Bairavanin Kadhali (Completed)

40. Tone

Author's POV

"I missed you too"

Bairavan replied Umaiyazh lifted her head to look at him

"Nejama?"

(Really??)

She narrowed her eyes...Bairavan chuckled, nodding his head. Without waiting for a response, he lifted her up and strode towards the house. Umaiyazh's eyes widened in surprise, a smile spreading across her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her feet slightly.

"It seems my wife has been waiting for me for a long time."

"Guess what your guess is true"

Umaiyazh replied he raised his eyes in appreciation and kicked the door to open that's when it hit her

"NOOOOOOOOO Put me down.....put me down..."

Umaiayazh screamed out of nowhere

"Yeii en dii kathura"

(Yeii..why are you screaming now?)

"Put me down first????"

Umaiyazh patted his shoulder; he rolled his eyes, set her down, and gave her a narrow-eyed glare.

"what now?"

Umaiyazh took a deep breath and pushed him back. He managed to regain his balance, preventing a fall down the three steps behind him. Before he could scold her for her odd behavior, she spoke.

"Please remove your shoes and socks. Place your shoes in the shoe rack here, and your socks in that bucket. Then, wash your feet using the tap water. I had a plumber install this tap, and rest assured, the water will not be wasted; it will be used to water the plants. "

Umaiyazh said and Bairavan looked at her cluelessly

"Why are you staring at my face? Just do it. And make it a practice—I don't like you walking into the house with your shoes on. Take them off inside; they're too smelly, and I don't appreciate it. From now on, that's the arrangement," Umaiyazh instructed him with a tight-lipped smile.

Bairavan looked at her with disbelief

"Do it then come inside"

Umaiyazh spoke and proceeded into the house. Bairavan, about to follow, paused to remove his shoes, placing them on the rack. He then took off his socks, dropped them into a bucket, and washed his feet under the tap before entering. Inside, he noticed changes everywhere—from the doormat to the sofa, the curtains, and even the fridge. New furniture and decorations filled the space, a sight that irked him.

"I'm reheating the food. Freshen up and come back; we'll eat together."

Her voice came from the kitchen, and with a deep sigh, he entered the room. As expected, the room had changed, including the bed. The old one was small, but this was a king-sized one that almost occupied half of the room. The cupboards were new too. He opened one and found his clothes neatly arranged on one side, along with brand-new clothes even the towels were new. He didn't open the other cupboard, knowing it would be hers. Taking a towel, a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and boxers, he moved to the bathroom. There, he found more new items. With another sigh, he turned on the shower and stood under it, overwhelmed by crushing thoughts.

After freshening up, he emerged in complete silence, not wanting to speak for fear of stirring new problems. He took a seat at the dining table where she had arranged everything. She sat beside him, serving both him and herself. He took a deep breath and silently ate his meal.

Umaiyazh gazed at him with anticipation, hoping for his small appreciation as she cooked, putting in effort like never before to avoid any mistakes. She couldn't recall the last time she was this conscious while cooking. Although she knew the basics, she had never strived to improve the flavors, often opting for simple recipes that required less effort, avoiding the more labor-intensive ones. But today, she made an exception and cooked especially for him.

In an attempt to apologize and mark a new beginning, he remained silent, eating his meal before standing up with his plate and leaving to wash it, leaving her at the table, disappointed.

Umaiyazh's mind wandered, pondering if he was still upset about the reception events and hadn't forgiven her yet, which could explain his behavior. However, he had returned with a smile, embraced her, and even expressed that he missed her with a kiss on her forehead. What could have changed so abruptly? Was he angry because she asked him to leave his shoes outside? She wondered if it was a significant issue for him. Unable to bear the uncertainty, she hadn't touched her food; she simply covered her plate, washed her hands in the bowl, stood up straight, Right then, as Bairavan exited the kitchen, she stood in front of him, blocking his way. He sighed and looked at her.

"Are you still upset with me Bairavaa?"

She asked he looked at her pointedly and after a long pause he shook his head negatively

"Oh you aren't upset with me and you don't even want to say that loud and expect me to believe that wow"

"Umai!!! "

"Yes say it"

"Umai please let's leave it I am tired and we will talk later"

He said and was about to walk past her...she gritted her teeth and held his arms and stopped him

"That means you are still upset"

In a sad tone, she asked. Bairavan creased his forehead, took a deep breath, and held her shoulders and spoke in calm voice

"Umaiyazh, I have forgiven the events of that day. Let's leave it at that. I am tired now and just want to rest, so please, let's not push this further"

Umaiyazh furrowed her brow, unconvinced by his answer, which only served to multiply her questions. She removed his hands from her shoulder, walked away, and sat on the sofa. Bairavan's gaze lingered on her retreating figure before noticing the covered plate. Upon lifting the lid, he discovered the food untouched. He turned to look at Umaiyazh, who reclined on the sofa with her eyes closed, and then back at the uneaten meal. Knowing her as a food lover who never skips a meal for anything, he realized that her current state of neglect was due to the distress he had caused, which filled him with slight sorrow.

He picked up the plate, moved towards her, set the plate down on the table, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"You mentioned that you are tired and also do not want to talk with me. What happened?"

Umaiyazh questioned him

"I didn't said I don't want to talk with you Umai"

"Then what does that mean... Never mind, I can see you're tired. Go and rest; don't worry about me. "

Umaiyazh said and closed her eyes again

"Umai...Please don't show your anger on food.....please eat "

he said with concern...

"I am not hungry now and I am not angry"

Umaiyazh replied without opening her eyes.....Bairavan sighed

"Umaiyazh...Don't make me ask you, again and again, you are not a child and you can't expect princess treatment everywhere "

This time, his words were stern. Umaiyazh opened her eyes and smirked at him.

"If you ask my family, they'd say I'm still a child... but just because you can't treat me that way doesn't mean things will change. I'm certainly not expecting any princess treatment here....So please leave it here and don't talk with me in that tone"

Umaiyazh spoke, stood up, and was about to walk past him when he reached his limit. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, the force of which caused her to fall onto the sofa.