Sivaangi opened the French window of their lake house and came out, she stood directly under the rays of sunlight, trying to get in the warmth of the afternoon sun, in an other wise cold Ooty climate.
Despite being ice cold, they all had so much fun in the lake water. Sivaangi was initially hesitant in entering the water, but the three mischievous kids she has tricked her and pulled her inside.
She smiled at the thought of how childish and at the same time protective and attentive Ashwin was when he took care of all three of them single handedly.
With the same smile she started to walk down from the house and sat down on the last step.
She could hear her kids shouting and arguing something with Ashwin regarding their dress which made her smile grow even bigger.
From the moment she accepted Ashwin into their life, he made sure that he spent every inch of his time with the kids, taking care of all their needs like a pro, making sure to involve himself completely, compensating for all the lost times.
She heard the door opening, but she didn't bother to turn back knowing who it would be, she waited eagerly for either a small hand or his huge manly one to go around her, but instead she heard a very familiar voice that shocked her.
"Hi Sivu" the voice reverberated inside Sivaangi's ears, but she couldn't bring herself to turn and look.
She would be lying to herself, if she said, she didn't expect, she knew Ashwin was planning something, but when faced in reality it shook her beyond her imaginations.
"Can I sit here?" Mika asked standing next to Sivaangi.
Sivaangi just nodded her without even turning to look at her but just continued to stare ahead.
"The view here is just beautiful" Mika continued talking sitting next to Sivaangi.
But she continued her silence.
"Enna paaka kooda pudikalaya Sivaangi? Even after so many years? " asked Mika her voice clearly showing the hurt.
Again Sivaangi did not reply but turned and looked at her sister. She had changed a lot, even though she was lean before, now she looked even more thinner, which made her look taller, her whole body and facial muscles showed much more toning and sculpting, her hair was highlighted with red color, the tips were bleached, layered, yet long enough until her waist, she was wearing colored contacts which actuated her wheatish tone. On the whole she looked nothing like Sivaangi now, except for a faint resemblance, but her eyes, despite the contacts, it was same, as always speaking its own language.
"Hi " Mika said smiling at her sister who was busy scanning her.
"Hi " Sivaangi replied in a blank tone.
"How are you? " Sivaangi asked formally
"Nalla irukken Sivaangi " she replied with the same smile.
"Did Ashwin call you? " Sivaangi jumped to the question directly not wanting to prolong the pleasantries.
"Yes, he did, looks like I have some explanations to do" Mika replied.
"I don't need any explanation from you Mika, I am happy for your new life, but what is broken between us is broken and I don't think anything you say can ever mend it" said Sivaangi
"Hmm.. ivalo veruppu vara alavukku naan enna panninen Sivaangi?" Mika asked really hurt
"Enna panniniya? you broke the twin trust, you broke our bond, you lied to me, you hid things from me" Sivaangi exclaimed her tone slightly raising.
"Yes, that I did, but I did it for all of our welfare, what did you expect me to do? come and tell you, 'Hey Sivu, I too have feelings for Ashwin' " Mika too asked little frustrated
"But you didn't have any problem telling that to Ashwin right? " Sivaangi argued back
"That too was an accident, in one overflowing emotional moment, I showed him my feelings, but I immediately regretted it and moved to Mumbai completely and after that I made sure my interactions with him are to the bare minimum, until you forced me to do that vlog" she replied
Sivaangi did not reply, her face clearly showing pain, indicating that she was re living that day from her memories.
"I wouldn't have if you had told me about your feelings" Sivaangi said her face clearly reflecting the pain.
"Yeah that was my huge mistake, I became over confident, I thought my feelings for him has vanished and I have moved on and accepted it" replied Mika with guilt
Sivaangi did not reply.
"Sivu, oru second think panni give me an honest answer, would you have told me if our roles had been reversed? " asked Mika looking straight into her eyes, shocking Sivaangi
Sivaangi thought for a while, and her truthful mind immediately gave the answer for her
"She wouldn't have"
Sivaangi nodded her head as a no.
"Then how can you blame me? I know this is all so much screwed up, there was no right or wrong scenarios in this situation, but whatever happened has happened and I think it is high time we all move on from this" Mika said strongly.
Sivaangi did not reply.
"Sorry Mika, in this entire situation most of the mistake was from my side yet I punished both you and Ashwin for something that I did" Sivaangi said sobbing.
