Seetha Kalyanam Vaibohame

Swallowing a pill

The next morning Seetha woke up feeling much better. Her temperature was back to normal and the headache was gone. She felt a lot more energetic. She stretched her arms and realized that her husband was already awake and had placed a pillow in his place, for her to hug and continue sleeping. Seetha yawned and stretched. She opened her eyes and saw Arun fixing his hair in front of the dressing table mirror. She could see his reflection in the mirror.

She smiled looking at the way he was fixing his hair. He glanced at her from the mirror and raised a single eyebrow and smiled, "Enna maa appidi paakare? Naan enna avalo azhaga irukkena?" He then walked towards her saying, "Ippo udambu eppidi irukku. Joram irukka?" He touched her forehead. Then smiled and sighed, "Joram illai. Thala vali, udambu vali ellam eppidi maa irukku?" Seetha smiled, "Ippo parava illai. Thonda maathram lesa valikkardhu aana uppu vallam (water)vittu 2-3 thadava gargle pannina seri ayidum." Then she glanced at his t-shirt and pant and asked, "Hmmm.... Neenga enge porapadarel?"

Arun gently touched her cheeks and said, "Railways station ku poren maa. Mindha nethakki anna oda telegram vandhudhu. Manni kozhandhaigala kooteendu ava Appa kooda vara. Anna vum Bombay lerndhu varaan. Avanukku leave illaiyam adhunaana naalikke Amma, manni, kozhandaigal ellarayum kooteendu poraanam. Naan poi station lerndhu avala ellam aathukku kooteendu varen." Seetha quickly stood up, "Achacho Appo naan kulichuttu Amma ku adukolaila othasaiya irukken. Neenga poitu vaango."

Arun held her gently by her shoulders and sat her down, "Adhellam Amma paathuppa. Nee rest edu maa. Ippo thaan unakku seri ayirukku. Adhukkulla izhuthu potundu edhuvum pannadhe. Thinga kezhamai lerndhu Naanum office poiduven. Adhukulla nee nalla rest edutha thaan muzhusa seri aave." She touched both his cheeks fondly and said, "Enakku ippo onnum illai. Aparam naan Chumma amma ku othasaiya thaan irukka poren. Kaigari vetti kudukardhu, thengai thuruvi kudukardhunu edhavudhu. Neenga kavala padaama poi avaala kooteendu vaango." He smiled and nodded.

Seetha quickly got up and finished her morning duties. When Parvathy saw Seetha up and about, she said, "Seetha naan venneer (hot water) vachu tharen. Adhula kuli. Pacha vellathula kulikkadha. Ippo thaan odambu seri ageendu irukku." Seetha nodded in agreement. By the time she returned from the bathroom, Arun had left. She frowned in front of the mirror, "Naan kulichuttu vara varaikkum nikka mudiyadha ivarukku? Chandanam ittukaadhikke poirupaar. Pillaiyar Appa avar scooter la vera poirukaarey nee thaan badrama paathukanum."

She looked much better with the kumkumam on her forhead and sidhoor on her head. She applied the kajal which brightened up her face. She quickly finished her prayer and applied chandanam on her forehead before heading to the kitchen. "Amma enna pannanum chollungo?" Parvathy handed her the kaapi tumbler saying, "Nee modhalla kaapi kudi aparam chudha chuda rendu idli eduthukko. Thenga chutney arachirukken. Thottundu chaapidi. Adhukku aparam unnoda marundhu eduthukko. Innam rendu naal oda dose irukku." Seetha nodded. She finally had her appetite back and the smell of the steaming idlis were indeed inviting. She noticed that Parvathy was grinding for medhu vadai as well.

Seetha took a sip of the strong coffee and then, was about to eat the idli but stopped herself, "Amma, avar idli eduthundaara?" Parvathy turned around and smiled, "Avan saapdaama nee saapda maatiye. Avan rendu eduthundaan aparam vandhu innum eduthukaren nu sonaan. Avan thaan vadai panna cholli kettan adhukku thaan arachundu irukken. Periyavanukku vadai romba pidikkum." Seetha smiled and munched on the soft idlis. She knew that she had to take her medicine. She also realized that she needed to grow up. It was nice of her husband to powder the medicine and mix it in honey for the past two days but this could not go on forever.

She took the remaining coffee to her room. Opened up the medicine box and unwrapped the pills. She gave it a disgusted look but she poured some coffee into her mouth and popped the pills in as well. She then gulped the liquid down swallowing the medicine. Before she could sense the lingering after taste of the medicine, she quickly gulped down some more of the coffee. Phewww... that's wasn't too bad. She returned to the kitchen to wash her tumbler and empty plate. Parvathy asked for some help with cutting vegetables etc and the two ladies soon became busy.

A couple of hours later, they heard the squeak of the front gate being open and the chatter of people entering. Parvathy rushed out while Seetha took over the stove to start making coffee for everyone. After making fresh loads of idlis and the medhu vadai she joined them all as well. Kichu and Anjana recognized their chithi and ran to her. Seetha sat down and held both kids on either side of her lap. While the elders were talking about Bombay, Seetha was playing Peek-a-boo with the kids. She pretended to close her eyes with both hands and said "Achome" and opened it to say "Kandome" and the children giggled in unison.

She then interrupted their conversation saying, "Tiffin ready ya irukku. Chooda eduthukongo. Neenga ellam ingeye irungo. Naane ellathayum inge eduthundu varen. Inge fan keezha ukkandhu saapadlaam." She gently placed Anjana and Kichu down. Anjana promptly went up to her father while Kichu did not want to let go off Seetha. His mother had gone to have a shower so he clung on to Seetha, to which she said, "Seri neeyum enkooda vaa da." When she went to the kitchen Arun promptly followed her saying, "Naan eduthundu poren maa. Nee marundhu eduthundiya? Thaen bottle enge irukku nu therunjudha?"

She turned around to look at him and said, "Innime thaen la kozhachu ellam vendaam. Naane maathraiya muzhunga paduchundooten." She chuckled saying, "Naan periya ponnu aayachu illiya? Adhunaala thaan." Arun smiled at her mischievously saying, "Oh appidiya?" She nodded, "Kalyanam aanadhukku aparam sila vishayam ellam pazhagikkanum illiya?" He moved closed to her, looked into her eyes romantically and in his base voice, said, "Vaasthavam thaan. Naraya vishayam pazhageekanum." Seetha's eyes went wide and her cheeks turned pink when she realized what her husband was hinting at and she handed the idli vessel to him saying, "Achacho... Neenga irukkele.... Ippo idha eduthundu pongo. Vandavaala modhalla gavaneengo."

He turned around mumbling, "Aamam aparam naalerndhu naan Unna gavanikkaren" only to hear a gasp and a muffled "achacho" from his wife.

Brinda Subramanian