மூச்சுப்பட்டா
நோகுமுன்னு மூச்சடக்கி
முத்தமிட்டேன் நிழலு பட்டா
நோகுமுன்னு நிலவடங்க
முத்தமிட்டேன்

Mudhra's tiny whimpers brought Kathir out of his flashback...

Kat: mudhra ipdi azhada....nee appa oda strong girl dane....

Azhakoodadhu nu solren la....

Mudh: ungaluku ipo lan enna pudikalaya pa??

His baby, was asking him something which literally felt like nothing but plunging a dagger into him.. 

His eyes sought out Mullai's....whose eyes were glistened as well....

Kat: enna da pesura.....he asked with teary eyes.....

Appa ku nee, amma dan da ellame.....

Ungala epdi da appa ku pudikama pogum....

U r my angel....

He hugged her even tighter....

Mudh:

Nee ipo romba poi solra pa....enkita......

Adikadi inga vara....naan namba vandiya papen....aana nee veetuku matum vara mata ...

Inga vandiya pa nu keta....

Illa nu solra.....

Anaiku ipdi dan ennoda tamil competition prize amma ku anupuren nu sonna...

Anupula.....

Anaiku camp la promise paninga la....naan camp lendu varumbodu neengalum amma vum sendu wait panuvanga nu....

Aprom??

Inaiku jisha pana thappu ku enna adicha....

Unaku ennaya pudikalaya pa??

She cried...

Tearing his eyes and heart out.....

Kathir: appa. ..sonen la da ....annaiku eh....

Konjam naal dan nu....

Mudh: konjam naal nu sonna......

Aana I miss you paa....

Veetla yaarume illa....munna lan amma illatiyum thatha pati nee nu irupa...

Ipo vericho nu iruku paaa.......

She wailed....

Tears hidden from many months came out...

Chennai la unna paka kooda illa....appa edo vela ya iruka nu amma solum...

Naanum nambinne. 

Phone kooda panala nu kovama varum pa....

Aana ipo....denam onna pakaren.....school la ....

Aana veetla romba romba miss panren pa.....

Unna....evalo miss panren theriyuma....

Unna katipudichu thoongaradu, nama samaikaradhu,  nama amma va kalaikaradhu, Amma adikumbodu un pinnala oliyaradhu, nee enaku solitharadu....

Ellame....

Romba romba miss panren pa....

She hung on to his shoulder blades....

En daily keela vara vandu ena pakama pona....

Un kooda thaniya varanum nu naan vishaka akka kita kooda sandapoten ..apo dane nee um naanum thaniya varalam nu....

Nee yen pa engala miss panala?? Unaku ena pudikala la ..

Adunala Dane jisha pana thapuku enna adicha.....

Kat: papa enna da idhelam .....

Mul: mudhra enna ma pesura ne....appa ku epdi unna pudikama pogum....

Amma vun appa vun...oru chinna....

Mudh: appa sonaru ma....

Neeyum appa vum sandapotinga nu.....

Almost 40 days back,

The day Kathir met Mudhra in ground...

The one minute he scanned her...

His eyes were busy assessing the changes she had in 9 months...

She had grown taller by 5- 6 cm, she should have put on some 3 -4 kgs...

A bright smile did adorn on her face...

He expected a squeal from her the money she saw him...

But all he got was a neutral reaction....

He had met Mullai the before day...his eyes were aching to know her stay place so he could meet his daughter...

And luck favoured him through Pugazh...

Else, he wouldn't have known....till he found her place....through his brother a even tedious task....

Now, seeing her stay with a neutral stand he thought she was just following their...student teacher pact he had made ....

He hadn't given much thought to it....

When he went to change his dress, he expected she ll follow him....

But no....

He came out saw her in parking with another girl, vishaka....

He offered them lift...

When in the car, she said he wasnt unknown he expected her to call him "appa".

But she didn't....

She stayed as if she didn't know him...

It hurted him like hell...

But he was happy he knew where they resided...

Next day,

When she was going about in the corridor post lunch not giving a heed to him,

He called out to her...

Kat: mudhra...

Mudhra walked ahead...

Kat: mudhra...

She stopped. 

Mud: solunga....

Kat: inaiku ground la practise mudinju wait panu.....

Mud: speech paper ku dane??

Kat: wait panu nu sonen....naan unna veetla kondu poi vidaren

Mud : vishaka akka ?

Kat: akka kita appa unna viduvanga nu soluma....

Mud: seri....

She walked off.....

The day after sports practise....

Mud: akka...nee kelambu ka...naan appa oda varen.....

Vis: unga appa edo vela vishayama poirukanga nu dane...

Amma sonanga....illaya??

Mud: adu illa appa inaiku varen nu sonaru....nee po ka...

Vis: seri ma....

And she waited....

Kathir came in less than 2 minutes....and stopped the car...

Kat: vandila eru da..

Mudhra quietly got onto the car...

And she stayed mum.  

His daughter was a talkative chirpy sparrow like his wife...

Seeing her mum, his heart was beating fast...

Kat: mudhra yen ma amaidhiya iruka....

Mudh: onnum illa...

Kat: appa mela kovama....

She kept mum...

Kat: manichidu ma...

Mudh: unaku vela iruku busy iruka nu amma sonanga. ..

Aana nee inga dane pa iruka....

Naanga inga vandu 7 days agudu....nee yen paka varala....

Naan unna wednesday eh pathuten...3 days leave nee varuva nu wait panen...

Nee varala....

Amma pudu veedu porom nu sonadum....nee irupea nu nenachen...

Apovum nee varala....

Enaku avalo kovama vandichu....adan car la pesala....aana ...nethi um nee varala....

