~|~|~|~|~
A wave of misery along with his intoxication washed over Krishnan as he sulked over the absence of Shalini.
"Evalo aasa patten avala oru nalla edathula paakanum nu...aana ava kashtamana life than choose panra" he expressed while swaying sideways.
"Ippothaiku ethuvum sollathinga Pa, neenga saptu thooganum..." Lekha soothed his hand.
"Naa periya thappu panniten...avala naa poga vitruka kudathu...enna than kovam irunthalum avalukku oru nalla lifestyle ah kuduthu irukanum..." he was about to fall from the sofa but Shiva held him tightly.
Lekha went inside the kitchen to get some water for Krishnan, thereby dialling Shalini's number in the middle.
Shalini picked up the call with a smile and said "Sollu Lekha".
If Lekha had talked with Shalini, she would get caught by her siblings. So she immediately strided into the hall and kept her phone on the table to let Shalini hear everything.
"Appadi pesathinga Pa. Avaluku unga arumai therila, athan ungaloda aasaiya mathikama avaloda passion ah choose panna..." Rekha sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Hey...avara ethi vidatha di" Shiva warned her.
"Enna nadakuthu anga?" Shalini rolled her eyes.
"Enaku ava passion la entha problem um illa...but en pecha meerina odane enaku kovam vanthuruchu...avaloda nallathuku than eppome yosipen nu yen purinjukala ava?
Ava thappu pannalum appa ndra murai la naan thana avala guide pannirkanum. Avaluku 27 vayasu irukalam, aana enaku ava innum kozhanda than..."
Hearing her father's drunk words from the phone, she sighed and let her head drop down.
She chewed her lower lip and tears streamed down her cheeks, listening to his true situation.
"Appa, ungala paaka ippove varen. Yaaru enna sonnalum seri" her heart couldn't tolerate the pain her father has earned.
Sahana saw her crying and swiftly walked towards her.
"Shalini..." she patted her shoulder and Shalini abruptly cut the call.
"Sahana, ithu varai enga appa kudichathe illa...ithu than first time" she sought Sahana's arms for solace.
"Hey enna solra nee?" Sahana asked while rubbing her shoulder.
"Avaru enna pathi than polambitu iruntharu. I'm so worried..." she silenced her tone but yelled inside her heart.
"Sam kita solli anga drop panna sollu...intha situation la nee avara thaniya vidatha" Sahana adviced.
"Athan nanum feel panren"
After passing on the information to Samar's family, Shalini took their leave and he dropped her to Krishnan's house by his car.
"Hey, everything will be fine. Ethuva irunthalum phone pannu" he consoled Shalini who held his hand.
They wished a good night to each other.
Shalini's POV:
I rang the door bell and Shiva opened it. He was quite surprised but let me inside without creating a scene.
Rekha was fuming while Lekha was relieved on my entry.
"Unna yaru inga vara sonnathu?" Rekha confronted.
"Naan than" Lekha replied bravely.
"Lekha, nee eppo la irunthu iva kuda....never mind!" Rekha stormed off to her room while Shiva followed her. I too never minded her, it would take some time to change her attitude.
Stepping into this house after a long time triggered my feelings of anxiety and pining. It seemed like visiting a blue moon.
"Appa room la paduthutu irukaru...nee avara disturb pannama paru" Lekha informed.
I went up the stairs and quietly opened the door of appa's room, so that his sleep isn't interrupted. He was sleeping on the edge of the bed.
Looking at his face, I felt a hard numbness wandering inside my soul. I caused him to be in such an inebriated state.
Tiptoeing towards him and sitting down beside the bed, my teardrop fell on his foot. When I heard his words in the phone, I deciphered that he misses me a lot more than I do. I may be a loyal violinist, but I had been a careless daughter.
Being near him made me nostalgic of our olden days, where he left no stone unturned to fulfill even my smallest wishes.
Now I wish for only one thing, for us to be happy as a family without any misunderstandings and ego. Despite our differences, I have the confidence this happens soon. After. All. We. Are. Family.
I realized that I have office tomorrow, so I was ready to leave from here after spending some time on relieving the memories with my family. I had the satisfaction of seeing my dad, that's more than enough for me.
I discreetly paced out of the room and closed the door quietly. Then I happened to spot Shiva standing behind me.
"Shalini, unkita konjam pesanum..." he said in such a tone as if we were talking everyday.
"Enaku nalaiku morning office iruku, seekrama thoonganum...enna vidu"
"Oru 10 mins spare pannu please..."
Unable to reject his request, I followed him to his room. He seemed a bit skeptical rather than usual anger.
"Preethi kum unakum ethachu problem iruka?" he asked making me wonder.
"No, everything is fine. Yen kekara?" I decided not to tell anything to them till the right time comes.
"Enaku ennavo seri padala...nethiku kaalaila beach poracha avala pathi unnoda friend ellathayum sollita, athuvum ava munnadi" he passed on this shocking information.
Friend? Beach? I believe he's talking about Sahana, cause she was at the beach the previous morning.
"Ava peru Sahana, Samar oda cousin"
"Oh ok. Etho Ohrawoods, antha magic powder, Preethi oda soozhchi, avaluku music pudikathu nu ennanamo sonna...athellam unmaiya?"
"Ithukum mela naa maraika virumbala. She said the truth. Preethi ku enna suthama pudikala...happy??" I angrily conveyed.
"Appadi la illa. Preethi ah pakum bothu enaku doubt vanthuchu, but ippo clear airuchu. We should inform everyone about this" he was sure of what he's telling.
"Sonna enna muttal ah nenaipanga...at least neeyachu enna nambariye" I replied.
