One shots

Seetha Kalyanam - Part 2

"Nera nilludi" Seetha's mother Raji nudged her while trying to plait her long beautiful hair, "Ava vara neram ayyachu. Enakku ayiram velai irukku aana nee enna na pinnal seri illai nu idhoda moonavudhu thadava ya adha avuthutte. Innime adha thottena paaru." Seetha whined slightly, "Pch.. seri seri. Nee modhal vaatiye azhaga pinni vitta naan edhukku adha avukka poren." Raji finally adorned Seetha's hair with home grown mallipoo that was carefully strung together by her mother-in-law, chella.

Just then Rama walked into the room hurriedly, "Manni ava vandhaachu. Neenga keezha pongo. Naan Seetha va kooteendu varen. Meenavum, Amma vum adukolai (Kitchen) le kaapi, sojji, bajji ellam paneendu irukka." Raji quickly adjusted her own saree and gave herself a quick glance at the mirror before thanking Rama for letting her know, "Ivaloda pudavaiya mattum konjam seri panni vidu naan poi avaala vara verkaren" and she quickly rush out.

Seetha was fiddling with the saree complaining, "Chithi, indha podavai oda jarigai ennodu golusula poi maatikkardhu. Naan Pesama dhavaniye kattikattuma? Indha podavai ellam kateendu periyava madhiri irukken." Rama  chuckled fixing the pleats of the saree saying, "Innum ethana naalikki podavai katteendu suthuve. Unakku 21 vayasu aayachu. Unnoda vayasula enakku kalyaname ayiduthu theriyuma?" She then quickly ran towards the window to take the peek at the commotion outside.

"Seetha inge vandhu paaru. Ava ellam vandhaachu. Rendu car la vandhirukka. Iru iru... modhal car lerndhu oru mama erangina, maapillai oda appa madhiri... oh illai illai... maapillaiyoda mama erangaraar. Pinnadi lerndhu...hmmm.... Oru mami erangara, aparam oru kutty ponnu, avalavida kutty ya oru paiyan. Pinnadi car la Shanthi, mapillai aparam ava maamanaar maamiyar." She then turned to glance at the frowning Seetha, "Ennadi idhu? Ponnu paaka ithana per vara Appo kalyanathukku oorey varum pola irukke." Seetha immediately smiled saying, "Chithi adhukku avasiyame irukaadhu. Naan thaan pillaiyar kitta vendeendu vandhirukene. Indha gumbal ku indha sojji bajji thaan vaachirukku." She giggled.

Just then curious Rama continued, "Shhhh.... Mapillai jummunu irukaar di Seetha. Vela color shirt aparam azhaga iron pannina veshti, kaila watch. Nalla uyarama irukaar di." Seetha's heart skipped a beat. She mumbled a quick prayer, "Pillaiyar Appa naan unkitta enna ketta nee enna paneendu irukke. Seri seri height ellam seri aana 5.11 mattum irukka koodadhu seriya."
Just then Chithi's daughter Rangu (Ranganayaki) and Meena Akka's son Appu came running upstairs yelling, "Ponna ready ya irukka sonna ponna ready ya irukka sonna" and they ran.

Seetha could hear the loud welcomes below. Her dad's laughter was quite audible and she could hear the sound of chair squeaking and the pai being laid to accommodate the entire crowd. Rama adjusted her saree quickly and said, "Nee ingeye iru. Naan poi paati ku othaasaya irukken". Seetha was left alone to the sound of the ticking clock. It seemed to have been hours before Shanthi akka came up to fetch Seetha. "Seetha vaa vaa. Mapillai kolla azhagu dee. Romba saanthamana paiyan. Engalukku ellam romba pidichirukku. Seri vaa vaa."

Seetha suddenly felt nervous. She sighed and slowly followed Shanthi akka. She heard her father trying to strike a conversation with the "maapillai." Ramani asked, "Office ku eppidi povel? Vandi vachirukela?" Mapillai responded, "Scooter irukku aana office ku train la poitu varuven. Railway station aathulerndhu 10 nimisham thaan. Nadandhe poiduven. Adhe madhiri office um station lerndhu 5 nimisham thaan." His spoke in a lower octave and his voice sounded calm. The sound of it made her stomach do a summersault. Her heart started to pound as she approached the last 3 steps of the staircase.

