After dropping the call, Mullai started crying more in irritation, disappointment and anger....

It felt like a dream that happened five hours ago...

His visit to her house, his naughtiness in his talks, the way he mingled with her parents and finally how his eyes met hers lovingly....

But then.. everything changed with a call by kanna...

M : Hello kanna....

Ka : Hello anni... yena panrenga...

M : books eduthu paathutu irunthen da kanna... padikka arambikkanum illa... ne yena panre...

Ka : padikarengala... intha oru vishayathula than ungala anni nu solave kashtama iruku...

M (laughing) : kastama irunthalum solli than aganum... unaku vera vali illaaye...

Ka : athu sari than...

She heard the giggle sound of lakshmi along with kanna's....

M : athai line la irukaghala...

Ka : aama anni...pesunga... loudspeaker la iruku..

M : atha nalla irukeyala...

L : nalla iruken ma.. ne yepadi iruke...

M : nalla iruken atha...

L : kanna ipo tha nethu neenga moonu perum yedutha photos kamichan... paathathum pesanum pola irunthuchu... athan sari nu kupida sonen... padikkum bothu thontharavu panitano....

M : acho..yena atha neenga...thontharavu elam onum illaa atha...

L : appo sari ma... amma appa nalla irukanga than eh...

M : nalla irukanga atha ..

L : sari mulla...

M : photos nalla irunthucha atha...

L : romba nalla irunthuchu...en pullaingaluku yenna... alaga irunthegha moonu perum...

M : thanks athai...

L : aama kadaiku ponniye... unaku kadai pidichurunthucha.... nalla iruka...

M : oh romba pidichurunthuchu atha... nalla iruku...

L : appo sari.... adikadi poga vendiya edamache... pidicha than poga nallarukum...

They did chat for sometime, kanna did make kutties speak with mullai and then the phone shifted to dhanam starting all the chaos....

After some casual talks...

M : aama ka... meena ka yenga... pesave illa...

D : hey unaku vishayame theriyatha....

M : yenna ka...

D : meena oda appa ku accident ayiduchu...

M : achacho... enaku theriyaathe ka... yen achu... ipo yepadi irukaru.... onum prachanai illaye...

D : two wheeler la pogum bothu accident mulla... kaal fracture agiduchu... appuram anga anga konjam adi... onum prachanai illa... naalaiki discharge panalam nu solitanga... yena veetula vanthu complete rest edukanum....

M : oh nalla velai ka.. meena ka anga irukangala...

D : aama mulla...

M : sari sari ka.. appo neenga parunga.. na appuram pesaren.. ungaluku velai irukum illa...kulanthaigala vera paakanum....

D : illa mulla....velai mudinjuthu...ini yelarum vanthathum sapida vendiyathu than...

M : appo sari ka.... aama yepo ka accident anathu...

D : iniki saintharam than mullai...

M : oh apadiya ka...

Mullai got it would have been the accident news that kathir got in her house so he left in hurry....

D : mulla appuram ne varutha padathe avanga kanchipuram vara mudiyathu nu...

M : aiyo akka... ithula yena iruku.. mudhala periappa udamba paakatum.. athu than eh mukkiyam...

D : aama ma.. illa neeyum aasai ah irunthurupe.. ipo thidirnu ipadi agiduchu nu kashtam illa...

M : paravala ka.. enaku onum prachanai illa...

D : na kuda nenachen sari avalo thoram poi, neraya neram kuda irunthalavathu kathir unkuda yetho pesi palaguvan nu... ipo athum illa nu agiduchu...

Mullai's lips twisted into smile first and only then she understood the context clearly...

M (shocked) : akka appo avughalum vara mudiyatha....

D : mudiyathe ma... jeeva meena rendu perum meena veetuku poiduvanga... kadai ah vera paakanum illaa...

M : oh sari ka...

Mullai didnt speak much... She started thinking of possibilities of postponing the trip so that kathir can join them once he gets free..... She knew marriage date is nearing and shopping being a crucial thing she cant delay it just like that... That too her entire family is ready for it keeping aside their works... She knew her father, jega, sankar and dheena had all postponed their works for two days... But then for this case , she cant leave without him... She was damn sure in having kathir with her for shopping no matter what....

