Seetha Kalyanam Vaibohame

Mutham

Seetha was so lost in thought that she was oblivious to the fact that her hold had moved from his shoulder to his waist. Once they reached home, he tilted the scooter and she got off and walked right in. Arun was confused but he wanted to make sure his wife was alright. Did the conversations about the baby trigger something? Was she afraid of him now? He needed to clarify. He needed to let her know that nothing will happen without her consent, even if that takes days, months or even years.

After parking the scooter, Arun walked in. Since it was quite late already he decided to lock the gate and the front door but he suddenly remembered that he had not checked that mail box. He opened the mail box to find a big fat envelope there addressed to Seetha. He smiled. He knew this would definitely cheer her up. As he walked in towards the bedroom, he noticed that she was changing but was comfortable enough to leave the door open although she was almost done. She then stepped out of the room asking, "9 mani aayachu. Sayangaalam kaapi kooda bajji chaaptadhu naala enakku pasiye illai. Naan paal um oru vaazhapazhmum chaapadaporen. Ungalukku upma kindattuma?"

Arun looked up at her and said, "Illai enakkum vayaru full aa irukku. Naanum paalum pazhamum eduthukkaren. Hmm... indha unakku letter vandhirukku." Seetha instantly smiled and tried to grab it from him but he pulled it away and she looked up at him and pouted, "thaango." He nodded and he said, "Tharen but modhalla enkitta oru vishayam sollu?" She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Ennadhu?" He held her hand and gently pulled close to him. "Inge vaa oru nimisham. Inge ukkaru" and he sat her down next to him and looked into her eyes, "Nee station lerndhu edhuvume pesaama vandhe. Ennamo yosikkarey nu thonardhu. Edhuva irundhaalum enkitta solluve illiya? Enna nambariya? Unna kashta paduthara madiri naan ennekiyum edhuvum panna maaten nu nambariya?"

She chuckled. Then she quickly cupped his face and said, "Acho Neenga thaan edho moolaiya pottu romba kozhapeendu irukkel nu nenaikkaren. Appidi ellam onnume illai. Ungala nambi naan ennoda ooru, kudumbam ellathayum vittuttu vandhirukkene. Adhu porandha. Enakku udambu mudiyadhappo neengal enna oru kozhandha madiri paathundele adhukku apparam eppidi ungala nambaama iruppen. Naan amma va pathi yosichinde vandhen. Pudhiya ooru, bashai theriyadha ooru vera. Anna chonnadhu paatha veedu vera ange romba chinnadha irukkum nu thonardhu. Adhellam pathi thaan yosichunde vandhen. Seri Neenga poi maathikkongo adhu kulla naan paal kaachi kondu varen" and she got up only for him to pull her back down.

This time he pulled her closer to him and asked, "Appo unnoda kai en thol lerndhu iduppukku ponadhu therinju thaan panniniya?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, "Achacho appidiya? Adhu eppidi? Naan thol la thaane kai vachen." He bit his lower lip and said imitating her, "Adhu eppidi ya? Ippidi" and he gently squeezed her waist only to get a gasp from her. He pulled her closer and whispered in her ears, "Ippo yaarum paaka maata. Inge namma rendu perum mattum thaan irukkom." He noticed the hair near her neck stand up due to his close proximity but he body language also indicated that she wasn't afraid but she mumbled back, "Enna vidungo naan poi paal kaacheendu varen."

He chuckled and let go off her and she ran in to the kitchen. Arun walked up to the bedroom to change. He then sat on the bed and opened up the other letters that he had received. As he was going through them, she walked back with two tumblers of milk in a plate and two bananas. She sat on floor, stretching her legs and stretching her legs. She opened up the letter addressed to her. She smiled broadly in excitement and said, "Jayanthi kittendhu vandhirukku." Arun looked up but Seetha was excited to read the letter. He couldn't take his eyes off her as her expressions, while reading the letter, was changing animatedly. It was the cutest this to watch. He picked up the tumbler and started sipping on the hot milk.

Half way through reading the letter, Seetha suddenly looked up at Arun and asked, "Aama unga kita onnu kekjanum nu nenachen. Naanum Jayanthi yum idha pathi yosichirukkom. Mutham kudutha kozhandha porakkuma?" Arun choked on the milk he was drinking and started to cough. Seeth quickly got up and ran towards him. She patted his head and saying,  "paathu paathu medhuva kudeengo" but he was too shocked to notice anything else. He looked up at her and asked, "Nee ippo enna kette?" She giggled, "Illai enakku theriyum mutham kudutha kozhandhai porakkadhu nu aana munnadi ellam appidi thaan naanga nenachom. Ippo kooda ava ketta indha madiri neengal enakku mutham kuduthela nu."

Arun was still in panic mode and he asked, "Aana unakku theriyum illiyo... adhaavudhu... enna pannina kozhandhai porakkum nu?" Seetha proudly smiled and nodded. As she walked back to sit on the floor and continue reading, she said, "Ooo enakku ellame theriyume. Naan onnum avvalo veguli illai. Chumma enge venumnaalum mutham kudutha ellam kozhandhai varaadhu nu theriyum." Arun still wasn't too sure that Seetha knew it all so he asked again, "Appidiya? Appo sollu paapom?"

She looked up at him and proudly answered, "Acho ungalukku idhu kooda theriyadha. Neenga seriyana makku." Then she pointed to her lips and said, "Idho inge. Udhattula mutham kudutha thaan kozhandha porakkum." Arun gasped. He smacked his forehead and then looked up mumbling, "Anjaneya Unna thaan dhenamum suthinadhukku ippidiya pannuve? Kalyanam aagiyum naan brahmachariya thaan irukkanum pola irukke. Ennoda Pondaati ku enakki puriya vachu enakki ellam...." Now it was his turn to sigh and say, "Achacho."

Brinda Subramanian