tryst - an ashaangi ff

v.

End of the day, and it was less to say Ashwin was exhausted. All the muscles in his body were screeching to a halt and all he wanted to do was take a hot shower and sleep.

But of course, that would never happen would it? The moment she came up towards him bouncing, he knew that she was up to something and he wouldn't be able to refuse. "Enna ma?" he asked her, since she was just silent for an unusual amount of time now.

"Illa, pugazh anna ku shoot iruku and appa varathuku konjam late aagum" she trailed off, looking at him expectantly

"Seri" he said, he knew she wanted something out of him but he wouldn't give in until she told it herself. She clicked her tounge disappointedly and he suppressed the urge to chuckle.

"Ennaku pasikuthu ashwineyyyy!" she whined out, and he broke out into a chuckle. How could someone be this cute. "Ennaku ice cream sapadnum pola iruku" she exclaimed

"Ice cream ah? Intha nerathula?"

"Ama, night time la sapadra ice cream oda feeling eh thani!"

"Athu seri, athku aparam unnaku cold vandhuchuna unnoda full family senthu enna than adikum" he said, aware of her over protective brothers on set, not that they would actually hurt him but they would do so for comedic effect.

"Athellam na pathukaren, naan than rowdy aache!" she said, grinning, using his own nickname against her. Ashwin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he can't refuse her glittery eyes.

"Seri aana, onnu than" he warned her, and she could feel flashes of her father come before her. She nodded excitedly, jumping up and down, before sprinting down to the parking lot.

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Ashwin prided himself on his self control. He always managed to control himself and his emotions, as he found it that being vulnerable makes you weak. Yet, here he was taking a girl he met less than 3 months ago on a drive at 3 am to get her ice cream. His friends would laugh if someone told them this.

Women were a foreign subject to Ashwin. He found them complicated and had a hard time understanding what they wanted and what they didn't. But with her, he could understand what she needed and wanted even before she spoke. He could notice the changes within himself. Smiling when he saw her messages, searching for her discreetly whenever he was on set, etc.

Most importantly, he found himself imagining her in his daily life. What would be like to have her bubbly self around 24/7? He looked over at her, and found her staring out of the window, grazing over the dark sky tinkling with stars, and he was somehow reminded of her eyes.

He coughed to himself and broke out of his trance. He honestly couldn't stand himself at this point. It's not that he didn't like it, but it was all so foreign to him that he didn't know what to make of it. It scared him, because he knew that whatever his feelings were, it came out if an unusual situation.

He pulled over to a a road side vendor selling ice cream, and watched her get out the fastest he has ever seen her, asking the person for the flavours and what not. Once she settled on one, although disappointed she couldn't get one more, she propped herself up on the ledge. They found themselves coincidentally on a beach, making her even more excited.

The dark blue sky draped over them like the warmest blanket ever, the moon as a night light, and he found himself comparing his wavering emotions to the soft waves that crashed on shore and he could hear a vague Ilayaraja song play on the radio. He couldn't find a more romantic place.

She broke the silence and asked him, "Why did you join CWC, Ashwineyy?"

"It was sort of last chance. Idhu work out aagala na, I had to go back to making my portfolio and climbing production houses" he said, glancing at her.

She nodded slowly, looking out at the beach. "Kashtama irunthutha?" she asked. For her, Ashwin was still an enigma. She couldn't decipher his thoughts or what he was feeling. She wanted to know him for who he was, and wanted to be a person who he felt comfortable with.

He hummed, "Romba, na avalova pesa matten. Because I don't know what to speak. Ellarum attitude nu nenachupanga, but ennaku enna solrathunu theriyadhu, avalo than". He didn't know if it was the way he was brought up or if it was something else, but he was never surrounded by people so he never knew what would be taken offensively or what would be appreciated.

She furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Ennaku ungala first paakum bothu, neenga romba silent-nu thonichu. But neenga atha intentional panringa nu ennaku thonala. Konjam comfortable aana neenga pesuvinganu thonichu."

He stared at her. Because no one had understood that about him in his life. Other than his family, people just said that he had to speak and no one else would make an effort for it. Especially in such a field, being able to socialize is very important. But there she was, understanding him in a second, and taking the effort to make him feel comfortable.

He couldn't explain the emotions that swelled up in his heart at that moment. He felt complete and grateful, for meeting such a person in his life. She looked at him and raised her eyebrows in enquiry.

"Thank you.", he spoke softly, not looking away from her eyes. She found it hard to look away as well, oddly feeling coy. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks and before he could notice she spoke as well saying, "Appo naanum thank you sollanum."

He looked at her in confusion and asked her why, because as far as he knew he hadn't done anything for her. "Ennakana oru space kooduthu, na crush nu sollambothulam enna kalaikama atha accept paninathuku" she said, smiling cutely at him.

He didn't know what to say, because it wasn't something he did consciously. He encouraged it silently, because he liked it too, although he would never admit it. A comfortable silence through them, with stolen glances and amused smiles.

Sivaangi looked out at the scene, and it felt like a dream to be here with the most sweetest man she had met, who treated her with so much respect and admiration. Who treated her like a woman. She looked at him, admiring him as discreetly as possible, but she knew it wasn't possible and he knew that she was basically staring at him for the past few minutes.

And that made her admire him even more, that he wouldn't speak out on it and let her have this moment as it was. If this was a dream, she didn't want this to end, and wanted it in her life for a long long time.

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hi hi makkale!!

i updated faster than I thought, but I had a sudden urge to write so I just wrote it. The next one might be a little late, sorry 😬

also what do you think of the story? I always thought Ashwin would be the first to fall in love, because he seems the most serious out of the two.

also, thank you for 1k reads, love you guys, (✿ ♡‿♡)

let me know what you thought and vote and all that stuff :]

love,
sai