· • ● Poornitha ● • ·

In the evening, I made myself a cup of coffee and sat with it in the balcony. I tried to push away my anger that I had for Rakshan for what had happened in the noon and tried thinking about if I have any love feelings for him. This is so strange. Sipping my coffee I managed to push off the anger.

I thought of Rakshan from the day 1 I saw him. Probably at Akka's Engagement function, no no before that in my room. All I did thinking about our first encounter was, face palmed and blushed red. How stupid our first meeting was, 'Wait let me help you.' I mimicked what Rakshan had said when he saw me fallen on the floor. What happened next was even more fun, he grew so nervous when he told me of what Jiju had caught him into. He was so worried looking for Swadhu and giving her the gift. He sounded and looked so formal then. I am sure he wouldn't have been in love with me then. It would have happened sometime later.

I tried to figure out when exactly he must have started feeling more than friendship for me. May be when we had gone out for shopping, or it could have been when he had come here to help me out with Deba, or might be when I surprised him reaching his shoot to support him. Standing in the balcony I recalled all those events, and most of all my regrets for not being able to buy the band what I wanted to buy for him.

**A month ago** 

"Alright so if we are really admitted in, then we will go for Rakshan's show." said Akka.

"Jiju are you sure about it?? If they let people watch the shoot live, if so Rakshan would have told us, isn't it?"

"I went for the show once, so it's sure that they will allow us. He never tells all this. Since childhood he is like that! He dislikes boosting much. Sharing something about himself on his own, he very rarely does them." replied Jiju.

"Is it so??? I never felt like that!"

"Anyways... Krishii it's decided now! We are going for the show and motivating him."

"Yeah we must and then I got to ask him, why he never informed me before about it?? If we had known about it we would have gone for the show before itself na!" I said looking at Akka.

"Yeah doll! Exactly. Krish you book the tickets today itself, this weekend we will leave."

I made it quick to my office and met my director's secretary finishing my work. I asked him if I could take leave and he let me have it saying the director was busy elsewhere and doesn't have any plans of having any shoot in the recent days. He had even added that the director was in a plan of postponing the shoot for a month or so, as he had some undeniable abroad trips.

Luckily our plan of leaving to Coimbatore could be put in action. Jiju had booked the tickets, and we would be leaving in a week.

~~Few days later~~

We reached the Airport in the Cab, quiet ahead of the schedule, and were so excited, that we went on jumping the whole way, taking selfies, posing stupidly and having all the fun.

We went to the first floor and waited for our flight to be arrived. Sitting idle was definitely not something that we usually would enjoy. So we went around and looked if there was something interesting that could be bought from the stores.

"Hey look there are few accessories there, would you like to have a look at them..??" asked Jiju to Akka and they both went there.

I was not interested in any of the stores as such, but simply to roll on time, I went in for a window shopping. Walking into the books store, I took a book and started reading it's blurb as if I was a bookaholic. I am not a person who actually prefers reading. I don't read books until and unless someone reviews me something really good about the book. And in those cases too I don't finish reading the book that soon. To be honest, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho has been on my reading list for more than 9 months. Half way through The Alchemist, Khaled's - And The Mountains Echoed got in, and that is also yet to be completed. And The Mountains Echoed is really a huge one for me. I have so far completed reading, Oliver Twist, A Thousand Splendid Suns and 2 States. That's all. Reading has always been miles away from me, and never will be that close too I guess. This time, with what thought in my mind, I got into the book store I don't know.

After looking at few books, I walked out, in search of something else interesting. I looked around for Akka and Jiju, they weren't seen anywhere. I tried calling them on the phone and walked around. Suddenly something caught my attention in one of the stores. Cutting the call I went into the store and looked at it. It was actually a leather band, with a guitar in it. I asked the sales-girl to take it from the display, so that I could have a closer view of it.

Taking it in my hand, I thought of Rakshan. He loves his guitar and playing on it. He had once told me that his guitar was his lucky charm, because his Appa had gifted it to him. I decided to buy the band for him.

"Hey Poovu didn't you hear the announcement???"

"Our flight has arrived.!" said Jiju joining Akka.

"Just a moment Akka.. you both go I will come..-" I said, which hardly fell in Akka's ears. She pulled me out of the store. The band fell from my hand and I just saw it on the floor. The sales-girl took it, I was not even allowed to thank her, because Akka was pulling me, out.

"We must not miss our flight Poovu.."

"Yeah fine... come!" I said finding no way.

Walking through the jet-way, I felt bad for not being able to buy that band for him. I tried pushing back those thoughts and comforted myself telling that I might find such bands in any Mall and can buy it in Coimbatore also.

We took our seats in the flight, Jiju was in the middle, Akka at the window seat, and I was on the other side away from the window. So with that we sat relaxing and waited for the flight to take off.

"Poovu are you ok there?? If not you can come and sit here near your Akka!" said Jiju.

"No problem Jiju!! I'm fine here. Be cool!" I said assuring him.

The pilot gave his announcements and the air hostess started with their usual safety instructions. I did not pay attention to them, instead turned the pages in the magazine and looked at them. I regretted for missing the band actually. After the flight was in the midair, I pushed my seat back and slept.

