Quarantined together

Relative calm

She gets up to go to her room. He is looking around for something.

K- Pai ilana bedsheet kudu na inga padukaren.

M- Nee vena mama roomla padu ilana paati room kuda iruku. Na en roomla padukaren.

K- Ila ila na ingaye halla padukaren nee pai enga irukum nu sollu.

M- En roomla bedsheet iruku va tharen.

He hesitates a little before entering her room. It dint seem so odd before but now at night somehow entering a girls room feels a somewhat intimate. He feels awkward as they are not exactly close to each other. They just got struck together in an extra ordinary situation. He had never been alone with a young women in the house before let alone at night. As soon as that thought crosses his mind he chides himself.

K mindvoice- Iva kashtathula irukarathunala nama help pana vanthurkum. Mathapadi vera ethum thevaiilama yosikatha..

He stands in the doorway. Mulla senses that he feels uncomfortable.

She knows he is thinking about spending the night with someone he barely knows. However she doesnt feel so out of place with him. Yes she had not spoken to him properly in about 8 years but she always saw him around and they had their shared a ton of childhood memories. She doesnt know why but she just feels safe around him,  there is a sense of comfort with him. Also the fact that it is just for tonight and tomorrow her nightmare will be over all thanks to him makes her grateful for his presence.

In fact she was surprised he had been so gentle. She expected him to be a lot more rude to her. He always was before on the rare occasions they ran into each other these years after the family fight. He seems a lot gentler and almost caring now.

Now his silence and awkwardness was making her uncomfortable. She  feels obligated to make the situation easier for him so that it could be less stressful.

M- En angaye nikara ulla va.. Ithu en room tha.

She takes a pillow and bedsheet from her bed

M- Antha veetla Nanum paatiyum Oru roomla tha iruthom. Ana inga Enaku nu room kuduthutanga.

K- Hmm.. Thaniya va padupa.? Unku chinna vayasula bayam jasthi ila?? Ipa epidi.

M- Ipa avlo mosam ila. Ana night avanga kutty ponnu varshita en kuda paduthukum.  Harishitha periya ponnu avanga roomla paduthukum.

She shows him the pictures in the wall. He looks at them with interest. Two cute little girls standing next to mullai hugging her in the large framed photo. He smiles

K- Kutties ku vayasu ena.?

M- Perusu 11, kutty ku 7. Rendume sema vaaalu. Athuvum kutty iruke. Veedaye renda aakiduva.

K- Unaku nalla poyuthu pohum ila inga.. Veetla koyathanga ituthale jolly than. Epavume pechum sirupum, valayatuma oru mathri nala irukum. Avangala vitutu ooruku varave manasu varathu ila?

M- Ama na veetuku varabothu nala miss panuven. Ipa kuda. Athuvum chinna kutty en kuda nala otikitchu.
Ama unaku koyathanga na avlo pudikuma??

K- Koyathanga na pudikama yaravathu irukuma. En akka ponnu papa nu unakum therijurkum avangala.. ava epa varuva leaveku nu wait panuven. Sema vaandu. Ava vanthale pothum veeda gala gala nu aidum...

This is a surprise to her. She never knew this side of him, he had always seemed so tough and sullen. Only spoken to when necessary. She observed he became a lot more friendly and animated when he spoke about kids. This seemed like a completely different guy the one that adored small kids and loved playing with them.

K- Ey ena ninukite thugitya.

She is startled she realises she had been staring at him lost in her own thoughts.

M- Ila.. tired ah iruku.. Intha pudi..

K- Vali iruka??

M- Ila ila.

He takes the bedsheet from her and is about to leave the room.

K- En kita charger ila vara avasarathula marathudu vanthuten. Unodathu kudu.

Mulla gives him hers and he leaves the room shutting the door behind him. He goes out and lies down. He tosses and turns in bed. He is unable to fall asleep. Maybe it is the new place to maybe it is the fact that her presence in this house makes him uncomfortable.

Mulla in her room is lying awake for long. She had not slept a wink last night and she needs to rest but sleep evades her. Her body aches with exhaustion. She is also feeling a little chilly. She had lied to him when she said she was fine. She was in pain but at least tomorrow it will all be better when she returns home to her parents. Hoping that thought would comfort her he turns and shuts her eyes trying to fall asleep.