Kathir stood near the glass walls of his office cabin in Pandian Constructions, which was on the 8th floor. His company was one of the top five construction companies in Tamil Nadu. His father had decided to retire three years back and had handed over the responsibilities to his elder son, that is him- Kathirvelan Pandian. His cabin was situated on the topmost floor of their office and was designed to have glass walls, so that he gets a view of the Chennai city. It was done so that the scenic beauty would give him some peace in the midst of every tiring day but it was currently having the opposite effect on him.
While he was swirling in the never ending spiral that he was consumed in for the last two years, his Personal Assistant Ravi came in to inform the visit of his only brother, Kanna. Kanna was 8 years younger to him and was pursuing civil engineering as well as working part-time in their company. Kathir had always told him that he doesn't need permission to enter his cabin but he never takes his words seriously. When finally he entered, he smiled at Kathir but the melancholy in his eyes made Kanna's heart pain.
Kanna came and stood along with Kathir, his favourite person and his inspiration too, looking at the view in front. It was almost time for the sunset and the sky was today painted in pinkish violet. Kanna had come to remind Kathir about the meeting that was scheduled in one hour but he wanted to talk about something else before he spoke about their business. He held Kathir's shoulder, who had his eyes fixed back on the sky soon after his usual welcome smile, "Anna... I think you need to forget about Mullai anni and move on in life... we have a company to run and a family to look after... it was just an engagement...".
Kathir gave him a sarcastic smile and settled in the nearby chair and gestured to Kanna to take his seat too. He poured tea from a flask in two cups, extending one to Kanna and took a sip from his cup and spoke in a gruff voice, "If it is to be so, you need to first stop calling her Mullai anni... Kanna... It's been three years since we got engaged and I love her, irrespective of whether she does or not... appa amma loves her and neeyum thaan... apram why should I call off the wedding...".
Kanna knew he was arguing on a lost battle but still he had to do it now, at least for a help he had agreed to do. Kanna couldn't look in Kathir's eyes because he too was on his brother's side but the situation had made him act like he was against him. Kanna shook his head and continued, "Anna, why don't you understand the wedding you are talking about calling off doesn't even exist in reality... Mullai anni rendu varushama indha kalyanam nadakaathunu sollitu irukaanga athu yen unaku puriya maateenguthu... she is still adamant about it... avungala force panrathula enna artham iruku... pudikalana vida vendiyathu thaana... just think she doesn't deserve you and move on...".
Kathir had seen his father do business since he was five years and had been the head of it for the last three years. He meets lots of people daily and one thing he is capable of was to know what people had in mind within a few minutes of conversation. That had helped him greatly in choosing the right clients and today he saw his brother failing badly in putting up an act. Kathir knew how much Kanna was close to Mullai and her family. He could even guess the reason for this set of words from him and asked him straight on his face, "unga Mullai anni ithellam solla solli unkitta sonnangala... inniku avala paakuraku avunga veetuku poyirunthala nee... ava thaana enna convince panna sonna... athunaala thaana you are speaking for something, you yourself don't agree with...".
Kanna knew he had totally lost his game and looked his beloved brother finally in his eyes, "Unga rendu pethukum indha rendu varushama enna thaan aachu... engagement pannum bothu you both were so happy with each other... neenga appo love pannala nu theriyum but you had an intense liking for one another... two years back after the disappearance of Kalai akka... Mullai anni ya neethaana foreign ku anupcha padika... you both are good friends till now then why she is against marrying you...".
Kathir had a greater understanding on why Mullai was acting weird for these two years than the others, even though he was still in the dark about why she had turned against their marriage. He told Kanna the maximum he could say regarding their relationship, "Mullai enna kalyanam pannika maaten nu sollala Kanna... kalyaname pannika maaten nu thaan solra... renduthukum neraiya difference iruku... moreover Kalai akka was not just her elder sister but was more like a mother for her... avungaloda absence it's affecting her than we could ever imagine... apram enaku kalyanam nu onnu nadandha adhu Mullai ooda nu mattum thaan naan solren... I am not forcing her in any way... ithu varaikum marriage pathi naan avata pesunathu kooda illa... namma appa amma kooda purinjukitaanga enna... ippa kalyanam pathina pecha edukurathe Murugan mamavum Parvathy athaiyum thaan avungala convince panna mudiyaama ava enna vera oruthara kalyanam panna sollitu iruka... so that they let her be in peace...".
