Anbum Aranum Udaiththaayin

Kootu Kudumbam

6 months later – Karaikudi – Kathir Mullai house

"Konjam nerama kelambidunga. Romba veiyila varadhenga...Bike la varapo pathu vanga", Dhanam rattled off. Mullai held her phone away from her ear as she kept going on about leaving early so, they can be on time for lunch at Kunnakudi.

"Akka, ", she interrupted Dhanam's mind rant about the Karaikudi traffic. "Naan payasam pannidarean. Vera edavadhu seiyanuma?"

"Onum venam. Adha vera bike la thukitu varanum. Naan pannikarean Mulla"

"Paravala ka. Evaalvu samipenga"

After 10 more minutes, she finally got off the phone and she tossed it on the couch and went into the kitchen to finish the work.

She sensed some motion and turned around to see Kathir stand near the kitchen.

"Mulla, tea thaayean", he said as he walked toward the couch.

She could hear in his voice that he was tired even after his sleep. Last two weeks, he has left home early and travelled to Kunnakudi in the evenings and most of the days didn't return home until she slept. She felt bad for him instantly but within seconds it turned into anger.

During initial months of marriage, even with both spending a lot of time at work, they still called each other during breaks and every weekend they hung out. Mullai visited Pandian stores whenever she could, so she could spend more time with Kathir. She would help with accounts. However last two weeks, she hardly found any time to even talk to him. Whenever she called, he didn't pick her call nor called her back. All she got was a message stating he was busy and if she had anything important to discuss.

Mukiyamana vishayam irndha than durai ku call pananum , she muttered angrily. Making his tea, she walked to the couch and placed it on the table rather than giving it on his hand.

Kathir looked at her confused. Taking a sip of the tea, he visibly relaxed.

"Ethana maniku kelambanum inaiku?", he asked while continuing to have his tea. Getting no answer from her, he raised his head to see her throwing dagers at him.

"En apadi pakara? Enna achu? Un kita oru kelvi ketean", he asked calmly still relishing is tea. He hasn't got time to sit down and have tea for last few weeks and he had terribly missed Mullai's tea. As soon as it hit his taste buds, now he wasn't sure if he could stop with just one tea.

She was fuming that he had no clue why she was upset, even worse he didn't even know she was upset with him.

She tried walking away, when he held her hand

"Unna than kekarean. Enna achu? Unga amma, illa anni edavadhu sonangala?", he asked concerned.

Her anger reached to a point, where she wanted to grab the tea and pour it on his head. Maybe the heat can activate his brain to start thinking, she thought.

She shrugged off his hand, "Un mela thana kovama irukean. Podhuma?"

"En melaya? Naan enna panean? " he asked baffled and thought out loud

"Perusa veetla kuda illa. Pesa kuda illa. Apadi enna solli irupean, ivaluku kovam vara mathiri?"

"Oh veetuku varalenu nyabagam iruka?"

"Veetuku varalaya? Daily inga vandhu thana thunginean?", he asked leaving him more confused. No matter what, he made sure to come back home and sleep even on days he travelled to Kunnakudi and even after his anni's persistent effort to make him stay there. He had no heart to leave Mullai alone when he knew she was scared of dark.