Sabarish

I look at myself in the mirror while applying after shower gel for my hair. My torso is marred with scars from the war and I proudly touch them. One on my stomach a centimeter below my left rib cage, one just below my collarbone on right, one on my left biceps and there is one in my right leg calf. Though I have two medals decorating my living room showcase, proudly, these are the ones I will be wearing until my last day in the world. After getting them I was in the hospital for ten days before getting discharged from the service deeming unfit.

I get dressed and walk out of my bedroom, to find my father placing our breakfast plates on the dining tables. We live in the workers quarters within the Harshavardhan mansion compound. It's a five storey apartment with twenty 2BHK flats in each floor housing one hundred families of the Mansion workers. I pray in front of my mother's picture, the god who I believe and sit to have breakfast with my father.

My father, Murugavel is the Chief Accountant of the Harshavardhan Estate. Some of the Estate employees who have to work dually in the Mansion and Estate were arranged to stay in the home quarters. As my mother was also the Secretary of Thooran sir, we were placed in this quarters.

I literally grew up in the mansion playing along with other kids. My Boss, Raj is like an older brother to me and the Heiress is like my younger sister but it looks like my relationship with the Heiress will be changing soon. Like them, I too lost my mother in the Founder's day boom blast and waiting to avenge the person responsible for it.

"Sabari, pona Sunday ponnu paaka poi irunthom la avanga veetla irunthu phone pananga," My father starts the conversation. (The girl's family whom we met on Sunday, called me.)

I'm just twenty seven but my father wants me to get married before his retirement to enjoy his old days with his grandchildren. There are still five years of service for him, so I let him on his wish as marriages don't get fixed sooner that too for someone who was an ex-military and now dedicated his life in protecting someone else. But I don't want to get married, until my mother's death is avenged.

I was seventeen when the incident happened in front of my eyes. I was hardly able to pass out of school with that memory and left to join the force immediately after my school. The blast has left an everlasting trauma in my mind which I couldn't get over in the eight years of service.

I crossed my fingers under the table as I asked him about their response. "Set aagathu nu solitanga, nee kavala padatha ennoru ponnu paathukalam," I uncross my fingers feeling relieved. (They are not interested in our prospect. Don't worry we will look for some other girl.)

"Konja naal pogatum pa appuram pakalam," I get up to wash my plate and hand. (Let's wait for a few more days, dad, we can see after that.)

He follows me, "En da unaku entha ponaachum pudichu iruka? (Do you like someone else?)

I don't reply to him and smile as I place the washed plate on the plate holder for the water to dry. "Yaaru da neethu party la un kooda aaduna ponna?" (Is it the girl whom you were dancing at yesterday's party?)

"Shift ku time ayidichu naan kelambure. Bye pa," I wipe my hands and run out of the house. (It's time for my Shift, I'm leaving. Bye dad.)

I'm neither celibate nor like my boss. I had short term relationships but nothing serious. When Tanya got out of the car, an instant spark flew from nowhere but I got confused when Boss introduced her as the Heiress. There was no resemblance between her and the Heiress who I grew up with but the girl who was standing there as Tanya. Then within a few minutes, Raj found out they both had exchanged their identities. Not sure what's in her mind but she is friendly with me and I have felt her eyes on me.

I enter the wing where the Heiress suite is present and feed my biometric attendance. Mohan with whom I have to exchange my shift, smiles looking at me. as he enters his exit attendance.

I push the door of the suite to meet Boss and get debriefed about today's plan but find it locked from inside. "Hasn't our Boss woke up yet?" He shakes his head in denial.

Ennum ezhunthukalaiya illa marupadiyum kulika poitaara neethu maathiri? (Is he yet to wake up or has he gone to take bath again like yesterday?)

Tina and Tanya come to visit Heiress and the door to the Suite is suddenly opened by Boss. I look at him up and down, he is fully dressed and ready for the day, "Paravala Boss full ah ready aagitu irukeenga." The girls laugh as he glares at me and they stop.

"Please get in and wait in the lounge room, the Heiress is getting ready." Ready aagitu irukanga nu ivaru eppadi theriyum. (How does he know she is getting ready?)

Boss opens the door wide for them to enter and they walk past him clearly trying hard to control their laughter. "Nee enkita nalla vaanga poora?" (You are going to get nicely from me.)

"Naan enna Boss pannen?" (What did I do?) Pandrathu ellam ivaru panitu nammala thituraru. (He did everything and scolding me)

The breakfast arrives and he sits on the sofa to have his. The maid serves him and leaves to serve the heiress and her friends after he tested the safety of the food. He continues having his breakfast as he debriefs about today's schedule. The maid enters the lounge room and returns after five minutes with a laundry basket filled with Heiress dresses and bedspreads and pillow covers.

