Meena really did try to see things positively
But a couple days later she had called Jeeva to say she felt like eating something from outside..she had wanted to have momos
While on the way back home
Moorthy had asked Jeeva to go to the market place
He had gone to a mess that sold traditional Chettinad items ..and he got vella paniyaaram for everyone
Ennanne thideernu
Dhanam saappidum pola irukkunnu sonna athaan
Oh serinne
Jeeva had tried to stop the vehicle outside the momo stall
Inga ethukku da niruthara
Illenne Meena vum momo saapidanum ketta athaan
Ethukku da..ivvalavu vaangi irukku la ..innikku ithu saappidalaam
Illenne 2-3 vaatti sollitta
Vandi edu Jeeva..ithu soodu aararthukkulla veettukku polaam
Rendu nimisham thaanne
Ille da ithellam sappidalaamaannu theriyale ..kettuttu vaangalaam ..nee vandi edu soldren la edu
Jeeva unable to argue further started towards home
Innikku ennanna sandai varumo Jeeva thought to himself
But even he was not prepared for the fury Meena unleashed
Once at hime
Meena came to Jeeva eyes shining..vaangittu vanthiya Jeeva she asked
Ille Meena Kadai poottittaan naanga porathukkulla..oru naal poruthukko dee..naalaikku ithukkaagave evening poi vaangittu inga vanthu kuduthuttu poren he said
Naan sonna kadaikku thaane pona..antha kadai usualla late ah thoranthu irukkume she mused out loud
The call that dinner was ready came then
And they came out
When Moorthy opened the Vella paniyaaram parcel and served everyone Meena smiled
But then Moorthy let the cat out of the bag
Yen pa Meena..nee kooda etho kettiyaame pa..naan thaan Jeeva kitta innikku ithu vaangittom naalaikku nee kettathu vaangalaam sonnen..melum athu udambukku nallathaannu theriyale athaan avan antha kadaila niruthinaan..naan thaan vendaamnu sollitten
Oh kadai thoranthu thaan irunthucha maamaa..
Jeeva was already squirming
Ahn nalla koottam vera..yen da Jeeva avvalavu per vaangaraanganna nallaathaan irukkum pola..pesaamaa vaangi irukkalaamo..Moorthy added oil to the raging fire
Enna ketta Meena Dhanam asked
Meena busied herself in staring at her plate
Momos anni Jeeva answered
Appudina Dhanam asked
Meena got up from her plate
Meena enna pandra
Hmm..poi momos vaanga poren
Mullai knew Meena..she was badly triggered
Meena Kathir antha pakkamaa thaan varuvaaru..naan avara vittu vaangittu vara sollavaa
En purushan ivan thaane..ivan pannalangarthukkaaga innoru aambalai kitta poi ninna athu enakku thaan asingam she spat
Everyone were shell shocked
Ey enna asingama pesara Jeeva yelled
Chi vaaya moodu..annanukku bhayanthu maasamaa irukkara pondattiketta pisaathu momos vaangi kudukka vakku ille..veettukku vanthu kadai poottiduchunnu koosaama poi sollittu ..athatta vara..vekkamaa ille unakku..
Meena venaam vaa..naan varen..namma poi vaangittu varalaam..Mullai said
Venaam Mullai..nambi vantha purushan pannalenna namakku naame panna kathukkanum..ille..oru nimisham varen
She went in and came out in 5 mts
Enna dee panna
Naan enna yaarum illaatha anaathaiyaa
Everyone stood brooding
Akka aasaiyaa ketteenga aarakulla saappidunga she told Dhanam
Enga ma..nee nadanthukkara vithathukku eppudi saappida thonum Moorthy grumbled
Appuram avanga ishtam she said shrugging her shoulders..
Ovvorutharukka vaangalaam nu pa..antha kadai enna odiyaa poida poguthu..Moorthy said
Yen maamaa..akka unga kitta eppo sonnaanga..
Kadailernthu kelambikkittu irunthom
Un kitte naan eppo sonnen Jeeva
Jeeva stood mum
Athaane..mathavanga kitta vitturu..en kitta mattum kaami un jambatha..un kovam enna onnum pannathu..4 manikke naan sollitten..mothalla aasai pattu ketta enakku thaane innikku vaangittu vanthu irukkanum
Ille pa athu udambukku nalaathaannu Dhanathu kitta kettu vaangalaam nu
Avanga appudi na ennannu kekkaraanga..appudi enna maamaa..unga pondaatti kku mattum thaan ellam theriyum nu oru nenaippu
Ille pa maasamaa irukka la athaan
Ithu naan akka va punpadutha sollala..aanaa akka enna 10 pulla petheduthavangalaa..ille kooda poranthavanga akkam pakkam nu 10 prasavam paarthu vittavangalaa..
