Siddant drove the car silently. Anirudh was sitting next to him. Completely engrossed in his phone. His parents were travelling in the other car. Along with Ana.

"Was it important for us to attend this wedding..? Such a boring thing..We would have stayed back there itself"Anirudh said shrugging

"You won't get it Nandu. Amma and Nanna is visiting their hometown and village after so long"Siddant said and Anirudh just nodded.

"By the way do you remember our childhood there?"Siddant asked

"Me? Childhood is like being drunk Annaya. Everyone remembers what we did except us. I don't remember a thing. I don't even remember the village"he said and Siddant laughed.

He had few glances of the village. And the people. In his memory.

It was by evening five they reached the outskirts of the village. It was threatening to rain that evening. Siddant was already in love with the beauty. And nature around him. He stopped the car for a while and stepped outside. Inhaling the fresh air. Anirudh soon changed his opinion about the village. He was busy clicking pictures. And everything he liked.

Bharat hugged his relatives one by one. Followed by Lakshmi taking their blessing. Anirudhs mouth was wide open seeing the large house. Almost thirty or more people can live inside it. It was huge and vast.

"Do you remember us?"a lady in her late seventies asked caressing Siddhants hairs. He smiled even though he couldn't clearly remember them.

"Siddhu this is your nannamma"Bharat said and Siddant smiled widely. He bent to take her blessings.

The family was so huge. Bharat introduced them to each one of them.

"And this is Karthik. Our groom. He's an architect"

Siddant hugged him. Mouthing a congratulations.

"Thank you so much. It's been a while since I had met all of you. After a long time. It feels great"Karthik said.

"Same with us"Siddant smiled.

"Ask Subha to show them their room"Moorthy said and everyone walked inside.

Siddant and Anirudh were given a room upstairs.

"Nandu I'm getting a call"

"Don't tell me that you're asking me to carry these luggages alone"Anirudh sighed.

"Exactly...I'll come in few minutes. It's important"Siddant said and stepped aside.

"My ill fate"

Anirudh struggled to carry all the luggages inside. He finally managed to take it up to the entrance of the room. Until he bumped into someone. Making all the luggages stumbled down. In the floor.

"Ouch"Anirudh was on floor. He rubbed his temple. Fuming and looked up at the person to yell.

"What the..."he stopped the moment his eyes met hers. A girl , probably in her mid or early twenties.

"I'm sorry..."the voice felt soothing to his ears.

For the first time. He felt goosebumps. Just looking at her eyes. Made him feel good.

"Hello?"she ran his palm in front of her making him come back to his sense. She forwarded his palm and he held it. His hand shivered a bit. Standing on his feets he smiled like an idiot.

"I didn't see you coming"she said apologising.

"Mm.. that's.. okay"he stammered and he was surprised himself when he did that. He never did. That too in front of a beautiful girl

"May I?"she pointed at the luggages.

"Huh..? Oh.. please"he wanted to smack himself for behaving weird in front of her.

She helped him in carrying his luggages inside the room. And kept them on the bed. He kept stealing glances at her.

"Thank you...for helping"he said. For the first time in his life he was feeling tongue tied in front of a girl.

She smiled making his heart skip a beat

"Welcome. By the way..are you Annayas friend?"she asked. He looked at her , confused and then it struck

"No...My name is Anirudh. I'm... I mean we..."he stammered again

"Oh Anirudh!"she exclaimed leaving him surprised.

"Bharat uncle and Lakshmi aunty's son?"she asked and he nodded

"Yeah but how do you know?"he asked.

"I know...but there's no way that you still remember me. I'm Subha , Karthiks sister. And we've studied together till Fourth Grade"she said and he gasped loudly

"Subha Moorthy? How can I forget you? I still remember your nick name. What was it ..what was it...yeah..treetop. You used to be the tallest girl in our class"Anirudh was surprised when he found memories rushing back to him so quickly.

The moment she heard her nickname her smile faded away. Making him alert. He bit his tongue.

