Kathir was busy overseeing the construction that already was underway
The workers had taken a tiffin break..and Kathir realised that they had slowed down a bit
He knew the workers would go on their lunch break soon
Getting them to restart after lunch would be the real challenge and even more difficult he knew that as well
While he stood contemplating that
He saw a figure walking towards the site
He squelched the need to rub his eye because he couldn't believe what he saw
That Morning at the PS house
Mullai was busy cooking breakfast
She packed lunch in a basket
Akka naan innikku kadaila kuduthuttu varattuma she asked
Ahn seri Mullai kuduthuttu va
Vandi eduthuttu poren ka she said
Ahn seri paarthu bathiram
Mullai went to the shop left the breakfast there and then rode straight to Kaaraikudi
She took the basket with food in it and walked towards him
Once she came near he asked her
Nee inga enna pandra
Kaalai tiffin maamaa
Kathir stood not knowing how to react
Naan erkaname sappten he said
Her face fell
Oh appudiya..naan late ah vanthutteno sorry maamaa..Kadaikku ponen tiffin kudukka..semma koottam..periya maamaakku nalla pasi..avara saappada sollittu naan galla va paarthukitten..athaan time aayiduchu
Kathir stood saying nothing
Nethu potta thuni ellam enga maamaa
Ey intha thanniya kudichuttu kelambu
She stared at him for a few moments
Thuni thochuttu poren maamaa she said
Unnaiya kelamba sonnen
She took the basket..
Lunch eppo saappiduveenga maamaa
Ethukku
She stood silent
Mullai enna thaan venum unakku
Unga kooda inga irukkanum
Athu mudiyathu
Yen
Naan inganaye motta maadila paduppen
Yen chinna kadai thaannaalum kaasukku panjam illennu sonneenga..oru chinna veedu vaadagaikku pidikka mudiyathu
Mudiyathu
Yen
Athu avasiyam thonala
Naanum unga kooda motta maadila padukkaren
Athellam nadakkave nadakkathu
Yen
Unga appa amma ketta enna sollvaanga
Veedum edukka maatteenga neenga thangara edathulayum enna irukka vida maatteenganna enna artham
Yen singapore malaysia nnu velaikku poravanga ellarum pondaatti ya inga vittuttu thaane poraanga
Naan yen avangala paarkkanum..neenga enna singapore ka poi irukkeenga
Yenna anga ellam poga vakkillennu kuthi kaamikkariyo
Ille..kadal thaandi ponaa ithellam panna mudiyathu ..aanaa ingana 20 nimisha thoorathula irukkara purushanukku saappaadu konduttu varalaam la..athuvum koodathunnu sonna eppudi
Oh..seri un ishtam
Mullai left with the basket
Kathir looked at her retreating figure
Nee nenaichathu nadakkanumnu avvalavu adam..hmmm..naanum paarkkaren ethana Naalaikku nu he smirked
But she was back in the afternoon and in the evening as well
Ey night saappaadu konduttu vanthiya ..intha iruttula thaniya poviya..veettula onnum sollaliya
Akka aarambichaanga
Ennannu
Ithu enna pazhakkam..ethana vaatti vandila poittu varuvanu..ithulla petrol selavu evvalavu nu vera
Kathir's face fell slightly at that
Athaan unga vandi thevai illennu bus la vanthutten
Annan thitta poguthu
Aiya unga anna annikku neenga venaa bhayappadalaam..enakku bhayam ellam ille..
He fixed her with a glare
Pinna avanga purushanukku vela velai kku saappaadu poganum..ithe neenga illaama periya maamaa ippudi vantha avanga summa iruppangalaa..