The maid is in her early fifties and when she is about to leave the suite she stop and turn to us, "Thambi, Heiress chinna ponnu nee naachum eduthu solu," we both look at her confused, "Ask her not to eat cakes sitting on bed, the bedspread is full of icing dirt. If ants follow the smell it'll be difficult to clean the bed."

Raj bites his lips and nods his head as I gape at him. Once the maid leaves I ask him, "Boss, neethu heiress eduthu vantha cake ah saptingala boss?" (Did you both eat the cakes that Heiress brought with her yesterday?) He nods, looking at me, chewing his breakfast.

"Ethana saaptenga?" (How many?)

"Heiress had one and I had four." One plus four equals five but there were only four in the tray and I was the one who carried the tray from the ballroom to here. "Any problem?" he asked me.

"Singles' life matters, boss."

"Pal irukiravan pakoda sapuduran, unaku en da valikuthu."

"Engalukum pal irukku kai pakoda vum irukku aana sapda vidama oru kai ah pudichu vachitu irukan," I murmured within myself.

"Ethachum soniya?" (Did you say anything?)

"Vazhthukal sonnen, boss," I walk out of the suite and wait outside. (Wished you good luck, boss)

~~~~~~~~~~

All of us arrive at the Hospital to get a blood sample of the Heiress for her DNA test. When we wait at the reception area for the Legal Advisors team to arrive, Tanya goes to the receptionist and asks something. The receptionist directs her somewhere and Boss asks the heiress about it, "Where is she going?'

"She feels a little unwell, Raj, so wants to check with a doctor."

"Okay. Saby escort her."

Though I wanted to escort Tanya when I heard she is sick, I wasn't expecting for him to order me the same. "Thank you, boss. I mean, OK boss." Heiress and Tina smile among themselves and I follow Tanya.

She goes to the Gynecology section and waits outside the consultation room. I go and sit next to her and she asks me, "What are you doing here?"

"Boss asked me to escort you." She nods her head and we have light talks until the nurse calls for her to go in for consultation. I wait outside for her and after five minutes the nurse calls me in.

Nammala ethuku kopuduraanga. (Why are they calling me?)

I enter, excusing myself, "Vaanga sir, neenga thaan ivanga boyfriend ah?" The doctor's question throws me off. (Come in, are you her boyfriend?)

Tanya gives me a pleading look to agree and I nod my head as I take the seat opposite to the doctor. "Common sense illa? Baby form agi iruntha enna panrathu? Several times without protection?" I look at Tanya shocked (Don't you have any common sense? What if a baby was formed?)

Baby ah?

"It's good that you are here on the second day," The doctor says to Tanya, "I'll give you a shot."

Second day va? Today is the third day since she arrived at the Estate. It's been only two nights and the day before yesterday night, she was very sleepy, still she came to check on Heiress when the fireworks incident happened. I was the one who sent her and Tina away saying the Heiress will be safe.

"No doctor, please no shot, a pill would be fine," Tanya hurries.

"Shots would be better, I guess Tanu ma," she glares at me. She is not here for herself but for the Heiress and her avoiding shot only confirmed it.

"Baby please, it's my body and my wish," She says to me, "Isn't it, doctor?" and the doctor agrees.

"Okay I'll prescribe you the pill and take it immediately."

"Thank you, doctor. Also can you please prescribe any contraceptive pills for regular intake?"

"Sure." We took the prescription and left, thanking the doctor. We get into the lift after buying the prescribed pills. Once the lift door closes, she turns toward me, "How dare you call me Tanu? Only my close ones call me by that name," she points her fingers at me.

I hold her wrist and twist it behind her, pulling her against me, "You too addressed me as Baby. As your boyfriend who might have impregnated you because of my carelessness, I'm very close to you and have all rights to address you as Tanu."

The lift pings to open the door and I release her. We reach the reception and the Heiress with the Boss and the legal advisor team also reach there.

We leave the hospital and reach the Uidai centre which is a kilometer away from the Hospital. When Heiress is called in for the enrollment process, Boss signals me to come to him, "Take care of all, I'll be back before she is done," I nod and he leaves the building.

The Uidai centre is situated in the post office and I can see Raj from here. He crosses the road and enters a Jewellery showroom. He usually doesn't wear any jewels and I wonder what he is going to buy. He comes out after ten minutes and crosses the road back to the Post office. Also the Heiress comes out finishing her enrollment process.

"Enga poi iruntha, Raj?" Heiress asked him as she got into the car.

"Nature's call, Heiress," He lies as he closes the door after Tina gets in.

Just last night I teased him calling Heiress as my sister-in-law and today morning felt that my relationship with the Heiress might change soon but this soon, I didn't expect.

So the infamous playboy Bodyguard has fallen in love with the Heiress.