Chapter 10 Is She The One?

Akshitha's PoV

Kavi is getting ready to go out for lunch with her team-mates. She keeps looking at me while getting ready. I'm having these bad vibes from her.

"Hey niyum kelambu de! Un muliye seri illa. Unna thaniya vittutu poga bayama iruku! (Hey, you too get ready! I doubt you are going to do something bad! I'm not leaving you alone!)"

"Kavi please, de! I don't know any of your batch mates. It would be awkward! I promise, I will be a good girl."

"Akshu! I will call you every other hour. If you didn’t pick my call, I will call your mom!"

"OkOk! I will pick up your call! Now get out! Take the scooty if you want! That way you will be at peace that I'm not roaming out! Forget about me and enjoy your first outing!"

"The way you are hurrying to get me out is giving me creeps. Akshu! Promise me that you are not up to something!"

"God! I'm not! I will be a good girl!"

"I don’t know, but I feel something is wrong! Hey, you are not going to that stranger's home. Are you?"

Aiyayo! Kandu pudichittaley! (Oops! She smelled it right!)

This Kavi should be a detective. Samalippom! (will try to soothe her!)

"Hehe! No Kavi! That aunty didn't call me! I have her number, but how will I call her and ask if she is going to invite me!"

She threw me a look that clearly says she didn’t buy my reason. She is too numb!

"Promise de! I'm planning to go to the nearby temple. That too later in the evening. I will come back before you come! Now just get ready and go! Stop being my mom!" I'm already annoyed. She is pushing on my knuckles.

"Ok ok! Don't shout Akshu. Bye de!"

Happa! Nambitta! (Ooff! Finally!)

Once she left the building, I hurried to our room to get ready! I have to drape a saree and I know it will take forever! When I completed my look with a red bindi, I got a call. It's Bruno aunty!

"Hi aunty! Good Morning!"

"Good Morning, Akshu! Are you ready?"

"Yes aunty! Just finished!"

"Very good! Driver will be there in another 10 minutes. He started an hour before. You remember him right?"

"um... yes aunty!"

"You sound like you are not sure! I will whatsapp his picture and our car number now. Come soon dear!"

"Sure aunty! Bye!"

This aunty is so cool. She is very caring! I prayed to all gods that Kavi should not know about this. She behaves like a hostel warden. Even our college hostel warden lets us go out sometime!

I went down to the hall and started waiting for him. I cannot go empty handed to their home. It's safe to buy fruits. I walked to the shop nearby to get some fruits. There was that Porsche standing in front of our PG. I checked my phone for the car registration number. I went and sat in the car after greeting the driver.

Just when I sat back, I saw the interior of the car! Isn't it the same car? Or do all the Porsche cars have the same interior? Who knows! I don't even remember what car it was! He was a gentleman! At that unusual hour, he had every chance to go wrong! A beautiful girl by his side (hehe yeah that's me!), all vulnerable! No one witnessed me getting in his car! He was a total stranger! I didn’t even see his face or know his name!

Like he said, he could have done anything to me! Kidnap, rape or murder! But he was a gentleman! That instant calmness I got when he was near me and that sense of safety! He should be a man of high morals with girls! His wife is the luckiest girl on this planet! I don't think this driver will talk! I opened my phone to see if I received any message! Nope! Nothing! I started seeing my Yash's pictures!

Hmmmm he is a delicious man! His wife is also the luckiest! Because she will be having him for herself! But he is a playboy! He should mend his ways before marrying. But I cannot drool over him if he gets married! So, it's better if he stays like this! The stranger had the same style of beard as Yash's! But they are totally opposite in character with girls! I wish Yash was just like that stranger!

Shalini's PoV

I like that girl very much! She spoke with me without any inhibitions. I made almost all non veg items for lunch today! She is a special guest! I can't stop talking about her. She is so funny and simple! Aravind is very eager to meet her! Aravind and Yadu don't work on weekends! So, they are both here. I should show Akshu to Yadu! He must know what a girl should be like! Down to earth, helping, simple, funny, homely and beautiful!

"Aravind, come here!" I shouted from the kitchen.

"What is it, Shalu?"

"Taste everything! Tell me how this crab masala is! It's her favorite!"

"Whoa! I think you are getting over-board! Relax Shalu! Everything will taste awesome!"

"Aravind, I cannot explain what I feel towards her. She is something special. Her smile and her way of talking is so sweet! She is a very naive girl. See she doesn’t even know who I am! But she speaks to me like we have been friends for years. That innocence is something every human is losing in this busy world! She still has it! I know it’s dangerous and she may get exploited! But still that raw innocence is what attracted me!"

