The Tea Trail

Kalyana Thennila - 3

They stood like that for a couple minutes

Mullai was looking down..she was peering so hard that any moment now she will succeed in drilling a hole in the ground and make an underground spring sprout out

Kathir : athu..ippudiye ninnu unnaiya paarthukitte irukkarthu enakku nalla thaan irukku..aana nee thaan paavam kaaladila irukkara manna romba neramaa paarkura..avvalavu nallaava irukku..yenga naanum paarkaren..

He went and stood next to her..and assumed that same stance as her..and peered at the ground..

Mullai : hmmkmm..vaanga..ennaiya otturathe velai..she said with a warm smile

They went in to the house

They stood in comfortable silence as the tea bubbled away the fragrance engulfing them..

She poured the piping hot tea in a cup for him..

kathir ; vaa velila polaam..

Mullai : hmm vaanga

Kathir : intha nee kudi

Mullai : intha soodu ennaala mudiyathu..neenga kudichuttu kudunga..

That was always the routine..

He blew on the tea a few times and handed the cup to her..she drank from the cup and gave him the remaining half..

They left the empty glass on the ledge outside and went to the open space behind the house

There stood a huge tree and a rather long swing dangling from its branches..

Mullai was overjoyed seeing that..

She practically went running to it..

Mullai : Kathiru vaa..she said it and did not even realise it

But Kathir stood there like a statue..his mouth hanging open..she had just called him by his name..the way she used to before a year back..she had called him that when she had been annoyed with him..irritated with him..impatient with him..fighting and arguing with him..pleading with him..defying him..crying because of him..

But much much before all that this was how she called him..eyes shining..in excitement..with love..with so much love..like whatever she had to say..could be said only to him..what she had to show..could only be shown to him..

Like only he mattered..in her world he was the only other man who existed apart from her dad..

The memories that single Kathiru brought was overwhelming and threatened to sweep him of his feet..

It hit Mullai a second later..

Mullai : athu oonjal paartha santhoshathula..vaanga..thottathu veettula evvalavu aadi iruppom..antha nyaabagam vanthuduchu..she said with a shy smile

Kathir went and joined her..

Kathir : nee en per solli koopda ethukku thayangara..thaaraalama kooppidu..enakku romba pidichu irukku

Mullai : venaanga..appuram ellarku munnadiyum varum

Kathir : athunaala enna

Mullai: hmmkmm yerkanave..Meena va sollikkittu irukkaanga..per solli koopda vendaamnu

She sat on the swing..

Kathir : naan aatturen..

Mullai : venaam neengalum ukkaarunga..

He retrieved something from his pocket and handed it to her..

Mullai : ennathunga ithu..

She took the box and opened it ..inside lay nestled an ornate looking pair of anklet