Meena pothum Jeeva tried to stop her
Vaaya moodunnu sonnen..veri ethaatha enakku she shrieked
Sollunga maamaa..amma kitta kekkalaamnu yosichen nu athaiya sonna kooda othuppen..4 pullai pethavanga..athu enna unga pondaatti soldratha thaan saappidanumnu appudi oru aathikkam..ithunoondu momos..romba nalla vishayam illennaalum oru naal saappitta sethaa poida poren..kettu thaan vaangi tharanumnu solla
Moorthy had no answer
Appudiye chinna chinna vishyama romba yosichu senju pazhagittom anni..Kanna tried to dissuade
Appo maathikkonga..enakku chinna chinna vishayathukkellam nadu koodathula panchayat vechu..koodi gummi adichu.. avvalavu porumai ellam kedaiyathu
Unakku ethukkume porumai kedaiyathu pa Moorthy spat
Appudiyaa maamaa..nallathu..appudiye vechukonga she said with utter nonchalance
Meena Jeeva yelled again
Jeeva niruthu Lakshmi amma shouted
Arivu ketta thanamaa nadanthuttu pondaatti kitta eguraatha..maasamaa irukkara pondaatti aasaiya neraivethartha vida vera enna velai unakku
Jeeva stood head low
Kathir arrived to this milieu
He asked Mullai what? With his eyes
She rolled hers to say ithu namma eye lock la ellam puriya vekkara vishayam ille
Iva yen kaduppaaraa Kathir thought ti himself
And then Jana came
Meena he said
Appa
Inthaamaa..he said handing her a packet
Thanks pa
Ellarukkum thaan vaangittu vanthen
Seri pa
Enna ma thideernu
Ille pa thideernu saapidanum nu romba naakkukku kettuchu ..Jeeva ippo thaan veettukku vanthaan ..athaan..ungalukku phone potten..driver kitta solluveenga paarthen..
Naan appo thaan veettukku poittu irunthen ..athaan naanum vantha unna paartha mathiri irukkumennu
Seri pa irunga..semma pasi saappidaren
Sappidu ma sappidu ma..enakku venaam..unga amma wait pandra
Kathir vaanga ukkarunga..Mullai vaa..Kanna vaa daa
Kathir and Mullai sat down not wanting to create a scene
But Lakshmi amma noticed that she served the momos in everyone's plate..except Jeeva's
She looked at this second daughter-in-law of hers
Meena could be a handful she realised..but she also saw the sadness and frustration in her eyes
Dhanam neeyum saappidu ma Jana piped in
And having no other option they all sat and ate
But nobody expected what happened next
When Jana proposed to leave
Appa oru nimisham..athai naan konja naal anga irunthuttu varen Meena said
Poittu va ma Lakshmi amma said
Meena looked up sharply
But she saw the compassion in her athai's face..
She smiled
Her athai smiled back at her
Romba naal aakkaama seekkiram thirumba vanthudanum she said
Meena nodded her head casting a sideways glance at Jeeva
He stood like a rock
Jana was an astute business man..he sensed the tension in the room
Meena left with Jana
Once they left
Athai enna athai..ava thaan siru pullai thanamaa kekkaraannaa neengalum anuppichutteenga
Ponumnu soldra anuppaama
Ippo inga nadakkara vishayam ellam anga theriyum
Therinja enna..Meena oda appa amma thaane
Intha avamaanam namakku thevaiyaa
Apaada velia therinjaa avamaanam alavukku oru vishyam nadanthu irukkunnaavathu puriyuthe Athu varaikkum nallathu ..Mullai enna thoonga vai ma
Vidunga anni..neenga yen feel pandreenga Jeeva spat..kevalam oru snacks kaaga kochu kittu kelambaraa..avale varattum
Lakshmi amma completely lost it
Vaaya moodu she shouted
Amma
Pandrathellam pannittu thimira pesara
Naan ennamma pannen
Hmm..kevalam oru snacks kaaga kochu kittu pora alavukku chinna chinna vishayathukkellam pondaatti ya vittu kuduthu irukke ..
Amma Kathir interjected
Enna pa she asked
Her tone..he simply nodded onnum ille and stepped back
Oru momo..Innikku illenna naalaikku..athukku ivvalavu pesuvaalaa
Oru Momo, Oru padam, Oru tour, Oru honeymoon, oru friends oda party ippudi ethana onnu pa..ithulla onnula aachum nee un pondaatti pakkam ninniya
Amma
Hmm enna..amma amma ngara..mela pesu pa
Neenga rendu perum thaniyaa padam paarkka Kathirum Mullaiyum plan pottaanga..Kodaikanal kelamba sonna ooraiye koottittu polaamnu aarambicheenga..antha ponne sandai pottu saathichuchu..oru friends meet panna kooppitta sandai pottu..mugatha thookki ..kaathalikkum pothu Trichy ku annan kitta aseervatham vaangiyaa pona..ippo mattum ellathayum annan soldratha kettu pandrathukku
Jeeva stood his head low
Lakshmi amma saw his discomfort
Inga vaa pa
Jeeva went and knelt in front of her
Kalyanathula nadantha kozhappam un thappu ille..she said
And the dam broke..athu valarntha pullai kitta kekkaama avan vaazhkaikkaana mudivu edutha en thappu..un kitta kooda sollaama Meena va mandapathukku
Varavecha Mullai oda thappu..
