"Enna solra? Puriyala", Kathir asked getting more confused.
"Namba kalyanam panna venamnu solrean Kathiru", she repeated herself again.
Kathir was controlling his emotions so that he does not burst out at her. He had been anxious all day and her talking about their separation was the last thing he wanted to hear. However he knew something has upset her and this was not the time to react. He wanted to handle the situation patiently and understand what was bothering her.
He again held the hand in her lap into his palms.
"Enna achu? Ipadi elam en yosikara ipo?", he muttered in the softest tone he could.
Tears start rolling in her eyes again. Kathir immediately grabs her waist and pulls her close to him as possible. She tries to wiggle out of his embrace, but he keeps tight grip on her hip. Mullai couldn't hold his gaze. She bends her head down before continuing.
"Andha veetuku thirumba vandha, Jeeva mama elam pathutu iruka muidyumnu thonudhu"
Kathir took a long breath "Seri. Puriyudhu. Aana en adha ipo dhidirnu yosicha? Ithana naal ilama?"
"Inaiku than thonuchu. Adhan solrean", she said still not looking at him.
He held her chin up, so she can look at him.
"Nee yosikaradhu thappunu naan solala. Aana, enamo nadandhu iruku. Adhai en maraikara en kita?"
"Naan en maraika porean?", she answered rather too quickly and got away from his hold and got up from the bed.
It was starting to get frustrating for Kathir.
"Mulla! Onumey nadakama edhuku apo ipadi pesitu iruka? Thirumba thirumba en kita yen poi solra?", he asked feeling dejected by her constant denial.
"Edhavadhu nadandha than yosikanuma? Ilana yosika kudadha?", she challenged him. She felt bad for hiding about her talk with Dhanam but she had no heart to talk ill about her either. She knew how much Kathir respected his anni and thought it was for his best the truth was buried deep.
He took few quick strides and stood in front of her. He gritted his teeth " Dharalama yosi. Adhuku ipadi en kita adha pathi pesama, ipadi naan vandhu ketta kalyanam panna venamnu edhuku solanum?"
"Vera enna solla solra? Enakaga veeta vittu velila va na? Adhu enala enaikum solla mudiyadhu. Adhuku naan aasaiyum padala. Adhan indha mudivu yeduthean "
He was in the verge of losing it. He controlled himself and inched closer to her and placed his hand on top of her shoulder.
"Apadi yosicha, nee en kita pesi irukanum. Namba rendu perum sendhu enna panradhunu mudivu yeduthu irukanum. Nee thaniya yepadi mudivu yedupa? Seri yeduthiyey, adhuvadhu nala mudiva yeduthiya? Ipadi muttal thanama oru mudivu", he let out a frustrated breath out.
She pushed his hand away from his shoulder "Idhula mutal thanam onum enaku theriyala"
"Ohh ohh! Adhu yepadi, epovum namba vishayathula nee en kita irundhu vilangi irukara mudiva than yedukara?", he controlled his voice not wanting to scare his mama and athai outside. However the fiercess in his look made her shiver, making her take a step back in fear.
He placed his hands back on her shoulder pushing her towards the wall behind her.
"Ka..th..ir", she stammered seeing the fury in his eyes.
"Namba vishayathula nee matum yepadi mudivu yedukalam ennai kekama? Badhil sollu!", he whisper yelled right on her face. He held her shoulder tight in anger and he saw her flinch in pain. He immediately withdrew his hand and fisted his pump and hit the wall near her and she jerked involuntarily.
She took a step back in fear and she hit the wall behind her. He caged her to the wall and said looking straight into her eyes
"Epavum en kita irundhu odaradha than Mulla nee panra. Enala mudiyala. Namaku kalyanam analum, edavadhu prachanai vandha ipadi than en kita edhuvum kekama, neeya oru mudivu yeduthu ennai vitu velagiduviya?"
Though Mullai knew Kathir was mad at her, she understood the helplessness in his voice. However she was helpless too and he failed to see her side.
"Idhula vera enna mudivu yeduka mudiyumnu ipadi en kita kathitu iruka?"
"Apo kadasi varaikum indha kalayanam nadaka naan onum panna matenu than nenaika pora? Apadi thana?"
"Thirumba aramikadha. Un mela nambikai neraya iruku. Aana, unna kudumbathil irundhu piricha kutraunarchi enna konudum. Adhuku nee ilama naan vazhradhu evalavo mel"
He stood there for seconds , his gaze burning into her. She felt her heart dipping to the nervous line as he closed in the distance between them. Given any day, his closeness was something she never was able to resist and him knowing his charm more than anyone else used it as much as his cogitative allowed.
"Apo en mela irukara kadhal avalavu than illa?", he whispered and without letting her utter a word closed the distance between their lips. She breathed in deeply, the feel of his lips on her was consuming, like always.
