Author's POV:
Krishnan was admitted to the hospital CCU by Shalini, who prayed endlessly to The Almighty "Enakum ennoda appa kum enna than periya manasthabam irunthalum, avaruku onnu na ennala poruthutu iruka mudiyathu! Avara eppadiyachu guna paduthidu...pazhayapadi avaru irukanum!"
Meanwhile, her mother Purnima and siblings came there crying.
"Enga di avaru?" Purnima asked while pushing Shalini's shoulder.
"CCU la avara guna paduthuraru Ma...kavala padra alavuku onnum illa" Shalini consoled her.
"Nee easy ah solliduva...unaku than appa pathi akkarai illaye" Rekha started it again.
"Naa phone panna enna ethu nu keka thuppilla unaku, judgemental idiot" Shalini scornfully confronted her.
"Avala thittadha...appa unna paathale tension aavaru...athu than avaroda heart ah affect panniruku" Shiva scolded.
"Nee mothalla ingirunthu poidu, get lost!" Lekha tried to push Shalini.
"Lekha!" Purnima pulled her back.
"Intha kootani sernthu jalra potu enna thitturatha apruma vechukonga, ithu hospital! Appa ku odambu seri aagi veetuku vanthu pesi theethukalam" Shalini warned them once and for all, as the visitors see them.
After some time,
"He's getting fine. Ithu ethana vaati vanthuruku?" the chief doctor came out.
"Ithu than doctor first time" Purnima replied.
"Avaruku BP romba jaasthi agite iruku. Please take good care of him...avara kova paduthura mari, stress panra mari vishayam irunthuchu na atha avaru munnadi pesathinga. Give him a healthy diet"
After the doctor said these words and left from there, all of their eyes were on Shalini, who stood speechless.
"Naan than appa ku stress factor ah poitena? Ippo kuda kitta nerunga chance illama pochu" she thought inside and felt bad.
Next morning, Krishnan got discharged and came back home. He took a day off from working for his business.
Shalini is at the temple, having tamarind rice.
"Kovil la nalla pray panniyum ethachu neraverutho illayo, intha puliyotharai kandippa enaku oru nimmathi kudukuthu pa" she relished its taste and went for another round in the temple for it.
"Rajan uncle mattum kovil ku vantharu, puliyotharai stock 1 hour la gaali aidum polarke" she laughed thinking of yesterday's time with Samar's family.
Meanwhile,
Samar exercised on the treadmill and his thoughts were about Shalini's reaction.
"Shalini yethuku appadi react pannitu ponanga nu ippo varaikum purila...Athu seri, oru machine kita solren paru..." he said to the treadmill.
He turned off the treadmill and lifted weights. But he found it difficult to lift the 10 kgs for the first time.
"Ayyo, avanga phone number vanga maranthuten nu othukaren...athukaga extra weight podatha! Unna thooka mudiyala" he kept the dumbbells aside.
Shalini came home with her Hercules cycle.
But she saw something shocking on the houseyard...
Her marigold plant was destroyed.
"What the?" she checked on the plant and bashed into her home.
"Yaru ennoda saamanthi chedi la kai vechadhu?"
"Nee inga illatha samayathula poochi thinnutu poirukum, athu kita poi kelu" Rekha laughed and hified with Lekha.
"Naanga than naasam pannom, enna di pannuva?" Lekha was atrocious.
"Well done" Shalini wheezed and went to her room worried.
She opened her wardrobe and none of her belongings were there.
"Shalu maaa, itha thedriya ma??" Shiva showed two of her luggages.
"Appo, ellathayum ithula than vechurkiya?"
"Ippo than un maramanda nalla work aaguthu thangachi!"
"Atha kudu" she tried to grab those but he walked away to the hall.
"Unga ellarukum paithiyam pudichuruku!" Shalini shouted at them.
"Hey shhh! Unna veetu vittu kelamba solrom avalo than" Rekha said.
"Nanum atha than nenaikuren.." Shalini replied.
"Nenaichuruntha nee appove poirupa, yen inga irukanum!" Shiva criticized her.
"Athu na than mudivu pannanum..." Shalini was stern.
"Inime unaku mudivu edukura rights illa! Nethu doctor sonnathu keta la? Appa ku stress, kovam, BP ellam unnala than varum. Avara paathuka vendiyathu enga kadama..." Rekha chided.
"Ennala appa ku entha thollaiyum varathu...na kelamburen" Shalini grabbed her luggages from Shiva.
"One min, unnoda violin pathi unaku kavalai illaya?" Lekha was sarcastic.
"Athu enga?!" Shalini furiously asked.
"Inge!" Rekha showed the violin to Shalini.
