A man can tolerate an kind of insult , pain and hurt but he can never be able to bear the pain of his ego and pride being hurt. Anyone could just regard it as a flimsy trait for a man to hold onto his ego and pride but for a man that's what makes him what he is. The pain of being betrayed by a loved one , that too in the most brutal way possible ., nobody would be , even a guy like Pallavan would be able to erase that kind of trauma from their memory. Even if they succeed in forgetting their past , it would remain as a permanent scar in their heart and it becomes a mark to define who they were , how far they've come from their past and what they've become because of that. For a few , it drags them down into a dark abyss of hopelessness and heartbreak-from one which they never would be able to come out , for others it would pose a reason to turn their life around , value the people in their lives more and to cherish the life they have in their hands;once they find their way out of that dark abyss.
Pallavan had come a long way from his past and the woman who made his past life a living hell , it had taken all of his willpower and determination to become the man he is now , to regard life in a humble and a mature way. It hadn't been easy for Pallavan , even at the most randomest of moments the betrayal of the woman he once loved , the one he dreamed of having a future with would hit him hard , but everytime it was his wife's voice and her kind words were the one constant hope that pulled him out from falling deeper and deeper into the hell hole.
Pallavan never once took the life he got back after the fiasco for granted , and he owed it to the kind voice from that night and once he remembered it was his wife who had been his saviour made him realise just how much he owed her in his life . He thought she was a very selfish and cruel woman to hurt the people around her , but when he realised how much it must have hurt her to bottle up all the love she had for him and to have no way to show it to him for years together.
Before marrying Vasudha , Pallavan had found a way to keep everything to himself and to close himself off from everyone else . He thought he would never be able to love any other human being ever in his life once again , but after Vasudha came into his life , he found his world becoming beautiful and colourful day by day , every minute and every second he spent in her presence. Sure , she never spoke much , never expressed her emotions for the world to see , especially him , but he fell in love with her silence too , the way she cared for him in a very quiet way , the way she made him feel whenever she looked at him. It was as if nobody else inhabited her world other than him , as if her whole world belonged to him and she was cherishing every moment with him in it.
Pallavan didn't fall for his wife just because he got married to her and shared a close space with her , it started with a hot cup of coffee , it started with a harmless teasing and masked flirting , it started without any expectations for something or anything from each other , it started the moment his eyes fell on her relaxing under that tree in her garden many years ago. Maybe he fell in love with her then and it took him a lifetime to understand what he felt at that moment.
Vasudha brought peace to his wounded heart , she pieced together the missing parts of his soul with her love and he felt his life become whole with her in it . She gave him the happiness he never thought he would be able to get back in his life. A life with Vasudha , one that he had come to treasure, had erased all of the memories of his past , even now as he stood before the woman who almost destroyed it , didn't stir up any kind of emotion within him.
Sure he did get angry upon coming face to face with Mira , but it was only because his heart sored on the thought of what his wife must be going through , how she would feel when the people around her have gathered to get her husband married to some other woman.
The moment he uttered the woman's name , he felt his wife go very still beside him . He knew she knew who that woman was and he felt her hands turn cold within his grasp in seconds. It pained him like hell to have to make her go through this ordeal , only hours after confessing their love to each other. He barely heard his Amma asking him how he knew the girl's name , but all he could think of in that moment was to take his wife far away from everyone and pull her into his embrace , whisper into her ear that he will not let anyone hurt her and kiss away all her worries and fears. But before that he would have to end this drama from spiralling out of control.
In the periphery of his vision he saw Saravanan sliding smoothly to his wife's side , in a way of securing Vasudha from the questioning eyes of the gathered relatives who pressed close to one another to get a glance of him and the bride together. Slightly turning around , Pallavan looked at his cousin , signalling him to do his part rightly, he tried to steal a glance at his wife.
For anyone who didn't know her , they'll tell that nothing was going on in her mind at that moment , that everything that was happening around her was not having any effect on her , but Pallavan saw through her wall . He saw how much it had hurt her to realise that she had come face to face with the woman her husband was once in love with , it was as clear as day in her eyes that she loathed the entire situation. Before he could say anything to assure his wife , he heard his Amma's sharp voice pulling him out of his worries.
