Her
"Yen di ipdi ummunu ukkandhurukka ? (Why are you sitting like this?)" Karthi asks as he sits besides me in the hall.
"Tomorrow is our one year anniversary" I say with a long face.
"Oh adhukkulla one year aiducha (its been one year aa) ? Time really passes by" he says.
"Shut up and give me some advice. How do I make him touch me ? I have done literally everything. I have been waiting for him for not just one year but for almost as long as I remember. It is pure torture, not having him at least look at me even though i got married to him" I say with a pout.
"Haan right, you come and tell me all this while agreeing to all his 'virtue' shit one year ago. I swear, if you would have asked me this a year ago he would have been circling you like a kitten by now" he says making me look at him.
"Dei karthi, help pannuda, sorry da thangoo" i plead.
"Innum konjo nalla kenju (plead a bit more)" he says playfully.
"Please da kannu, thangoo, kannukutti, poonakutty" i plead. Yeah i will do anything for my maama.
"Good, now listen carefully. You have to understand the psychology of men. We are a bit complex" he says making me perk up as he straightens his sitting posture and looks at me. We both lean closer as if sharing secrets.
"All of us may differ with our idealogies and preferences but one thing is common. Lust. However good of a man he is, he will not be able to resist seduction. Lust and seduction together is a lethal weapon against a man's resistance. That is exactly why I suggest you do that" He says.
"But isn't it bad to do that ?" i ask, scared of what maama would think.
"Fool ! He is your husband not your sidepiece" he says making me blush.
"But how do I do that ? Everyone are always in the house and i don't have dresses of that kind. Only chudidhars, sarees and half sarees" i say.
"Adhu podhume ! (That is enough)" he says making me frown in confusion.
"See, wear your half saree, we both very well know what happened in the farmhouse when you wore it but make sure to leave the necessary places open or lose. I will make the necessary arrangements. You and him are definitely going out tomorrow. He himself will come and call you. Until that be patient" he says making me nod.
Karthi
I didn't feel it while I said all those things to Mayil, but it is now that I am walking towards Pandi's room that I feel scared. Pandian is the oldest of us all and he is the most responsible and respected too.
Nobody would dare disobey his words. Manipulating him is something none of us have ever attempted. But the only thing that keeps me walking towards his room is the thought of doing him and Mayil some good. I have seen Mayil looking at him a lot of times but after knowing her sincere love towards him and realising that it is exactly what Pandi needs in his life right now, I cannot let him ruin their lives for his so called virtues for which Mayil is working towards.
It is not that his virtues are wrong, but that his ignorance towards Mayil is. He has been the soul of our family ever since the death of his father eight years ago. Managing everything on hide own with no one to share his side of thoughts and feelings. We all know a wife is what he needed and though Mayil is younger than all of us, her innocent love is something Pandi needs. A girl who would do anything for him even if it means hurting herself in this process.
"Pandi ?" I call him as i enter his room.
"Hmm sollu da (tell)" he says as he looks up from his phone.
"N-nalaiku....(T-tomorrow)." i stutter and drag as i stand in front of him.
"Nalaiku ?" he asks frowning.
"Well it is an auspicious day, y-you should consider going to temple with Mayil" i stutter, mentally slapping myself. I should have known i will cower in front of Pandi, in fact who wouldn't ? He is such an intimidating and respectable man.
He looks at me for a few seconds before starting to laugh.
"I haven't forgotten my wedding day Karthi. I know it is auspicious to go to the temple. So don't worry, we all will we going to temple tomorrow as a whole family early in the morning before dropping Mayil in college" he says before looking back at his phone.
As a whole family aa ? Dei fool it is your freaking first year wedding anniversary !
"B-but" I stutter again.
"Hmm ?" he asks, not looking up from his phone.
I take a deep breath, i should give my best into this.
"Dei it is your first year wedding anniversary tomorrow. She has been doing this for a year just for you and all she is asking in return is your affection. The least you can do is to show her some tomorrow. Please take her to the temple alone and spend a solid day with her outside college" I say, placing my hand on his shoulder making him look up at me patiently.
"Karthi I am not blind. I can see what she is doing and i am upset that she is doing it only now and for me instead of doing it before itself for her, it would have landed her in a good job by now. But at the same time, her liking towards me amuses me. The efforts and things that she is doing for me, the ones she disregarded in the past, keeps running in my thoughts. All of this is fine but doing all these things that you told tomorrow would do nothing but disturb and deviate her from this determination. Tomorrow is not just our first wedding anniversary but also her first exam. I don't want to ever come between someone's studies, especially my wife's. So stop all this and go back to work. Inform everyone to be ready by 5:30 in the morning tomorrow" he says with a small smile making my heart fall.
Nobody can argue or convince this man indeed !
I nod and as i walk away, one thing strikes me. He didn't call her Mayil. He called her 'my wife' and that definitely means something. But in a way he is right and knowing that he wants to go to temple tomorrow makes one thing crystal clear.
This man is balancing everything single handedly and correctly; his virtues, married life, mayil's future and also setting a big example for men out there.
But the only problem is Mayil's heart getting hurt in the process. Though she understands and respects the condition and his wishes, her heart keeps wanting his attention, affection and presence. After all, she is just a young girl.
Happy Pongal babess 🌾
Luv ya'll ❤️
