It was 4 th time Sivaangi' s call went unanswered by Ashwin. She looked at her phone confused. Sivaangi's parents had already left to India and Ashwin had promised to take them all to zoo that day.
"Where is Ashwineyy Ma? Why hasn't he come yet and why isn't he answering your call?" asked Mithra with a pout
A familiar unsettling feeling started creeping inside her, reminding her of a similar day when all her calls went unanswered.
"May be he is busy Miththu, you go and play, I will call you when he comes" replied Sivaangi in her not so confident tone.
She again called him but again there was no answer.
"What should I do now? Should I ignore and wait for him to contact?, why am I not able to ignore? Should I go and check on him? Will it be intrusion of his privacy? What should I do now?" These questions bombarded her mind when she dialed again.
This time the call was answered but all she could hear was some moans and deep breaths but that was all she needed to hear to take a decision.
Being a mother for 3 years Sivaangi is now an expert in detecting sickness just by the sound and that 5 seconds of call was enough for Sivaangi to guess that Ashwin was sick.
She immediately packed all the emergency medicines and necessary items, took the kids too along with her because she had no one to leave them with and started towards Ashwin's hotel.
It took almost 5 minutes for Ashwin to come and open the door for her. He looked like he was just out of a furnace, swaying, unable to stand even for a second that he held on to her and rushed back to the sofa.
"Inga enna panra Sivaangi Ma, just common cold dhaan, I will be fine, kutties vera kootitu vandhirkka, they might catch it from me.." said Ashwin lying down on the sofa, breaking into bouts of continuous coughs.
Sivaangi did not answer she touched his neck and forehead and it felt like a freshly lit stove.
"Enna Ashwin ippadi kodhikudhu?" She asked
"Therilaye, my girl fans do call me hot, may be because of that?" he asked back innocently.
"Shabbah, joke ah! tablet edhavadhu edutheengala? " she asked again concentrating on the task at hand
" eduthen but eppo nyabagam illa" he replied in a crackly voice.
"Ashwineyy, do you have uvva?" asked Nethra standing next to him slightly massaging his forehead with her tiny hands
"Uvva means fever, hurt in their language" came Sivaangi's voice from the kitchen area
"Ashwineyy, drink medicine properly, it will become ok, amma will give you a chocolate and 5 kisses if you drink medicine properly without spitting" said Mithra sincerely, joining her sister in rubbing her father's forehead
"Appadiya, 5 kisses ah? But naan 10 kuduthadhaan kudippen" Ashwin replied with a tease looking at Sivaangi who stared at him
"Ok no problem, amma give Ashwineyy 10 kisses if he drinks medicine properly" Mithra ordered her mother
"Hmm, ivalo jorathalayum cholesterol mattum appadiye irukku" sighed Sivaangi, came near him and gave him a glass of hot milk
"idha kudichitu indha tablet podunga" she said handing over the cup of milk and tablet to him
Ashwin drank the milk silently as a obedient child and ate the medicine and looked at her longingly
"Enna?" She asked
"Illa good boy ah marundhu kudichiten" he said with an innocent pout
"Aasai dhaan, let me go and pack your things" she said going into his bedroom
"Edhukku?" He asked stopping her by holding her hand
"Edhukkuna? I can't take care of you and kids here, you cannot eat outside food also now, so vaanga namma veetuku polaam, appo dhaan it will be easy for me" replied Sivaangi removing her hand from his and walked towards his room
" illa Ma, I can take care of myself, already you are handling both of them alone, I don't want to become a burden, I can manage, my assistant is staying with his girl friend I can call him back" said Ashwin little hesitantly, but she didn't reply.
Within 5 minutes Sivaangi came out of his room with a go to bag. She took out a shawl from the bag she bought and put it around Ashwin's shoulder.
"Romba scene podaama vaa Ashwineyy, romba jorama irukku, you cannot handle on your own" said Sivaangi while her hands got busy trying to book a cab
That one word Ashwineyy was enough for him to follow her to the end of the world, so he happily followed her like a puppy.
Once they came home, she asked Ashwin to stay in her parents room.
Ashwin slept right away as his fever came down because of the medicine.
"Ashwin Ashwin ezhundhuringa" Sivaangi called shaking him
It felt like his fever was returning back.
