On Saturday

The Children's community event.

The hall was lively with the family members and their loved ones who had come to cheer their young ones for the competition.

The Children's community used to organise events including competitions, dance and singing talent show, food fair, and such so that the community members alongwith their friends could enjoy the fun and refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Menons and Nairs were a huge part of this community. They did all kind of donations, charity to various trusts and arrange programs for the underprivileged under the name of the community.

Hence, it was evident for their presence in this community event.

Reena Nair was in charge of the Children's wing of the community.

Sonia Menon was in charge of the Youth wing of the community.

They had jointly taken up the responsibility to run this year's Children's community event.

"Ok, just don't be late with the flowers for the Thiruvathira Kali?" Reena demanded from her phone. Her volunteer had apparently forgotten to bring the same the previous day.

(Thiruvathira Kali – the traditional dance form played by the ladies in Kerala, India)

She running helter and skelter not forgetting to instruct the volunteers to hurry up the process.

Just then, Sonia arrived at the hall with the flower bouquet for the guest of honours.

"Whew! The traffic is hectic today! First, I couldn't get through the traffic and secondly, I had to park my scooty almost 5 blocks from the flower shop!" Sonia huffed settling down in the chair.

"Oh my god! If that is the case, when will they arrive with the flowers for the Thiruvathira Kali?" Reena slapped her forehead with a grunt.

"What happened, Reena? What has to arrive now?" Mrs. Nair came with Veena in her hand.

"Mom, the flowers for the Thiruvathira Kali? It's still not reached here? what will I do? I can't leave now? The guest will be arriving now. I have to get ready?" Reena was hyperventilating.

Nandini tried to calm her by assuring, "Relax, Reena, I will tell Vinay to get it. He is on the way with your dad. They are directly coming from office. Their meeting got over just now."

"Really, then please tell him, Mom" Reena pleaded her mom.

After telling Vinay to get with the flowers for the Thiruvathira Kali. The Nair and Menon ladies went to the changing room to help the participants to get ready.

In the changing room

Sonia was putting on her anklets, when her phone started to ring.

"Hello."

"Hey babe. How's the program happening?" Ronny chimed from the other side.

"It has not started yet. I was getting ready for my welcome dance." Sonia said while looking for the last time in the mirror to check her attire.

"Oh!! Best of luck babe. Wish I could have come there! But you strictly told me not to! Where will you get such an obedient boyfriend, huh?" Ronny said in a hushed tone.

"Please, don't make me laugh. Both of us know that you were begging me to come here! if it was not for your brother landing on the same day from your hometown, you would have definitely come to watch my dance!" Sonia laughed at his silly revelations.

"So, what babe? I can still come. Are you challenging your boyfriend?" Ronny made a teasing tone.

"Boyfriend, huh? I thought you wanted to marry me?" Sonia teases him back.

"Who is getting married?"

Sonia was startled at the voice. She immediately cut the call. It was Reena who had come to check on Sonia.

"Um... I-it's my fr-friend. Sh-she is getting married. She was telling that I sh-should also find a life partner, like her...yeah..." Sonia bluntly told something.

Reena gave her a puzzled look.

"Ok. Are you ready? Your welcome dance is up next." Reena gave her a confused look.

"Yeah. I am ready. I will be out in a minute." Sonia gave her assuring smile.

Sonia was getting upset at her careless. This was the second time that she was getting caught. She should reveal Ronny to everyone. Otherwise, it may not go well in the future for her.

Vinay just arrived with Mr. Vasudevan Nair at the event.

Mr. Vasudevan Nair settled alongwith the guest of honours and got busy talking to them.

Vinay went to Reena to deliver the flowers. He came back again to his seat beside his mom and niece. He immediately started playing with his niece, as Mrs. Nair had to help Reena.

He loved children, maybe that's why he wanted to attend today's event.

"We shall start the event with the welcome dance by our Sonia Menon." Reena announced from the podium.

Vinay looked at the stage and remembered the dance number that Sonia had pulled at the rehearsal hall. He thought she would end up doing that. He just frowned at the thought and continued playing with his niece. But when the music started, he was totally surprised. As she showed up on the stage with the traditional Bharatnatyam attire.

(Bharatnatyam – traditional dance form of South India)

(Kindly play the video assuming the danseuse to be Sonia)

The hall roared with applause on Sonia's performance. She was a trained Bharatnatyam dancer. She had trained from a very young age of 9. She thought dance was the only way she could maintain her emotional quotient. The level of patience and serenity that she attained over the years, was because of her dance.

But she never limited to only Bharatnatyam, she also likes to do popping, locking, with semi classical dance routine. She wanted to explore all the ranges of dances.

Vinay was mesmerised by her performance. Speechless, being one of them. He was falling more and more for her.

