Seetha Kalyanam Vaibohame

Love letter

Seetha could barely sleep all night. Her mother's words came as a shock to her but it was not just that. She was wondering how her husband had not taken the conversation further. She was wondering how long it would have taken him to discuss the topic with her, if she had not come back home. She understood that this had to happen eventually but she needed to prepare herself mentally. It had already been a week since she had returned home and in 3 more weeks she will return to Madras.

She sighed and got up to go about with the day to day chores. When she returned after a long shower, her father stood in the hall, smiling, with an envelope in his hand, "Indha maa Seetha. Idhu unakku thaan." (Here you go. This is for you) Seetha looked at him and then the envelope asking, "Ennadhu appa idhu?" (What is this) He smiled, "Ezhuthu. Mapillai kittendhu vandhurukku. Cover la unnoda peru potirukku kozhandhey." (Letter from your husband. It has your name on the envelope) Seetha's face instantly lit up. She grabbed the envelope and ran upstairs.

She wanted to rip open the envelope and read the letter but she took a moment to look at the was it was addressed. In his beautiful print it read: To, Mrs. Seethalakshmi Arunkrishnan. She chuckled and read it aloud, "Mrs. Seethalakshmi Arunkrishnan" and repeated it a couple of times and nodded saying, "kekkave azhaga irukku". (It sounds so beautiful) Then she gently opened up the envelope and pulled out the neatly folded sheets of paper. She took a deep breath but quickly got up to shut the heavy wooden door. This was her first letter from her husband and she wanted the privacy to read it in peace.

She then sat comfortably on the floor with her back resting against the wall. She bent her knee and opened up the folded pages. It began with, "To my dearest Seethu, Ennada Ivan English la arambikkaraane nu yosikkariya? Pinna, enkitta English la I love you nu sonna ennoda aathukaari kitta appidi thaane arambikkanum. Seri sollu nee eppidi maa irukke? Unna paathadhilla aathula ellarum romba sandhoshama iruppa. Ellarum Unna romba nanna paathuppa nu enakku nanna theriyum. Neeyum sandhoshama iru maa. Nanna saapdu, thoongu, un friend kooda jolly ya iru aparam unga ooru pillaiyar oda Pudhu deal podu. Avaroda telegram kedachudhu. Nethakki thaan pillaiyar kovil ku poitu vandhen." (Are you wondering why I am starting in English? To my wife who said I love you, I have to start that way don't I. How are you? Everyone at your home will be happy to have u there. They must be taking good care of you. You be happy. Eat well, sleep well, spend time with your friend and make new deals with Pillaiyar. I received his telegram. I visited the local pillaiyar yesterday.)

Seetha was surprised and thrilled at the same time, "oh Appo pillaiyar ennoda pecha kettu telegram anupitaara" (so my pillaiyar did listen to me and send a telegram) then she pouted, "Achacho aana naan vera ennennavo petition potirukkene. Hmmm... adhukkum nee thaan pillaiyarappa dheiriyam kudukanum. Seri seri, Seetha letter padi di." (But I have sent another petition though. Oh Lord please give the courage for all that. Ok let me read this first) Then she took her distracted mind back to the letter and continued to read.

"Maa nee enna pathi yosikkadhe. Naan inge Unna romba romba miss pannaren aana kaarthale seekirama office kukelambidaren. Saroja mami avaatha madiriye nammatha vasalayum perikki kolam podara. Naan kettappo sonna pombala irukara aathu vasapadi kolam illama irukka pdadhu nu. Appidiye naan aatha pootitu mami kita saavi ya kuduthuttu poven. Dhanam varache mami thaan kadhava thorandhu kudupa. Aparam dhenam rathrikku enakku tiffin kondu thara. Naanum vendaam nu evalavo solli paathutten aana mami orey oru vaarthai solli ennoda vaaya adachutta. Ennoda pullaiku naan panna maatena nu kettuta adhunaala ennala marukka mudiyalai." (Don't worry about me. I miss you a lot here but I leave early for work. Saroja mami puts kolam outside our house. She says that a house with a woman has to have kolam outside. She gives me dinner everyday. I refused but she insisted saying she would do this for her son as well. So I could not say no)

Seetha mumbled a thanks to Saroja mami for taking good care of her husband and continued, "Aana nee illama naalgal romba medhuva pordhu. Naan dhenamum karthala adukolai la irukkara Murugan calendar la thedhi ya kizhichuttu innum ethana naal irukku nu paarpen Unna thirumba kooteendu vara. Unnoda golusu satham, unnoda sirippu, unnoda mutta kannu, unnoda mutham ellathukaagavum kaathundu irukken maa. Idha unkitta nerla sollanum aana ippodhaikku ezhuthula sollaren I love you. Idhu ennoda mudhal love letter ennoda Seethu ku. Unnoda Makku aambadayan Arun." (My days are going very slowly without you. I tear the calendar page every morning checking how many more days for our reunion. I am eagerly waiting for the sound of your anklets, your smile, your does eyes, your kiss. I want to tell you something in person but for now via letter. I log you. This is my first love letter to my Seethu from your stupid husband)

Seethu felt her heart flutter. She blushed when she heard the I love you in his voice. She then noticed one more line on the bottom of the letter which read, "P.S. Unakku kudutha vaaku padi naan kanathadi pakkame pogalai. Yen theriyuma? Nammatha adakolailerndhu naan kenathulerndhu mondu kulikkardha kannu kottama paathu rasikara ennoda aathukari inge illiye." (I have not gone near the well. You know why? Because my wife isn't looking and admiring me from the kitchen window) Seetha immediately blushed, "Achacho" and she covered her face with the letter. She read and reread the letter. Then she looked at the letter saying, "ungalukkum I love you" (I love you to you too) and she giggled.

Seetha carefully folded the letter and kept it under the pillow. She smiled and sighed. She untied the towel from her wet hair and dried it. She opened the door and ran down the stairs. Paati noticed that her granddaughter was happily humming, "chittu kuruvi mutham kuduthu serndhida kandene"( old Tamil song) Paati smiled at her and asked her teasingly, "Ennachu? Romba sandoshama irukkiyo?" (You seem very happy) Seetha ran up to paati, hugged her and kissed her cheek saying, "Aamam paati avar kittendhu letter vandhirukku adhuvum love letter. Love letter na enna nu theriyumo unakku?" (Yes I received a love letter from my husband. Do you know what love letter means) Paati smiled. Seetha continued, "Love letter naa kaadhal kaditham". Paati gasped and Seetha twirled her way to the aatukattil (large swing). "Paati indha Aadi maasam ellam Edhukku paati ippidi paduthardhu. Naanga yen pirinju irukkanum?" (Why are couple separated during this aadi month) Paati smiled and fed Seetha a hand full of the nei payasam after neivedhyam saying, "Indha prasadam eppidi irukku nu sollu. Adhaavudhu indha aadi maasathula modhal kozhandhai undaachuna kathiri veyyil la prasavam aagum. Ammavum kozhandhaiyum romba kashta paduva. Modhal prasavam elaarukkume konjam kashtam thaan kozhandhai. Adhukku thaan ippidi pirichu vekkardhu." (If one conceives during aadi then delivery will be during peak of summer making it difficult for both the mother and the baby especially with the first baby. That's why they separate the couple) Seetha nodded and blurted, "Aana naan angeye irundhirundhaalum onnum nadandhirukaadhu yenna nethakki amma solli thaan enakku idhellame theriya vandhudhu" (but in my case I wouldn't have conceived anyway because I didn't even know how to until yesterday) only to get a glare from Paati.

Brinda Subramanian