EN SWAASA KAATRE

KAI THOTTU THATTI THATTI POOVAI EZHUPPU !!

" Hello madam , naa enna kettutu irukken...neenga enna edhaiyo yosichittu irukeenga ??.." Dhanam gently taps a lost Mullai on her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She has sat herself on the bed in the guestroom while Mullai was seated on the floor , making it easier for the elder one to oil her hair ; while the little one , who was playing building blocks near them , was fast asleep, her hair and scalp already oiled and massaged by her periamma.

"Enna ka ??...enna kettinga..??"

"Thalaikku enna vachi ethana naal aachu nu ketten ..." Dhanam rolls her eyes , tired of repeating everything twice to Mullai.

"Therila ka...nyabagam illa..."
lo , there she goes again. This has become a pattern ; Dhanam realises thoughtfully.

Anything asked to Mullai these days , is always responded with a 'therila ka..' or a 'apdiya ka..naa gavanikkala' or a mere nodding of her head.
She could say Mullai was brooding over something.

It was almost a week since she and her husband had come to Chennai , just to be there for their siblings , as a moral support , just incase they needed them. Mullai too seemed fine , infact she was more than fine within two days . But something was troubling her from within . She wasn't her chirpy , bubbly self anymore . What was it , that ate her mind ?. Did their prolonged presence make things difficult for Mullai?

Were they a hinderance for the couple's privacy by anychance??

Making it a point to confront her later about it , she massages her scalp.

"Sari , nee ennai vaikkaradhu illa...aana pona maasam anupuna bottle paadhi theerndhu poi irukku??"

"Adhu avarukkum , paapu kum vachi viduven la...adan " she trails away.

"Mulla..." Dhanam calls her tentatively.

"Ka..."

"Naanum , Maama vum namma ECR apartment ku rendu naal poitu varava ??" she suggests , making Mullai turn her head worried.

"Yen ka...ungalukku inga kashtama irukka ?..maama ku edhum vasadhi kammiya ?" She fusses.

"Ada illa Mulla...naanga vandhu oru vaaram aaga pogudhu..ungalukkum privacy nu onnu irukku la..naanga pullaya kootitu rendu naal anga poitu varom...ungalukku oru change ah irukkum la...enna solra..??"

"Ada ponga ka...neengalum illana enakku yosichu yosichu , paithiyame pidichidum...adallam engayum poga venam.." she says adamant , keeping her head on her lap ,hugging her by her waist.

"Apdi enna yosanai unakku ?...adan kathir irukkan la...paathuppan... nee kavalaiya vidu.."

How would she tell her that it was her husband that was driving her nuts these days , with his behavior. It was Kathir , that was making her go crazy by staying aloof from her.

That day at beach when they kissed ,was the last time they were that close to each other. She could feel he was consciously putting a distance between them , for which she didn't know the reason.

She tried recalling each and every moment they had spent, to zero in on one particular instance that could have pushed him to maintain this distance but no. She wasn't able to.

She wouldn't say he didn't care about her or acknowledge her , or love her.
He does. He loves her to death.

But its just that he wasn't like him. Like the mad lover , he was , anymore.

At first, she would think that he was preoccupied with work , or something like that . But as days went , she realized he purposefully distanced himself from her.