AN: Don't compare it with a movie.. This chapter is made up consciously so that my dears (readers and followers) will be satisfied with the meeting scene of our leads.
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A week passed and today the grooms family is going to arrive in few hours. Athulya is ready and left alone in her room. She is physically ready, but mentally still a war is going inside. She is having his photo beside her and looking at that often with confusion.
Athulya mind voice- "Oru vela ivara vendam nu solli ... vera oru mokka maplaya paathuta enna panrathu? namaku vera 2 months la kandipa kalyanam paniduvangale.."
She took his photo in her hand and stared at it for minutes.
Athulya mind voice - "okay nu solidalama? illa pesi pakalama? aana enna pesurathu? intha erumainga vera varave illa.. ipo enna panrathu? ithuku pesama odi poidalama?? cha.. cha.. vendam... Kalyanam thane.. papom.."
Her mom opened the door with a thud and said, "mapla vanthutanga, ready ah iru.. "
A kind of nervousness filled her whole body. It is not as simple as she thought. They arrived. They are inside her house. He is in here. She spared one last glance at his photo as she was called downstairs.
She slowly walked to the hall where everyone are seated.
Athulya mom- "athellam nalla samaipa.. leave naal la ethavathu dish pani pakurathu thaan avaluku poluthu pokae"
Athulya mind voice- "ethu? nana? samayala? ... enna amma ipadi puluguranga... anga poi samaika therialaina manam podume.."
She could feel everyone's gaze at her. She is battling himself whether she can see him or not. Now she has to act like a good girl. She didn't raised her head to have a look at him since she already had many lectures from her mother for the past week on how to behave this particular day. She is not ready to hear from the her mother again that too from the start. She had her inner battle whether to look at him or not. To the extend, she can able to see only his shoes.
Someone: "appo ponnum maplaium pesatum.."
Athulya mind voice- "nooru aandu kalam vaalga... kelavi, unna pala thitiruken, but inaiku solren nee ipothaiku ticket vanga vendam polachu poo..". She looked at the grandmother once while muttering inside her.
She is not aware that a pair of eyes are watching her and very well understood what her mind voice is, after all her eyes are very expressive for him easily catch her thoughts.
They were directed to upstairs. Athulya could feel that he is more height than her. His cologne filled her nostrils. It is good to feel, she inhaled and accepted it mentally. On their way,
Athulya mom: "Neenga konjam iva room la irukunga.. oru 5 mins.. Aththu, mapla kooda iru. appa chair potathum, ungala koopdaren.."
Athulya and Siddhik nodded their head and went inside.
Athulya once stepped into the room, the first thing she noticed is his photo in her bed corner-edge. She slowly moved inside, took his photo and tried to hide it behind her. While trying her hand moved backwards. Till now she is looking down. She is not sure whether he noticed this or not. She forgot to give a thought about it. She tried to place that in a nearby table. But poor girl, her tiny hands are not enough to reach the table.
Siddhik can feel her nervousness till now, but her actions confused him now. He is sure what she is exactly doing. He is a professor and he can easily say that she is trying to hide something from him. And that thing is sure to be small enough to fit in her tiny hand.
She slowly turned around, not minding him to face her back for a moment, to place that in a table.
Athulya mom: "Aththu.. maplaya kootitu vaa.", her mom shouted from outside.
It made her to jerk and leave the photo from her hand. It falls down and due to the force, moved a little forward sliding on the floor and ends up in Siddhik' s leg. He bends down, took his photo, looked at it and then at her.
Athulya lifted her head up suddenly and looked at him.
For a moment she immersed in his look but the next moment she looked at him with a horror look, to be specific a get-caught look. She herself doesn't aware that she is looking at him like caught red handed, instead of blushing. Her blink is evident that her mind is blank now. Looking at him for the first time in person but in a completely awkward situation. They both looked at each other.
Athulya unable to understand anything from his eyes. Her eye balls are moving between his eyelids to understand him. But nothing is felt. She is fighting inside herself what to do next. Mainly about the photo, can she claim it back from him? Yes means, How to claim that?
Athulya mom: " Aththu, mapla vanga...".
Athulya' s mother glared at her one at her corner of eyes. Athulya mentally noted that she is going to have a never ending advises and moral classes once he left.
Siddhik placed the photo in the bed looking at her, but she is looking at her mother with a mind voice. They both headed to the balcony. Once they are in, Athulya' s mom left. Both of them didn't sat in the chair.
Athulya' s mom hissed to grab her attention. When she looked aside, her mom is giving her signals just to ask him to sit. Athulya didn't understand her moms dumsharath moves and so she blinked at him. Her eyebrows furrowed as she is trying to understand her what her mom utters and signals. Her lips automatically parted in the process of observing her.
