Disclaimer: You may find some instances in this part to be disturbing.
The magical part is fully imaginary, I hope my first ever attempt at this subgenre is satisfactory to my readers.
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Author's POV:
"Cha, oru vela ungalala urupadiya seiya mudiyala! Secretary solran, neenga 3 perum sanda potinga nu..." Krishnan was frustrated and he threw the newspaper on Shiva's face.
"Athuku enna yen pa adikaringa? Ivanga rendu perum than-" he pointed Lekha and Rekha.
"Shut up Shiva! Oru annan ah nee than ivangala guide pannanum"
Rekha paved way for their mother, Purnima to enter inside returning from her duty. "Enna nadakuthu inga?"
"Unnoda pasanga office la panna koothu iruke...I'm ashamed!" Krishnan regretted.
"Amma, nethu monthly salary enga bank accounts la vanthuruchu. Rekha ku engala vida salary konjam athigama iruku. Lekha sales book la chinna thappu pannita, avaluku sambalam kammi than. Aana naa work la perfect ah than irunthen, enakum kammi ah iruku" Shiva explained with a sigh.
"Lekha, nee eppadi careless ah irukalam? Unna nambi oru periya poruppa kudutha..."
"Amma, ivan mattum ennatha kilichan? Daily late ah than office varan, athan sambalam enga rendu pera vida kammi" Lekha scoffed.
"Enough! Ungaluku ithu than last warning. Othumaya iruntha mattum office ku vanga, illana resign pannitu poite irunga! Family business ah Rekha paathupa, ava unga rendu perayum vida sincere ah vela seiyara" Krishnan declared with pride.
"Unga kita konjam pesanum" Purnima said to her husband and they walked into their room.
"Ithu pothuma illana innum konjam venuma? Naan than MD aaga poren...confirm!" Rekha stuck her tongue out to make fun of them.
"Appa solra mari naanga resign panniduvom, instead of working under you!" Lekha insulted.
"Sales book la nee kaiya vecha thana prechana...atha naa pathukaren. You can resign" Shiva packed his things and got ready for the office.
***
Samar made Shalini sit on a chair and he brought another chair forward to sit near her.
"Naa office ku poren la...anga oruthan puthu computer mechanic ah appoint pannirkanga. Appo la irunthu nethu varaikum avana nenichu stress aite irunthen..." she shared.
"Avan peru enna?"
"Solren...."
Five Years Ago...
Shalini sought a company at Trichy for doing a 4 month internship in teaching violin for aspiring children.
She approached a lodge for temporary stay and entered inside the reception whose size was narrow.
A man 6 years older than her with a fair complexion looked at her from top to bottom, working as a receptionist.
He approached her "Hey, Shalini thana?"
"Yeah...neenga?"
"I'm Karthik Lakshmanan, unnoda school la than padichen"
"Oh...enaku seriya nyabagam illa"
"Eppadi nyabagam irukum?" his tone was rude.
"Excuse me?"
"Nee than chinna vayasulaye pala pasangaloda ooru menjitu vanthiye..." he slutshamed her.
"Hello! This is none of your business!"
"From now the business will start" he locked the door and covered the glass with curtain, gazing at her lecherously.
"Let me out of here!"
"Hey don't shout darling. Tell me what's your rate..." he walked towards her with a smirk.
"Chi!" she tried opening the main door.
"Hey, enkita than di saavi iruku! Thappikka vazhi illa"
She tackled him and ran upstairs and he approached her in a high speed. Her heart was palpitating heavily against her rib cage.
Unluckily, she found no hideouts to escape from him and she caught his eyes glaring at her.
"Nalla maatikita Shalini..."
Shivers went down her spine and fear replaced her bravery, as he swooped on her and knocked her to the floor.
"Vidu da!" she attempted to defend herself against his custody.
"Mudiyathu...inga namma rendu perum mattum than irukom" he caught both her hands and applied pressure on her legs from attacking him.
