Later that night at Mullai's house all of them are playing cards... Murugan Appa has just finished asking whether they all had a good time that day for the fifth time.. Gayathri patiently answers him, Mullai notices that Jhansi is texting someone with a smile on her face.
For a moment, Mullai's anger is so great that she feels like slapping the smile off Jhansi's face but she controls herself.
Pr: Yarrodae di chat pannurae?
Jh: Kathir odae..
An: Avan kitte dhan smartphone eh illayae?
Jh: Naan onnum WhatsApp pannalae...text msg pannurae.
Mullai throws the cards, tells everyone that she is sleepy and goes to bed, fuming with anger.
She flops on the bed, lying on her stomach, her face buried in her pillow..
Without her knowledge, a few angry tears squeeze out from her eyes.
She is so surprised by the tears that she starts laughing.
M Mindvoice: Nee yennae loose ah Mullai...ethukku ippo azhuvurae?
But the tears still keep rolling down her cheeks.
She is filled with rage, at herself.
Jhansi is a good friend and a nice person... if she and Kathir by any chance, end up being in a relationship, shouldn't she be happy? Then why is she feeling so bloody miserable?
M Mindvoice: Adiyae...verum message dhanae pannae athukkulae relationship veraikkum poietuae...unnaku Kathireh patthi theriyathae? Avannuku dhan ponnugae nalae allergy achae...
Aana nee naa avanukku allergy illae..
That thought comes as a cool breeze to her burning soul.
There is something between them, something powerful, something magnetic, but she is terrified to even give it a name.
With all these thoughts churning in her mind, she falls asleep.
At the same time in PS house:
As always, after they finish dinner, the entire family sits in the hall to talk about the days' events..
Dh: Jeeva, avungalae engae kootitu poney?
Je: Athuva? Summa bazaar veraikkum ponom...avungae etho shopping pannanom nu sonnahae.. Approm, naan bank ku poietten..Kathir dhan kootitu ponaplae..
Dh: Parrahhh (smiling) Mullai ozhungae iruthalae da? vambu ethum pannaliyae?
Ka: Anni...Kunnakudi la ice mazhai peiyae pohuthu, mothae thadavai ya rendu perum sandae podamae vanthagae...
Dh: Nallae vishayam sollirukkae Kanna..
Ka: Matthae ponnugalluku ellam Kathir annanae rombha pudichiruchu...athulae...oru akka, haan..Jhansi akka...avangalukku annanae rombhavae pudichiruchu.
Kathir gestures for him to keep quite.
Ka: Yetho annae innakki pantum shirt le vanthathu nala konjam sumarae irunthuchu...
Lakshmi Amma: Dei...avan ellae dress laiyum azhaga irrupan da.
Kathir smiles.
Ka: Seri...nalaikki engae porom?
K: (looking at Jeeva) Annae nee dhane poha poreh?
Je: Hmmm...illae da..New Year ku munnadi bank velae neraiya irruku da..naa maru naal poren..kochikathae da...
Ka: Nee po nae...naan kandippa varae matten.
K: Dei...ennada ippadi kalati vittute..anthae akkangae ellam onniyae theduvangalae..
Ka: Annae...na varale...chumma chumma patthu kadaikku pornagae..ethuvumae vangamae varangae...
Dh: Ponnunganae appadi dhan da..
K: Dei..koodava da..lunchukku Anjappar hotelukku kootitu poren...
Ka: Seri seri...etho romba kenjurathu naala varen.
After everyone leaves Kathir sits alone with his phone. Jhansi has just messaged him asking whether he had dinner and he replies.. Jeeva comes and sits next to him.
Je: Kathiru...kovamae?
K: Athellam onnum illae nae...
Je: Illae...innikum nee dhane ponae..adhan...
K: Parruvalae annae..nee dhan aduthae naal kootitu poreh nu sollirukkeh la...vidu.
Je: Kandipa da..(getting up to leave) Serri...innumae thukkam varalae? Nalaikku verae sikkiramae kelambanomlae..
K: Tho varen nae...
Jeeva turns around...
Je: Yelai...anthae...pullaiyodae sandai puddikathae da...athu rombha nallae pullae. Konjam vai mattum dhan jasthi..
Kathir nods and smiles.
****
The next day:
It is early in the morning and it has been raining for awhile. It is still dark outside and the day seems to be cloudy and grey. Anandhi is pouring hot tea in a flask.
An: (looking out of the window) Car vanthurrichu...
She sighs as she sees Kathir get out of it.
An: Ennae Mullai...marupadiyum ivan dhan varan...appo innikum nammae plan ambho vah?
Mullai is distracted...she can't take her eyes off him as he stretches and cracks his knuckles. In the glow cast from the car's headlights and the light rain he looks as if he's stepped out from her dreams. She blushes at that thought...
An: Intha...avanuukku poi inthae tea eh kudu...naan ellarum ready ah, nu paathuttu varen.
M: Konjam sikkirame kelambae sollu di...ivan approm semmae kadupu aha poran.
She covers her head with her dupatta and steps outside in the drizzle.
She looks like an angel...
How can she look so beautiful this early in the morning?
Kathir shakes his head...and the best part..she has a flask in her hand.
M: Kathir...indha tea...kannakum koodu..
She peers behind him through the car window to look at Kanna and gives a fond smile when she finds him fast asleep.
K: Innumae yarumae ready ahalae?
He asks a little gruffly..
M: Tension avathae Kathiru...tho vanthuruvangae...
The rain starts falling harder.
M: Velliyae va, naan ullae erraren...
He gets out and she climbs in...
He sits next to her after shutting the door behind him and the first thing he notices about her is the sound...
The sound of her bangles tinkling..she is wearing lots of it...silver colored ones, and with her every movement it makes a sweet noise. She doesn't sit still even for a minute...she removes her hand bag and keeps it next to her. She unfurls her duppatta from her head and lowers it across her shoulders.. she adjusts her hair.
And all the while he is just sitting still beside her, listening to this sound. It's not as though a woman wearing bangles is something new...his anni wears it all the time. But it is totally different when it is Mullai...maybe it is the rain, maybe it her closeness, maybe he is just becoming mad but he likes this new feeling...
Kanna is taking a bit more space than usual, so she is much nearer to him, his covetous mind immediately goes to the starting scenes of the song Saayndhu saayndhu nee paarkumbothu from the movie Neethaane en ponvasantham..
His Mindvoice: Irunthalum oru manushanukku ivalo perasae irukke koodathu da...
He smiles at that, touches his eyebrows and continues looking at her.
To be continued...
