Anbum Aranum Udaiththaayin

Pathirikkai

"Moraikadha. Nee madiyil okandavey adhu enyago than mudiyum pola"

"thappa solitean. Naan sonadha vaapas vangikarean. Unna mathiri sidu sidu payan enaku venam", she shrugged her shoulder before she tried getting up only to be pulled back by him.

"Udaney kovam matum vandudum. Naan solradha rendu nimisham eppo than porumaiya keppa?"

When she sat without saying anything, he held her hand tighter and pulled her closr

"enaku kuda enna mathiri payan venam. Unna mathiri ponnu than venum"

This made her look up at him. "Aana ipo venam. Konja varusam pogatum"

"Varushama? Erkaname enaku vayasayiduchu. Inum varusa kanaku solra?"

"edhu??? Adeiyey 25 vayasu than agudhu unaku"

"24 naalu, inum 25 agala.", she corrected

"Romba mukiyam. Namakunu konja naal vazhalam. Aparama aasai thira neraya kozhakai pethukitu vazhakalam. Seriya?"

"Vayasana kozhandai pethukaradhu kastam ilaya?"

"Unaku yaru indha mathiri arivupurva vishayam elam solranga?"

"Romba nakkal adikadha. Padichu irukean. Adhan sonean"

"Apadi elam edhuvum kedaiyadhu. Adhu matum illa. Modhala kelvi mathiri pesaradhu niruthu. Konja varusham kozhandhai venam", he replied little sternly than he intended.

Seeing her face fall "Yen, namba matum irukanumnu unaku thonalaya?", he asked

"Un kuda apadi irukanumnu enaku yepadi thonama pogum? Un kuda chumma 10 nimishm coffee shop ponna kuda, anaiku avalavu sandhosama irukum. Namba rendu peru matum, indha veetlanu nenacha avalavu sandhosama iruku. "

He knocked her head with his hand "Aparam enna? Romba pottu kolapikadha. Venumna unakum illa, enakum illa. kalyanam aagi, konjam maasam kalichu idha pathi thirumba yosipom. Adhu varaikum jollya irukalam. Seriya?"

"Hmm seri", she said

"En mela sanjukitey , sirichukitey than sollean adha", he said earning a smack from her though she didn't fail to lean on to him.

Second week of November, 2021

It has been a week since she was at Kathir's house, and their wedding date was finalized. Everyone was busy with the preparations of the wedding. Mandpam was booked, and invitations were already printed. Tomorrow they were going to the temple to perform some rituals before they start distributing the invitations.

"Mulla, inuma ready agala? Sikiram ready ayitu va", her mothers voice boomed from entrance of her room.

"Dho ma. Kulichutean. Saree than katanum"

In fifteen minutes, she came out dressed in her mother's saree that she loved. It was dark purple with bottle green boarder embedded with mango putta throughout the saree.

As a kid, she had always looked up at her mother and wanted to wear a proper saree when she grows up. Somehow, wearing her mother's saree felt special for her today.

Noticing the sheen of moisture on her mother's eyes "amma azhariya?", she asked softly

Parvathy blinked few times to clear her vision that was being blinded by her tears.  She flicked a little of kajal from Mullai's eyes and placed it below her ears.

"Avalavu azhaga iruka. Nethu indha podavai than katuvenu sollrapo kuda yoen pazhasa katarenu nenachean. Ipo idhula unna pakkarpo, enna kanney patutum pola iruku", Parvathy said fondly caressing her saree