Delicious Love

Striving to Unfold

'ennanga...namma ananya bathirama paathukonga..avalukku edhum theriya koodathu..neenga avala nalla valarpinganu theriyum..neenga innoru kalyanam pannitu namma ponnoda oru peacefulana life vaazhvinganu enakku sathyam pannunga..' she asked him with tears flowing from her eyes and with her head covered with blood stained dressings.

'apdilaam sollatha ma..unakku onnum aagathu..naama santhoshama iruka thaan porom..' Swaminathan cried looking at his wife who was lying on the hospital bed with the tubes and wires connected almost all over her body.

'Illanga...naan pozhaika maatennu enakku theriyum..enakku onnum aagathunu naan poi solli unga manasa thirpthi padutha maaten..neenga ellathaiyum maranthutu..innoru kalyanam pannitu namma ponnoda oru nimmadhiyaana lifela irukanum..enakku sathiyam pannunga...' Kousalya showed her palm to him seeking his promise. Swaminathan wiped his tears and looked at her.

'Kousalya..nee epdi enkitta oru promise kekariyo..athe maari naanum unakku oru vaaku tharen...unna thavira ennala vera oru ponna un edathula nenachu kooda paaka mudiyathu...nee aasa padra maari...naama aasa padra maari..naan namma ponna nalla valarpen...avala oru simpleahna lifela avala santhoshama valarpen..' He clutched her hand which made her to smile by looking into his eyes with a much satisfaction and relief. The fluctuated readings in the monitor ended up with a horizontal straight line, but the smile on her lips still remained leaving Swaminathan to cry his heart out.

Whistle from the pressure cooker brought him out of the trance. He wiped his tears that he had remembering the last conversation with his kousalya. He diverted himself and cooked the lunch.

He then called Ananya for lunch. She too came both were silent. Ananya knew that he is upset after seeing Leela in temple. She felt guilty to push her dad to this state. But she has no other go to know the truth that happened between two familes. As Vikram planned the idea of this unexpected meetup for both might not be fruitful in the first time. But it will definitely lead both of them to open up the past drift that happened over years ago. So ananya too agreed with his plan.

Both had lunch in silence. Ananya didn't know how to start. But she has to do to put back both the families together. She saw Swaminathan who was having his food without speaking a word.

'Appa..' Ananya called him.

'Sollu chellam..innum konjam potato fry podava?' He said by looking her plate and serving some curry. Ananya knew that her dad cannot be quite like this as this is not their house culture to remain silent except the time they are sleeping.

'Appa..inniki naama kovila paathome..avanga yaaru?' Ananya although she knew, but she wanted him to open as he had been hiding to her for very long years.

'Therila ma..yaaro nenachu enkitta pesinaanga..' He said without looking at her.

'Illa pa...avanga..ungala correctah paathu ketta maari thaan irunthuthu..' Ananya asked him again.

'Illa da..naan avangala paathathu illa..' Swaminathan again said as softly as he could.

'avanga facela oru yekkam therinjithu pa..neenga pesama vanthutinga..' ananya again asked by having her potato curry.

'Naan thaan sollite iruken illa..enakku avanga yaarunu theryathunu...nee enna kelvi kettute irukae?' Swaminathan shouted at her making her jerk due to fear. Swaminathan never raised his voice against his daughter. This is the first time she is looking at her father shouting at her.

Ananya's eyes brimmed with tears all of a sudden. She knew that Swaminathan would react for this in some way. But what she did not expect is that he would shout at her. She left the dining room halfway.

Swaminathan felt bad for shouting at his little daughter. He realised that he had over reacted. He felt angry at him for pushing him to shout at her.

He left his lunch half way and went to Ananya's room with the remaining food on her plate. Ananya was lying on her bed cuddling her soft toy.

He opened the door. Hearing the sound, she turned to him but immediately she turned to the other side. Her eyes were having tears. Swaminathan felt a prick in his heart seeing his daughter's eyes were red due to tears that too because of him. He same near her bed and placed the plate on the night stand.

'Chellam..inga paaru..' Swaminathan called her. ananya did not turn to his side.

'Sorry chellam..edho kovathula kathiten..' swaminathan sat next to her. But she turned to the other side by twisting her lips.

'Sorry da..naan edho tensionah un mela kaatiten...paaru nee saapdaama vanthutae..' Swaminathan took a morsal towards her mouth.

'Enakonnum venaam..' She told in a trembling voice.

'Chellam..en mela irukara kovathula nee saapdaama irukaatha..unaala pasi thaanga mudiyathu..' Swaminathan said to her.

'Aama enakku pasikuthu thaan...aana enakku vendaam..' she said with trembling voice. Swaminathan's heart ached looking at his daughter's teary eyes.

'Ippo unakku enna venum sollu..naan seiren?' Swaminathan pleaded to her.

'avanga yaaru?' Ananya asked him.

'Adhu yaarunu enakku theriyathu da...' he said with a very soft voice.

'Poi sollatha pa...nee poi sonna ennala kandu pidika mudiyum..ennavo un mansula irukku..atha solla mudiyaama kashtapadra..yen pa?' She asked him with a soft voice only to make him open the past that was bottled up in his heart which has been piercing for many years.

Swaminathan remained silent. He doesn't want the past which was buried in his heart long back to again take it out to light. He always wants to live a simple life with his daughter. He is scared to even think of meeting that unexpected people in unexpected place might lead to the rippling the pond of happiness. Swaminathan still could hear the last words which kousalya said. The incident still remains fresh for him in front of his eyes. But now he knew that he need to atleast tell the basic details of the person.

'Appa..' Ananya held his shoulder.

'avanga unnoda athai ma...' Swaminathan said in a low voice.

'athaiya?' Ananya asked him.

'Aama...un ammavoda Anni...' Swaminathan said in the blank tone.

'appa...enna..' Ananya tried to ask him but swaminathan cut her in middle.

'Chellam..Inga paaru..nee ketanu naan soliten..ithukku mela enkitta vera edhuvum kekkatha..appa edhu pannalum un nallathukku thaan pannuven..unga maama, atha avanga family pathi enkitta edhuvum kekkatha...namakku avanga yaarum venaam...ithu varaikum irunthathu illa...inimelum illa...' Swaminathan said in one go.

Ananya thought to ask him further. But the response she received made her to stop proceeding further. She clearly understood as there is much more hidden secret that need to come in light. But at present she doesn't want to dig deep as it might back fire her.

'nee ketta kelviku naan badhil solliten..ippovavathu saapdu...' he said by feeding a morsel of sambhar rice. Ananya smiled and ate from her dad's hands.

'Aanalum...unakku ivlo kovam koodathu swaminatha....' he said by twisting her lips.

'sorry chellam...' he said by caressing her hair. Ananya took a morsel and fed his dad. He smile and took it from her.

'naama ipdiye nimmadhiya irukanumnu na namakku avanga vendaam da...' he thought to himself by looking at her as she was busy eating her potato fry.

After feeding her, he asked her to sleep and left the room.

'sorry pa...enakku padhi vishayam theriyum..Leela athai, Chakravarthy mama, Vikram pathiyum theriyum...but ippo ennala edhum solla mudiyathu. Enakku avanga yaarunu therinjum unkitta sollama maraikiren...' Ananya thought to herself as she felt guilt of hiding the partial truth to her dad. But she had no other go. She has hope and belief in Vikram to end this rekindling game in a happy note at the earliest.

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SJMinnal🌸🌸🌸