Ethir Parka Villai

Chapter 36

"Yen inga thaniya okkandiruke?", Malar asks looking up at the starless sky, as a light breeze hits her face.

Anirudh shrugs, "Chumma dhan.Nee nalla thoonginiya?"

Malar nods smiling, "Yep, nee thoongala?"

Anirudh shakes his head, "Usual ah day time le yennaku thookam varadhu. Nightu varadhe adisiyam."

"Ana anniki studio le thoongune?", Malar asks.

"Maybe tired le thoongirupen." Anirudh says, unwilling to reveal that it was because of a certain someone.

Malar nods before sighing happily looking up at the sky.

"Nee happy ah dhane irruke?", Anirudh asks suddenly.

Malar looks at him confused, "Ama, yen?"

Anirudh shrugs, before going silent. He then takes a deep breath, shutting his eyes tightly. Sollidu da, he thinks.

"MalarIloveyou", Anirudh blurts.

"Huh? Konjam medhuva dhan pesu.", Malar asks confused.

Anirudh sighs before repeating, "I'm in love with you. It's been a while since I realized it, and I didn't think I would say it like this, but I guess I just did. Nan idha pathi neraiya yoschiruken, and I've been trying to find the right words to tell you. But nothing can properly express how I feel for you."

Anirudh looks at Malar expectantly, to see her frozen with shock.

"N-na na idha yedir pakale.", Malar says so shocked she could barely talk. 

"So?" Anirudh asks hopefully.

"W-what? Y-you want an a-answer now?", Malar asks. Idhe workout aguma, she asks herself. Agale na I'll be so hurt, I don't think I can recover.

"N-no, s-sorry", Malar says before rushing from there. She couldn't think straight, all she wanted was to not be present in that situation.

Anirudh's heart shatters at her sudden and abrupt rejection. His eyes fill with tears as he confusedly and brokenly whispers, "W-what?"

Anirudh gathers himself and silently walks down before excusing himself and lying that his mother needs him before he gets in his car and drives away.

Ayira silently rushes into the room Malar just ran into, since none of the elders noticed what happened.

Ayira walks in before locking the door and turns around to see Malar sitting on the floor beside the bed looking shocked and miserable.

"Ayy yenna di achu? Yen ipdi irruke?", Ayira asks worriedly sitting next to her friend.

Malar shakes her head unwilling to talk to anyone, as tears flow down her face. After trying for some time, Ayira leaves Malar and walks out alone.

Outside, Arjun looks anxious as he keeps trying to call Anirudh.

"Avan yedhuka mattingara", Arjun says tensed.

Ayira calms him down and makes him sit.

"He's not that stupid to do something dangerous. Vituku ille studio ve ku dhan poiruparu.", Ayira consoles.

The next day(Thursday), Malar tells her parents that she's staying at Ayira's for a few days. Her parents had agreed because they were busy with preparations. Sakthi did sense something was wrong, but he let Malar be alone for some time.

Ayira knocks on Malar's door, telling her to eat something. It was almost evening and Malar had been locked up in the room all day.

"Yennaku venam", Malar shouts from inside.