The Lion and the Rose

Chapter 2: Siva

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"VIKAS!! Get down off, Mama," my elder sister, Monisha scolds my nephew, seeing him sitting on my back doing push ups. "What if you both get hurt?"

"Just 5 more push ups, ka, let him be."

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"You both won't listen to me," she steps near us and lifts him off my back.

And he starts screaming, "Moni, just two more, let him sit on my back, so far I have been careful, don't worry, I'll take care."

She makes Vikas sit on my back again but holds him as I finish the remaining 2 push ups and makes him get down

"Aeeyyy", the kid jumps in joy as I sit back leaning on the footboard of my bed. I get a towel and wipe off my sweat watching him enjoying his adrenaline rush.

"Mama, super ah iruthuchu, naalaiku ithe maathiri pannalama?" He asks me shall we do this again tomorrow as he enjoyed.

"Panita poochu," I promise him while Moni throws daggers through her eyes.

Hey, adi vaanga poorenga rendu peerum en kita. Vikas poi online class ku ready aagu apuram brotherrrr, office ku first day ready aganum idea iruka ila ya?

"Both of you gonna get nicely from me, Vikas go and get ready for online class and my dearrr brotherrrr do you have any idea to get ready for office or not?"

I pull my nephew and make him sit on my lap, ignoring my elder sister.

"Ama online class ku ethuku nee ready aganum?" I ask him why he has to get ready for your online class.

Sivaa, nan inga oruthi pesitu iruken, time aguthu rendu peru kaathula vizhutha illaya?

"Siva!! I'm standing right here and talking with you both, do you both hear me or not?" Moni akka keeps shouting on us, but I like teasing her, so I pretend to ignore her and continue my banter with my nephew.

Hey, en pulla neethu thaan Coimbatore la iruthu avanthan. Athukulla karachi kotta arambichitiya avanga?

My mom, Shakunthala, enters the room in order to rescue me and sits on the bed next to me. "Hey, Just yesterday my son returned home, within a few hours you started fighting with him?"

"Exactly ma, Moni never changes, she always stays ready to argue with me." I tease her more, placing my head on my mom's lap and she caresses my head. Looking at the scene, my sister gets more instigated.

"Vikas, enough now go get ready," Moni warns him and the kid looks at me. I signal him to leave and he runs out of my room.

Dei avan sonna thaan poovia? Moni calls behind him but Vikas has already escaped her warth, but it's time for me to face it.

Mummy, enakum avanuku just 1 year thaan difference irunthalum nee avanuku romba chellam kodura, avanuku kalyana vayasu ayidichu, naaliku antha ponnu vantha enna pannu va?

"Mummy, he is just a year younger to me, but you are pampering him too much. He is about the marriage age. What are going to do when that girl comes into his life?"

"Antha ponna yum seethu konjita poochu," Ma replies, saying that she will pamper her future daughter-in-law.

Hearing the talks of marriage, I roll my eyes and try to change the topic. "Aiee Shoo, Ma oru kaka romba neerama kathititu iruku atha thorathi vidu," I shove the imaginary crow comparing Moni with it and my mom laughs. I'm back home after eight months and I'm going to leave a single stone unturned by stopping teasing her.