Disclaimer: This is a work of FICTION.
Not proof read and the entire chapter was typed using a mobile device. Please bear with typos.
Trying something new. So, please bear with me 🙏🏽
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Kaanada
"Chinna Ma, you are singing Ma two", she corrected her student.
The teenager on the laptop screen in front of her sang the note again, albeit it was neither Ma one nor Ma two.
"Listen to more of Kaanada, Adi" she advised her student. "YouTube la chumma Kaanada nu search pannu, listen to compositions".
"Seri, let's do some exercises on Kaanada. Alankaram onnu Kaanada la paadu. Pick any Alankaram".
As if sensing a pair of eyes on her, she looked up from the laptop to the living room door.
"Hi", he mouthed with his tall frame leaning on the doorway.
"Oru nimisham", she told her student who was singing with utter concentration and muted herself. Quickly turning off her video she beamed, "Hi".
"Ukkaarunga, class la iruken", she pointed to the single seat sofa adjacent to her.
Smiling he seated himself on the sofa placing the stack of files on the coffee table.
"Appa will be here in half an hour nenaikren", she sounded flustered.
"Sir sonnaaru, I'll wait", he replied pulling his phone out.
"Thanni, coffee?", she asked with her eyes darting to the laptop screen where Adi sat belting out the notes with focus.
"Coffee? Later? You carry on with your class. I'll wait", he told her going back to the phone screen.
Sighing, she unmuted herself and turned the video on.
"Okay, last line naan paadren, nee repeat pannu".
She sang the line on autopilot as she looked at man sitting adjacent to her out the corner of her eyes.
His eyes were plastered on his phone. Sighing, she looked back at the screen and her eyes involuntarily fell on her image. The baby hairs ran amok and she looked tired after a long day at college.
"Cha, veetuku vandha udaney face wash pannirukanum, thalaiya seevi irukanum", she thought to herself as she pushed the fly aways behind her ears.
She wetted her lips checking out the man beside her through her eye lashes with her ears still tuned to her student.
She corrected her student yet again and cautiously looked up at the man who was the cause of her sudden nervousness. Only he sat there like he had no clue.
Not that he was a stranger, he has been a regular at their house for over three years now. Her father's juniors often came home in the evenings. They had always been a common sight at her household since she was a young girl. But when she had walked in on him meticulously taking notes three years back, after a long day in college her feet had stopped on their own.
"Ulla vaa de, nelai la nikkaadha nu ethana thadava sollanum", her mother's words had made her walk in to their house even when all she had wanted to do was stand right there and stare at him.
She had no clue why.
Here she was, three years later, no more a student, a reputed lecturer herself, yet wanting to take a peek at him like a young girl who was infatuated.