"Oh, trust me I was not as genuine as you think of me to be, I too have my share of skeletons in my closet" Mika said hugging her sister.
Sivaangi looked at Mika confused.
"You do know me and Ashwin were living in the same house for more than six months right? " asked Mika
"Oh that, yeah I know, forget house, I would trust Ashwin even if you both have been living in the same room for 6 months" Sivaangi smirked
"Adi paavi, appo un nambikai ellaam Ashwin mela mattum dhaana? en mela illaya?" Mika asked her with false anger
"Hey chi chi, naan appadi mean pannala" Sivaangi dragged
"You were right not to trust me" Mika said with a grave smile
"Enna solra onnum purila? " Sivaangi asked.
"Well it is quite a long story and sitting on the steps like this is piercing my bony structure, oru chair la okkandhu pesalaama" Mika said getting up.
"Hey iru, vandhadhula irundhu enna saapadra nu kooda kekala? enakkum pasikudhu, vaa poi Ashwin kitta enna lunch kekalaam" said Sivaangi finally playing the hostess job.
When both of them entered the house, they saw Ashwin in the kitchen with an apron.
"Kids enga? " Sivaangi asked looking at Ashwin who was busy stirring something on the stove.
"Thannila vilayaadinadhula tired aagi thoongitaanga" Ashwin replied while giving a warm smile to Mika who responded back with the same
"Ayo, saapadalaye?" Sivaangi asked in a concerned tone.
"Oru glass warm milk kudichitu dhaan thoongirkaanga, can wake them up after the food is ready, adhu varaikum thoongatum" Ashwin replied as a responsible father
"Paah Ashwineyy, full fledge family man aagita pola? enna oru sincerity" Mika made fun of him in a teasing tone
"Vera enna panaradhu Mika, at least one of them in the family should be responsible la" Ashwin replied in the same teasing tone, pulling Sivaangi's leg
"Heyy.. " Sivaangi squealed and hit him hard on his shoulders as expected
"Three years naan thaniya dhaan paathukitten therinjukonga" Sivaangi replied
"Theriyum ellam aunty sonnaanga, neenga thaniya enna pannineengannu" Ashwin continued to pull her legs ending up getting more beatings from her
"Unakku ava kitta adi vaangalana thookam varaadhula" Mika asked in a sarcastic tone, while tasting the stirred vegetables from the pan.
"Indha adupula irudhu eduthu saapadra pazhakam unakku innum pogalaya? " Ashwin asked hitting Mika on her head
"Aaaa" she squealed ,
"nee ivalo tasty ah samacha, nee plate la maathra varaikum yaaru porumaya iruppaanga? " Mika chided back stuffing her mouth with another piece.
"Enna samaikara? " Mika asked looking at him
"Mexican Burrito with stirred vegetables" Ashwin replied with a smile
"Wow! en favorite, you still remember? thanks Ashwin" Mika replied jumping like a child
Sivaangi looked at both of them, their bonding, some how made her feel left out.
She slowly moved away from there when Mika's hands pulled her.
"Enga pora? "
"Illa kids paaka poren" Sivaangi replied not looking at her.
"Adhaan thoongaraagannu sonnanla Ashwin, vaa okkaru lets talk" Mika said pulling her to the sofa
They both sat down, Ashwin came and placed a bowl of nachos with cheesy dip
"Saaptute themba pesunga, I will call you once the lunch is ready" Ashwin said before leaving them alone
"Sollu Mika" Sivaangi said looking at her sister.
But Mika did not reply immediately her face showed intense emotions that she was formulating her thoughts.
She took a deep breath and started telling her story to her.
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"Appadi enna thappu pannita nnu unna whole family odhikku vetchutaanga?" Sakshi asked looking at her friend who was devastated.
Mika did not reply but continued to search the internet for any news about where Sivaangi and her parents would have gone.
She emailed her father, but got only plain replies that they are all fine without giving any specifics.
She tried few more times, but when she failed to get any proper reply she stopped it.
From the moment she left the house, for the first few days her life revolved around guilt so much that she broke the contract with Ashwin's company, dipped herself into her series work and finished the second season of the web series as committed.
But after that, her guilt subsided a bit and she came back to Chennai hoping to explain herself and convince Sivaangi and that is when she found out her total family was missing.
She didn't know who to ask for or where to search, they don't have any close relatives.
She directly went to Ravindran uncle's house.
