Kadhalin Niram

Monotonous Gray...

Kathir couldn't sleep that night. Everything was in such a haze to him. Her cries, he had seen it so many times before. But somehow, today it shook him. It made him restless. he had made her cry so many times before, as children till now just before marriage. He had never felt this bad about it before... but then again he had never seen this much pain, in her eyes before... and he absolutely hated himself for being the cause of it. 

 So he laid back in the empty room, that night, having flashes of her tears... her kohl rimmed eyes smudging, that painting... 

That beautiful painting, the vibrant colours was all he could see in that millisecond before the water had flushed in and ruined it. 

Ugh... he tossed and turned trying burn away the image of her in that shock and lament. 

"Thappu paniteye.. da Kathiru..." he mumbled to the monotones gray of the night that filled his room. So lifeless. He waited in the room thinking she would come back in, until his eyelids gave way and he fell asleep... 

Mullai, would have gone ballistic. If she hadn't felt that her life was doomed when she got married. Now bad things happening to her, felt fitting. She had gotten used to it, in fact a part of her was waiting for the age old bickering to start between them sometime soon. And now it had in the most heartbreaking way. 

She slumped against the well in the backayard. Her sobs coming in irregular hiccups and snivels. She must surely have been a gruesome sight,  she thought to herself.  She wiped her tears away, looking up at the sky. The clouds weaved  a plain bleek gray canvas for her to stare at..

They seemed to hate each other. Anything the other did was always misconstrued by either of them. How did their family think that this was going to work? God! Did they even think? 

Surely not... 

They made a haste decision. But she had to take the brunt of the responsibility! Unfair would be the understatement of the year. How was she going to make a relationship work when it starts of with hate. Not even indifference. Hate!

New tears sprung up as dwelled into over thinking... She pulled her knees together and cried her heart out... 

* 

Next morning, Kathir woke up and flipping to his back to see if she was there sleeping peacefully as she usually does. He was always the first one to wake up.  But today, the bed looked untouched. He rolled his mat and placed it in the corner, grabbing the came out of the room, keeping an eye out for the lean slender woman. But she was nowhere to be found on his way to the bathroom... Brows furrowed, lost in deep thought. He let the lukewarm water erase all his wrong doings from last night and started afresh. 

As promised, Mullai , worked like CIA agent recruited by the US Official, in keeping out of Kathirs way. She made a pretense of checking up on Lakshmi Athai, last night, and convinced her to let her sleep there, with her. She again woke up at four in the morning and washed up even before Dhanam woke up, surprising her with tea. 

Mullai was still stiff with Dhanam but amicable all in all, which was surprisingly taken in a quite stride by Dhanam. It seemed like she was okay as long as Mullai didn't outrightly ignore her. 

Kathir came out of the bathroom wiping his hair, as Dhanam came from the other side and collided into him "Sorry da, na etho yosanainala vanthan,", she shook her head and looked up at him, "Hmm kulichitiya? Tea poda sollava, avala.." she asked, 

Kathir blinked at Dhanam for a good minute "Ava.." he started.. 'Ava eppudi iruka?' is what he wanted to say but didn't. He blankly nodded at a mildly amused Dhanam and slowly made his way out to the hall. Slowly,  so that he would catch a glimpse of her. Just to see if she is okay. nothing else. He just wanted to know if she had been crying all night.  But as he passed by the kitchen Kanna came out of it and did actually collide into Kathir, knocking his head with Kathirs.