The moment the words left her mouth Mullai knew she had gone overboard
She clasped her hand over her mouth
She had been so scared to see the dressing and the bandages on her dad ..they looked scary
She had been bustling around him
Initially she had assumed it was an accident
And she had been casually asking
Eppudi aachu pa..paarthu vara koodaatha..Ashok ku eppudi theriyum neenga kooppitteengalaa
And n the course of the conversation had come the first shocker that this was not an accident
She could not begin to believe that someone had hit her father deliberately..her amiable father who was the most easy going person in the world
She immediately fished her mobile out..
Irungappa naan avuhalukku phone podaren
And she started to dial his number
And then came her second shocker
Kathirukku theriyum Mullai..avan thaan enakke phone panni vara sonnaan
Avuhalukku eppudi she muttered
But the next instant she panicked
Where was he now then..was he annoyed..was her father wrong somehow..why hadn't he come home with her father now.why had he sent him with Ashok..and then her eyes widened ..was he hurt? Was he in the hospital..an icy cold hand clutched her heart and squeezed it so tight that she was soon hyper ventilating
Ippo avar enga she had barely managed to whisper
And then had come the cincher
Avan enga kooda thaan vanthan ..hospital vittu velia varum pothu ennannu theriyale thideernu oru velai naan poittu varennu solli avasarama kelambittan
Her fear had transformed to blinding fury then..
Even before she asked the question she knew the answer
Enga ponaaha she asked a glint in her eye
Kathir sollale aanaa Maamaa va auto la ethum pothu ithu nadantha edathukku ponum nu van driver kitta sonnaan..yennu theriyale
Avara yen thaniya vitta Ashok she lamented
But her mom and Ashok had been busy tending to her dad
She had stood soaking it all in and the more she thought the more she was convinced that he had gone back to the place to fight some more
She had panicked some more
And soon her panic changed to anger
And that's when she had called him
Worried sick that he had gone back alone..she of course thought it was to settle unfinished business
The dressing on her father's head was also triggering memories of his accident..the dressing on his wounds, the bleak days at the hospital, the induced coma, the memory loss, the headaches..
She couldn't stand to see him like that again
And she had dumped all that frustration and fear on him
But the words..oh the words..she knew she had gone too far
Outside in the hall
Murugan had gone in to rest
Ashok gave them a full update of what he knew ..he of course left out the part about what the thugs had said to trigger the whole issue
The more Mullai heard the more she knew she had done it this time
Kathir had stopped the vehicle to help his maamaa in the scuffle that was already underway..not started it like she had accused him
At the hospital he was anything but in rage..from Ashok was saying he had even tried to inject levity into the situation
But none knew why he wanted to go back
She should have asked him..shown him the concern that she actually felt rather than allow it to manifest itself as anger
She stood not knowing what to do
But first things first
She texted him
Ungalukku ethaachum adi pattu irukka..appakku mandaila periya kattu..ungalukku antha mathiri ellam onnum ille thaane
She stood looking but the indication stopped with a single grey tick
He had his data off probably
She stood looking doleful
Seri appo naan kelambaren athai..Kathir vantha sollittu kelambalaam paarthen..ille irunga naan oru phone panni paarkkaren
Avar varuvaaru thonalai..Mullai whispered
Yen inga thaan varatha sonnaan
Naan thaan phone panni thevai illaama pesi kaduppadichuttene she said massaging her forehead
Avar kitta ethukku sandai potta
Avar thaan sandaiya thodanginatha nenaichu thittitten
Verethulla enna kondu irukkiyo illiyo..ithulla nalla enna mathiriye irukka ..yosikkave maattiyaa..the mom admonished her
Ashok nee sappidu pa
Ille athai venaam..amma senjuruppaanga ..naan kelambaren
Adutha vaaram inga Kunnakudi veettukku cara porom..appo unga kaiyaala aasai theera saappadaren
Hmmm mathani sonnaanga..seri appo paarthu poittu vaa paa
Ashok left
Murugan got up in a while and was very upset when Parvathy told him about Mullai ticking off Kathir
The usual mild natured man had quite a lot to tell Mullai
Atheppudi ma..neeya phone panni ippudi pesuva
Appa oru bhayathula
Bhayam na bhayama kaamikkanum..ithu enna thittarthu
Etho oru pathattam venumnu ille pa
Ille ma.. nee oru vaatti avarukku adi pattu paarthukitta ille..antha ennam..
Appa enna pa sathyama appudi ellam ille..Mullai was clearly distressed
Parvathy who was mum till then intervened..yenga pothum..avale kavalaiya irukka..vaanga ellam saappidalaam
The dinner was a gloomy affair
Kathir for his part had called Ashok to discuss the way forward on this one
Anna kitta pesinen Ashok..kalyanathukku avanga enakku potta chain mothiram rendum vechu intha maasam kadana kuduthudalaam..adutha maasathukkulla maamaa kaasu kudutha aala pudikkanum..illenna marupadiyum ithu prachanai thaan..
