Ithuvum oru Kathal Kathai

Ellam Sugame

Dhanam turned around to that sweet voice

An equally sweet looking girl stood in front of her

Yaarunga

Yen peru Mullai

Sollunga

Inga velai ethaachum gaali irukkuma

Acho illeengale..ithu kudumba thozhil..ippo Thaan aarambichu oru varusham aaguthu..ore oru aal thevai pattuchu..ippo thaan sontha kaara ponna vara sonnen..

Oh seri..

Something about her

Mullai Dhanam called

Ahn

Oru tea kudiyen

Mullai smiled

Ille venaam..naan varen and she walked away

Dhanam would have forgotten this incident but she bumped into her again in the temple a week later

Found her sitting leaning on one of the temple pillars..lost to the world..

Something about her expression..it was so bleak that Dhanam's heart went out to the girl

That night at dinner

Kathiru namma Aishu kaalaiyum rathirilayum varaa..mathiyam lunch koottam naanum Meena vum thaan paarkkarom..

Kashtama irukka anni

Ille kashtam ngartha vida Mullai nu oru ponnu..Aishu va pesi mudichathum kadaikku vanthu velai irukkuma nnu ketta ..athaan mathiyathukkum rathiri dinner preparation kum antha ponna vechukkalaamaa yosikkaren

Kattupadiyaagumaa anni

Theriyale

Hmm 15 varushama namma kadailaye avvalavu yosippom aal poda..neenga enna na aarambichu 1 varusham kooda aagale athukkulla 2 aalu..ithellam agala kaal sollitten Moorthy muttered

Ungalukke nichayama theriyalenna..Appuram yen anni aal podanum sollareenga Kathir asked

Dhanam was miffed by Moorthy's muttering..and said nothing

Kathiru saappaadu mudinjathum ithu pesunga..anni neengalum saappidunga Jeeva interjected

Kathir took the cue and continued eating

After dinner the 2 younger brothers and anni sat talking

Ippo sollunga anni

Ille antha ponnu Mullai..ennavo velai kudukkanumnu thonichu

Kathir looked at his anni..she was speaking based on emotions he could see ..his anni could be like that he knew

Anni mathavangalukku nallathu pandra alavukku namma mess valarale..athe samaiyam ippothaikku antha ponna mathiya neram mattum vara sollunga..athukkethapadi sambalamum kammiya thaan irukkum..athukku ok na serattum.. muzhu neram velai tharatha paarthu pinnadi yosikkalaam

Hmm seri da..athu

Antha Mullai kitta appudi enna paartheenga anni Jeeva smiled

Oru vaaram munnadi vantha..nethu marupadiyum koil la paarthen..vaazhkaiye tholaicha mathiri ukkanthu kittu iruntha ..athaan manasu kekkala

Hmm seri anni neenga antha ponna vara sollunga

And they went in to sleep

Dhanam did not see Mullai for another week 

Mullai sat in her single room home..all alone..staring at nothing..her savings would see her through for another year at least..but after that what she wondered

Should she go to a larger city like Chennai..

She really didn't know why she had come to this town of all places..

She was educated..she could easily find a well paying job in a corporate she knew.. if she went to Chennai..

Heaving a sigh she got up and locking the house she started walking towards the market area

Dhanam had gone with Murugan appa to buy some vegetables and she saw Mullai walking towards them

Hi Mullai she smiled

Neenga

Pandian mess..annikku vanthirunthiye

Ahn sorry sattunnu nenaivukku varale

Parava ille

Velai kedaichuducha

Innum ille

Enna panna pore

Chennai ku polaamaannu yosikkaren

Oh Dhanam's brow knitted

Hmm periya oor na innum easy ah velai kedaikkum la athaan

Hmm..enga mess la oru arai naal velai irukku.mathiya saappaadu neram mattum..sambalamum athukku etha padi kudukka mudiyum..

Athu pothum ..ippove kooda varen Mullai was all eager

Seri vaa Dhanam smiled

She almost felt at peace

Mullai inga vanthu tiffin sappittu lunch velai mudiyare varaikkum iru..oru 4 -5 mani varaikkum irunthu velai mudichuttu..nee kelambalaam

Ahn seri madam

Ethukku madam ellam..en peru Dhanam..akka nu kooppidu ille per solli kooppittaalum ok thaan

Naan akka nne kooppidaren

And Mullai started work at the hotel

She followed instructions to the T..and was quite hard working

But what Dhanam loved was her willingness to do all work..from prepping to cooking to tea station handling to clearing tables, washing vessels she did all jobs willingly

She even went with Murugan appa for shopping

But the best was the way the babies took to her

Dhanam and Meena did not have to worry about them at all..

They clung to Mullai who became a child herself with them

She seemed the happiest when around them

At home after about a week

Appa ippo thaan nimmathi Kathiru..kadaila Aishu vum seri Mullaiyum seri nalla set aayittaanga..avvalavu uthavi ya irukku

Set aayittaanganna nallathu thaan anni Kathir smiled

Hmm innum konja naal la paaren mess nalla laabagaramaa pogum Dhanam smiled

Nichayamaa anni

Innikku Mullai oru idea sonna da

Enna anni

Lunch ku appuram night thaane naama thorakkarom

Amaam..

Mathiyam 4 lernthu 6 mani varaikkum tea kooda naama yen sathaana snacks kudukka koodathu nnu ketta

Sathaanathunna puriyale

Ille ella kadailayum podara mathiri bajji bondannu ennaila poricha item illaama sundal, intha ammuni kozhakattai, pidi kozhakkattai antha mathiri

Romba nalla idea la

Hmm amaam..neraiya naal verum oru mani nerathukkunnu ethukku veettukku vanthuttunnu kadailaye thaan summa ukkaruvom

Aanaa entha item evvalavu nnu pannuvom anni

Ille da ooveru naal ovvoru special appudi

Semma idea anni thaaraalamaa pannunga

Ahn seri da

Things moved in a lazy pace