Many weeks later. In Vetri's native village near Theni.
Amm: Dei! Edupatta payaluvala! Ennangada panreenga? Ennoda pethiyaa, kollu pethiyallam varapporanga! Innum veeta sutham panni mudikkalaiyaa?
Ram: Aiyoo! Intha Athaaloda alapparai thangaliye! Atha! Ellam mudichachu! Avungallam arai manila vanthuduvangannu Annan ippo thaan phone senjaaru!
Amm: Sari thanda! Un pondatti marumavalunga ellarayum aarathi thattu ready panna sollu. Un pethi enga? Avalukku puthu thuni edukka sonnene? Eduthiya?
Ram: Ellam senjachu! Nee setha neram thona thonakkathe! Intha tharam Annan varache poi konja naal avunga kooda poi thangittu vaa! Namma oorula ellarum konja naal un thollai illama iruppom.
This is what is going on between Vetri's grandmother and his uncle Ramanathan while they are all waiting for the arrival of Vetri's family to their village. Aranganathan's family along with Viji, Deepthi and Hari, arrives in a large van. Aranganathan gets out of the van first followed by Malar, Sudar and Vetri.
V: Aattha! (Lifts her off the ground!) un pethi, kollupethinga ellarayum oru vazhiya koottittu vanthutten paathiyaa? Paappangala! Neenga video calla patha Mayakka kolluppatti!
Amm: Enda Periambalai? Ippo thanada unakku inga vara vazhi therinjuthu? Renga! Vayya! Kamala enga? (To Malar and Sudar) En rajathinga rendu perum. En kollupethiyaa rendu perum embuttu azhagu. Phone la vida nerla innum azhaga irukkeenga! (She hugs them both.)
S: Paatti! Enakku ungalai pathi, intha oora pathiyellam engappavum Abiyum kathaiellam sonnanga! Appa en ungalai Aathannu koopidaraaru? Appathannu thane koopidanum? Appadi thane enkitta Abiyum solli koduthaa?
V: Ei vaalu! Ella kelviyum ingaye kekkanuma? Ellarum ulla varattum appuram porumaiya kekkalaam.
Everyone in the van gets down and greets Ammachi! Ammachi makes her usual comments laced with sarcasm to the family and extends her warm welcome to Viji, Deepthi and Hari. Finally Abi gets down.
Amm: Ennai Pethavale! Paathu embuttu varusamachu? Ennai maranthuttiye thaayi? Unnai enna solla? Ellam en peraandi adicha koothu thaan! Ei! Ivalungala! Chattu buttunu aarathi eduthu ulla koottittu pongadi! Pethiyaloda udamporanthavanga vanthirukkanga! Townkaaranga! Nalla avungalai gavaninga di! Ellarukkum venni thanni eduthu vaingada. Kaapi thanni kodungadi!
She walks in giving instructions and orders, 40 words per minute.
Ram: Anne! Nee appappo varache Aatha santhoshappadum thaan! Ana innikku thaan athukku 10 vayasu korainja maari irukkunne!
Ran: Ammavukku eppavum Vetri vanthale kushi agidum. Ippo Abiyum pethingalum vera vanthirukkanga! Kekkanuma? Sari! Nalaikku tiruvizhavukku ethachum seyya vendiyathu bakki iruntha Vetritta sollu. Avan paathuppaan. Unga veetu sambanthakkaranga vanthacha?
They go in followed by others. Yes, they have all come to the village for the village festival and it's going to be a big affair with the families of all the three daughters-in-law of Arangathan coming down to celebrate. Ammachi has arranged houses for all the relatives to stay for a few days till the festivities are over. She is extremely happy to have a full house with 4 generations of her family and is making sure that every living being in that village knows this.
After lunch, Hari and Deepthi come to where Vetri and Abi are talking to his village friends.
V: Dei Maappillai! Nalla sapptiya! Deepthi! Nee? Dei machan! Ithu Hari, Deepthi! Abiyoda thambi thangai! Saringa da! Naan saayanthiram vanthu pakkaren da! (after they leave he turns to Hari) Sari! Unga aalunga eppo varanga?
Har: Mama! Eppadi Mama kandu pidicheenga?
V: Dei! Mosapidikkara naya moonja paathale theriyatha? Rendu perum unga friendsa koopidarengarachiye enakku therinju pochuda! Un aalu avan friendu! Avan aalu un friendu! Enda intha mathiri oru aradha pazhasana ideava kandupidikka mudiyatha muttalada naanum ungakkavum?
Dee: Akka! unakkum theriyuma?
V: Nalla theriyum. Neenga rendu perum task tasknunnu sonnathume, naanga ushaaragittom. Naan avungalai pathi visarichu unga Akkatta sonnen. Intha friendsa koopidara vishayam sonnathum Abi thaan kudumbama koopidunnu idea kodutha. Inga vechu pesi mudichuduvomnu sonna!
