Anbum Aranum Udaiththaayin

Sandhipu

Mullai was lying in her bed with a book in her hand but her mind elsewhere. It has been 10 days since she met kathir last and she still cannot get Kathir out of her head. She have lost touch with him after that day in mandappam – no phone calls, no text messages, nothing. He has been true to his words and stayed away from her and has not bothered her. Often she thinks about talking to him again, she misses his friendship but it will be an impracticable thing to do at this point of time.

She felt empty and missed PS house and Kathir. Her mind wandered around Kathir, how he would secretly watch to make sure everyone eats well, would get stuff for the house without anyone asking. The more she thinks about it, she understands he has done all those for her. He always made sure SHE ate well. He always got things SHE had needed without her asking. She had always felt his love but she had chosen to ignore it, for her convenience.

She took the phone in her hand wanting to talk to him. She wanted to check if he was doing ok. She kept staring at her phone for some ten minutes contemplating whether to call him or not. At last, she put the phone in charger and made her way to bed. She felt it was quite wicked how fate brought them from animosity to great friends and then tore them apart yet again. In the end, no relation will matter, when you are not meant to be, you are not meant to be.

Next morning after waking up at 5am, Mullai did her morning routine and went to cook for the day. She got used to waking early before everyone in PS house. She could get to do things that she liked without noise or staring. At this time of the day, the world felt like a peaceful place to live, an illusion that can help mitigate stress and make her believe her life was actually peaceful.

When she sat in the verdana with her tea thinking what future held for her, she heard some movement behind her.

"Ammadi Mulla. Thukam varalaya?  Ivalavu vidiya elundhu okandu iruka ", her father greeted with tinch of sadness in his voice while sitting next to her.

"Apadi elam illa pa. Andha veetla sikiram yelundhu pazhagiduchu", she said sipping her tea.

"Anga thirumbi ponum pola iruka ma?", he genuinely asked seeing her daughter being lost in thoughts.

"Appa", came her curt reply

"Illa ma. Mapillai vera vivagarathu pathiram kudutu vitu irukar. Enaku enamo manasuku thappa paduthu. Nee Mapillai kaga yosichu un vazhkaiya kedutukariyonu....", put forward his fear.

"Appa thirumba adha pathi pesa venam. Naan than vivagarathu panalamnu Jeeva mama kita sonean. Avar kaga elam onum illa"

" Unaku andha veedu, veetla ulavanga elam evalavu pudikum, nee evalavu pasama irundhu irukanu naan pathu irukean ma. Rendu perum avasara padarengalonu thonudhu ma"

"Appo, nama ponna kodumai paduthina veetuku thirumba anupa pakarengala?", came sheer voice of Parvathy from behind

"Inga parunga. Unga akka kudumbatha onum panna vitu irukeanu sandhosa padunga. Inoru ponnu kuda kalyanam panna ready ayitu irukanga. Andha kudumbathuku thirumba anupa pakarengala en ponna?"

"Parvathy namma ponnukaga than naan pesarean", Murugan pleaded with Parvathy's wrath.

"Panakara ponnu vandhadum en ponna thorathitanga illa. Andha Jeeva va vida nala payana, vayashiyana payana pathu naan katti vepean en ponnuku", Parvathy took a vow.

"Appa, Amma podhum! Rendu perum indha pecha idhoda vidunga. Idhukaga nenga rendu perum sandai poda venam. Divorce paperla kaiezhutu potutean. Appa kadaila poi kudutudarengala?"

When she got no answer from her father, she knew she had to do it herself.

On her way to Pandian stores, she was mentally taunting her. If she had been sensible in first place and figured that Jeeva had no interest on her prior to marriage, or if she knew her friendship with Kathir meant something more, she could have stayed away. If she had indeed stayed away, she would not have been sinking into melancholy right now. She has complicated things beyond measure and she cannot go back and fix everything even if she wanted to.