Disclaimer

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the popular show cook with comali 2. The description of incidents in this story is fictional and entirely unrelated to the persons after whom the characters are named. The story is only an imaginary plot with my take on ashaangi. This is not to hurt anyone or affect their personal space. This is purely a fictional plot that is not recommended to connect with real-life incidents.

Heyyy! I missed you guys so much! Buttttt I have a good news to share with y'all. I have got admission into Masters in my dream college. It was something I was waiting for quite long now. Got busy with all the admission process thats why couldn't update anything here.

Classes will begin soon but I will continue updating FF and OS. I hope I find new inspiration to write more 💜

(P.S: I suggest you to read last few paras of the previous chapter to get the emotions set for this one. Coz Its been quite long since I updated. Also, I have not proof read. Ignore any errors pls!)   

*****

26

Amidst the sound of the crickets chirping at the odd hours of the night and the tinkling of wind chimes contrasting the monotonous chirps, she stood there in complete stillness in the open balcony of his house.

Her eyes had no more tears left. She felt cold but she was too soaked up in her thoughts to realise that she felt so. Her mind was all over the place like a wrecking ship in the middle of a stormy ocean. She felt nothing close to calmness.

How she wished her life was as easy as she watches in movies or series when in a click of fingers everything falls right back into place and almost like magic there is a happy ending. It is sad how we cannot bear a tragic ending to a movie although that is what exactly happens in real life sometimes. She never imagined that the last two weeks of her life might as well have the power to change things upside down!

Life was easy for her wasn't it? Perhaps that was how she wanted to deal with the devils that she unleashed. She felt guilty for what happened between Ashwin and Maha. As if that was not enough her love for the man and her desires were burning her down making her feel terrible.

Trusting and giving your heart to a person needs courage and when that person breaks your heart knowingly or not it teaches you a lesson and it matures you as a person. You can mend your broken heart and trust someone again but not the same person who broke it in the first place.

Well, her mind can come to terms with that but what about her heart?

That is what anyone in love would end up doing, right? Trusting the same person who broke your heart even unwittingly, only because you love them so much that now you cannot simply fall out of it or unlove that person? How can she be an exception? Sometimes, logic doesn't work before love.

She looked up at the sky like a lost star searching for its constellation, struggling to find its way back to where it once belonged.

She wanted comfort. She wanted him. In fact, she needed him the most now.

"Ashwin..." She whispered his name under her breath. Her hands were unconscious tying knots with her stole to the railing as if trying to calm her unsettling thoughts.

Just then, she felt his hands tenderly slide between her waist and arms, locking her between his arms from behind. His warm breath was felt on her shoulder where he buried his face in her damp locks. Her eyes closed in his soothing warmth and slightly leaned behind still holding the railing. She could feel the comfort, a sense of protectiveness that no one in the world other than him could ever give her. 

She thought about all the events that took place in the past weeks that had brought them there. The way their eyes locked when they met after 3 long years. The moment near the staircase. The yearning in his eyes when she left him in the corridor. The fierce fight they had during Dhamu appa's party out of shear misunderstandings and confusion mounted up over the years. The way he shook her soul out trying desperately to make her understand him after the party. The way he scooped her in his arms behind the engagement stage, saving her from the fall, yet again. The way he panicked when she cut her finger, yet again. The way he cared for her that night, expecting nothing in return. The way he was scared to death when she was almost hit by a truck because of her blinding temper. The way he tried to explain things slowly, taking one step at a time to make her understand his plight and to explain how miserable he felt without her. The way he finally let his guards down and came running to her even if it was in the most inappropriate condition to tell her what she meant in his life.

The moment that they shared, giving in for what their heart desired, under the pouring sky and the promises that were made consciously or not. Just thinking about all this gave her a shiver down her spine when a sharp cold wind blew pulling her out of her trance. All of a sudden she felt cold. She couldn't feel his warmth around her anymore. She panicked and turned around with her doe eyes wide open; there was no one around her other than the emptiness as if indicating her life without him.

She stepped back leaning on the railing, holding it with her hands behind her. Her breath was irregular. She ran back in and opened his room door making a small creak. He was sleeping peacefully, undisturbed and unaware of her plight. The overwhelming and unreasonable fear of falling in love with the man reflected in her eyes looked as though she was diagnosed with philophobia.

Her mind was messing with her giving her mixed signals that now she was as confused as the scribbles on the wall by Asha. She couldn't comprehend what was happening to her. 

She was so lost that she almost jumped when her phone notified. It was Vinu, he had reached to pick her up. She took a look at his closed room door for one last time and scampered out of the place closing the main door behind her with a thud that woke up Ashwin.

She couldn't even wait for the lift to reach her floor and took the stairs instead.

Ashwin sat up with his eye wide open. It was only a few minutes back he went to sleep. It took a second for him to realise that he was at home.

