When starts align

Part 4

"Unaku class illa?", she was puzzled that Aakash just sat there with her for over an hour now. 

Their conversation had mostly been very casual and trivial, at least that is what she thought. They chatted about her schooling, his favorite hangout spots in and around campus, her recent trip with family, his love for bikes, her love for solidarity, his love for long drives and so on. 

"Iniku first day for Fresh batch of students naala it is a chill day. Onum perusa classes illa", he said and quickly checked his mobile that had over a 100 messages which made him realize that he was running late for their band jam session. 

"Shoot", he crunched his forehead and rubbed it with concern.

"Enna aachu?", she could see that he was stressed. 

"Oru important meetup. I have to go. Marandhuten. I lost track of time", he was just so disappointed with himself for this silly behavior of his. 

Music was everything to him. No one and nothing has ever been more important. His band was his family. 

He was mad at himself for letting her presence impact him so much that he would forget something so close to his heart. 

"I am so sorry but I have to go", he apologized and his remorseful tone was proof enough for her to understand his disappointment. 

"Neenga en sorry solanum. Na dan unga time ah waste paniten nu nenaikren. I feel responsible for making you delayed for something very important I am assuming by your look. I am sorry. Please carry on.", she said and her face conveyed how she felt more than her words did. 

He did not have it in him to leave her like that but he also could not stay with her knowing how important the band and music was to him. 

"Illa dont feel that way. I just need to go now. Will see you around. Computer Engineering. Tara", and had a vacant smile before running towards the parking lot. 

She had felt comfortable enough to share how she truly felt with him without filters and yet she could see that he did not feel the same way with her and it hit her hard. 

"Bye", she murmured to herself as his image started fading away. 

***

"Enga pona iva?", his eyes frantically searched for her across the open air theatre area unable to find her at the spot he had left her. 

"Konjamaachu porupu iruka? Already odambu mudila, oru edathla irundha enna koranjurum?", he mentally chided her immature behavior as he continued to walk around the area to find her. 

After a good 10 minutes he finally saw her with a couple of girls and without the slightest hesitancy walked to close the gap between them as fast he could. 

"Enga pona? Evlo thedradhu?", he implored with a disapproving look, completely insouciant to their surroundings. 

She was taken aback by this behavior, mainly because she was surprised that he cared for her at all. Secondly, he was usually very distant with women in general is what she was told by her brother over the years. 

She paused in her tracks unable to process nor respond. 

"We were just finding our classes", a girl next to her said with a chuckle. 

His brown orbs were still trained on hers and it almost made her weak on her knees. 

"Na ippo enna panen?", she mumbled with her faint voice that still reached his ears and his alone, as if they were speaking in a secret language.