I'm born just to love you 💓 4

[gavudham]

As they spoke for a while, a thin thread of friendship began to weave itself between them, almost without them realizing it.
"Shiva."
"Mm?"
"Can I sleep for a while?"
"Sure, Anita."
"Sorry, I couldn’t sleep last night. That’s why."
"It’s okay."
Anita climbed onto the upper berth. Shiva smiled as he watched her. Within moments, she fell asleep.
Shiva gazed out of the window. Looking back at his own life, it felt like a train journey to him. He tried to imagine Anita as a fellow passenger who would travel with him for just a month. His heart grew heavy.
On long-distance train journeys, even those who remain silent at first eventually start talking as time passes. They play games, share the food they’ve brought, and sometimes even exchange phone numbers. Yet, for some reason, the friendships formed with fellow passengers rarely endure.
Shiva let out a long sigh.
If Anita had agreed, talks about the engagement date would have been buzzing at home. His mother would have been happily calling everyone to share the news. His father, always the quiet one, never showed his emotions grandly; he would have simply been happy in his silence.
Shiva checked the time. There were still five hours left to reach Thrissur. He opened the novel he had brought and continued from where he had left off.
Erode Junction.
He looked outside. Seeing the sign "Alight here for Kooduthurai," he remembered visiting the Sangameswarar Temple during his student days.
Kooduthurai is also known as Mukkoodal—the confluence of three rivers. It is where the Cauvery, the Bhavani, and the mystical, invisible Amudha river meet. Shiva loved the Sangameswarar Temple. Back then, he would often go there and sit in silence. He had felt a unique sense of peace wash over him there many times.
God willing, if Anita and I are destined to marry, I must bring her to this temple, he thought, glancing at the sleeping Anita.
Her top had ridden up slightly, exposing her waist. For a moment, he caught himself admiring her, but his conscience jolted him.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Fine, I was. So what?”
“Your mind isn’t clean.”
“Why are you insulting me? It’s wrong if I move the cloth to look. It’s not a sin if it’s just visible.”
“Oh Shiva, you’re coming up with quite the excuses!”
“Just go away. You can't stand to see me happy for even a second.”
Shiva stood up. He took a blanket and covered her legs.
If this blanket stays between her waist and me, things will stay within limits. Nothing will go too far. With a hardened heart, he covered her with the blanket.
What a beautiful face! He admired her again. He wondered when the day would come when he could leave a trace of his love on those captivating lips.
Anita turned over and woke up. Seeing Shiva standing there, he faltered. Anita looked at him, confused.
"What is it, Shiva?"
"Nothing."
"It’s okay, tell me."
"No... your top..."
"My top?"
"It had moved up."
"Is that all? You could have just pulled it down."
"That’s why I thought I’d cover you with the blanket," Shiva said hesitantly. Anita laughed.
"What happened, Anita?"
"Shiva... do you watch a lot of movies?"
"A few."
"That’s why you’re like this. Just be normal, Shiva. Be natural. I won't think bad of you."
At her words, Shiva’s face brightened. He smiled. Anita climbed down from the berth and sat opposite him.
"I’m hungry," she said, taking a packet of biscuits from her bag. "Have some, Shiva."
He took one. The train began to slow down.
"What station is this?" Anita asked. Shiva looked out and replied, "Coimbatore."
"Anita."
"Mm?"
"Did you call your friend and tell them?"
"Yes."
"Who do we get the key from?"
"He said the security guard has it."
"Mm."
"Shiva, do you know how to cook?"
Shiva smiled at her question. "Yes. You?"
"I can make tea."
"That's fine. I’ll cook for you, Anita."
"Shiva, how did you learn to cook?"
"I’m the only son. It pained me to see my mother struggle. I started cooking because I wanted her to rest. She loves watching serials—especially Pandian Stores. For her happiness, I usually take over the dinner."
Anita looked at Shiva, deeply moved.
For a while, neither of them spoke. They began to realize that moments of silent understanding are often more valuable than words. Though silence is precious, a lingering silence can cloud a clear mind with hesitation and doubt.
Shiva broke the silence between them with a smile.
"We’re about to cross the border."
Anita looked at him, startled. "Shiva?"
"Look outside. Walayar is coming up. The Kerala border." He smiled, and she relaxed.
As the Kerala border began, a light drizzle started. Shiva was delighted.
"Anita, have you been to Kerala before?"
"Yes, once during my studies, and once on a company tour. You, Shiva?"
"No. This is my first time."
"Don't worry. I know Malayalam."
"Super! How?"
"I studied in Theni. Three of my friends there were Malayali girls. Learning Malayalam is easy, Shiva."
The train approached Palakkad.
"Shiva, Thrissur is next."
Shiva felt a mix of joy, excitement, tension, and fear. "What's special in Thrissur?"
"Guruvayur is just an hour from there. And in the heart of the city, there are three temples—Vadakkunnathan Shiva, Paramekkavu Bhagavathy, and Thiruvambadi Unnikrishnan. They are all very close to each other."
"Anything other than temples?"
"There’s a lot. Thrissur is a tourist hub. You know Athirappilly Falls?"
"Yes, I’ve heard of it."
"It’s just an hour and a half away from there."
"Super. Will you take me there?" Shiva asked with the eager eyes of a small child. Anita looked at him with affection and nodded in agreement.
As evening turned into night, the train reached Thrissur. Shiva and Anita picked up their luggage and stepped onto the platform.
The weather was cool. Shiva looked at Anita. Her eyes asked him what was wrong. Without saying a word, he took her hand.
Anita did not pull away.

To be continued