He slowly got up and looked at her groggily his lips and eyes pink due to increasing fever
She pulled up a pillow behind him and slowly made him lean on to that. Once he did that she started feeding him the diluted pepper rasam rice
The moment he tasted it his eyes became big with surprise
"Semmaya irukku Ma" he said raising his eyebrows
"Kozhandhaingalukaaga kathukiten, this is easier to make and feed them whenever they fall sick" she said with a blush
"Enga rendu perum?" He asked
" it is already 9, thoonga vetchuten" she replied
"Paathu Ma avangalukku vandhaalum kashtam unakku vandhaalum kashtam, give it to me I will eat myself" he said lifting his hand but it shivered due to weakness
"Summa irunga, ipoo enna? engalukku vandhaa neenga paathuka maateengala?" She asked, her hands sincerely wiping off his lips, beard and moustache with a wet tissue.
Ashwin did not reply but his eyes continued to look at her with overflowing love. There is a reason why he calls her Sivaangi ma, and the reason is today, the way she is taking care of him is exactly how a mother would.
She gave him the next dose of medicine following the food, made him lie down and covered him with a blanket.
"I will be in the next room, edhavadhu na koopdunga, I will leave the doors open so that I can hear you" she said switching off the lights
Middle of the night, Sivaangi got woken up by the sound of Ashwin vomiting, she immediately rushed to his room, just to find him vomiting on the floor near the bed
"Romba sorry Sivaangi Ma, it came out before I could get up" he said with huge embarrassment.
"I will clean it" he said getting up, but he fell back on the bed due to dizziness
Sivaangi rushed to his side.
She saw that his dress, bed and the floor was covered with vomit.
"Enna Ashwin sorry laam solreenga, I am just worried that your fever is not coming down" she said slowly guiding him to the rest room.
She closed the toilet seat and started removing his t shirt.
Her hands next went to the knots on his tracks, when his hands stopped her
"I can change" he said
"Edhu indha kai vetcha, it's shivering, you are weak Ashwineyy, summa iru, I will wipe you down, vomit will also get cleaned and it will help to bring your fever down too. It had helped Nethra and Mithra a lot when they used to get viral fever" she said removing his hands
"Illa vendaam, please" he insisted, stopping her again. This time Sivaangi understood what his eyes conveyed
"Oh please, it is not like I have not seen or touched you before" she said and continued to remove his clothes and started wiping him down with a soaked towel.
Ashwin's fever was too high for him to argue anymore that he just left her to do whatever she wanted.
She cleaned him completely and slowly took him to her room.
"Inga padunga, I will clean the room and stay there" she said and made him lie down.
She was back again with a glass of warm milk and his next dose of medicine. Ashwin obediently followed whatever she said like a child.
She went back, cleaned the room, changed the bed sheets and came to check on him once before going to bed, when she found him shivering.
All these while Sivaangi thought it was a simple fever, but now she really started getting worried.
She came and sat next to him on a chair and started putting wet cloth on his forehead to bring his temperature down. Meanwhile she continued to wipe his hand and legs too.
"Amma, mudila Ma, kulirudhu romba, romba valikudhu ma" Ashwin started murmuring in his sleep searching for his mother
Sivaangi looked at him helplessly, in spite of being covered with a heavy blanket, his body still shivered
Without a second thought she got on to the bed with him and hugged him, trying to cover his giant hulk body with her tiny one, but that is what finally helped to bring his shivering down slowly.
"Ashwineyy Ashwineyy" a cute voice called Ashwin trying to wake him up, while a fragile little hand tapped on his cheeks.
Ashwin opened his eyes groggily and looked at her trying to get a sense of where he was
"We are unable to find amma, we are hungry, can you give us milk?" asked Nethra
That is when Ashwin realized the weight on his arms and on his chest under the blanket.
Hearing the voices Sivaangi too stirred under the blanket.
She slowly bought her head out of the blanket and looked around trying to push the sleep away and understand her surroundings when she saw herself lying on Ashwin's chest.
"Ayiyo" she squealed and got up
"Mithra, amma is here" screamed Nethra calling for her twin and she too jumped on the bed followed by Mithra who came to the room hearing her twin's call.
"Amma move move, I too want to sleep next to Ashwineyy" squealed Mithra inserting herself in between her mother and father, pushing them apart, followed by Nethra.
The whole scene looked picture perfect with Ashwin on one end of the bed, Sivaangi at the other end smiling at each other with a blush while the kids lied down between trying to hug their father and mother.
"Ashwineyy, are you ok now? uvva gone?" asked Nethra touching his forehead with her cute little hands. Mithra too looked at his face expectantly.
"Seri aagiuducha da kutty ma" he said pulling her closer and kissing her on the forehead and started tickling both of them making them giggle uncontrollably.
"Then shall we got to zoo today?" asked Mithra curiously.
"No Mithra, he is still weak" came Sivaangi's voice before Ashwin could answer
Both girls' faces drooped down due to disappointment.
