They stood there, breathing hard... that look on his face, when she pulled away, a mixture of ache and torment. She looked away quickly, if she sees it for longer, this anger at him would fade away.
The wet clothes clung to their like second skin, the cold was getting to her, her breathes went raspy as shivers started to kick in.
Kathir's eyes moved up, slowly, to find hers. He could see her trembling body, and fierce eyes. She was talking deep breathes as if she had been running for a whole day. She would get sick in those icy clothes...
"Mullai vandila eru..." he said, as loud as he could through the rain.
"Huh.." she huffed in sarcastically, "Unga help ennaku thevaye illa.." and turned and walked away her head held high. He didn't run after her again.
She didn't know how she was walking in a straight line, the mud and rut was sticking to her feet, and visibility was a real difficult, so she slowed down her pace. Besides, all she was concentrating on, was that... he didn't follow her.
Her throat constricted and shoulders sagged, and in that very moment, in the rain and dirt, her soaked clothes weighing on her like lead, she truly felt.. all alone.
And the warm tears broke through the barriers and fell on to her cheeks mingling with the rain. She stopped walking and let her head fall into her hands.
The head light of the bike caught the slashes of rain, in yellow hues, and in that he saw an outline of the girl of his dreams, his best friend and his everything in between... her shoulders were shaking, he sped up in panic.
He stopped the bike beside her. She made a startling jump at the sudden appearance of the bike. She looked up at him in fright and almost as if she was challenging him to make a move. The fact that she was pushed him away, even now, it wounded him.
There was that ugly bit of hurt ego that started to peek it's head up inside him. He tried really hard to tame it.
"Ohn prechana enna nu yennaku theriyala", he said catching her arm quite hard, this time, she didn't pull away, she couldn't. She desperately wanted his touch. But her look was prepared to burn him with just a blink. He pulled her closer, knowing full well he was playing with fire. "Ana vettuku poi pessikalam," he said, eerily calm.
"Vidu Kathir.." she whispered, but had no intentions to actually withdraw.
"Naduu road la sanda podatha, Mullai", he pulled her to his bike and she couldn't fight his vice grip even if she wanted to. She hesitantly stood there, adamant to get on his bike. He glared ahead and kicked his ignition alive, making her flinch slightly.
He turned his head to the side and raised the gear, finally, she got on the bike.
He raced the bike as fast as he could to her house, in that unforgiving rain. All through the ride the words 'vettuku poi pessikalam' was singing in her head. He said it like he was her husband.. like they had their own world to get back too...
Once they reached her house, she leapt out of the bike and ran up the stairs to her door, Kathir was positive it was to get away from him more than the rain and his ego took another blow.
Her shivers were getting to her, her hands shook as she took hold of the ice cold metal keys and it clinked frantically against the lock. Ears trained to listen for the surrounding behind her, she was cursing herself to get it right.
His footsteps, and the sound of water and leather gushing loud air bubbles, from his slippers and her breath hitched, he was right behind her breathing down her neck, she felt heat from his breath prick her like sharp needles.
He didn't say a word, but came in closer and reached out to take the keys from her, she drew away like he was, an inferno. He clenched his chattering teeth, in irascibility.
It took him seconds to open the lock that she had been fumbling around with it for minutes. He pushed open the door and the indoor warmth engulfed them, saving them from the harsh cold. Mullai entered in first, she was dripping from head to toe and desperately needed to change.
She walked in a hurry but stopped abruptly. He wasn't coming in, she turned around to find him transfixed at the door, glaring at her. Flashes of Kathir, who used to dislike her, swamped in, making her inside freeze.
"Na ulla varalama, illa enna ippidiye thorathiruviya?" he asked stonily, she gave a humourless smile.
"Ulla vara kudathu nu neeye mudiyuvu panitu pessuna, athuku na porupu illa, yen mella pazhi podatha" she said and threw her handbag on the chair nearby. He gritted his teeth.
Kathir closed the door with a mighty bang and locked it. Silence took hold of their voices. Eyes unwavering from each other, not only in anger but also hungrily consuming the others' presence, taking in their fill of each other making up for the absence.
Mullai was seeing him properly in light. He was in an eggshell white T-shirt that had gone transparent. He was breathing hard like a bull trying to charge at the matador, in this case, his beloved Mullai. She should really back down, she thought. But seeing him like this mad after he was the one who had the audacity to see Maalika first... she was just as livid.
"Unnaku enna prachana Mulla?", he asked sternly, slowly dragging his way to her, "Yen varthaigal ah la erikura?"
"Onnum theriyatha mari nadikatha Kathir," she spat at him, "You're not a child, unnaku 25 vasaiyu aguthu, athuku ulla moolaiyum irukum nu namburan.." Tension set in thick. They had rarely ever been like this after becoming friends, they usually either got along or one or the other just adjusted to the others temperament. But this... he was almost scary mad and she was furious.
