MULLAIYUM MUTHAMUM

6 months later ,

TRICHY

FAMILY COURT

The time was around noon _

It was lunch break .

Mr . Sadhasivam ,the maternal uncle of Kathirangan was panicking  with a petrified face . In contrast to his tensed frame , Kathir was looking back at his uncle with a calm and serene face .
It was in a private room in the court itself .

Only the two of them were conversing in that air-conditioned room , whilst Mrs .Mullai Kathirangan , who is gonna be , Miss .Mullai ,once again ,in a span of few hours was seated in the opposite room .

Miss. Pragya Palmar  , the supposed to be fiancee / girl friend of Kathir was waiting outside the premises of the court , in their Audi , alongside her brother Kailesh Palmar with a kind of anxiety and anticipation , waiting for Kathir ' s call , to hear his official announcement of his divorce .

In another couple of hours , Kathir would be hers again .

It had been a whole long year since he had slipped out of her hands .

The tension was thick there .

Back to Court room ,

Sadhasivam was sweating as well shivering even in that cool room .

Kathir was as cool as ever .

Kathir : C' mon mama  . Yethukaaga ivlo tension aaguringa .
Divorce enakum antha ponnukum . Ninge ennavo ungalku divorce vaanga maathri tension ah erukinga .

Sadha : Adei maapla ,...the middle aged man shivered his bamboo frame once again and adjusted his big framed specs that slipped off his thin nose .
Nee yen solla maata .
En kavala unaku konjamchum puritha ?
Athepadi yellathaiyum pannitu ,ipdi onum theriyaatha kolantha maathri oru sathvigathoda vakanthu eruka .
Ottu motha kudumbamum , velli naatula eruka samayama paarthu ,ipdi kalatharukiyaae thambi .
Aiyo ....athungalaam thirumba vantha ...enna aagumoonu enaku vayathulla pulliya karaikuthu !
Nee enadaana kallu maathri vakanthu eruka .
Ithu unakae nalla erukaa ?

Kathir : Full familyum illa uncle .
En sontha "Thaai mama"   neenga inga thana erukinga ?
Apuram enna ....?
Mama eruka bayamen !!

Sadha : Aathadi ! Naana ?

Kathir : Ama ...awangalaam vantha ,ninge sollunga .
Intha so called marriage , epadi , yaarnaala , yentha kolapathulla nadanthuchu ?
Apadiyaae rewind panni paarunga .
Unga Grey matter kitta visaaringa _bathil kedaikum !

Sadha almost screamed aloud .

Sadha :Adei ...thambi ....en chellapaiyya , othukren ...mulukka ,mulukka un mama panni vacha kolarupadi naala than ,unaku sikkal vanthuchunu othukren.
Aana ,athukaaga _ ipadiya palivaanguva ?
Athumattumillama , nee mattum ennavaam .
Yaaru enna sonaalum , odanae atha othukra paiyyana ?

Kathir : Cut that crap ! Naan inum paiyyan illa mama !

Sadha : MV : Athan thadi maadatam valarnthu , neram paarthu , kaluthula kathiya vaikriyaae da ...paathaga , Neeya chinna paiyyan.  
Ada naanum atha than solren thambi .
Ennavo kolapam nadanthu pochu . Aana , anaiku nee antha ponnu kaluthulla thaaliya kattita thana ?
Apuram enna da unaku .

Kathir did not speak for a long time .

His eyes looked somewhere at the ceiling itself .

He closed his eyes _ his grandad appeared in his inner vision .

With a heavy sigh he opened his eyes ,

Kathir : Thaatha !

Sadha : Enathu ?

Kathir : He was the reason mama .
Yes , I accept ... Vera valli illama , I too had to go for it .
But , antha ponnu .... Mullai ,she is not my type of girl .
I had Pragya in mind _ enaku , Pragya maathri girls than set awanga mama .
Enoda business ,life style ...ithu ellathukum , she is the right choice !!

Sadha : Yaanai than thalaiya thanaae manna vaari pottukratha ipa thanda paakren !!

Kathir got infuriated with his uncle s comment .

Kathir : Paakama poovaanen ? Ithae , Trichy la poranthu valarntha aalu thana ninhe ?
Athuvum ....Thiruvaanaikovilayae ,Bali kedantha aalu . Anga Yaanaiya paarthathu illa ?

Sadha : Nakkalu !
Thambi , naan yentha arthathulla solrenu unakae nalla theriyum .
Enna than , business athu ithunu , Chennaikum , Foriegnkum shunt adichaalum , namma sontha mannu intha Trichy than .

Kathir : So what ?

