ஒரு மேகம் போலவே மனம்                       மிதந்து போகுதே                                                               மழை நின்ற
போதிலும் மர கிளைகள்
தூறுதே

Mullai sat surprised looking at the gifts...She liked them too much especially the cup...

The wordings were too perfect for her, even making her brain reminisce the first ever moment they had a normal cordial talk.

And she giggled...

She badly wanted to place a call to him and thank him for his gifts, but she was shy and was blushing...

There was nothing kinky in his gifts, yet it could make her realize the emotions only few of the eroticas she had ever read could kindle in her...

And that's how Abhi had found her...

Holding a mug in one hand, and another hand holding the earrings busy covering her face...

Abhi: diiiii...

There was no response...

She had to nudge her to bring her back to the world...

Mullai: abhi...

Abhi: kahan koi ho( where are u lost?)

Mullai: haan?

Abhi: ufff...where r u lost? What did jijajiiii gift u with that is making u get lost somewhere...haan...haannn?

She teased her....

Mullai: abhiiii...

She whined.

Abhi: acha vo apki personal hai...show me jiju's pic...

Mullai bit her tongue...

Abhi: please don't tell me u forgot it...

Mullai: sorry...

Abhi: goshhh...u guys are such a weird couple...who doesn't take pic nowadays...weirdooos..

And she hit her head that's when she noticed the gift quite clearly...

Abhi: jiju gifted u this?

Mullai nodded her head vigorously...

Abhi: can I take a close look...

Mullai: u just said its personal...

Abhi: diiiii..just a minute...just to clarify something...Please...

Mullai though found it weird, did show her the present...

Abhi started giggling the moment she saw the gift clearly...

Mul: why r u laughing...

Abhi: nothing.....nothing at all...

Mul: abhoiiiiiiii...

Abhi: u know something,.....jiju loves u too much...

Mullai gave her weirdest of the looks....

There was nothing special in the gift for abhi to say soo...

Abhi: btw u guys make adorable pair am sure...

Mullai: iva enna olarara...

Abhi: what r u murmuring in tamil?

Mullai: what are u blabbering...u have not even met him and here u r telling me how adorable of a couple we ll make...

Like seriously...

Abhi simply gave a naughty smile....

Mullai's stare made her smile turn into a giggle...

Abhi: acha...don't get angry...

And she recounted how she met him in the mall and he was busy selecting something for her, and even said no to her help...

U should have seen him di...

He was so cautious of the gifts....he almost took 30 minutes to select earrings..

I was feeling then he is crazy...but now when I think of it, makes me feel how much special you must be to him...

Am so happy for you...

And pecked her cheek...

Abhi: kaash hamare liye bi aisa hi koi miltha (wish even I get someone like him)

Mullai: what?

Abhi: nothing......

That's when her phone rang....

The blush told her who it was...

Abhi: di mujhe ek book lena tha..i will be back...

And she left...and Mullai knew it was for giving her privacy...

She smiled at her roomie turned sister...

With a tiny smile, she picked up the phone...

More than his gift, hearing the effort he put to take the gift from someone else made her fall for him all over again...

Sensing a silence, even after picking up the phone, a trait so unlikely of Mullai...

He was skeptical.....didnt she like his first gift...

Was it not upto the mark...

Did she expect something better from him...

Kat: Mullai??

Mul: hmmmm....

Kat: gift pudikalaya?

Mul: umhmmmm....

Kathir facepalmed himself....

Kat mv: pesama andha ponnu help panren nu sonapo ketrukanumooo....

Kat: sorry...

Mul: gift aa vida nee pota effort pudichidu...

Kat: haan?

Mul: enaku onnu vanganum nu yaar help ilama...vanganum nu nenacha andha feel gift aa vida pudichiruku....

Kat: aaan?

Eyyy...

Mullai giggled....

Kat: unaku...unakku epdi?

Mullai giggled again....

Kat: sirikama sollu mulla...unaku epdi....

Mul: abhi en roommate....

Kat: haan?

Mul: unna help venuma nu ketadu en room mate....

Gift oda ukandirunden...

Andha gift pathadum sonna...

Nee evalo effort pota...ava help venaam nu sonna nu....

I love u kathir...

So much....so so much....

She uttered with glistened eyes...

Kathir could sense the change in her voice....her confession had so much in it...

Kat: I love you too Mullai....

An eerie silence prevailed for indefinite minute...

Till kathir's so called roomie came calling out for him...

Kat: naan aprom koopdren Mullai...

Mullai: hmm...

Love you...Bye...

Kat: me too...bye bye...

She was too happy now, and she couldn't stop smiling....

