New Beginnings....

Mullaiyin aavesam...

M: Unnakum kalyanam pannae asai illae, ennakum sutthamae illae... Ivungae thollai eh niruthae... Pesamae nammae rendu perum kalyanam panikitta enna?

For a moment, he is too stunned to react...

Then simultaneously both of them begin laughing...

M: I was just kidding Kathir... Chill..

K: Whew... Oru nimishthukku....

M: Eppadiyum engae Appa unnaku phone pannuvaru... Ennae sollae porae?

K: Therilae Mullai... Nee, naan sonnae pechae ketpae nu oru wrong idea leh irrukkaru...

Mullai feels so bad for her father... It is natural that he would want what's best for her but why can't he understand that she is at her happiest right this moment...

What if her next husband turned out to be just like Sathish or even worse?

That is exactly what Kathir was afraid of... Says a small voice inside her and that is when she realizes that she is the one who is a fraud..

Asking him to be optimistic and brave while she herself was a pessimist and so fearful...

Both are afraid of the same thing... That somehow incidents in their life might repeat again...

Both are content with exactly how life is at this very moment...

That very second, she feels so close to Kathir..

She rubs her temples...

K: Sorry Mullai... Unnae tension paduthitten..

M: Illae Kathir... Innum konjae naal aana Mahiyum ithaiyae sollalam leh...appo naan avae kitte ennae solluven..

Kathir remains silent...

From what he knows of Mahi in these eight months, he can guarantee that in the future Mahi will definitely ask her mother to marry again... Or at least...why wasn't she interested in getting married at all.

K: Seri vidu Mullai... Maama phone pannae naan ethachom solli manage pannikurren... Nee poie padu..

He says goodnight and goes up..

He finishes his pending office work, clears up the place and goes to bed...

But not to sleep..

The question she asked so jestingly rings in his ears...

What if, in that one split second, before their laughter, he had said yes...

How would she have reacted?

She would have run from the room screaming like a banshee..

If he marries Mullai, Mahi will be his daughter...

And for a moment, the happiness he feels is so profound and very much attainable.

He loves Mahi very very much, the bond that they share is so unique that it doesn't even have a name...

For the first time in his adult life, he was spending time with a child and she was so wholesome and untainted that he sometimes felt that he was in the presence of divinity.

And she looked like a miniature version of Mullai with dimples..

Who could resist that?

But marrying the mother, only for the sake of the daughter would not be fair to Mullai..

Mullai deserves to be loved for herself..

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he goes to a disturbed sleep...