"Joshie..." Mullai blurted in disbelief, standing in the hallway.

Joshua nodded slowly, a smile making its way through his handsome face.

"Oh my god..." Mullai sprinted up to him and engulfed him in a huge hug.

"Evlo naal achu da unna pathu... ippo dhan yen nyabhagam varudha unnaku..." she hit him.

"Sorry maathi..." Joshua pulled his ears.

Kathir, who was standing there, felt like an outsider hearing their conversation. He was a hundred percent sure that Joshua was in love with his wife. Kathir knew it from the time he saw the look in Joshua's eyes.

The look of sorrow, hurt, and love...

And he practically prayed a hundred times that Mullai didn't reciprocate his feelings.

Wait, was he feeling...

Jealous...?

Kathir's train of thoughts was interrupted with Mullai's coughing.

"Ahmm ennanga idhu Joshua ennoda childhood bestie, Joshua idhu yen husband Kathir..." she introduced.

"Ohh ivar dhan unkitta mattikitta andha unlucky person ah..." Joshua joked.

"Hey yenna patha unnaku unlucky maari theriyudha..." Mullai scowled.

"Offo podhum maathi... padam pathu pathu nee oru drama queen agitta..." Joshua huffed.

"Adhu seri poda..." Mullai flicked her hair.

"Bro neenga eppadi ivala vechu samalikiringa?" he asked, making the conversation informal.

"Naan Amazon la manager ah irruken bro, nice pay, adhanalla America layae settle ayachu..." he replied.

"Nalladhu, neenga yenga kalyanathuku varavae illayae..." Kathir asked.

"Aman bro, leave ku apply pannen kedaikala... soo... vara mudilla..." he said.

"Mullai ah ungaluku chinna vayasula irrudhe theriyuma..." Kathir asked.

"Hmm ama bro, chinna vayasula naanga rendu perum neighbors... , onna va sendhu velayadhuvom, rombha close ha irrupom, yedhavadhu sanda vanduchuna biryani paradise ku avala kuttitu poi samadhanam pannuven, adhukagha vae adikadi sanda poduva... ava padam pakkumbodhu pathirukingala... oh my god, film ah vida ivala pakkuradhu dhan periya entertainment..." Joshua laughed out, reminiscing the old golden days spent with Mullai.

And Kathir couldn't agree any less. Mullai was, of course, a handful to manage.

"Neenga evlo naal ah Mullai ah love panringa..." Kathir asked directly. His tone was very polite and formal, making sure he didn't embarrass Joshua.

Joshua, who was laughing out loud, suddenly stopped his laughter as though lightning struck him.

With a visible shock on his face, he asked.

"Wha...am I...naan...adhu...avlo obvious ah va theriyudhu..." he asked, scratching his head.

Kathir simply shrugged.

"Bro adhu...just don't worry; it was just a stupid one-side love... ava yen feelings ah reciprocate pannala kavala padhadinga..." Joshua said, waving it off.

Kathir felt as though a huge burden was lifted off from his heart.

It was as though a light of euphoria burst inside him.

"Naan avala love pannen adhu unmai dhan... and I didn't ask her out... ana she always saw it in my eyes... kandippa naan patha vidama ava yenna pakala... ava yenna oru brother maari dhan patha..." he chuckled sadly.

"Oru naal ava yenkitta vandhu ava oru paiyan ah love pannuradha sonna... and I was so disheartened... adhutta varamae naan Thailand ku kelambitten... avaluku rombha kastama irundhuchu... ana she knew that I needed this distance illana I wouldn't have been able to control my feelings..." Joshua rambled.

"Been there..." Kathir said, comforting him.

"One-sided love sucks, dude... pazhai vanathula mazhai ah yedhir pakkura maari... useless and disappointing..." Joshua said as he put his head in his hands.

"Puriyudhu bro..." Kathir patted his shoulder.

"Thanks bro, actually neenga yenna yenga thapa nenaichuku vingalonu naan rombha bahyandutten..." Joshua said, letting out a nervous chortle.

"Appidi yellam yedhum illa ji... naan yen thapa nenaika poren..." Kathir waved the matter away.

