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Hey Lovelies,
Sorry for the delay, the chapter become lengthier than I expected.

Here is the next chapter in the double update
Love
RK Tejaswi
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Raj

Morning in my room at her suite. Now in my bedroom at my house. Made love with My girl, Thooriga.

This room is literally where I grew up. It was my parents bedroom and when I grew up, my dad moved to the adjacent bedroom as I was more attached to this room. This was the room where I was sitting with a glass of coke mixed with poison to take my own life, after the mishap. This is the room where I was living until Thooriga returned and most of my clothes are still here.

Thooriga has always been my life saver. That day she came to play with me and I had to throw the coke in the fireplace, so that she wouldn't drink it by mistake. And on the day of the founder's day event, if she wasn't adamant to watch the fair, Chandriga akka wouldn't have asked me to accompany her and we both wouldn't have escaped the bomb blast.

This is the room where Thooriga played as a child while I studied. The walls had her scribblings but when I returned from college, dad had repainted the entire house. I really missed her drawings on my room wall. And when I found out that she has a crush on me, it killed me the most to stay away from the child I adored the most. Now, either she or I keep running behind the other like when we were kids but the feelings are different.

How did the need of a play partner turn into the need of a life partner?

I lift myself up from her and roll on the bed next to her not wanting to crush her with my weight. She turns towards me and I follow her by turning to her side. I cup her face and caress her cheeks. She smiles at me and we look at each other without speaking a word.

Until I joined as a Deputy Security Officer, I didn't know there was a tunnel under the mansion. So, I never did bring a girl to my house. Though I have flirted with the young ladies staff at the mansion in front of Thooriga for her to hate me, I didn't hook up with them.

To be honest, I was scared of relationships and never felt a connection with a girl or a woman to get committed. Also, hooking up in the workplace would have only created issues as they were all living with their families and having a casual fling was impossible unlike college. But Thooriga broke all my guards within twenty four hours of her arrival and made my heart a slave to hers.

"Mama, yenna yosichitu iruka?" Thooriga cups my face and I hold her hand, kiss into her little palms. (What are you thinking?)

"Nee eppadi en life ah porati potu iruka nu vazhaikaiya porati pathutu irunthen." I pull her close and she giggles at me. (I was just turning back the pages of life to check how much you have changed my life.)

"Aama, aatha use panra maathiri enna mattum thaan kootitu vanthu iruka nu sonniya. Apo nee flirt or hookup pannatha yaara inga koottittu vantha?" She looks at me curiously. (Well, you said that I'm the only girl that you have brought here with whom you have to use protection. So, who was the girl that you brought here with whom I didn't flirt or hook up?)

I open my mouth to answer her but something else strikes my mind. I look down at me and lean up to peek at the bedside table. "Shit." I sit up as I curse out loud.

"What happened?" Thooriga follows me sitting up.

"Thirumbavum, eduthu vachum use panna maranthuten," I facepalm and Thooriga burst out in laughter. (Yet again, I forgot to use the protection after taking it out.)

"Nee ippadiye maranthute iru apuram enaikaachum miss aachu na naan porupu illa. Naan ozhunga pills eduthutu thaan iruken." She turns around, gets up from the bed and starts getting dressed. (You keep forgetting and if anything misses, I'm not responsible. I'm taking the pills regularly.)

"Athu nadakanum nu iruntha yaarala thaduka mudiyum." I slide down the bed and start getting dressed too. "Naan love ye panna maaten nu nechen aana unnaiye love panalaya? Unnai protect panna enkita sonna kadasila unkita protection use panra mari agiduchu." I show her the forgotten packet before pocketing it and take the string from the drawer to stock it in my room at her suite. (If it has to happen, it will happen despite the efforts to stop it. I was thinking I would never fall in love but haven't I fallen in love with you itself? I was entitled to protect you but now you need protection from me.)

"Vituru eppadiyum nee maranthuduva," She giggles loud holding her hips and I look at her as I fold the string to pocket it. (Leave it, anyways you are going to forget it.)

It's been eighteen years since her giggles echoed in this room.

"Water," Thooriga pants hard, gasping for breath.

"Veliya va tharen." I walk past her and unlock the door, opening it. "Unnai ethuku kootitu vanthen oh atha maranthutu mathathellam pannitu iruken." I shake my head in disbelief as I walk out of the room. (Come to the living room, I'll fetch water for you. Forgetting why I brought you here, I was doing other things with you.)