She sat waiting for abhi to come, when she didn't come, she went to fetch abhi....

Their days went about in the same pace....

Kathir came almost all alternative weekends, for his project..

He made sure he spent at least couple of hours with Mullai, either alone or with Kanna...

They did feel guilty of keeping Kanna and Vetri in the dark, but they liked it this way...

Mullai: ipo sola vename...

Kat: enn...

Mul: enaku idu innum pudichiruku kathir...

Ipdi thaniya meet panradhu...

Indha feel...

Kanna anna va pathu pesumbodum...

Un kannu enna thedra andha feel...

Edo solla mudiyatha oru unarchi tharudu...

Ellarukum therinja adu irukado nu feel avudu...

Kat: hey....nee ivalo laan velakam sola avasiyam illa...

Venam nu sonna...naan seri nu dhan solven..

Mul: thanks kathir....

Kat: ipdi dan ma boy friend ku thanks solanum...

Mul: aprom epdi solanum nu soli kudutha soli tharen...

Kat: M Kumaran padam pathripiye...

Mul: paathom paathom...

Kat: adula epdi solvangalo apdi solanum...

Mul: adhu sorry ku dane...

Kat: adu tamizh payan Malayali ponnu na...

Mul: ohooo..

Kat: tamizh payan tamizh ponnu na thanks sorry ellame ipdi dhan...

And he hugged her close to himself in the Cubbon park...

Mul: kanna...and she sprang apart from him and pulled him to hide behind a huge tree...

Kat: enga...

Mul: anga...

There was Aisha and Kanna, nearby...

Mul: naan aisha kita kooda unna paka varen nu solave illa...

Ava kita abhi oda veliya poren nu sonnen...

Kathir giggled...

Mul: en avastha paatha unaku siripa iruku la...

Kat: nee dane idu kick aa iruku nu konjam munna sonna...

Mullai hit him on his chest...

Sensing them coming their way and mullai pulling him to move to hide, he pushed her more on to the tree and took her lips for a passionate kiss...

A toe-curling kiss, making them forget the place...

A kiss that would make any onlookers blush and not turn their side again...

He left her after God knew how long...

She hid herself in his chest....

After sometime,

Mullai: ayyooo...avunga...

Kat: yaar kanda...

Pathirundalum yaarnu therinjirukadu...

Avalo ingidham avungaluku iruku...

Mullai blushed beet root....

Kat: kelambalamaa...

Mul: ponnuma...

Kat: saptu bus pudika correct aa irukum...

Mul: ini epo varuvaaa...un project data collection dan mudinjiruche...

Kat: therlaye....

Mul:hmmmm...

Kat: ipdi sogama irunda epdi seri agum...

Mul: ipo exams aprom GRE prep nu apdiye poidum la time...

Kat: pochu naa...naan unna marandruvena enna...he asked getting riled up...

Mul: maata la...

Kat: loosu madiri pesadha mulla....I love you di...

He said pecking her lips...

Mul: hmmm....

Kat: mudinja time laan vara try panren....hmm...siri...

Mullai tried giving her best smile...

Kat: that's my girl...

Mul: ellam pechu dan...

Kat: ennadi ipdi solita...

Mul: pinna....nee compliment panuva nu aasaya vanda...

Kat: epovum pola asathala iruka...

Mul: hmmkmmm...

Kat: enna di..

Mul: epovum pol ava iruken..

Kay: aama yen? Ene epovum azhaga dane di...

Mul: aama epovum naan nee vangi Thanda dress la dane irupen....hmmm...

She showed faces...

Kat: idu naan vangi Thandadah? Epo?

Mullai started walking away from him..

Kat: heyyy....nee siningurapo innum azhaga iruka...

Mul: adhane...nee vangirunda dane.... vidu enna...

Kat: eyyy...loosu...naan kada kadaya thedi edutha dress...enaku theriyadha....

Adum first valentine's day ku...

Chumma unna vambu panen...

Mul: nejama...

Kat: pinna illaya...

Mullai gave out a bright smile...

Kat: polama.?

Mullai: hmmmm...

Kat: vaaya thorandu dan solradhu...

Mul: polaam vaaa...

At the bus stand post a meager meal...

Kat: kelambata...

Mul: hmmm....

Kat: enna kan lan kalangara...adisayama??

Mul: therla....nala prepare panu....

Give ur best....

Kat: hmmm.....I will....neeum nala panu exams....

Bye...

She gave him a tight hug before waving bye to him....

Back in room, all abhi saw was a gloomy mullai....

Abhi: kya huva di?

Mul: mmhmm...nothing....

Abhi: kuch tho hai...

Mul: nothing....