On the verge of detaching her duppata, he saw blood oozing out of her nose and she gasped in mere panic.
Terrified of what would happen to her, he had a change of heart and admitted her to the nearby hospital. It was her second case of panic attack.
Flashback ends.
Samar's POV:
Learning her flashback made me realise that she was badly disturbed ever since that bastard made a reentry in her office, as it reminded her of that past.
I was relieved that she survived from the assault, but the panic attack was concerning. Was it a blessing that she escaped from his sexual motives or a curse that a health issue was developed further? I didn't know how to react to this...
"Since then, I was scared every second I see Karthik in front of me. No wonder he came back from jail, and working as a new mechanic in my office is a threat to my virginity" she felt disgusting.
"You don't have work on weekends, and today is Sunday. Are you saying that you can't go to work tomorrow?"
"I don't feel so..his presence scares me" she started to fiddle with her hands.
"He's not going to be a permanent mechanic in your office anyways...and you know how to deal with him till he's there"
"I think I can't...eppadi naa poven?"
"Unakaga nee than fight pannuva nu adikadi sollite irupa la? Antha spirit ennikum unna vittu poga kudathu, evanum atha advantage edukatha mari paathukarthu un kaila than iruku" I tried my best to encourage her.
"Naa Karthik ah bold ah face pannuvena?"
"Everyday we face new challenges and life is all about going through it to learn a new lesson. Complain to the company's HR manager about your personal concerns. Avangalum oru lady thana..purinjupanga" I consoled her with warmth.
"You're right Samar, I will do it tomorrow. Your words mean a lot" she wiped her tears.
"Remember one thing, you are your own hero"
"Sure.....ji" she chuckled.
"Not again" I whined as I had to hear her 'ji' for the nth time, after a long time.
"Aprum?"
"A personal question. When was the first case of your panic attack?"
"When my family never understood me for the first time. I was walking at the park and suddenly the thought of their hatred made me panic of my future" she said casually, but the pain inside her is enormous.
Drat, they were the first ones who triggered her! I will teach them a lesson for this. Since they are still Shalini's family, I should not be very rude either...let's see what I can do.
"It's okay, avangalukku oru naal puriyum"
"I don't want to talk about them...let me take my violin"
"Why violin?"
"Unga kita intha vishayam sonna aprum than nimmathiya iruku...so vaasika poren" she was desparate which scared me.
"No, you shouldn't...I have to tell you something important"
I have lots of things to ask her, mainly what did her past have to do by not talking to me properly...but this is more important than the first.
"Yes?"
"Naa un veetuku vara vazhila oru lady ah pathen...avanga konjam vichithrama pesinanga" I gulped. "Naa avangala paakave illaye..." she said.
I narrated that woman's exact words to her, and her eyebrows furrowed.
"Antha gift ah use pannatha Shalini...athu than problem" I warned.
"But en kaila antha fire power iruke...athu super thana?" she was still smiling like a kid.
"Entha vidhathula super! It's dangerous...yaro unna magic vechu azhika pakaranga" I lost my cool.
"Magic ah...don't play dumb with me Samar. It doesn't exist in reality"
"Appo eppadi un kaila theepori varuthu? Konjam yosichu paru..."
I further instigated her before someone knocked the door.
"Wait, naa pakren" I opened the door and it took my breath away to see the same woman whom I met today.
"Yaaru neenga?" Shalini turned around.
"Ivaruku theriyume...sollalaya?" the woman looked at me.
"Naa sonnen la, oruthangala paathen nu...athu ivanga than Shalini"
"Oh, enna sonninga ivarukita? Ippadi pesararu!"
"Naa solratha porumaiya kelu" she sat down, holding Shalini's hand.
"Your life is in a serious test. The gift which you used, is not a beauty beneficial one. It's a sorcery"
"Are you serious?" she was maddened by her words.
"Avanga solratha kelu Shalini...kova padatha" I also sat near Shalini to provide comfort for her, so that she doesn't panic again.