" Are you even listening to what I'm saying , Pallava ? Mira had been waiting for a long time now... She wants to talk with you ! Just go and have a chit chat with her for a few minutes , give yourselves the time to think over ... if you guys are compatible with each other. If everything goes well , we can proceed with further talk..." Saying this Lalitha pulled Pallavan towards her and made him walk farther into the open kitchen which was situated on the left side of the living room to have a private chat with the girl she had chosen for his son. Pallavan was only able to give a small pressure of assurance to his wife's hand before walking away from her into the kitchen.
Vasudha's heart thumped in her ribcage like a bird trying to survive the brutal waves of the ocean it tumbled into unwillingly. During the car ride from the airport to Pallavan's house , Vasudha somehow convinced herself to put on a nice face when she was to be introduced to her husband's relatives but never in the life of her did she think that she would come face to face with the woman who broke his heart and walked away leaving behind only a shell of a man to pick up the broken pieces.
She wanted to drag her husband as far away as possible from that woman , she wanted to scream to the whole world that she was his wife and he belonged only to her. However , Vasudha held on to her composure like her life depended on it.
She heard everyone around her whispering on how the other woman looked so beautiful together with her husband , as they both made their way into the far end of the kitchen. Vasudha struggled to breathe through the lump that formed in her throat when she saw her husband walk away with a woman who was not her.
Even though he professed his love for her , promised his lifelong devotion to her , somewhere deep down in her heart , Vasudha was afraid. She was afraid... what if her husband's long forgotten love for the woman he once loved gets rekindled , what if he realised that his love for Mira is far more precious and deep rooted in his heart than the affection he possessed for his wife . After all , Mira is the woman who ruled his heart... She was his first love and nobody is capable of letting go of their first love nor will anyone succeed in forgetting it. Vasudha was one example of what it is like to bear the weight of a love unrequited for a long time and feared what if her husband regarded his affection towards her as something that was born out of mere gratitude and pity.
A fear like no other she had ever felt gripped her heart like a vice , she thought to herself if she would be able survive this heartbreak if her husband walked away from her now , after breaking all her walls that carefully protected her heart for all these years. Suddenly she sensed someone's gaze boring on to the side of her face , when she turned around from the retreating figures of Mira and Pallavan , she saw Pallavan's Amma looking at her with a curious look in her eyes .
" Who are you again , my dea....?" Just before she could finish her question she heard someone calling her , from where Vasudha stood she couldn't see whose voice it was , but it sounded very similar to her husband's voice if not for the depth in the voice that came along with ageing.
" Lalitha ! Why are you still standing there ? Let the children talk privately for a moment ! Come here , Natraj wants to discuss something important with us...!" Abiding to that person's voice , Lalitha walked away from Vasudha but not before darting a doubtful glance at Vasudha and Saravanan.
Vasudha's eyes once again darted towards the area where Pallavan and Mira shared an intimate conversation with each other.
She saw the way the woman stood so close to her husband , her entire person screamed of elegance and beauty . The way she carried herself in that silk saree made everyone look in her direction whenever they got a chance to look at her. She really was very beautiful with her big expressive light brown eyes and full pouty lips. That woman was the definition of beauty , what with the perfect dip of her waist to her long legs , her elegant curves , even a blind guy would fall head over heels for that woman , Vasudha thought to herself.
Meanwhile , in the kitchen anger tightened Pallavan's gut and his heart and mind screamed at him to run back to his wife , even as he walked away from her , he didn't miss the way her eyes flashed a lightning of hopelessness in its dark depths. In that moment he regretted his very decision of bringing her to his hometown and thrusting her into such a cruel situation where she had to survive through the hell of hearing about getting her husband married to another woman. However , Pallavan fisted his hands to his sides in an attempt to control the anger that tried to breach past his common sense.
Living under the same roof with Vasudha had taught him many things and one among them was to learn the art of masking his emotions from the world , he thought he would never end up in a situation where he had to hide his emotions , but now forced to have a conversation with Mira , he plastered a smile on his face to fool the people around him , who had their eyes fixed on the two of them to prevent them from noticing his actual feelings , which bordered on repulsion and hatred.
He heard the woman in front of him clear her throat in the most delicate way , as he looked up at her his heart didn't flutter the way it did when he first met her during the after hours of his college ten years ago nor did he feel anything when he peered into her light brown eyes. All he felt was an insane urge to walk as far away as possible from the woman before him , to realise that he once fell in love with the same woman made all the alarm bells ring haywire in his mind.
"You have changed physically over the years , Pallavan ! You no longer resemble the tall and lean guy I've known...! You are all muscled up. Its seems you've been working out in the gym these past few years...?" Mira started the conversation in a very casual manner , when she didn't get a reply from him for her silly question , Mira took a momentary pause and continued with her speech with a forced smile .