"Ennama unakke theriyaadha enga ponaagannu? " Ravindran too asked her confused
"Illa uncle konjam misunderstandings naala I was away from the family, but ippo seri pannalaamnu vandha, all three of them had disappeared" Mika said depressed
"Enkittayum perisa endha news illama" Ravindran replied
"Ashwin kitta visaarichiya? he might know something" he added
"Illa Uncle, anyways thanks uncle" Mika replied depressed, leaving the house in total dejection.
She continued her search for some more days, but slowly her sadness, missing feelings, guilt everything started turning into anger.
"It looks I have been the only one who was giving importance to other's feelings, when it comes to mine, no one cares Sakshi" Mika said with tear filled eyes.
"Idha dhaan naan first la irundhu sollikittu irundhen, nee dhaan statue vekkara rangekku ellathayam sacrifice pannitu irundha" Sakshi retorted
"Ellarume enna marandhutaanga? how is it even possible? avalo periya thappa panniten naanu? " Mika asked with anger
"Nee oru thappum pannala, falling for a guy is a natural thing, not a fault, and you did not even act on it, theva illama you felt guilty for no mistake of yours giving them the opportunity to take you for granted" Sakshi added
Mika continued to think without replying.
"Inimel at least muzhichiko, your sister did not abandon you alone, heard she did the same to Ashwin too, he is living alone in Chennai, this is your chance " Sakshi added
"Ayo, enna di pesara? cha podi" Mika retorted with disgust
"Are you honestly telling me that you don't have feelings for Ashwin? that you have really moved on? " Sakshi asked in a challenging tone
Mika did not reply.
"Appo po, make him understand, I am not asking you to do anything morally wrong or unethical, technically he is also single now and so are you, I am just asking you to try your luck" Sakshi added convincing Mika.
The anger Mika had on her family made her do something she never would have done otherwise.
She met Ashwin at his house.
"Aathmika? " Ashwin asked in a surprise tone seeing her at his door step
"Parava illaye correct ah kandupudichiteenga? " Mika asked sarcastically.
"Are you drunk? " he asked shocked.
"Nope, just a glass of wine, or may be two, three, I don't know, I needed the courage to say what I have come here to say" Mika said falling on the sofa
"Whatever it may be, we can talk after you are sober, ippo veetuku po" Ashwin said strictly
"Veetukka? adhu enga iruku? adhaan illama poiduche, I have no veedu, no family nothing" Mika said in a vexed tone.
"Unakkum theriyaadha appo Sivaangi engannu?" he asked surprised
"Nope!!! they all forgot that there is such a family member like me, still alive" she added in a drunken, not so coherent tone, eyes overflowing with tears.
Ashwin looked at her with pity and helplessness.
"Ippo enakku irukaradhu nee mattum dhaan Ashwin, neeyum enna po sollidaadha" she cried like a baby.
"Ayo Aathmika, this is not right? give me your phone, let me call you a friend" Ashwin pleaded
"Appo unakkum naan venaamla? unakkum enna pudikala la? seri ok, nee yaarukum call panna theva illa, naane poren" she got up stumbling
"Ayo purinjiko Aathmika, I love your sister, how can you think I can accept your ever? ippo you are drunk that is why your thoughts are jumbled, once you are sober, you will see things clearer" Ashwin pleaded
"No Ashwin, whether I am drunk or not my love for you is the same, it is not going to change, it is you who have to decide whether you want me or her who abandoned you the same way" replied Mika as steady as possible.
"She did not abandon me Mika, wherever she is, I can still feel the love she has for me, we are connected like that and she and only she will be the sole woman in my life, it is either she or no one " Ashwin replied sternly.
Mika looked at him astonished
"She is one lucky woman, ain't she" she said with a vexed smile and left the house silently.
Ashwin was woken up in the middle of the night by the screaming of his cell phone
"Hello " he said groggily
"Hello, sir naanga life line hospitals la irundhu pesarom, Sivaathmika has met with an accident and little bit serious, avanga 'in case of emergency' numbers edhuvum reachable ah illa, we are now trying to call every one in her contact list starting from A, neenga yaaru? can you come soon?" came the voice on the other end startling Ashwin to the core.
Author's note:
Hello Hello, an early update
So how was it? I think now all the knots are opened, so how do you like it? As you all know Mika is well and alive, so you know she is safe, so this accident news is shocking only to Ashwin not to us...😀
so let me know the thoughts and opinions in the comment section and let me know how you liked the story so far.
Love,
DV