"Chinna vayasula irrundhu ava azhudhadhe illa bro... eppomae jolly ah suttitu irrupa..." Joshua said.

Kathir was surprised at that little titbit.

"Azhudhadhe illaya...?" he asked, visibly surprised.

"Adhavadhu apart from crying sessions of watching films..." Joshua said humorously.

"Ah...ama..." Kathir said.

"Ama bro, ava sogama irrudo azhudho naan pathadhae illa, actually avaluku azhuguradhuku karanam illa, ava veetla ellarum avala pamper pannuvanga... she never had a reason to cry, honestly..." Joshua shrugged.

Kathir's heart banged with a sense of guilt.

She never cried.

But she cried terribly many times.

Because of him.

Kathir wished he had a time machine so that he could change things.

As he was about to speak more, the side room door clinked open, revealing a freshly showered Manju.

"Ju...nee...neeya..." Joshua jumped out of the sofa as though he saw a real conjuring devil.

"If I am not wrong, nee erandutta appidinu yennaku phone vandhadhe..." Joshua asked, confused.

"Adha yen kekura..." Manju sighed exasperatedly as she sat down next to him and began relating the past.

History repeats.

Joshua was fully drowned in the story and gave comments in between like "oh my god", "devuda", "appadiya..." and so on.

Kathir, who was sitting next to them, got so bored.

He felt like a teenager who was watching a stupid, boring serial soap opera.

"Ava yenna pannura nu poi papom..." he thought and got up, sneaking away to the kitchen nicely.

**

"Yennnaga ration gali ayiduchu, kadaiku poi vangittu varuvom..." Mullai rambled as she opened the empty container with a pout on her face.

"Seri polam... list ellam yezhudittiya..." Kathir asked.

"Illa nga innum ezhudhala; naan solla solla neenga yezhuduringala... pavam Joshua vera veliya passiyoda ukkandirupan..." she said, looking at the hallway.

"Pinna naangalam passiyoda irruka maatoma yenna..." Kathir blurted out without thinking.

Mullai looked at her husband with an amused smile on her face.

Was he turning into a jello bean?

Kathir felt like a caught cat. He bit his inner cheek for blurting out so loudly.

"Adhu yennakum rombha pasikudunu solla vanden..." Kathir managed, pulling his collars close.

Mullai let a small smirk escape her lips. With a sly smile, she pulled the pen stuck on the side of her ear and handed it to him.

"Ezhudunga... thovaram parrupu, pasi parruppu..." and thus she began indicating the long list.

Kathir noted down everything like a sincere student copying notes from his teacher.

"Yenga kaminga..." Mullai grabbed the paper from him.

She became shocked at the list.

It was because she couldn't even understand a single word in the list. His handwriting was far from perfect. His handwriting was so weird and horrible.

"Yennag idhu..." Mullai screamed-whispered as she looked at the list.

"List uh..." he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Pch... adhu yenaku theriyadha... naan indha handwriting ah sonnen..." Mullai tapped the paper.

"Doctor handwriting ah vida mosama irruku..." Mullai seethed, analyzing the paper.

"Konjam ah... onnumae puriyalla..." Kathir scratched his head sheepishly.

"Naan... naan poi ready ayiitu varen..." Kathir escaped from there.

Mullai looked at her husband's retreating figure. He was such a kiddo.

And she again glanced at the list.

"Kevalama dhan irruku... irrundalum yennaku pudichiruku..." she cooed and kissed his chicken-scratch handwriting.

Oh boy...

This girl was so in love...

**

Ten minutes of traveling in the hot sun with all the horns and smoke in the jumbled traffic around you are worse more than writing a mathematics exam.

Mullai fanned herself with her dupatta and wiped the sweat rolling on her neck.

All she wanted to do was to go home, strip her chuddidar, and take a nice cold shower.

"Ennanga ivlo traffic ah irruku..." Mullai whined sitting behind Kathir.

"Innaiku edhavadhu pandigai ah irrukum nu nenaikiren; adhan ivlo kuttam..." Kathir said, running his hand through his bushy hair.