Yen pa??

Unaku yen mela kovama??

Naan enna pa panen??

She broke down...

So did he....

Kat: sorry ma...appaku theriyadu nee inga iruka nu...

Mud: poi soladha pa

Kat: appa poi soluvena...nejama appa ku therla ma....

Mud: amma yen solala??

Unakum amma kum sandaya??

Kat: adu vandu papa....

Mud: apron yen amma solala??

Kat: appa kum amma kum oru Chinna sanda da....adhan....

Mudh: apo ini nee veetuku varave matiya??

Kat: apdilan illa ma....nee thappu pana appa manikaradu illaya ma...

Apdi dan amma vum....konja naal la seri ayidum aprom...

Appa amma mudhra munna madiri sendu dan irupom...

Mud: adh vara veetuku vara matiya pa??

Kathir nodded his head in a no....

She teared up...

Kqt: nama denam school la papom da...

Mud: anga nee enaku ayya dane appa illaye....

That line broke him down....

Kat: sorry da....

He said with tears in his eyes...

Mud: seekram sorry ketru pa. ...

She smiled wiping his and her tears....

Mud: magnum ice cream....

Kathie giggled and got her some ice creams...

After roaming around,  he dropped her off....

Mud: amma, appa thapu panaru nu sonaru ma....

Manichidu ma...

Appa va romba miss panren ma...

She broke down....

Mud: anaiku appa sonaru naan camp mudinjidu varumbodu nama sendu irupom nu...

Okey solu ma please ma....

A small flashback of 7 days back,

Mud: amma..

M: solu ma...

Mud: appa kita keten ma, camp aa pathi...okey solu ma...

M: mudiyadu mudhra...

Mud: maaa....inga romba bore adikidu ma....yaarum illaye veetla...thatha, pati irundalachum paravala...

please ma.....

she cried...

Mullai didn't want Mudhra to suffer in their issue.....

Mul: seri ma...nee poitu va....

Mud: thanks amma....

she hugged her...

They started to chennai in a rented car....Mudhra was pissed her dad hadn't called her...

Mud: appa yen ma phoen kooda panla....

Mullai wasnt sure what to tell her...how could she tell her dad might be busy preparing for his so called engagement...

How was she to tell anything or everything??

She had remained calm....

But , the moment they got down in the camp, kathir's face was the first thing that came to their view...

Mudhra ran to him...

Mud: appa...

Kat: papa....

Mud: appa nee phone panla nu naan kovama irunden....

Kat: appa drive panitu irunden da...vera edum illa....

He passed a smile to mullai which was ignored as usual..

Mud: appa nama epo pa pazhaya madiri onna irupom??

Kat: neenga camp lendu vara naal....appa amma sendu irupom....

Mud: promise..??

He sealed his promise with a kiss...on her forehead.

Mud: appa nama oru selfie edukalam?? Please pa...

Kat: amma othupanhala??

Mudhra ran to her mom..

Mud: maa, nama oru selfie edukalam please ma....

Mulali wasnt sure if it was the face or her tone, but they did click a selfie...

Later, after all the formalities mullai and kathri started in two separate cars...

But her car broke down...she joined with kathir....spend the night with him...accused him of infediility...

And then till now they didn't have a chance to talk...

Mud: amma....please ma appa va manichidu ma....

Please ma....

Mullai nodded her head and looked at kathri....his eyes said their talk was pending. ....

Mudh: nejama??

Mulali nodded once again....

Mudh: thanks ma.....I love you she said still in her dad's.embrace....

Kathir glanced at the clock they showed half past 7 o clock....

How did time fly ??

His baby should be hungry??

It's her supper time....

Kat: mudhra...papa ku appa sapadu miss panringa la...

Mudhra bobbed her head...

Kat: inaiku appa um mudhra um samaipangalam....

Deal??

Mudh; yesssss.....

Mulali saw how their nest was back to being chirpy...

Her baby,  she was seeing her genuine smile after almost an year..

Even kathir ...his glint in his eyes....

She followed the father daughter duo to see what they were doing...

They were busy making some kofta n kebab....typical kathir special....

Dinner was a happy affair for Mudhra who was happily seated on his lap gobbling down from her father 's plate....she sat admiring them.....

She wasn't left out...either.....

Kathir had fed from his own hands...

She relished his cooking....she had missed this as well....

At around 9pm,

Mudhra's eyes were closing on its accord....but she was trying her level best to keep them open....

Kat: mudhra thookam varudu la...thoongu da...

Mudy: nee kelamba mata la...

Kat: maaten....

Mud: apo vaanga namba 3 perum thoongalam....please please...

Kathir picked her on his arms and moved to their bed...mullai followed them...

They settled on their bed...as usual, she had taken the right side leaving the left side for her mom....

Mud: apa....paatu paduriya???

Please....

Kathir put her to sleep humming the song

"
ஆராரோ ஆரீராரோ
அம்புலிக்கு நேரிவரோ
தாயான தாய் இவரோ
தங்கரத தேரிவரோ...

மூச்சுப்பட்டா
நோகுமுன்னு மூச்சடக்கி
முத்தமிட்டேன் நிழலு பட்டா
நோகுமுன்னு நிலவடங்க
முத்தமிட்டேன்

தூங்கா மணி
விளக்கே தூங்காம
தூங்கு கண்ணே ஆச
அகல் விளக்கே அசையாம
தூங்கு கண்ணே"

When he finished his humming, he saw his wife and daughter sleeping on him....he was trapped within their embrace....

And his mind drifted to sleep, but his subconscious mind was busy reminiscing the first meet with his lady love...

Tbc....