Dee: Kudumbama varapporangala? Mama! Ithu enna puthusa solreenga? Nanga thaniya varangannu thaane ninaichom! Iyo Mama! Ethvathu prachinai aga poguthu!
Har: Amandi! Nee solrathum sarithaan! Mama! Enna Mama ippadi sodhapitteengale?
A: Ennada sodhapparathu? Enga oor thiruvizha, Aranganathan Mamavukkuthan parivattam kattuvanga. Ella sambanthigalum varanga! Intha mathiri viseshathukku, coffee shop polam vaannu solra mathiri unga aalungalai mattum koopida mudiyumaa? Naanum Vetriyum rendu peru veetulayum poi pesi kooptuttu vanthirukkom. Namma veetulayum pesi vechirukkom. Ellarum rendu naalu irunthu kalyanam pesi mudivedukka poranga!
Har: Akka! Nee nijamma Ammachiya vida old fashioned-a irukka! Jollya inga oor sutha vantha ippadi solriyekka?
V: Ennathu ooru sutha vanthiyaa? Dei! Nee kattikka pora ponnu, enakku thangachi murai! Ethachum silumisham panniyo, enga appatha solra mathri vechu narukkippuduven narukki! Deepthi! Athe mathiri un aalu mela en kannu eppavum irukkum. Solli vai!
Har: Mama! Neenga athukku mela bore! En mama? Neengalum engakkavum pannathatha naanga panna porom? Ungalukku our rule, engalukku oru rule-a?
V: Dei! Kathaiyai mathathe! Naan thaan ungakkava paathathum thali kattittene! Purushan pondattikkulla aayiram irukkum. Intha vishayathula nee ennai kelviye kekka mudiyathu!
A: Purush! Pothum! Adangu! Un kathai ellam ippo inga irukkaravanga ellarukkum theriyum. Athanala overa scene podathe! Dei Hari! Erkanave ivan aaduvaan! Innum neenga rendu perum senthukitteengala! Ivanai adakkave mudiyaathu!
V: Sari! Sari! Nee varuthappadathe thangam. Busla ukkanthu vanthathu unakku kaal valikka poguthu! Nee roomukku vanthu kala mela thooki vechu ukkaru! Mama unakku thailam thadavi vidaren.
Har: Deepthi! Ivunga romance arambichuttanga! Namma yaarum ippo ivunga kannukku theriya maattom. Nee vaa!
V: Dei! Unakku ippo video call pannanum. Athukku engala enda solre? Appadiye Sudartta naanga inga thaan irukkomnu sollu. Ava appuram theda pora!
Later in the evening, Ammachi talks to her grandsons and their wives.
Amm: Ammadi Pethavale! Enakku arambathula entha vivaramum theriyathu. Ivan jailukku poirukkan, nee vittuttu poittennu Ranga romba naal kazhichu thaan sonnan. Appolenthu neenga rendu perum thirumbavum onnu senthu, en peranunga ellam nalla irukkanumgarathu thaan enakku ninappa irunthathu. Ithellam nadantha oorla ellarukkum virunthu vekkarennu naan kulasamikku vendikitten. Ippo thaan antha saami namma kudumbathai kan thiranthu paathirukku! Dei! perandigala! Nalaikku neenga annan thambinga thaan munna ninnu intha virunthai nadathanum.
V: Nee sollitta illai! Athellam supera senjudalam Aathaa!
Amm: Dei Periambalai! Ippadi ellam enkitta nee thappikka mudiathu. Nee mattum illai! Dei Savalai! Oolai mookka! Neenga rendu perum thaan! Ithanai naala moonu peranum unga thaathan pera keduthukittu kidantheenga! Enda edupatta payaluvala! Unga thaathan oru naal oru pothu kooda ennaiyum unga appanaiyum ethukkagavum vittu koduthathillai! Neenga ellam avaru perannu sollikkave enakku vekkama irukku! Inimelavathu kudumba pera kaapathunga da!
Kal: Appatha! Sari Appatha!
Anb: Nee vena paaru appatha! Adutha tharam neeye solluva, en purushan pera kaappathitteegada perandinnu!
Amm: Enda? Unakku pullai porakka povutha? Un pondatti maasama irukkala?
Anbu looks here and there and hems and haws.
V: Dei! Anbu Sollave illaiye? Vazhthukkal da! Congrats Anni!
Chit: Danks kozhunthanare!
Kal and Abi (together): Nijammava? Vazhthukkal Chitra! Congrats Akka!
Nan: Amanga! Kalaila thaan sonna!
Amm: Intha mathiri namma veetula inimel nallathe nadakkatum. Aduthathu namma Sithaara valaikappu, appuram peru vekkarathu, kaathu kuthunnu varisaiya kondada vendiyathu thaan. Dei! Periambalai! Aduthathu un muraida! Intha tharam un pondattiya koodave irunthu nalla gavanichukkanum. Enna?
V: Appatha! Naan ready thaan! Unga pethiyaltta sollunga! (Vetri twirls his moustache and winks at Abi.)