Kanna couldn't help but feel bad for Mullai. He knew her since he was a little kid. Mullai was grown as a very pampered kid just like he was. His father Pandian and Mullai's father Murugan were friends from their college days. They had settled decades back in Chennai. Murugan's company Parvathy Interiors and Pandian Constructions have been flourishing together in the field for years. They sign and do projects for clients together. Three years back, both the companies' responsibilities were totally handed over to the elder children of both the families.
Kalai, Mullai's elder sister took charge of Parvathy Interiors and Kathir headed Pandian Constructions. Four children of the two families grew up like real cousins. Kalai was two years elder to Kathir and so naturally, Pandian and Murugan wished to become a real family by marrying Mullai to Kathir. At the same time when both the fathers decided to retire, Kathir and Mullai were engaged three years back. Their marriage was to happen after Kalai's wedding but she was rejecting every proposal that came her way. Finally after one year of Kathir- Mullai's engagement, she came home with a man telling her parents she would only marry him. Murugan and Parvathy were not against it at all in the beginning but the man didn't seem to satisfy them to give their daughter's hand in marriage to him.
He was jobless in the first place and looked like a spoilt kid by rich parents. He had said he left his family years back and was trying to live all by himself for reasons he was not ready to disclose. Mullai's parents said a big no to their love after doubting the prospective groom was not an honest person. Kalai was badly upset and before they could even try convincing her, she had ran away with her lover probably and never returned for these two years. Mullai, till then, had not gone through anything hard in life until her sister, who had raised her showering all her love equal to their mother, had disappeared suddenly. When the incident happened, it was Kathir and Mullai, who had gone together to search all the suspected places and returned back empty handed totally broken.
The disappearance case still remained unsolved by the police. The most affected by all the happenings was Mullai. Along with the emotional trauma, the company responsibilities fell on her shoulders naturally. She had never thought about life seriously before. Her sister Kalai was a very brave strong-headed woman, who had never let Mullai do even the smallest of works till she was there. She was a protective person when it came to Mullai, just like how Kanna was to Kathir. Kathir had immediately sent Mullai abroad for her higher education after that incident. The new atmosphere had helped her come out of the loss slowly but still she was a changed human, when she returned completing her education, one month back to Chennai.
Kanna came to the present and he found Kathir still looking at the now dark sky. He cleared his throat and spoke, "Anna... innum konja nerathula meeting irukuratha remind panna thaan vandhen... Mullai anni ippo inga varaanga... rendu companyum sendhu deal sign panniralaam nu sonnanga...", Kathir just nodded looking outside and Kanna continued, "Mullai anni ya nee nenacha mattum thaan palaya maari aaka mudiyum... I feel she is going through something more than we actually know... Kalai akka ran away on her own nu investigation la therinjuruchu... It was definitely not a kidnap... engaiyavathu avunga sandhoshama irupaanga nu thaana namma ellarum nenachutu irukom... athukaaga mattum I don't think Mullai anni is saying no to marriage... there is more to it...".