Sadha : So what ah !
Adei .....Oru mulu varasham ,nee intha Trichy la thana eruntha ?
Antha ponnu kooda thana kuppa kottuna ?
Apo yenga ponna antha Pragya ...gummunu thanada erunthinga _ ipo enna thideernu , Vedhalam murunga marathulla yerama , un thoolula yera kelambi vanthuta ?
Ellam nalla than poitu erukunu nenachenae ,thambi !

Kathir : Unga nenaipuku naan pinnaiya aaganuma mama ?
It wasn't like what you had thought .
One year fulla ah intha Tiruchy la than erunthen.
And antha ponnum namma bungalow la than erunthuchu ..Yaar illanu sonna .
Odanae ella nalla poguthunu neengala nenachukuvingala ?
Infact ,naan , first floor la eruka enoda room , working area ah , then garden _ itha thavira , antha veetla engayum thirumbi kooda paarthathu illa .
Kadal maathri oru palace eh yen intha  thaatha katti potaarunu sathyama therila .
And then ,
He causually continued and said ...antha ponnum athukunu kodutha room eh vitutu , thevai illama engayum vanthu naan paarthathu illa ,

Sadha : Enathu ... athukunu kodutha room ah ?
Antha pullaiya engada thanga vacha ?

Kathir ': Shp ...no sentiments .
Ground floor la eruka guest rooms la onu la stay pannikitta .
Erunga ...erunga ....en mela paayurathuku munadi , naan inoru informationum sollidren .
Paarunga mama , Naana antha ponna perusa disrespect pannala .
Wedding night anaiku , I just explained about our status _ enoda style of living , my privacy , enoda taste ...and most importantly my dislike in this marriage .
That was it _ odanae awala kelambi poi keela eruntha oru guest room la stay pannikitta .
That s all !!

He spoke in a grit to explain his stand to his maternal uncle .

As if to convince the old man that he didn't force the girl as to where she should stay nor wrt this divorce .

He infact didn't know anything about the girl ,

Not really _ he knew her in flesh and blood _ once !

But it didn't strike him them _ or more so he ain't remember a sec of the moment .

Sadha : Apo oru varshama athu keelaiyum ,nee maadilaiyum than erunthingala da ,

Kathir : Ofcourse ...naan enna poiyya solren .... enaku enn.... suddenly he paused ,

Flashes ...

Bits of images flashed in his mind .

He couldn't recollect exactly .

But ,he remembered the truth ,

The truth of that night !

Immediately , their conversation on the next morning too came in his thoughts and convinced him .

He gulped it down with ease !

Kathir : So that is it mama . It's over .
Engaiyoo ....Dubai ku Vella vishyama kelambinavana , ennavo oru fate ,intha Trichy la vanthu , stay panna vachathu .
Namma " Scans " roobathula .
Sarinu ,athu sambantha patta work eh mudichutu polaamnu inga thangina , kadaisilla , kalyaanam _ athu ithunu ,solli ...ingayae one year eh held up aagiten .
Well ,
Innaikooda ....athuku oru periya End.
Intha Trichykum , antha Ponnukum !!!

Sadha : Thambi , athu onum Avlo saatharanam illa ....he looked out through the glass window .
The Tower of Srirangam Temple was seen high even from the place where they were standing .
Anga paaru ...enna theriyuthu?

Kathir : Srirangam Kovil !
Athuku enna mama ?

He asked with carelessness .

Sadha : Varalaaru da thambi .
Antha , RANGANAAE ( THE GOD ) , mothala intha oorla , vallipadrathukaaga vanthavaru illa theriyuma ?
Vibeeshunan Raja, AWARA , Ceylon ku kondu poi ,anga  Prathishtai senju ,Kovil katti vallipada nenachaan .
Apadi kondu pora vallila , intha Trichy la , oru naal thangura maathri aachu .
Vibeeshunanum , awar senaiyum , inga thangitu ,maru naal , kaalaila , intha SRIRANGANATHAR silaiya evlo muyarchi panniyum ,thooka mudila .
Ennaenavo senjum onum mudila .
"Renganathar" asaiyavae illaiyaae !!
Inga palli kondavar _ ingayaae pallikondavar than !!
Kadaisilla , Vibeeshunan kanavula thoni , THAN , ingayae eruka virumburatha , awaraae sollitaaru !!
He told the long history in a nutshell , paused and then continued ,
Athae maathri .....

Kathir : Athae maathri ?

Sadha : Antha  RANGAN , ingayae thangina maathri , intha KATHIRANGANum Inimel ingayae than eruka poranu , vellila kaathukittu eruka antha settammakitta  sollitu , intha divorce kanraaviya ingayae vitutu , unoda Nayagi  kooda ,pallikollu thambi !!
Rangan _ Nayagi nu enna alaga per porutham paaru !!

Kathir stood in silence for sometime and then burst in a laughter .