"Enna mattum maranthudatha, Mama." She turns off the air conditioner and follows me out. (Don't ever forget me.)

"Chanceless," I enter the kitchen, take out a glass and wash it, before fetching water from the RO purifier. I drink a glass of water and fill another for Thooriga.

I walk to the living room and find her looking at the picture on the wall, leaning on the dining table. I feel a deja vu as I remember Ashwika looking at the pictures the same way when I brought her here on the way to meet Siva.

"Naan flirt or hookup panaatha yaara inga kootitu vantha nu keeta la, Ashwika-va thaan kootitu vanthem." I walk towards her and give her the water, leaning next to her against the dining table. (Didn't you ask me, who was the girl that I brought here with whom I didn't flirt or hook up? It was Ashwika.)

"Ashwika inga vanthu irukangala?" She looks at me surprised as she gets the water and drinks it. (Ashwika akka has visited here?)

"Siva ku surprise panna forest cabin ku kootitu poonen." I lie as they have moved on from the sour part of the past and it's not my story to say. "Forest cabin ku enna yaarum follow panna kodathu nu eppovum en room la irukka tunnel vazhiya thaan veliya pooven. Anaiku Rudhran Jeevitha mattum thaan mansion irunthanga, athunaala inga kootitu vanthen." (I had to take Thooriga to Siva for a surprise in the forest cabin. Also, I have always used the tunnel in my room to reach the forest cabin as I didn't want anyone following me there. That day only Rudhran and Jeevitha were at the Mansion, so I brought her here.)

"Appo avanga intha pictures ellam pathu irukangala?" I nod at her and she looks stealthy at me. (So, she has seen all these pictures?)

"What happened?" I lift an eyebrow at her.

"Flight la avangala paatha appo, namma peru sollama, en mama va enakku evlo pudikum nu mattum soli irunthen. Appo Ashwika oru mari siripa control panitu enna pathanga ipothaan puriyuthu yen nu." She bites her lips, looking flushed. (When I met her in the flight, without revealing our identities, I shared how much I have feelings for you. At that time, she was controlling a smile and looking at me, mischievously. Now I understand why.)

"Theriyum. Reception balma pochu." I recall how Ashwika teased me and I reacted to her but now I'm laughing at myself for the reaction. (Yeah. I know. That was a great reception.)

I lean off the dining table and press the nails of the four photo frames in the middle of the collection, clockwisely. Thooriga steps next to me and looks at me confused. The frames come off the wall and Thooriga looks at it in awe.

I had the same reaction when my dad showed me this.

I hold the cylinder attached behind the top frame and rotate it 180 degrees clockwise. I rotate the right frame in 90 degrees anticlockwise, bottom frame in 360 degrees clockwise and the left frame in 90 degrees clockwise. The middle frame comes out and I hold the handle behind it to open the safe locker.

"Enna mama, oru Vittalacharya movie set ah ye veetla vachu iruka!" She looks between me and the locker. (You are having a Vittalacharya movie set inside your house!)

"Nee eppo avaru padam ellam paatha?" I chuckle at her reaction as I take out the box that my dad passed on to me. (When did you watch his movies?)

"Naan enga paathen, Vasool Raja MBBS la Kamal sir soluvaru la atha vachu sonnen." She giggles at me. (I haven't seen his movies but I did watch Vasool Raja MBBS in which Kamal sir mentions it.)

"Box pakanum nu keetala intha." I place it on the dining table and dust it off. (You asked to show that box. Here it is.)

Thooriga pulls a chair and sits on it, looking intrigued at the box. Since it has to be passed on to someone, I didn't even care to take a look at it. But now I'm noticing the antique state of the art lock system on the lid of the wooden box. My body tingles as I touch the box but I hide my reaction to Thooriga

There are six rotors arranged in 2x3 matrix format on the lid. The graduations of the top row rotors are marked with Thamizh Uyir Ezhuthukal (Tamil vowels) with Ayutha Ezhuthu and bottom row rotors are marked with Thamizh Mei Ezhuthukal (Tamil consonants).

"Woww," Thooriga looks at the box excitedly. "Ithu ethana generation ah unga family la iruku?" (How many generations has this box been passed on in your family?)