The perks of having bushy hair is that you sweat often terribly. And Kathir totally hated it.

"Yenna ungaluku ippidi verkudhu; naan thodaichu vidattuma..." Mullai said, taking her dupatta.

"Hey adhellam onnum vendam; nee pesama irru..." Kathir reprimanded her, feeling shy.

"Pch ippidi kodam kodam ah veruthu ozhughudu; nee kuthu kazhu maari ukandhirukinga thodaikama chumma irrunga; naan thodaichu viduren..." Mullai shut him up and wiped his neck.

The small hairs on his body suddenly stood up as Kathir felt her hot swooshing breath on his neck.

All he could register now was her breath on his neck, her vanilla scent, and the soft cotton cloth being wiped on his neck.

A nameless feeling ran from his stomach to his inner thighs.

"Podhum..." Kathir said uneasily as he took her hand off him.

"Ayyo rombha dhan vekka paduringa neenga..." Mullai twitched her mouth and turned aside with a huge grin on her face, making sure he didn't notice that.

**

After a sumptuous lunch of Kashmir pulav, panner butter masala, and badam kheer, Joshua retired to his home, promising Mullai that he would be in regular contact with her.

Mullai wiped the kitchen clean and walked up to the room and closed the door.

Kathir, who was scrolling his mobile, switched it off as soon as he felt the bed dip beside him.

"Neenga pesunadha naan ketten..." she said limply.

"Huh..." Kathir looked at her quite confused.

"Adhu... Joshie um neengalum pesunadha naan ketten..." she said, looking down at her hand.

"Oh, ahm ottu ketiya..." Kathir asked, clearing his throat.

"Illa appidi illa; naan edharchiya tea eduttutu varumbodhu ketten... ottu ellam kekala..." Mullai replied, shifting uneasily in her place.

"Oh..." Kathir hummed.

"Naan onnu kekalama...? Thapa nenaika mattiyae...?" Kathir asked Mullai.

"Hmm sollunga..." she said.

"Adhu... hm... unaku... unaku yen Joshua va pudikala...?" he asked briefly.

Mullai gulped audibly. Her throat felt parched.

"Adhu..." she cleared her throat. This conversation was so uncomfortable for her.

"Ennaku Joshua va pudikum, pudikala nu sollala... he is my bestie after all, ana andha vidathula pudikala, I mean..." she couldn't explain properly.

"Hmm puriyudhu..." Kathir eased her.

"Appo best friends kadhal la vizhugavae mudiyadhunu solriya..." Kathir probed.

"Illa naan appidi sollala... Joshua va ennaku chinna vayasula irrundhae theriyum; naan avana kudumbathula oruthara pathen, avana oru prospective groom ah pakala, pasamana best friend ah dhan pathen..." Mullai explained.

"Oruvella naan Joshua va college meet pannirundhena love pannirupeno ennavo..." Mullai stated.

A pit of uneasiness again swirled in Kathir's stomach hearing that statement.

"Ana oruvella avanukagha pavam pathu avan manasu kastta pada kudhathunu naan avana poi ah kadalichirundena; he would have always ended up with a false hope..." she said.

"Oruthavangala unmai ya kadalikumbodhu avangalukagha yenna vena pannuvom; yenna venumnalum..." Mullai said emotionally, looking into his eyes.

"Avanga evlo kasta padhutinaalum thangipom, avangalukagha azhuvom siripom uyiraiyae kudupom..." Mullai's eyes bored into him.

Kathir let out a smile.

"Ama nee solradhu unmai dhan; oruthavangala unmai ah kadhalikumbodhu avangalukagha nambha yenna venum naalum pannuvom..." he repeated her lines, looking at her.

And he gave one of the widest grins in the world, showing all his thirty-two pearly white teeth, making him look like a maniac.

But that bothered nowhere less to him.

Cause now his mind registered that he liked his wife.

But the fact that he was growing to like her more didn't bother him or tense him like before.

Cause somewhere in his heart, he knew that the word "like" was soon going to be replaced with a different set of four words.

Something like...

Love...

Tbc..