Under The Tree

Blooming Bud

Kathir walked to the stall happily, happy that she felt she could ask him what she wants freely without any inhibitions.
He loved the way her eyes twinkled when she insisted on what she wanted, when he questioned her again about her choice.

K Mindvoice : Chinna kolunde maari adampidikura. Nalla iruke, iva ippadi yenkithe urumaiya kekaruthu nalla iruku. Naa kethe ave ice cream venum sollirenda kude ivlo santhosama irendekumanu terile.
Aana avalku enna venumnu yenkithe solli vaangi kudekerathu, vere maari ireke.

He felt proud, it was a different kind of emotion he felt at that moment.
There was pride..
There was trust..
There was love..

K Manasatchi : Yen, ave ketha Nee vaangi kudeke maatiya?

K Mindvoice : Ave ketha naa vaangi kudepen, athu ennaku theriyum. Aana ippeh iveh ippadi urumaiya kekera, ithele irende avalkum anthe nambikai iruku yen mele'nu purinjikithen. Anthe nambikai pudichirku..

He never knew that one request from her would invoke so much emotion in him.  Nearing the stall, he felt like a man on a mission, he will get for her the best, only the best. Always.

*At the stall*

K : Anneh....rendu.. (pause) ah.. Athu nalletha paathu.. Kudengge..

He told with a determined face.

Stall Anneh (SAn) : seri pa.. Neeya paathu edukuriya?

He gave it a thought and nodded.
He spent quite sometime to choose the perfect one for her and gave it to the Stall Anneh.

While he was engrossed in choosing for her, both the Stall Anneh and his wife exchanged a knowing look and smiled.

SAn : innone pa?

K : athu.. Eduva irendalum paravaleh.. Neengeleh edo onu pathu kudengge..

He told nonchalantly.

The Stall Anneh's wife joined,

Stall Akka (SAk) : appeh ithu.. Avughelka? (teasing smile)

Kathir just nodded with a smile.

SAn : Lover'ah, thambi?

SAk : irekadhe pinneh.. Park'ku chatting'lam panneh kuthithu vanderekaghe...

SAn : chatting ah?.. (pause, gave a thought) Athu 'dating'! di.. Chatting'na phone'leh peserathu..

SAn (monologue) : iva oruthi, tappu tappa Ingelisu pesikithe..

SAk : uhhum.. Ippeh ennathe tappa solliputhom, chatting'uh phoneleh peserathu...
Dating'uh nerle pesurathu...
Aghamothum rendum peserathu thaane?
(turned at Kathir)
Enna na sollurathu seri thaane thambi?

That question froze him. He didn't know what to answer. He stammered,

K : athu.. Hmm illeh.. Athu..  Naange chumma.. Veliye... Ave yen... Naa Ave.. Yengelku...

SAk : Kalyanam ayircha? Athu un wife'ah ? (smile)

He nodded frantically.

K : ah.. Aama.. Athan.. Athu thaan.. Solle vanden..

He let out a huge breath of relief.

SAk : Paaten, alagha mahalakshmi maari ireka..

He smiled at that statement.

SAk : appeh.. Pondatti.. Mele 'Love' illeya enna?

She asked him teasingly while handing him his purchase carefully.

Again he froze.

K Mindvoice : Inniki nambeleh viderada illeh poleh?

The Stall Anneh and Akka looked at each then at him and laughed inwardly.

He blushed while he nodded slowly.

SAn : Ey, Janaki.. Yendi thambiyeh pothu padathereh.. Paatha teriliya, puthusa kalyanam aana jodi'nu?

K : Illeh... Athu...ore.. varsham aachi'neh..

SAk : ohho..appeh ippeh thaan rende perum 'love' pandringge? Leh? (teased)

This time he laughed and nodded.

Kathir wasn't ashamed to admit it. Yes, it was the truth.

SAn : Janaki...hmm athu iva ippadi thaan thambi, loda loda'nu edachum pesithe irupa.. Neenge onnum tappa nenechikadingge..

K : ayo.. Illeh'neh... Avungge unmeiya thaneh sonnangge.. Seri nandri'neh... Naa varen'nge..

SAk : varanum, adikadi ippadi varanum. Aparem, veetuku poghe podhu mallipoo vaangi kude. Purushen mallipoo vaangi kudetha, pondati'ku rombe pudikum. Akka solleren kethuko, aama..

The Stall Anneh looked at Kathir and gave an apologetic smile.

However, Kathir actually enjoyed the conversation very much.

K : seri'ka (laughed)

He took the rest of what he ordered, paid the amount and bit goodbye to the friendly couple before walking back to the Tree.