புத்தகம் மூடிய மயில் இறகாய்!

~ Chapter - 8 ~

Kathir fidgeted with his fingers for a few seconds and then he took in a deep breath saying it all in one go, "enaku nee no solla mudiyaama okay solliruviyo nu thonichu... unaku enna evalo pudikum nu nee solli enaku theriya venaam Mulla... un kannulaye theriyum nee enna un life la evalo uyarntha edathula vechuruka nu...

ippa nee enna kadhalikura naalaiya idhellam panra... kandipa athuku vaaipu illa... enakaaga... naan sandhoshama irukanum kaaga thaana... athe maari unaku pudicha maari neeyum vaazhanum nu naan nenaika maatena...".

Though it killed his soul to utter the following words, he had to do it- if not for him, at least for her. After all, his love for her was much greater than any amount of worldly desires or his own selfishness all put together, "idhu venaam Mulla... ippa oru vegathula en mela ulla paasathula ithellam pannitu apram naalaiku ovvoru naalum thappu pannitom nu nee nenachu vaazhra maari aagirum... appadi enkooda nee vaazhra vaazhkaila oru nodi nenachuta kooda naan unmela vechurukura kaadhaluku arthame illama poyirum di...".

Mullai didn't think twice to tell him the alternate situation he would have ended up in, "naan oru vaaram munna ingerundhu kelambum podhu inni inga varave koodathu... unna paakave koodathathu nu mudivu eduthu thaan kelambunen... neeye nenachurundhalum vaazhka poora enkitta pesave mudiyama poyirukum...", he had wanted her to choose her over him all this time, but the very same thing being uttered by her straight in his face was excruciatingly painful to hear.

The truth being unabashedly said, unclouded his heart and mind that were deeply dipped into obliviousness of what cruelty it was wishing for its own self all this while, "annaiku unmela avalo koovam yen unna veruthuten nu kooda sollalaam... nee nenaikura alavu naan thyagi laam illa da...

nee eppadiyavathu nalla irukanum oru ponna kalyanam panni sandhoshama vaazhavum nu nenachirupen... adhuku ennala mudinja muyarchi kooda eduthurupen thoorama irundhe... aana nee love panra nu kaaga mattum en vaazhkaiya en kanava vittu kodukura alavu nallava illa naanu...".

Mullai put out the fire and took two plates serving the two of them, extending one to him. She took a mouthful and pouted her mouth squeezing in the stuck up noodle, then blew some air out as it was hot as burned coal. The relief her face showed taking in a few morsels made him aware of the fact that she too had starved herself the whole day just like him, he fed himself too and a smile formed on his lips thinking that only she could make a food as simple as noodles give the exact feel of a dish as royal as biriyani.

When they had both made peace with their own stomachs first, Kathir slowly asked her in a small voice, "apram yen Mulla... idhellam nee...", Mullai gulped in some water and looked at him with a face that had only tranquility in it, "Kathir... unkooda pesama irundha andha oru vaaram en mandaikulla nee mattum thaan odite irundha da... nammaloda chinna chinna ninaivugal ovvonnum evalo azhagu theriyuma... appadi avalo memories onnula kooda nee enna uncomfortable feel panna vechathu illa...

Unnoda oru chinna paarva kooda thappa irundhathilla... inniku kooda Meena Kathir unna love panraarunu namba mudiyala nu sonna... yenna un kannula en mela anbu paasam ellam irundhuruku aana romantic relationship la ullavanga paakura maari nee enna oru podhum paathathu illa nu sonna...

Sila vishayam romba laam maraika mudiyaathu Kathir... nammala ariyaamale athu suthi ullavangaluku therinjurum aana nee andha maari oru naalum nadanthukaama irundhathuku kaaram unaku ennanu theriyuma...",

He nodded his head sideways, everything she was trying to tell him was so new to him and he had in no way thought about why he could never look at her in a lascivious way not even once. Not that he didn't have such feelings towards her but it had not come naturally to him and it now intrigued him more to know why it was so, that too from her perception.