Annikku anna mela paasam jaasthi he said
Enakkum she started and stopped on seeing his face
Oh enakku paasam ille appudi thaane..irunthuttu pottum..aanaa kadamai irukku la..pondaatti ngara en kadamaiya seiya yaaraiyum kurukka nikka vida maatten
Naan thaan sollittene un ishtam thaan
He took the basket from her
And she left
On her way to the road a group of ladies working on the site sat sipping tea
Yaaru ma neeyu one lady asked
Mullai..Athu Kathir irukkaarula avaroda pondaatti
Per azhaga irukku..tea kudikkariyaa ma
Ille ka time aachu naan kelambaren
Hmm seri ma..naalaikkum varuviya
Hmm nethamum varuven moonu velaiyum she said eyes glinting
She took leave and left
Enna Paasam paaren one lady said
Vera ennavo irukku
Yen Shantha appudi soldra
Mathiyam gavanichen..intha pulla kitta namma Kathir thambi konjam velagi ninnu pesina mathiri thonichu..aanaa intha ponnu avvalavu paasamaa varuthu
Intha aambalaingale ippudi thaan
Appudiyum yosikka mudiyale ..pona vaatti ithe thambi vanthuchula oru 2-3 naalaikku
Amaam
Appo saappaattula oru gavaname irukkaathu
Amaam kedaichatha saappidum..perisa rusichu saappidara mathiri thonaathu
Aanaa innikku mathiya saappaadu paarkkanum appudi ukkanthu aara amara rasichu rusichu saapptuchu..paasam irukku aanaa kaamikka mudiyale ..pondaatti thanakkaaga menakkedaraannu avvalavu poorippu..hmm paarkkalaam
And the ladies got back to work
Kathir was confident that she wouldn't be able to sustain this for long ..so he decided to humour her
But when she did this continuously for more than a week he started fretting
He decided to change gears
He started acting moody with her
One day when she tried to cajole him into eating immediately when the food was still hot
He had snapped at her
Loud enough for many of the workers to stop what they were doing and look up
Mullai looked hurt and with a mumbled kelambaren she left
Another time he did not eat the food she had brought
When she came carrying dinner
He had very flippantly told her
Tho paaru nee konduttu varennu ellam
Saappida mudiyathu..innikku velai busy athaan..
But even then she only asked
Mathiyam appo onnume saappadalaya she asked her face full of concern..
inga pakkathu kadailernthu bread omelette vaangi saappitten he said
Oh appo seri..verum vayathula irukkala ille..she said more to herself
She left the dinner bag and took the lunch bag
Naan varen and she left
Shantha was nearby and watched this..she also noticed the myriad of expressions flitting on Kathir's face watching Mullai walk back
Many days she also knew he went behind her to discreetly assure himself that she boarded the bus safely
He would make a call to someone to ensure she had reached safely
Pinnadi poga mudiyuthu aanaa kooda poga mudiyale..call pandrathum thambikku pandraaru appudi enna prachanai she wondered
He cared for her that much she knew
She decided to test him
Thevai illaama mookka nozhaikkaromo she thought to herself and smiled
The next day when Mullai came
Kathir was taunting her about the lack of taste
Inga nalla rusiya saappiduven..kadamai athu ithunnu uppu chappu illaama aari pona saappaada saappida vendiyatha irukku..seriyaana imsai unnoda..akkarai mannaangattinnu he said
Shantha decided to put her test in motion
But she had to wait
The next day
Mullai didn't come in the morning
Kathir's eyes were glued to the street
But there was no sign of her
In about an hour's time he asked the maistry
Annan innikku enna thethi
On hearing the response something cleared in his face
He called her
Hello
—-
Innikku mathiyam enakku pakkathu oor varaikkum tiles paarkka poga vendiya velai irukku..angaye mathiyamum
Night um saappiduven...nee alaiyaathe his tone was curt
—-
Ahn aachu..idly saappitten
—-
Seri vekkaren
—-
Mullai
—
Venneer vechukittiyaa..
—-
Hmm rest edu..alaiyaathe..oru 3 naal thaane..
—-
Sol pecha kekka maatta ille..naalaikku naan varen nee alaiyaathe ippo vekkaren and he cut the call
Shantha was nearby and heard this exchange
She could guess what the issue was
That whole day he was a little fretful
The next day as promised he went to Kunnakudi
And the third day he looked a little relieved
When Mullai came next with food for him and was leaving back home
Shantha kka taunted her loud enough for Kathir to hear
Enna ma Mullai..dhinam varuven sonna
Mullai smiled
Avvalavu thaanaa un akkarai she continued ribbing
Even then Mullai smiled and said konjam udambukku mudiyale ka athaan
Oh ippo parava illiyaa
Ahn ippo onnum ille
Mmmppppcchhh..Kathir thambi thaan paavam she said
Mullai waited for her to continue
Nalla aasaiya veli saappaadu saaptuchu..ippo marupadiyum idly chutney nu ..paavam she said
Nethamum velia saappta udambukku nallathu ille la Mullai's smile faltered
Unmai thaan..aanaa un samayal etho prachanai polaye..purushanukku rusiya samaikka kooda theriyale..naanga thaan paarkkarome nethamum evvalavu sangadathoda saappidaraarunnu
Mullai's face fell
Her eyes glinted with unshed tears
Kathir was watching all this getting very irked
Later while drinking tea
Shabba kazhuthellam valikkuthu she lamented
Thevaiyaa unakku another lady asked
Yen
Pinna vaaya vechukittu summa iruntha ippudi ellam avasthai padanumaa
Podi oru naal thaane..pondaatti ya azha vittuttennu ungala ellam naalu naalu sengalaa thookka vitta ennaya mattum 6 sengal thookka vekkuthu nna antha pondaatti mela evvalavu paasam irukkanum..athe unara vekkanum la..nee venaa paaru naalai lernthu oru korai sollaama saappidum
Ithu unakku thevaiyaa..naamale koolikku maaradikkarom..
