Enamoured

Who was it?

Ping!

(Intha idathula apdiye scene ah freeze panitu oru kutty flashbackku povam. Come on!)

Unknown Number calling...

'Yaarda ithu intha nerathula? Seri answer pani papom.' Thought the person who received the call.

"Hello"

Pin drop silence. Not exactly for there was a slight hitch of breath on the other end before the silence. Who would ever bother to call and not answer? Weird.

"Hello?" He asked again, wondering if it were someone trying to prank him.

"Hello. Ithu Hussain ah?" A sweet melodic voice. This time it was Hussain who almost stopped breathing. 'Ivlo alagana voice yaardaya irukum?' Wait. What if it was another ploy by his friends? 'Shouldn't be fooled.' His mind warned him.

"Ama solunga." He tried to sound as normal as possible.

"Nan Manimegalai, Sun music la anchor ah iruken. Neenga dance panna song, 'Aadaludan paadal' antha song ah channella podeka pathen. Neenga semmaya dance panininga. Athan ungalaku oru compliment kudukalame endu friends elartayum thedi unga number ah eduthen." Woah. Can anyone talk this fast? With this fluency? That too this melodically? Maybe it really was a fan. Possible?

"Ah apdiyanga. Thanksnga." He tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

"Neenga summa apdi vera level ah dance pani irunthinga. Adhuvum Master pakathula kooda dance paniyum neenga unique ah therinjinga..." Was she for real? She noted him so much despite Raghava Master or was she trying to fool him. Maybe it was his friends who had asked this girl to fool him. Maybe there wasn't even a real girl called Manimegalai. 'Hussain. Be careful da.'

"Thankyounga. Actual ah ipo nan konjam busy ah iruken."

"Ah okay... Ungala oruka meet pana mudiyuma?" Wait WHAT! Was she serious? Hey. Hold on. 'En friends enda perla irunthavanga oruka ipdi try pani irukangala... Ushar ah iruda. Matidathe. Response ah paathutu aprom call pani kalaika poranga. Ithu summa yarum friend ah irukum. Antha ponna en otanum paavam.'

"Nan ipo shootla busy ah iruken. Apromah pakalamnga"

"Ah seri. Ila neenga semmaya dance paninga athan...." A girl who was persistent. Hmm.

"Yeah, Thankyounga. Eh. Sorry, shoot ku koopdranga. Nan konjam avasarama pohanum. Bye."

"Ah seri. Nan apromah WhatsApp panrene?" 'Ival itha prank ah avangaluku panrala ila unmayave nama dance pannathu pidichu panrava? Nambelama iruke. Serinu solithan papom. Ena nadaka pohuthu. Minji ponal oru message from a girl with a sweet voice. Else friendsta kalaivanguven. Pathukalam.'

"Ah seringa. Okaynga. Bye."

"Bye."

Removing the phone from his ear, he stared at it. The call felt so genuine. Yet he had learnt it from years with his friends that they really know how to prank him. Not to mention he was a great prankster too. Just as he was considering whether to call his friends to check, he was called by the assistant director for the rehearsal. 'Ipo ena. Ithu unmelaye sincere fan endal she will WhatsApp as she had said. Ilana oru reactionume varathu. That is it. Namma dance la concentrate panuvam.' He thought as he went off to the spot.