He heard her breathe in deeply and felt her go limp, his hands moving down to her waist to hold her. He waited, just holding his lips on hers to make some movement but he could feel the resistance between them. She waited for him to deepen the kiss, but he did not. She knew he was waiting for her to see if she wanted to. The vulnerable side of her, the one that loved him despite being angry, could never pull back from his touch.
After agonizing few seconds, he pulled back without deepening the kiss.
"Anaiku mandapathula mudhal murai unaku mutham kuduthapo, ennai aranjiyey, apadi ipo araiya vendiyadhu thana? Illa thali vida vendiyadhu thana? Adhan naan venam, pudikalanu solitiyey!", he breathed fire.
A sole tear pricked at the back of her eyes that threated to fall down.
"Kalayanam panna venamnu than sonean. Unna kadhaikalanu solala. Epovum solla matean. Naan sagara varai nee matum than Kathir. Unna thavira en vazhkaiyil vera yaraiyum yosika mudiyadhu", she chocked on her words.
Kathir's heart whelms up. He leaned in and she didn't try to duck away or push him away this time too. She stayed there waiting for their lip's soft embrace. Finally, their lips touched, and she forgot all her pain. It felt nice and it felt like love. She was still very much on edge about the whole situation, but the kiss eased that eerie feeling at least for the time being. The kiss gave her all the comfort she needed. It gave the assurance he was there for her always even if she pushed him away.
Her hands moved to his back, holding him and her lips parted. He yanked harshly on her waist, pulling her closer and engulfed her wanting lips into his. She tasted as enticing as ever , even though she tasted salty because of all the crying. She held him tighter, as his mouth consumed in on hers.
He kissed her passionately, breaking through the control she was trying to keep on herself, but failing every moment his lips moved against hers. It only took a moment; he could feel the longing in her kiss with the way her hands were on either side of his face holding him closer. Teeth nipping, tongues lashing, their breathes getting heavier by each second, they kissed.
Tears pricked the corner of her eyes, how vulnerable she was to his love, she could not find the anger even if she tried to. She did not want the kiss to end, and she did not want him to move away.
It wasn't until she whimpered with the lack of breath that he broke the kiss. Breathing heavily, they looked at each other, her eyes glistening with small tears and his quietly trying to read hers. He pulled her closer once more, touching his forehead to hers.
"Endha kolapam vandhalum, en kita thayangama pesu. Neeya pottu edhayo yosichu kolapikadha. Puriyudha? Naan epavum un kuda irupean", he promised in a whisper.
She let her tears fall closing her eyes.
"Shhh. Azhadha"
He whispered, his thumb brushing across her cheeks to wipe her tears away.
"Nee modhala poi sapidu. Mama romba kavalaiya irukar. Saptutu, nala thungi ezhundha ipadi yosichadhu thappunu unaku puriyum. Apo pesalam namba. Seriya?"
While his words were to soothe her, it pained more to know that the truth was far from what he said and tears kept flowing.
"Enna vitu vilagaranu solitu, ennai kasta paduthi, neum yen unna kasta paduthukira? Ipadi Panadha di inametu", he said pressing his lips lightly on her forehead. Her hands circled around his neck, holding him.
"Nee ilama naan yepadi irupenu enala yosichu kuda pakka mudiyala", he said with so much pain.
Her hands stopped his words, his tears touching her hands. She just shook her head, forbidding him to say anything further. Every time she sees a vulnerable side of him, it churns her heart. She pulled him closer, and he crushed herself to him and buried his face in crook of her neck. After few minutes he broke the hug.
"Seri romba nerama irukean. Unga amma idhukey Sammy aditu irupanga. Nalaiku namba sandhiram meet panalam. Pesuvom. Seriya? Adhu varaikum edhuvum yosikadha"
Mullai stood there without knowing what to say.
As he stepped towards the door, he noticed her phone lying on the corner of the floor near her bed. He bends down and picks it up. He extends it to her,
"Phonea switch off panama iru. Unaku enna achunu inoru vaati pathara mudiyadhu" , he chuckled trying to lighten the mood .
Suddenly something clicked his head. If she had switched off the phone to avoid talking to him, why was it lying on the floor in the corner, he wondered. He withdrew his hand that was extended and examined the phone closely to see few starches on it. At that instant, Parvathy's words of her being upset after attending a call echoed in his head.
Noticing the change in his face, she stepped closer and extended her hand. "Phone kudu Kathiru! Inametu switch off panala"
The panic in her voice was evident and he dodged the phone away from her. He turned it on to check the call history, despite Mullai's persistent protest to hand over the phone back to her.
"Adula onum ila. Phonea en kita tha modhala", she whined, and she noticed him freeze at his place.
'Dhanam akka' name popped in front of his eyes and he felt like earth shaking beneath his legs.