"Maybe a six or seven generation." Something inside me wants me to open the box but with this unique lock system it'll be very difficult.

"Mama, give me my phone," I lean back on the chair, take her phone from my front pant pocket and give it to her. She types in something seriously on her mobile. "On an average, one generation is equal to twenty six years... seven times twenty six," She calculates in her mind. "Woahh, how would they have designed such a unique lock system almost one hundred and eighty years ago?"

"Someone with good mechanical knowledge must have designed it." I look at the rotor lock system, unable to take my eyes off it.

"Someone like you?" She smiles at me and tries rotating the rotors.

"Actually, during my third year of engineering, Siva and I created a mechanical lock system for a mini project exhibition." Thooriga stops trying on the rotors and listens to me. "Though the numeric locks are available in different varieties, a lock system with Tamil Alphabets was unavailable. So we did a lock system similar to this with a 2x2 matrix. At that time, I never knew the existence of this box but now I'm surprised that someone has already designed it way back."

"Nee sariyana brainy person, Mama." She pats on my shoulder. "Yaar kannda unga family la thaane intha box pass aguthu, unnoda forefathers yarachem itha design pani irukalam and antha gene unakku pass agi irukalam. Bodhidharma maari." She giggles and pushes the box towards me. "Why don't you try cracking the combination." (You are such a brainy person, Mama. Who knows, this box has been passed on in your only, maybe one of your forefathers could have designed this and that gene got passed on to you like Bodhidharmar and Aravind.)

"In Thamizh, there are twelve uyir ezhuthukal, eighteen mei ezhuthukal and both multiplied into two hundred and sixteen uyirmei ezhuthukal. Altogether, including ayutha ezhuthu there are two hundred and forty seven alphabets in Thamizh. There are millions of three letter words in Thamizh and the combination probability might be huge. It'll be very difficult to crack it." I shake my head at her. "For our mini project, we searched for two letter Tamil words, and created a riddle for it. When the students, staff and judges visited our project, we first asked them to try out their luck in unlocking and when they couldn't unlock it, we gave them the riddle and if they found out the answer, they were able to unlock it. But here, we have no clue to unlock this."

Thooriga pulls me and kisses me on my cheek. "Evlo arivu mama unakku. Un appa sonathulaye ethachem clue irukum yosichu paaru." She encourages me. (You have a great mind, Mama, just try to recollect what your dad said you might get a clue.)

"Avaru enna sonaru, Mandakini oda family ah thedi Devendran Aathirai nu yaara nu vantha itha koodu. Ithu la enna clue iruku?" I look at her and she lifts an eyebrow at me. (He just said that if Devendran and Aathirai come in search of Mandakini or her family give this box to them. Where is the clue in this?)

What if their initials are the keys?

Since Mandakini is the person of search, I first try with ம. I rotate the first rotor in the top row from the null point to அ. As it's been years the rotor is tight and I put full power to rotate it. Now, I turn the first rotor in the bottom row to ம்.

There is no clicking sound, I repeat the same pattern with other two columns but no luck. I look at Thooriga, she cocks her head and encourages me with a smile.

I release a frustrated bearth and decide to try for Aathirai's ஆ. I shift the top row rotor to ஆ and I rotate the bottom row rotors back to null point. I heard a faint clicking sound when I rotated the second rotor in the bottom row.

Thooriga sits up in her chair, "Mama, you did it."

"Onnu thaan unlock agi iruku, wait." I repeat the same pattern for the third column but it doesn't unlock.

The last person of interest is Devendran. So for தே I rotate the first rotor to ஏ and the bottom first to த். I hear another clicking sound.

"Mama," Thooriga claps her hands excitedly and shakes me. "You cracked two out of three, it's a great thing. Just the last one, try it."

"Actually that's the checkmate." Thooriga looks at me confused and I rotate the third column rotors back to null point. "Do you think we would be the first ones to try this?"

She shakes her head. "People from the previous generation could have definitely tried this."

"Exactly, we have only three people's names among which only two initials were a match. We don't know the third letter or the fourth person involved in this. Also, it belongs to someone else, what are we going to do with this?" Though I'm intrigued to unlock the unique lock code system, whenever I recall the names Devendran and Aathirai it's creating chaos in my mind.

