kaaval kaaran

Chapter 2

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The next morning in the Rajamanickam household began, as usual, with a cacophony of noises—roosters crowing, vessels clattering, and, of course, the unmistakable voice of **Patti** (grandmother) bellowing orders across the house.

"Ramaniiii, ippo keera eduthutu variya? Kudumbathuku nee oru vaati saapadu senja... endha maavu-la podra nu theriyala! (Ramani, are you going to bring spinach now? If you cook rice for the family, we don’t know which floor you’re throwing it on!)" Patti yelled from the kitchen, referring to Dharani’s mother.

"Ammmaaaa! Ellaam un kannukku theriyura madhiri pesadha! Na romba nalla ah thaan senjirukken! (Mom! Stop talking like you have x-ray vision! I cooked it very neatly!)" Ramani defended herself, though everyone knew she could burn even boiled water.

Bhava was sitting quietly in the corner, sipping her coffee and scrolling through her phone, while Dharani was busy trying to steal an extra dosa from the kitchen.

"Dharani, put that down! Are you not ashamed of stealing dosa?" her mother snapped, catching her in the act.

"Aiyyo amma, oru dosa dhan! Athuvum breakfast-la dhan, dinner-la illaye! (Mom, it’s just one dosa! And it's for breakfast, not dinner!)" Dharani said cheekily, popping the dosa into her mouth before anyone could stop her.

"You are the daughter of a police inspector’s sister, but you do this work!" Ramani muttered, shaking her head.

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As Dharani stuffed her mouth with dosa, the familiar sound of Siva’s Bullet bike echoed in the distance. He had arrived for his usual morning rounds at the house. But this time, there was someone with him—his partner-in-crime and best friend, **Vetri**.

"Aiyyo Vetri anna kooda vandhuttar! Innikki full ah jolly dhan! (Oh, Vetri has come too! Today will be full trouble!)" Dharani muttered with a grin, wiping her hands as she prepared for her daily dose of banter.

Siva and Vetri entered the house like they owned the place, taking off their sunglasses in perfect sync.

"Siva mama! Neenga romba busy ah irundhinga pola? Romba naala aale kaanome? (Siva mama! You’ve been so busy, haven’t seen you in a while!)" Dharani said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Siva looked at her, unimpressed. "Yaar pa nee, romba pesura? Ippo unakku veetula vera velai illeya? (Who are you to talk so much? Don’t you have anything better to do at home?)"

"Apo na unga kitta irundhu dhana kathukanum, mama? (Shouldn’t I learn from you, mama?)" Dharani retorted, grinning. She was always ready with a comeback when it came to Siva.

"Vetri, I think this girl has too much shame!" Siva said, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Vetri, always the joker, jumped in, "Oh no, Siva! If you get angry at her, what about us? She gets her courage from us!"

The banter continued, as Siva pretended to be annoyed while secretly enjoying Dharani’s playful teasing. Meanwhile, Bhava sat at the breakfast table, watching the exchange with her usual quiet smile.

But before Bhava could sneak off to work and avoid further drama, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Ram, her secret love. Bhava’s face lit up as she read the message:

"Good morning, Bhava! Can we have lunch together today? Missing you."

Bhava’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly typed a reply: "Sure! See you at 1 PM."

But Dharani, ever the troublemaker, was already watching Bhava like a hawk. She slid next to her sister, peeking over her shoulder. "Aiyyo akka, enna secret messages ah? (Oh my God, sister! Secret messages, huh?)" Dharani teased.

Bhava quickly locked her phone, shooting her sister a warning look. "Mind your own business, Dharani!"

"Aiyyo, Siva mama-ku solliduvoma? Nee vera yaar kittayo messages anupre-nnu theriyama irukkiran! (Shall I tell  Siva? He doesn’t know who you’re sending messages to!)" Dharani threatened, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Dharani, veliya po! (Dharani, go away!)" Bhava hissed, her cheeks turning red.

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Meanwhile, **Periappa** (Siva’s father’s elder brother) entered the house, his booming voice filling the room. He was the kind of man who spoke, and everyone listened.

"Enna da, veetla ellarum romba sandhosham-a irukkinga pola! (What’s going on? The house seems very lively!)" Periappa announced, looking at everyone gathered.

"Vaanga, Periappa! Ungala paathe romba naal aagudhu! (Oh, Uncle! It’s been a long time since we’ve seen you!)" Vetri greeted him respectfully, while Siva and Dharani exchanged knowing looks. Whenever Periappa arrived, things got serious.

"Siva, enna da idhu! Bhava kalyanathukku velai ellam nadandhutu irruka illaya? (Siva, what’s going on? Is everything ready for Bhava’s wedding?)" Periappa asked, his voice filled with authority.

Siva shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Bhava, who was now nervously fidgeting with her phone.

"Ada, Periya mama, Bhava akka kalyanathuku time innum irukku la! Neenga ippave yosika arambichitingala? (Oh, Uncle, there’s still time for Bhava akka’s wedding! Why are you thinking about it now?)" Dharani interrupted, trying to change the subject.

"Adhum sari thaan! Aana naama ippo la irundhu dhan velaiya paarthu mudikkanum! Nee ellam summa iru! (That’s true! But I have to get things done now! You keep quiet!)**" Periappa snapped, though Dharani was hardly fazed.

"Seri seri, ungalukku dhan ella velayum! Naan en mamave vambilaka poren! (Okay, okay, you’re the one with all the plans! I’m going to tease my mama!)" Dharani replied cheekily, winking at Siva.

Siva, who had been trying to stay out of the conversation, suddenly found himself the center of attention. "Dharani, you’re going to get me in trouble!" he muttered, trying not to laugh.

"Nee ippadi siricha thaan nalla iruppa, mama! (You look better when you smile, mama!)" Dharani quipped, grinning ear to ear.

Vetri, enjoying the spectacle, couldn’t help but add fuel to the fire. "Siva, no matter how strict you are, love always wins!" Vetri teased, earning a playful smack on the shoulder from Siva.

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As the day progressed, the house was full of energy. Patti was busy scolding everyone, Periappa was making plans for Bhava’s wedding, and Vetri and Dharani were ganging up on Siva with endless teasing.

But amidst all the laughter and chaos, Bhava remained silent, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Ram and the secret lunch meeting they had planned.

Dharani, on the other hand, was oblivious to Bhava’s worries and continued her playful banter with Siva. Every chance she got, she teased him, calling him "mama" and laughing at his reactions.

"Enna, mama! Namma police-ku oru marriage proposal irukka-nnu kelvi patten ! Yaaru andha ponnu? (So, mama! I heard there’s a marriage proposal for our police officer! Who’s the girl?)" Dharani teased, winking at Siva.

Siva gave her a mocking smile and said "Don’t gossip about that, Dharani! Stay quiet!"

But Dharani was relentless. "Mama-ku ponnu venuma venama? Oru nalla engineering ponnu irukkanga theriyuma? (Does uncle need a girl or not? Do you know there’s a good engineering girl around?)" she said, hinting at herself with a grin.

Siva’s face turned red, though he quickly covered it up with a stern look. "Unkooda eppovum vambu thaan! (You are trouble!)"

Vetri, as usual, couldn’t resist jumping in. "Siva, you’re always hitting her, but it’s love!" he said, making everyone burst into laughter.

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By the end of the day, the Rajamanickam household was as lively as ever. Laughter filled the air, but beneath the humor, secrets were being kept—Bhava’s secret love for Ram and Siva’s growing affection for Dharani.

Little did they know, the drama was only just beginning, and soon, the family would have much more to deal with than just wedding plans and playful teasing.

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