Author’s PoV
Laya came home with so much anger. She could not tolerate her husband’s behavior. How dare he romance a heroine when he is married to her? She conveniently forgot that she tried to find a life partner for him herself. With the new found revelations about her own heart, she is now sure that her stupid heart is in love with her ‘athaan’. She now found meaning to her meaningless anger towards him. She doesn't like her friends admiring what is hers. Yes, he belongs to her! She now understood why she got angry when he didn't get manly feelings when he saw her behind a flimsy towel that morning. She now understood why she never felt disgust or different feelings when he touched her, even though all they did was fight. She now understood why she felt it was ok to be in her underwear if it was him who saw it. And finally she understood why she felt pain in her heart when he took away the nuptials from her.
She decided to let him know all this. She could not contain her newly found love. She wanted to expose it to everyone. But everything went into the drain when she got home. She heard her heart shatter into pieces.
“Listen, it is nothing. I have seen far worse, Preethi. Calm down.” Varun was consoling Preethi and she was crying burying her face in her hands. Varun was sitting near her more close than comfortable.
“I am so sorry, Varun. It is all because of me. I should have not said anything to you.” She cried profusely and Laya had her heart burn at the sight. Dhilip saw her and he could literally read her mind in her face.
“Come in, Vanya.” Dhilip made sure Varun knew of her presence so that he would keep his distance from her. But to his dismay, Varun looked at Laya and sat closer to Preethi. He now touched her shoulders to calm her down and Preethi leaned on his shoulders. Varun was angry that Laya took off the nuptials. He doesn't know why he is being angry but he didn't like her one bit. He was so sure of that.
Laya could not control her anger and threw her bag near the door and ran upstairs to her room.
“Hey, Vanya!” Thanya came running in behind her. Vanya compelled Thanya to accompany her because she felt she needed some moral support. Thanya was confused by the sudden change of behavior in Vanya and stood awkwardly on the doorstep.
“Hey, come in, Thaya. What a surprise!” Varun stood up from the couch and invited her in. She came into the house looking at the man whom she sees behind her closed eyes.
“Hello, anna. How are you?”
“I am good, ma.” Thanya looked at the cried face of Preethi. She knew it was the wrong time.
“Um… Vanya wanted me to accompany her. I think she needs some time alone. I will see you some other day, anna.” She tried to leave. She heard the rumors too. Now she is sure that she is that Preethi. With her friend’s behavior, Thanya was coming to the right conclusions. She could understand her friend’s plight.
“Sit down, Thanya. Tharini akka, bring some cool drinks for her.” Varun looked inside and said to Thairni.
“No, anna. It’s ok. I think this is not the right time. I will come some other day.” Thanya refused it and went out. She ran to the gates but he was fast enough to catch her.
“Enga de odura?(where are you running to?)”
“Ma…ma!” the word slipped her tongue.
“Then, what is new in your life? Looks like your studies are going to be done this year! When is your marriage?” He asked her.
“Valikuthu, mama! (it hurts!)” She tried to free her hand from his iron grip. Her eyes instantly welled up by his words. She never expected to see him here. Her heart was beating in her throat the moment she saw him. He was poking holes with his eyes on her. When she tried to escape the situation, he was fast enough to catch her.
“Nadikatha, de. Unaku kuda valikuma? Athellam manushiya iruntha thaney valikum? (don't act. Will it even hurt you? Only humans will get hurt! Not you.)” He asked her. His acid dipped words never failed to burn her heart.
“Cinema karan vendam nu sonna! Ippo inga enna velai? (You said you don't want a man from a cinema background. Now why are you here?)”
“I came with my friend.” Thanya said, still trying to free her hand from his grip. The more she tried to free, the more he gripped her hand. She felt like he stopped the blood flow in her hand by gripping it so hard.
“Vanya is a good girl. Don't spoil her with your useless ideas.” He told her with a hard tone. He never expected to see her here, that too with Vanya. His past came running to catch up to him and the emotions were too much to handle and he burst out to her.
Laya went to her room and went near her window to open it as she felt suffocated in the room. That is when she saw her ever smiling Dhilip anna raging in anger with her best friend. His anger and her agony was clearly visible. She could not believe that Dhilip had this other face. With their body language, she could see that they are not strangers but as time passed she could literally feel Thanya’s pain and decided to go down to free her from him.
“Dhilip anna!” She called him from behind and he instantly dropped her hand. He tried to correct his face but the pain and anger in his face was so deep that it refused to hide away. Whatever it is, Laya could not bring herself to believe that Dhilip was a bad guy.
“It’s nothing, Vanya.” He hurriedly said.
“I didn't ask you anything, anna.” She told him but all the while her eyes stayed on Thanya and her reddened hand.
“Looks like Varun is calling.” Dhilip walked past them and went into the house in long strides. Thanya let out a long puff while looking at his receding figure.
“So his face is the one that comes in your closed eyes, huh?” Laya asked and Thanya looked shocked at her friend.