I didn't inform about Preethi to Lekha even though we are connected, because this matter is so sensitive that it needs to be handled carefully.
"Viku vishayathula nee poi solla maata nu theriyum. Btw avanukum nee sollita la? WhatsApp video call la nethu weird ah pesinan..."
"Aama, enaku vera vazhi therila. Iniku naa avanuku phone panni enakum Samar kum irukura relationship pathi sollum bothu happy ah irunthan. He will move on soon...don't worry" I consoled him.
"What??" he gawked at me.
"Hello, it's my life. Athula nee ethachu golmaal pannanum nu pakatha" I reacted just in case.
"Naa expect pannathu than...oru actor oda love uh. Velila therinja un privacy poidum. Paathuko..." he wasn't rude, but seemed not okay.
"En family oda approval iruntha than naanga public ku theriya veppom, athu varaikum maraiva than meet pannanum..." I accidentally blurted out what I felt all these days.
"...." he didn't know what to say, of course.
"I mean, athu ennoda problem...naa pathukaren" I managed to cover up.
"Enna Shalini? Lekha unkita pesa start pannita polarku..." Rekha started her usual taunts.
"Rekha, now it's not the time to fight. Appa va paathukonga moonu perum"
"Unna pakave salippa iruku..." she scoffed.
"Textilious company oda varungala MD madam, konjam poruppa pesunga. Enaku time illa, naa poren" I was ready, but these two were driving me nuts!
"Shalini, oru nimisham!" Shiva followed me towards the house entrance; speak of the devil.
"Enna??"
"Thappa nenichukalana...antha Sahana ponnoda contact number kedaikuma?" he fidgeted his fingers in nervousness.
"Ethuku? Athellam kudukka mudiyathu! Ippo than naa unaku manushi ah theriyurena?" it's just the anger I'm showing to him for ignoring me these 6 years.
"Seri than po. Naane avala pakum bothu ketukaren..." he derided me and stormed off.
What makes him curious about Sahana that he's asking her number? *rolls my eyes*
~|POV ends|~
Author's POV:
Ten days were a tough competition to the speed of light as it seemed like ten minutes.
Samar went to check out Shalini by visiting her house late night, becuase she sounded fearful on their phone call.
The sweatbeads on his forehead explained how much panicked he was when ringing her doorbell.
She opened her door after multiple bell sounds, her face seemed dull.
"Ulla vaa Samar" she said in a low tone.
Once he entered inside...
"Hahahaaaaa!!! Got yaa!" she let out a loud cackle and he widened his eyes in shock.
"Enna, bayanthutiya?" she snorted.
"Loosu! Phone la un tone seri illa nala than pathari poi vanthen, ennachu nu paaka vantha nee colgate ad mari 'eee' nu 32 palla kaatitu iruka" he whined in annoyance.
"Unna vara vekkarthuku than appadi pesinen...ten days namma work la busy ah irunthom, meet eh pannala. I was just giving you a thrill"
"That thrill almost cost my life, paithiyam" he playfully nudged her head.
"Nee bayantha la, athu pothum enaku" she grinned ear to ear.
"Unna mari oru ponnoda pazhagina bayapada vendiyatha iruke..."
"Seri than. Pondicherry poniye, eppadi irunthuchu?"
"3 day trip eh tiring than. Photos ah unkita share pannene...antha SUV car advertisement shooting pics thavira onnume edukala. Engeyachu pona thana?" he regretted as he was busy in furthering his career.
"But beach road la thana shooting nadanthuchu! If I were free I would have accompanied you"
"Office la velaiya vanguranga polarke...athan en thunichalkaari romba kaduppa iruka" he pulled her cheek.
"Thunichalkari ah?"
"Unna chellam, darling, baby nu kupta set agathu...athan un personality ku etha mari 'thunichalkari' nu sonnen" he leaned on the wall and rested his arms above his head.
"Eppome appadi kupda maata la? Becuase that would sound awkward"
"I happen to love your name more than anything...so eppome unna Shalini nu than kupduven"
"More than me?"
"Exactly! Eppadi en manasula irukuratha correct ah solra?"
"Athellam appadi than. Enakum unna 'Samar' nu than kupda pudikum"
"Theriyume. Office la romba torture panrangala?"
"En work progress vechu intha maasam enaku salary ah kootratha sollirkanga. Kaaranam naa violin la romba focus pannala. En passion ah vittu kuduthu than antha salary varanuma?" she pouted because her violin is like her umbilical cord which would never change their equation.
"Ithukellam salichukatha da, this happens...iniku nee violin ah vaasika start pannu, Samar than inga vanthutane..." he lifted his shirt collar.
"Ellam en neram. And...enaku unna meet pannathu la irunthu ore oru doubt mattum iruku" her suspicious look prompted him to gulp.
"If it's about my falls in the treadmill due to Sahana's surprising entries at my home gym, I'm not answering it" he strictly alerted.
"Hey chi, athu illa! Samar is a North Indian name right?"
"Yes, my mom was half Marathi and half Tamil before she was married to my dad. Enaku avanga than 'Samar' nu peru vechanga"
"Appo unaku first name ithu thana?"
"The first....and the last" he let out a sigh and shrugged.
"Aprum naa yen dusky ah iruken nu kekatha, amma paiyana irunthalum appa oda skin tone than enaku" he announced proudly.
"Hey, antha alavuku enaku knowledge iruku"
She took out the violin from the case and rested it on her shoulder.
"Any help?" he naughtily reminded their first moment together with her violin.
She smirked at him and played the "Happy Birthday" tune exactly at 12AM as per her plan, making him look at her in a flummoxed manner.
"Happy birthday Samar jiii!" she poked the violin bow at his cheek and wished.
TBC
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