Siddhik looked at her with a surprised look for a second when she is keenly observing some other thing, especially the way she looked. Siddhik moved aside to look at her direction. Her mom slapped her head, after many failed attempts and the sound is heard by both. Siddhik now understood completely. Her mom gave a sheepish smile and left from there, Once she knows that Siddhik is also observing her. Athulya turned around to see him next to her. She then looked down.
Okay again messed up the things, without out even sharing a word.
Athulya had a confused and a little bit worried face that she messed up the things. She is cursing herself under her breathe while her eye balls moved here and there. Her head too titled slightly and swaged lightly according the words her mind whispers.
Athulya mind voice- "crime rate yeritae poguthe.. oru rank holder ah ennada ipadi vachu seiyureenga.. pochu di, nee inaiku semmaiah matina.. inum enna ellam baaki iruko"
Siddhik- "utkarunga". That's when she remembered that he is before her.
He sat first and she too copied him. There is a prevailed silence. But no one is there to disturb them. She is sliding the ring in her finger back and forth due to the tension in the atmosphere. There is not even a slight blush is observed in her. It is equal to the exam results tension or more.
Siddhik- "Athulya.. ". Athulya nodded and hummed.
Siddhik- "naan oru ponna uyiruku uyira kadhalichen."
Athulya looked at him suddenly and her mind voice says, "ipo enna? naan athuku help pananuma? enna kaapathave aal illama irukene..."
Siddhik- "past thaan nalum, naan inum athula irunthu velila varala.."
Athulya looked at him with a blank expression as her mind voice muttered, "so marupadium serurathuku vaipu illa.. apuram ethuku solraru?".
It is evident that she didn't expected this kind of twist. She moved her eyes away from him and looked at the ring. She is not sure of what to reply.
Siddhik- "veetla compel pananganu thaan naan inga vanthen..."
Athulya mind voice- "Kalyanam venam nu solla poraro.. ", She looked at his eyes unknowingly. Her look did something in him. She is waited for his next statement, what it could be.
Siddhik- "Athulya, unaku intha visayam therinjirukanum nu thaan sonen". They both had and eye contact.
Athulya nodded her head, her body relaxed physically. She left the breathe that she is holding till now. She is not aware, she is holding that. She doesn't seemed to be worried much about it. It amused him.
There is a silence for a moment. Siddhik could feel a battle inside her, yet waited for her to open up.
Athulya- "bathirama thaan vachirunthen."
Siddhik- "ennathu?"
Athulya looked at him and said "unga photova ... pathrama thaan vachirunthen.."
Siddhik smiled a little. He couldn't believe that she is actually worried about her 'get caught' moment by him with his photo. After a moment he said,
Siddhik- " Athulya, unaku ethavathu solanuma?". Athulya blinked at him once and deeply thought about it. after a minute,
Athulya- "enaium compel pani thaan kalayanathuku othuka vachirukanga"
Siddhik looked at her with an unbelievable look and asked- "yen?"
Athulya- "illaina naan odiduvenam... "
Siddhik is unable to control the smile forming in his lips with a sparking eyes. Athulya looked at his eyes and continued.
Athulya- "apadi thaan josiyar solirukar.. 2 months la kalyanam panunam.. athula 13 days mudinchuduchu..". Siddhik left out a chuckle.
Athulya- "ellam fate enna panrathu...", she added. She is not sure how she is very comfortable with him, that too within minutes. She started to look around except him.
Siddhik giggled and she too joined with him. That's when both their families slowly peeked upstairs to look at them.
Siddhik- "Masters panra idea iruka? rank holder nu sonanga."
Athulya- "apply paniruken..", she looked up at him, smiled and said. She liked this kind of normal conversation after all the messed up things.
Siddhik- "enga?"
Athulya- "Nan konjam munnadiye apply paniten, so chennai la..". she stopped in between not knowing how to end it. She again started to look around except him.
Siddhik- "bangalore la panratha iruntha, yennoda college la solren.."
Athulya- "Hmm, details mail panren..", she don't know what else to reply exactly. She gazed at her finger ring again. After some seconds, She started the conversation since, she is unable to bear this void in the environment.
Athulya- "Bangalore la than settled ah?"
Siddhik- "hmm, kalyanam ana Bangalore than varanum"
Athulya -"hmm. amma poi sonanga.."
Siddhik- "enna poi?", he crocked his eyebrows at her.
Athulya- "naan nalla samaipen nu"
Siddhik giggled and said, "paravalla, enaku samaika therium".. Siddhik looked around once and He could able to see the get along of elders. It is evident that they decided and started to look into the next procedure.
Athulya- "amma epadium ellam solli thanthiduvanga.. marriage ku munnadi"
Siddhik- "avasiyam illa. we can manage there". Athulya smiled at him and as a reflex Siddhik lips too curved.
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How is it?
I don't want to finish the Marriage in single chapter.. Hope you too like that approach..
Please do vote and comment.
Parvathi Suresh Sharma.