"Sivaangi!" He thought she would be out there and came out panicking, throwing his blanket away, hearing the way the door slammed. His eyes adjusted to the blearing street light that swept into the empty house through the wide-open doors of the balcony. The wind through the doors turned him cold and numb. His eyes searched for her but all that he could see was her stole that she left behind ruffling in the wind.

He immediately walked to the balcony and saw her run towards her car. She stopped for a second before stepping in as if sensing his presence. She then quickly got in without turning back.

Confusion crowded his senses. Her ruffling scarf tugged his heart. He feared the worst. 

What does this even mean? Has she left him forever? 

_______

No message, no call, and not even an acknowledgment of the pooja invitation that he had sent her. He could see 2 blue ticks but no reply. Ashwin sat in the car on the way to the production house early that morning, staring at the WhatsApp message that was left unanswered. The way she left his place yesterday dint seem to be fine to him. He couldn't figure out why she made her way out in a rush. He was confused if he was the reason. 

"Will she make it today?" That was the only thing that bothered him.

He wanted to find out what she has planned to do that day. But there was no way anyone could find out without her figuring it out. He went through his contact to find if one of her zillion Annas would be capable of doing such a sneaky job without getting caught.

"Bala – counter potu mudichiruvan!

DJ Black, DJ gowtham – Sammandhamey ilama ivanga en call panranga nenachipa!

Parthiv Director CWC – Sodhapirivaru!

Pugaz – Already production la kadala potutu irupapdi!

Rakshan – Shoot la irukan!

Sarath – Pagal pythiyam!" He struck off every possible option and gave up accepting defeat already!

"Uhhhh Ashwinnnn yosiiii yosiii daaaa!" And just like that Vinu's name popped in his head. Who else other than her own little devil brother would be able to find out what she is up to?

He already made a master plan in his head.

____

Sivaangi woke up to the sharp knocks on her room door. She groaned and turned to her side to grab her phone from the nightstand. It was 8:30 in the morning. She hardly slept last night. One, because she came home quite late and two, she just couldn't close her eyes and stop thinking about him for a minute to doze off. All that she did was toss and turn in her bed the whole night and when she last checked her phone before falling asleep it was already 6:30 am.

"Sivaangiiii....Sivaangi maaa......Sivuuuu"

She sighed and reluctantly walked to the door much annoyed with the way her name was continuously being called out until she opened it.

Much to her shock, her brother stood there beaming at her carrying a tray of hot chocolate, toast smeared generously with Nutella just how she likes it.

She looked to his left and right and asked very seriously "Who are you? And what did you do to my brother?"

"Andava! Kali yugam nu summava sonnanga? Nallavangaluku kalam illa!" He said dramatically making her roll her eyes.

She took the tray from him and said "Thank you for the room service. I want to sleep now. Nee kelambalam!"

"How rude?! Amma appa oorula ila pavam pasi la thavipiye nu pasama unaku pudichadhu elam senju, unaku kondu vandheyn. Enaku idhu theva dhan! Nalla serupala adicha mari iruku!" He exclaimed animatedly pretending to bang his head on the door frame.

"Do u want to share?!" She cut him short, extremely annoyed with his drama. All that she wanted at that moment was to get rid of him and find peace. But she knows she is left with no choice as he was in no plan to leave her alone.

After talking about all sorts of irrelevant things and eating more than half of his share, he came to the point and broached the topic nonchalantly "Amaaa nii engayo velila poreyn, enna morning sekrom ezhupu sonna la?"

"Na epo sonney?" She asked paying no heed to his sneakiness.

"Nethu ASHWIN vetula irundhu return varapo sonniye" He stressed the details when she was munching on the toast. That was when she realized where he was getting to. That was when she realized how stupid she was to not realise why her brother was so sweet to her out of nowhere. 

It must have been Ashwin's plan, she thought. Now she was further irritated for sending in a messenger or a middleman instead of checking on her by himself. She was more annoyed by the fact that he has used her own brother to do this!

But what else will that poor soul at the Pooja do other than this? He was left with no choice. Either this or he had to come home directly to find out what was running in her head by himself. He wasn't sure of what she was thinking and he dint want to push too much.

"Apdi edhuvum na sonnadha enaku nyabagam ilaye vinu" She decided to play along.

"Nii sonniye! Edho event.....Some movie Pooja something?"

She pretended to think and said, "Oh that! No, it got cancelled!"

"Edhey?!"

"Nadakadha Pooja ka andha manushan enna 6 mani la irundhu phone panni torture panitu irukaru?" He murmured feeling betrayed!

She dint hear that but she knows there could be no one else other than him behind this.

"Vinu! Did he ask you to do this?" She asked him straight.

"He? He who?" His face flushed.

