Pookal Pookum Tharunam

ꜰɪᴠᴇ

"A Headache Story"

March 15, 2019

Ajay

Aandava yaaru da thalavali ya kandupudichan

I press my temples totally annoyed of the headache that I am suffering from for the past two days. Prabhakaran sir arranged for a sudden meeting at Bangalore last monday which was supposed to be held today. It was preponed due to some inconvenience. I had to travel all of a sudden. I returned only on Wednesday, from when this irritating headache started.

Sreedevi is preparing dinner inside. I was in the guest room aka my room.. But I couldn't stay there because my PC was tempting me to play a game. Also that room does not have an air conditioner, the heat in that room is only worsening my headache. I thought of going to the master bedroom, but Sreedevi is already using it and it would be like invading her privacy.

So I came to the hall and I am lying on the sofa rubbing my temples with the help of a balm. Literally nothing is helping. The tubelight is so disturbing, I get up from the couch and switch off the light and lay on the sofa again.

Sreedevi comes out of the kitchen with a confused face seeing the lights off. I know whats running in her head.

"Fuse ellam pogala.. Naa thaa off pannen" I sit up and rub my temples hard. I look up at her.

She looks at me worried and walks back to the kitchen. My phone rings. I shut my eyes and put the call on silent without even looking at the caller ID. I dont want to shout at who ever it is.

For the Past two days the headache was mild but now it has worsened. I dont get angry easily but today I was yelling at literally everyone. Vimal, my colleague, he treats me like a foe and I have no idea what sin I have did to him. He always says something that annoys me. I usually stay calm but today I yelled at him which surprised everyone.

When I was in school and college, I get headache only when I am tensed unlike now. My mom used to make strong coffees for me and I get relaxed after drinking it.

Ahh I just need a strong coffee

My eyes open involuntarily to a strong smell of coffee. I look up, Sreedevi is standing with a coffee in her hand. My eyes go wide in surprise. I take it in my hand and sip it. I close my eyes to the soothing feeling that this heavenly beverage is giving me.

"Head ache tablet irukku.. Tharatta?" Sreedevi asks me. She is surprising me more.

I just nod my head and she leaves to her room. Though Sreedevi is not much into people, she actually cares for people around her.. I dont know about others, but she cares for me. Today I didn't even tell her that i have headache, but she found it.

Sreedevi returns with a headache tablet and a glass of water. She forwards it to me, I gulp the tablet and drink water. She goes back to the kitchen and brings a plate with 3 dosas and tomato chutney, my favorite.

"Saptut.. Poyi thoongunga" she gives me the plate and switch on the warm white led tube light.

I and sreedevi eat the food. I wash the plate after eating it and lay back on the sofa switching on all the three fans in the hall. Sreedevi looks at me confusingly.

"Yen inga padukringa?"

"Illa athu antha room la romba heat ah irukku.." I say.

"Apo inga vanthu padunga" She says and I look at her taken aback.

"Yen apdi pakuringa? Aarambathila namma onna thane thoongit irunthom?" She says looking at my flabbergasted face.

Its been more than a year since we slept together in a bed. Initial days of marriage, we used to sleep in the same bed in the master bedroom but gradually, I started sleeping in the guest room itself after doing my office works and playing video games in that room. Eventually it became my room and the master bedroom became hers.

I enter the room and Sreedevi makes the bed after switching on the AC. She goes to the washroom after setting the bed and I lie on the left side of the bed covering myself with the duvet. Sreedevi comes out of the washroom and lies beside me after switching off the lights.

Enaku venam

I hear her blabber in the middle of the night. I switch on the table lamp and turn towards her who is lying facing me. There is a slight frown in her face.

Venam nu solren la

She blabbers again shifting slightly with a pout. I let out a chuckle. When she is in deep sleep, she blabbers something which she doesn't even remember when she wakes up. I remember how I got afraid at the first stay in this house.

She started blabbering something in deep sleep and I thought she was having some nightmare. I patted her cheeks and tried to wake her yelling her name. She woke up and was confused.

"Ennachu??" She asked me.

"Illa nee etho olarit iruntha thookathula" I said confused as she had no signs of having a nightmare.

She shut her eyes and scratched her neck "Athuva.. Athu enak chinna vayasila irunthe thookathula pesra pazhakam irukku.. Sorry" she said totally embarassed.

"Its okay" I said and lied back.

I cant help but laugh at how afraid I was at that night. I close my eyes and sleep again.

I open my eyes again when the alarm of my phone rings. I switch off the alarm and turn to see Sreedevi sleeping peacefully with slightly parted lips. Her serene face gives me an unknown calm in my heart. I smile remembering how she understood my pain and took care of me. I know giving a coffee or tablet is not a big deal, anybody can do it for you. But for me, nobody actually took care of me during recent days. I know i haven't took any efforts from my side to  care for others. But still, people come to me only if they need anything.

Even my mom, nowadays calls me only to remind me to take Sreedevi to a gynaecologist. Though, I say people are temporary and that I dont want anyone, deep down my heart yearns for somebody to care me like a baby. But the walls that I have build around my heart does not give up.

Sreedevi frowns in discomfort when a strand of her hair on her face is disturbing her. I slowly move that hair from her cheek and tuck it behind her ear with my finger caressing her cheeks.

Aww She is so soft.

I smile to myself and get up from the bed without disturbing her.

Hey guys,

Sorry for the delay. How was the chapter?

Will meet you guys in the next chp. Story is getting heated up😌