The Parental Partners

3. Malini Maami

*Purely Fictional Story*

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Mrs. Malini from 7C was walking on their corridor and called out to the kid in front of her "Hi kutty, dinner saaptiya?" The kid gave a shy smile and ran off before Malini could follow her.

Malini strode to 7A and knocked. As usual when Sivaangi opened the door, Dvi was wrapped around her leg. On seeing Malini, Dvi jumped and wrapped her hands around Malini's legs "Mali paati!!" Malini heaved a sigh of relief "Dvi kutty, paati paathu yen odine? Saaptiya nu ketten appadiye odita, adhan correct a veetuku vandhala nu paaka vandhen." She said, addressing Sivaangi.

Sivaangi realised what must have happened and didn't know if she should be talking about it now. Right on cue, she saw the door of 7B opening. Sivaangi had invited Ashwin and Tri for dinner as Ashwin was yet to unpack his utensils, and they were coming over now. Whether or not they were ready, Malini Maami would interrogate them now.

Malini heard Ashwin's voice and turned around to smile. What she didn't expect was the shriek of the two toddlers who were behaving like long lost sisters (oh the irony!). She looked down to see the two kids and when their faces became clear, dramatic Malini clutched her heart and leaned on the door.

Sivaangi and Ashwin caught her and took her inside. She drank the water that Sivaangi offered and looked between the young man and woman in front of her. Then her eyes fixed on Ashwin. To break the ice, Ashwin moved forward to introduce himself "Hi Aunty, nan Aswhin, 7B." he pointed vaguely in the direction of his house.

"Nee enna vellakaarana? Adhu enna aunty? Maami nu koopdu." She was protective of Sivaangi and didn't know if she should already trust Ashwin, not after he has a child that is a spitting image of Sivaangi's. Malini's mind was writing multiple fictional scenarios, but she wanted to hear the truth from them directly.

After ensuring the kids were in a different room, she pointed her fingers to the sofa and said "Okkaru."

Ashwin felt like he was in the principal's room even though he had done no wrong. But he didn't want to say anything to make her more cross. Sivaangi moved to sit next to him when Malini said "Nee single parent nu nenachen Sivaangi" Malini was also kind of hurt that Sivaangi may have hidden such an important thing from her. It had been just a month since they got to know each other, but to her, Sivaangi was the substitute to her own daughter who had settled abroad.

"Maami, engaluke innaiku dhan theriyum." Taking a deep breath, Sivaangi explained the happenings to Malini. While Sivaangi was narrating, she and Ashwin were reliving those moments of shock. Nothing had prepared them for this, not now, not any day.

Malini took a few moments to digest what she heard. "Naan kozhandhaigala paathukaren. Neenga naalaike poitu vaanga that orphanage ku."

"Ilaa aunty, sry Maami" Ashwin corrected himself when Malini glared at him. "Tri innum daycare ku pazhagala. Adhan yosikaren."

"Sila vishayam thalli poda koodadhu Ashwin. Appodhan adhodha importance namakku puriyum. Oru naal thalli potta kooda, neenga meet panna vendiyavanga miss aagalam, pora paadha maaralam. Don't procrastinate." She said sternly.

"Dviti, Triti, inga vaanga." She called out. "Naalai paati unga rendu peraiyum school lendhu pick up panna poren ok? Dvi, namma favourite icecream kadai ya Tri ku kaamikalama?" she asked once the kids had come running to her. Dvi was jumping in excitement while Tri looked at her dad, excitement shining in her eyes. Once he nodded and smiled, she caught her sister's hands and started jumping.

"Maami, enakku purila anga poi ippo enna kekka porom nu. He wants to go and I am inquisitive avaru anga enna kekkaporaaru nu. Adhuku dhan nan poren." She pointed to Ashwin and waved her hands in the air, as if the air could conjure a solid reason for their visit.

"You never know Sivaangi, you never know." Malini said, shaking her head.

"Maami, idhellame kadavul setting. This could have never happened, happened earlier or it could have happened later. But it happened now. No one's the reason for this except kadavul. He sets the alarm for everything. Why investigate it?"

Ashwin was still not sure he agreed with it. "I am still unable to forgive them for keeping the girls apart these many years. I feel responsible though I know I couldn't have done anything about it. Ungalukkum appadi thonaliya Sivaangi?"

Sivaangi nodded but she was lost in her own thoughts hearing what Ashwin said. She jerked back to reality when they heard fighting and crying noises from the room in which the kids had returned to play.

Ashwin and Sivaangi ran to the room to find both girls in tears and holding each other's hair.

Malini came in to see the parents handling the crying babies and smiled. They had, in an attempt to break the fight, sat with close proximity to each other with the respective babies on their laps, and were explaining why they shouldn't be fighting. The kids were asked to stop crying, shake hands and give each other a kiss. The toddlers, with tears still trembling in their eyes, bravely hugged each other and plopped a kiss on each other's cheeks. The proud parents clapped and rejoiced and exchanged smiles of success.

Malini murmured "Kadavule, nee set pandirya illa nan pannatuma?"

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Ashwin and Sivaangi sat down to have dinner after Malini maami left, not before reiterating the need for them to visit the orphanage at the earliest and that she, Mali paati, would always be there to help them both take care of the kids. The kids were also fed and settled with the toys that Tri had brought along.

"Maami enna vellakaaran a nu kettutu adhu English la pichuvaangudhu?" he questioned Sivaangi who laughed.

"Che paavam. She misses her family. And she has been most supportive of me here. Dvi got attached to her quick a. Mali paati nu uyara viduva. It's cute to see them together and it definitely gives me konjam time for myself."

Ashwin nodded in understanding. He caught her eye and a question was asked which her eye quickly grasped. "Cancer, it was quick. We had an arranged marriage and the marriage was short lived. I don't know if I loved him, but I did respect him and care for him. Another arranged marriage did not seem appealing but I wanted someone for myself. I applied for adoption and got the boon of my life. Moved here a month ago, idhu better locality than where we were before, closer to good schools and en office kum easier commute." A pause later "Unga..?"

"Car accident. Arranged marriage dhan, and I grew to love her. I was left in a void maari, nothing made sense to me or my existence after that. I always wanted kids, we were trying but weren't successful. Naanum adoption apply pannen, and my parents came to stay with me to help me out. But avanga evalo naal dhan engalukaaga inga iruka mudiyum. I wanted them to get back to their life. So ooruku anupiten. Enakkum indha locality pidichudhu, plus indha gated community la irundha Tri kum friends irupaanga."

Their conversation was cut short when they heard "Ashwineyy" and "Sivaangi maa" and the owners of the voices started to climb on each of the elders. Ashwin helped Dvi climb on him while Sivaani picked up Tri. The walls of that room which was used to only two voices, was now witness to the random conversations and laughter of four voices.

The puzzle pieces have been found. Now we wait for the pieces to fit together.

AN: Readerseyy, Malini Maami pidichuruka?