Tiptoeing towards love

16

A week later

Kanimozhi

College is cool!

I've befriended many of my classmates and they were all so lovely and sweet to me. Priya and Sam warned me not to overshare or overcare for everyone and I'm trying my best to keep my frantic mouth shut...

At present, I'm in the canteen with Sam. Priya is a very studious girl which I've come to realize with time and at the moment she probably would be roaming inside the library.

"Sam, how could some people be so disciplined and study so seriously with genuine interest?" I query dubiously and take a long sip of my lemon juice.

"How do I know? I'm just like you," we both look at each other and cackle at our similarity. "May I ask you something?" He nods his head.

"What should I do If I want a guy to fall for me?" Sam's eyes go wide at my question. Why is he acting as If I've asked something inappropriate?

"How could you cheat on your husband...I didn't know you were this horrible person-" I cut off him and interject my words hurriedly. "I am talking about my husband actually," I attest and look blankly at him.

"Oh...so he was forced to marry you?" His qualm roses resentment within me. Cause he is right! I coerced my mama to marry me...

But I was confident that I would hypnotize my mama with my love. However, he seems little to not a bit affected by me and my reckless love tortures.

"Not totally..." I drag and Sam nods his head understandingly. "So how does he behave around you?" He asks, leaning forward to listen to my answer.

"Um...cold but caring. He cooks me my favorite food and takes care of me but he says that he does all that because he considers me as his niece! It's so frustrating Sam. I want to be accepted by him as his wife!" Sam thinks for a while.

"To make it happen, you should trigger jealousy within him. If he gets jealous, then he for sure has feelings for you. For instance...try talking about a guy to him appreciatively and see his reaction first," he advises earnestly.

"I've already done that and witnessed his aggrieved reaction. Back then I was actually admiring your scent and how you smell so good. Mama wasn't happy with it..." Sam grins widely. "Thanks for the compliment and now I'm certain that he has feelings for you..." my face glows in glee at his words.

"Let your words be true..." I flutter my eyes at him and cup my cheeks, delighted by the possibility of mama being in love with me.

"But here's the thing Kani. You should keep on provoking his jealousy until he has no other option other than to open up his emotions to you," I lend Sam a thoughtful look. "How am I supposed to do that now?" He shrugs at my question.

"Use your brain," he chuckles and I throw him a glare before leaning back on the chair and thinking of ideas to make my mama jealous.

He was upset and uncomfortable when I complimented the mere scent of another guy...

Hence I could already predict his reactions to my future acts.

After spending the time in the canteen, Sam and I were walking to our class when in the corridor my eyes catch a glimpse of a guy, obviously a senior which I inferred by the color of his identity card...

He looks at me and I stare back at him, perplexed. "His gaze isn't good Kani, divert your eyes from him," I instantly obliged Sam and as we were crossing that guy, Sam shifts places with me and protectively guides me to our class. His action caused a smile on my face and I felt a brotherly affection towards him.

"How did you know that's a bad gaze?" I look up at Sam, dubiously. "I'm surprised that you couldn't figure out his intention Kani. How can you be so naive..." He shakes his head, displeased.

"I'm quite poor at judging people," I glance at the floor, bashed by my inability to see beneath what's on the surface. "Don't be distressed about it... It's all about experience," I nod at him and we enter the class. Priya was already in her respective seat and was writing something...

Smiling at her dedication towards learning, I delightfully saunter up to her. And the rest of the day went as usual except for the incident where I was again stared at by that senior when I was leaving the college campus in the car.

Upon reaching the house, I dejectedly amble inside the lounge and shrieked when I heed to my mama's voice.

"Mozhi,"

He is on the couch with his best friend, that is, his laptop sitting leisurely on his lap. His purple shirt, white shorts, ruffled hair, and pointed and caring gaze of him elevates my mood and warms my heart, helping me forget about the discomfort-inducing look of that guy.

"Inga va," (come here) At mama's command, I obediently stroll to him.
"How was your day?" He asks, looking up at me as he slants back on the couch.

"It was fine mama..." I answer with a slight smile. "Then why do you look dull?" I blink my eyes at him, surprised at his observation.

"I wasn't mama...it's just a senior brother..." I trail off and I can see mama's features becoming sharp.

"What did he do Mozhi?" Mama holds my wrist and has me perch beside him in a rush. I could sense the seriousness his eyes bears and I become quite nervous.

"It's not a big issue mama. He was just staring at me...two times. Nothing more," Mama's grip loosens around my wrist and he sees me softly.

"Tell me If he were to disturb you, okay?" I bob my head up and down at his gentle words and perhaps, he found it funny that he smiles warmly at me and pats my head. I felt giddy and happy like a puppy that's been pampered by its owner...

"Seri ma, (okay) go and refresh," he pauses patting my head and I move away from him with a dreamy smile playing on my lips.

Henceforth, I freshened up and had tea with my mama and spent an hour or more messing with my books, trying to learn the content in them. But in the end, I fell asleep over my books and was woken up by my mama to have dinner.

Post the dinner, we left to our respective rooms as usual. I still haven't discovered any decent idea to accept me into his room but I knock at his door every night and plead with him to let me in which unsurprisingly never yielded me a favourable outcome...

Yet still, I'm positive that my consistency will get me into his room one day!

That night, I couldn't sleep peacefully in my room. My mother's face keeps flashing across my mind and suddenly being alone frightened me. I attempt to fight my fear and cloaked the duvet over my head and slept...

Unfortunately, a few minutes later, I sat up due to witnessing a terrifying nightmare. My throat felt parched and I hurriedly hop off the bed, turn on the light, and rush out of the room.

Somehow attaining my mama's room, I frequently knock on the door with my body sweating and tears welling up in my eyes. Mama doesn't unlock the door after a long moment of knocking and I knew that he was deliberately doing it, thinking that I was doing this to get into his room.

"Mama," I voice out and knock again and I have no idea why my eyes abruptly produces uncontrollable tears. "Mama...please open the door," I try again and he still gives no response.

I really needed him now and it hurts to be not taken seriously by him.

More tears slide down my eyes and I give up as I wail unstoppably and sit against the wall nearby by his door. I can't go downstairs again! I'm scared.

Eventually, I find myself falling into slumber due to the exhaustion of sniveling and with the thought of being only a door away from my mama...

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