முதலாம் சந்திப்பில்
நான் அறிமுகம் ஆனேனே

Kathir had got down at the bus stop and was admiring the nature and its beauty after almost 6-7 weeks. He doesn't know why and how he falls in love with this place over and over again...

He knew the forest and the place now like back of his hand...such was the connection with this place. The only issue he had to face in this meadows was due to his cringe financial situation. He had to pull out a couple of lies at home in Kunnakudi when enquired about his gold chain. He somehow tackled telling he left it in the room in a hurry. Though he had to hear an earful about how someone could take it away, he was damn sure even if he left it, the gold chain would stay in the very same place. Such selfless were the people there, they lacked the shrewdness and the cunningness the urban and semi urban people held.

So he was damn happy he was back at his place. He somehow felt even PS shop couldn't give him the happiness teaching the little children brought him.

He saw the cooly jeep parked near the shop, the ones that will go to and fro into the forest like every 3-4 hours. He walked towards it...till then he hadn't noticed the shadow of a female lurking near to him.

Only after he dumped his bag, he saw another feminine hand next to him. Though he wasn't a male chauvinist, the number of times he has seen a girl in the cooly jeep was almost cipher, so he was surprised. He looked up to clash with a pair of kohl filled eyes which was attracting his eyes towards them like a NS magnet. He stood gaping at her as if she was the last thing alive in the catastrophic destroyed world. He has seen her pics multiple times at her home, but in all those pics he never felt anything even close to the pull of this strong magnitude except for the admiration for Tamizh. But now, this moment he felt something altogether a feel he has never experienced before.

Seeing some guy look at her or more like drool at her, she was caught off guard. This is the place she was born and brought up. She literally knew each and every one in the lot, directly or indirectly especially since her dad was a forest officer.

So who was this guy gaping at her. She wiggled her eyebrows like who is he...Seeing him still and lost, she had to wave her hand before him to bring him out of his reverie. But even that did not bring him out of his dreamland riling her up to a very big level added to it was the confusion of who the man was.

Finally, she had to snap her fingers at him barking "Excuse me" a couple of times in a loud voice.

His bubble broke away just like how his leg wobbled making him stumble on his bag making her let out a giggle.

That's when the driver of the jeep came.

Driver: ada vaadhiyaar ayya vantingala...

Kathir for a second did forget that he was being addressed as vaathiyar but Mullai caught hold of the words.

Mullai mv: vaathiyaar aa....oh ivar dhana amma avalo nala thambi, arumayana thambi nu puranam padinadhu...

Paatha seriyana jollu madiri theriyurare...

Driver: ayya ungala than...

Kathir: aan...enna na ketinga...

Driver: ada ena ayya....neenga vantinagala nu keten....unga ooru vitu vara kashtama irundirukum la..

Kathir: cha cha...epo da thirumba varuvom nu irundichu....enaku inga avalo pudichiruku.....unknowingly his eyes glanced in his direction.

Mullai for sure did notice his direction.

Driver: mulla epdi ma iruka...padipu epdi pogudu...

Mullai: anna padipu lan muidnjitu....inime inga dhan....

Driver: apo vela ma...

Mullai: nama ooruku seva seyaradha vida vera enna anna vela...

Driver: romba sandoshama iruku ma...mullai...idhan ma nama pudhu vaadhiyaar....

Kathir: kathir...

He introduced himself before the driver.

Kathir: unga veetuku

Mullai: theriyum enga veetuku mela adhu dane...

Kathir bobbed his head...

Mullai turned around and sat as if such a human didn't exist. She was pretty much aware of the city guys and their nature all thanks to her 5 years in Chennai and the innumerous love and break up stories she had to witness during her hostel days.

The moment the jeep stopped, they both tried getting down at the same time to dash their shoulders against each other. She was damn irritated and she simply took the bag and walked away giving him nothing but a stare, but his idiotic super irresponsible eyes which had somehow bonded only with his heart had to wink at her painting the image of a pervert for him inside her mind.

She stomped her feet and went into her house.

But, she was really irritated when her mom was more into welcoming that pervert back to home.

Par: ada vaanga thambi...epdi irukinga...

Kat: nala iruken..neenga avaru?

Par: nala irukom...ipo dan Mullai um vantala aprom enna pa...ey Mullai...inga va...thambi aa arimuga paduthuren...

Mullai reluctantly came not wanting to piss her mom off the moment she stepped in...

Par: ey naan sonen la thambi...adu idu dhan....kathir....idu en ponnu Mullai...

Mullai: vara vazhi laye driver anna sonaru ma.....

Ipo ulla variya....

Romba sorva iruku ma...oru coffee potu tha ma....

Par: ada kathir thambi neengalum vaanga...2 maasam kazhichu varinga....poi udane tea edum poda venam....

Vaanga....naan ungaluku tea potu tharen...

Mullai mv: enamo mapilla virundiku vandirukura madiri gavanipu indha amma ku...aalum muzhiyum....idhila kannu vera adikiran....

Iavana epdi dan amma nalavan valavan nu sonangalo...

She walked into her house with him tagging along.

Even Parvathy amma was surprised when he saw him accepting the tea offer without any of his usual reluctance.

Mullai directly came to her room not wanting to stand in the same place as him...

She didn't even come out to take her coffee as she didn't want to share her morning beverage with him. She stepped out only after she heard him bidding his bye off. Luckily even her mother spared her of the usual dose of not coming to have coffee on time.

She rested for quite some time till her father came and she enjoyed the time with her parents. That's when she noticed that her book shelf almost looked half looted.

Seeing her look at the door with owl eyes, her mom answered her question..

Par: adhu un puthagam lan kathir thambi kita iruku...

Mullai:avan kita yen ma iruku...

Par: ey enna avvan ivan nu solra....oru vaathiyaar..

Mul: adhuku panradhu vaadhiyaar aatam la irukanum....she murmered...

Par: andha thambikum unna madiriye tamizh na usuru adhan adikadi edthitu pogum puthagam lan...

Mul: ohh idu veraya...

She was surprised...

In this 6 months, she had heard countless times her mom telling about this so called thambi but never once did she say about this coincidental love for the language.

Now, she will have to go up and get her books and she really hoped he doesn't try anything stupid this time, She might not think twice before slapping him in case he tries to take advantage of her stepping into his house.

With these thoughts, she decided to go and get her books.

Mulla: amma...naan mela poi en book lan eduthutu varen....

Par: seri di...

And she took the wooden staircase to his house.

Am sorry for this chapter...Some how I feel I dragged a two paragraph part to a 1200 word part. My sincere apologies..

TBC...