He looked at her and asked voice stammering "Anni Edhuku call pananga? Enna sonanga?"
When she just bend her head down, he yelled at her that his voice thundered across the room.
"Unna than kekarean. Anni enna sonanganu solla poriya ilaya?
Parvathy who was anxiously waiting for Kathir to come out, heard his voice through the doors. She immediately rushed in not bothering to knock. He saw Kathir standing with phone in his hand throwing dangers on Mullai.
"En veetukey vandhu, en ponnayey kathariya nee?", Parvathy asked angrily .
Kathir totally ignored her and was still looking straight only at Mullai.
"Avanga phone panni enna sonanga? Badhil solunu sonean! Un kita than kekarean" he said authoritatively.
"Ava yepadi soluva? Un kudumbathil irukaravanga ivala enna panalum, iva than eee nu iluchutu nipaley. Avanga panra kodumai elam ivalavuku ennaiku purinju iruku?. Ava athai veetla irukaravanga elarum nalavanganu than solitu suthra. Avangala pathi yepadi thappa pesuva?", Parvathy said in a single stretch anger and disgust evident in her voice.
"Unaku un veetla irukaravanga enna sonanganu theriyanumna, poi avangala kelu. En ponnu kita kathara velai vechukadha. ", Parvathy warned him again.
Kathir looked at Mullai one more minute before he stormed out of the room and the house.
**
He drove home like a mad man. He wanted to talk to his anni and figure out the issue. There must have been an misunderstanding was his first thought and he wanted to resolve it soon.
As soon as he entered the hall, he noticed the family sitting in the hall as his brothers have returned from the shop.
Moorthy as he has been doing all weak ignored him. His anni got up as soon as she saw him and announced to the family
"Sapadu yedutu vekarean. Elarum kai kaluvitu vanga"
"Anni oru nimisham", Kathir stopped her.
She turned around to face him, when he asked "Mulai'ku call panengala?"
Dhanam was in terrible mood all day after being insulted by Mullai this morning. Mullai not only failed to understand the complications of their relation but also failed to see how it will taunt their family image. Rather Mullai choose to insult her love and rights over her family.
As soon as Kathir mentioned her name, all the anger from morning resurfaced
"Oh! Enna thitinadhu pathadhunu, un kitayum enna pathi Thapa pesinala ava?" she asked bitterly.
Kathir stood there confused on why would Mullai ever insult his anni, while she continued
"Inga paaru da. Ava mela ulla akaraiyil than, phone panni unna maraka sonean. Ava enna da'na adha kekka naan yarunu solra? Nee kudukara yedam than idhu elam. Dho ipo enna pathi thappa pesi, unnaiya en kita kelvi kekka vera anupi iruka. "
He knew his brother and anni were upset over him. However, not in his wildest dream he expected her to call and talk to Mullai. She ignored his feelings and tried to manipulate Mullai against this wedding.
"Ipovey ipadi un kita poladhadhu elam pesi, namakula sandai vara vekka pakarava, nalaiku indha kudumbatha pirika matanu enna da nichiyam? "
"Dhanam. Enna nadakudhu Inga? Thevai ilama Andha pullaya Edhuku thappa pesara?", Moorthy barged it.
"Nenga Chumma irunga mama. Naan Avalavu inaiku phone panean. Enna Apadi thitina. Andha Ivan kita solla kuda venamnu nenachean . Enna Andha ketta Ivan kasta paduvanu. Aana, Ava Ivan kita poi Enna sonalo!", she spoke in anger.
She turned her attention back to Kathir
"Ava vishayathula mudivu yedukra urimai enaku ilayam. Ava than sonna. Seri adhu ilanu vechukalam. Un vishayathula mudivadukara ella urimaiyum enaku iruku thana? Ipo solrean, ava indha kudumbathuku othu vara matta. Nee olunga avala marandutu, nanga solra ponna sikiram kalyanam panra vazhiya paaru"
Kathir always thought, his anni did everything for his happiness. When she knew Mullai was what he wanted, still she choose to stand against him just for the society. To make things worse, she was throwing malicious comments about Mullai , while Mullai on other hand never uttered a word against his anni or his family. He felt betrayed by his own family.
His head was spinning and angry tears threated to fall. Not wanting to stand there any longer, he went to his room and shut himself from everyone. He lay on his mat thinking without a blink of sleep all night.
With a new born determination, he woke up to freshen himself and walked to his mothers who was sitting in the bed talking to Kanna.
"va da Kathiru. Nethu night sapida kuda varala? Ketta thala valinu thungitanu Dhanam sonna. Ipo yepadi pa iruka?", she asked concerned.
"Ipo paravala ma", he lied.
He sat closer to his mother and held her palm "Amma, naan oru ponna virumbarean. Avala kalyanam panna unga asirvadham venum ma"