D : solla pona ithu onnum periya vishayam illa than.. kadai ah kannana kuda poi paaka solitu kathir varalam.... aana avan varanume... chummave avanuku kadai ah vitu vara pidikaathu... ithula intha madhiri velaikaga yellam vitutu vara sona varuvana... ithelam romba mukiyama neengale ponga nu soliduvan... kandipa vara matten....

M : oh...

It did pain for mullai hearing those words though she knew it might be dhanam's assumption about kathir... So she tried to skip it out....

D : avanuku intha shopping yelam pidikaathu vera... avanuke nanga than edupom.... athelam romba bore nu soluvan....

Mullai thought about the same words kathir let out while leaving... Did he mean it and it was not just for fun as she thought???? Mullai was confused...

D : nethu kuda kanchipuram pechu vanthapo polambitu irunthan...

M : yenanu ka...

Her voice became low...

Fuel was added to the little fire....

D : athan kanchipuram varatha pathi than... yena ketalum thalai matum aata poren ithuku nan yethuku saree selection ku... thevai ye illaa nu... kannanum meenavum otitu irunthanga avana...

M : oh....

If anybody else had been in place of dhanam, they would have easily found the changes in mullai and would have stopped further chats... But it was dhanam... She never understood any of mullai's reactions and proceeded with her own stupid imaginary feelings of kathir....

D : Yentha nerathula polambite poren nu sonano poga mudiyaamaiye agiduchu...

M : .....

D : ne yethum thapa nenachukathe mulla..sari ah... kandipa kalyanam anathum maariduvan...

M : paravala ka... pasangaluku shopping pidikama irukarathu sagajam than eh....

D : aama aama... jeeva kuda apadi than... aana athu matum ilaa mulla... kathir konjam kucha subaavam veraya.. athan periya prachanai... veetu aalunga thavira yarukitayum athigama pesa mattan.... neenga vera yelarum avanuku puthusu illa... athu than avanuku periya kashtam.... nanga yaravathu oruthar vantha kuda paravala varuvan.. ipo athukum vali illaa... nalla pesara namakke moonavathu manashanga kuda poga kashtama irukum.... ivanuku kekava venum...

Mullai is totally down now...
To her fortune, Dhanam ended the talk with mullai as jeeva and meena turned up and hence starting mullai's tears...

Dhanam would have been right about kathir may be before seeing mullai.. He is not the same one now which couldnt be understood by dhanam and mullai failed to accept it in anger...

She couldn't accept that he prefers shop over her...
She couldn't accept he feels shopping for her to be uninteresting.....
She couldnt accept that he had grumbled over to someone else about the trip which she was expecting to be awesome...
She couldnt accept he wanted atleast one of his family member to be alongside to be with her family....
More than all, She couldnt accept her and her family being a third person to him....

If she had thought a little deeper , she would have found all these presumptions are just illusion... But her heavy heart didnt allow to her to think in a positive way..

Anger, self pity and helplessness that spread throughout her mind made her forget all others...

She dismissed the idea of postponing the plan for him...
She hated that he didnt tell this himself to her in first place and she heard it from another one...
She felt her family being not treated with respect....
She felt as if she doesnt belong in his world....

Had been in a state nothing to do, she just lied down crying...

Meanwhile after the call....

Kathir threw his mobile on the bed and sat clutching his head in anger....

Just five minutes back, he entered the room in pure bliss and everything toppled up in a minute....

When he was pleased with
how his mom spoke about mullai fondly,
how his mom understood about his love to her,
how he started looking up for the trip to spend time with her,
She tipped over everything in haste....

He understood something dhanam spoke had kindled her anger...
But Who spoke what, What was told to her didnt matter to him...
What irritated him more was, she didn't even care to check if its true...
What made him furious was, she believed whatever told about him was true...

He expected her to believe him or least check with him on that...
She needn't do that right away after dhanam spoke but atleast she could have clarified it when he called her now before the accusation..

K : cha... yaro oruthar yetha sonna apadiye nambittu yena kovam... oru varthai yena achu nu kekalam illa... avalo nambikkai en mela....

ava velaiyaam... ava kudumbamam... avangale paathupangalam... avalukaga, ava kudumbathukaga
na onum pana venamam....
Sari na yethum panala... yelam avangale panikatom.... nan yaaru panna...

