Love Circum-fended

𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤

Two weeks later...

Aadhira is travelling by bus to her house. She watches the swiftly sliding visuals keenly as the bus keeps moving forth. She suddenly feels a tap on her shoulder. When she turns back to see who it was, there was nobody. Confused, she turns her head to the front, to her surprise she sees her friend standing in front of her.

Aadhira's friend: Hi ! What are you thinking so seriously about?

Aadhira (agitated): About a plan to murder you !

Aadhira's friend sits beside her.

Aadhira's friend: Ohh ! Then it is justified. I thought you got a new boyfriend.

Aadhira (tired): Shut up for some time, please.

Aadhira's friend: I won't !

Aadhira: Okay then, I'll sit in another seat bye!

She stands up. Aadhira's friend holds her hand to stop her.

Aadhira's friend: Okay okay, I was joking. Sorry !

Aadhira: Hmm.

When Aadhira is about to sit, Aadhira's friend notices something.

Aadhira's friend: Hey !

Aadhira: What?

Aadhira's friend: Look at your hand!

Aadhira looks at her hand and gets shocked.

Aadhira's friend (shocked): Where is your ring dee?

Aadhira (almost in tears): It was in my hand only right ! I mean I don't remove it even when I sleep !

Aadhira in tears keeps looking around her and below the seat hurriedly. Aadhira's friend also checks for the ring in her bag. When Aadhira lifts her head up, her head bumps into the seat.

Aadhira (shouts): Ahh!

She wakes up from her dream. She quickly checks her hand to see whether the ring is on her hand and gets relieved seeing the ring on her ring finger. She leans back to the bed to sleep.

In the morning, her brother wakes her up from her sleep and asks her to get ready for shoot.

Aadhira gets up reluctantly and goes to the washroom. She washes her face with a handful of water. When she takes her hand back to the tap for another handful of water she gets horrified. With her face dripping with water, she comes out of the washroom to check her bed. She checks everywhere in her bedroom. Her brother comes into the room and laughs seeing her.

Aadhira's brother: What is this di, here have this towel.

Aadhira pushes his hand away and lifts the mattress searching worriedly.

Aadhira's brother: What happened?

Aadhira: My ring is missing!

Aadhira's brother: What? It must be here only, check properly.

Aadhira: No... its not here. I saw it even in the morning. Where did it go?

She breaks down.

Aadhira's brother: Its okay, check properly. I am already late for office. Its okay if you don't get it also. Nothing will happen if you don't wear it for one day.

Aadhira couldn't hear what he was saying, she kept leaving tears unbearably. After a point, she gets tired and sits down with a headache.

Aadhira (in her mind): What will I do without the ring today?

Her under-confidence puts her perfomance down too. She is puzzled as to where her ring was gone and walks away from the backstage. When she passes the corridor, she hears two voices.

Ramya: She did not perform well today, it seems !

Sethuraman (smirks): Yes ma'am, she is in the third last place.

Ramya: I never expected this to happen so soon ! Good job Sethu !

Sethuraman smiles at her. He thinks for a moment.

Sethuraman: Why are you thanking me ma'am?

Ramya: You are the reason for this right.

Sethuraman: Ma'am?

Ramya: Don't act like you don't know. I told you to get hold of her ring that evening right?

Sethuraman stares at her.

Ramya: Anyways, good job. We'll meet in the evening party. Your boss will also be there.

Sethuraman: Yes ma'am.

Ramya leaves the room. Sethuraman thinks for a while.

Sethuraman (in his mind): I followed her to the bus that day... she got on to the bus... I sat behind her seat... she got her ticket... her friend came and surprised her... when she moved out to make her friend sit beside her... the brake! I moved my hand close to the ring...

Ramya (shouts): Sethu, bring my file also !

Sethuraman: Yes ma'am !

He leaves the room is confusion.

Thamizh is lying on his bed scrolling Instagram. He laughs uncontrollably seeing a meme. As he keeps moving his eyes up and down scrolling the feed swiftly getting bored, a notification caught his eyes. It was a message from his friend. He opened his inbox to see a message saying 'Bad Day :('

Thamizh: Why? What happened?

Aadhira: I'll tell you when we meet. :(

Thamizh: Hey...

Aadhira: What happened to the video?

Thamizh: Final stage of editing...

Aadhira: Good.

Thamizh: Hmm

Aadhira: I saw something now, I don't know if you knew this... but don't get tensed or anxious, okay?

Thamizh: What are you talking about?

Aadhira shares a photo with him. Thamizh gets scandalized seeing the picture. He zooms into the picture.

Thamizh (in his mind): Ramya Venkatesan...

The notification sound shook him.

Aadhira: Did you know about this?

He leaves the message on seen and keeps his phone down in disagreement. Aadhira calls to check on him. He doesn't pick the line. He sees the picture again.

It was the photograph of the earthworm in soil he had taken earlier for the submission. Outraged, he goes out of his house and kicks the gate.

Thamizh (shouts in rage): Bloody thieves!

The mail-cover falls down.

Parallelly,

Naveen picks the fallen mail-cover up and takes out a letter from it. He reads the letter and feels relieved.

He texts a number saying, 'My book has been published and it is getting good reviews, I will be able to give the money away in few days. Until then please don't harm her. Please.'

He left a drop of tear as he types this. With a heavy heart, he goes to his room. He takes his diary and starts writing:

"It has been a week since this has been happening. Where are you? I know we have been like this earlier too, but after knowing that our relationship has chances of ending, I can't stop thinking of you. I might not be as expressive as you but I do REALLY LOVE YOU."

He wipes the tears off his face and takes a long breath.

"Return back, please..."

TO BE CONTINUED