Ajay
God nothing should go wrong.
"Ava peru Abirami" I started and Sreedevi listened keenfully.
"But before that Please dont compare yourself with her and dont even think that I still have feelings for her please devi maa?"
"Hmm" she nodded.
"Promise me" I showed my palm.
She clicked her tongue "Enna Ajay chinna pulla maa-"
"Just promise me devi maa" I didn't let her complete.
"Ok promise" she placed her palm over mine before wounding it back around my arm.
I love this gesture of her, wounding her arms around mine. It feels home❤️
I smile and continue "College la ennoda same class.. First year la ava mela oru crush irunthuch.. Same goes to her and second year ponathum.. Athavuth 2009 la propose pannen.. Avalum accept panna... Apro ore love thaan... I introduced her to my family at 3rd year of college.. Ammavuk avala pudikala.. Athu enak therila because she was very nice to her infront of me.. Abi was..."
"Mmm??" Sreedevi raised an eyebrow
"I mean Abirami... "
"Hmm" she relaxed her eyebrows.
"Abirami was from a lower middle class family, and of a different caste.. Naa athellam pakamaten but amma paapanga... And athu matum illa.. Naa apove en life full ah plan panni vechurnthen.. Degree mudinjathum.. MBA.. Apro 2 years work panit.. 25 vayasu la kalyanam panikalam nu.."
"Ohh"
"But Abi..rami veetla avaluk 21 years la maapla paaka arambichitanga.. Some astrology reasons.. Ava veetla vanthu pesa solli enna romba compel panna.. Ana enak thaa vela ethuvum illa la and I was too young to marry, I wanted to go for higher studies so naa ipo mudiyath nu sonnen.. Enak UG mudinjathum vela kedachuthu thaa ana athu just 12K thaa salary.. Ava sonna antha vela accept panit kalyanam panikalam nu.. Ana naa ava veetla poyi oru 2 years wait panna solli avunga appa kitta pesnen.. Avunga problem pananga..
Apro naa epdiyo pesi convince pannen.. Avunga half hearted ah othukitanga.. Naanu PG pannit irunthen... Ana ava veetla avala enna vida solli pester pannit irunthanga ava epdiyo fight pannit iruntha..Oru naal naa illathapo enna paaka en veetuk vanthurntha... Next day meet pannapo.. Ithu set aagathu Ajay.. Lets break up nu sollit poyita.. Enak onume purila maa"
"Yen thideernu?" She asked confused.
"Therila...Naa oru 2 days numb aayiten... Apro thaa athu breakup nu it hit me....ava pinnadi poyi reason keten.. Ava en amma vuk avala pudikala.. Ava veetlayum enna pudikala... Set aaguthu avaluk vera kalyanam pathutanga nu sollita... Anaik thaa naa ava kitta kadaisiya pesnen... 6 months kazhich avaluk kalyanam aagiduchu.. Avlo thaan story" I sighed.
Sreedevi went silent.
"Devi?"
"Hmm?"
"Ethavuth sollu da" I kept my palm on her back palm that is around my arm.
"Avunga kedaikalanu varuthama illaya Ajay?" She took her hands off mine.
"Konjam kooda illa" I said in a breath.
"Yen?"
"Athu epdi solrathu.. Varutham irunthuch antha time la.. Ava kedakalanu matum illa.. Lifelong namma kooda irupanga nu nambuna oruthanga nammala vitu dhideernu pona oru mathiri disappoint aagum la.. Apdi... Yarume namma kooda kadaisi varaiku varamatanga nu nambi.. Pazhagurathu namburathu ellame vititen..."
Sreedevi blinked at me. I chuckled at her.
"Ava ponathula enak ippo konjom kooda varutham illa devi maa.. Infact ava ponathu thaa nallathu nu thonuthu..."
"Yen?"
"Illa na enak nee kedachurka mata la" I said looking right into her eyes.
She chuckled after a minute of silence.
"Come on Ajay.. I am such a boring person...I am... I am nothing"
"You are everything devi" I smiled "In my eyes, you are the only person who is everything and who deserves everything"
She sneaked her hands into my arm and looked away at the window leaning on my shoulder.
"Poi" she muttered.
"Naa sonnathu poi na... Intha kaadu, mala, aagayam ellame poi thaan" I leaned down and whispered in her ears.
She looked up at me and smacked my shoulders.
"Periya manirathnam hero mathiri pesathinga"
I laughed
"Ajay serious ah onnu kekava?"
"Hmm"
"Do you regret marrying me?"
I smiled at her "Aarambathula regret pannen... Yen na nee romba aasaya enna kalyanam pannirpa aana naa en amma vaaya mooda summa kalyanam panikiten.. Un vazhkaiya keduthuteno nu romba regret pannen.. Apro athu konjo maariduch.. Ippo suthama illa.. Vaazhkaila panna urupadi aana karyam unna kalyanam panikitath thaan nu thonuthu Devi"
She smiled. A very beautiful smile. I slowly intertwined her little left palm with my right. She looked down at our intertwined hands shyly.
"Serious ah devi life la onnu nammala vitu poguthu na atha vida better ah namaluk etho vara pothunu artham.. Universe has proved it by sending you in my life"
"How am I better from Abirami?" She asked.