He fumed in anger roaming around the room...

Clock ticked 10...

It was nearly half an hour since he had been measuring the room with his angry strides... Though his anger didnt subside much, his heart was taken up by her teary voice...

K : pesarathu yelam pesitu alugai vera.... inum aluthutu irupalo... kandipa aluthutu than irupa... kovam vantha kovapadanum... kaathanum... athu yenna alugarathu... cha....

He took his mobile which was silent...
Opened up whatsapp but she was not online...

K : kupidarala paaru....
Athan romba santhosham nu soli vechiye.. yepadi kupiduva... kandipa maata...

Avale enaku nu aanathuku appuram ava yenna permission kudukarathu enaku... vara venam... pana venamna nan vitudanuma... iva soli than nan yellathaiyum seiyanuma... appuram ivaluku na yethuku iruken....

He called her without any second thought....

She picked up the call after few rings...

Neither of them spoke....

Just stayed tight-lipped...

K : yena panre....

Mullai's temper lifted up with those two words...

M mindvoice : oh... Oi nu kupida kuda pidikala illaa.... apadi na yena paniten... panathu yelam ivugha... aana pidikaama porathu enna... apuram yethuku kupidanumam....

K : unna than kekaren....

M : na yenamo panren.. ungaluku yenna vanthuchu..

K : aama ne yenamo panu...enakena vanthuchu...

M : oh ho.. athan onum illa than eh... yethuku kupitegha...

K : yetho anni sonanga nu soniye... athu yena nu keka than kupiten.... vera yethukum ilaa...

M : oh avanga sonathu than mukkiyam... inga na aluthutu irukarathu mukkiyam illaa....

K : aama illaa... yena sonanga...

M : neenga avanga kitaye ketukonga....

K : na yethuku avanga kita kekanum... nee than eh kathina enkita... neeye bathil sollu...

M : ennala mudiyathu... enaku unga kuda pesa pidikala....

K : oh ho pesa mattum than pidikalaiya... illaa ennaiye pidikalaiya...

M : ungaluku than enna pidikala... enaku illaa...

K : oh ho....

M : na vekaren...

K : ne solaama vekka vida maaten....

M : atha neenga sola kudaathu.. bye...

She disconnected the call...

M mindvoice : na alaratha vida avanga anni sonathu than mukkiyama... ipo nalla puriyuthu.. yaaru mukkiyam nu... enna pathi thuli kuda kavala illa...

There was a knock at the door...

M mindvoice : light off panalaiya... cha... ithuku vera paatu kekanuma....

Mullai opened the door...

It was murugan...

Mu : ammadi... mapilla line la irukaru... unaku kupitaaram ne edukalaiyam... athan enaku kupitaru... intha pesu....

Murugan handed over the phone to mullai...

Taken aback by kathir's act, Mullai couldnt even open her mouth....

M : sollunga...

K : olunga enaku kupidalaina ini mama ku atha ku than kupiduven... neeye yena panrathu nu yosichu panu...

M : kupidaren...

K : ipo olunga phone panre... anni yena sonanga nu theriyanum enaku....

M : hmmm...

K : vekaren...

M : hmmm...

She returned the mobile to her father who was looking at her affectionately with a fake smile....

M : na pesikaren pa.... neenga.. neenga thongunga....

Murugan didnt ask anything more...

Mu : sari ma... ne ulla po....

Murugan left the place and mullai came back to her bed calling kathir...

K : solriya ipo...

No Oi again.... Even a small change in him was affecting her mood to a great extent....

M : yena sonanga... ungaluku unga kadai mukkiyam... unga kudumbam mukkiyam... athunala neenga kanchipuram vara matenga nu sonanga...
Ungaluku enkuda shopping panrathu bore adikum pidikaathu nu sonanga..... chumma thalaiya aata yethuku neenga selection ku nu soli polambinatha sonanga.. ungaluku enkuda en family kuda vara pidikaathu nu sonanga....nanga moonavathu manushanga nu sonanga...

pothuma inum yetha solanuma.... solanum na solunga athaiyum solren...

K : onne onnu matum sollu... ithaiyelam anni sonathum nan apadi yellam illaa nu oru varthai kuda sola thonala illaa...

His sombre voice and tone shook her...
Before she could answer, he changed his tone in a second....