"Idiot..Look what you've done. Spoiled it. She must be feeling so bad"he thought to himself.

But to his surprise she laughed. Making him sigh in relief.

"You still remember it?"she asked and he nodded happily.

"But see my ill fate. I used to be the tallest girl in my group but somewhere in between I stopped gaining height. Now I'm short"she said sadly

"Yeah...so can I call you shorty?"he asked and her smile faded away again. Making him scared.

"Stupid. Go slow..Spoiled it again"he scolded himself

"I'm not that short okay?"she pouted. He smiled. She stood besides him to check her height with him. Their shoulders brushing each other. Making him feel shivers.

"Oh god Anirudh..You've grown up so much. I can't even reach upto your shoulder. To be frank you're a treetop now"she said making him giggle

"Things had reversed for us Subha.. I'm so surprised"he laughed.

"By the way...where's Siddant?"she asked
.
.
.
"Yes..I won't be able to make it up for a week. Please take care of everything"Siddant spoke over the phone. He was standing outside the garden. His eyes on the river. Which looked beautiful. With breeze sprung in the surroundings. The clouds crowded. It was going to rain.

"Meeting is scheduled for next month. So we have time..and we are..."

He stopped the moment. When those magical voice reached his ears. Siddant looked around. To find the owner of the voice. It was a music. And There was no around.

"Sir you there?"the person from the other end spoke.

"Yeah..Say"he said blankly even though he took steps around. To find who it is. It was a girl for sure. And surprisingly the sound was so familiar to him. He couldn't make assumptions.

He followed the Voice. Until it took him to a room. Besides the garden. The door was closed. But luckily the window wasn't. He took steps ahead and stood in front of the window which moved back and forth with the wind.

Small children were gathered around the room. They were standing in a group. The voice was coming right from here.

He stood there for a long time. Listening to the song until the children moved aside. Revealing her angelic face to him who sang with her eyes closed.

He stood frozen.

"Saakshi?"only a word escaped from his mouth.

* Play the above video

Telusa telusa preminchanani
Telusa telusa pranam nuvvani

Raasa raasa neeke premani
Raasa raasa nuvve nenani

Dham dham dham dhadhan
Dham anandam anandam
Neela cherindhi nannu
Vandhella anubhandham

Naa oopire nilipaavura
Naa kallalo nilichavura
Naa premane gelichaavura
Manassune pilichaavura
Naalokamai poyavura
Veyellu natho vundaraaaa..

He stood still. Watching her when she sang. Didn't even realise that he was on line with someone over the phone. More than her voice. Her face still looked so soothing to him. Lots of thoughts came rushing into his mind.

After a while. She opened her eyes and Smiled at the children. He watched her smiling. A smile which came from her heart. Unknowingly his lips curved into a small smile. His eyes started getting teary.

The song was almost ending. Until her eyes met his. She stared at him blankly. Unable to believe her own eyes. That he was right in front of her. He stared right back at her. Both of them engaged themselves in a eyelock.

The children clapped. Making both of them come back to their senses. He looked disturbed the very moment. His stomach churned when memories haunting him again. He left without saying anything.

Saakshi rushed to open the door. When it did he was nowhere to be seen. Whether it was only her mere hallucination. She didn't know. But his eyes. She did saw the same love. In that black orbs.

"Siddant here? How come?"her eyes welled up. Her heart ached.

Siddant walked back to his room. Blankly. He wondered what she's doing here in his hometown. How is he going to face her again. He didn't knew. Destiny made them meet again. For what he didn't knew. It was a past which he didn't wanted to recall in life.

He massaged his temples.

When he stepped inside he found Anirudh sitting in the bed. Smiling like an idiot. Biting his nails like a kid.

"Nandu...?"he called out making him frown. He came out from his Dreamworld and smiled at Siddant

"Where are you Lost?"Siddant asked making him smile wider.

"Madam sir... Madam anthey"he grinned.

*****
Precap - Siddant - Saakshi convo

Excited?

Finally both of them met their soulmates. Let's see what happens..

♡ Nila ♡