It's early morning 5'o clock, both Vijay and anitha were getting ready for the boy mintu's ear piercing ceremony. Vijay got surprised when he found a new set of 'shirt and dhoti' on the table, he thought it's a gift from Anitha. He was excited as it's a positive sign from her side for their colourful future.
Always men get up late and get ready quickly for functions whereas for women it's vice versa, they get up early and take their own time to get ready. "Come on Anitha...we have to start now to be on time, Rajesh already called me twice" he was calling her for the second time and still didn't get any response.
He entered the room and approached her. Anitha was standing there by looking at the small box she held in her palm. Vijay noticed that it's a kumkum box, and understood her feelings that she was debating herself whether to keep it or not.
In our country, hence it's a belief, that applying kumkum in forehead is associated with their husbands long life, omitting it, seemed so wrong to her. Not knowing what to do, she was just staring at it. Vijay took a pinch of it in his right hand, and placed it on her forehead.
Bewildered she was looking at his face. At the same time, He was looking through her eyes without blinking as though he wants to capture her within his eyes and protect her by covering his eyelids. 'Oh my... what's there in his eyes?!!' Anitha was speechless by the look in his eyes. Her eyes lowered down automatically, she felt something inside, 'what's that?'....
By looking at her face which is like a full moon blossomed just now, the man inside him wanted to place his lips in every inch of it.
The thought get growing inside him from minute to minute, his eyes become more dark and deep with that longing etched in them. "Voi", his lips blurted the word in a soft, deep, husky manner. He started gripping her hand...
That soft little touch jolted her, immediately brought her back from her trance state. She started trembling, her face gone pale, which automatically made her, move a step back...
He perceived it right, and let her hand free, and left the room immediately.
******
The car was speeding high and it's high enough to get caught by the traffic police and overtaking each and every vehicle on the road. Anitha got panicked with that speed, she saw Vijay's face which looked so blank without any expressions. She swallowed saliva and kept quiet. They reached the temple well before the expected time.
The function was arranged in famous 'vadapalani Lord Murugan' temple, When they reached there, the exact time is 6.15, even in this early morning, the temple was busy, filled with people, gathered in small groups here and there, for various functions.
Gayatri and Rajesh greeted both anitha and Vijay and welcomed them. "Are we late?" Vijay asked Rajesh, "no...no... you are on time, the function starts only at 6.30", Rajesh replied, they both went to men side talking with each other.
Gayatri dragged anitha with her, she pinned a big Jasmine garland over Anitha's hair, 'now you look perfect' she said. She introduced anitha to her mother and some of the relatives who were sitting on the mat, anitha also sat with them, started helping them in arranging things. "Where is maanu and the boy, 'hero of today's function', she was asking. "They were playing there with their cousins", Gayatri replied.
When the function about to start, all men gathered around the mat, the priest came and sat in the middle of the mat, the boy was brought by somebody, then Gayatri asked Vijay to come and sit opposite to the priest. Vijay looked puzzled thinking that 'why he was asked to do so' and anitha was also gesturing him to go and sit. Now everybody was looking at him and Rajesh also said, " come bro..", after which Vijay hesitantly went and sat there. The boy was placed on his lap by Gayatri, and the priest put a flower garland around Vijay's neck, as well as on the boy's neck and started the rituals, Vijay was in utter shock and disbelief about 'what's going on'....he was choking....filled with emotions.... Anitha was watching his reaction, her eyes filled with tears of joy...when the ear got pierced, the boy started crying which got Vijay's senses back, and he started consoling the boy. All of them offered blessings on the boy with 'akshath' and flowers.
When the priest finished with his work, Anitha handed the gold chain to Vijay and he put the chain around the boy's neck. "Hey, what's this?!", Gayatri exclaimed, "sh...no talking", Anitha ordered her.
Vijay understood that the drama was well planned and executed by both of them. He knew that the ceremony was a most important custom in Tamil culture, the babies supposed to be sit on the lap of their maternal uncle. It's a most priveledged position, they won't allow others to be honored just like that, that too a person like him with unknown Roots, because of the loose talks among relatives as well as cast issues. Even though Gayatri being a single child, doesn't have brothers, she can allow her cousins to have the honour. But she preferred Vijay, been bold enough to face any issues if being raised. By God's grace, nothing had happened like that, function went off well, anitha felt relieved now.
"Why did you do that?!", Gayatri caught anitha in hand, and enquired about the chain. "Now it's our turn to show the gratitude and also it's a maternal uncle's duty too", Anitha replied. Gayatri felt satisfied with the word 'our turn' , as it showed a good sign that Anitha considers Vijay as her family, they would be going to have a future together.
"Oho.....Then you must give birth to a cute pretty baby girl as quickly as possible, because my boy is already waiting to marry her" Gayatri said with a mischievous smile. As usual Anitha fell silent whereas Vijay joined them and laughing out loud at Gayatri's comment, " oh sure sis...as you wish" he replied with a wink at anitha. He was having mintu in his arm and he put the other arm around Anitha's shoulder, it was quite a scene and he asked the photographer to capture the moment.
*******
Anitha haven't felt so much pain before, it was unbearable to the core, which make her screaming out loud, each and every second the pain get more intense, and finally it reached a level by which she gave up something from inside her, she relieved of pain at once, she heard the sound of new born crying, "it's my baby" the thought rejoiced her at the most than anyother thing in the world. She saw Vijay standing beside her bed and holding her hand, smiling at her softly...."where is Arun?!" She thought and got upright suddenly with profuse sweating... she was sitting and blinking in the dark... she couldn't understand anything for few minutes...her heart was pounding on her chest .. it took some time to calm down her bizarre breath...then she realized it was a dream...
she wanted a glass of water to wet her dried up throat, she came out of her room, on the way to kitchen, she saw curled up Vijay on the sofa. In the dim light, his face looked like a small boy in deep sleep, She felt a flinch at her heart. She returned to her room without having water and sank on her bed, water started pouring from her eyes...
******
To be continued....