K : avanga sonathu yellame sari than... correct ah solirukanga enna pathi... nan yepadi da unkita solrathu nu irunthen... nalla velai avangale solitanga...

M (angrilly) : Oh ho apadi ungaluku unga kadai, veedu, unga veetu aalunga than mukkiyam na appuram nan yethuku...

K : inga paaru... 25 varushama na ipadi than iruken.. chumma unnoda 25 naal palakathukaga yellathaiyum maathika mudiyathu....

M : oh verum 25 naal palakam illaa...

K : aama than eh... unakaga yethuku maathikanum...

M : thevai eh illaa nga... ungala yaaru maathika sonna... neenga ipadiye irunga... enaku enna vanthuchu....

K : unaku onnum illa than eh .. sari romba santhosham...

M : yeppa paaru santhosham... santhosham nu... aniki na msg panalaina, call panalaina santhosham nu sonapave enaku purinjurukanum... velaiyatu nu nenachen illa.. yena solanum....

K : unna yaru apadi nenaika sonna...

M : aama ellam en thappu than... inime antha thappa pana matten.... vidunga....

K : sari....

M : athan pesalaina santhosham ache... phone ah vekka vendiyathu than eh... yethuku pesi unga santhoshatha keduthukarenga...

K : sari vekkaren....

M : irunga... kadaisiya kekaren...vareyala illaya...

K : varala....

M : enakaga intha chinna vishayam kuda pana mudiyaathu illaa...

K : pana mudiyaathu.... athan solitane... yethana thadavai ketalum ore bathil than...

Mullai couldn't fight back her tears.... For a short while, she felt like he has gone far away from her and she is speaking to a third person....

Can her lovey dovey kathir behave like this too....
What is the reason for his curtness now...
Is she at guilt...
No answer...

M : .......

Kathir understood she is crying... But what started is started.... He cannot stop anything half the way...He struggled to compose himself....
It was tough to hear her crying and maintain his calm...

K : alaratha niruthu....

M : na.. na.. alutha ungaluku... yena... vekaren...

She had cut the call....

Kathir decided no more talks needed that night...
He cursed himself to be sadistic tormenting his mullai with pain for a simple thing...

If truth be told is this really simple...
Undeniably no....

This seemed like a important lead to many more troubles in future....

Apart from thousand things ruling his mind, it was only one thing took his heart finally..

K : ala vechutane....

The next day....

It was almost 8 when mullai got up from her bed... She hardly slept the previous night...

Her night was only occupied with tears, irritations, anger, fear, confusions, ego and many more to give her extreme head ache once she got up....

As she sat with her mom's comforting coffee trying to soothe her head ache, She saw murugan call parvathi...

P : yenanga....

Mu : moorthy mapilla phone paniruntharu... meena oda appa ku accident agiducham...

P : aiyayo... yenanga achu... nala irukara...

While Murugan replied to her questions about jana, mullai's mind was worried about how her father had taken the news that none are coming from kathir's home... He will understand their situation for sure but still might feel little disappointed...Whatever is going on between them, She wanted them not to mistake kathir for not coming and started preparing for answers to cover up him....

Mu : athan avanga varalaiyam.... mapilla matum than vararam...

It was a jaw dropper for mullai....
How come is this possible...
So Was kathir playing prank with her yesterday??
Nope, it didn't seem to be like that...
He was so serious...
His voice never held a small tinge of smile...
And more than all will he hurt her just for a dido...
Off course she heard it from Dhanam too...

P : saringa... ipadi achuna yena pana mudiyum..... athan mapilla vararu illa.. athu pothum..... yenga apuram gayathri um varathuku illa... ipo ivangalum varala... jega kita, sankar kita solidunga... vandi ena panrathunu paakatum...

Mu : sari parvathi...

Mullai couldn't keep herself more at ease and called up kathir...

K : Sollu...

Mullai understood nothing changed since night....

M : athan enakaga verum 25 naal palakathukaga yethum pana mudiyathu nu sonegha illa... appuram yethuku varegha....

K : ammavum, annanum kandipa poganum nu solitanga... avangalukaga than vera vali illama varen... vera yarukaagavum illa...

Mullai didnt have strength to hear more.... She did cut the call abruptly....

TBC...