A Sunflower's Tale

~ Chapter - 4 ~

But her reply made Mullai's heart bleed and her face put forward a fake smile. She never thought this moment would give her so much pain. She never knew she liked Kathir till that very moment. To be honest, she loved him with all her heart and now she had to break her own heart, in that instant of her realisation. Priya held Mullai's hand affectionately and her face was red while saying, "Mullai I really like Kathir... I wanted to be sure that you guys had nothing between you both before talking to him... neenga answer panrathulaye theriyuthu there is nothing between you both nu... thanks... na Kathir ta pesalaam la idha pathi... you are also family to him... neenga sollunga... avaru othupaara...". Mullai couldn't take it anymore, she just wanted to go home and shut herself all alone, "talk with him, Priya... pesi paatha thaana theriyum... ippa othukulanaalum he would eventually like you... just do what your heart tells... romba yosikatheenga... I would be so happy if you both end up together... apram ippa thaan nyabagam varuthu... enaku veetula oru mukkiyamana vela iruku I have to leave immediately... shall we leave...". Priya was all smiles when she hugged Mullai and took her leave.

On her way back, Mullai could only think of the one statement Priya uttered, "there is nothing between you both...". Was it really true? Her heart was screaming at her for being a fool. Which sensible woman would let go of a man like Kathir? She felt tears rolling down her eyes and she kept wiping them, not letting them make a mark of her vulnerability. At home, she straight away reached her room and fell on her bed crying her heart out. She was in love with Kathir and she had been denying it for a very long time. She felt like this was how her life would always be, to see her loved ones leave her in front of her own eyes and not be able to do anything about it. She had been praying all these months for something that would kill her from within. She had no appetite for dinner and she didn't sleep a wink the entire night. All she had with her was the moon in the night sky and the irony was it was also just a mirage of comfort to her, an unreachable love yet again.

~~~~~

Kathir was sipping his tea in a restaurant and was looking into a file seriously. He had come there with Priya after they had finished their day's work at the construction site. He looked up and saw her smiling at him, making him smile back at her. He could see something was different in the way she talked with him that day. She had initiated their restaurant visit and that had never happened before. This was the first time he was meeting her without Mullai around. He had great respect for her though and couldn't give no as an answer. While he was pondering on what had led to this sudden change in her demeanor towards him, she spoke in a small yet sincere voice, "Kathir... ungaluku inneram therinjurukum that I had brought you here for a reason... adha solraku munnadi I want to make one thing clear... neengalum Mullaiyum you both are the best people I have met in my whole life... at any cost I don't want to risk our friendship... I... I like you Kathir... ungala kalyanam pannikanum nu aasai padaren... en manasula irukuratha solliten... idhuku mela unga ishtam... no ill feelings either ways...".

Kathir's mind flashed Mullai's picture instantly and he cursed his fate to have put him in a situation which she was always hoping for. Kathir kept the file on the table, put down the cup too and looked at her calmly, "Priya... enakum Mullaikum engagement aanathu unaku theriyum athu miriyum you are saying this means... naanga break up pannikitom nu kelvi patrupa... that is not completely true... athu... it's complicated...". Priya nodded her head in the negative, "illa Kathir I didn't assume anything... yesterday I spoke with Mullai... avunga kitta confirm pannitu thaan I initiated this conversation with you...", Kathir's eyes turned red with his heart murmuring, "Not again Mullai...". He spoke through gritted teeth and tried hard to stay calm because the girl in front of him was not to be blamed, "what did she tell? Enna confirm panneenga ava kitta...", Priya didn't know the repercussions of her words while she said, "that... there is nothing between you both and you both are just good friends... na edhum thappa pesitena Kathir... Kathir ennachu... your face... it's turning red...".