The minute she made her entry into the room of her daughter , Parvathy wondered is there any tiny space left to mess things up with . The entire room was taken to a toss by Meenakshi.

Being an interior designer , she was drafting her layout to submit it to the client who was constantly bugging her. There her mom came to add on double worries.

"Neeye indha mess ah clean panra " Parvathy left a huff.

"Na unna panna sollave illa ma " Meenakshi rolled her eyes.

"Mapillai veetla irundhu call vanduchu ! Innaiku evening nee poi Hari ah Down town cafe la pathutu va " Parvathy conveyed the information.

"Yaruku yaru mapillai ? Neenga la onnu decide pannuringa ... Na lam pogala " Meenakshi told with irritated eyes.

" Unna poriya nu opinion kekala , Po nu sollrom ... illa unga appa va kupduva ? "

Already the client kept following her up with the draft while now she had to meet her fiance Hari , who she hasn't even met or seen once. Hurriedly without replying to her mother , she began searching for something.

"Ena tedura ? " Paravathy questioned looking at her daughter.

"Pencil " She told in an utter annoyance.

Parvathy pulled the pencil that was holding her hair bun perfectly.

"Talai la ye vachutu , Ella edathulayum tedu ! " Parvathy smirked.

Meenakshi's face was blank ... her way of thought process regarding the institution of marriage is different from that of the older generation.

"Engaluku lam kalynam pannikuriya nu kekala , Kalynam panniko nu sonnaga ! Unnaku enna d prachana andha thambi kita ?" Parvathy glared.

"Seri ma poren , ippa lecture edhukama kelambu " She wailed

Parvathy looked at the god and thought him to be the last Ray of hope in her daughters life.

Her saviour for the day reached back home, her elder sister Kayal reached with her 2 year old baby girl.

"Enna kalynam ponnu innaiku unnaku family date fix pannirukanga pola ? " Kayal teased only to get a glower from Meenakshi.

"Muna pina teriyadhavanga kita enna Kayal poi pesa ? " her eyebrows wrinkled.

"Photo , number ellam kudutom ! Nee dhan pesala pakkala , you can't give this as a reason Meenu " Kayal clarified.

" Marriage is a life time commitment , idhula just with a photo how can I come to a conclusion ? " Meenakshi asked.

"Adhe mari without giving a talk to Hari how can u jump into a conclusion ? " kayal put Meenakshi in a fix.

"What are u thinking Meenu ? " Kayal really to solve it.

" Coffe podura Wife ah ennala iruka mudiyadhu , I m definitely not a conventional wife that all are amma's have been through out " Meenu indeed had her perspective different.

"Indha kalathula Arrange marriage happens between 2 broken hearts . That's how love and ideology is taken for granted Kayal " Meenu rolled her eyes.

" Ellarukum past irukum Meenu , there is no wrong in it but Hari ah innaiku pathutu decide pannu " Kayal told in a convincing tone.

"I want to grow in the relationship of marriage , ennaku enna pudikum na vida avaruku enna pudikum nu pathu seiyanum nu dhan ennoda aasai like wise that's how he should also respond back ? Isn't it ? What if he doesn't " She kept on adding her ideology of the institution of marriage.

"Ada Kiruki, why are u convincing yourself with a NO , keep ur mind blank and then meet him , apa bulb eriyalam la ? " Kayal advised.

Meenakshi nodded her head it wasn't right on her part to jump into conclusion without meeting him in person.

"Number venuma ? " Kayal teased.

"Venam " Meenakshi glowered at her elder sister.

"Meeting poitu ! Number nu enkita dhana varuva pathukuren unnaya " Kayal thought

*********

Meenakshi reached the cafe. After a long debate of not wanting to wear a saree with her mother and sister , she finally gave up and ended up in a saree.

She was consciously waiting for Hari , when she saw the cafe door opening . There he was in his Calvin klein T- shirt paired with his trousers.  What caught Meenakshi's eyes was the social distancing that he maintained when few girls passed by him.

That caught her attention, which was the first step that aimed to incline towards him.

"Vandhu romba neram Acha? " He asked as he pulled a chair and sat across.

"Cha cha ! Oru 10 minutes achu. " She told with a smile.

"Sorry ! Late ayruchu " He told as he rubbed his temple.

"How we spend together matters la ? Adhuku konjam munna Pinna vandha prachanaye illa ! Pasanga na perfect ideal ah irukanum nu lam avasiyam illa " She told with a nod.

There it was a sixer ! Hari always heard stories from his friends who were married , that the guy is always expected to be ideal , plan things out but he liked how Meenakshi's thought process was.

An awkward silence prevailed amongst them when Meenakshi initiated to talk
" Your views on love? "

"Nammaku enna puduchurukundhra da vida , partner ku enna puduchurukunu terinjukutu adha nadaka vaikuradhu is love"  He told with a tinge of smile along with the dimples that peaked.

"Na sollanum nu nenachadha ivaru sollraru ? " Meenakshi's mind voice mocked.

"Ungaluku ? " Hari asked.

" Finding all my close relationship in one person ! From Amma appa to my friends , finding all there traits in my man is love " her eyes glittered.
He indeed loved the way she was thinking and the my man from her was enough to make his blood rush and adrenaline to pump extra.

The awkwardness kept prevailing now and then.  Both of them kept looking around and he initiated " Ellaru life layum past irukum , I m no different "

She did not expect him to be upfront about his past and hence spoke
" Past ennakum irunduchu , past is something that we have to forget isn't it?"

