"Why did you make me come here again?"

"Because you need to get out more. And I need a wingman."

It was their company's annual office party, where the employees from different branches and departments could gather and enjoy themselves. Due to Rakshan's insistence, Suriya joined the crowded party, instead of spending his Saturday evening relaxing on the sofa.

"What you really need is a miracle," Suriya mocks his friend.

"Bro. You are just jealous of my personality." Rakshan pouts.

"Which personality?" Suriya squints his eyes and starts looking around.

"Ha ha. Very funny. You see that girl by the bar? Just watch me get her number." Rakshan says running his fingers through his hair to style it.

"Good luck. Remember bro. Slipper shots is nothing new for you so be confident." Suriya encourages him. Rakshan just frowns back, before heading to the bar.

Chuckling to himself, Suriya leans back on his chair. Suriya and Rakshan were best of friends since school days. It was truly a wonder how they became friends in the first place since both were opposite in personalities. While Rakshan was an extrovert and loved to meet new people, Suriya was an introvert who preferred to stay to himself. While Rakshan excelled at sports, Suriya mastered the art of writing. Even in romance, both were widely different. Rakshan spoke jovially with all girls and had many girlfriends over the years. On the other hand, Suriya still thinks about his high school crush, Kayal.

Kayalvizhi. Just like her name suggests, Kayal had beautiful fish-like eyes. The first time he saw her was on the first day of high school. Suriya was sitting in the front row, getting his notebook ready when he heard someone getting slapped, towards to back of the classroom. Surprised, he turned around to see Kayal staring angrily at the boy in front of her. Apparently, the boy was dared to kiss Kayal, but before he could, she had slapped him.

That anger filled eyes made him fall flat. For the first time, he started to obsess on something else than books. As time went on, Suriya's crush on Kayal grew. Just a glimpse of her would brighten his day. Till this day, he does not know if that was love. All he knows, those fishlike eyes had trapped him.

While deep in thought about Kayal, Suriya senses someone tapping his shoulder. Wondering who it could be, he gets up and turns around, meeting the same eyes that had repeatedly disturbed him in his dreams.

"Kayal?"

"Hi Suriya. Want to dance?"

Is that really Kayal? She is asking me to dance. How is this possible? Am I dreaming?

"Suriya?"

"Y-y-y-yes"

Kayal smiles widely and leads him to the dance floor. Together, they sway to the music, looking within each other's eyes.

"So how have you been since high school?"

"G-g-g-good."

Kayal chuckles at Suriya's stammering.

"Are you nervous?"

"N-n-no. No, I'm not."

Kayal raises her eyebrows and cocks her head in question.

"Maybe just a little bit nervous." Suriya admits sheepishly.

"To be honest, I am nervous too." Kayal admits as well.

"Really?

"Yeah. It took me awhile before I could gain the courage and talk to you."

Suriya blushes at her admission.

"It's so rare to see guy blushing. Guess I am a lucky girl." Kayal grins cheekily.

Suriya blushes even harder and changes the subject.

"So how come you are at this party?"

"Same reason you are. I work here."

"I have never seen you here before."

"Well, it is a big company. Would have been hard to find me among the crowd.

"No. I would always find you, no matter how big the crowd is."

Kayal looks down blushing, before meeting Suriya's eyes. Seeing her blush, Suriya realizes what he had said.

"I m-m-mean." Suriya stammers.

"You know something. I had a crush on you, back in high school."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I would often see you at the library, reading a book. That is when a friend of mine told me you were a writer. I do not know, it was some type of curiosity, wanting to know what you wrote. So, I would look for your short stories and read them. From each word your wrote, I just... I ended up having this crush on you. It took me all this time to get the courage and tell you that."

Kayal bits her lips nervously and lifts her eyes to meet his.

"I um... Same."

"Same?"

"I had a crush on you too." Suriya admits shyly.

"You know, I thought a writer would convey his crush poetically like his characters from his stories." Kayal teases him.

"The writer isn't as brave as his characters."

Kayal nods in reply. They both just savor the sweet silence between them, listening to music of their heartbeats.

"Suriya, I wish I had the courage to tell you before. We could have been so much more together." Kayal tells him with a sad smile.

"Maybe this is better." Suriya tells her with a soft smile.

"Maybe..." Kaya whispers looking down at her feet. After a while, she takes a deep breath and speaks up again.

"Well, it is time for me to go. Will see you again Suriya." Kayal says before leaving the party.

Suriya waves after her departing figure with a small smile on his lips. Rakshan comes to join his friend, shocked that Suriya had finally talked to another girl.

"Bro! Who is that girl?"

"That's Kayal dude." Suriya turns to him with a wide grin.

"Kayal?"

"Yea. From our high school."

"The one who you had a crush on? Impossible."

"I know. I can't believe that I finally talked to her."

"No not that. There's no way that was Kayal."

"What do mean?"

"Bro I didn't want to tell you this before because I thought you would eventually forget her. The day after we graduated... Kayal..."

"Kayal?"

Rakshan takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Kayal passed away in a road accident. They had even donated her eyes."

"What? That is impossible. I was just talking to her. There is no way she is dead."

"I'm sorry bro."

"No, you're joking. Raks this is a bad joke."

"Let us go home. I will tell you everything then. I think I even have the number of the girl who received the eyes. Maybe you could meet her."

Rakshan takes the distraught Suriya back home, not noticing the transparent figure standing far, watching them with a small smile, and a lone tear falling down her cheeks.

"Sorry Suriya."