On landing at Coimbatore, my mood totally changed and I became cheerful for some reason. Coming out of the Airport, we took a cab and reached home. 

That night we went to Rakshan's shooting spot and surprised him. On seeing us, he couldn't believe that we were there and he called me to confirm it. 

"Poornitha where are you? In Mumbai right?"

"Rakshan are you seriously asking that to me?"

"Fine fine. Sorry. I know you are there, in Mumbai, enjoy with Swadhu and Krish safely."

"Rakshan I'm here at your set, sitting right in front of you looking at you. Can't you see me?"

"Are you serious??"

"Yes I am!"

"I don't believe you are here in front of me."

"Not just me, look Akka and Jiju are also here. Look besides me." I said and they waved hands to him.

"Yeah I saw them, but I cant believe that you are here Poovu!"

"Why? Why can't you believe it? Am I a restricted being in certain places?"

"No not like that. But still."

"Rakshan, we came here to support you, to motivate you. Jiju said that we can be a part of the shoot and that's why we are here."

"That's so kind of you all."

"All the very best Rakshu dear. Perform well. We are here to cheer you."

"Thank you so much Poovu dear." 

~~**~~

I walked into the kitchen and put the coffee mug into the sink I thought of doing the dishes, but just then my phone rang. By the time, I washed my hands, and moved from the kitchen sink, the call ended. Wiping my hands I went and took my phone from the coffee table in the drawing room. It was Rakshan's missed call. I noticed he had messaged me and I opened our chat box to check it. It was an audio message.

"I don't wish to let the texts ruin the message what I am going to convey you and that's the reason I opted for sending you an audio message. I know you are angry and pissed off with all the nonsense I am doing. Forgive me for that. I wanted to tell you lots, when I proposed you, but time didn't permit. All I wanted to tell, is in the video what I've sent. Have a look at it, please. Take care and relax. Don't stress yourself. Lastly, you would have guessed it I suppose, yeah I Love You Poovu!"

His audio kept playing in my mind for sometime, as I thought if I should be downloading the video and watching it or not. I downloaded the video, what he had sent and played it.

https://youtu.be/YOqU7BV-Xo4

As the video started, his voice made me skip few breaths. He had sung the song, for the video. I couldn't control my emotions. I was touched by the video and realized how sweet he is. I was impressed with the video. He is such a good person. 

The video had some of our pictures that we had clicked together. He had added few quotes and messages as well in the video. The messages what he had added made one thing clear that he had no motive of loving me when he met me for the first time. He had fallen in love as days passed, Jiju was right. He seemed to have expressed all his feelings through the video and I could not stop myself from crying. I realized he loves me truly and I could understand the battle that would be raging in his mind. In what thought he proposed me I don't know, but now that he had did, he would be dying to know what I would say to him. Now here comes the toughest part and it's tough because it's all over me. My answer would change all that would happen in the upcoming days. "Sit calm and think if you love him or not Poovu!"

I put my head back and let out a huge sigh. I kept my eyes close for few minutes and recalled the way he proposed me. I thought of all the time we had spent together, in Mumbai as well as in Coimbatore. The ride he gave me to Akka's Engagement Party was really crazy. That's the time he introduced himself to me. He had know much about me for the time we had spent, and could understand me well. That might be out of his own interest or might have happened just like that, with nobody planning it. The night we were out on Akka's birthday, was the first time, we had got to be so close and spend so much of time with each-other. The night walk and rides were really a memorable one. The solicit's incident though frightening, added up to our relationship. It's from then on, we became more close and good friends. We started moving out and even shopped together. He was so sweet he brought me a phone case. Suddenly I realized, whenever I had been with him, he so well took care of me. He had been so kind and loving to me whenever I needed him, especially in Debashish's case. In the course of time we had become so close that I started waking him early in the morning so that he could practice for his competition. Moreover when I surprised him at his shooting spot, he was in a complete shock. It's now that I realize why he was so shocked and kept asking me if I had really come there to support him and motivate him. He even spoke to my parents the next day and explained then the situation what I was in when my Mumbai neighbors had passed away. How difficult it was for me to handle Deba and that his presence had helped in solving the problem soon. My parents weren't happy for I had called him for help, but later on understood it. He made it clear that we had lived together keeping our limits in mind and nothing had gone out of control. He explained it all on his own without me asking him to. The conversation was more between him and my parents than me and them.

He had been caring all the time and now I am being impressed by all that. My mind automatically started thinking, of how my life would be if I loved him. 

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Author's Note:

 I just wanted you all to listen to the song, so that it makes you feel how Rakshan is actually feeling, when Poornitha leaves him and goes to Mumbai. I have taken great efforts to make this Video, I have never made one before, this is my first attempt. So hope you all like it and it's good. Just try to relate Rakshan to the song of the video as that brings out his exact feelings in that situation.

I would like to mention Siddharth Slathia here. Because without him the video wouldn't have been possible. It's he who has actually sung the song. I know he won't see this message, but just want to mention his name here.

Thank-you all!! Keep supporting :)

Love,

Krysan_m