“Shock ah kora, shock ah kora! (don't get shocked!). Even a child could tell this. It is written all over your face.” Laya told her.
“Vanya!” Thanya tried to control her sobs and Laya took her to her room without anyone noticing.
Even though Laya is very disturbed with her life, she could not see her friend in this state and above all, she is now very interested to know the love story of ever smiling Dhilip anna and her best friend.
“Sit!” She made Thanya sit on her bed and she sat beside her criss crossing her legs facing her.
“Mmmm, tell me!” She asked her for which Thanya looked at her puzzled.
“What do you want me to tell you?”
“Mmm, how to make biryani! Idiot, tell me your love story.” Laya asked her which made Thanya smile.
“There is no love story.”
“Ha, I won't believe it!”
“Ada, promise! There is no love!”
“Liar!”
“Athu en mama paiyan! (he is my uncle’s son!)” Thanya said.
“Oh ho!” Laya smiled mischievously.
“Ada chi! There is nothing like you think.”
“Don't act, Thanya. I saw you! You were crying.”
“Inga kaiya paru, epdi pudichu nasuki vechurukan nu. Kaiya kaiyoda kondu poga poran nu nenachen. Nalla vela ni vanthu kapathuna. (look at my hand. Look how he crushed my hand. I thought he was going to break my hand. Thank god, you came to save me.)”
“Haha, appo unmaya solla matta? Seri vidu ni sonna nanum sollalam nu nenachen. (so you are not going to tell me the truth? It’s ok, I thought of telling you my truth if you say yours.)”
“You love your Varun athaan! Is that it?” She asked Laya whilst Laya’s jaw dropped on the floor.
“How did you know?”
“It is written all over your face.” Now it was Thanya’s turn to tell this to her.
“Pch, there is another secret that you cannot find!”
“What is it?” Thanya asked Laya with wide eyes.
“You tell me your story first. I will tell you mine later.”
“Pch, there is no big story. He is my uncle’s son. I like him very much. He likes me too. Last year he came home and told my dad that he likes to marry me. My dad said he will talk to me and reply to him later. He went home. Then my dad never asked about it to me but he told Dhilip mama that he will not give my hand to him in marriage because he was working in the cine industry. My mama thought that it was my reply! He is an idiot. If he is in love with me, whom should he tell that to?” Thanya asked her.
“To you!” Laya said! Laya felt so silly of Dhilip’s behavior.
“Hmmm, but he had not yet proposed to me. How would he know my answer if he had not even proposed to me straight? He is an idiot, Vanya. He doesn't know that the moment he asked my hand in marriage to my dad, I was on cloud nine. Though I didn't talk to him much, I have always liked him. But he never came home after that and he completely avoids me. You don't know, Vanya, I voluntarily attend all our relatives stupid functions just to see him. But he would never look at me or worse never come at all.” Thanya let out a long sigh!
“Don't worry, he will come and propose to you soon.”
“I don't want any recommendation for my love and life.”
“Whoa, chill girl. I will not tell him anything. I promise.”
“Ok, now tell me what is that secret?”
“Varun athaan and I are married!” Laya dropped that bomb very casually and Thanya’s eyes were out of its socket already.
“Adi Paavi!” She clutched her heart!
“Sethu poiratha. Enga anna pavam! (don't die. I pity my brother!)” Laya gave her the water bottle near her night stand. Thanya snatched it from her and poured the water straight into her stomach.
“Appo nijama avaru un purushana? (so he really is your husband, huh?)”
“Hehe yes!”
“Purushana love panrathuka ithana scene? Ada kolagari, kalaila antha Mahat I love you sonna appo palla katitu ninna? Time vera ketta? Unaku evlo koluppu irukanum?(huh, all these scene to love your own husband? Sinner, you never said a word about this when Mahat proposed to you in the morning? You asked for more time from him. You are too much!)”
“Hehe, I didn't know I was in love with him at that time!”
“Aiyo aiyo aiyo! I have never seen anyone like you before.” Thanya closed her mouth with her hands.
“Pch, did you see downstairs? Pondati kuthu kallu mari iruken, antha ottada kuchi ah katti pudichutu irukan. Avan kai ya udacha than enaku thookam varum. (i am his wife and I am standing straight ahead of him, but he was hugging that cobweb duster. I can only sleep if I break his hand.)” Laya spoke like a villain.
“Hahaha!” Thanya laughed heartily at her anger.
“En kavala unaku siripa iruka? Iru, enga anna kitta solli vita kai ya odaika solren. (Are you laughing at my sorrow? Wait, I will ask my brother to break that hand of yours.)” She spoke like a perfect gangster queen.
“You are making the same mistake as my mama. Have you ever shown your love to him? Have you ever proposed? How would he know that you are in love with him?” Thanya asked the right question.
“You know what? You are right. I will show him that I love him. You don't know, Thanya. He is an arrogant man. My ego won't let me propose to him. You don't know how many insults I have endured of him.”
“Take one step at a time!” Thanya said and left for her home without getting caught by her rowdy mama!