Kathir : Puranakathaiya reality oda inachu alaga kathai solringa mama .
I like you for that .
But you see ,
Naan verum "Rangan " illaiyaae maams .
I am Kathirangan .
So intha formula , Kathir ku set aagathu .
Antha , Nayagiyum than , she is Mullai for me .
So name match laam paathu time waste pannama , lunch eh mudinga..
We ve got just 20 minutes left .

Sadha : Kathira ....naan solratha konjam kellupa , antha ponnu paavam illaiya ?

Kathir : Acho mama , vishyam puriyama pesathinga.
You know what ?
Ennaiya vida. , intha divorce eh athigam expect panrathu antha ponnu than .
She is cool and totally unaffected in this marriage .
So cool _
Entha paathipum ,enga rendu perukum illa ..
It's smooth as a knife in butter !
Fine ,enaku pasikala ...ninge saaptutu vaange .
Hearing vara poguthu !!!

_______________________________________

Back to court room !!

They both stood before the Judge .

The laws were told once again .

The papers were read once more .

The attorneys on both sides submitted the mutual consents of both parties .

There was exactly 15 minutes left for them to sign off and wrap up their wedlock for good .

Mullai !!!

Draped in a dark violet soft cotton saree , contrasting with a pink puff sleeves blouse that went well with her slight biscuit brown dusky complexion ,
her hair let loose expect for the forelocks that were pleated in a thin braid and pinned with a string of jasmine , small pearl jhumkas hanging from her ears , a small diamond nose pin that shone on and off , parched lips , hooded eyes , she stood  dainty and innocent ,in front of the judge .

The family court judge by himself being a father of a 25 yr old daughter , looked at her pathetically.

Her husband was every inch of the modern techi guy !!

But , surprising the couple looked beautiful together.

He let a sigh ,

Just before he signed their papers ,he looked up to the couple .

Judge : 15 more minutes to go ! Antha room kulla rendu perum ponga. 
Ungalkulla yethachum pesa erunthuchuna , pesunga .
Inum time eruku ,

It was a formality .

The couple were shoved into a small compact room beside the court hall .

Inside the jam packed , ill ventilated small room , with a creeking fan above them , surrounded by thousands of casefiles ,they stood sweating as hell ,  face to face , opposite each other .

Well !

What was there to speak ?

Kathir was the first to ask ,

Kathir : See ithu oru formality than . But well , do you really have anything to ask me.
You can go ahead !

He said  with absolute attitude !!

That kindled the female ego within her .

The ego that was  deep buried that one whole year .

Mullai rose up to look straight in his eyes .

She didn't cease looking into his eyes and asked ,

Mullai : Inum 10 minutes naan inum unga wife than . Ipo naan unga wife ah nadanthukalaama ! !

Kathir blinked.

Kathir : What ? Apadina ?

He didn't know what she meant .

Surprisingly even Mullai didn't know why she said so and why she neared him ,

Before she could pull back herself ,

Her slender hands had crawled behind the nape of his neck and her fingers had interwinded together pulling his neck down towards her face.

Before he could sense what was happening ,her soft plump parched lips had captivated his rough ,manly lips within hers in a soft lock .
She didn't seem to hurry nor had any idea of letting him go either .
Eyes closed involuntarily she pulled him closer to her and plunged her tongue between his lips , seeking his tongue that had instantly uncurled itself ,once it hit her lips .
Her dry lips quenched their thirst from his moist tongue and warm inner mouth .
A peck of his moustache was caught inbetwn her teeth that she relished for good before setting it free and once again sweeping her tongue over his teeth and sucking off his peppermint saliva .
The tongues locked up themselves for good , tangled and distangled quite a couple of times , licking off the pinky gums and drinking in their saliva once again. 
A full wet kiss _ that must have lasted for atleast 5 minutes .

Kathir had no idea of what was going on !!!

Was it she ?

The same girl whom he had stayed under one roof for one long year .

The same girl whom he thought was not equal enough to be his better half .

The same girl whom he considered not so beautiful .

And the same girl with whom he had slept with ,once long months ago ....but  without a memory of it stirred inside ,  till now ,

Till now ?

By the time she let go of his lips and mustered herself ,he was left in a trance .

What had just happened ?

She ?

She had disappeared just like that .

Still not able to overcome of what had just happened ,still lingering in the moistness of her luscious lips , he ran his fingers through his dishevelled hair and emerged out of the small room and reappeared in front of the judge .

Only to hear the ring of a bell followed by the judge reading their judgement .

The wedlock was ended for good !!!

Kathir jerked a bit on hearing the judgement .

She ?

She looked calm and serene as ever now .

Kathir felt a mild turbulence stirring up inside him .

The Wedlock was ended for good !!!

But ,

The Liplock ?

Something inside turned within his inside for sure ,

He couldn't get over _it  Mullaiyum _ awal _  Muthamum !!