"It feels very awkward for me , Pallavan! With you and me meeting like this... standing apart from each other , like we are complete strangers to one another... I've been searching for you so long after... after how things ended between us... It was only after I lost you did I realise how much you meant to me... It was only after you left did I realise how stupid I've been to start a fight with you for every little thing that happened between us... " Mira spoke in a voice laced with whiskey and honey as she let out a nervous laugh.
" I couldn't think of anyone else other than you by my side as a life partner for the rest of my life, Pallavan...! When my Dad brought this proposal for me , I thought this was yet another attempt on my parents' part to convince me to get married to some random guy , but when I realised it was you... You see , Pallavan! It seems both our Dads are long time friends and it felt like a sign from heaven for me to get back with you...! I immediately accepted the proposal and ever since I've been yearning to meet with you for the past two months...." Mira continued on with her sweet words of fate bringing them together , however Pallavan barely listened to what she was saying , his attention had long ago drifted back to where his wife stood with her face turned away from him to look at the retreating figure of his Amma.
When Mira realised that Pallavan's attention was engaged else where , she too diverted her gaze to where Pallavan was looking . Thinking that he was watching his Amma , Mira again let out a measured delicate laugh and spoke in a sharp voice to get his attention back to her, "... Lalitha Aunty could be funny at times , don't you think Pallavan? To suggest we find out if we like each other... If only she knew how compatible we are together..." Trailing off , Mira slightly leaned more towards him to grab his hand , but before she could do that Pallavan jerked his hand back , shocked at his reaction Mira looked up at him with a curious look .
" I know you must be angry with me , Pallavan ! But let's just forget the past... Let's get married as soon as possible , Pallavan ! Let's start our life anew... You and I , just like we've always dreamed...!" Hearing her, Pallavan barked out a cynical laugh at the absurdity of her words . He could never see another woman other than Vasudha as his wife in this life , it was her and it will only be her for him till the end of time. He had been a fool to fall for Mira's deception once in his life , but he wasn't going to repeat the same mistake of believing in her well practised smiles and honey glazed words.
The better part of his days in coming out of his addiction had been spent on thinking back and deciphering the moments from his past , when Mira spoke sweetly to him , when she made him believe that he was the one always at fault in their relationship with her manipulative words and creating a huge drama over small things to accuse him of something that he never did in the first place , just to hang out with her former lover and to get back together with him.
Shaking his head from remembering all those bitter memories from coming to life in his head , Pallavan spoke in a quiet voice remembering to not drop the smile off from his face , for he knew each and everyone of his relatives' eyes were glued to him and Mira , " I'm sorry to burst your little bubble , Mira ! But do you think you could just waltz back into my life... manipulate my whole family with your sweet words into making them believe that you are the ideal woman for me to spend my life with... And to have the nerve to demand me to marry you ...?" Pallavan snickered at her , "You are sorely mistaken , Mira ! Does Kumaran know this little plan of yours...? The guy with whom you cheated on me..."
Pallavan narrowed his eyes on her , when she tried to feign innocence of his accusations Pallavan spoke , " Ohh! You think I still don't know, after all these years...? You wound me , Mira ! Or is this another plan of yours to continue your affair with him , while being married to me just because your family would never accept him as their son-in-law...?" Pallavan questioned her in a curious tone.
" What nonsense are you talking about , Pallavan ? You know nothing...!" Mira's voice quivered in fear as she struggled to hold his gaze.
Letting out a small laugh Pallavan countered , '' Ohh...! I know everything , Mira...! My only doubt is whether your Daddy knows about all this..." Slightly bending down to her level , Pallavan spoke in a menacingly secretive voice , " I wonder if your Daddy knows about all the trips his little princess had taken along with Kumaran to a certain gynaecologist , almost what... About seven , eight years ago ?... Maybe you should have asked your lover to be a little more careful , Mira...! Think about it ! What if I mistakenly let this little secret of yours to slip out of my mouth?"
To his question Mira's head snapped in his direction with shock and disbelief , her chin trembled in fear which reflected as clear as day in her eyes. " You sure wouldn't do that ! The Pallavan I know is not capable of doing that...!" She spoke past the lump that formed in her throat.