Everyone stopped talking as they heard the sound of her approaching anklets. Just when she was stepping on to the last step, the border of her saree got caught on the hook of the anklet. As a reflex, she tugged the saree only for the anklet hook to come loose and fly towards the young man and lie right at his feet. Everyone gasped in unison. Seetha's face turned red in embarrassment. She did not dare to look up. The elderly lady, sitting next to the young man, broke the ice saying, "Vaa maa. Inge vandhu ukkaru." Seetha smiled without looking up and starting walking up. She was distracted by the sound of one anklet with every step she took, reminding her of the disaster that had just occurred. Seetha prostrated in general to get blessings from all the elders before sitting next to the elderly lady, in the paai.

The lady gently touched Seetha's chin and she looked up. The lady seemed nice. She did a quick dhrishti for Seetha and said, "Ponnu romba lakshanama irukka. Enna paduchirukke?" Seetha cleared her throat saying, "ippo thaan final year BA exam ezhudeerken. Innum result varalai." The lady held Seetha's hand and said, "Unnoda koral romba azhaga irukku. Paaduviya?" Before Seetha could refuse, Shanthi akka jumped in, "Seetha romba nanna paaduva. Chinna vayasu lendhe paatu kathukara. Namma ooru kovil la enna poojai nadandhaalum Seetha oda paatoda thaan arambippa. Seetha, oru paatu paadu. Ippo kooda bhagavathar mama pudhusa onnu kathu thandha nu sonniye."

Seetha was furious. She wanted to kill Shanthi akka. On top of that Seetha was distracted by the sight of the anklet lying next to the man, whose face she had not seen yet. She noticed his bare feet and the crisp veshti reaching up to his ankle. She managed to slowly unhook the other anklet as well as the idea of wearing one was bothering her. She was focused on getting it out as discreetly as possible and was startled by the voice of Shanthi akka again, "Seetha, paaru ellarum unnoda paatu kekka thaan kaathundu irukkom." Seetha nodded.

Seetha straightened her back to get the right posture. She then cleared her throat and closed her eyes to focus on the Shruti. She started to set her Shruti with a "mmmm" and slowly started the aaroganam and avaroganam for Bhairavi Ragam. Then she started doing the thalam on her lap and began, "Yaaro Ivar yaaro, enna peyro, ariyene."  There was pin drop silence in the room while Seetha was singing. As she was about to end the song, she gently opened her eyes to see that the young man was imitating  her thalam. She noticed his slender long fingers and neatly trimmed nails.

Her thoughts quickly returned to the room when she heard everyone clap of her and the elderly lady placed a hand on Seetha's head blessing her, "Deiveengama irundhudhu kozhandai. Romba azhaga paadina. Ennoda pullaikku paatu na romba pidikkum. Nalla arogyathodayum, sagala sowbhagyathodayum nanna irukanum kozhandai nee." Seetha smiled. That was when Raji gently tapped Seetha's back asking her to get up, which she gladly did. Then her mother whispered, "Meena oda kailerndhu tray a vaangikko. Ellarukkum kaapi kondu kudu." Seetha nodded and took the tray from her sister's hand. She slowly approached every one, one by one, until she reached the last chair. There was just one cup of coffee on the tray and she looked that her anklet was still lying there on the floor.

She heard Meena whispering, "Seetha maapillaiya paaru." Seetha noticed the arm pick up the cup from the tray. The folded sleeve of the shirt revealed the watch he was wearing. She slowly looked up to meet a pair of brown obs. He was extremely handsome with his neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He took her breath away with his charming smile and the cute dimpled cheek. In his base voice, he said, "Arun, Arunkrishnan." Then he raised his eyebrows and whispered, "yaaro ivar yaaro enna paero nu kettiye adhukku thaan sollaren."

Seetha blushed and quickly stepped away with the tray.

Brinda Subramanian