I flied to you intentionally..!
I hided my wings behind the veil of my emotions..!
I couldn't resist myself drowning in the charms of your hues..!
My loyalty didn't allow me to fly in our sky as my wings were designed for betrayal..!
But..
But..
I really don't need these wings if you cage me..!
Cage me in your heart..!
Will you open up the cage just to lock me inside?

*****

The evening sun casts long shadows on the ground..

The shadows are now twice the length..

The slanting rays of the setting sun gives a warm orange tinge to the sky..

The mosquito's are out..

Goosebumps are on the arms from the evening chill..

The green mountain is now looking almost black, silhouetted and colours muted..

The bus stops with a jerk leaving the sleepyheads to hit their foreheads over the steel bars in the seats before them..

The conductor shouts..

Estate vandhaachu..

Erangravanga erangunga..

Passenger-Yen pa..

Takkunu break poduveengalaa ipdi dhan..

Con-Ara mannerama solren..

Thoongitu ipa vandhu enna kettaa..

Neenga enga eranganum..

Lake dhana..

Ready ah irunga..

Adutha stop adhaan..

Indha ma.. Erangu seekram..

He is rushing as hell and if she doesn't obey him, he would push her out of the bus..

That's how he is commanding..

She literally jumps out of the bus with her backpack and a travel bag..

The bus moves leaving a good amount of smoke..

She just wipes her face and checks the time..

It's 6 PM.

She rolls her eyes to see if anybody is around to receive her..

No..

Nobody..

The Sahyadri before her is haloed in the aureate light of the setting sun..

The hill is where the time stops..

The rock does not care for minutes or hours, it doesn't care for days and hardly for years..

A mountain only regards the eons..

In the rocky trails, she could forget about everything, she thinks..

She could just move in a place where yesterday was inconsequential and tomorrow also..

Can she actually?

A big NO, her heart says..

The wound in her heart is something that won't be cured that simple..

She has to face..

The consequences..

The aftermath..

She takes a deep breath..

She moves towards the tea shop that is just 50 steps away..

She is stopped by a jeep..

She turns her head as her body gets petrified automatically..

A young chap is sitting in the driver seat..

He is looking cool..

With a jerkin to keep himself warm from the spine chilling cold breeze..

He smiles at her..

She doesn't..

He asks her, Are you Mullai?

M-May I know who is this?

The guy smiles back..

Here is my visiting card..

I have been sent to receive you..

The fog is completely blocking the road and the vision is blurry..

That's why I can't come early..

Iam so sorry..

Btw, you can tag along with me now, I'll drop u at home..

Mullai checks the visiting card and she hesitates to go with him..

G-What happened? U have any issues?

Wait, let me call madam..

He calls up..

Hello..

G-Madam, Naan Vetri dhan..

Mullai ah paathuten..

Avanga thayanguraanga..

Neenga oru vaartha sollita paravalla..

Dho, tharen madam..

He just gives the mobile to her..

Her hands are shaking with cold, anxiety, nervousness and what not..

She gets it..

Hel..

Hello..

Hello, Ammadi.. Naan Lakshmi ma..

Vetri namma manager dhan ma..

Naan dhan anupi vechen..

Unakku phone panni sollanum nu nenachen..

Marandhuten..

Avankooda vandhuru ma..

M-Haan..sari madam..

She cuts the call and gives the mobile back to V..

V-Vareengala madam?

M-Hmm...

She nods and sits in the back seat of the jeep..

He starts the jeep..

As it moves, he asks her..

Neenga thamizh dhana?

M-Aama sir..

V-Tamizh na enga?

Endha ooru?

The stiffening of her body can be seen through the mirror..

V-Ennachu nga..

M-Haan..

Haan..

Chennai..

V-Oh.. Sari sari..

Before he could ask anymore, M closes her eyes as a precautionary step..

To escape from the questions..

How long she is going to run away from the questions?

She doesn't know..

She has no idea..

Vetri doesn't disturb her..

He adjusts the volume of the music player..

Valainthu nelinthu pogum
Paathai mangai moga koonthalo..
Mayangi mayangi sellum vellam
Paruva naana oodalo..

The voice of Yesudas takes him up and his hands drive automatically through the bends as if it's not a new thing to him to drive through the bends..