" Oh ! You barely know me , Mira ! You have no idea of what I'm capable of... ! I can make all hell break loose , if I just decide to put my mind to it ! But I think you wouldn't want me to do that , now would you ? With all your relatives around , I don't think your parents will be able to handle that level of humiliation..." Before Pallavan could finish what he intended to say Mira stopped him , " What do you want me to do...?'' She looked up at him through the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.
''Gather your parents , all your relatives and just leave my house as soon as possible. Never ever think of coming back into my life ever again , Mira ! And don't you dare think of creating anymore drama in front of my parents... I won't tolerate that... not in my home !" Pallavan said to Mira in his deep voice , but she didn't miss out on the venomous warning that laced his voice.
He sounded very much like a man who would go to any extent to keep up with his promises. Not having the courage to utter another word , Mira walked back to the living room to where her parents sat discussing the particulars regarding the marriage with Pallavan's parents.
Pallavan , instead of walking along with her into the living room , made his way to where his wife stood with his cousin.
Vasudha's heart raged with anger and jealousy when she saw the way in which Mira stood so close to her husband . When she tried to grab his hand by leaning too close to him , she wanted to stomp to where the both of them stood to drag her husband along with her , she couldn't even bear to see her husband standing with another woman. But she controlled her emotions for she saw the tension on her husband's shoulder , the way he made a conscious effort to keep his smile in place. For any outsider , it would seem like they both are having a very cozy conversation but Vasudha knew her husband. She could sense his anger in the air even from afar she knew he was on the verge of loosing control over his anger and his composure hung very precariously by every passing minute.
When the thoughts regarding his love for Mira clouded her mind , the immense trust she had on him just shattered all her doubts even before they could take root in her heart . She saw the way Mira's face lost all the color to something her husband had told her but before she could think of what could be the reason for her to turn so pale , she saw Mira making her way out of the kitchen towards the living room as if the fires from hell would lick her toes if she didn't walk fast enough. A mere minutes later , her husband stopped beside her and once again clasped her hand tightly in his'.
Looking up at him Vasudha spoke in a small voice , " That was a looong chit chat...!!" And let out a shuddering breath without realising it for herself. "Getting a little jealous are we , Missus Pallavan ?" Pallavan asked his wife in a playful tone just to make her feel comfortable in the unfamiliar space.
''Why Mister Pallavan , I never thought you would realise that in the first place !" Vasudha tried to reply him as quietly as possible over the commotion around them.
" Well ! It did take some time to explain to Mira that I belonged to another woman , and that no other woman can take her place in my heart nor in my life other than my wife...!" Pallavan said to his wife leaning more to her. In truth Pallavan didn't mention anything about him being a married man to Mira , it was because Pallavan didn't think Mira deserved to know what was happening in his life in the first place and also he didn't want to take his wife's name so very casually in front of a woman who meant nothing to him.
Tugging his hand , Vasudha pulled him slightly to her level because by now the sounds of footsteps of the people and their whisperings have raised a few decibels , making it difficult for them to have a normal conversation. Vasudha's mind tried to figure out a reason for the sudden commotion but pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind she said to her husband , " You know, the guy I am married to now was also someone who once believed that he belonged to the woman he fell in love all those years ago..." Vasudha looked sharply at her husband. Her eyes tried to mask the guilt, embarassment and hopelessness she felt on sseing her husband with another woman.
Her words shocked Pallavan , but he understood what prompted her to say those words and for her to have such thoughts in her mind in the first place. Pallavan realised that any woman would feel threatened and insecure about the relationship with her husband when confronted with a woman from his past , even Pallavan felt the same way when he saw the messages from Sathish , before knowing the truth about who he was to his wife. As her husband he owed an explanation to his wife , to make her understand where she stood in his life and how much she meant to him.
Wrapping a hand around her shoulder and pulling her close , Pallavan said to her in his deep voice , " How can you even think of comparing yourself to another woman , Vasudha ! Now , I'm not gonna deny the fact that I thought I was once in love with that woman long ago in my life , but it had all been an illusion from the very start , one that I've been tricked into believing as true love by her. But you should know this , you are the only one who has held all my broken pieces together for all these years and helped me become the man I'm now.
''You might not realise this... Even, I was too dumb to figure this out myself , you are the only woman who had ruled all my thoughts and emotions subconsciously for a very long time now. You own my heart and I've bared my soul to you , Vasudha !" Pallavan paused for a moment to let the weight of his words sink in , when Vasudha looked up at him with tears misting her eyes , he continued , "...And there is no chance in this life for me to ever fall out of the love I have for you...! Not now , not ever and certainly not in this lifetime ! Do you hear me..?" Pallavan forced the words out of his mouth in a pained voice.
