This chapter is a continuation of the previous work Anbarey: 1.
Disclaimer: This is a work of FICTION.
As always, there's a note at the end of this chapter.
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Anbarey: 2
நதியென நான் ஓடோடி
கடலினை தினம் தேடினேன்
தனிமையின் வலி தீராதோ
தூண்டில் முள்ளில் மாட்டிக்
கொண்ட மீன் நானடி
(Nadhiyena naan ododi
Kadalinai thinam thedinen
Thanimayin vali theeraadho
Thoondil mullil maati konda
Meen naanadi)
Ashwin shut off his iPod and took off the earphones from his ears with a strange determination. Heaving he stopped running, he still had at least one more mile to go but the song had stuck a chord in him. He stuffed the iPod back in his running shorts and decided to exit the park.
He swiftly looked across the street and jogged to cross the road towards his house. He lived in a comfortable apartment in the Upper East side of New York, the paycheck he drew, one of the many perks of working at Mt. Sinai in the city. He hesitated for a second in front of a coffee shop, but hadn't he promised himself that he'd try to cut down on caffeine.
It was his day off, he should technically be in bed asleep, not be running at 7am in Central Park. But he couldn't fall asleep, much like a lot of nights. He attributed it to his crazy work schedule, only his therapist refused to agree. Workouts and running mostly helped with his sleep. But despite running a 5k the previous night, he had found it difficult to fall asleep.
It had felt ominous the entire evening yesterday and he couldn't shake the feeling. He had texted his teenage son Adi to be careful getting back home from his tennis class just to receive a "K".
Where had the sweet child gone? It was all one word answers, eye rolls and "I know dad" now. Had he been a difficult teenager when he was younger he wondered.
He opened the doors to his home to the sight of Adi with his head down focussed on a copy of a Brief History of Time. He shook his head taking off his shoes. When Adi had first shown interest in Physics in middle school, he had been taken aback. But he had anticipated it to be a short lived phase, only it hadn't been. He often thought to himself how fate worked in weird ways in his life, how twisted it had to be for his own son to often remind him of her. Sivaangi.
Adi looked up having heard the door, with expectation.
"Not now Adi. Please don't start", he warned his son before he headed off towards his bedroom for a quick shower.
The ominous feeling brought on a raging headache and he craved for some coffee in his bones. He regretted not starting a decoction in his filter before he headed out for the run.
He walked back into the kitchen to see his son with his headphones on as always.
"School kelambala?", he asked tapping Adi's shoulder.
"Geez appa. You scared me. Leaving in five, when I am done with this chapter"
"Ok. Paathu po. Stay safe", he replied with something dark gnawing at his insides.
"I'll be back home by noon. Early release pa"
"Ok. I'll be here", he took the Indian coffee pack out of the cupboard and picked the filter off the kitchen counter only to realize decoction was hot and ready in the filter.
