The night passed under the cool breeze that swept through the surroundings.
The morning light streamed through the window, spilling into the room like mottled patches of gold across the floor and walls.
Akhil got out of bed, dark circles forming beneath his eyes.
He looked tired and lethargic.
He had been thinking about what his mother had said.
He could not sleep, his mind preoccupied with thoughts he refused to believe.
His mind kept circling toward the same thoughts.
“Does Divya like me?”
“When did she start like me?”
“Why?”
“We haven’t even known each other for long.”
He had already decided to ask her directly.
But for some reason, he kept thinking that he should observe her first.
Otherwise, the question might strain their relationship if it offended Divya.
But his mother’s words kept echoing inside his head.
Maybe his mother was wrong.
He concluded.
First of all, he really didn’t want to date anyone.
Especially now, when so many people date someone just to pass the time.
He had seen a lot of people date each other for months, only to break up as if what they had done was completely normal.
The ones who were hurt the most were those who had taken the relationship seriously, only to realize that their partners had never shown full commitment.
Whether they were boys or girls.
Both had been hurt by love.
Love between people these days seems like a disaster.
So, if Divya loved him, he would only give her an answer after getting to know her character and figuring out whether he truly loved her.
Akhil got a call from his cousin, Thamizh.
He answered the call while combing his hair.
“Hello, cousin.
Why have you called me?”
His cousin, Thamizh, spoke with hesitation.
“Akhil, I heard what happened at your house yesterday.
Is everything okay?”
Akhil immediately understood the reason why his cousin called him.
Akhil spoke before thamizh could continue, his voice casual and calm.
“Cousin, don’t worry.
Everything is fine here.”
On the other end of the line, Thamizh sighed with relief.
“Thank goodness.”
“I was worried.”
“Oh… I forgot to ask you.
How did you do in the hackathon competition?”
“Hahaha… You see, we won third prize with a cash reward.”
Thamizh exclaimed happily, a smile spread across his face.
“Good.
You’re amazing, Akhil.
Keep working hard, and I’ll refer you for a position at the company where I work.”
Akhil’s smile froze as he subconsciously thought about Divya’s offers to join police.
He nodded with a forced smile and replied.
“Okay, cousin.
See you.”
Realizing that Akhil had to go to college, Thamizh offered him a few pieces of advice before hanging up.
Akhil ended the call and stepped out of his room.
He quietly ate his breakfast without talking much.
Ramesh and Rhea exchanged glances with each other.
Ramesh prompted Rhea to ask Akhil why he was so quiet.
Rhea shot him a glare and pushed her chair beside Akhil.
She patted his head, her expression filled with motherly concern.
“Akhil, if you’re facing any trouble….”
Akhil cut her off, his face blank and expressionless.
“It’s nothing, Mom.”
Rhea’s eyes widened, and her hand froze in midair.
For a moment, she sat there in stunned silence.
When had Akhil ever spoken to her like that?
Never.
Not a single time.
She bit her lip, silently wondering whether she had angered him yesterday.
Ramesh frowned at the scene.
He did not like how Akhil treated his mother.
From childhood until yesterday, they had only known Akhil as the boy who always respected them and spoke to them politely or casually.
This…
He was about to reprimand him.
Akhil suddenly stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder.
He stepped out of the house without even saying goodbye.
Rhea sobbed quietly, her hands trembling from the ache in her chest.
She turned toward Ramesh and asked him.
“Ramesh, why is Akhil angry with us?”
“Have we said something wrong?”
“He has always been happy whenever he was with us.”
“But now, his face showed exhaustion and anger.”
“Did you see the dark circles under his eyes?”
Ramesh thought about what they had said and suddenly realized something.
“Rhea, do you think it was because of what we said yesterday?”
Rhea was confused.
“What did we say yesterday?”
“About the policewomen being in love with him.”
“I think we pressured him.”
Rhea also understood what he was trying to say.
“Akhil has never dated anyone.”
“He likes spending his time with us and his friends.”
“But love…
Rhea immediately connected the dots, felt anger with herself.
“I should have just kept quiet.”
“He must have thought about this all night.”
“That’s why he has dark circles under his eyes.”
Ramesh stepped toward her and patted her back comfortingly.
“Just give him some time.”
“A lot of things happened yesterday, it must have affected him more than we expected.”
Rhea nodded her head and replied.
“Okay”
Meanwhile, Akhil walked aimlessly.
He had decided to bunk college.
He felt his life had become chaotic ever since he encountered Divya.
He knew he shouldn’t think that way, considering she was the one who had helped him and his family yesterday.
But after he met Divya, his life had indeed become chaotic.
“The bank caused trouble for me and my parents.”
“Divya’s offer to become a police officer.
“My cousin’s referral to an IT company.”
“My mother’s word about Divya’s feeling.”
“What should I do?”
“What should I choose?”
He didn’t know.
He struggled to catch his breath, as though he were suffocating in a place he couldn’t escape.
He needed a place where he could calm his mind.
Actually, he had woken up in his usual state of mind this morning, but when his cousin mentioned about referral to his company.
His mood darkened.
He felt overwhelmed by anger, frustration and sadness.
He did not know whom to blame.
He didn’t even know why he was feeling this way.
So, he ended the call with his cousin and ate his breakfast without talking to his parents.
He didn’t want to take his anger on anyone.
He just needed to calm himself.
His mind was in turmoil.
Suddenly, his phone chimed with a notification.
He looked at the screen and saw a message.
Divya: Good morning, Akhil.
He collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, startling the people nearby.