kaaval kaaran

Chapter 1

The sun was setting over **Karaikudi**, a small town known for its ancient temples, vast ancestral homes, and the unmistakable sound of honking autorickshaws mixed with the murmur of local gossip. Among the many things that stood out in Karaikudi, one name was spoken with both respect and fear—**Inspector Siva**.

Siva, tall and broad-shouldered, walked through the streets with a stern expression, his khaki uniform impeccably ironed, and his police cap tilted just right. He was the kind of officer you didn’t want to mess with, known for his no-nonsense attitude and sharp discipline. But underneath that tough exterior, he had a softer side that only a few people ever saw, especially his best friend **Vetri**, a fellow sub-inspector, and of course, his mischievous cousin, **Dharani**.

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In the spacious household, chaos was brewing. Dharani, dressed in her casual kurti and jeans, was running around the house, hiding behind the curtains, while her sister Bhava sat calmly on the couch, scrolling through her phone, seemingly unaffected by her younger sister’s antics.

"Akkaaa! Enga irukka nee! I need help! (Sister! Where are you? I need help!)" Dharani yelled, her voice echoing through the large hall.

Bhava rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look up from her phone. "Dharani, nee romba overacting pandra. Konjam yenna thaniya vidu. (Dharani, you’re overacting. Leave me alone.)"

But Dharani wasn’t one to give up so easily. She sneaked up behind Bhava and snatched the phone out of her hand.

"Aiyyo! Enna di pandra? phone ah kudu. (Aiyyo! What are you going to do?, Give my phone back.)" Bhava shouted, trying to grab her phone back, but Dharani was too quick.

"Summa un message than ka check pandra. What’s so secretive? Yaar adhu Ram ah? (Just checking your messages, sister. What’s so secretive? Is it Ram?)**" Dharani teased, raising an eyebrow.

Bhava froze for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly at the mention of her colleague, Ram. Nobody in the family knew about her secret relationship with him. Even though she was engaged to Siva, it was an engagement neither she nor Siva wanted. It had been arranged when they were children, and over time, it just became an unspoken agreement, never moving forward.

"Aii thiruttu poona. Adha kudu. (You’re too sneaky. Give it back.)" Bhava tried to snatch the phone, but Dharani was already skipping across the room, laughing hysterically.

Before Bhava could chase her down, they heard the familiar sound of Siva’s bike roaring into the driveway. Dharani’s face lit up with excitement. She always looked forward to Siva’s visits, mainly because she loved teasing him.

"Siva mama vandhuttar! ( Siva mama has come!)" Dharani announced gleefully, running toward the front door. She always called him "mama" even though he was only a few years older. It was her way of poking fun at the engagement drama.

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Siva stepped off his bike, adjusting his sunglasses, looking every bit like the dashing police inspector he was. His stern expression softened the moment he saw Dharani come running toward him with her usual burst of energy.

"Hey, Mama! Late-a? Veettukku vara time irukka unakku? (Hey, mama! Late? Do you even have time to come home?)" Dharani teased, standing with her hands on her hips, grinning from ear to ear.

Siva smirked, taking off his sunglasses and placing them in his shirt and said "Enna thimira? Police kitta ipdi than pesuviya?(Are you talking like this to a policeman?)"

"Aiyyo, indha police pechu lam vidu! Nee en mama! Veetukku vara time irukka unakku nu dhana kekkaren! (Oh please, forget the police talk! You’re my mama! I’m just asking if you have time to come home!)" Dharani shot back, crossing her arms.