It was only then did Vasudha realise how much her stupid jealousy had hurt her husband , slightly dipping her chin in acquiescence , Vasudha gently rested her head on his shoulder. Pulling her more firmly to him , Pallavan bent his head to place a quick peck on the side of her head.
At that moment all the gathered relatives on Mira's side where making their way towards the main entrance of his house. At the end of that procession it was his own parents along with Mira and her parents walking along to show them and the guests out. Since Vasudha and Pallavan stood on the periphery of their living room close to the main entrance , Mira's eyes darted towards him as she turned to step down the few steps at the main door and Pallavan didn't miss the way her eyes widened in shock and surprise on seeing him hugging another woman , at the same time Pallavan's parents too looked in his direction right when he gave quick kiss to his wife.
Shock and disbelief marred their faces , soon it transformed into red hot anger in moments but turning their heads away suddenly so as not to direct the attention of the gathered people in their son's direction , Pallavan's parents waited patiently for all the guests to leave their home near the main door.
Almost half an hour went by for all the relatives to leave their home , Saravanan tried to make sense of what exactly was happening in that house. Sarvanan sure did understand for a fact that both Pallavan and the woman that his aunt introduced as Pallavan's betrothed had a past between them but from the way Vasudha's face paled on hearing the woman's name , Saravanan couldn't guess what was Vasudha's connection to their past.
As all of the bride-to-be's relatives left the venue in their cars , he saw his uncle and aunt- Pallavan's Appa and Amma making their way back to the living room. He noticed how his Mama clasped his hand behind him , in an attempt to control the frustration and anger he felt towards his son for jeopardizing the function and making his special guests leave so abruptly. He also noticed that his uncle had been keeping an eye on his son and the woman who stood so close beside him with a wary expression on his face. Even his Aththai's expression mirrored her husband's emotions.
Beside him , Pallavan and Vasudha kept on whispering something to one another , he couldn't make out the words even after straining his ears to listen carefully to their serious conversation. He wondered how they could be engrossed so much in their own conversation even in such a dire situation. Saravanan felt the tension in the whole atmoshere within the house , he knew it is only a few moments before experiencing the full effects of the storm that his cousin had set in motion . Just like every other situation he had faced with his family , now too Saravanan decided to stay back and watch how the scene unfolded in front of him , however he prepared himself to be quick on his toes to jump in any time to help his cousin if somehow the situation got out of hand.
As Saravanan mused in his mind as to what might happen next , Pallavan waited for the moment his Appa would broach the issue . Instead of threatening Mira to remove herself and her family from his house , Pallavan could have just barged in on the conversation their parents were having with each other and demanded them to leave immediately stating that he had no intention marrying their daughter , but he couldn't force himself to do that to a woman , no matter however bad a person she was , he was not that cruel and stone hearted to embarass a woman in front of her parents and all the gathered relatives.
So he stayed back from going into the living room with Mira. He didn't want to create that kind of a drama in front of all those people , known and unknown . He hoped that everyone would leave his house quietly once they realise that the groom-to-be is not interested in the alliance in the first place as he didn't even bother to greet his soon to be in-law's and welcomed the proposal to even give them a proper answer regarding their matrimonial alliance but there was another reason too. He just couldn't stay away from his wife for any more minute , even the few minutes he stayed away from her weighed down on him , so he gladly walked back to where Vasudha stood.
Karthikeyan sat down on the living room sofa , he looked around the room to see who of all the relatives were lingering around . Only a handful of relatives stayed back along with his sister , Lalitha's sister and her family which included their daughter , Lavanya. The abrupt conclusion of the function had turned the happening place into a gloomy room within a few minutes , looking around the living room with a forlorn expression Lalitha too sat down beside her husband with fearful anticipation as to what her husband might say to their son's wayward attitude.
Karthikeyan saw that the children were playing among each other near the staircase. Not wanting them to get invloved in the family drama and to not corrupt their innocent minds with the matters of the adult world he called out to his sister who was also Saravanan's Amma in a sharp tone ,"Jeya ! Take the children to the garden , Ma ! Let them play there for sometime."
Realising the seriousness of the situation , Jeya , a short and plump woman with round cheeks and dusky complection obliged to her brother's request and gathered the little children and walked them towards the rear end of their living room.
