Chapter Three

Although he felt very tired before, Deeptha felt that after taking the two Panadol tablets, the feeling subsided a bit.

Deeptha thought of ordering something for lunch because he still had a slight fever. Deeptha picked up his phone to order a meal and came across a list of missed calls to respond to.

Deeptha let out a long sigh when she saw that eleven calls have been missed from Sansali. Deeptha had already realized that Sansali had a love for her in her heart.

But Deeptha made sure that he did not fall in love with her in his heart because he remembered his financial situation and the troubles at home.

While Deeptha was thinking, he heard someone knocking on the door of the annex. The body slumped and he stepped towards the bright door without covering his upper body.

Sansali, who has carried several bags near the door, stared at him in amazement.

"Sansi you…:"

That's all Deeptha could say.

"Oh.. these are too heavy to carry go beyond.." Sansali pushed Deeptha into the house and put some of her luggage on the stool and turned towards Deeptha.

"Why are you standing there like a statue…."

With Sansali's words, Deeptha's mind was driven away by the still unquenchable wonder.

Sansali approached Deeptha and put her hand on his forehead.

"Fever is low now.. have you had breakfast…"

Deeptha shook his head to say no to the Sansali.

"Ah. I brought you a soup as soon as I arrived. I also brought cooking utensils for lunch…"

Without allowing Deeptha to say a word, Sansali pulled Deeptha to the table and told him to sit down and handed the soup tray to Deeptha and sat down on a nearby chair.

Sansali watched with affection as she looking Deeptha having the soup in quiet manner. Her vision faded from Deeptha as the phone rang.

Lashani's name has appeared on the phone screen.

"Hello.."

Sansali began to respond in a soft voice.

"Hello Sansi.. are you coming today… the lecture is going to start.." Lashani began to speak as she is in a panic.

"No Lashi.. I came out for a little work today… I'll call you once I go home…"

Sansali told lie to her friend because she could not tell she had come to see Deeptha.

Deeptha was silently licking the soup bowl and as Sansali came towards near to him,

"What is your room…" she asked.

He stretched out his hand towards his room in amazement.

"You drink the soup… I'll clean the room until then…" Sansali said and went to Deeptha's room.

She went there and started cleaning Deeptha's room. On Deeptha's study desk there was a recently framed photo of him. Sansali picked it up after cleaning the room.

Sansali stared at the photo with loving eyes. As Sansali watched, Deeptha came into the room. It seemed to Deeptha that Sansali was looking at the photo that included his image as an emotional burden. Deeptha gently touched her head as he approached.

With that touch, Sansali turned her eyes and looked at Deeptha. Sansali, who had placed the photograph in her hand on the table, turned to the Deeptha and put his face between her hands.

"How are you feeling now…"

Deeptha raised his voice as he watched Sansali's face and,

"I'm feeling ok now.. you may go now Sansi. it's not good for you to be like this…"

Sansali was shocked by Deeptha's voice. Sansali takes her hands off from Deeptha's face. Deeptha sat on his bed as it was exhausting to stand.

Sansali approached to Deeptha and kept her head on his shoulder.

"you're chasing me, aren't you… I'll stay a little longer.." Sansali said.

Deeptha let out a long sigh, as this bond was feeling heavily to him. Sansali hugged his neck at once and placed her lips on his cheek.

"Let me stay with you for a while.."

As soon as Sansali said that, Deeptha stood up next to her at once. Sansali grabbed his hand and hugged his exposed warm chest.

"Ooh.. let me stay like this.."

For the first time in her life, that love was strange both Sansali and Deeptha. Deeptha also not wanted to get rid of Sansali's touch.

Deeptha hugged Sansali more and more, wrapping his arm around Sansali's waist. It didn't take long for the two to become one.

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Deeptha came near Sansali who was combing her hair.

"Do you regret this…"

Sansali looked at him without saying anything. Deeptha started talking again where there was no response from Sansali.

"Let's forget what happed… I know that you love me but Sansi I can not think of love at the moment of time.. If I do so then I'm going to miss everything.. even you have to get used to living without me…"

Deeptha looked away and finished the explanation.

"Please stop your bullshit story.."

Sansali pleaded with tears in her eyes.

But Deeptha wanted to say these things to her, so he opened his voice to say the last few words.

"I know Sansi.. it's hard to listen. I want you but as the best friend.. promise me you won't love me as you do now promise me that you're not going to think me in a feeling of love…"

When Deeptha had finished speaking, Sansali took her bag on the stool and turned it towards Deeptha.

"Okay, I promise you.. but I want that photo of you…"

Not allowing Deeptha to respond with a word, Sansali went to his table and took the framed photo on the table, and left the house. Deeptha looked at Sansali and felt a great sadness.

When Sansali came home, Ramani was not there because she has gone to the mall to buy some needed for the house and Kamala opened the door for Sansali. It has been almost thirty-five years since Kamala came to work at Sansali's house after losing her husband.

"Do you want some tea?.."

Kamala asked as Sansali used to drink a cup of tea as soon as she comes home back from the university.

"No aunty… let's drink when mom comes too.." Sansali went to her room.

Sansali placed the photo frame with Deeptha's picture on her desk, which had been stuck in her hands till then. Then Sansali went to the bathroom and took a good bath to rid of her tiredness.

Sansali who came out of the bathroom and lay down on her bed fell asleep unknowingly. She awoke from her sleep to the sound of Ramani's taxi. Sansali get-off from the bed and went to the bathroom and washed her face because she was still feeling sleepy.

As Sansali went to the kitchen, Ramani was sitting on the bench and Kamala was clearing the bags. Sansali sat next to her mom and grab her mother's hand.

"Mommy.. I need to talk to you a bit.." Sansali said.

Ramani knew that her daughter was behaving like this when she wanted to say something important.

"Okay honey… I'll take a wash and come to you.. you study till then…" she said and wiped her daughter's head lovingly.

When Ramani went to Sansali's room, she was lying on the bed with some books. Ramani placed the cup of tea of Sansali given to her by Kamala on the table and caught the photo on the table of Sansali's. It took Ramani a moment to fill her with curiosity.

Ramani sat on the side of the bed and began to address her daughter.

"Tell me, honey.. what do you mean to tell…"

Hiding the curiosity in her mind, Ramani started the conversation with Sansali.

Sansali looked away from the pile of books, looked at her mother for a moment, got down from the bed, went to the tables and grab the photo frame, and sat down on the bed close to her mother.

Sansali opened her voice, rubbed the photo frame gently, and began to speak with some agitation.

"Mommy.. I haven't said this to you so long.. but I can no longer hide this…"

It was not difficult for Ramani to understand what her daughter was going to say from her behavior.

"Mommy… I love someone.. His name is Deeptha… This is him…" Sansali said and showed the photo to her mother.

Ramani let Sansali speak and listen quietly to what she was saying.

"I'll introduce him to you when the time comes.."

After telling the Deeptha's background, Sansali said so, thinking that Deeptha will fall in love with her in time.

Ramani touched Sansali's head softly,

"I'm glad honey that you told me these things without hiding.." she said, reassuring her daughter.

After Ramani left the room, Sansali looked at Deeptha's photo and imagined the events of that afternoon. That is why her heart was filled with joy and she felt a certain lightness as she told her mother about the brightness.