Kalyana Maalai 2

Chapter 7

The night had etched its tale onto Kathir's flesh, a narrative of pain and unspoken turmoil. As he limped back home, his wounded arm cradled against his side, the atmosphere in the house shifted, mirroring the heaviness he carried.

Lakshmi noticed him first. Her eyes widened with shock, and she was on the verge of releasing a scream that had been tightly coiled within her. A mother's instinct kicked in, propelling her towards her son.

She reached him just in time to catch him as he swayed. Determined, she guided him to the couch. This time, Kathir wasn't escaping to the solitude of his room without answering the barrage of questions that awaited him.

Lakshmi insisted he sit, her touch gentle yet firm. Meanwhile, Jeeva his elder brother dialed the doctor, urgently requesting a house call. The room buzzed with concern, an uneasy anticipation of the revelation to come.

Lakshmi: Kathir, ennada idhelam? enna aachu? enga ponna?

Devi: Athai, enakku theriyum.. Dinner ku poi irukanga.. Senthil phone pannan. Anga yaar kudayavadu sandai pottiya, Kathir?

Lakshmi: Oh, adhana..enna andha Seema kaga evankudayavadu sandai pottiya?

K: Aiyo podhum niruthureengala rendu perum..aama sandai potten..aana Seema vala illai..unga arumai marumagalala..Avala thavira yaaralayum enna indha nilamaila nirutha mudiyadu

He said pointing at his wounded arm..The words hung in the air, heavy with implications. The shock on Lakshmi and Devi's faces mirrored the unexpected revelation.

L: Mullaiya..ava enna panna..en ippadi..??

Kathir's eyes, usually expressive, now held a storm within. His mother's doubt was a sharp arrow aimed at his integrity.

K: Ippo ennama naan poi solrenreengala?

Devi, ever the mediator, tried to bring clarity into the murky waters of the conversation.

D: Aiyo appadi illa Kathir..enna aachunu sonna danae puriyum..Mullai yenna panna?

Kathir's frustration welled up, his words a torrent of emotion struggling to break free.

K: En anni unga spy adha sollalaya..Avala pathi pesandeenga please..erichala irukku.. idhukku dan thala pada adichikitten indha kalyanam venam nu.. engalala onna ore idathula konja neram kuda irukka mudiyadu..aana yaaru ketta.. appo mattum en pecha ketrunda innaiku engalukku indha avasthai illa.. Enga vazhkaya vida avanga avangallukku avanga pidivadam dan mukiyama irunduchu..ippo edho akkarai irukkura maadiri nadikka vendam..idhukku mela enna edhuvum kekadeenga..

The bitterness in his words hung in the air, echoing through the room. With that, he abruptly left, leaving a vacuum that seemed to swallow the very essence of understanding.

Lakshmi turned to Jeeva, the concerned lines on her face deepening.

L: Jeeva, doctor eppo varar?

Jeeva: Ippo vanduduvaru ma..Neenga kavala padadeenga..naan poi Kathir kuda iruken..

L: Vendam Jeeva..Konja neram avana thaniya vidu..

The room, now silent except for the ticking clock, bore witness to the fractures in a family, each member grappling with their version of the truth. The impending visit of the doctor held promises of physical healing, but the wounds that lay in the recesses of their relationships seemed far from mending.

Parvathy Vilas:

The night air was charged with a subtle tension as JK dropped Mullai off at the gate. The dim glow of the distant streetlamp painted shadows on their faces, hinting at the complexity beneath the surface.