Broken I

11

ARNA

He is a GEM!

"Please arna," he repeated softly, his hand continuing to wipe away my tears.

I shook my head in a flood of overwhelming emotions, trying to blink the tears away. My mind was a whirlwind, unable to focus on anything except his glassy eyes.

Stop crying, arna.

He's on the verge of tears too.

Finally gaining control, I reached for the handkerchief and wiped my tears away. With a small smile, I indirectly conveyed that I was okay.

He didn't press me for answers. Just a nod of understanding after confirming that my tears had ceased. His gaze seemed to search for something, and then he handed me his phone.

As I blinked my eyes in confusion, he spoke softly, "Intha ethavathu paru... Mind konjam freeya irukkum."

Taking the phone from him, I watched as he walked towards the door. My hands trembled slightly as I flipped through the device. Just as I was starting to process his actions, he turned back towards me.

"Konja nerathula vanthuren," he said before walking out.

It felt like a whirlwind had swept through my mind, leaving me unable to comprehend what was happening around me. I had dared to oppose his viewpoints, and yet he had unexpectedly shown me appreciation.

I was appreciated for the first time in my life. I am APPRECIATED.

Really ?

I still can't shake the feeling that I might be dreaming. Everything seems surreal. I've always voiced my opinions, even when it seemed like no one was listening or cared to accept them.

But he listened.

He listened intently to my words. I'm not even sure if my points were valid today, but still... he listened, and he appreciated me. I feel like I might cry again, just thinking about it.

I swiped through the screen as usual, logging into my Instagram account and clicking on the story of my favorite account to distract myself and it read.

Thoongu nga... Ellam seri agidum 

Maybe I should take a nap. I really need a break from these overwhelming emotions. Normally, I'd lash out when I'm feeling overwhelmed, but I found myself oddly still when he wiped my tears away. It was like I was in a daze when the emotions hit.

Sleep sounds like the best option right now. I closed the tab and placed the mobile on his writing table, my gaze inadvertently falling on his diary.

I don't invade privacy.

I decided to change into my cozy blue pajamas since I didn't have any chores to attend to at the moment. We weren't doing laundry today, and dinner preparation wouldn't start until late evening. With it only being two o'clock, I figured I could enjoy some peaceful sleep for now.

As I slipped into my comfy pajamas and settled into bed, I found myself staring at the fan, willing myself to drift off to sleep. The bed was invitingly comfortable, but my heart was anything but calm; it was racing with thoughts.

He had been so close to me when he wiped away my tears. His eyes had glistened with moisture. But why ? What prompted him to tear up ? This puzzling thought nagged at me from some hidden corner of my mind.

Despite my efforts, sleep eluded me. I sat up and checked the time, only to find that it had been just ten minutes since I lay down. It felt like hours had passed in the silence of my room.

It's true, time seems to fly by when we're happy and drag on when we're sad. It's ironic, isn't it ?

As I lay there, unable to sleep, I suddenly remembered the moment earlier when he seemed like he was about to say something to me, but I spoke first. I didn't even bother to ask him what he wanted to say. It was a terrible oversight on my part.

Here he was, generously offering to teach me drawing, patiently answering all my questions, and even going out of his way to explain things in simpler terms for me. And yet, I didn't even spare a thought to ask him what he wanted to say.

How could I have nearly forgotten about it ? What was I even thinking ?

What should I do now ? Should I go and find him ? And ask him directly what he wanted to say to me ? Or should I wait for him to come back to the room ?

Suddenly I heard door nob sound. I saw Hridhan entering the room, and without a second thought, I rose from the bed and walked towards him, stopping at a respectful distance.

"Ippo okay va?" he asked, checking my expression, perhaps to see if I had started crying again.

"Hmm," I murmured in response, nodding slightly.

I couldn't tear my gaze away from him as he blinked back at me.

"Nenga etho... solla vanthingalae," I asked, breaking the silence.

"Evening veliya polama ?" he asked.

Is he asking me out on a date ?

"Kandippa," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

We both resumed our positions on opposite corners of the bed. Hridhan mentioned that we would start by five, so we still had some time to spare. He didn't mention the location, nor did I inquire about it.

All I knew was that we were going somewhere away from this stifling environment. That thought alone was enough to fill me with a sense of anticipation and relief.

Hridhan was absorbed in sketching something in his sketchbook, while I watched him silently. He eventually suggested that me to take some rest, but I replied that I wasn't feeling sleepy.

"Ennaku eppo sollitharuvinga ?" I asked, breaking the silence, as he lifted the pencil from the notebook, his gaze shifting to my face.

"Ippo okay va ?" he inquired.

I nodded eagerly, feeling the need for a change from the overwhelming emotions.

He placed the notebook between us, then took out a fresh page and handed me the pencil. I accepted it, waiting for his instructions.

"Ethavathu sketch pannu," he said, prompting me to sketch something, though I looked at him with a slight frown, unsure where to begin.

"Illa... ennaku suthama theriyathu," I whispered.

I had hoped he would teach me, so I could at least draw to some level, but I hadn't expected this.

"Paravala, try pannu... yarum born artist illa," he reassured me, urging me to give it a try.

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From idk his intentions to He is GEM 😭💜 she said it.