It was the dawn of the day...

The sunrise has marked the start of a bright, blissful and beautiful life for the bride and bride groom...

It started shedding its rays into the marriage hall which was decked up from floor to rooftop with pretty decorations...

The board that held the names of the bride and groom stood majestically in the entrance symbolising their union in few more minutes....

The palatial hall was bubbly and bouncy with arrival of guests, mesmerizing wedding music played by the musicians, the fragrance of flowers, choking happiness and contentment in hearts of people inside...

Both side families and friends were busy with the works assigned for them looking after it with utmost elation...

After throughgoing of the things to be taken care, everyone resigned to the mandap looking at the things happening over there with happiness...

The pillars of the mandap was completely surrounded with flowers...

The mango leaves had its usual significant part in the wedding stage...

The silver lamps were lit to add more brightness from its side...

The scared fire was blazing on its place to make offerings  to the flames to proceed with the rituals...

The priest started the first ritual of the marriage, the ganesh pooja to ward off any hindrance to the new start of life...

There sat kathir with his usual cool and composed swag with eyes sending sparks of happiness to everyone who looked into it...

He was spruced up in a silk shirt and silk dhoti, perfectly snazzy and spiffy...

He was keenly repeating the spells chanted by the priest, honoured the ganesh idol with red flowers and finished the pooja as adviced...

While the priest continued, kathir sat looking at the sacred fire deeply immersed in its orangish hue thinking what mullai would be upto...

He didn't know mullai that too engulfed in a bright orangish hue by looking at the sun through the window thinking about him...

They could feel the excitement and happiness bubbling over them with a thin layer of fear topping all others...

Orange, the color that combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow flourished the same over them...

And looking at the same, gave them the flush of strength and endurance too...

With a determined sigh, their heart took a quickie recall of the past two months...

Their initial tantrums about marriage...
Falling for eachother just through pictures...
The excited bride looks...
The happy engagement and all other related things...
The never ending phone calls...
The nonstop messages...
The thrilled outings...
The painful missing days...
The sensible and senseless fights...
The future plans for studies and business...
The late night meets...
The contented marriage shopping...
The delighted diwali celebrations...
The tight hugs...
The lovely kisses...
The simple hand clutches...
The birthday bash...
The proposal...

There were so many tough to fit into a single memory...

And finally they are here for the marriage passing the courtship phase...

The courtship period was a complete package of emotions...

Smiles...

Laughs...

Care..

Bliss...

Pain...

Dreams..

Missing...

Romance...

Fights...

Expectations...

Possessiveness...

Desires...

Misunderstandings...

Insecurities...

Family issues...

Unequivocally, they were the best days of their life...

It gave a tinge of fear to move forward leaving this behind with confusion how the new life is going to treat them...

New place...
New people...
New family..

Everything is going to be new...

But...

Kulu Kulu Venpani Pola

Sala Sala Salladaiyaaga

Pala Pala Karpanai Modha

Parakkava Un Ninaippaaga

Mullai's thoughts stopped with the music and she rushed to her mobile with surprise...

Yes...

It was kathir...

Isnt he supposed to be in manamedai doing the rituals...
How come she is getting the call now...
It was hardly less than five minutes left for her to join him...
Is he getting impatient just like her...
Admiring the picture along with the song, she attended the call...

K : Oi...

M : hmmmm...

Kathir's nervousness ceased hearing her "hmmm" so did mullai's with his "Oi"...
An instant energy fueled their heart pushing all things aside...
Extreme happiness sprang in its full form...

K : yena de panre...

M : na panrathu irukatum... neenga yena ipo phone panreya... medai la than eh irukeya...

It was so obvious..

She could hear the priest chanting the incantations, voices of their family members, shouts of his friends, sound of nadhaswaram, thavil, etc...

K : aama... iyer yetho poojai panitu irukaaru... enaku unkuda pesanum pola irunthuchu... athan...

M : athukunu kalyana medai la iruntha...

K : aama... ithum oru kick ah super ah iruku theriyuma...

M : irukum.. irukum... yellarum paathutu irupanga vera... neenga  vazhiyarathu video la, photo la yellam varum...

K : varatum... appo than namma kulainthangaluku kaamika mudiyum...

M : athelam onum venam... phone ah veinga please..

K : mduiyaathu... nee pesu....

There was a pause and she heard priest saying "Ponna azhachutu vaanga"

K : Oi... unna kupidaranga..