Mullai opens her eyes only when he stops the jeep..

The watchman opens the gate and Vetri smiles at him..

He stops at the portico..

Idhan madam veedu..

Erangikalam..

She gets down with a hesitation..

And blood pressure as well..

As Vetri parks the jeep and moves towards the bungalow, she stands at the colonnade with her bags, wallowing in self-pity..

Vetri turns and calls her..

Vaanga madam..

Yen ninnute irukeenga..

She goes..

They reach the porch..

V-Inga ukkarunga madam..

Madam varuvaanga..

He goes in..

M stands clueless..

After a long gap of 3 minutes, a lady comes there..

She is in her mid 30s..

She smiles at M..

M smiles back..

Vaa ma..Nee dhan Mullai ah?

M-Aama madam..

..

Naan Dhanam..

Lakshmi amma irukanga la?

Avanga 1st DIL..

M smiles..

D-Ulla vaa ma..

Ellarum hall la dhan irukanga..

M goes with her..

The living space is really spacious..

The chesterfield is occupied by an old couple..

The matching armchair is being occupied by a man who is in his 40s..

Vetri is standing near him..

D-Vaa ma..

Athai..Idhan athai andha ponnu..

L-Vaa ma..

Naan dhaan ma Lakshmi..

Unta phone la pesinadhu..

Ivaru dhan en husband..

Adhu en modhal paiyan..

Idhu Dhanam..

Vetri manager..

M smiles at them..

Pandian starts the question session..

Vara romba late aacho?

M-Illa..Illa sir..

Moo-Yen ma bayapadra pesave?

Dhairiyama iru..

D-Modhal naal dhana mama..

Paathu 10 nimisham kooda aagala..

Adhukkulla epdi pesuvanga?

Pa-Amma, appa laam endha oorla ma irukanga?

M blinks several times to take back the tears..

She nods as no..

L stands and goes near her..

Azha koodadhu ma..

Vandhadhe late aachu..

Paatha kalaipaa iruka..

Dhanam, indha ponnu ku selvi ah vittu room ah kaata sollu..

Po ma..

Poi mogam, kai kaal kazhuvitu vaa..

Sapdalam..

She nods yes and moves..

Selvi accompanies her to the room..

Moo-Enna ma indha ponnu..

Ipdi posukunu azhudha, ivlo emotional ah irundha enna ma panradhu..

Ivala nambi naanga ungala epdi ma vittutu poradhu?

Pa-Moorthy, avanga amma appa ipa dhan thavarirupanga polarukku..

Adhan andha varutham..

Takkunu namma kettathum badhil solla therila..

Konja neram aana sariya poidum..

D-Enakkum mama solradhu sari nu padudhu..

Andha ponnu mogame sari illa..

V-Vara vazhila pesave illa madam..

Kanna moodite dhan vandhaanga..

L-Adhan..

Ellam sariya poidum..

Companion dhana?

Ellam porumaiya paathukalaam..

Vandha alupaa kooda irukum..

Idha idhoda vidunga..

Naan paathukren..

Yaaru enna sonnalum ava dhan engalukku companion..

Paathadhume pudichu pochu enakku..

Moo-Adhu sari..

Yaaru ma vendaam nu sonnadhu..

Podhuva sonnen..

Mathapadi, ungala nalla paathukita podhum..

Pa-Adhellam paathupaa ava..

****

The family is assembled at the dining table..

M hesitantly walks to the dining hall..

L-Vaa ma.. Ukkaru..

She sees them..

DM and PL are sitting..

D-Ukkandhuko ma..

She sits..

The food is being served by Selvi..

Mullai gets up with 2 chappathis..

D-2 chappathi dhana sapta?

Innum 2 vechiko..

M-Illa madam..

Podhum..

D-Chapathi pidikadha?

Rice vena veika sollava?

M-Illa madam..

Travel pannadhu oru maadhiriya iruku..

L-Nee poi rest edu ma..

Naalaiku kaalaila pesikalam..

M nods and goes to her room..

She just falls over the bed and cries profusely..

As if crying could help her to breath easily..

The mood slumps are coming out as tears and the stars in the sky blinks to stop their tears and the moonlight stretches through the sky to console them..

****************Sudum*************