Cha cha Kathir thangamaana paiyan..antha ponnu Mullai athuvum romba nalla ponnu..nammalaala mudinjathu pannanum la
Athukku nee novu vaanguviya
Adi podi..veettukku poi maamaa kitta sonna ennaiya vechu summa appudi neevi viduvaaru..vali engennu paranthu poidum she laughed
Kuduthu vechava thaan nee..the other ladies laughed and got back to work
But as Shantha said there was a marked difference in Kathir's behaviour with Mullai
Mullai started to look happy
This went on
One day Kathir had to go away on some work and took longer to return
He wasn't around when Mullai came with dinner
Mullai stood waiting for sometime
She tried calling him but there was no answer
It was getting late
Akka avuha vantha sappaadu vekkaren sollidunga she said and left
She was walking in one quite street when she realised 3 men were walking behind her
She was a little scared
She tried calling Kathir
No answer
She had to try some 10 times before he answered
Ey..oruthan phone edukkale nna busy ah irukkaan puriyaathaa..vandi otti kittu irukken..ithana vaatti phone pandra he snapped
Maamaa..she whispered
Ey enga irukka
Night saappaadu kudukka vanthen..thirumba busstand poren..3 per pinnadiye vara mathiri irukku..bhayamaa ieukku..she was half sobbing
Athellam onnum ille
Ippo enga irukka
Kadai veethikku pinnadi therula
Kadai veethikku po
Maamaa
Soldren la po
Ahn seri maamaa..
Naan line laye thaan irukken bhayappadaathe
Vanthutten maamaa
Thuni kadai ethaachum irukka
Haan irukku maamaa..Skandan textiles
Hmm ulle po
She went in
Oru 5 nimisham saree ethaachum paaru naan varen
And he was there in 5 mts as promised
Seeing him stride in
Mullai ran to him and hugged him
He patted her back gently
Mullai enna ithu..kadaila irukkom..he whispered
Sorry maamaa
Ada ellarum oru mathiri paarkkaraangannu sonnen..romba bhayanthuttiya..yaaru kaami vaa
He pulled her out
The three men stood sipping tea in a shop on the opposite side of the road
On seeing Mullai come out with Kathir one of the men smiled and waving at them started walking off with his friends
Kathir was very irritated and confused
Evvalavu thimiru he muttered
Ey he shouted and strode across to them dragging Mullai with him
The men turned
Enna Kathiru the man who waved at him asked
He stared at the man and slowly comprehension dawned
Neenga Shantha akka he dragged
Oh adayaalam theriyaleya thambi..Velu Kadai kattara edathula vela paarkkura Shantha en ponjaathi
Ahn iruttula seriya theriyale
Neenga enga inga..athu Mullai etho
Amaam thambi..thangachi tiffin kuduthuttu iruttula thaniya nadakkuthunnu enna konjam bus stop varaikkum pinnadi poga sonna Shantha athaan..thangachi kadaikkulla pochu..oru tea podalaam yosichom..paartha neenga vanthutteenga..athaan kelambalaamnu kelambinom..varom thambi
Ahn romba thanks ne
Varom thangachi..bathiramaa ponga and they took leave
Vandila eru Kathir said
Mullai hopped on thinking he was taking her to the busstand
But he rode towards home
Ethukku ungalukku veen alaichal..bus la ethi vitta naan poikkuven
He said nothing
After a while
Ithellam thevaiya he asked
Ethu she asked
Intha alaichal prachanai ellam
She kept mum
Appudi enna adam
She still kept quite
He didn't say anything after that
They reached home
Mullai half thought he might leave back immediately
But he walked in with her
Everyone were excited to see him
After the initial excitement died and there was a lull
Amma
Sollu Kathiru
Intha Kaaraikudi velai eppudi naalum innum oru 5-6 maasam pogum
Seri pa
Naan anga chinnatha oru veedu paarthu Mullai ya en kooda koottittu pottuma
Mullai looked up her eyes sparkling
Naan poi pack pandren she said and went in
Lakshmi amma chuckled
Thaaralamaa pa..Mullai evvalavu sonnaalum kekkaama thenamum 3 velai anga vanthuttu varaa..udambu thaangumaa
Amaam Kathiru veen selavunnu sonnaalaachum kova pattu niruthuva paartha ..vandi ya vittuttu bus la varaa..vitta tea konduttu varuva pola..athukku ithu nallathu..Kathiru Dhanam smiled