Euphoria..

Kuzhappam....

At Pandian stores:

It is a hot day in Kunnakudi...so hot that if you break an egg on the road, it will turn into an omelette....it is that hot.

Only Moorthy and Kathir are there in the shop..

Moorthy is fanning himself with an old magazine...

M: April masame ippadi irruke, May masathae nenaichalae bayamae irrukku... Phone panni anthae cool drinks order eh athigamakku da..

K: Seri nae...

It has been five days since Mullai has arrived in Kunnakudi and he is yet to catch a glimpse of her. He doesn't want to speak with her, just a quick glance at her will do, that will be like a medicine to his wounded soul.

He has been to the streets near her house multiple times, but doesn't dare to go to that particular street in which her house is. At least, previously, she lived 7 hours away in Trichy, but now that she is so near, it has gotten so much harder for him to stay away.

Maybe, today, he will see her....somehow... He is even ready to face her mother....but what excuse will he give to go to her house. His mind is blank...without a proper reaaon, how will he go there?

In the distance, he sees his anni walking towards the shop, talking with someone over the phone.

She comes inside and keeps the jute bag that she was carrying on the stool..

Mo: Indhae veyilulae ethukku sutthitu irrukae Dhanam?

D: Chummae dhan Maama...veetuliyae irrunthu bore adikkuthu...Kanna ku verae leave ah, athaiyae konjae neram avanae pathukkae sollutitu vandhen..

She takes a bottled of chilled buttermilk from the bag and gives it to Kathir..

K: Venam Anni...

D: Kudi da...indhe mari nallethellam kudikae matiyah?

Moorthy stares at him...

He opens the bottle and takes a sip..

She looks at him, and he knows that look...

D: Dei ohn thadiyae konjam trim pannu da, thala mudikku ennae vei..

K MV: Pochu da...thodangitangalah inspection eh...
Ethachom solli pechae mathu..

K: Aama anni yaaru phonelae?

D: Ungae Dubai akka dhan...

K: Paapa nallae irrukae leh?

D: Verum avalae mattum dhan kepiyae da..

K: Ellarum eppadi irrukangae?

D: Ellarum nallae irrukangae..

She turns to her husband...

D: Maama...eppo Jeevavukku kalyanam nu kettangae...engae ponalum adhae dhan kekkurange..

Mo: Adhu...avangalukku munadiyae therinjae easy ah ticket edukae mudiyum leh...athuku dhan...

It takes all the strength in his body for Kathir to not react.

Each and every sinew, muscle and bone in his body is locked and frozen in place, when all he wants to do is flee from there..

His hands are clenched by his side, nails digging into his palms.

Mo: Mothalae Jeevavukku Mullai yeh pudichirukkae nu kelu Dhanam..

D: Athellam pudichirukku Maama, anniku andhae room eh clean pannum pothu..oru dairy lenthu paper kilae vizhunthuchu...athulae full ah hearteen la...JM nu ezhuthi veichirukkan Maama...

She turns to Kathir...

D: Dei ithae patthi onnum kekkathae da...avanae vanthu solletum..

He nods...says " Tho varen" and climbs on top of his bike and rides off in full speed.

He doesn't even know where he is going, his mind wanders and so does his bike.

The glare of the sun and the tears in his eyes make it difficult for him to see where he is going and he ends up falling on the dirt road with a loud thud..

He gets up, unhurt, except for a few scratches on his knee...

His black veshti is now streaked with dry mud all over...

He curses...

His mind immediately goes to what his Anni said just now, putting the side stand of the bike, he sits down at the edge of the road on the grass, if anyone saw him, they would think that he must be barking mad to sit in the harsh sun like that, but that is the least of his worries.

Jeeva likes Mullai...

That is impossible..

This is absurd..

His mind refuses to accept it.

It can't be..

No..

There has to be some mistake.

But then...

Mullai is very likeable.

People who she just met, end up liking her a lot..

So why should Jeeva be any different?

There's not a single person who doesn't like Mullai..

He can argue with himself for days on end, that he is the only person who disliked her...

But deep inside, he knows that it wasn't dislike...if it was, he wouldn't have showed that much concern for her.

For the past four months, he has been hoping and praying that somehow, no one at home will start this ridiculous topic again, that somehow Mullai will convince her parents that she wants to study further and then he will have some time in his hands, some time to think...some time to do something..

But no...this was going at too fast a pace.

Tears roll down his cheeks..

He can't imagine her as Jeeva's wife.

That image makes him physically sick.

He wipes his eyes...

And gets up..

He looks down as his dirty veshti,

Cha... He looks around..

Luckily he's near the pump set behind Jaga Maama's house.

He parks his bike and walks down the narrow path..

The memory of Mullai flashes in front of his eyes.

Mullai rising out of the water like water nymph..

That first feeling of desire as he stares at her..

Her refusing to take his towel..

Mullai walking off leaving behind a trail of water as she glides by.

Mullai washing clothes by the pump set.

Wait..

What?

That's not a memory...

She is right there, washing clothes on the large stone by the tank.

For a moment, he is confused whether it is just a hallucination...

Then she turns around...

And.....

To be continued...