"By the way you make me feel.." I smiled at her.
"How do I make you feel?" She kept on asking.
"I don't know how to explain.. I feel ease when I talk to you... I feel like existing when I am with you.." I caressed her thumb with mine.
"Namba maten" baby tears formed in her eyes.
"Nee nambala nalum athu thaan unma.. You are more than what you and others think of you Sreedevi.. You are not boring.. You are amazing... You make people feel happy and that people is me for sure.. 7 varsham kazhich ipo thaa manasu vittu sirikren.. Athuvum unnala.. " I pressed our intertwined hands.
She just laid her head on my shoulder without responding to me. I leaned back to the seat and continued caressing her thumb with mine. Devi brought her free hand and played with the engagement ring in my ring finger, rotating it. A comfortable silence prevailed as we watched the fast moving scenary.
Hours passed, I slowly closed my eyes and everything went blank.
I opened my eyes and saw Sreedevi looking out of the window while the train has stopped in a station.
"Enga vanthurkom?" I asked her rubbing my face.
"Evlo nerama thoonguringa Ajay" she complained pouting at me.
"Time enna?" I checked the watch and found it to be 12pm. I gasped.
"Saptiya ma ethavuth?" I asked her and she shook her head.
"Seri iru" I rushed out of the train and bought two fried rice for us from the canteen.
We have reached Eerode. The stop time of train here is 5 minutes. I rushed back to the train and gave her the food and we ate it together as the train departs.
"Sreedevi?"
"Hmm?"
"Nee yaarayavuth love panirkiya?"
She chuckled more like laughed.
"Enna mathiri oru introvert ah yaaru sight kooda adika matanga ithula enga irunth commit aagurath" she said.
"Sight ellam adichurpanga" I said.
"Epdi solra"
Naane unna sight adichurkene.
I say in my mind but didn't voice it out. I will let her and you guys know that story maybe later.
"Illa ma sight elam adichirpanga... Ponnu nu ezhuthi vechale Pragan ellaa verikka verika paapan.. Apdi irukra pasanga un college la illama irupangala?"
She chuckled "Pragan anna.. Avung kitta ella touch la irukingala Ajay? Neenga ellam thane oru gang ah suthuvinga"
"Illa ma.. Kalyanam aanathuk aprom pesala"
"Ohh" she just nodded.
After finishing our lunch, we washed our hands and settled on our seats again. I pulled her hand and intertwined it with mine. I am loving this. She kept her another hand on my arm and laid her head on my shoulder. I felt a strong gaze on us and looked straight to see a girl probably 20 staring us lovingly with a smile. I smiled at her and she did the same to me.
I played with Devi's kutty fingers while she softly giggled. Her soft hair fall over my arm. The little weight of her head on my forearm, It wont even feel like a weight, even if I let her stay there for a lifetime.
"Ajay?" She suddenly raised her head at me.
"Enna ma?"
"Ipo namma unga veetuk poroma? Illa en veetuk poroma?"
"Ithula enna doubt.. Unga veetuk thaan.. Athe theruvula thane Geetha veedu.. So namma anga tha porom" I tucked a hair strand that fell on her face behind her ear. She shivered slightly.
"Ap.. Apo namma unga veetuk po matoma?"
"Povom ma... Oru naal povom.... Athaan 5 naal inga iruka porom la"
"Hmm" she went back to her position "Kalyanam, sonthakaranga ellam yosichale thala suthuthu" she said.
I chuckled "Athaan naa iruken la.. En koodave iru.. Yaaru disturb panna matanga unna"
"Ama thaniya avunga kitta maatnen... Sethen" she pouted showing a crying face.
"Namma avunga kannu la padama odiduvom" I said to which she laughed.
Soon we reached the Coimbatore station. We booked a cab to Sreedevi's house and stuffed all our luggage inside it and started to her house.
Sreedevi's mom who was chatting with a neighbour aunty tiptoeing at the wall was surprised to see our cab entering the gate. As soon as Sreedevi and I exited the cab, she rushed towards us.
"Deviii?? Ennanga" she called behind.
She embraced Sreedevi and she awkwardly hugged her back.
"Deviii epdi ma irukka? Enna ivlo seekrom vanthutinga" she looked at my direction "Vaanga maplai"
"Ethuk aunty intha mapilai formality.. Jay ney kupdunga" I said casually.
She stared me surprised. Me and aunty were close years ago but when I started isolating myself, aunty felt a distance and started being formal with me, I too didn't bothered to correct her. But now when I bothered to correct her, it might have surprised her.
"Adadee" Mohan uncle came out, while the driver kept our luggages on the varandha.
"Devi vaa ma.. Deii Jay va da" he called us inside.
Devi went and hugged her father who kissed her hair.
"Ipo thaa vazhi theriyutha intha pakkam?" Aunty ruffled my hair.
"Busy ayitom aunty... Ipo tha nanga rend perum free ah irukom... Athaan munnadiye vanthutom la?"
We entered the house.
Though I have came a lot of times to this house, this is the first time I am going to stay here as the son in law.
-
Hey guys,
Hope you liked this chapter? 👀
Let's see what this trip sequence has in store for them😏
Let us wish Shri20June a Happy Birthday❤️🥳