A: Aiye! Pothum un vazhisal. Thodaichukko.
Amm: Endi ippadi solra? Pona thadava oru sadangum seyyalai! Athanala intha tharam unakkum perusa ellam naan seyya poren.
A: Ammachi! Neenga vera! Ivanai ethi vidatheenga! Ippo, intha tiruvizhala en thambi thangaikkku kooda kalyanam pesi mudikka poranga! Varisaiya ellam kondattamum varuthu. Athanala naanga kilambum pothu, neenga enga kooda vareenga; vanthu nalla ella functionayum nalla nadathi kodukkareenga? Sariya?
Amm: Enakkum aasaithandi! Ana enga vayalayum veetayum vittutu varathu?
V: Athan Chitappa pathukkararu illai! Engalai vida intha vayalum veedum mukkiyama pocha aatha unakku!
Anbu: Appadi solluda en singakutti! Appatha! Nee vaa enga kooda! Unnala mattum than en pondattiya sol pechu kekka vekka mudiyum.
All are happy to hear the news and Malar and Sudar already are arguing about who gets to carry the baby most.
Yes! In the last many weeks' time, Sudar and Malar have played a major role in breaking the barriers between the elders in the family and binding them. The girls hold the hearts of the men in the family in their little fingers and the Chelvan brothers now share a closer bond than before.
The truth about Vetri's jail sentence changes Kalai fundamentally as he realises that his action or rather inaction has adversely affected the lives of six people, particularly the two innocent girls. He is working hard to earn the trust of his wife, daughter and his father and brothers too.
The love and respect Anbu got from his nieces is a novelty for him as for the first time two people in the family actually look forward to talking to and playing with him. This and his impending fatherhood makes him strive to be a man worthy of his girls (yes, he too wants a girl) everyday.
The granddaughters keep Kamala busy with their chatter, love, and also demands for different dishes. Their sweetness has neutralised her acerbic tongue and she is changing into a decent mother-in-law in the family.
Aranganathan is finally a content man to see his sons flourishing and happy and loves to pamper his granddaughters.
Ammachi is always the beloved grandma and great grandma and is very happy to her son and grandsons finally having a good life.
The Aranganathan family will never be a model family, but they are now a happier family with their own quirks and quarrels.
Sankarnarayanan comes out of retirement to help Vetri in his pro-bono cases and the mothers remain the strongest supporters of Vetri. Deepthi and Hari are always close with Vetri and Abi and their spouses (to-be) also are grateful for finalising their wedding with the parents. Vetri knows that Surya has convinced his ex-lover to abort their child and they have separated. Though Vetri is never for aborting a child, he keeps quiet out of his love for Abi and her family. Surya has nothing much to say against Vetri and his love for his sister and niece makes him accept Vetri. Varsha appreciates Vetri for his love for Abi and Sudar and his hard work to transform himself. She also likes his teasing and joins him once in a while when he teases their in-laws. The fact that Vetri and Abi are helping her in convincing Surya and others to go for adoption brings her closer to them.
Poongavanam has won the elections with Vetri and his friends' help. Poongavanam, Vetri and his friends are still the old gang but with new flourishing careers. Viji finally opens up to Vetri on her loanshark issues. Poongavanam tracks that person and finds that the loan shark has found her ex and it's no longer Viji's problem. She reestablishes open connection with her family and is now pursuing courses in early childhood education. Now she is fully adopted by both Vetri's and Abi's families and Poongavanam too, who are all fully devoted to finding a good husband for her.
After a big wedding celebration, Tarun moves to the outskirts of Chennai with his wife and has his full share of fun as brother-in-law of both Vetri and Deepthi's husband. He cannot wait to include Viji's husband in this list.
Our dear couple, Vetri and Abi, have now realised that their strengths are complementary and they can do much better both at home and outside by working together. After almost 9 years of marriage, both have understood that they are wanted and needed by the other and are finally secure in their love for each other. They decide to buy Vetri's house as they want to stay on the upper floor and modify it to accommodate Vetri's friends on the lower floor. Sudar makes sure that they both work hard to be better parents everyday and she is a firecracker, a unique combination of her parents and her own self. Sudar is alternately hoping, hinting, begging and ordering her parents to beget a sibling for her. Who knows, it may happen sooner than later.
This is an epilogue and I am tempted to say they all lived happily ever after. But, like everyone's life, their life is never void of issues or drama and in addition, they will always have troublemakers like Asokan at various levels. In all these, what has changed is that our dear couple perseveres together. I am also told that in their big family circle, though well loved and cherished, Vetri and Abi are also a little feared as no one knows when these two will pull a trick on them.
—----------------------------------
This will be my final writing on Abi and Vetri. Thank you all for staying with me so far and supporting me. These posts on TVET and your support have given me the courage to write more. As I wrote earlier, I plan to write original fiction and now am doing my homework to set up the stage, characters, background and most importantly, conflicts. I will update here once I am ready to post.
Till then, I wish you all happiness and health.