After she left to the room. Parvathy to murugan

P : eanga iva sari ila. Enavo thapa nadaka poramathiri iruku. Konjam intha visiyatha aarapodalam

Mu : ila ila. Neram etho sari ilama irukum josiyara poi parthutu varan nalaike.

P : nanum varan ungala intha visiyathula nan namba matan. Jathagam porunthutha. Ena ethunu en kan munadi avar solatum.

Mu : sari va. Ipa po. Ava konjam amaithiya irukatum. Ipa kandathaiyum pesatha..

Mullai couldn't catch sleep. Its 12am she is stil awake. Despite being tired by crying she was unable to close her eyes.

Her mind occupied with the thought of two things...

One is why jeewa didn't bother to call her? Its almost two days since the marriage talks taken plae and the decision made by them.

Her dad has assured her that jeewa himself admitted that he loves her and wanted to marry her. But why he didn't bother to call her afterwards? Afterall thats their wedding. Not only jeewa, even dhanam or lukshmi not a single soul from the ps home called her..she feel like she is merely a spectacular here. She has no part to play in.

The other thought is of course about " kathir" actually this is dominating in her mind than previous one.

She is not surprised to learn about kathir's anger.that's one usual thing he always does. She is very much used to that. Especially if its for her he definitely would add some extra flavour to his anger. All these year she has experienced variety of it. He has spit it into her face many time verbally, physically, mentally. Hence nothing new to worry about.. but as he know him very well. His behavior towards his family is what bothering her. he never ever raised any words against his elders, never said no to any family decision and especially he has always sacrificed everything he had for his brothers. But today he wildly disagreeing with his family. He stand out from them to prove his stance. This is totally new to her.

What made him to act like such?

Why he hurting his own family?

What he gonna gain out of it?

She could clearly remember the conversation with her pandian maama. Its has been nearly 14 years.
But she remembers it just like yesterday. This was happened nearly one week before pandian's death..
Kathir was around 10 years and mullai around 8 years.

At this phase they already having arising issue at shop, and they are financially wracked, pandian has almost lost everything. He obtained loan over their house, and shop.
Lot of problems in the business. Many had cheated him... he almost broken to the core.

Kathir and jeewa playing cricket with their friends. These days MM doesn't go much with them to play. As usual he used to hooked with Kathir.

Pandian called MM. He was sitting on the " Thinnai" watching over his sons.

Pa : ammadi mullai. Inga vaa ma

MM : solunga maama. ( he made her sit near him)

Pandian looking into her deeply, his eyes got wet..he knows something strange about to happen to him sooner... he can sense that. He wants to make sure the wellbeing of the children before anything worse happened. He has much worried about kathir, mullai and kannan as considerably they are very young, still schooling..

Pa : saptiya mullai?

MM : ama, kathir kooda saptutan maama.

Pa gave an understanding smile.

Pa : mullai ammadi unaku ithu puriyumanu theriyala. Itha nan un kitta ketkalamanum theriyala. Ana unaku inaiku puriyatiyum oru naal nichayama puriyum ne ipathaiku itha gnabagam vachikita pothum.

MM : hmm sari. ( though she confused she just agreed)

Pa : mullai enaku neram ilama. Unga kooda ellam nan romba naal iruka mudiyumnu thonala. Unga kalyanatha parka nan nichayama iruka matan. Ana athu nadakanum nan ilatiyum athu nadakanum.

She nodded " okay" with perplexed eyes..

Pa continues....

Ne valanthu periyavalanalum kooda inga than ma irukanum ne ivangala vittu engayum poga koodathu... una thavira vera yaralayum itha seiya mudiyathu ma.. una nambi than en paiyana vittutu poran.

( pandian knows its too much information for an eight year old girl , but he has no options he has to convey this. He has to make her understand, he doesn't have the luxury of time)

Ne avan kooda irukanum mullai, avana pathuka. Neenga priyia koodathu. Ne maama ku sathiyam pani kodu. Enaikum avan kooda irupanu. (Holds her hand)

MM : (with her cute smile) sari maama. Nan ingaye than irupan.kathiru, jeewa maama, kanna ellar koodavum. 😇

Pa : athu sari than ma ana nan soluratha kavanama kelu. Nee periyavalana jeewa maama kooda irukanmnu nanga ellarum aasaipadurom.....

Mullai's phone starts ringing, she jerked and come back to real world from pandian's thought

M : yaru inneram. (Checking the phone) maama va? Inaiku than phone panalanu yosicham ipa edukuthu. Answer panuvama?

Ila vendam. Ipa manasu vera orumathiri iruku ( she cuts the call)

At josiyar's home.

