Married in Love

6. The First Train Journey

*Purely Fictional Story*

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One week ran by in Madras and the newly wedded couple were doing well in their married life. He continued to kiss her ring finger every night and her wonderment at their height difference remained. They had a lot of guests coming over to see their Delhi Marumagal and Sadhana won their hearts effortlessly with her chirpiness. Radha was a happy mother-in-law and made sure to ward off evil every night for the couple.

Sandhya and Murali's train back to Delhi was on that Friday around noon while the couple's train to Madhya Pradesh was on Friday late in the evening. Murali wanted to see off their daughter at the train station but Sandhya knew it would be an emotional one for all, so she coaxed Murali to take the morning train "Oru paadhi naal kooda illa, avalum kelambiduva. Adhukaaga namma indha train a miss panna, rendu naal kazhichudhan thirumba train iruku. Monday rendu perum velaiku poganum - yaaru adhukulla poi anga veeta seri panni ellam pannuvanga? Ozhunga indha train laye kelambalam".

They came to say bye to Sadhana on Friday morning, and found her slightly dull. She was being taken care of really well, no doubt. But all said and done, she did not know when she was going to see her parents next. And that worried her. Her father looked aged suddenly and her mother looked unusually vulnerable. But for their sake, she put up a smile and gave them all the assurances they needed.

Ananth on his part assured them as well. And requested them to visit the young couple once they had settled down "Ivalo naal naa anga oru one BHK la irundhen - university staff quarters dhan. Kalyanam munnadi shifting ku apply pannirdhen - oru independent veedu ku. Approval nethu vandhuruchu. Neenga kandipa anga vandhu thanganum".

He then kept Sadhana busy with packing so that she did not have time to dwell on her having to stay away from her parents. Since she sat brooding after her parents left, he offered to pack her clothes while she gave him instructions. Sadhana's parents had gotten her a brand new suitcase to take to her new home and Ananth packed it relatively light "Maa indha sarees and nighties lam ingaye irukattum. Unnoda salwars and silk sarees pack pandren. Michatha anga pona udane unakku pidicha maari vaangikalam." She was seated on the bed with one leg tucked under her thighs while the other was dangling down the bed but not quite reaching the floor. He sat down on the floor near her leg with the suitcase open in front of him. The instant she realized her leg was dangling near his thigh, she immediately raised it to keep it on the bed.

But Ananth caught it and kept it on his thigh, making her clutch his shoulder. On looking up, he found her big eyes shaking no at him. "Vei kaala" he said softly and patted her toes twice. He realized that she was not putting her full weight and was holding back. So he subtly pulled her leg to rest it well on his thigh.

Her eyes quickly darted to the room's door. "Lock pannitu dhan vandhen. Namma ooruku ponadhum idhellam kooda paakavendam. Full freedom" he told her while rubbing the back of her heel, not quite realizing the biological consequences her body was going through.

"Idha pack pannatuma?" he asked her, pointing to a couple of salwar sets, only to see her bob her head in all directions. "Saadhu, pesu maa" he cutely demanded of her but she still shook her head.

"Yenna aachu?" he again asked, not understanding the cause of her speechlessness was the random scribbles his fingers were making on her ankle. Wordlessly, she pointed to where he held her leg with her eyes cast down in shyness.

Ananth had been learning this past week as to how extremely shy his wife could get, at the same time, when she chose to be, she could be as thug as she wanted. But the insane amount of shyness in her now made him laugh affectionately at her and without a second thought he leaned sidewards against the bed and laid his head on her thigh.