"Oh! Appudi ya?! Appudi enna pannitan? Yenna, nee intha 10 naal la ethum panatha maari than," He looked away, angrily recollecting all those times she deliberately moved away from him, avoiding him.. "Moonja pathu pessi irupiya nee?... Illa pessamale irunthuta, perchana thana kanama podium nu nenchiya.." he mocked her, he called her out on her habit of "Ignorance is Bliss" she did this for her marriage with Jeeva, where she didn't want to talk about the problem until the very last minute and now again to him. But he wasn't having it.
She was taken aback. It infuriated her, that he had something to pinpoint at her too. She suddenly turned, and walked to her room, wanting to get away from his glare.
"Pecha mathatha Kathir!" she said, walking away from the hall to her room. He followed her in an instant, hot against her heels. No, he wasn't going to leave her today..
She couldn't face him. She stomped her way around to her wardrobe, the heat in her head was fogging her thinking, her hands were working on its own accord, flinging the door of the wardrobe open.
"Yaar pecha mathra.. Nee than maraikura, oodi ozhiyura," he said, not shouting but severe, She pointedly ignored him, and rummaged through it, he was so consumed with rage that he forgot to breathe for a second.
What he couldn't see, was that she was already in tears, her throat closed in painfully and hot tears splashed down her front, she gripped the neatly folded clothes in support.
Kathir was so done with this distance, not anymore. "Unnaku yenna prachana Mullai, yen intha pathu naal"- he took hold of her arm and spun her to face him and she finally exploded.
"Intha pathu naal la na yenna panna unnaku enna Kathir!!" she yelled, he shut up in an instance. He didn't expect her to cry, fat tear bloomed and oozed out of her fiery orbs, his caught her other arm and she made the slightest move to fight it, but stopped, " Nee yaara pakka vanthiyo athuku, help pannan la? Na vellagi pona thane neenga rendu perum"- her throat closed painfully and a sob escaped, she bent her head down and he moved in closer to her. His anger had melted the minute, he saw her in tears.
"Naanga rendu per ah.." he whispered softly, "Nee yenna pesura nu therinji than pesuriya?"
Another snuffle came through, by him holding her all the adrenaline rush of her fight instincts dissipated, she suddenly felt all the burden of these past few days on her shoulders. It drove her to exhaustion, she body sagged in his arms .. there was absolutely no more fight in her. Her mind was manipulating her to think that all her insecurities were true.
"Kathir, tho paaru, yennaku theriyum unnaku Mallika va pudikum nu," she said to his feet, he sucked in a breath. "Infact namba avalukaga thane pessave aramichom...", she realised painfully with a humourless smile, "So, please, unnaku enna vennumo, yaar...yaar venumo, nee avanga kita pessu siri evnna vena panniko, ana na kenji kekuran, athu yen muzhiyama panatha.." He hadn't uttered a word, but she could feel his muscles contracting in his shoulder, his grip on her tightened. She continued "Yenna paka varan'dra per la nee ava la pakurathu.... Vendam...." Silent tears slide down her face. "Yennala Mudiyala.." she wept, using the back of her hand to wipe the trails of sorrow.
He fell silent as he gazed at her doing so, he couldn't even form words to express how he felt. The thunders were the only tunes that rung around the pair of troubled hearts.
Maalika??!
Was she serious!?!
He took in her appearance, the red chudhidhar she had on, turned deep maroon from being dipped in rain. The low neckline revealed her wheatish skin, with minute drops of water sprinkled across it, her clavicle was sticking out as she continued to sniffle. Her head bent so low all he could see was her lashes and the tip of her nose. He crushed the urge to pull her into him, that very second.
"Intha Edam nyabagam iruka", he asked, his voice croaked from being quiet for so long. She looked up at him surprised at the change of topic and by the calmness of his voice. She looked around her room and back at him. The shirt and his scent was annihilating her inhibitions. Drops of water dripped down from his flattened wet hair, that curved like half-moons.
"Ingathan oru ponnu, unnaku karunai illanu yenna keta...", he whispered, her eyes went wide, comprehending his meaning. Flashes of their first conversation in the same exact room, came before her. the only difference being she was physically hurt then, and today her heart bore the wounds.
And as though he read her mind, his hands moved to her forehead, where he could see the scar of their union, pale and healed, he traced it with his thumb and they burned as though he had cut it open. "Athey ponnu ippidi karunai illama, konja nala velgi poraa," she gave a soft cry and let her head fall again, fresh tears arising.
"Ey.." barely a whisper of his, and her heart contracted, "Yenna paaru," he pulled up her chin, and she refused to meet his eyes, tears rolling to the side. "Yaar ava?," He asked, softly "Yaar antha Maalika?" she turned to him, not his eyes though, but that rudhraksh close to her eye line.
"Unnala eppidi appudi yosika mudiyuthu?" she finally made her way towards his hazel eyes which was clouded with desperation and pine. " Mullai, Nan nanna irukarathey unnala than. Nee illama na," he started to blink repeatedly trying to hold the heat in his eyes. It glimmered in that darkness, with a new layer of wetness. She froze, she wasn't expecting that..