"Don't worry, once I become okay, I will take you to zoo." promised Ashwin.
"Now go get ready for school" urged Ashwin.
"Ayo, school leave Ashwineyy, today is Saturday" giggled Nethra
"He he, sorry ma, since it is a holiday, we can do this then" Ashwin replied pulling them both into a huge hug, encapsulating both of them with his big arms, making them both laugh
Sivaangi looked at the three happy faces, she slowly moved away from them, went into the restroom and closed the door behind her.
"Ashwineyy, why don't you stay with us like this always, it is so much fun" whined Mithra
"Ask your mother" replied Ashwin and that is when they noticed Sivaangi was not there. His eyes searched for her.
"Ammmmaaaaa" fake screamed Mithra trying to search for her amidst her giggles.
"Coming, brushing..." came Sivaangi's muffled voice from the restroom making all three of them laugh again. When Ashwin too tried to get up from the bed, the door bell rang
"I will get it, I will get it..." both of them jumped from the bed and raced towards the door to open it.
Ashwin looked at their retreating figures with so much content, love and happiness.
He slowly got up from the bed when he heard the girls squeal
"Ayiiii, Akash uncle... Hi.....Akash uncle"
Ashwin also heard the grill door unlatching. He immediately took a t shirt out from the go to bag, and rushed outside while wearing it.
Akash who was busy giving the girls chocolates and things he had bought for them froze seeing Ashwin walking out of Sivaangi's bedroom, pulling a t shirt down his head.
"Hello? ",Ashwin said it as question as he didn't know who it was.
"Hi, I am Akash, Sivaangi's colleague" Akash said as calmly as possible.
"Ashwin, Sivaangi's...." Ashwin dragged not knowing what to say.
"Our father" squealed Nethra coming to his rescue.
Ashwin smiled at her with so much love thanking her with his eyes.
Just then Sivaangi too came out of the same room, adjusting her night dress and wiping her face with a towel creating a mini furnace inside Akash.
"Hi Akash, good morning! okkarunga" said Sivaangi casually
"Coffee?" she asked looking at Akash. He just nodded his head still not out of the shock.
"Nee pesittu iru Sivaangi ma, Naan podaren" Ashwin volunteered.
"Night full ah fever adichadhu enakku illa, ungalukku dhaan, that is the reason I messaged Akash requesting him to come home today" replied Sivaangi
"Will it ok be for you to watch these two for some time Akash? Ashwin is very sick, night full ah bayangara fever, cough ,vomit, I need to take him to the doctor and for obvious reason I cannot take them along with me " requested Sivaangi looking at Akash
"Sivaangi ma enna idhu, avara poi trouble pannikittu, I am sorry Akash, I am ok now, I didn't know she asked for your help, I am much better now, I can take care of myself" intervened Ashwin before Akash could reply.
"Ayo night fulla eppadi shiver aachunu enakku dhaane theriyum , evalo bayandhuten theriyuma, I wasn't sure whether fever will stop by morning or not that is why I messaged him, requesting for his help, other than him I don't have any one else in SG." replied Sivaangi justifying her actions.
"Seri ippo dhaan naan ok aagiten la? no need for doctor and all, I will become better if I take rest" argued Ashwin
Both of them argued with each other in their own world completely forgetting about the spectator who was looking at them with so much hatred and jealousy in his eyes.
Akash fake cleared his throat little loudly trying to get their attention.
"It is ok Ashwin, anyways I am here now, I can take care of the kids, neenga doctor kitta poittu vaanga" said Akash trying to be the bigger man
"Adhellam vendaam Akash, first time naan irukarcha guest ah vandhirkeenga and from Sivaangi's words I can understand that you have always been there for her, which makes you a special friend, neenga pesittu irunga, I will make coffee" said Ashwin
He turned towards Sivaangi, held her by her shoulders and pushed her down on the sofa into a sitting position
"Nethu evening la irundhu rest edukkaama you have been taking care of me and the kids, you have literally been another mother to me, ippo rest edu, I will take care now." said Ashwin looking into her eyes deeply, love overflowing in his uncontrollably.
Two pairs of eyes looked at his retreating figure with so much emotions, one with pure unadulterated love, other with unfiltered hatred.
Author's Note:
Hello hello! another chapter is here.
First thing I want to clarify if it was not very clear in the chapter is that they just slept next to each other not with.
Other than that this is a simple chapter that explains that despite her misdirected, misguided anger, her love for him is unhinged and him and his well being will always be her priority.
So what did you guys feel while reading the chapter? did you feel her love for him? let me know your thoughts in comments section and always shower your love for the story via votes
Love,
DV