The Lion and the Rose

Chapter 26

Siva

Ever since she came out of the guest room she has been behaving weirdly with me but normal with Aneesha and Sanjeet. I don't want to discuss anything with her, right now, at this place.

I walk closer to her and take her phone away from her hands. She tries to reach out for the phone but I raise my hand high in the air so that she can't reach up.

Her favourite height has become a bane for her now.

I canceled the cab and gave her phone back to her. "En veedu inga irunthu left side la five minutes drive thaan, Office right side la Iruku, ethuku ungaluku theva illatha alachal nu thaan.." (My house is just a five minutes ride away from here towards the left and the office is in the right direction, that's why I booked a cab to avoid unnecessary strain for you..)

I stop her, "Antha five minutes ku unakaga ennala drive mudiyatha?" (Can't I drive that five minute ride for you?)

I may not know the reason for her anger but I know that I have just hiked up her anger. When I reach my car, I place the paper bag saree in the back seat before getting into it. I drive out of the parking lot and stop near her, so that she can get into the car without stepping into the sun.

She tries to look like an angered person but it actually makes me laugh, she just looks cute with that pouty face of hers. She gets into the car and I ask her to direct me to her house, she does but doesn't speak anything after giving me initial directions.

What have I done that made her angry with me?

She was fine after meeting Anu, while talking with Sanjeet and Aneesha.

Is she angry with me, that I didn't respond to her properly when she informed me of others addressing each other as darling?

Aneesha and Sanjeet are addressing each other as darling as they are husband and wife, whereas Puvi and Pallavi, I'm not sure I feel like they are just having a harmless flirt and addressing each other as darling as they are understanding friends.

But by what means I'll address her as darling?

Yeah, she addressed me as Mama but it was for fun. In fact I too addressed her as Kulu Kulu.

Did she forget that so soon?

Even though the word was coined by her, I was the one who addressed her as such. But within the weak from what I have learnt, Ashwika is not someone who gets pissed off for such silly things. There is some other reason for her to behave as such.

I start the car and turn on the radio, the RJ instructs about city traffic and announces "Neenga busy traffic la tension ah move aagitu irukkum pothu ungala calm down panna pala 90s 2k kids ooda favorite song vanthute iruku enjoy pannunga" (To calm down your nerves in the busy traffic, one of the favorite songs of 90s and 2K kids is coming up)

Illai illai solla

Oru kanam podhum

My eyes go wide as one of my most favorite songs, Enna Solla Pogirai from the movie, Kandukonden Kandukonden, plays on the Radio. I look at the console and my eyes subconsciously zone in on Ashwika, only to find her mirroring my action. Immediately we both avert our eyes and look elsewhere as the starting phrase of the song starts.

Ever since I heard this song for the first time as a young boy, it was on the top list of my most favorite songs. I loved the tone, lyrics, and every minute instrumental work that ARR sir has used. Top of all, Shankar Mahadevan's voice... Godd ... it gave a different feel to the song and he also received a National award for this song.