Hypnotized by you

27

Kuyili

The day proceeds as usual with me preparing the food and accompanying Dad to the dining table to consume the breakfast. He looks normal. Not a single look of suspicion was cast at me so far and I was relieved, to say the least. I didn't expect father to come back home early today. Though we fortunately escaped from his eyes, I feel uneasy inside. Maybe it's the fact that I'm cheating behind his back that has me experiencing this uncomfortable emotion.

"Kuyil," I pull myself out of my head and dejectedly focus my eyes on Father. "Are you feeling sick?" He flattens his left palm on my forehead and retracts it, scrutinizing me with his detective eyes.

If I keep sulking, I'll expose myself on my own. No! He shouldn't know about our relationship now, it will lead to chaos. As per my plan, I've decided to fix my career first before urging Vishwa to make the move of approaching my father.

"No appa, I'm fine!" I smile at him and internally apologize to him for the facade I'm decking on. I feel as though I'm betraying him...his trust.

He gives me a skeptical glance but continues having the food. "Appa," I call tentatively, "There's a guy who likes me pa and I blocked him on my phone because I felt like I was starting to like him back. He's my college friend," I lie fluently and Father pats my head upon listening to my made-up story.

"You did good by blocking him," right, there was nothing else that I anticipated him to respond with. "But you know appa, it's quite difficult to control ourselves...all the time," the appreciative look in his eyes dissolves and a rather cold pair observes me, keenly.

"Are you in love with someone, Kuyil?" I blink in surprise, but quickly let out a nervous laughter to hide the panic inside me. "Che che...why would I do that when I know that you won't permit love marriages," He quietly peers at me and then starts to have the food again.

What is he thinking?

"Remind yourself that whenever you feel like you can't control yourself Kuyil," his words were casually uttered, yet it came off as a tight slap and landed brutally on my cheeks.

My heart is literally shivering and there's this rising fear in my stomach, causing my whole being to experience a kind of fear that I didn't know existed.

I'm so doomed.

But first of all, I should stop giving away hints by my dull self. I should act as carefree as I've always been. If not, it will evoke doubts within my father.

After breakfast, Father sits on the couch and converses with someone on the phone. Meanwhile, I stand in front of the television with a broomstick in one hand and a remote in the other, flipping through the music channel to spot a good song so that I can start sweeping while attending to it.

Minutes later, I found a perfect song to vibe with, that is, 'Karupputhaan enakku pudicha colour-uh' (Black is my favorite color). The song is about praising the dark-skinned people as the heroine has fallen in love with a dark-skinned male. I couldn't help but be reminded of Vishwa and miss him more...

He must be in his office now. I wish the evening arrived sooner so that I can behold him.

Without my own knowledge, a shy smile clings to my lips as the song continues to play on the television. With that same smile, I begin sweeping the floor.

As any other day, appa prepares to vacate the flat in the evening and just as he opens the door, Vishwa walks out from the elevator. Externally, I acted sane, but internally, I was going insane as If I'm seeing my husband who was back from work. I may sound crazy, but I've already started living with him in my head. I've begun regarding him as my husband...