New Beginnings....

The Nuptials...

He thanks God that he accepted the job offer in Chennai...

His life became far more meaningful here...

At the dinner table that night... Mullai spends so much time observing others and wallowing in happiness...

Her Athai and her father laughing together, Dhanam, Paarvathy and Meena's mother in deep conversation... Kumeresan Maama, Jeeva and Kanna clapping and laughing at something Aakash said, Mahi is on Jeeva's lap... A little further are Moorthy, Jaga and Janarthanan having a serious discussion about what, she doesn't know... And then the unexpected foursome.... Kathir sitting and chatting with Kasthuri, Meena and Shewtha, Iniyan on his lap...

She watches him as he laughs, she used to tease him as a child about the tiny gaps in between his teeth... But now.... They make him look all the more adorable... Mahi comes over, pushes Iniyan off his lap and settles in comfortably... He bends low and whispers something in her ears and she grudgingly moves to one side and he makes Iniyan sit on the other side...

That is exactly what a father would do... This man of hers, was born to be a father...

As though feeling his eyes on her, he turns and their gazes meet...

And her throat catches painfully...she feels so emotional... She wants to be hugged by him...

And she smiles...imagining the scene it would cause if they see her sprinting across the restaurant just to hug him...

Kathir gestures at her to join him and she does... The ladies move and make space for her... And they sit by side and hold hands...

*****

On the evening of December 18, just before the sun is about to go down, a small crowd gathers at the beach... Family members of the bride and groom, Jasmine Miss and her family, two other teachers, a few of Mullai's current colleagues, and Kathir's friends from office...

The pathway to the place where the marriage is to take place is strewn with flowers... And the sides have glowing laterns attached to poles, and flowers flow down from hanging gold cages... The color theme is ivory and pink... There's pink Anastasia roses, carnations, white Azaleas and of course Jasmine...

And it leads to a stunning cream and gold canopy under which sits a priest chanting mantras..

The cool air is filled with a fragrance of the sea mingled with the scent of the flowers...

The sun is huge ball of orange and red as it starts disappearing into the waters, leaving behind fiery streaks across the sky..

The sea is calm that night, gently lapping the shores with a melodious sound...

Kathir is already seated there next to the priest, dressed in a striking dove gray suit with an ivory waistcoat and a pink silk bowtie and a matching flower on the lapel of his suit...

Mahi is seated right next to him waiting for her mother to arrive... She looks so pretty in a simple pink choli and is watching the proceedings with wide eyes...

Kathir is nervous... But he is nervous for Mullai...

He prays that she is keeping it together and is not riddled with anxiety...

And... there she is walking down the flower strewn pathway to him...

In life, the roads that we take are often rough, irregular and filled with potholes...sometimes a person comes along the way to smooth it over... And at very rare times, God sends a person, not to smooth things over but to carry you through it...

And that person is Kathir...

Their gazes lock across the distance and Mullai smiles at him...

Not the coy, shy smile of a bride... But an alluring, happy smile of a lover looking forward to their future together..