When Our Paths crossed..

Time to shift Sweetheart!

Sunday 11:00 AM,

Ashwin was talking to Sharath over phone while Shivani was busy with the discharge formalities. They reached the apartment and she unlocked the door. Ashwin sat on the couch and she went to kitchen to prepare something to warm to drink.

Within minutes, she came out with a cup of coffee and handed him a bowl of porridge and hot water. There was complete silence. Both of them wondering who would break the silence first.

ASHWIN can stay like this forever but SHIVANI couldn't.

"How are you feeling now?" she questioned sipping her coffee.

"Better. But I still have headache" he replied fiddling with the spoon.

"Good shower and sleep might help. Take rest! "she replied, her eyes yet to meet his.

"Hmm.." he replied and moved to his room.

As soon as he left, she let out her breath. She kept the coffee mug on the table and looked around. She unlocked her phone only to see VIJAY DEVARKONDA smiling brightly at her on the wallpaper.

"I think its time to Shift sweetheart!" she murmured lying back comfortably on the couch.

Sunday 10:00 PM

I just lied on my bed. Eyes closed. After some time, I could hear movement in my room. I guess Shivani must have come inside to take some things. She was trying her best to take her things without disturbing me and I decided to play along pretending to sleep. After few minutes, she came to me. I could feel her near me. With little hesitation, she touched my forehead. I think she must have checked my temperature. As soon as I felt her fragrance disappear in air, a lone tear escaped my eyes with no one to wipe it.

Monday morning 08:00 AM,

I had a few meetings planned and I had to meet Pavithra on my way. I had shortlisted a few accommodations near work. My plan was to pick Pavithra from her PG, go to work and on the way back checkout these places. With so many things in mind, I was roaming back and forth the living room collecting my things and pushing them in my bag randomly. That was when I bumped into him. He must have got up only now. His hair was messy but it just added to his charm.

"Paathu ma!" I heard him say.

"Sorry! " I replied in a haste and rushed to open the door to leave. I had almost reached the lift when I remembered something. I rushed to the apartment again. I saw him holding my mobile and coming out of the apartment.

"Thank you so much Ashwin!". I almost snatched the mobile in a hurry and ran to the lift.

08:30 AM:

I walked into the kitchen and surprised to find hot coffee waiting for me. She had cooked some soup and porridge for breakfast. I opened the third bowl to find a note.

"Your medicines are in the shelf next to the bed along with the prescription. Don't forget to take them. Call me if you are not feeling well." It had a phone number and her name beneath -SHIVANI

"When did she grow up so much?" I wondered.

~

Memories flashed before him:

"My dream destination is Switzerland!" I said dreamily.

"Mama.. Switzerland Europe la thane irukku ? » she asked in her sqeaky voice.

"illa ma...Switzerland India la than irukku » I replied imitating her sqeaky voice

"Switzerland India la eppadi irukkum? Illa enakku purila! " she asked innocently and we all started laughing.

I chuckled as I came out of our childhood moment and started exploring the apartment.

This is was a very special place to me. 2 years back I had bought this with my own money after my first movie was a hit. It was a simple 2bhk flat in a porche area and I rarely visited the apartment. I usually preferred staying close to the set. The last time I came here was almost 1 year back.

~

He saw that the apartment was well maintained. The apartment felt like home when he saw that the pooja room was well maintained. He could still feel the aroma of the incandescent sticks that she had lit. He had designed 1 room as bedroom and other room was left vacant as he had to go to Bangalore for his next big project.

He opened the door to the next room and saw that she had converted it to a work area. A working table, file rack, rolling chair, couch, whiteboard and lot of sticky notes about her upcoming meetings. On the left he could see a large poster of Vijay Devarkonda and next to it, there were papercuts of advertisements about PG's and 1 Bhk Apartments. He suddenly felt depressed and sad. He couldn't understand why the thought of her leaving made him sad. It was obvious that she had to vacate since he returned back. He suddenly felt void. Unnecessarily tears started falling down. He understood what he missed. He missed his family. He missed his family TERRIBLY!

A person's own  family is without doubt,

 the greatest wealth that we will ever possess.