take her that would attract less attention at the same time she could have fun. That is when a bright idea stuck him.

"Ama nee Ooty poi irukaya?"

(Have you been to Ooty?)

Shivangi's face lit up at the mention of one of the places in her bucket list and she lifted both her thumbs up in enthusiasm.

***

I didn't have anything in mind for their day out. So, thought to just write the beginning of their day to get inspiration. 

Do vote and comment. Helps to motivate me.