A Sunflower's Tale

~ Chapter - 7 ~

Mullai had always loved melodious music all her life, any song that had a fast beat in it would not make it to her heart- that was an unsaid rule between her ear and mind. But that day, the harmonized playing of the Nadaswaram and Thavil had taken its way into her soul and heart in no time and if anyone ever asks her which was her favourite song from then on, she would not give it a second thought before she says it was the piece of divine music she heard before she got married. Everything was so perfect in her eyes that moment, in spite of the untimely wedding, her in-laws had made it to be so. Though things she didn't dare dreaming of were turning true that instant, her eyes just wandered among a selective family and friends who had come there accepting their late invitation. She reciprocated Priya's smile while her vision fell on her and she looked down tears brimming in without restraint.

She could feel Kathir's unwavering gaze on her and she knew he wanted to look in her eyes while he tied the knot. The absence of her parents didn't go unnoticed by her and she didn't want to make any of them guilty for it- it was her mistake and she knew she was reaping the harvest of her deeds. It was a minute to go for her to belong to him and him to her but something in her was crying out loud and she couldn't feel entirely happy. While she was consumed in the swirl of her own spiral, Kathir touched her fingers and she looked up with her eyes fogged with tears. She saw him giving her a soulful smile, she knew she couldn't muster up even half of its genuineness while she saw him take the thaali in his hands from the priest and she heard him say, "anga paaru Mulla...", her eyes moved in the path he directed and it met her parents' half-angry yet gleaming eyes as he tied the first knot saying, "un kannu la irundhu vara kadaisi kanneer thuli idhuva thaan irukum... Happy married life my dear wife...".

Her lips curved into the most beautiful smile that had never ever made its appearance on her before and she saw her parents mirroring it, forgetting every little hard feeling they had on her. And before she could think what was actually happening she turned to look into Kathir's orbs, who was literally on cloud nine and his eyes were shining and dazzling like never before, her mouth uttered, "I love you Kathir..." sweeping away his smile in a second. His eyes rounded up like saucers in pleasant surprise and once reality did finally sink in him, he saw her face drooping down looking in the direction her parents had stood some seconds back. He knew they could have their moment any other time and her emotional welfare did take a front seat every time in his heart. As he was pulling up words to console her, he saw her smile again and she looked at his side but her eyes rested on his mother who stood behind him, saying in a whisper with the most contented happy smile, "Thanks athai...", for Lakshmi to bend down to leave a peck on Mullai's forehead. That moment he felt like even if he claimed that he was the happiest man in the world that would only be an understatement.

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His eyes were glued on his phone's screen which held the screenshot of Kayal laughing merrily while on video call with him an hour back. Mullai had stuck to her words of looking into Kayal again only as her mother while Kathir couldn't resist that angelic face of the little one they had witnessed a day back, and requested Gayathri for a video call with Kayal for a few minutes. As his lips held a hearty smile, the door moved ajar bringing in view- Mullai all dressed up with a red bordered violet silk saree, her hair neatly plaited adorned with jasmine flowers that clogged his senses already. She locked the door and walked with her head bowed down with a glass of milk in hand. The phone slipped away from his grip and he, in his cargos and a sleeveless tee, stared at her like she had grown horns, every happiness his heart held since the day begun was shattered into pieces that second and his hands shivered in frustration as he heard her say, "indhaanga paal kudinga...".

Kathir sat straight with his legs dangling out the bed and didn't look into her as he uttered through gritted teeth, "enna Mulla ithellam... amma kitta avalo sonnen konja neram munna thaan athu edhuvum avungaluku puriyala la... modhalla poyi dress change pannitu thoongu... tomorrow is a big day... naan poyi amma ta konjam pesitu vandharen...", he stood up only to be held on firmly by Mullai and when their eyes met, she burned him with the fire it oozed out, pushing with a force to make him stumble and settle on the bed again. She placed the milk on the table and sat beside him, pulling him to sit facing her as she questioned him with glaring eyes, "yen ithellam venaam nu amma kitta sonneenga Kathir... did you even think of asking me what I had in mind? Enaku sangadama irukum nu vera sollirukeenga... naan sonnena appadi nu...", his mouth dropped down in astonishment as his mind couldn't process what her words meant.