I try to turn the rotors back to null position to lock to it but Thooriga holds my hand and stops me. "I want to try."

"How many letters will you be trying out?" The rotors are very tight and I had to put a lot of force but with her little hands, she will end up getting hurt.

"No, just one try. Please mama." She looks at me pleadingly, knowingly I could never say no to that face of hers.

"Paah... un pidivaatham iruke." I shake my head in disbelief. "Seri solu entha letter uh." I look at her waiting for her to tell her guess. (Ohh god...Sometimes, your persistence level is ridiculous. Tell me which letter I should try.)

"En pidivaatham eppovum unaku sathagam ah thaan mudinju iruku." I bite my cheeks to control the smile. If she hadn't been persistent, I would have been suffering alone. "Aruvathu varusham apuramum tired aakuven nu solitu etavathu naale salichikura." She pouts and turns away, angrily. (My persistence has always ended up in your favour. You said that you'll make me tired even after sixty years but you are getting frustrated on the eight day itself.)

"Seri sorry, ippo sollu ma," I touch her arm and try to make her turn towards me. (Sorry, now tell me the letter.)

"Onnum venam po," she pushes my hands away. (Not necessary.)

"Apadiya, romba santhosham, naan box ah thirumba lock pani safe la vachiduren." I try to rotate the rotor again but stop when she asks me to go with her.

"Va"

"Enga varanum?" I look at her, teasingly. (Where should I come?)

"Ayyo, mama அ and வ்," She points at the third column rotors trying to hide her blush.

"Ohh," I turn the third column top rotor to அ and bottom to வ். The lock clicks and the lid opens automatically revealing some folded pieces of cloth material.

I look at her surprised and she looks back at me with a swag. "Enna vida unakku thaan aarivu." I pull her for a kiss but stop seeing the pictures of our parents and gods. "Vendam appa amma photos ellam irukku." I pinch her cheeks, kiss the tips of my finger and blow the kiss to her. (You have more brains than me. Let it be, our parents' photos are there.)

"Ayyayyo apo naan unaku kiss pannen ye." She closes her face with her hands but curls her palm and looks at me with a shyness in her eyes. (I kissed you a while ago)

"Eppadi kandu pidicha?" I touch the cloth material and it's thick as a 70GSM paper. (How did you find out?)

The cloth pieces are not fully stitched dresses. If it is nearly two hundred years old as Thooriga calculated, those cloth pieces must be Mandakani's letters to Devendran and Aathirai. It's not a genuine deed to read others' letters.

"It's just a vague guess. This box is being passed on in the Vajendra Clan, so I just gave it a try and it worked." She tries to touch the cloth material but I stop her, shaking my head in denial and she shrugs understanding.

"Great guess, though." I close the lid and turn the rotors to the null point, locking it.

"But one thing, I'm slightly confused ."

"Which is?" I look at her confused.

"The astrologer said that Ilakkiya aththai is married off and she is not a Harshavardhan anymore, so he won't give his prediction for her." I nod at her, thoughtfully. "But he predicted for you. You are also not a Harshavardhan."

My eyes go wide as understanding dawns on me. Even I was wondering, why is he calling me when I'm not a Harshavardhan but in the concern of what would Rudhran our relationship, it slipped off my mind. I lean my elbow on the dining table and rub my forehead.

"What happened, mama?" Thooriga touches my right arm.

"Why Tina and Parvathi aththai were called when they also are not Harshavardhans." I rest my head in my palm and look at her head.

Thooriga taps on her chin and thinks for a second, "Because, they are Harshavardhans by marriage?" I nod my head affirmatively. "Okay...But you are..." She gapes at me. "In Future..." She points between us and I nod at her.

Though we are yet to be ritually united we are already united physically and emotionally. The astrologer predicting for me irrespective of clans has just confirmed a future together.

"Will padikurathuku munnadi, unna maari yaaruna yosichu, nammala mari kandupicha gaali namma. Already Rudhran knows." I release a stressed breath and lean back on the chair. (If someone thinks like you and decodes like us before the reading of property will, we are done. )

If that happens, my plan of proposing to her during the power handover will be spoiled.

"Edheyy Chitha ku theriyum ah?" I nod at her. "Eppo? Eppadi?" She looks worried. (Chitha know? When? How?)