He swallowed and steadied himself "Vazhkai la ennaku innime asai padha edum illa nu yosikumbodhu than nee vantha," his warm hands held the curve of her neck, his thumb tracing her jawline, he stepped in closing the gap, making their torsos touch in the slightest. But his eyes, they stood put against hers, like there was no vision worth seeing than her "Padhinenju vaisyasu ledhu na ezhantha chinna chinna aasaigal, sandhosham, ellame nee na aasa pathadhukum mella ellame thanda," he couldn't stop the emotions. This is it.. this was his limit of keeping it in.. a lone tear slipped down his cheek. She leapt to stop it, he closed his eyes at her touch against his cheek. "Apram oru naal en appave ennaku thirupi thathiye.." she drew her hand back he clasped it firmly with his other hand. The silver Kaada, twinkled delightedly against his skin. He looked up determinedly, holding her hand tightly, her breath stopped . "Unna thavira, vera yaara ennala paakamudiyum?"
"Yenna manishana mathunathey nee thane, Nee illama na onnume illa di" and before he could blink she was in his embrace, for a minute all he could see was black, as her hair fell against his face. A second later he slide his arms around her, one of the upper back, pulling her in closer and the other around her waist making sure she couldn't run away again.
Despite the wet clothes that stuck to them, their bodies ignited in flames of reavenous passion, she clung onto him her arms around his shoulders, The side of her face pressed against his ear. She slowly whispered "Kathir.." that was it, She didn't have anything else to say except his name. He pulled her in closer, if that was even possible.
She rubbed the side of her face against his beard, her eyes closed involuntarily, feeling heaven in those short strands of hair, against her cheek. "Mullai..." She let her hands caress his neck running up into his beard.
In theory this was all new territory for both of them, but the truth was that it did not feel like that one bit. It felt like all this was a long time coming. They finally both felt ,at home, content at each other's embrace.
He moved his head back slightly, She protested, but he did anyway, the sides of their faces rubbing harshly against each other, his lips graced her temple and her hands gripped his shoulders.
With a painfully thudding heart, he kissed the scar on her forehead, her lips parted at the wetness of his kiss. She fluttered her eyes open to see him, he had his eyes squeezed shut as though he was memorising this feel, of her. His hands moved away from her body and cupped her face in his big palms, and looked straight into her eyes, all the .
"Sorry Kathir..." she whispered, tears rolling down her front and he wiped it clean with his thumbs, shaking his head in the slightest, as if he was telling her that wasn't necessary..
"Ennaku ellame nee than Mullai, yennoda kadaisi aasaiyum nee than, ithuku mela-" his inside pledged painfully, "ithuku mela kadavul kita keka vera onnum illa, nee matum iruntha pothum.." he said, his voice was so thick and husky with longing, his eyes never wavered from her face.
Mullai knew in that instant, that these words were something she would take to her deathbed, she ached all over to bury herself under his skin. Unable to say anything in turn she moved her hands towards the back of his neck and pulled him in. Their foreheads clashed with a low thump, they both gave a chuckle at that sound
Her muted pink lips were stained with her tears and Kathir finally summed up the courage to do what he has been dying to, from the moment he fell in love with her.
Tracing his fingers over her lips, such a feathery touch, but it was enough to send her body into shock waves. He lowered his head and without a second thought, she pushed herself up to meet him.
Their lips met.
Soft and tender, he placed his lips on hers and she softened into him, tasting those caressing flesh in between hers. Her hands found its way up to his neck, hugged him close. His lips parted, dwelled into hers, warm and devout, she sucked on his lower lips. He found bliss. And suddenly, the air shifted, their kiss became agonisingly chaste yet urgent. His hands lowered to her waist, it sent chills down her spine.
He gripped her waist fervently, as though there was no time left for them. He went crazy when her hands fell down to his chest, and he bit gently on her lips, a breathless moan escaped her, she pushed herself into him and he envelopedher, tightly. . With mighty effort not to break apart, they came apart, with a satisfying smack of their lips.
The thunder bolted again, and they regained their consciousness, breathing each other's air, leaving the other exhilarated. She couldn't meet his eyes, that bore into her and he had no other sight as picturesque, as a flushed shy Mullai, lips red and swollen... because of him...
God, it made his blood rush...
She was trying to tame her erratic breath, he held her chin and made her look up... For a minute they just stood like that, willing each other to give a tell-tale sign that that what just happened was dream come true. Mullai, unable to contain her glee, broke into a smile which then turned into a wide grin...
Kathir felt as though he was floating, as his lips imitated hers. They both grinned like idiots, eyes clouded with contentment. He pulled her in, by hooking his hand on to the nape of her neck, their torso smushed together, she nuzzled into his collar, taking in lungfuls of rain and her Kathir.
"Mullai..."
She hmm'd in harmony, he rubbed his palms down her back bringing warmth and making all her agony disappear. They swayed a little in their spot, hearts entwining in ecstasy..
"Thoppu karnam poddu..."
....
What?!
TBC..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: So 50th chapter and they finally kissed! please let me know how it was cuz I'm super super nervous about this chapter.
Was it up to the mark? Should I have added something? Let me know!