"This was given to you because you love music, and it would destroy your chances of becoming a musician.
The moment you started using that powder as a paste, the talent which you have in playing your violin is gradually disappearing from you, without your own knowledge"
We were shell shocked to discover such a deep fact behind that gift! I relaxed Shalini's hand to calm her, and she couldn't even react anything...
"Another thing is that she could bring a flame in her hands...how?" I asked.
"That's her strength which doesn't affect her, but it doesn't mean that it's a good sign. Ava eppolam violin ah vittu irukalo, appo avaloda life span koranjute irukum...because the violin succumbed to her magical hands"
My heart was palpitating on the woman's explanation. Who the hell did this black magic to Shalini!
"What to do?"
"She has to hold the violin as much as she can, so that her life span is secured...vaasikanum nu avasiyam illa. Ippothaiku itha than panna mudiyum"
"But evalo neram than violin ah kailaye vechutu irukrathu?"
"Ithellam oru kelviye illa intha nerathula. Naa solrathu logic illama irukalam, but magic nu vanthuta athuku specific rules iruku..."
"I can't live my dreams...this isn't fair!" she yelled in pain thinking of her life's path and covered her face.
"You can Shalini, you will" the woman was confident and she chanted a mantra.
"Antha magic ah eppadi namma fight panrathu?"
"En kita rendu solutions iruku Samar, but athoda difficulty level romba differ agum"
"Ethuva irunthalum sollunga, michatha enga kita vitrunga"
"First solution ennana, ava use panra violin ah odaikanum..appo than intha magic oda effect easy ah nullify aagum..."
"Mudiyathunga! Enaku en violin venum!" all of us know that Shalini is possessive on her violin so much, she can't risk it..
"Okay okay, relax. Second solution ennana, antha magic oda origin ah neenga kandupudikanum..."
"Athu nanga eppadi panrathu?"
She told us the solution but I found that impractical.
"Athu Shalini aala mudiyum, ava nenicha kandipa mudiyum" her assurance made me relieved, cause I know that Shalini can succeed in this!
"Okay. Athu varaikum iva violin ah hold panna pothum la?"
"Yeah...mudinja alavuku pannanum. This is for your life Shalini" she wished success for her and left from here.
"I can do this" she nodded with positivity. "Music is everything for me Samar. To regain my talent, I can go to any extreme!"
"Fine. I'm with you in this" I smiled at her motivation.
"No Samar, you need to focus on your career right now. It's more important in your life than anything" she declared.
"I love and respect my career. You are also important to me Shalini" I thought inside.
"You're right. But I can't leave you alone in this..."
"There are people who at heart wish me success in my life. Viku, my friends, your family and yourself! I am not alone Samar. I promise I can take care of myself. If you were in my place, you would ask me to focus on my career" she convinced me like a pro.
"Of course Shalini. Then, shall I take your leave?"
"Yeah, I want to see you in as many advertisements as possible. So hit the road" her lips curved with a broad smile.
Life is full of surprises. Indeed. When she asked me to focus on my career rather than be with her in her difficult time! She has more respect for my career and wants me to succeed in this aspect. I never experienced love before, but she is the one who is practical when in a relationship.
I have the confidence that she will surpass in this magical challenge without depending on anyone. It's just that I'm fearing on other side, if anything happens to her in the midst of her bravery.
Her self-confidence and her independence are two of the things which inclined me to her. Plus, she never wanted me to lose my career. She would have done the same in her place.
No one could be more fortunate on finding someone like her who truly loves someone like me!
I bidded a heartfelt adieu to her by handshaking. Wherever she is, I want her to face anything with the same broad smile. Love doesn't mean that we always have to be together, this is what I learnt. All the best Shalini!
~POV ends~
TBC
Shalini's self-confidence was all what Samar expected! Will she find out a way to fight against the sorcery or she needs his help? Keep reading to find out ✌️