The soft squeals and the loud murmurings of the children receded slowly as they all neared the farther end and the house became dead silent. Apart from the occasional rustling of the leaves in the midday breaze in the open garden and the distant chirping of the birds , the living room was enveloped in a taut quietness that stretched on for a few agonizing moments.
Pallavan tried to quiet down the loud thumping of his heart , even though he had grown up to be a responsible man , he still feared and respected his Appa. Karthikeyan was an enigma to Pallavan , someone who always fascinated him. He had been the father every son would wish for in their life. He was the responsible brother who took in his sister and her son after she lost her husband and his family in a tragic accident.
He had been the devoted husband who always engaged himself in taking decisions regarding all the household matters even if it was a silly one , he had always been a happy spouse to share the chores with his wife instead of just keeping himself engaged to the huge workload of the company he built from the ground up , he was the doting father who never missed out on any of the important moments in his son's life. If it was a simple sports day in his school , Karthikeyan would be first one to shout and cheer for his son , if it was an annual day in school or his college graduation Karthikeyan would be the one to dress up his child. Any moment in Pallavan's life , it was his father's presence that filled his memories.
His Amma , Lalitha on the other hand was the sensible woman who always stood by her husband , supported him through the most toughest times in their life . She was the woman who always tried to understand her son. Even without asking him anything , she tried to provide him the peace and support he needed in his most vulnerable moments . Both of his parents have always been there for him , even when he was adamant to take up a job of his liking far away from home instead of taking over the business his father had built , his parents supported his decision and gladly sent him on his way to pursue his dreams .
Now to break the news to his parents , that they had missed one of the most important moments in their son's life , that they had been denied the opportunity to plan for their son's wedding , one of the most important moment in a parents' life... it's like shattering a lifelong dream for them. A heaviness settled in the depth of his heart , however he knew this was a moment where he had to take a stand for himself and his wife who had come here , to his hometown , leaving behind everything that she had ever known in her life just for him. At the same time he couldn't hurt his parents either. So Pallavan steeled himself to face a very delicate situation that he had ever come across in his life.
Minutes ticked by , Karthikeyan cleared his throat , composing himself to have a decent conversation with his son , while Lalitha turned around to take a clear look at the woman who pressed herself on her son shamelessly.
"Pallava ! Come here...!!" Karthikeyan ordered his son's presence before him in a sharp tone. Beside him , Lalitha's heart pounded to think over a solution to prevent the catastrophe from happening in her home , between the two people she had spent a lifetime to love and cherish.
Lacing his fingers through his wife's hand , Pallavan slowly made his way towards where his parents sat , while on the other hand Vasudha's heart thudded painfully in her ears , she had loved her husband for a long time now. She knew how much her husband loved and respected his parents , so putting him through a situation where he had to choose between herself and his parents broke her heart. She didn't want her husband to suffer the pain of separation from his parents if his parents didn't accept her and he had to choose her over his parents. Vasudha never cared for anyone's opinion in her life , but now she desperately wished for her in-laws' to like and accept her.
Taking heavy steps , both Pallavan and Vasudha stopped before Pallavan's parents. With curiosity and shock widening their eyes , both Karthikeyan and Lalitha looked up at their son and the woman who stood beside him.
" What is all this , Pallava ? Would you just open your mouth and explain to me just what is happening in my home ?" Karthikeyan tried to control the anger that he barely held by the reigns. By now all the guests who stood all over the living room in the corners whispering and gossiping about the happenings of the function had gathered around the two couples in a big circle , even Jeya had come back by now after letting the children play outside.
Before Pallavan could reply his father , Lalitha interjected , " We've been searching for the perfect girl for you all over the city , among all our friends and relatives... Finally when we thought we found you the right girl , you show up here with a random woman by your side , hugging and kissing her in front of all our guests... Most importantly in front of the girl and her family we've chosen for you after going through so many hardships , Pallava ! How could you do this... How could you do this to us , Pallava?" Lalitha reprimanded her son in a voice that was laced with disbelief and anger.
As Pallavan opened his mouth to say what he intended to say , Sumithra , Lalitha's younger sister barked out in a disgusted tone , " Why are you scolding Pallavan , Akka ! Instead you should be asking that woman beside him to leave our house immediately. How can a girl not have any shame at all to literally cling to a man in front of all of us , especially in front of the girl who had been desperately waiting to meet with her future husband...! To even think of what that girl must have gone through...Oh my God! That poor girl , Mira...! Mama ! Just throw that shameless whor...!"
