New Beginnings....

Haunting Memories....

In Chennai, the house fills with the sound of a little dog barking, as Mullai parks her bike and climbs down from it... As always, her eyes stray to the glaring, empty space, where his bullet used to stand and she turns away quickly... Everyday when she comes back from work, she hopes that, that place is filled.. But....

She picks up Simba and kisses the top of his head...

And thinks of Kathir...

A few days after Mahi's return from the hospital, the adults had decided that it was finally time to get her a puppy, they were all supposed to go to the pet shop and let her choose the puppy...

And then, everything had changed...

But still... His final act before leaving was to go and buy Mahi a puppy...

Tears form in her eyes..

And Simba can sense her distress...

He starts whining and turns his head and licks her chin...

Mahi comes over and takes Simba inside...

M: Mahi... Pothum... Poie Simba veh avonadae bed leh vechittu... Vanthu padi.. Exams nadakuthu leh, maranthutiyah?

She goes inside and freshens up and when she comes outside...

Mahi is sitting at the table with her books...

The loud sound of a bullet is heard and such happiness fills Mullai's heart...

He has come back...

Her heart in her throat, she rushes to the window to see that Mahi has run to the gate...

But the sound fades, and Mahi turns around and walks back to the house, her body drooping in disappointment.

Mullai closes her eyes as the elation turns into profound sadness...

Why can't he call her?

Why can't he come back?

Why can't he give her some time?

Her eyes burn as tears press against her eye lids...

Her mother's phone rings...

It is him...

Kathir Thambi...

That is how her mother has saved his number.

For a moment, she stares at the name and her fingers itch to press the green button...

Mahi rushes over and picks it up...

Paarvathy reminds Mullai to bring in the clothes from the terrace...

She hates going up...

The place is haunted with the memories of him...

She hurriedly takes down the clothes...and it takes so much control for her not to think of him skipping here, playing with Mahi, of the secret nights, spent lying beside him in the alcove...

She hurries down the stairs, but the magnetic pull of the door is too much to bear...

Mullai opens the door and steps inside...

A flash of them playing snake and the ladder in the balcony...

Playing video games in the hall...

Their first hug right next to the dining table...

The previous two times she was here, she had broken down and left...

She didn't dare to enter the bedroom...