Seetha Kalyanam Vaibohame

Manasula idam

Seetha stepped out of the room. Parvathy noticed her from the kitchen and smiled, "Seetha, nee nera swamy roomku poitu velakku yethee namaskaaram panittu vaa. Sooda coffee pottu tharen." Seetha nodded a walked towards the swamy room. On the way she noticed her husband sitting with a newspaper in the varendah sipping his coffee. She entered the swamy room and was happy to see a pretty pillaiyar idol right there. She smiled and whispered, "Pillaiyar Appa nee enna paathukarthukku en koodave vandhutiya? Nalladhu nalladhu." She then poured the nallennai on the velakku, pulled out the thiri from the box next to it and placed it on the velakku and touched the oil to soak the thiri. Then she lit the velakku.

She did the namaskaram and then mumbled a little prayer while applying the chandanam on her forehead. She then walked out of the swamy room and went towards her husband. He heard the sound of her anklets and looked up. She nodded her head in disapproval and then looked at the remaining chandanam in her finger. She gently applied that on his forehead and said, "Kulichuttu vandha udane swamy ku namaskaram panni chandanam ittukongo." As she turned to walk away he held her hand saying, "idhe madiri nee dhenamum ittu vidu." She chuckled, "Neenga enna kozhandaiya? Ungalukku ittukka theriyadha?" He looked into her eyes, still holding her hands and in his usual base voice asked, "Yen nee ittuvida maatiya maa?" By this point he had realized that his base voice and his "maa" were doing things to her that was evident in her eyes. She blushed and said, "Kaiya vidungo naan adukolai la poi Amma ku othasaiya irukken." When he refused to let go, she insisted, "Dayavu seidhu vidungo. Yaaravudu paaka pora." He chuckled and let go.

Seetha ran to the kitchen to be invited by Parvathy's smile, "Haan vandhuttiya? Indha Suda Suda kaapi potirukken. Modhalla adha kudi. Pakkathaathu Saroja idli maavu kondu thandha. Kaapi kuduchuttu indha thengai ya thuruvi thandhaina naan indha ammi la chutney arachudaren. Oru kesari yum panitten. Nee namathukku vandhirukke illiyo? Modhalla thithippa edhavudhu pannanum nu thaan." Just then Saroja yelled from her backyard, "Parvathy mami, kaigari vandi vandhirukku. Varela?" Parvathy yelled back, "Idho varen. Avana nikka chollu." Then she turned to Seetha and said, "Indha idli ya paathukko naan idho odi poitu varen." Seetha finished her coffee and shredded the coconut as well. Idli was done so she removed the pot from the stove (aduppu). She decided to quickly grind the chutney in the ammi as well.

Parvathy returned trying to catch her breath, "Adhukulla Avan road mona varaikkum poitaan. Avan pinnalaye oda vendi irundhudhu. Ashoooo enna veyil ippove ippidi koluthardhu. Murungakkai nanna irundhudhu. Adhu thaan vaanginen. Sambar vachukalaam aparam avarakkai thoranum vachkalaam. Unakku pidikkumo?" Seetha smiled, "Ennama ippidi kekarel? Enakku ellame pudikkum. Avarukku pidikkum illiyo?" Parvathy smiled and touched Seetha's cheeks, "Kozhandhe ellame avanukku avanukku nu irukkadhe. Unakku pidikkardha pannardhum mukkiyam. Nee maathram ellathayum avanukkaaga maathikanum nu avashiyam illai. Avanum chiladhellam unakku vendi maathikyanam seriya?" Seetha smiled a nodded. Then she said, "Neengal kaarthaalerndhu adukolaila irukele. Neenga poi ukkandhukongo chamayal velai ellam naan paathukaren. Chutney arachachu. Ange fan keezha ukkadhu idli eduthkongo."

Parvathy smiled and said, "Naan ennoda poojai edhuvum innum paneetillai. Naan poi slogam cholittu vandhu eduthukaren. Neenga rendu perum eduthukungo. Ungalukku chinna vayasu pashi thaangadhu" and she stepped out of the kitchen to go to the swamy room. Seetha walked up to her husband who was still reading the newspaper, holding a visiri (hand fan made of wood) on one hand, blowing air. He looked back when he heard her anklet. Seetha softly said, "Idli yum chutney yum vachirukken. Ulla vandhu eduthukongo. Ange fan pottu ukkandhukalaame." Arun nodded and got up to follow his wife to the kitchen. She had already placed 4 idlis, some coconut chutney and kesari in a little bowl and she turned around. She gasped seeing him in the kitchen behind her, "Achacho Neenga ingeye vandhutele. Naan hall la kondu thandhirupene?" He chuckled, "Yen maa enakku nadakka theriyadha? Naane vandhu eduthupene. Neeyum saapdu vaa." She smiled and nodded, "Nee ga modhalla saapdungo naan amma kooda saapadren."

As she handed the plate to him she looked into his eyes and said hesitantly, "Aparam innoru vishayam. Chutney naan thaan Arachen. Ungalukku uppu erivu (kaaram) alavu ellam enakku theriyadhu adhunaala...." He said, "adhunaala?" She continued, "adhunaala edhaavudhu kootu korachal irundha chollungo appodhaan adutha thadavai ungalukku pudicha madiri seri panippen" He looked into her eyes and said, "Pramadhama irukku maa." She gasped, "Saapadama sollarele". He came close to her and said, "Nee edhu panninaalum enakku pudikkum seriya?" She whispered, "Illai amma solluva...." He said, "Enna sooluva?" She blushed saying, "Aathukararoda manasula edam pudikanum na avarukku ruchiya samakkanum nu." He bent his head a little lower and looked into her eyes and said, "ennoda manasa thaan nee appove kolai aduchuttiye. Un manasula edam pudikka naan enna pannanum nu sollu."

All Seetha could say was, "Achacho Amma vandhuda pora" and she turned around trying to hide her smile and the flutters in her heart.

Brinda Subramanian