Her
After my exams get over and the holidays start, I get the chance to see maama more when he comes to eat lunch some afternoons or we have our cousins get together to watch a movie or match together. Though we didn't get any closer than on the day of our first wedding anniversary, it isn't as awkward as it was back then and for that I am thankful.
"You should wear saree more often Mayil uu" Divya says out of nowhere making everyone including maams to look at her.
"Why ? She looks the same in everything" Karthi comments while looking at his phone.
"No you duffer ! That day when she wore saree, I myself saw how a few boys were looking at her and how much it made her stand out. It suited her well" she says, making me blush.
"Nothing of that sorts happened Divya" i huff.
"As if ! I didn't want to say this without knowing whether it is true or not but when we were standing in the line for lunch you remember my classmate Surya tripping and holding your waist for support ? Well I don't think that he actually tripped. I saw him eyeing you when we entered but I didn't take it as anything big. I had my suspicions but didn't have any proper evidence to confirm. Just my instincts..." she drags making my mouth fall open.
Nothing of that sorts happened that day ! Heck ! Divya's department and mine have different lunch timings and we don't even see each other in college ! I glare at her as she gives me a wink before looking at maama who is clutching the remote in his hand tightly, his eyes holding dark anger as he stares at the tv screen.
"Which department are you Divya ?" maama asks in a calm voice, right opposite to his face.
Even Divya looks shocked. Pandi maama owns the college and it is obvious that he will find out the truth if she tells him the information.
"It is nothing Pandi you don't have to worry, Surya is a harmless boy. Haha he doesn't even know how to properly draw a hut" she says with a nervous laugh.
This makes maama look at her with a sharp and angrier look.
"You are telling me that a boy touched a girl's waist without her permission in public place. Not some random girl but one of us. What is the assurance that he will not do it again ? Huh ?" he asks in a now angry voice.
"Pandi i could be wrong, maybe he really tripped. I just felt like he did it on purpose but i may be wrong" she says with fear.
"Always trust your gut instincts. It is either you tell me or I find it out myself" he says, looking at her with angry eyes.
"Maams its okay" i say making him look at me.
"What is okay ? Some random boy holding your waist is okay with you ?" he asks, now eerily calm, his look colder than ever.
"Maama i don't think what she said is true. I was there and he really tripped" i say.
"What is the assurance ?" he asks in the same tone.
"Maams" i whine.
"Mayil, you are married. You must know how to dress in public. Just because Divya says that you look good in something doesn't mean you actually look good. Boys out there are really getting bad and spoiled. They wouldn't care about your feelings or boundaries. They are manipulative, you wouldn't be able to take one guess about what runs in their mind. I am saying you can't even trust our Karthi. Such an incident has happened HOW COME WAS I NOT INFORMED ?!" he shouts making almost all of us flinch.
"Who. Is. The. Boy. ?" he asks looking at Divya now.
"I-I was just l-lying. J-just wanted to m-make you j-j-jealous" she stutters making maama close his eyes with utmost annoyance.
"Divya you should seriously stop playing with me or meddling in our marriage. I know what to do and when to do" he says, his voice abruptly back to normal before he walks out.
That is when all of us start breathing again.
"Did he really say that i am a lust crazed monster indirectly ?" Karthi screeches.
"Romba mukkiyam (very important)" Divya says sarcastically as she wipes her sweat.
"I almost died" she adds.
All the while i keep quiet. It really hurted when he spoke about my saree. When will i ever be appealing for him ? Even i felt like i looked good in the saree but his words made me realise however i look good in this same body and skin he wouldn't find me attractive.
Maybe I am insecure but i wouldn't know till getting a job.
As i sit in my room, lost in thoughts, maama enters with a sad face.
"Im sorry if i was harsh or hurted you" he says, looking sincere.
"Its okay maams" i say with a small smile.
This man is really something !
"I didn't mean all those things, i was just angry that someone has mishandled you and that too inside my college campus. Nothing of this sort should ever happen to anyone anywhere" he says.
"Hmm" i hum my reply.
"If anything like this happens again, you should tell me first okay ?" he asks.
"Okay maams" i say.
But he keeps standing there, looking at me with a sad smile.
"Im such an idiot, i don't know what i talk when i am angry" he huffs smacking the back of his head as he walks in front of me.
"It isn't what you wear that makes you beautiful, it is the kind of person you are that makes you beautiful" he says, ruffling my hair before walking out of my room.
I almost tear up. He is such a good man, I have NEVER in my life seen a man such as him apart from his father who was just as great as him.
But he is long gone now.....
Oh and that reminds me, tomorrow is his father's eighth death anniversary.
Usually during this day maama would be more quiet and sad. He is someone who worshipped and still worships his dad. He is his role model and idol. He made him act in movies and introduced him to modeling too. But after his death maams left all of that to come here and take his place. That is just how much he loves his father and also how much i love him for who he is.
Luv ya'll ❤️
