Nenjamellam kadhal

Chapter-1

                                                                                                           Sakthi
Present day...

It was my last day at the SPA College hostel in New Delhi. With only six hours left before my journey back to my hometown of Chennai, I made my way towards the campus canteen to have an early lunch primarily to escape the scorching midday summer sun. In peak summer, heat radiation from the ground could be sensed while walking in an open space in Delhi, and to be honest, I couldn't stand the relentless summer heat.

As I sat down to eat, I unlocked my mobile phone to check for new messages. I had a few messages from my family members regarding my departure and arrival time. By seeing the messages from the unknown in my whatsapp chat list, I was drawn back briefly to my memories for a minute. The unknown has been messaging me for the past three months. He refused to speak on call and to reveal his identity until we met in person. All I knew was that he was from my old college in Chennai and nothing else. I was uncertain if I would have the chance to meet him during my visit to chennai this time, but I found myself wanting to. 

Mixed emotions swirled within me, and I questioned whether this unknown person could be him. Did I even want it to be him? Now I could not say either I like him or hate him. I found myself torn between my feelings, unsure if I was ready for a relationship. My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my phone.

I got up to wash my hands and answered the call, " Hello Anni! eppadi irukinga ? How is navya? " my sister-in-law eagerly replied, "Ellam super, navya also super. Have you packed everything? Have you booked a taxi? Call us before the flight departure."

" Ya sure, I will call Anni. Some of my friends will drop me and karthik. Karthik is my friend,chennai dha, Aniki Kuda Ph La Pesunigala? Do you remember him ?na poi hostel no due form kuduthutu ,en things konjam parcel anupanum Chennai ku ,karthik kuda poi anupitu kelambhuven airport ku. I will call you after reaching the airport. please pass this on to Dad and Mom as well. aparam anni please don't say anything about my arrival to anyone apart from our family. "

I could hear Anni's sigh through the phone when she asked, "Is it due to him? how long are you going to stay stuck on him and avoid your friends? it has been three years."

I smiled. "I am not stuck up on him, Kayal. I just want to meet my friends and college mates at my own pace and not on anyone else's terms. Also, I don't think I will have much time to meet anyone other than buy and pack things for Milan. I just waited to clear my finals and entrance exam to even think about having a relationship with someone. Inimey free dha and I hope my stint in Italy for my masters will help me to date some Italians. "

My anni gasped " yei vayadi enna per solli kupudra?? vellakarana kutitu vandhu nikadha na ellam support panna maten. ne aparam thania dha convince pananum veetla ellathaum. na pakra paiyana love pannu na support panren ilanalam mudiadhu mudiadhu".

I laughed uncontrollably. "neenga patha solra paiyana love panni kalyanam panna, adhu epdi love marriage agum? Anni,enaku either me or him pathu, pudichu, thorathi, pesi, kenji, konji ok solla vachu love panni kalyanam pananum.summa arrange marriage ellam enaku set agadhu.sari pesi time waste panadinga, endha restaurant nallaruku ,pudhusa iruku ellampathu list pottu vainga na vandhadhum onnu onna polam inga na 2 varushama sapadu sari ilama kanji poiruken. Sari anni na cut panren karthik vantan na poren...let's meet in Chennai bye".I ended the call and asked karthik to wait for 10 minutes and went to refresh.

When my gaze fell upon my scar, my thoughts started to revolve around past incidents. Am I ready to face them all at once? also, am I lucky enough to get to date someone who can love me to the core? I decided that I didn't want to wait for him anymore, I had already waited 3 years. From now on, I would be open to dating if someone asked me out, or if I felt a genuine connection with someone, I would go with the flow.

We went to the courier office and, upon our return, I spent some quality time with my friends at the hostel before heading to the airport with Karthik. A few of our friends also joined us along to the airport to bid us farewell. At the airport, we had a great fun time, laughing without caring about the people around us. Some passengers watched us with amusement, while others seemed irritated. After tearful hugs and kisses from my friends, I proceeded to check in when it was time to board.

I called my dada, parents, and anni after boarding the flight, and now I am planning to watch something on Netflix. while scrolling through the downloaded list, my eyes fell upon the money heist series in my list. One of the main character's names in the series reminded me of someone from my college days in Chennai.

Thinking back to my first day at my old college, the memory was still fresh in my mind. I had been a pampered child due to my health issues and had never traveled alone anywhere before joining SPA College in Delhi.

Being a late and unplanned addition to the family I had always been taken care of. I was the baby of the family. I had studied in a nearby girls' school up to 12th standard just because it was on the next street and my mother didn't want me to travel even a short distance. So, starting at a new college and meeting new people was both exciting and nerve-wracking for me. Fortunately, I had ramya with me, who was also my cousin, and joined the same college, SK College of Engineering and Technology.

I vividly remember the week before my first day at college. It was rather eventful with Ramya accompanying me to dress shopping as my elder siblings were abroad, and my parents were occupied with my cousin Sumi Akka's wedding and work.