Abhi: acha how was ur outing with jiju...

Mul: good...

Abhi: di u sound so dull...kuch tho hai....sab teek hai na??

Mul: hmm...avan ooruku poitan....

Abhi: thoooo??

Mul: his work is completed...

Abhi: acha....so that's why....comeon di....cheer up...

So what if project work is completed...u r here and am sure he ll come just to meet you...

So smile....

And brought her hand to draw a smile on her face...

That's when her phone rang....

Abhi: dekhiye should be jiju...

Mullai: aisha...

Abhi: acha....so u have a fun chat with ur bestie and boost up ur mind....

Mullai picked up the phone...

Mullai: aisha....

Ais: naan aisha nu therinjiruku...

Mul: eyy....enna aachu...sollu...

Aisha: enna solanum??

Mul: nee dane phone ....ipo enna loosatam enna kekura??

Aisha: loose ddhan....unna nambinen la...naan llosu dan di. .

Mul: olaradha.

Aish: yaaru naanu?? Thonum di thonum....

Mul: kadula kelapadha aisha....

Aish: ohhh ipo en kita pesaradhu kadupa iruku la....

Romba sandosham.....

And she hung up the phone..

Mul: ipo ivaliku enna aachu??

And she called back...

Aish: ipo eduku koopta....

Mul: enathuku apdi pesuna.....

Aisha: naan yaar di unaku???

Mul: best friend...

Aisha: innoru darava ada sonna kondruven unna....

Mul: eyyy...

Aisha: pinna enna di...Best friend na ipdi aa panuvanga...

Naanga kooptapo enamo room mate oda veliya poga promise pana nu kadha alandu vitutu...

Nee anga cubon Park la enna di panitu irunda...

Adum engala paathadum P.T usha aatam oddraa.

Enaa peche kanum....

Solu adu nee ilal...

Enaku moola kozhambi pesuren nu....

Mul: sorry aisha.....

Aish: unna friend aa nenachu unnna n kathir aa pathi vetri kita solama irundaduku....

Sooper aa paniruka di...

Romba sandosham.....

Mul: apdi lan illa aisha....nethi nee kekumbodu kanna irundan la di...

Adhan....

Illama un kita poi solanum nu illa di...

Nambu....

Aish: nambiten....

Adhuku dane naan iruken....

Nee solra kena thanam ellam nambarathuku....

Ennamo po...

Ini unna pathiyo....unga rendu per pathiyp naan pesa maaaten...

Enaku adoda avasiyam illa...apdi nu nee kodu potu kaatita...

Avalo dhan....

Mul: aisha sorry di...

Aish: oru aaniyum venaam......pooo....

Mul: en di ipdi pandraa....naan dan sorry solren la....

Please di....

Aish: enamo pannu....

I don't care....

Nala irunda seri...

And she hung the call...

Making mullai burst out into tears...that's how abhi had found her when she came into room....

Abhi mv: kuch tho hai...

Mul: good night abhi....

She said switching off the light...

In the darkness, she could see mullai's silhouette weeping...

She couldn't make head or tails out of it....

Abhi thought of calling aisha, as she was the last person mullai spoke to...

She didn't have aisha's number, she knew it was wrong...but seeing her sis crying her heart out....she picked mullai's phone...

Luckily for her, she knew the screen lock...

She unlocked the screen and dialed aisha....

Aisha: mulla...thirupi thirupi kooptu onnum illa....

Naan ini unna pathiyo kathir pathiyo pesa matwn...

Bye...

And she hung the phone...

Though she could understand only its and bits...she understood they were not on talking terms...and it had something to do with kathir....

With confused mind, she noted kathir's number....and dialed from her number...

Kat: hellloo..

Abhi: Hellooooo...

Kat: yaaru....

Abhi: jiju....

Kat: sorry ??

Abhi: kathir right??

Kat: yupp...who is this??

Abhi: am abhi...

After a pause,

Abhi: mullai's room mate..

Kat: mullai....avaluku enna aachu?? Is everything fine ??

Abhi: actually....she doesn't know am calling you....

That for sure sounded weird...

Kat: then??

Abhi: actually....di was so sad that ur project is over and that you r leaving....

N aisha di's call came ...

When I returned back to room, di was weeping...

I think they fought with each other....

When I called aisha from di's number...she said something all I could make out was she is angry and both your name...

Would you sort it out for di?? Please jiju....

I have never seen di so sad...

Kat: thanks was all he could mumble...

Abhi: am just doing this for my di...

Kat: what is jiju??..

Abhi: brother in law in hindi she giggled...

Kat: thank you so much abhi.....

And he hung up the call...

Tbc....