M (smiling) : ulagathulaiye kalyana mapilla phone pani kalyana ponna medaiku vara solrathu inga than nadakkum....

K : nalla iruku ilaa...

M : romba nalla iruku... 

K : sari vaariya... kalyanam panikalam...

M(naughtily): hmmm athelam mudiyaathu sir... nan MBA padichi mudichutu than kalyanam panipen....

K : paathu pesunga madam... appuram naanum karaikudi kadai ah open panathuku appuram than kalyanam panipen nu soliduven...

M : parra... paapoma...

K : yellam kalyanam panitu muzhusa paakalam... mudhala nee vaa...

M : chi... manavarai la ukanthutu pecha paaru...

There were the voices heard asking him to drop the call and he winded up soon....

K : sari nan vekkaren de...  sikiram vaa...

M : hmmmm... rende nimisham.... varen...

K : double ok...

M : enakum double ok...

As she dropped the call with a smile , she was surrounded by her friends for another dose of teasing...

De : anna ah de...

M : hmmm...

Swar : yepadi de mana medai la irunthu...

M : athelam apadi than....

Kar : paaka amaithiya irunthutu yena yellam panraaru paaren... anne sema de...

M : aama romba amaithi than... yen de neenga vera...

Man : kathir elam romba amaithi than de... unkita pesina satham kuda veliya varathu... na paathirukene... kovam elam varave varathu pola...

M mindvoice : hmmkmmm pesarathu elame vevekaarama ithula yenga poi saathama pesarathu... aanalum ivughala romba nambaragha...

Suj : akka antha paiyan kita kathinatha maranthutiya... video kamichen illaa...

Swar : athu kaadhal ka... vera department...

Chorus : ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...

M : ada ponga de...

Mullai moved to the mirror to take a last look of her dressing and gave a satisfied smile ...

She couldnt help remembering kathir's look yesterday night on the same mirror...

When she was grinning to herself, kasthuri and gayathri came inside looking for mullai...

Before  they could speak,

M : ponna azhachutu vara solranga... athan eh athachi... na ready polam...

Kas : adiye... unaku yepadi de theriyum....

Man : neenga ipovum late than athachi.... engaluku yerkanave phone la update vanthachu....

M : hmmm....

Chorus :  ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Gaya : hey mapillaa phone pesitu irunthathu unkitaya... yetho veli naatula iruka friend nu sonanga...

Chorus : haaaaaahaaaaaaa...

Kas : nalla iruku de ithu... kathir thambi ah ithu....

Suj : avare than... shock aanathu pothum... vaanga povom...

Kas : aama vaanga... theduvaanga...

It was the same procedure as the nalangu...

Kasthuri and another cousin took the lamps and gayathri took the seer plate leading mullai to the stage...

Manju, suji and friends accompanied them...

Off to the stage...

The wedding rituals has began with kathir...

He was chanting mantras as said by the priest offering flowers to the deities...

As everyone's focus shifted to the gorgeous bride gliding along the way to the stage, his eyes too moved to her leaving the mantras half the way...

Mullai was advancing the stage with her never fading blushing smile...
She has been draped in the reddish orange silk saree, kathir's first selection for her, with a elegant makeover and exquisite ornaments...
Definitly, She was a prepossessing sight to his eyes...
The closer the gap between them, more ravishing she looked...
Even a small beautiful detail in her made him go crazy on her...
He couldnt avoid beaming with pride at his enchantress thinking this bundle of beauty is wholly his...

By the time, mullai entered the stage and was made to sit near him...
Seeing him eyeing her with admiration, her cheeks instantly painted crimson...
She just took a deep breath, caught him through her eyes, freezed his sculpted figure
and bent down smiling...

Iyer : mapilla... neenga slogam solratha vittu anju nimisham achu...

A roar of laughter around...

Je : kathiru... mullaiya nithanama paakalam... mudhala manthiratha sollu...

K (sheepishly) : haan sollunga saami...

They rituals continued with mullai joining him for it...

It took solid ten minutes for the rituals to be over...

Iyer : mapillai oda amma appa , ponnoda amma appa ah vara solungo... paadha poojai pananum...

Kathir's periappa(selvi dad) and periamma(selvi mom) took over the place of his father and mother moving to the front...

Mullai could feel a little shudder in kathir as his eyes reflexively moved to lakshmi and looked at the priest for the next instruction...

