When starts align

Part 7

"Enna da yosikra", Ritesh poked Aakash hoping that he would finally break his silence after almost an hour drive. 

The silence was deafening. He did not remember the last time they drove anywhere without a song playing in the background. 

"Machan I have given you enough time to stay in your own head. Enaku ippo therinje aaganum", and his tone quickly shifted from understanding to ultimatum as the car came to a full stop. 

Aakash knew that he was probably over reacting but he just could not stop replaying the way she looked at him like a stranger. He knew there should be a reason but not knowing it was making him insane. 

"Therla da... Ava en theriyaadha madri no problem nu soltu apdiye pona.... Edho... There was something in her eyes", he tried to make sense of it for himself too. 

"Seri erangu namma edam ingendhu walking distance dan. Get some fresh air. Na driver anna car pick panna solren", and got out of the car to walk towards the other door. 

Aakash was well aware that his friend was right. He needed to get out of his head and there is nothing better than a walk around the most picturesque place in the whole world - the magical streets of Adyar. 

Ritesh practically pulled him out of his seat and locked the car. 

"Seri seri polam", he smiled and that was all Ritesh wanted to see. 

"Happa da... un moonji la indha siripu ilama semma gaanda irundhuchu. Now I feel so much better", Ritesh confessed as they started to stroll. 

"Seri sollu what is bothering you? Unna enaku high school lendu theriyum. Enikume endha vishyathayum rombha mature ah dan handle pannuva. Never seen you get so wound up"

The question was valid and Aakash by now was convinced that talking about it aloud maybe is what will help him truly make sense of his feelings. 

And who other than Ritesh, who accepted him as is and has always stuck by him over all these years, would be a better person to open up to.

"Iniku morning avala paatha apo just casual ah dan pesnen. I could sense that she was nervous. Ava face ah kooda first paakala", he narrated. 

"Edho oru sense of comfort. Ava enna oru random student ah paatha. I really liked that. The sense of not having to live upto this huge image that everyone wants me to be", he sighed and it showed how heavy it felt. 

Ritesh was cognizant of his friend not wanting the hype, the fame or anything that made him to be larger than life but never understood how much it weighed on him until that moment. He partially felt guilty for often being the person that hyped him up to people too. 

"High school apove band. Apdiye music. Elame enaku pudichu dan panen but somewhere I started losing my own identity in a way. Elarume enna en music vechu matume dan pakranga.. but I am not just a musician", and the pain was real. 

"Ava kooda irukra apo I could just be myself and it was so refreshing. Enaku enna sapda pudikum nu keta... It was so surprising. Ivlo nal la enkita music thavara perusa yaarum endha topic um pesnadhe illa... Enaku enna badhil solradhu nu kooda therla oru second", he smiled whole heartedly at how easy it was to spend time with her. 

Seeing his friend talk about a girl he had just met with such awe made him truly believe in love at first sight. 

"Evlo happy ah irundheno ava kooda andha oru few instances la... ava apdi oru stranger madri behave pannadhu was heart breaking. En ava enna ivlo affect panra nu therla... Aana she is something special", Aakash paused to finally look at him. 

"Epdiyaachu avala thirumbha odane paathu... ava en mela en kovama iruka nu therinjunkanum. Seri pananum... manda full ah andha thought matum dan iruku", he divulged sincerely.