Oh Manapenne ! ✅

Chapter 28

(continuation to last chapter)

Halfway on the journey, the car was only filled with silence. Rakshan didn't dare to speak a word while Ashwin didn't ask any question either.

Rakshan waited for Ashwin to shoot out the questions but he didn't. So without waiting any further, Rakshan broke the silence.

"Naa explain panna keppiya ?", Rakshan asked.

After a moment of silence, Ashwin answered while still looking at the road.

"No", he simply said.

"You misunderstood it Ashwin. Enakkum inthe vishayam theriyathe. I only got to know about when Sivaangi first came to the restaurant", Rakshan said.

"Let me tell you something. No explanation you're about to give is going to change my mind. I'm not mad at you. You're all I had and have. What I want you to do to redeem yourself is erase this part of our life off your mind. Let's just continue our life as how it was", Ashwin said rather calmly.

"Machaa...Sivaangi", Rakshan said hesitantly.

"That's the part of our life which I want you to erase. Don't say that name again", Ashwin said.

Ashwin and Rakshan reached home and Ashwin went straight to his room and locked himself. He went into the bathroom, went to the shower and turned it on. He sat there on the bathroom floor under the shower contemplated his life.

A million questions lingered in his mind. That was his family all along ? A family that threw him away. A family that didn't love him since he was born. Everything felt like a lie to him. He started to wonder if anything she did was true. What about the moments they spent, the long drives, the kiss, the songs she sang for him. Is everything a lie ? She chose her family anyway. It must be a lie. What was her real intention ? Why are they torturing him now after all these year he suffered without a family's love ? What had really happened ? A million question.

Ashwin drowned in his own thoughts until he eventually fell asleep in the shower.

The next morning, his alarm from the room woke him up. He woke up with a cold. However he still got ready. While crossing the hallway, he stopped by Sivaangi's room. After a debate with himself whether he have to go in or not, he went it. He saw the cupboard still contains her clothes. He took the yellow earing from the dressing table, he stared at it until tears drop. He immediately left the room. Once he got down, Rakshan immediately noticed the health state of Ashwin.

"Dey, what happened ? You look sick", Rakshan said in concern.

"It's just a cold", Ashwin said coughing.

"No, let's go to the doctor", Rakshan said.

"Onnum ille da, vaa polam", Ashwin said.

"You can't work like this. You take rest, I'll manage", Rakshan said.

"It's okay, I can come", Ashwin said coughing again.

"You clearly can't do any work like this. Please stay home and get rest. I'll handle it", Rakshan convinced.

"Are you sure ?", Ashwin asked.

"Of course I am. Nee poi rest edu", Rakshan said and left the house.

Ashwin laid on the sofa. His mind immediately started thinking about what Sivaangi would've done if she's here now. She would've take care him like a baby.

He got up to change his mind from her thoughts. He decided to cook something to divert his mind. He went in to the kitchen and the only thought he had was the time they cooked together, and the burnt pasta. Ashwin zoned out and landed on the dining table chair. He wished brains had a delete button so he can erase her memories.