Before she could finish her words , Pallavan's voice bellowed through the expanse of the living room like the slicing of a sharp sword in the air. " Enough , Chiththi...! Before I loose what little respect is left for you in my heart...!" Hearing his outburst , the entire room lapsed into dead silence for a few moments.
Vasudha had gone completely still beside her husband upon hearing what everyone accused her of , she expected the people to react in this way , but she never really thought that it would hurt her so much , maybe it was because she cared too much this time.
Pallavan's heart broke upon hearing the accusations and scoldings thrown towards his wife , it pained him even more over the fact that he was the sole reason for the people around him to hurl such cruel words at his wife. Looking down at the woman who stood beside him with slumped shoulders and her head hung in embarrassment , Pallavan wrapped his hand around her shoulders protectively , pulling her more firmly to him. He looked straight at his parents , because they were the only ones he was answerable to , others... Well , he didn't have any obligation towards them in the first place.
" Appa , Ma ! I'm really sorry if my actions have embarrassed you in any way...! But I was not behaving inappropriately... with a random woman...! And I cannot stand here with my mouth shut tightly when someone - be it a relative I have known all my life or a stranger say such nasty things about my WIFE...!" The moment these words left Pallavan's mouth , Karthikeyan and Lalitha's face froze in absolute shock while a series of ' What ' escaped from the mouths of every human who stood around them to watch the drama reach its peak in front of them. It was only after Pallavan revealed his relationship with Vasudha did everyone notice the tinge of vermillion on her hair partition , the nuptial thread that slightly peeked out of her blouse and the toe ring she wore which glinted in the afternoon light , all indicating that indeed she was a married woman.
While Pallavan unleashed the chaos inside the house , Saravanan quietly slipped outside to the veranda to make the call to Raghav Periyappa in a desperate attempt to find a way to help his cousin control the situation and find a solution to make his parents understand his predicament.
Deliberately pausing for a few moments to let the weight of his words sink in , Pallavan continued but not before casting a sharp look at the people around him. " This is my wife , Vasudha ! We've been married for a few months now..." Once again another series of gasps mingled in the air , but instead of saying anything , Karthikeyan and Lalitha stood up from the sofa , looking up at Pallavan with an indescribable emotion Karthikeyan walked towards a large room on the opposite side of the living room. Too wounded and hurt to even spare a glance at her son , Lalitha too followed her husband.
" Amma...! Appa...! Let me explain..!" Pallavan tried to stop his parents from walking away from him , but they refused to pay heed to his request.
Worried at how his wife was holding up , he looked down at her. His hand tightened instinctively and it made her look up at her husband , only then did he notice the tears that threatened to spill out of her beautiful eyes. At the same time he heard his relatives whisper not so secretly among themselves about his wife.
"Aahh... She is so fat....!" '' Here , we were trying to find the most beautiful girl for him , but he chose this girl over MIRA...!" " Yeah...! Seriously , what has happened to our Pallavan ? Did he loose his mind to marry...That girl ? How unfortunate of him...!!"
Pallavan heard their taunts and most of it was about his wife , anger and irritation warred for dominance within him , but he knew that that was not right time and place for him to lose control over his emotions , also he didn't want to make his wife stand among the people who taunted and insulted her right on her face , not even bothering to acknowledge her presence in the first place.
Pulling his wife along with him , Pallavan walked them towards a quiet corner near the staircase of the living room. Shielding her from the prying eyes of his relatives , Pallavan stood before his wife blocking her from the direct vision of the people behind him.
'' Ammadii...!" Pallavan tucked Vasudha's hair behind her ears and that simple endearment was enough to snap the control Vasudha had over her emotions , a single fat drop of tear rolled down her cheeks.
" What is it , Vasudha ?" Pallavan stepped closer to his wife. Cupping her cheek, Pallavan wiped away the tear with his thumb.
Vasudha tried to let the words out of her mouth , " What if..." She paused to let out a shuddering breath, "What if your parents don't accept me ? What if they refuse to accept our marriage?" She asked her husband in a strained voice.
Sliding his hand to her shoulder , Pallavan spoke in a firm tone , " Of course they will accept you , Vasudha ! They will accept us...!" Pallavan trailed off thinking about the way his parents walked away from him and Vasudha upon hearing about their marriage. Looking away from Vasudha's tearful questioning eyes , Pallavan exhaled a long shuddering breath.