"Nadikadha! You are a very bad liar! And you know I can see through you when you try to hide things."

"Seri fine! Yeah! Mams told me to check on you." He gave away what she wanted to hear.

"But more than whether or not you make it to the Pooja, he wants to make sure you are okay after whatever happened between you two yesterday."

"Did he give you details?" She sighed angrily.

"No! Sivu, I am not 10 to not understand what is happening here."

"Look if he is anything like me then I am sure he would have told you a lot last night. I am sure you saw the guilt in his eyes and how miserable he felt. I also saw you running towards the car and took a second to compose yourself before getting in as if nothing happened at all. Sivu, you dont have to pretend as though everything is okay to me. I am not going to judge you. And you know I won't."

When she dint say a word he added, "You are someone who cannot shush even for a minute. I know a lot of things have changed ever since you both stopped talking. You have changed. A lot! And if you still think we don't know that then you are clearly living under a rock. Even our equation has changed a lot Sivu. Don't you think?"

She dint know what to say. She never gave it a thought before he pointed it out now. Other than their usual banters she always goes back to him seeking help and advice even though he was younger than her. He used to knock some sense into her brain when she was about to do some absurd things. He cared for her. Even now he does. It is she who has to stop shutting down people in her life.

She felt guilty for not being the old her all of a sudden. It wasn't her fault but she just chose to be so without giving it much thoughts.

"Sivu....I am not trying to guilt trip you here. You don't have to feel so. I am just saying that he deserves a chance. Idhulam avaru solla solala. Idhu na romba nal ah solanum nu nenacha vishiyam dhan. I dont know if you both will end up together. But you should know that Im rooting for you guys. I always have. But More than anything YOU deserve a chance to make things right, to find your happiness, to find yourself. You are important to me more than anything or anyone." 

She simply nodded her head with a smile unable to utter a word.

"Epo da ivalo periya manushan aana?" She asked.

"Hellooooo!? What you mean woman?" He frowned at her underestimation.

She pinched his cheeks and pulled him into a hug and cooed him.

"Yeyyy!! Aie aie yey! Sha! Thalli po!" He pushed her away. She found so much fun in making him feel uncomfortable.

"Yeppa paru konjikitu! Na enna papa ah?"

"Papa illa! En thambiiii!" She said half proud and half pleased that she successfully annoyed him, and hugged him again.

"Thank you!" She said resting her head on his shoulder.

"Edhuku?"

"En edhuku nu lam solla mudiyadhu. Kudutha vangiko." She said smacking him on his arm.

"Thank you kooda merati solranga pa! Ama indha adi ka andha manusha avalo kathuraru? Enna nadippu?!!" He murmured making her chuckle. 

"And Sorry!" She apologized holding his hands.

"Edhuku adichadhuka?"

"Avalo nallava ila da nanu!" They giggled recollecting good old times.

He grabbed her phone, got into Youtube, tapped on a live video, and thrust it in her hands.

"I hope you know what to do now Sivu. Give it a chance. I know you won't regret it." He said 

She simply gave him a half smile and looked at the screen. 

She rewound the live video to spot Ashwin restlessly peeking out at the door every second from behind Dhamu pa while the pooja was about to begin.

"Na velila poreyn ill be back in 2 or 3 hours. Call me if anything, okay?" Vinu informed her and was about to walk out only to be stopped by her.

"Dont tell him anything Vinu! Okay? Please! Dont update him."

"You want me to be killed?"

"Pizza? On me. Where ever you wish." She offered, straight-faced. Now that enticed him.

"I dont usually get bribed. But I think I can let this pass. Deal! Vangi tharati konnuruveyn unna!" He warned her before walking out.

She looked back at the phone with a small smile on her face lighting up her eyes a little. He looked smart in that formal outfit he wore but she could see his eyes were a little tired and weary which he had tried to cover with a dab of makeup. He was paying least heed to all the cameras that were pointed at him, telecasting him live. He shoved his phone in and out of his pocket as though desperately waiting for someone's message. Now she knows exactly who that Thoodhu pura was. 

Two gorgeous-looking women were standing right in front of him to whom he paid least attention to even for a formality sake. His eyes were only on the phone and the entrance door. 

She shook her head smiling to herself thinking about what all those two pulled together to make things happen.

She got out of bed, and grabbed a towel from her closet with a smile plastered to her face.

"Alexa! Play Aye sinamika" And made butterfly flutters with her hand and twirled her way to the shower. 

Maybe the star has not completely lost its way but just wandering up there to create a new way toward its constellations. Or perhaps making its own constellation.  

https://youtu.be/DhCYfOiDUEw

https://youtu.be/8BUs3iALYZg

I guess this song best suits this chapter because it is all about brother sister bond. 

Let me know how you liked it. I wont keep you waiting for long. Next update would be within this week 💜

Love y'all! 💜