"Shalu, I'm sure she will be a very pretty girl in and out! I'm very eager to see her! You don’t allow any of Yadu's friends who are girls in our home. It's just Shiva, Rakesh, Chandru and Pranesh that come here. So, receiving a girl to our home is something special!"

"Don't bore her with your business talks. Talk to her like a young man!"

"Haha! Ok madam!"

"Aravind!"

The car came in and we both went to the door to receive her. As promised, she came in a saree! A beautiful red saree! She looked stunning! I looked at Aravind and he was standing there without blinking his eyes!

"Akshu! Welcome home dear! He is my husband!"

"Hi aunty! Hello sir! How are you?"

"Come in dear! I'm so good! Thank you! You can call me uncle, sweetheart!" Aravind said.

"Awww you are so nice to me uncle! Thank you!"

We all sat on the couch in our family room. She made herself comfortable.

"You look beautiful in saree dear!" I complimented her.

"Thank you, aunty! You know it took almost an hour to drape it!"

"Haha as I said, practice! That’s the key!"

"Haha! sure aunty!"

Our maid brought juice!

"Thank you!" She politely thanked our maid and took the juice.

"Your home is so big and beautiful aunty! What is this place?"

"Thanks, dear! This is ECR!"

"Ohhhh!"

"What is your father doing Akshitha?" Aravind asked.

"Um... My dad is no more, uncle. He passed away during my 11th grade in an accident. It's just me and my mom!"

"I'm so sorry Akshu! I can call you that right?"

"Um...sure uncle! And don’t be sorry! I know you tried to make conversation with me!" she smiled lovingly at him.

"So, what's your mom doing?""Haha wait a minute uncle!" She said and stood up. She started speaking like giving a speech on a stage.

"My name is Akshitha! My mother's name is Sumathi. We live in Coonoor! We do farming. We own a little land and a home there. We plant Strawberries and other hilly veggies! I'm a computer science engineer! I work as a software developer in Xxx MNC! Technically didn’t start working! Just attending training. I'm completely new to Chennai! I like dogs! I like dancing! I like cooking! Mmmm, That's all!"

She sat down after a bow! She is a drama queen. I laughed at her antics and Aravind was completely sitting in shock! She waved her hands on his face.

"Uncle! Earth to uncle! Earth to uncle!"

"Ah yes sweetheart! Haha you are amazing! So how do you like Chennai!?"

"Questions again? Chennai is like a bakery uncle!"

"Bakery? You mean you get food everywhere?"

"Nuh nah! It bakes me! How are you guys living here? It's very hot here, uncle."

We started laughing again. A home with a girl child is truly a blessed home!

"Aunty! Can I ask you something?"

She said with a guilt on her face! That doesn't suit her.

"Just ask me dear! You are free to ask anything!"

"What is your name aunty?"

"WHAT? YOU DON'T KNOW HER NAME?" Aravind just freaked out!

"Um...she didn't tell me her name, uncle. How will I know? I saved her number as 'Bruno Aunty' on my phone!"

Aravind laughed like he had heard the funniest jokes ever. He stopped laughing when I glared at him.

"Sorry aunty!"

"Oh don’t be dear! My name is Shalu! This is Aravind! I'm sorry I didn’t introduce myself properly."

"No aunty! It's ok!"She took her phone and changed my name in her contacts.

"Aunty, where is Bruno!?"

"He should be in my son's room dear. They will come during lunch! Now come I will show you around!"

"What about Uncle?"

"He will watch TV, or some business magazines will keep him busy!"

"Aww poor uncle! We shall see the house later aunty! I like the way uncle laughs at every little thing." She sat back comfortably.

"Haha truly sweetheart, it's been ages since I laughed like this! Our son has grown up. So, we don’t have anything to laugh at! I mean nothing to make us laugh like you did now!"

"Aww you have aunty with you! Don’t talk like as in a sad movie climax, uncle ! Uncle you are very rich, and you live here in ECR right?"

"Yes sweety!"

"Are you friends with everyone here?"

"Mmmm everyone is just an acquaintance! Why do you ask sweety?"

"How old is your son, uncle?"

"27!"

"Oh! Then he must have friends here, right?"

I am very curious why she asks so many questions. I can't wait for suspense.

"What is this all about Akshu! Just ask straight!" I said to her.

"um...! Aunty, are you guys friends with Yadav Rishid's parents? Or is your son friends with him?" She asked us.