She slumped on the floor, picked up the damaged violin pieces, leaving a lump in her throat. Her heart twisted as if a bullet passed through it. Her lips shivered and her hands went to the violin strings, which used to give a melodious sound but now it passed away.
Her siblings closed their mouths, silently laughing.
"Scene potathu pothum, kelambu!" Shiva mocked her.
"Poyum poyum oru violin ku ippadi feel panra...nee yellam society la pozhaikrathuku chance eh illa" Lekha said.
"Hey!" Shalini's hand went to grab Lekha's neck, but stopped due to her mixed feelings towards the violin.
"Amma velaiku poirukanga, appa first floor la thoongitu irukaru. Ethachu nadakrathuku munnadi neeya poidu" Rekha spat.
"Nalla irunga" Shalini with a breaking tone left from the house with her belongings.
Shiva slammed the main door and cheered "Mission accomplished!" with his sisters.
Shalini heard them and couldn't say anything. She never ever in her dreams expected that her siblings would stoop down to such a level, that they broke her sentimental violin. With a heavy heart, she stepped out of her mansion and walked for miles.
"Violin ah odaikka ungaluku yaru idea kuduthanga? Namma itha modhallaye senjurukalam nu thonuthu" Shiva was impressed.
"Obviously mudinju irukathu...Shalini room oda extra keys appa's wardrobe la irunthatha nethiku evening paathen" Lekha stated.
"But ava ponathu nallatha pochu...inime antha room namaku than" Rekha discussed this with them.
The sun's heat made Shalini's head spin. Seeing a tender cocunut stand far away, she walked towards it.
She started getting flashes from the past:
"Unna naa ennikume musician aaga vida maten! Ennoda pecha nee keta than unaku nallathu, illati intha urava maranthudu"...
"Appa un mela evalo nambikka vecharu. Athuku nee worth illa nu prove pannitiye di!".....
"Shalini, appa ethachu solraru na athula oru artham irukum. Innoru tharava yosi, musician aagurathu la enna santhosham kedaikum?".....
.
"Ellame pocha..." she thought inside, and blood oozed from her nose while walking on the path of bright sunshine. Her eyes swirled...
She unconsciously leaned back, and fell on a woman's arms.
"Shalini!" it was Samar dressed in a burkha yet again.
He gently held her like a flower, moved to his car and asked Sahana to open the back door.
"Hey ennachu ivangalukku?!" Sahana was shocked seeing Shalini's condition.
"Modhalla ivangala pudichuko...namma hospital ku polam" he told after keeping her luggages on the car trunk.
"Hospital vida namma veedu than pakkathula iruku. Nee direct ah anga poidu" she suggested while providing physical support for Shalini.
Reaching the house threshold, Samar pressed the doorbell. Madhavi opened the door.
"Shalini...ayyo" Madhavi was worried.
"Chithi..sofa va clear pannunga" Samar stated.
Madhavi cleared the sofa and they made Shalini lie on its soft surface.
"Athai, inga vanga..." she called out Lakshmi.
Lakshmi came out from her room.
"Shalini ah road la pathom, avanga mayangi kedakaranga...mooku la vera ratham iruku" Sahana felt bad.
"Ellarum amaithi ah irunga...naa avala paathukaren" Lakshmi convinced.
Madhavi brought a first aid kit and sanitized the blood in Shalini's nose. Lakshmi did the necessary home remedy of elevating her legs and gently relaxing her hands, which made Shalini slowly come back to consciousness.
"Sahana, konjam warm water eduthutu vaa" Madhavi instructed.
Shalini's eyelids opened but everything seemed blurry for her.
"Kanna moodu ma, seri aidum" Madhavi rubbed her shoulder.
Sahana came with the warm water. Samar damped a soft cloth into the water and kept it on Shalini's eyes. She slept after feeling a little warm and comfortable.
"Intha veyil la luggage ah vechukitu nadanthurukanga. Appadi enna vishayama irukum?" Sahana asked.
"Maybe avangaluku auto pudika mudiyala polarku..." Samar wondered.
"Nallavela neenga avala paathu kootitu vanthinga, illati nelama romba mosama poirukum" Lakshmi was relieved.
"Lunch time varaikum ava rest edukatum...olunga saptruka maata nu nenaikuren" Madhavi stroke Shalini's hair.
"Irukalam chithi, enaku nethu la irunthu ithe nenappa than iruku. Avanga expression eh seri illa" Samar whispered.
"Enna ethu nu apruma ketukalam, namma vegetables vangitu varalam" Sahana said.
They actually went to buy vegetables before, but after noticing Shalini's condition they didn't.
After a few hours, Shalini woke up and got surprised to find out that she was in Samar's house.
~POV ends~
TBC
How will Shalini overcome her loss of her violin?
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