The Arranged Marriage

Part 41.

Sulochana was in the kitchen when she heard someone call out for her, "Sulo, irukkiya? Enge irukkai". Sulo smiled as she recognized the familiar voice of her friend and next door neighbor, Parvathy. Sulo and Paru have been neighbors for 20 years when they both came in as new brides. Sulo yelled back, "Vaa di Paru. Adakolai la irukken. Ulla vaa." Those days no one locked their front doors and there were no door bells. People walked in so Paru did the same. "Vaa di, eppo vandhel kovilukku ellam poitu? Nalla Darshanam kedachudha?" Paru placed the prasadam near the Swamy and responded, "o nalla darshanam. Madapalli kaavu, Guruvayoor appidiye Alapuzhai kitta Monkombu Bhagavathy aparam chothanikkara ellam poittu naama Padmanabhaswamy shetram varaikkum poitu vandhom. Pathu naal jammunu irundhudhu. Indha prasadam kondu vandhu swamy kitta vachirukken eduthukko." Sulo nodded while grinding coconut in the ammi for the sambar which was boiling.

Paru sat crisscross on the floor and started cutting the spinach which was washed and kept aside. "Adutha vaaram Naanum ivarum Bambai ku porom kittaya" she continued. Sulo stoppped what she was doing and looked up in shock, "Ippo thaane vandhel adhukulla enathukku ippo Bombay ku porel?" Paru sighed, "Prasad ku Gulf la vela kedachirukku. Avan rendu varshathukku poraanam. Pondaati, kuttigal onnum kooteendu poga mudiyadhu. Kozhandagalukku ange school ellam sheelam (Adjust) aayachu. Appo avalukku thonai ku naanga porom. Pinna Aruna vum ange thaane iruka. Aval rendaamthadhu pulaiyandirukka. Angeye avaloda prasavamum paakalaamnu thaan." Prasad was Paru's son and Aruna her daughter. Both lived in Bombay. She continued, "aatha konjam paathukko. Andha chellappa vandhu valila ellam paathuppan. Kaigari, pookaliye ellam Avan parpan. Avanoda pondatti daily vandhu aatha perikki thodachuttu poval. Unkitta chaavi thandhuttu poren. Onnu paathukko." Sulo smiled and nodded. Just then she thought of something, "Di Paru, unkitta onnu kekaren. Namakku venda patta oru ammaiyum ponnum maathram thaan. Paavam aakum. Andha ponnukku medical college la seat kadachirukku. Puducode aakum avaalukku. Unnoda aathula venumna vadagaikku viden? Nanna vachupa veede. Oru pichu pidungu onnum irukaadhu. Nee unnoda avaal kitta kettutu chollu. Engala nambi vara. Adutha aathuliye irundha namakkum sowgaryama irukkum. Kettu chollariya?

Before Sulo could even finish, Paru smiled in agreement. "Romba sowharyama pochu di. Ava ta onnum kekkanda. Avaalukku onnum theriyadhu. Nee vara chollu. Enakku vadagai onnum venda. Aatha nanna paathunda porum." So the women came to an agreement.

Radhu and Chachu did not have a lot of things to carry with them. Just a trunk with both their clothes and a sack of their kitchen utensils. They slept on mats that they just rolled. Krishnan came back to help them move. He was more than happy and relieved to find out that Chachu and Radhu would be staying right next door. The house was a replica of Rajan and Sulos. Well, technically almost all the houses looked similar with the brick roof, one story homes. The entrance had 3-4 steps, a open sitting area, then the heavy wooden door led to a hall way. The idea was to be able to see the tulasi plant on the back of the house, from the front entrance. There was one bedroom on the left side which was mostly used as a study. On the right was another large room which had a smaller passage to the Swamy room on one side and the other side to the kitchen. Past the kitchen was an open area for the Tulasi madam which then led to the bathrooms before which was a huge well. After the bathrooms was the garden/ kolla pakkam. The only difference between Paru's house and Sulo's house was that, Sulo had an extra study/bedroom build for Manikandan.

Radhu and Chachu moved into their new home. Radhu loved everything about this spacious house. It was nice and bright and so welcoming. They quickly did a paal kaachal while Krishnan was still there. Rajan and Sulo joined in too. A couple of days later Krishnan left after promising to come back with Bhagyam again soon. Radhu's college was about to start the following day so Radhu and Chachu went up to their neighbors to check if there was anything in particular she needed to know. Radhu was already blushing when she realized Manikandan was there. She was trying not to look but she was tempted to steal glances. She looked away when she realized that he was looking at her as well. Sulo brought some panagam and said, "Indhango prasadam. Inniki Ramarku visesham adhuthaan konjam panagam panninen" and she handed it to them. Chachu thanked her and said, "Naaliki college thodangardhu adhu thaan unga kitta kekalaamnu vandhom. Radhu ku idhellam pudusu Illiya." Just then, the most unexpected voice spoke and Radhu almost choked on the panagam. Manikandan said, "Athai Neenga kavala padadhengo. Naaliki kaarthala Naane Radhu....Radhika va kooteendu poren. First day naala konjam ragging ellam irukkum. Naan Dean oda pullai nu theriyum. En kooda vandha avala yaarum thondaravu panna maata." Rajan agreed right away and Chachu agreed but Radhu's mind was stuck at "Athai". Her mind voice went, "Athai ya? Seriyana KD. Paaka thaan nyaana pazham madiri irukaar nenaikaren. Enna deiriyathula Amma va athai nu koopadraar. Ayyo kaarthala ivar kooda naan eppidi poven. Illainale ivara paatha vayathukulla ellam ennavo pannardhu. Indha amma vera seri nu solitta. Avar pesina naan avar mugatha paarkaname. Ayo Guruvayoorappa nee thaan enna kaapathanum." Her thought was interrupted by Sulo shaking Radhu's shoulder, "Ei Unna thaan di kekaren? College pogaporomnu sandosham thaane?" Radhu smiled and nodded.

Brinda Subramanian