Dusky Moonlight

24(2)

The birds were chirping and flying with their flock in the seemingly endless sky. Lying on the prickly grass, Kayanangai watched it with a smile, daydreaming about Aathiyan. It's been two weeks since they got married and each day she sees his good and thoughtful nature.

She fell in love with him already but she doesn't know how to say it.

In the morning, Aathiyan left to carry on his duties as a prince. She spends some time helping the maids to arrange her clothes that came from her home. Then she was invited by her mother-in-law to the kitchen, watched how they were cooking for all these people, the queen used to overlook and gives the menu every day. Then they had lunch together along with her sister and Sumitra. Just like her brother, she's kind and also cheerful.

Aathiyan came with Narenthiran and had his lunch with his father. They didn't talk, just locked gazes and smiled at each other when no one noticed them.

In the afternoon, she went to learn Bharatanatyam from the specially appointed teacher and it's obligatory in the palace that women should learn something in their free time. Mathinila accompanied her but she's less enthusiastic compared to Kayanangai who has already known the basics as she learned it for some time when she was fifteen years old.

Their teacher left them in the evening, there's no sign of Aathiyan around the palace, so she stopped searching for him and went to their chamber and now thinking about him sitting in this isolated garden.

Even his small absence turns her sad and she couldn't spend the time in this silence when she had an increasing urge to see him. She got up and walked to Aathiyan's painting room since she didn't explore the place much.

As usual, it's not that well-organized room, and things were scattered on the floor. She went to the canvas to see the recent painting he's working on. It looked like a woman's painting, but only the outline is drawn. She sat on the floor where his finished paintings were placed. She saw one by one with a smile.

She thought God is in a creative mood when he conceived Aathiyan.

That time, Aathiyan came in, "What you are doing here?'

"Huh? I am looking at your paintings, they are all wonderful to see," she answers.

He nodded, "I need to talk to you about something important," he said.

"What is it?" she came close to him.

"My father has decided to... make me the next King which you might already know but it's going to happen soon,"

Kayanangai smiled hearing the good news, "That's good news,"

"But I can't take that position when my father is alive. I want him to be the King as long as he lives. "Veera and I shouldn't take it," Aathiyan said firmly.

"But if he wishes, then you should listen to him,"

"No, I can't," he nodded and sat down on the chaise.

Before he used to ponder these things only in his head but now he got his wife. He trusts her, loves her, and thinks of her as the only person he got for himself so his thoughts didn't stay in his mind and told everything that's bothering him. He wants her aid more than anything during this time.

He got a smile when Kayanangai puts her arms around him and smiled giving him the care he needs right now.

His frustration melted within a few moments and came out of the thoughts.

Heaving a sigh, he wrapped her in his embrace.

"Tell me what you did today," he asks.

"Umm, I met your mother and spend some time with Sumitra and the teacher taught me Bharatanatyam until evening,"