Broken I

ARNA

Current ku neram kalamae illa.

It's dinner time, but the power has gone out, leaving us alone on the balcony. We both gaze up at the stars in the night sky, a single candle flickering between us.

The candle is melting.

For me, falling in love is like holding this candle. Initially, it lights up the world around you, bringing warmth and brightness. But then, as it starts to melt, it begins to hurt. Eventually, it goes out, plunging everything into darkness deeper than ever before.

All you're left with is the BURN!

The word 'Burn' hurts me. Leave that.

I glanced at Hridhan as he shared something about his day, his voice a soothing contrast to my tumultuous thoughts.

"Yen ?" I asked, resting my head on my curled-up legs as I watched him.

"Kettu irukkiya ?" he asked in shock.

"Ama. Sollunga, en kadaiku poi sapdala ?" I inquired.

"Illa... Aprom nee thaniya sapduvala ?" he asked.

God damn. So he has rejected his colleague's party at the hotel because I have to eat alone. I swallowed hard.

He is too good. Like, too good to me.

"Paravala, ithula enna irukku," I said nonchalantly, turning my attention to the vast and endless sky.

He doesn't know that I've done it countless times in my life. Eating alone, being alone, shopping alone, everything.

After that, we waited for the lights to come back on, but it was a waste of time because they didn't. We decided to use Hridhan's phone torch to cook the dosa since my phone was already dead.

"Achoo," he exclaimed softly as I poured the batter.

He stood behind me and suddenly took hold of my hands to help me spread the batter. His warmth enveloped me from behind, and I felt a surprising rush of sensations. I fought to push down these unexpected feelings and focused on making the dosa.

"Okay," he said, releasing my hands and stepping back.

Do you realize what you're doing to me, Hridhan ?

I still couldn't shake off the conversation I had with Damini earlier. I had a clear plan in mind, but now, deep down, I was uncertain.

Words can deceive, but the heart cannot.

I don't backup plans. I am not sure with my plans. Everything is getting messed up now.

I turned to look at him. His eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as the dosa turned out to be a perfect circle. Just a circle. And I did a perfect gun shot.

Vast difference. Perfectly unmatched.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly. He is cute, pure, just adorable. He placed his hands on either side of mine, the dimly lit kitchen illuminated only by Hridhan's phone torch highlighting the perfect round dosa.

We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. He moved closer to me, not to kiss, but to flip the dosa.

Leaning slightly over me, he deftly turned the dosa. I turned back and snatched the spatula from his hand.

"Nee sapdu na oothuren," he said.

"Oggay," I muttered, attempting to sit on the countertop but failing miserably due to my height. I heard his chuckle and shot him a playful glare.

"Na help pandren," he said gently, lifting me effortlessly and placing me on the countertop.

As I processed what just happened, I wondered how he could lift me so effortlessly. Am i just weightless ?

But it didn't matter now. Hridhan handed me a plate with sambar that we had made for lunch earlier.

Sooru than mukkiyam!

HRIDHAN

Kanava irukkumo ?

I hesitated briefly as my wife offered me a piece of dosa, but I didn't dwell on the thought much.

"Aa sollunga, Hridhan," she said, and I obediently opened my mouth as she fed me.

"Eppidi irukku ?" she asked, taking a bite from the same dosa.

Aiyoo...

It was a small tick off my bucket list. I had always wanted to share food with my wife, a somewhat overdramatic wish, but there it was-a moment fulfilled.

I felt a deep sense of intimacy in that simple act of sharing food, laughing together, and bearing each other's pain. It felt like a confirmation that we were growing together, evolving in our relationship. I am not sure if she realised it.

Maybe she didn't realize it, but I did.

It reminded me of the moment Arna had opened up to me, revealing the scars she had hidden from everyone for years. It was a sign of trust, and she chose to trust me.

If someone is hiding something, it often stems from a painful past where they felt misunderstood or ignored.

I believe this must have been the case for Arna. Perhaps she was never truly seen for who she was, or her wishes were disregarded.

She has been forced to do everything she didn't wish.

She may have been pressured to suppress her playful, childlike side in favor of appearing mature. Despite this, I'm confident she will eventually break free from these constraints.

Afterall I am here to help through everything.

I started reading few books she completed. First it was little difficult as arna's book list were english but I believe nothing is impossible and English isn't like meeting alien.

Now I doing better with the books. I realised the hero's so far from me. They can do anything for their girls. I can't do anything like them and I don't think I will do something like them.

I will be myself.

I don't want to change myself or act like someone to make her like me. Because that can't last long anyway.

As she continued to feed me, I started placing dosa pieces into her plate. We didn't exchange words, but the silence between us felt comforting and serene.

I watched the moon shining brightly through the window, its glow reflecting the radiance on her face.

After we finished dinner, we returned to the balcony. With my phone battery dying, we switched off the torch and basked in the warmth of the moonlight.

The moonlight painted gentle shadows on her green saree, accentuating the delicate white flowers that adorned it.

As I turned towards her, our eyes met in the quiet intimacy of the night. In that moment, it felt like the world around us had faded into insignificance, leaving only us.

"Nalaiku morning poitu groceries vangitu vanthurulama ?" I asked.

She nodded, still gazing at me.

Kuru kuru paaravaiku artham enna ?

______________

Double update 💜🤌🏻

Because I missed him so much 💎

Might be triple ☃️