His lips were smiling and face seem to be normal but his eyes carried a concealed pain about the void in his life...
Mullai took her hand and placed it on his knee cap pressing in assurance that everything is ok...
She was adviced not to speak , not to touch, not to turn to kathir untill the marriage gets over...
But that didnt matter....
It was only kathir...
His pain...

On the other hand, Kathir felt a heart bleed instantly when he heard of the duo, father and mother...
Yes, his father is no more and he is used to it...
He never brood over his father's loss everyday...
But on a special occasion of his life, he missed him...
Missed him badly...
He thought he masked the pain...
But no...

She found it out and off course leaving all shyness, she found a way to soothe him...
A single touch really did wonders in him...
He got reminded of her words on engagement day...

" avaru yenga irunthalum ungala ellam paathutu than irupaaru... neenga santhoshama irunga... avarum santhoshama irupaaru..."

Yes, true...

It was the same words his mother used to pacify them...
Those words were the ones that kept them driving through hard times...
For a second, he brought his father's face in his mind...
His grief started dissipating in a wink of the eye...
He smiled at her affirmatively with a head nod to show he is back to form and proceeded with the rituals...

His periappa and periamma were made to stand on a big plate...
He did paadha pooja by washing their legs with water, applying kumkum and sandal and offering flowers...

They did bless kathir and mullai with akshathai and flowers in turn...

Once kathir's  part was done, it was mullai's turn to do the same for her parents and receive the blessings from them...

Iyer : achu than eh... mapillayum, ponnum elunthukongo... ponnoda appa, amma apadiye irungo... kannigadhanam arambichudalam...

Mu : saringa saami...

Kathir and mullai was made to stand with murugan and parvathi near mullai...

Iyer : neenga ponnu kaiya mapilla kaila veingo... apadiye neenga thani vidanum ava kai mela...

Mu, P : saringa saami...

Murugan took mullai's hands in his and placed it on kathir's hands along with betel leaves, betel nut, flowers,  gold and money...

Parvathi poured the holy water over their palms allowing it to fall through murugan's  fingers onto the joined hands while the priest kept reciting the verses...

The ritual was a emotional moment for all four...

It symbolically meant all four lives were interlinked now...
It meant the responsiblity of their daughter is transferred  to their son in law...

Their eyes teared up without their knowledge and no words slipped out of their lips...

An unknown sensation oozed out of mullai's heart looking at both the hands sheltering hers...
Soon her extremely moist eyes screened the vision of hands...
Infact, the emotion seemed to be more intense than the tying the knot ritual...

When they were so much into it, others understood the sitch and tried to lighten it...

Ka : mama... yena dialogue illama performance panrenga... dialogue ah sollunga... enga kannaiye unga kita opadaikarom... athula anandha kaneeer ah mattum than paakanum...

Chorus : ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

San : athelam intha paiyan anantha kaneer vara kuda vida mattan da kanna... so inga dialogue eh thappu...

Ka : adada... yena panrathu ipo...

Man : pesama athai ah ithe dialogue ah mullai kita sola soluvom... yena lakshmi atha...  ok than eh...

L : yen marumaga mattum azha vepaalakum... maata... yena mullaa... sari than eh....

M(blushing) : aama atha...

Ka : appo rendu perum senthu ivanga romance la namma elaraiyum azha vekka poranga nu solunga...

Chorus : ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

The mood of the moment changed with the funny teases and loud laughter....

Iyer : sari... naazhi ayiduthu... arambichudalama...

Mu : agattum saami...

Iyer : atha apadiye thatula vechutu ukarungo.... yellarukum akshathai kuduthutu, thaali ah thotu kumbida solunga...

Manju and gayathri left with the akashathai to be distuributed while dhanam took the auspicious thaali plate to be done as per said by the priest to get blessings from others...

Time was ticking...

The last few minutes as lovers were fast moving...
Kathir and mullai were totally keyed up...
They looked at eachother with a cheerful and anxious smile...
Soon their relationship would progress to the next step...
They felt like floating in ether...
They felt like they got a instant transmission to paradise...

Their orbs fell on the plate that had mangal sutra which was given to the priest...

So the most dreamed moment is here finally...

K : Oi...

M : Hmmm...

K : ipo enaku yeppo iruku theriyuma....

M : yepadi...

K : enna enakagave pidichuruku nu sonna oruthiya mothama enake enaku nu yeduthuka poren... apadiye satham potu kathanum pola iruku... en azhagi enaku than nu...

Mullai smiled fondly at his answer and replied back...

M : enaku yepadi iruku theriyuma...

