Broken I

18

ARNA

Serene.

"Okay, thana ?" Hridhan asked while I nodded, glancing around the clean hall.

"Thaniya irunthupala ?" He asked again.

I blobbed my head again.

We are moving to a new place since Hridhan is starting work again. We'll be staying in the city until he completes the project.

When he told me we were moving to the city, I was the happiest person in the world. To be honest, I can't survive in that remote place.

The apartment is furnished, so we only moved our clothes and nothing else. It has a hall, a single bedroom, and a kitchen.

Hridhan was so nervous about not getting a two-bedroom apartment and felt so bad. But if only he knew he's already done too much—two bedrooms aren't necessary.

"Na breakfast, lunch senjuten. Saptu rest edu. Na evening vanthuruven," he says, taking something from his pant pocket.

My phone.

It was broken, as I had said already. Aradhya brought my phone that day, but she didn't know it wasn't working. But Hridhan had repaired it for me.

"Intha... un phone ready aiduchu," he said, handing it to me.

"Aprom en number solren, note panniko. Ethavathu na call pannu," he said, reciting his number. I noted it down on a piece of paper.

"Seri, okay. Na poitu varen. Bye," he said, finally after lot of questions.

"Bye," I whispered, watching him who looked stunning in his formals as he left the house.

Yesterday, we finally moved here after staying in that hell for a week. Nithya and Abhi have also settled into their apartment. It seems they're staying there permanently now.

They had come over for our wedding, and my mother-in-law asked them to stay for sometime. Thank God, we'll finally have some peace.

Exhausted, I slumped onto the bed. The move had taken a long time, and waking up at four-thirty had drained me. When I woke up, Hridhan was already ready for the office and had even cooked breakfast and lunch.

After getting refreshed, I put on a red saree. With nothing else to do and everything already clean, I had my breakfast.

I took my phone, which I hadn't touched in a long time. When I switched it on, the messages started beeping.

Sam 🌙

Oii 👀 5.30 pm
Hey 🙋🏻‍♀️ 5.31 pm
Paithiyo 6.24 pm
Hey reply Pannu di 6.24 pm 

I chuckled at her messages. These are sent before my marriage.

Unaku kalayanam nu evano prank panna na nambala 🥱 nanga ellam yaru ? 😎🤏🏻 11.23 pm

Poor girl. She sent this on my wedding day.

Ama enga poi tholancha 👀 11.24 pm

Let me talk to her. She's going to kill me anyway. I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up the call.

"Helo," I did sing-song.

"Yarunga pesurathu ?" she asked.

"Hey, na un friend Arna di," I said, smiling to myself.

"Nice prank nga, but ennaku time illa. Office ponnu. Veinga," she replied, sounding rushed.

"Hey loosu, contact aa paru," I hollered. I knew she wouldn't have seen it.

"Hey!" she shouted back, forcing me to take my phone away from my ear to save my hearing ability.

"Sollu na than," I said, trying to calm her down.

"Hey, enga di ponna ? Sollama kollama kannama poita ? Evalo call pandrathu phone switch nu varuthu... na bayanthuten theriyuma ?" she hollered, her voice filled with concern.

"Sorry di, phone odanchudu. Ippo than seri pannen," I explained.

"Enna di, velayata soldra ? It's been a fucking month"

"Situation appidi na enna pandrathu ?" I asked calmly, trying to soothe her worries.

"Ama, aprom na un thangachi number kasta pattu vangi ketta, unaku kalyanam aiduchu un thangachi sonna. Enna di nadakuthu ?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.

"Athu ellam na aprom soldren," I replied.

"Seri, okay, eppidi irukka ?" she inquired further.

"Hmm, nala irukken," I replied.

"Meet pannalama ?" she probed.

"Enga irukka ?" I asked.

"Same cafe. Same time," she suggested.

"Seri, okay, varen," I said, cutting the call. I then noticed Hridhan's number on the table. I typed his number and contemplated what to save it as.

Hridhan? No.

Husband? No.

Partner? No.

Ena vekurathu ? 

GEM 💎

Perfect!

I don't know what hridhan is to me, exactly but he is gem in everyway. So, the contact looks perfect.

After locking the room, I entered the lift and went to the ground floor. I hailed an auto to our regular cafe.

Samriddhi is my friend from college. I have no long-term friends. Everyone leaves after a certain period. Nothing new.

I reached the cafe and saw her waiting for me. Soon, we engulfed each other in a hug.

"Paithiyo, na bayanthuten di," she screamed, pulling back.

"Hey, chi, summa athey sollitu irukatha... okaru," I said, gesturing her to sit down.

"Nee solluva di... na serious bayanthuten."

"Ethuku bayapadra ? Han ? Na kollaiya panniten," I asked, noticing the large figure in the black hoodie, but I quickly shifted my focus back to Sam.

"Unaku konjam kooda bayamae illa la ?" she asked, concern evident in her voice, as she ordered her favorite and mine.

"Seri, atha vidu. Unaku office illaya ?" I asked, knowing it was her office time.

"Permission pottuten," she grinned.

"Kd fellow, ena di reason sonna ?" I asked, chuckling at her mischievousness.

"Kal valikuthu sir. So one hour permission venu," she said, putting on an act, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Pavam manushan. Nee soldraiyum nambi permission kooduthurukaru paru," I chuckled.

"Ama. Podi eppo pathalum noi-noi vela kooduthutey irukkaru," she winced.

"Plus, red rose," I said with a smirk.

"Hey, athu ellam onnu illa," she blushed.

"Han han," I fake coughed.

"Hey, summa iru di," she blushed even more.

"Aprom oru masam enna enjoy aa ?" I cocked my eyebrow.

"Athu ellam illa," she shrugged.

"Athu seri," I said in a teasing tone.

After that, we talked for some time while enjoying some snacks. As it was time for her to head to the office, she warned me to stay in touch and reply to all the messages. I nodded and bid goodbye to her as she took an auto to her office.

After noticing the auto disappeared, I walked across to the other side of the road to a black car, opened the door, and sat in. 

I could feel his strong gaze on me.

Loosa Ivan ?

_________

Eppidi irunthuchu ? 👀