The two men sat sipping their tea
Enakku therinja paiyan oruthan irukkaan ..innikku maamaa rest edukkattum..Naalaikku avar kitta pesi mudinja alavu information vaangi..avana trace pannalaam
Hmm seri..ithu nalla yosanaiya thaan irukku
Ashok stood staring at Kathir
Nee anga veettukku varuvannu romba neram wait pannen
Anga ethukku..
Mullaiya paarkka
Amaam athu mattum thaan baakki ippo
Romba bhayanthutta
Yaaru avala..aanaa nee sonnathum seri thaan appa va paarthu bhayanthuruppa..athaan athukku naan thaan kaaranamnu..kaduppa kelappi kittu
Ille machi..neeyum sandai potta..unna paarkkale enna aachunnu theriyaama oru parhattam
Appo appudi kekkanum..athe vittuttu Kaattu miraandi nna
Ethu
Amaam..kovam varuma varaatha ..antha vaai irukku paaru
Thiru thirunnu muzhichappave nenaichen..etho settai panni irukkaannu..paavam namma Mullai thaane ..pesu
Kathir who was checking his phone as Ashok spoke saw the messages
Kovatha phone panni kaamikkarthu aanaa akkarai message la
Itho paaru Ashok un athai ponnu ngarthukkaaga parinju pesi kittu varaatha sollitten..Kovappaduvaa appuram akkarai kaamicha naan udane pesanumaa ..mudiyathu
Ashok was amused to see a petulant Kathir..definitely a first in all these days
Seri ritu..naan Naalaikku appo maamaa va koottittu varen..Mullaikkum kaaichal koranjuduchaannu paartha mathiri irukkum..kelambattumaa
Ashok was at his nonchalant best
Ethu..Mullaikku kaaichalaa..eppo..rppudi..yen enkitta yaarum sollale ..naan ippo phone pandren
Kathir was in an absolute frenzy and only halfway through punching in her digits did he realise the fast one that had been pulled on him
He looked up to see a very goofy grin on Ashok's face and grinned himself
Namma Mullai kitta pesaama enga poga poren he chuckled
Ashok being decent enough to not intervene further took his leave
Kathir went in
He washed himself and had dinner with everybody and finally managed to retire to his room
He took his phone with an intention to call her
And saw that she had sent a few messages
He clicked on one and her sweet tinkling voice filled the room
Yenga thappu thaan enna ethunnu kekkaama pesitten..please kovikkaatheenga..en kitta pesaama irukkaatheenga
He smiled and muttered loosu and clicked on the next one
At least ungalukku onnum illennu sollunga..unga vaayaala kettutta nimmathiya irukkum ..please..thookkama varuthu aanaa thoonga mudiyale
Again he smiled Fraudu..enga thattina than vishayam nadakkumnu therinju vechu irukka ..and he settled to listen to the next one
But his demeanour changed on listening to that
Yennanga unga prachanai..en ippudi alaya vidareenga..enakku ungala pudichu pochunnu theriyum..athaan enna azha vittu vedikkai paarkkareenga..paarunga paarunga..nalla kuthoogalamaa irukku ille..nalla santhoshama irunga ..naan appudi enna thappa sollitten ..neenga appudi thaane ..ethu keduthalum adi thadinnu poi kittu ..athe thaan naanum sonnen..enna thappu..romba alattikkareenga..pesaatta ponga..unga kitta kenja ellam mudiyathu..
The message had stopped there..he jabbed on the next
Enakku theriyunga udambu nalla aayiduchu..en thevai ille..ungalukku ennaiya pudikkathunga ..naan evvalavu pannaalum pudikkathu.,appothaikku venaa paavamnu thonalaam..athaan konduttu vanthu amma veettula thallittu entha sandaiya pottu ingaye ukkaara veikkalaam nu yosikkareenga appudi thaane ..
And her voice broke then just before the voice message ended
He was so livid with her
He called her and was even in that moment was amused when she answered almost immediately
But before she could say anything he started a monologue
Oru maasamaa smart phone use pandra enakke tick blue aagalanna innum paarkkalennu theriyum rendu grey colour tick kooda vanthu irukkathu..ippo thaan naan data on pannen..ithu therinjum ennavo naan venumte un kitta sandai pesalannu purinju irukka paaru..arivaali nee..nejamaa perumaiya irukku..correct ah purinju vechu irukka ennaiya..
Illenga athu
Ivvalavu neram nee pesinathellam naan kettenla..ippo en time summa kekkanum..enna theriyanum ..naan nalla irukken..oru adi ille en mela..nimmathiya thoongu..ennaala nee thookkam ezhanthathu ellam pothum..thoongu..naan thaan unne pathi yosikkave illennu theriyuthu ille..neeyum appudiye iru..seriya..good night
And he cut the call and tossed the phone
He had to take a few calming breaths before he felt normal again
Shabba pothum da saamy..Naalaikku muthal velaiya anga poi avala koottittu varanum..manushana paiyhiyam aakkittu thaan viduvaa
He even wondered if he should go now but then his ego was hurt too so he decided to sleep on it
The next morning he woke up at his usual time
But when he came back from his bath he was pleasantly surprised to see her enter the room with his tea
He stood shocked on seeing her and she stood with the tea glass in her hand and mutiny in her eyes