En kaikula bathirama irukanum nu aasai paata oruthara nijamave en kaikula kondu vara poren nu iruku... neenga sonna madhiri en azhagan enaku than nu kaathanam pola iruku...

K : azhagi...

M : azhaga...

Eye lock with a mesmerizing smile...

Iyer : mapilla thali eduthukonga...

They broke the eyelock as Kathir took the thali grinning at mullai who returned the same grin...

Iyer : kettimelam kettimelam...

Priest gestured to start the mangala vaathiyam and as everyone started blessing them with akshathai and flowers, Kathir tied the thali to mullai never taking eyes from her...

Mullai's eyes took turns from kathir's eyes to the mangalsutra back to kathir, who finished tying the knot beaming with bliss...

All of a sudden, a beautiful entwined future started blooming up infront of them...

Them...

Their love...

Their wishes...

Their desires...

Their family...

All turned into a single entity rather than being two...

They gazed at eachother for a moment wordlesssly and got back to the present...

Murugan gave a shoulder press on kathir and caressed mullai's hair while parvathi kissed mullai's forehead with love...

Lakshmi was looking them with happy tears nodding her head at them with utmost satisfaction and blessing from her place...

All the loved ones were in pure euphoric state happy for the newly wed while guests off stage were still showering the blessings on them..

They were drenched with blessings with akshathai and flowers from all sides...

The naughty side of the kathir came back in a swing after some emotional moments...

K : Oi...

M : hmmm...

K : yepadiyo enkita vasama maatikitenga madam... thapikave mudiyaathu...

M : athuku than eh rendu maasama wait panitu irunthen sir... enaku thapikara yennamum illaa...

K : appo ini oru madhiri irukaatha...

M : athu... athu... appuram solren...

K : sari ok...

M : appo ini green saree, diploma la padicha ponnu ivangala kattikaren nu sola mattiyala...

K : naanum appuram solren...

M : sari ok...

The priest called for next set of rituals to be performed as husband and wife...

Iyer : intha kumkumatha nethi vagitula,thaalila, mudichula vechu vidunga mapilla...

The priest showed the kumkum and kathir placed it on her hairline, thaali and the knot...

They were used to eachother's touches...

Off course, they have had their cute intimate moments too..

But the soft brushing of skin as husband and wife for the first time was exciting...

They were thrilled up more...

Now and then, they kept on passing glances over eachother...

As the priest gave them a buyin time of two min to move to next ritual ammi midhithal, arunthathi parthal, they got up from the place...

As the main ritual was over, the youngsters bounced in with full excitement for the next fun events.....

All the happy hearts were wishing them a happy married life by shaking hands, hugging  and kissing eachother fondly...

San : kathiru... vazhthukal... ini namma ore kudumbam... senthu avasthai padalam...

Dh : aama kathir...

Man : aama de mullaa... senthu ivangala paduthalam...

Suj : enaku ok...

Kas : apadiye rendu perum enaku periya thanks solidunga...

Ka : yepadiyo singamum sikirichu....

J : kathiru... ulagathulaiye kashtama velai arambikka poguthu da...

Me : aama mullai... ivangala meikara velai...

Kathir and mullai enjoyed all the fun and  replied to all with smiles...

When they were about to move on to next...

Sen : irunga irunga...

naanga kalyanam aanathuku kai kuduthom, katipidichom appuram...

Swar : mutham elam kuduthom...

Sen : haan... ipo neenga rendu perum... kuduthukonga ...

K, M : yenathu...

Kar : yena Shock agarenga... kudunga...

Tam : aama unga kalyaanathuku neenga kudukalaina yepadi...

Kathir and mullai looked at eachother for a second thinking of a reply....

Chorus : kudungaaaaaaaaaaa...

K : dei... unga yellaraiyum vechutu athum kalayanathula athelam pana nanga yena alaipaayuthey kathir mullai.... sorry alaipaayuthey madhavan shalini ah....

Naanga kathir mullai da...

Chorus : noooooooooooooooooo...

Suj : sari avanga asai padi... kai matummavathu kudunga.... mathathelam venam...

Slow chorus : chhhhhhhhh.... okkkkkkkkkkk...

K :  Oi....

M : hmmmm...

Kathir raised his hand to mullai's , clutched it tight and shook her hand with a wink just to be pushed closer by their naughty gang...

Mullai fell with a force on kathir who embraced her reflexively and before they move away the photographer who was well informed about the plan clicked their happy blushing smiles brilliantly...

TBC...