~~~~~
Mullai walked down the stairs of her house ready for the meeting in Pandian Constructions and walked into the kitchen to inform her mother before leaving. Parvathy was busy with the other servants there and she turned towards Mullai hearing her call out. Mullai took an apple in her hand and had a bite speaking, "Amma, inniku oru project deal sign panrom... periya project... Kathiroda company ku poren... driver anna thaan drop panraaru... night late aagum... varumbothu Kathir namma veetla drop panren nu sonnaru... na poitu varen ma... saamikitta vendiko... nalla padiya indha meeting poganum nu...". Parvathy smiled and nodded at her, but kept quiet. She followed Mullai till the hall and then spoke her heart, "Night late aana mattum Kathir thonai kekuthula... Kathir maapilai ya avalo nambura... apuram yen Mullai kalyanam vena nu otha kaal la nikkira... naanum appavum rendu varushama try panrom unna convince panna... un ishtam ketu thaana indha kalyaname pesunom... nichayatharthathula kooda avalo sandhoshama thaana irundha... apram ennathaan aachu Mulla...".
Mullai stopped on her path and closed her eyes thinking how many times she has to explain the same thing to her parents over and over again. She decided to talk without getting emotional this time and also she was running out of time for the meeting. She looked at Parvathy with pleading eyes, "Amma please... idhaye thaan namma rendu varushama pesurom... naa kalyanam vendam nu solratha kooda vidunga... na ippa thaan padipa mudichu ooruku vandhuruken... namma company ooda motha thalai eluthum ippa en kaila thaan iruku... appavoda ethana varusham olaipu idhu... naa ippa idhula mattum thaan concentrate panna aasai paduren... Kathir ku idhu nallave theriyum...".
Parvathy gave a look like her words didn't make any sense and she retorted, "Kathir maapilai unnayum indha kudumbathaiyum unga akka nammala ambonu vittutu pona piragu eppadi paathukuraarunu ulagathuke theriyum... Pandian anna Lakshmi kooda nee ippadi payithiyakaara thanama pesiyum unaku inni vara support thaan panraanga... indha maari oru kudumbathula kalyanam panni pona unnala velaiya seriya seiya mudiyaathu nu sonna ellarum sirichuruvaanga...". Everybody there knew how supportive a person Kathir is. Mullai knew she was caught and drew a deep breath, saying "naan vera eppadi sonna thaan ma neenga enna viduveenga... Kathir thaan naan oorula illatha samayam rendu companyum paathukutaar nu enaku theriyum... avaru romba nallavaru... mama athai Kanna moonu perum enna purinjukura alavu kooda neeyum appavum indha vishayathula enna purinjuka maateengureenga... kalyanam pannikurathum pannama irukurathum en ishtam ennoda urimai... naa Kathir ah venam nu sollala... kalyanam venaam nu thaan solren...".
Parvathy became extremely saddened hearing the same words for the nth number of time. Mullai looked at her suddenly silent mother and her face made Mullai's heart pain. She had lost her elder daughter and her younger daughter is now going totally against her wishes. Mullai went near Parvathy and held her hands, "Amma... enaku kalyanam vendaam... ippa venaam nu solli ennaala thalli pottute iruka mudiyum... aana naa idha velipadaiya solraku reason Kathir yen ma enakaaga wait panni avaru life ah waste pannanum... naa palaya Mullai illa ma... Kathir deserves a happy life athu ennala avaruku koduka mudiyaathu... avaru munadiye neraiya senjutaaru enaku... enaku time aachu... thaiva senju indha vishayatha vitrunga... naa manasu maara maaten... na varen ma...".
Mullai turned to leave but the question Parvathy asked made her rooted to the spot, "Kathir maapilai vera oru ponna kalyanam pannipaaru nu nee nenaikuriya Mulla... appadi pannalum avaru sandhoshama irupaara... neethaan idhukaana padhil ah yosikanam... innimel na idha unkitta pesa maaten... paathu poitu vaa...", and she left for the kitchen. Mullai knew what her mother spoke was the truth. She had not been in a mindset to fall in love for the last two years. She was busy fighting the demons within herself but that was not the case with Kathir. He loves her beyond every reason and that's exactly what makes her stand firm in her decision. Mullai answered her mother in her mind, "unga Kathir maapilai ku vera valiyum illa ma... I will make sure he finds happiness away from me...", she took her handbag and made her start to Pandian Constructions.
To be continued...