Anbum Aranum Udaiththaayin

Kaarpulli

Kathir involuntarily stopped the vehicle and blinked his eyes slowly registering the fact that Mullai was indeed in all flesh and glory in front of him. She was lost in her own thoughts and not seen him yet. He took this opportunity to observe her. Her hair was done differently, her face looked different without the kungumam in her forehead. He was worried if she was eating well, as she seem to have lost some weight. He was not sure if he should talk to her or just leave pretending not to have seen her. He decided not to embarrass her and leave when her voice stopped him.

"Kathiru!"

His hands loosened the grip around the steering of the bike. He was afraid to move his eyes and kept them stubbornly focused on road in front of him. He felt her walk towards him and still he refused to look up and meet her gaze even though he knew it was childish. His heart was pounding in his chest. Even after all the time, he mentally cursed that her mere presence made his whole body go weak and stupid.

"Kathiru!!?", Mullai called again all excited.

Mullai got thrilled seeing him that for a second she did not even care to remember why they choose to be apart from each other. Now seeing him flutter and not wanting to see her, all the overwhelming emotions came back to her. It has been 4 months since they last saw each other. Mullai had been tempted so many times to call him or just visit Pandian stores to see him. Later, she decided not to see him again because she did not want to reopen the old wounds she had caused him. Now seeing him face to face was evoking odious memories in her heart.

The second his eyes met her, she noticed his deep brown ones showing so much emotions and she felt the world begin to shift. It was as if the earth fell off its axel and started to turn faster than normal. Kathir looked strikingly handsome and rugged than she remembered him. Instead of his usual lungi, he was dressed up in a pair of dark slacks with pale green polo tshirt. She met his gaze and could see so much anger in it. She was wondering if any part of him was capable of more affection for her or if she'd wither like a dried-out flower in his gaze. It was solely her decision and she blames nobody for her mistake that she lost her friend.

Instead of explaining everything to him, she opted for much easier conversation

"Yepadi iruka Kathiru?"

"Hmm nala irukean", Kathir responded not all truthfully.

"Sandhosam. Nee pakavum nala iruka", she said, her voice softer.

He glanced up at her again and felt his chest tighten the way it used to when she was around. He started wearing pant after started working in Karaikudi. He was supposedly the boss and his brothers did not appreciate him dress in lungi's anymore. Mullai was the first person who wished to see him dressed like this and now he just froze hearing her compliment him. He felt butterflies in his stomach, his heart was doing somersaults, and he felt like a teenager smitten in love.

He smiled instead of saying anything. It was so familiar that she felt herself relax a little bit. He did not ask why she did not call him all these months or if she even missed him and she was thankful for that.

"Nee yepadi iruka?", he asked and tried to sound cheerful but it fell a little flat.

"Nala irukean. Amam Ithana maniku inga  enna panra Kathiru? Ipovey deliverya? Un kadamai unarchiku oru alavu ilaya?"

Kathir could only laugh at her antics. She picked up conversation as if they just spoke yesterday and all his doubts whether to strike a conversation with her went to a toss. Only she was capable of invoking such emotions from him.

"Illa. Karaikudi ku poitu irukean. Nee enga inga?", he asked carefully avoiding questions on how she was doing to not kindle the bitter feelings on loneliness all these past months. She immediately tensed and it made him flutter.