EN SWAASA KAATRE

PULL VELIYIL , ORU VAANAVIL VIZHUNDHADHO!!

"Daddy inga two combs irukku ... edhu eduthuttu varanum??..." Paapu asks from her parents' room , climbing on a chair and peeping into her Mom's cupboard.

"Periya periya teeth irukkum paarunga da..wood la senju irukkum... brown.." Kathir shouts out loud enough for his daughter to hear.

It was a regular Wednesday evening at Mullai's home ; where the father and daughter were together packing for Mullai , who was to leave to Pune for a conference , two days later. Its was after a great level of persuasion ,  that Kathir let her travel alone. It is not that he was against women traveling alone , or their empowerment ; it's just that his wife has a strange record of getting lost , whenever they travel away from home.

Be it their honeymoon at Sri Lanka , where she got lost at the top of a hill or  their recent trip to Cochin , where she got lost in the boat ;  she always has it in her to keep her husband on his toes. 

He finally agreed , since it was an important conference , that would add  a great value in the growth of her career . One of his associates there in Pune has agreed to look into her comfort and safety there , making him feel a bit releived.

"Brown colour dana daddy...irukku...indhanga..." she comes sprinting towards him , with a comb in her hand.

"Vera enna eduthuttu varanum daddy??" She asks looking into her mother's suitcase , observing how her dad tucked away everything in that trolley , making space for everything.

"Mummy oda jerkin irukkum paarunga..bed mela.."  Kathir says keeping that comb in a pack , that held her accessories.

"Apram??.."

"Neenga idha modhala eduthuttu vaanga..." he tells her , taking a pinch of her cheek and kissing it .

"Okay daddy..."  she turns around to fetch that jerkin , but stops in her tracks ,   on seeing her mother back home.

"Hi mummy !!!.." she gleams , hugging her waist.

"Hi da kutty .." Mullai says hugging her back , her tone a little lower than usual.

Letting paapu go , she slumps down on the sofa , near Kathir , head thrown back on the back rest , her fingers easing away her forehead. She looks rather worried.

"Kutty , kitchen ku poi , paati kitta mummy ku thanni vaangitu vaanga...tired ah irukkanga paarunga..." Kathir instructs paapu and  moves a little close Mullai.

"Hey enna baby..pada padappa irukka??.." he asks his eyes running over her face  a little concerned.

"Kathir.."  she takes his  palms in hers , her grip tightening around him, as if gathering herself.

"Enna di...enna aachu..en kaanu lam ivlo sevandhirukku?..." Kathir runs his fingers along her forehead, collecting a bunch of loose fringes on her forehead ,to put them behind her ear

"Solren...iru.." she looks around as if searching for paapu.

"Paapu..."  Kathir calls.

"Mummy indhanga thanni.." there, come her  daughter , with a glass of water.

"Thanks da chellam..." She receives the glass from her daughter who gives her a cute little smile back.

"Indhanga...thatha -paati ungakitta pesanum nu sonnanga paarunga...room kulla poi pesunga.." she gives her , her mobile after dialling Lakshmi amma's mobile , sending her inside the room , so that she could share her day's happening with her husband.