Under The Tree

Withering Leaves

She sat under the tree, enjoying the breeze and this moment of her life.

*children laughing and playing*

She heard sounds of laughter and kids running around playing but she could not see any one nearby. She turned around looking for the direction of the sound and realised it was coming from the back of the tree. Stood up and walked behind, circling the big tree and there she saw a big field.

This field looked familiar yet she couldn't recall remembering this part of the town. She sat there enjoying the sight of children playing around. Some running, some flying kites while some sat at the ground at was playing with sand and dirt.

It was enjoyable to see those innocent faces enjoying every minute of their life without caring about the world. There's just so much we could learn about life from children, she thought.

Then, somehow her mind went to reminiscent about their childhood. It was beautiful, remembering those days where she used to play with her cousins.
How they used to take care of her..
How they used to tease her..
And..
How everything changed later..

She wondered..
If at all both their families didn't get into a rift...
If at all he didn't hate the sight of her family...
If at all both herself and Kathir was friendly like they used to be when they were children...
If at all everything was different from the beginning...

Would there be any difference now?
Would she still be married to him?

Maybe?

She would have known the other side of him earlier..
She would have admired him earlier..
She would have fallen in love with this man earlier..

M Mindvoice : Aana.. Appeh koode Amma, inthe Mama vendam, padiche Jeeva Mamave kathiko sollirkum. Naa thaan elarkithayum sande pothu 'Katthuna, Kathir Mama've thaan kattuven' otthe kaalu'leh ninurpen.. (she laughed thinking about the scenario)
Avughe, ennakaga sande pothurpaghela?

M Manasatchi : hmm avughe modeleh pesi papaghe, kekathi unne tookithu poirpaghe.

She laughed out loud imagining how he would have argued with her mother for her hands.

Whatever it may have been, that's still uncertain. The reality now is the truth, as bitter as it have been, its nonetheless sweetest of all.

She remembered it all very clearly..

On that fateful morning, she woke up smiling happily believing she will be married to Jeeva.

Fate had other things planned for her though, on the same day, that night she slept weeping as Kathir's wife.

She thought her life has ended, it did at that moment and it was real. It's still a mystery how she survived without going mad, though she thought she did at some point. The endless night she hoped and prayed she would wake up from this nightmare.

A lone tear threatened to fall but she wiped it before it could.
No.
It has ended.
She won't shed another tear for that day.
It would have been a nightmare if the wedding took place as planned.
Its a blessing in disguise it didn't.
Whatever happened on that day, should be grateful for.

M Mindvoice : Eppadiyo, naa avagha kude ippadithaan seranumnu irenderku. Inthe kudumba sandeileh, naangelah aasai patherndalum, nalla padiya Amma kalyanam pani vachirkathu.

She looked up at the sky and thanked whatever force up there that orchestrated their wedding on that fateful day.

For once she believed the that everything happens for a reason.

Deep inside she knows that even though he was forced to marry her. He made a promise he would never break that day.
She knows he would be there for her for the rest of her life through thick and thin despite their hatred, dislikes or whatever that may be.
She knows she could trust him.
That thought brought tears to her eyes, happy tears to be exact.

She looked up again, this time up at the tree, leaves withering away to nourish the earth, making way for new leaves to grow.

That's how life should be too, she thought. Old memories should be kept at the back of the mind to ensure better memories are created in future.

Like now, she has begun creating new memories with her husband under this tree.