Composing himself , he looked at his wife . "If they don't accept you , if they refuse to accept us... Then we will go back to where we started our life right after we got married , Ammadi ! I will not let any of my family members talk some nonsense about you and about our relationship. It will be me for you and you for me... Faraway from all these people , in a world of our own , we will build a family together...!" Pallavan tried to assure Vasudha about their future but in a way he tried to convince himself too , to lead a life , to have a future without the love and blessings of his beloved parents.
Vasudha nodded her head vigorously in denial for her tongue had become thick due to the bevy of emotions that was coursing through her. Clasping Pallavan's hand in both her hands and swallowing hard the thick saliva and struggling to make her throat work , Vasudha let out the words , " That is what I'm afraid of..! I don't want to make you stand in a crossroad where you would have to choose between me and your parents ! Trust me...! Few years from now somewhere along our life, if you regret your decision to choose me over your parents and that even for a moment you thought that because of me...because of our marriage , you had to leave behind the people who have raised you and loved you... Then the life we shared together will turn bitter , that life you shared with me would lose all its meaning... And I can never ever live with that...!" Tears flowed down Vasudha's eyes on their own accord , as she kept staring at the range of emotions that crossed her husband's face.
Pallavan realised the reality of her words , but at the same time her words gave rise to an alarming thought in his mind , "What are you trying to say , Vasudha !" He asked his wife in a terrified voice.
'' Let me go... !" Was the only words that came out of Vasudha's mouth.
The moment she let the words out , Pallavan staggered a few steps back . Fisting his hands he looked up at his wife with the sudden tears misting his eyes. On seeing his reaction , Vasudha tried to grab on to his hand , but Pallavan refused to let her take a hold of him.
" How could you..." Pallavan swallowed the lump forcefully , " How could you even say that , Vasudha? For years you had been fighting with your own emotions , your own demons and the world around you... just to hold onto the love you had for me... Now on the first glimpse of hardship , you are ready to walk away from me , Vasudha ? You stayed mute when all my relatives hurled so many hurtful taunts at you , you held your head down as if you deserved all of their mockery... Why did you not fight them , Vasudha ? This is not the woman I fell in love with...! This was not the Vasudha I've known for all my life...! Or is it something else..." Pallavan's tone turned sharp.
" Did you think that I'm an incapable man to even fight for you and my family , Vasudha ? I would fight heaven and hell for you , Ammadi ! But it would hold no weight and meaning if you don't stand by me , if you don't fight for me... If you don't fight the world with me , Ammadi ! My life would mean nothing... Absolutely nothing , if I don't have YOU in my life ! But as always the decision is in your hands , Vasudha !'' Pallavan muttered in a dejected tone . He never thought his wife , of all , people would think in this way about him.
Vasudha loved her husband too much to even bear to look at him in the verge of breaking down over loosing the support and love of his parents , that was why she asked him to let her go from his life in the first place . But only she knew how much it killed her to even let the words out. But to realise that , her walking away from his life would hurt him even more made her hate herself for a being a coward. Here he was fighting his whole family for her , while she was trying hard to find a way to run away from him.
Wiping her tears forcefully , Vasudha closed the distance that Pallavan had created between them , lacing her fingers through his , Vasudha looked up at her husband. " I'm sorry... I'm really really sorry... I shouldn't have said that ! I'm really sorry... Please forgive me...! I will not go anywhere. We will face this together ! I promise...!" Vasudha said in a firm tone assuring her husband and leaned into him wrapping herself to his arm.
Hearing her words Pallavan let out a sigh of relief , stroking her head he bent down to kiss his wife on the forehead , but before he could do that , he heard someone clearing their throat sharply behind him. Surprised as to who that might be , Pallavan turned around from his wife , seeing his Amma standing there , a little ray of hope made its way into both Vasudha and Pallavan's heart. " Maa...!"
Pallavan tried to say something to his Amma , but stopping him from saying anything Lalitha spoke to the both of them in a tight voice , " Both of you come with me to the study...!" Not even sparing them another glance , Lalitha walked away swiftly towards the room she and her husband had entered previously.
Confused and surprised at the same time , Pallavan and Vasudha looked at each other in an attempt to know if what was happening made any sense to the other. However , not wanting to stand there like complete idiots , Pallavan and Vasudha followed Lalitha quietly.
YOU ARE READING
Falling In Love With You
RomanceThis is a story about two strangers falling in love through the course of their married life...A love story between a plus sized girl and an sexier than thou guy who fall in love despite the differences in their caste , status and lifestyle... ...