"Right ! At the end we would be eachother's last , that'd matter the most " Hari assured.

What impressed Meenakshi ? She herself did not realise the reason but she could sense her liking is inclining towards him.

"Coffee poda teriuma ? " Hari asked .

All this time the impression Hari had created would have remained if he hadn't asked her this question . She is not the girl who prepares coffee and that is definitely not something she would be looking for.

"Yen poda terianuma?"  She rolled her eyes.

" Coffee Poda solla maten ! Na poduren starting from day one of our marriage " He spoke , Meenakshi was surprised is the least word that can be used to describe the feeling.

"Ellame ore aal panna ? It's not a healthy way ... we have to grow as individuals by helping eachother . Its not a rule that you should serve me or I should . 50 - 50 pannikalam " He continued and there Meenakshi

That was enough for Hari to sweep Meenakshi off her feet.

His eyes spoke more , the unsaid words were crystal clear to her eyes . For a minute she forgot everything when she came in eye contact with him. That's the magic and that's the spark that was needed for her to be sure of this marriage.

"Oyee !" He had to bring her back to reality .

"Coffee sollava Meenu ? " He asked looking at the menu.

Though she hates the smell of Coffee , she couldn't deny it.

Once he placed an order , he sat back on the chair when Meenakshi spoke " Coffee pudikadhu , but I did not want to deny it "

"I still have to learn about ur likes and dislikes " Hari told in understanding.

"We have life long time to learn about eachother " She assured.

Inspite of not being sure at the start of how this relationship might shape to now Both of them being confident that what ever may pass by the spark to be together is ignited.

***********

" Kovama ponna va enna ippudi siruchutu vara ? " Paravathy questioned Kayal who shrugged her shoulder.
Meenakshi behaved differently than usual when she returned back home . She kept trying to find her fiancé's number.

"Ollunga Kayal kuduka modhe vangirukanum " She huffed.

Rightly , Kayal entered the room and heard her little sister rambling things.

"Hey enna d tedura ? " Kayal rolled her eyes.

Meenakshi did not answer her question and tried her luck to get hold of the number without her family knowing , else she would be there side dish for tonight.

Once she pushed kayal out of the room, Meenakshi got hold of Parvathy's phone and finally she managed to get there landline number.

She checked back and forth , to see if anyone is checking on her and sneeked to the balcony. She gave a call to the landline when her eye balls popped out hearing the voice " Hello yaru idhu ? " Hari's Mother had picked the call.

Not knowing what to answer , she remained silent . After not hearing any reply Hari's mom hung the call.

"Uff ! Matunom sethom " She spoke and left a heavy breath.

After few minutes she again gave a call , this time it wasn't her mother in law but her father in law and she remained quiet.

After giving few minutes of gap , she again give it a try but to her fate it was her sister in law who picked it . The person who she wanted did not take the call.

"Yaru kupdura ne teriala pa ! Call panranga ana pesa matinguranga " Hari's mom complained to hari.

"Next call panna na edhukuren ma " Hari assured.

Meenakshi prayed all the deities she could and gave a final call , finally she heard is voice and let a huge sigh of relief.

" Finally call edhuttinga , nanum evalavu nerama call panna ? "

Hari was no less than a human tomato,  when he heard her rants of him not picking. The blank call thing made him feel like a teenager excited about the blank calls.

"Sollu da ! Na ippa dhan veliya poitu vandhen " Hari spoke as he took the cordless landline to the stairs.

" Na da illa d " She rolled her eyes.

" Ada adhu illama , veetla nee dhan call panna nu terinja enna urga vachuruvanga adhuku dhan " He dragged.

" Apram sollunga ? " He initiated.

" Onnu marandhuten solla ! " She blinked her eyes .

" Enna achu? " He questioned.

" Puduchuruku " She told abruptly.

"Edhu puduchuruku? " Hari questioned cluelessly.

"Coffee ah sonnen " sarcasm was evident in her voice.

"Avalvudhana ? " He knew the intention and the context in which she spoke.

" Coffee order pannaavara ithunundhu dhan puduchuruku " She told with showing her hands imitating it.

"Vera aal venam matiralam ? " Hari teased back.

But the " Ila ila venam , enaku venum ..." She told with biting her lips on the almost confession that she made which got bright smile on Hari's face.

The minute she hung the call , she turned back to see Kayal standing behind her with her hands crossed near her chest.

"Yaru ma phone la ? " Kayal asked with sarcasm.

" Hari " came the straight forward reply from Meenakshi.

"Oh oh kadha apdi pogudha ? " Kayal thought in her mind.

"Munji la enna oru tani glow teriudhu? Ivalavu neram enga pochu ? " Kayal again questioned with a tease written on her face.

" Fiance konjam happy ya vachurukaru ! I'm bound to glow la?" She told as she knocked her sisters head.

"Edheyy ?? Kalaila apdi pesuna , kalynam venam adhu idhu nu ? Maralam adhukunu ippudiya ? " Kayal's jaw dropped.

"Varavendhiya aal vandha , ellam nadakum Kayal " Meenakshi told with her eyes shining and walked back to the room leaving the amused Kayal.

_________________________________________

Hi dears ! The next one shot is out , romba naal ah I had this running in my head and hence penned it down.

For a change thought of using Meenakshi as the name of the lead!

Do share in ur comments and reviews on how u liked this one shot ?

With love
Author 💜