Author's POV
Bairavan came back to the very same empty quarters allotted to him....This emptiness isn't something new for him...
He unlocked the door, entered the dark house, and flicked on the lights. After placing the food parcel on the table, he went to take a bath. Later, he sat down to eat his meal alone while watching some YouTube clips.
Later, he reclined on the sofa, reflecting on the day's events, particularly the first encounter with her under such circumstances. He realized he still needed to apologize for slapping her....
He took his phone and searched through his gallery and found that video clip her mother sent him last time which he didn't cared to see then but after losing her he saw that clip multiple times.....
"Nee en life la thirumba vara..."
He mumbled looking at the phone screen that showed her dancing happily....His memories went back to the last conversation he had with his mother Kaveri..
Flashback
"Kadaisi vai saptutu nee tablet potuko ma "
Bairavan said feeding his mother....she shook her head....
"Evlo mathara sami sapduvein nanu.....inaiko nalaiko sethupoida poren ethuku ivlo selavu panitu konjam kuda oivu edukama una varuthikura..."
Kaveri said to her son......He signed and looked at her with a sad smile...
"Enakunu irukarathu nee mattum tha maa......intha selavu alaichal lam enaku perusa therila apram nee intha marilam pesatha ethana mura solirukien unaku onum agathu puriyutha......hmmm sapdu"
He said and feed her the last bite and wiped her mouth and went to wash his hand and came back with water and her tablets....
kaveri raised her hands and he placed the tablets and passed the water......After she took the tablet he lowered the bed a little and sat on the chair beside her bed and held her hands in his.....Kaveri smiled and creased his head
"yen samii amma onu kekata..."
"Enna??"
"Unaku kalyanathuku ponu pakata "
"Inaiku entha nurse and doctor ah unaku pudichathu hmmm"
He signed....Kaveri pouted at her son yet started speaking with some new found excitement.....
"Doctor nurse lam ila....ithu vera...Dancer ponu..."
"Ethuuu"
"Ama inaiku inga oru chinna function vachanga....Intha hospital ah arambichavar oda poranthanalam.......inaiku oru ponnu vanthuchu sami.....mahalakshmi mari latchanama iruntha theriyuma...elar kitaiyum avlo anbaa pesuchu.....Bharatham la adichu theriyuma.....antha nurse ponnu video eduthuchu naa unaku vangi anupi vidrein nee pathu solu unaku pudichirukuna pesidalam"
"yaar antha ponunu theriyuma pesi mudikurathulam aparam pakalam.."
Bairavan said shaking his head....
"Athulam visarichein......Intha hospital oda owner Thangachiyam..."
"Athu sari.....amma intha hospital ku india la 11 branch iruku avlo periya vetu pona un paiyanuku epadi kudupanga nu nee nenaikure....."
"Muyarchi pani pakarathula thapilaiye sami....unaku ena korachal padichiruka police uthiyogam athum periya officer la nee"
Kaveri said with pride Bairavan smiled at his mothers innocence
" Thaguthiku meri Aasa pada kudathunu nee thane soluva....naa lam aasa padratha niruthi pala varusam aguthu....Un paiyanuku korai ila ma......ana nee solra ponuku aasa pada mattum tha avanuku thaguthi iruku adaiya ila....athu tha nejam so oru poiya naa nambi oru kotaiya katta matein neyum ithulam vitutu recover agi en kuda vara velaiya paru....unaku elam sari agi vantha aparam nama rendu perum senthu enaku ponnu thedalam apo naa nee solratha kekurein sariya......ipo time achu nee thoongu enaku night rounds iruku naa poitu kalaila vanthudrein hmmm"
Bairavan said and kissed her forehead before leaving for his work......before he leave the room he looked back at his smiling mother one last time..............
The next day when he came back his mother was no more and the video she sent him remained as his source of his peace....
It's not merely because she is the one most present in the video, but rather it's the smile of his mother, captured at the end, and the eagerness in her eyes makes the video clip valuable for him.
A year has passed, and he hasn't attempted to discover her identity, not even searching for her name. To him, she was a significant part of, and a key reason for, his mother's final smile.
He resolves to remain within those boundaries, a reminder to himself at this moment. After placing his phone on the charger, he goes to sleep.
"Nama stranger ah irukarathu tha nama rendu perukum nalathu...."
he said to himself and closed his eyes..................