After her boyfriend exposés, he had decided to erase all sort of thoughts about her. But she was a difficult subject to ignore. With their every meeting, she was going deeper and deeper in his heart.

He bit his lower lip to control his emotions. He was getting angry for not controlling his feelings for her. Mrs. Nair came to her seat beside Vinay and grabbed sleepy little Veena from him.

Taking this chance, Vinay rushed outside the venue to vent out his emotions.

Over the past few days, he had seen the transition that Sonia had bought to his behaviour. The one thing that he was sure that if this goes for long, he won't be able to control himself.

Why was he getting angry?

She does not even consider him to be in existence.

He was almost invisible to her.

They why?

"Hey, little bro, what are doing here? Has the event started?" Vinod came rushing towards the entry where he found Vinay to be standing zoned out.

"Uh... Yes, um... it has... I just came out to breath some fresh air... it is hot and suffocating in there..." Vinay tried to cover up.

"Hot? The whole venue is centralised AC? How come you are feeling hot?" Vinod asked him confused.

Vinay just realised his blunder and wanted to rectify himself, when...

"Reena! Where are you going in a rush? What happened?" Vinod looked behind Vinay to see Reena rushing outside.

"Oh, Thank God! You are here... Mom just called, Vanitha has been rushed to the hospital, she has gone in labour. Only Mom is with her. Suresh Ettan has gone to US for some meeting. He will land only tomorrow. I have to rush to the hospital." Reena was panicking and dialling for a cab.

(Ettan – endearment honorifics for brother / brother-in-law)

"Relax, Reena, I will come with you. Did you tell Mom and Dad?" Vinod tried to calm her down by side hugging her.

"Yeah, I told them, Mom wanted to come. But I told her not to. Since Veena needs someone to take care of." Reena said trying to calm down.

"Ok, then good. We will go then, ok?" Vinod said to her.

She looked at Vinod with a smile and they went together to the hospital.

Vinay bid them goodbye and turned to go inside, when he dashed into something short and soft.

"Oh, I am sorry." Saying Sonia looked up and was shocked to see Vinay up close holding her.

Vinay caught hold of her by her waist so that she won't fall.

They were lost in each other's eyes for a moment.

'You know your debut performance was not that bad.'

'Really?! But the judges were quite brutal, I was hoping that they would atleast be little lenient in the next round'

'Tsk, relax babe, if nobody, I liked your performance'

'Mhm, is that the only reason I am your girlfriend?'

'Mhm... that's the only reason'

'Huh! Mr. Vinay Nair, how dare you?!'

'Oo... Calling out full names, are we now? come here you little brat!'

'Aah...no stop it! Hehe he...V!'

(***Flashbacks of the past will be in italic and underlined)

Vinay immediately came out of his trance and released the hold on her. Sonia was startled at his odd behaviour but she balanced herself immediately.

He turned around closing his eyes trying to hold back his tears.

"Um... where is Reena Chech? I came looking for her." Sonia looked up at Vinay for answers.

"Chech had an emergency. She had to go somewhere." Vinay said coming back to his cold self.

"What! But... how will I proceed with the program alone?" Sonia gave a saddening look.

Vinay closed his eyes and turned to her with an irritated look.

"Not. My. problem!" Vinay said enunciating each word, by bending down to her face level, giving an angry look.

He just went away saying so, leaving a confused Sonia with her mouth open and crunched eyebrow.

"Hmph, of course it's not your problem. Mr. Iceberg!!" Sonia grumbled angrily.

"Ohh... That's was so cool!" Rekha said glancing at Vinay with dreamy eyes, startling Sonia.

"Yeah, you are absolutely right. He is... Mr. Iceberg!" Sonia gave fake smile looking at the ultimate fan of Mr. Vinay.

(South Indian languages will be in bold italic from here throughout the whole book)

"For you he might be Mr. Iceberg, but for me, avaru nann Yashuu*...." Rekha sung the last line with dreamy eyes.

(*He is my Yash...)

"Who Yash?" Sonia enquired with a scrunched nose.

Rekha gave a disappointed look to Sonia saying "Yash! Superstar Yash! ... Nann Jeevana*!" Rekha said the last words with the same dreamy eyes.

(*My life)

"Filmy idiot! We have work to do...Come on! Stop daydreaming! And help me..." Sonia tapped her head to bring her back to earth.

"Why should I?" Rekha grumbled rubbing her head.

"Coz, Chech is not here and I have to handle everything! Come on!" Saying so Sonia dragged her along with her back to the hall.

"But...But..." Rekha objected to no vain.

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Hello My dear Readers,

I promise you the story is good ahead ❤️

Do vote and comment ❤️

Lots of love ❤️

Take care❤️

If you like the chapter,kindly consider giving it a vote ⭐ by pressing the little star below👇