Mullai stood squirming
Jeeva had tears flowing from his eyes
Vaazhkaina naalu per karuthu solla thaan seivaanga..athukkunnu..mathavanga soldratha mattum kettu pondaatti ya mothama vittuduvayas
Amma..naan nallathu nenaichuthaan sonnen
Moorthy naan unna onnum sollala pa..karuthu suthanthiram ellarukkum undu..aanaa etha eduthukkanum
Etha vidanumnu irukku..athaan Jeeva kitta pesaren..
Puriyuthu ma..naan naalaikku poi antha pullaiya paarthu pesi koottittu varen he said
Ungala ellam vida chinna ponnu..athu avvalavu thelivaa pesuthu..un pondaatti pathi mattum yosi..Jeeva pondaatti vishayam Jeeva paarthuppaan..
Pinnadiye poi kenjanumaa Jeeva sulked
Avvalavu kovathulayum ..appa kitta unne vittu kudukkaama pesinaa..evvalavu neram aagi irukkum nee sonna poiya appa munnadi sollarthukku
Jeeva looked at his mom
Meena mathiri ponnu kedaikka nee kuduthu vechu irukkanum..Oru rendu naal pogattum..naalaikku phone la pesu..appuram nerla poi paarthu koottittu vaa she said
Jeeva stood silent
Lakshmi amma knew his ego was hurt..his wife his love had fought over a trivial thing and what's more had decided to move farther away from him ..she had drawn the bigger picture for him..he would need some time to see it she knew
Ellarum poi padunga..Mullaj enna padukka vei ma she said
A few days later
Kathir and Mullai were at Chaaru's baby shower
Both had brooding looks
Kathir couldn't believe the last one week
He had sensed an aloofness from Mullai
In their room when Kathir tried to speak to Mullai about it
She snapped
Amaam vevasthai illatha un annana vechu kittu vera enna nadakkum she said
Mullai
Oh nee enna aachunnu keppa aanaa naan sonna athaytuvaiya
Enna nadanthuchunnu ketten un karuthu ennannu kekkala
Oh nee kekkaamaa en karutha solla koodatho
Thaaraalamaa sollalaam..mothalla nadanthatha sollittu appuram sonna naanum kooda pesa mudiyum ..verum un karutha solli en yen moolaiya salavai seyyanum he said firmly
Poi un annan kitta kettukko
Kathir switched the light off and went to sleep while Mullai lay brooding
Another instance he had casually told her that it could become increasingly difficult for her with both the other woman being flail with morning sickness and what not
She had been surprisingly crude in her response
Yen
Ille ella velaiyum neeye panna vendi varumla
Athaan yennu kekkaren
Yen sidu sidukkara
Pinna Neenga ellam velaikkaari nnu onnu kelvi pattathe illaya..ille thaali katti koottittu vara ponnukku thaan antha perunnu yosikkareenga la she snapped
Romba kashtamaa irukka..athe seriya thaan sollen..ethukku vedukkunnu pesara he said trying to hug her
But pushing away from him she said
Yen kenji konji katti pudichu sonna thaanaa..ungalukka puriyaathaa..yen kadaila konjam business valarnthathum oru aal potteenga la..door delivery aarambichathum..aal thevainnu purinjuthu la..yaaru yaara katti pudichathum intha gnaanam poranthuchu
Ey..he yelled un kitta poi pesinen paaru..enna sollanum..intha pecha aarambichathe enna pannalaam nu yosikka thaan..neenga ladies ku enna vasathi padumnu purinjukka thaan ..naan varen he muttered and left
He was surprised when there was no attempt at truce from her
Later that night
He had to take care of a wedding order and was back late
She served dinner
But it was cold
He looked at her to see what was wrong
But couldn't glean anything
He decided to leave her alone
The next couple days went by without any major drama but there was an aloofness in Mullai
2 days before the function
Before going to sleep
Naalannikku Chaaru valaikaappu..ippove nyaabaga paduthidaren..appuram kadaisi nimishathula soldra antha velai intha velainnu saakku sollaatheenga
He looked at her like she had grown horns
Venunte yen sandai valikkara mathiri pesara
Ennanga unga prachanai she had snapped
He clapped his hands in prayer at that oru prachanaiyum ille..nee thoongu
Ippo enga poreenga intha nerathukku she asked in a reprimanding tone
In two strides he walked up to her and clenching his teeth said
Intha athattal uruttal ellam en kitta venaam..naan porumaiyaa irukken..warn pandren..niruthikko he said his voice a low growl
She gulped in fear one moment but the next rose to her full height
Turning around she lay down her back to him
But when he went to sleep much later her tearstained cheeks tugged at his heart
He couldn't for the life of him understand what was going on
Kathir sat brooding about all this at the function
But as the function progressed he was getting increasingly frustrated
Mullai was hovering over Ashok throughout the function
But when the function was done and he went in search of her he stood the ground slipping from under him