"It seems like he knows since Siva Ashwika's reception and he has been having doubts based on our behaviour since your return. Today when he came to take Taran, he confirmed seeing the bed."

Thooriga facepalms, "Sorry mama, if I hadn't asked Taran to bring you to my room, we wouldn't have got caught. What did he say?"

"He believes that only I can protect you with care and no one can love me like you do. He just warned me that he will kill me if I break your heart and gave his blessings." I smile at her and her joy reflects in her eyes.

"When did this confrontation happen?" She moves her lower joy with a one side smile.

"After the astrologer left the mansion."

"Ohh... Athan sir orey kushi oh en room ku vantha apo?" She places her hands on her hips and lifts her eyebrows. (So, that's why you have been over the sky since then?)

I shrug my shoulders playfully at her and my phone rings. I check the caller ID and give it to Thooriga. "It's just our Saby. Attend the call and speak." I stand up from the chair to place the box back in safe

"Hello bro," I don't know what he said but she laughs. I use her distraction and tuck Thooran sir's letter which is addressed to me in the waistband of my boxer, behind me, covering it safely with my t-shirt.

"Seri, seeikiram vanthudurom." She disconnects the call and stands up from the chair, standing next to me. "We are being called for lunch." (Okay. We will be there in a little while.)

"Just a minute," I rotate the cylinders attached behind the frames to lock the safe.

"Ennoda ivlo photos inga maati vachu iruka aana keeta apo iruntha feel vera ipo irukurathu vera nu solla vendiyathu." She pulls my ear and twists it. (You have lined up all candid pictures of us on the wall but when asked you are saying that the feelings are different then and now.)

"Hey valikuthu." I pull her hand off my ear. "Room la irukum pothu thaan reason sonnen la." I rub my ear. "Seri va pogalam." (Hey it's hurting. I told the reason when we were in my bedroom. Come, let's go.)

"Iru mama," she looks at the pictures and points out the engagement picture of Siva Ashwika. "Itha pic ah yaaru eduthathu nu theriyum ah?" She quickers her eyebrows, playfully. (Wait. Did you know who took this picture?)

"Theriyama thaan enaku sambantham ye illatha photo ah inga maati vachi iruken ah?" I give her a knowing look and she shakes her head in approval. (Without knowing, how would I place it here when I'm nowhere in iit?

"Intha wedding photo yaarodathu?" She points at the group photo placed next to the group photo taken at Siva Ashwika reception. (Whose wedding photo is this?)

"Mathew Jeni's wedding reception." It's a group pic in which the newly married couple standing with their bridesmaids and groomsmen in pairs. I look at her face and a muscle moves on her jaw. "All other bridesmaids and groomsmen were couples and since we both were left out alone, the organiser paired us up."

She nods her head but doesn't say anything. "Did you both...?" She looks at me with hurtful eyes without completing her sentence.

"It was five years ago and I don't even remember her name, now." Thooriga releases a heavy sigh and hugs herself. I pull her into my arms and hold her face. "Though there were thousands of women in my past, you are the only one in my present and future."

"I know, Mama but somewhere in the corner of my heart, it hurts." Her eyes tear up but she blinks it off. "Will she be attending Rudhran Chitha's wedding?" She looks up at me.

"Why would she? She is not our friend." I hurried to assure her. "Shall we go for lunch?" She nods her head.

I take her hand and we walk back to my bedroom to reach hers through the tunnels. Thooriga is a little upset and thinking that I'm the reason is just killing me inside. She will be fine after a while, if not I know how to make her fine. We got down the staircase and walked down the tunnels.

I try to release her hand to give her space as she is silent until now but she doesn't let go. She holds my hand and steps next to me, curling her other hand around my arm.

"Mama, will Siva Ashwika be attending Rudhran Chitha's wedding?" She asks me with excitement and I nod my head at her.

Avangala vera nyabagam paduthitale. Dei Rajeyy avanga reception la konja nanja pecha pesuna, ipo Rudhran kalyanathuku vantha purushanum pondatium vechu seiya poranga.

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The next BH update will after LR and AA but don't worry, you will be get to meet 5 years ago self of Thooriga and Raj. You wil get to see what happens when Thooriga meet Siva Ashwika and What happened in Siva Ashwika reception

Don't miss to read those updates.

Thank you

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