Parvathy (in low voice) ean ga.. nama valamaiya pora josiyar kitta varama inga ean vantham

Mu : avaru oorla ila vara masam than varuvaram, ivarum nala parparu di.

P :  enavo ponga muzhiye sari ila.

Jo : vango ena visiyam? Kalyanama kaadhukutha, seemanthama ila vera ena vishesham solunga naal parthu soluran

Mu : athu ila. En ponnuku kalyanam panalamnu. Ithula ponnu maapla jathagam iruku neenga porutham parthu solanum. Athoda veetula konja naala ore manasathabama iruku orutharukoruthar athan konjam ethum parigaram ethum irutha.. parthingana nalathu.

Jo : athukena besha parthudalam.

Hmm ithu ponnu jathagan. Ithu paiyanodatha? Hmmm. Parpom

He checked the horoscope counted his fingers, searching something in the old books. Deeply thinking.

P : enanga appave sonnan la.... aalu

Mu : shhhhh chuma irukudi.

Jo without taking his eyes from the horoscope..paiyan peru ena

Mu : athula irukume... jeewanandham nu..

Jo : (eyes closed) hmmm jeewanandam ponnu  mullai. Hmmm (sari opens his eyes) kalyanam besha panalam. Jathagam 80% porutham iruku. Mukkiyamana ella poruthamum iruku... ana sila china thandagal rendu per jathagathulaiyum iruku.

Paiyanuku annan thambi niraya pera? Viyabaram apadi thozhi thane?

Mu : (eyeing to Parvathy giving a " eppadi" looku) ama epadi sariya soluringa?

Jo : jathagam poi solathu oi. Hmmm ana athula parunga ipa konjam neram sari ila than. Veetula sandaigal varalam, paiyanoda annan thambiga kooda adithadi level ku pirachinai vara vaaipiruku..unga ponnukum mana sanjalam aparam veen vambu varum. Uyirabathu kooda varalam Kalyanam konjam izhuthu pidichu niraya sikkal varum than.

P : apadina kalyaname venam

Mu : josiyare ena ipadi ethum parigaram iruntha solunga seinjiduvom en akka paiyan than, ivaruku kodukuratha than china vayasila irunthu pesi vaichathu.. kalyanam thadangal ilama nadaka ethum vazhi solunga..

Jo : hmmm sari nan parthu soluran neenga oru 4 mani pola inga vanga.. parthu vaikiran. Unga ponnuku than konjam kalam sari ila. Anegama parigaram rendu perukum serthu avanga than pana vendi irukum

Mu : sari panidalam nan sayantharama varan apa.

Jo : oru nimisham paiyanuku ethum kaathal?

Mu : (Thinking) en ponna than kathalikiraru. Athavathu rendu perum oruthara oruthar.

Jo : nodding his head hmm hmm

They went home and convey the message to mullai

Mu : porutham nala iruku. maapliaiku konjam neram sari ilayama.. ne payapadatha kalyanam nalapadiya nadakum.. konjam uyirabathu nu ellam avaru soli payamuruthitaru.  ( mullai panicked)
Parigaram irukam ne than ma pananum

M : maama kaga etha irunthalum panran pa. Kalyanam nadakanum

Mu : feeling something strange ammadi jeewa maapla un kita nala thane nadanthukuraru?

M : hmmm

Two days passed. She didn't went out..
Expecting call from either kathir or kumaresan maama. No sound from them

She dialed to kumaresan

M : appa jeewa maama kadaila iruka? Hmm kathir enga pa? Ipa epadi iruku?

Kum : avan enga ma enga poran varanu onum theriyala un kitta pesunana? Ne oru tharam avan kitta pesi paru. Jeewa kitta nan sonanu solatha

M : sari pa

Sameday around 11am mullai reached ps home. No one there other than kannan

Ka : vanga anni..

M : smiling ohhh anni ya ipa than therithakum. Ama enga unga annan

Ka : jeewa anna kadaila irukum

M : ila da unga annan athan kathiru..

Ka : giving a suspicious look. Hmm kathir anne therila, athum kadaila than irukum nan parthe 3 nal achu.

M : sari nan varan bye.

Ka : enga oduriya? Before he could finish she left.

Mullai reached ps shop

M mv : ena orutharayum kaanam?  Kadaiya thoranthu pottu enga poitanga.. (calling) jeewa maama....
Hmmm saravana..... orutharum ila.

She went to the store room.

Her heart nearly stop.. on seeing what she has saw..

A chill went through in her spine, out of fear..

She reached him..

Kneeling down..

Is he breathing? 😱 or not

Kathiru.......

Her heart cries his name loudly.... 😭

TBC..