Contract of the Hearts ❤️

Bound by Fire

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The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting soft rays on an empty bed. Vijay's eyes fluttered open, and his hand instinctively reached out to where Kaveri should be. The cold sheets beneath his fingers sent a jolt of dread through him.

"Kaveri?" he called out, his voice trembling slightly. He quickly sat up, scanning the room. Panic began to seep into his heart as he realized she wasn't there.

He rushed downstairs, calling her name again, louder this time, hoping she’d appear from around the corner with one of her gentle smiles. But the silence in the house was deafening.

"Kaveri!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the empty halls. The fear of her leaving him, like she had once before, gripped him tightly. His mind raced calculating every possibility, he returned to their room. His eyes caught a piece of paper on the table—an all-too-familiar sight that made his heart sink further.

With trembling hands, he unfolded the letter. Tears welled up as he read her words:

"Naan poren, Vijay. Ungalala thaan Vennila-ku intha nilamainu unga manasukulla oru guilt, oru thavippu erukuratha ennala purinjika mudiyuthu-nga. Ennaku theriyum naanum  porennu ungaluku guilt thaa KuduKurennu, but Kaveri yaaru? unga contract wife!  Kaalapokkula unga manasula erunthu ava maranjipoiduvandra nambikaiyoda naan poren. Neenga Enakaaga kudutha ellam safe'aa cupboardla vachi pootiten, Key dresser mela eruku. Naan anga illana yaarum ungala disturb panamaatanga iniyaathu unga vaazhkaiya santhosama ungaluku pudicha maathiri, nimathiya vaazhunga. Ennapathi yaaravathu keta, Vennila vanthathunala sanda potutu poitaanu solidunga .

- Kaveri."

His vision blurred as tears fell uncontrollably. He crumpled the letter, anger and anguish battling within him. He knew where she had gone—Kodaikanal. The place she had retreated to once before, and the only place that made sense to her when she needed solace.

Determined, he hurried to get ready, his only thought being to bring his wife back. But as he stepped outside, he was met with chaos.

Ragini, Pasupati, and Ajay were standing outside, creating a commotion that had gathered the attention of everyone around, including Kaveri’s family. To his shock, Nivin was with them, anger flashing in his eyes as he stared daggers at Vijay.

"Enna Emathiteengala, Vijay!" Nivin’s voice was a roar, echoing through the courtyard. "Neengala vanthu thaan enkita, Naanga pannathu verum Contract Marriage, ithu oru naadaga Kalyanam. 1 year mudinjathum Kaveri'ya thirumba unkitaye Kuduthidurenu Soneenga ! Avalukaaga wait pana Soneenga, Aana ipo vanthu Ava unga wife nu sonna, Enna artham?  Yenna enna vachi vilayaadureengala?"

It shocked everyone around there and Vijay’s grandparents appeared, confusion and anger clouding their expressions. His grandmother looked at him with disappointment, while his grandfather remained silent, aware of the contract but not knowing how to react.

Kaveri’s brother-in-law, Kumaran, charged at Vijay, his eyes filled with fury. "Unna naanga ellam evlo nambunom, Enga veetula oruthana thaana mariyaatha kuduthom. Aana Unnaku evlo thairiyam eruntha enga veetu ponna ipdi agreement potu Kalyanam panni emathitu, enga kitta nallavan mathiri nadichitu erunthurupa ? Unaku konjam kuda vekkama illaaya oru ponnoda vaazhakaiya vachi ipdi contract athu ithunu velaiyaada?"

Vijay didn’t fight back. He let Kumaran’s fists land on him, Each punch felt like a grim reminder of the hurt he had inflicted upon Kaveri. He deserved this, he thought, accepting the punishment as a return for the pain he had caused her.The onslaught grew more intense as Nivin joined in, his anger fueling the attack. His grandparents tried to intervene, but the chaos was too much, their pleas lost amidst the violence.