Mullai slowly peeled herself from Kathir, and then the realization set in.

She freaking hugged him.

Woah.

Embarrassed, she stared everywhere except his face.

Kathir understood that she was embarrassed and discreetly tried to change the topic.

"Bedsheet pudikalaya," he asked out of the blue.

"Huh."

"Bedsheet ah yae rombha nerama uthu pattutu irrukiyae adhan keten," he said, smiling.

"Ama pudikala," she replied curtly.

"Yen," he asked.

"Pinna yennanga navy blue color la irruku idha poi bedsheet nu yaaradhu solluvangala. Bedsheet na white color irrukanom," she deadpanned.

Kathir chuckled in a boyish way, running his fingers through his hair.

Mullai mentally awed like a hormonal teenage girl...

"Seri nga naan poi dinner ready panren," she got up.

"Oru nimisham," Kathir said as Mullai stopped in her tracks and turned towards him.

"Adhu..nee..nee...nee..." he dragged.

"Och yethana nee nga..." Mullai hollered.

"Nee pesama yen room ku change ayiden," he said in one breath, making her gasp.

Change... what...

Mullai dramatically kept a hand over her chest and ran towards him, placing a palm on his neck and forehead, checking his temperature.

"Hey. Yenna..." Kathir looked at her weirdly.

"Ungaluku joram onnum illala," she asked anxiously.

"Illayae ipoo idha yen kekura," he asked, confused.

"Illa yenna poi unga room ku change agi Vara sonningalae adhan keten," she said seriously.

Kathir glared at her.

"Yenna patha unaku rppadi theriyudhu?" he asked, frowning.

"Manishan maati theriyudhu," she said, suppressing her laughter.

"Pha..periya joke dhan," he clapped his hands sarcastically.

"Idhu periya joke ellam illanga chinnadhu dhan," she said, flicking her hair.

Kathir rolled his eyes.

"Inga paaru mulla serious ah dhan solren unga akka ipo vandurukanga avangalukubkonjam personal space venum so nee un room ah avangaluku kuduttutu yen room ku shift agi ko," he said.

Mullai grinned.

"Ada raasa idhukagha thana naan ivalo naal kathurundhen," she squealed in her mind.

"Edhukagha kathurindha..." Kathir asked, confused.

That's when Mullai realized that she had blurted out things loud that she had mentally spoken in her mind.

"Na...naan smaika poren," she says and dashes out before Kathir could understand what she meant.

Dinner was a very silent affair...

Manju was drowned in her own thoughts as she swirled with the idli in her hand...

Mullai took two idlis, poured some sambar and chutney, mixed it together, smashed the idli with it, and ate.

Kathir, who was sitting next to her, cringed on seeing her eating style.

Seeing her husband staring at her food, Mullai took some smashed idli in her hand and raised her hand to him, asking him whether he wanted some.

"Ayo vena," he said, shaking his head.

"Pinna, ten naan sapuradha appidi pakkutinga," she asked.

"Idli ah tottu pittu sapudanum appudi pesanju kozhapi illa," he said, pointing to her plate.

"Ennaku appidi dhan sapuda pudikum," she shrugged and continued eating.

Kathir shook his head.

"Ava appidi dhan Kathir, chinna vayasula sambar ah yum thayir ah yum mix panni sapuduva," Manju smiled.

Kathir gave her an "are you serious" look.

"Ipo yen yennaku rendu kombu molacha maari pakkuringa," she asked Kathir, who was giving her weird glances.

"Onnum illa unna nenaichu rombha peruma paduren," he smirked.

"Wow, nejamava... thanks," she said and continued eating.

"Kadavulae," Manju hit her head.

Only if Mullai knew that her husband was making fun of her.

Then she would chop his fingers, roast them, and feed them to him for dinner.

Mullai huffed as she finished washing the last plate.

She huffed and cleaned the kitchen, and swept it once.

She wiped her face and moved to her... no... no... no... their room.

As she entered, she saw Kathir changing the bedsheets.

"Ennachu nga yen change pannuringa nethu dhana mattunen adhukulla azhuku ayiducha," she asked.

"Illa nee dhana bedsheet color nalla illanu sonna adhan change pannen," he said.

Aww, sweet heavens.

She smiled at him. What is he gonna do to her...

And then the thought settled in her mind...

They are going to share one bed.

Holy heavens.

Mullai's face sweats as she thinks about sleeping next to his bulky figure.

Would they hug each other and sleep?

Aeg... She was seeing a lot of romantic movies making her thoughts go hayward.

Managing her nervousness, she puts on a cool facade outside and walks towards the bed and lies at the corner of the bed...

"Naan onnum avlo gundu kedaiyadhu nee nalla dharalama padhuttuko," he said, motioning to her figure.

"Haan," Mullai nodded and lied a bit more comfortably.

She felt the bed dip beside her, and the switching off sound of the night lamp.

Then all she heard was soft snores, and she drifted to sleep imagining her Kathir making out on a unicorn.

As the sun peeked itself out of the misty clouds, Kathir woke up.

But he felt a leg on his face...

A leg...!!

Kathir slowly gets up and goes in shock seeing his wife's sleeping posture.

She was sleeping in the opposite side of him, hugging his leg, and one leg was on his face...

God...

"360° degree la rotate ayi padutu irrukalae," he facepalmed himself.

He expected to get like, you know, hugging her mistakenly or her hugging...

But all those things would happen only in movies and novels, he guessed.

It was far from real life...

And knowing his wife, how silly and stupid a girl she is, he should have not expected some romantic scenario...

Shaking his head, he moved off to bathe.

"Thakali oru kilo, vengayam oru kilo ashuku apron Kathirika vendanka. Idhu maari vera edhavadhu kaigari irrundha vangitti vanga, ana ellam oru kilo 40 rombha va irunda mattum vangitti vangittu vanga," she ordered her husband on her phone.

"Aprom kothamali karuvapulla freeya tharuvan adhayum vangittu vanga," she said and cut the call.

Plugging in her earphones, she put on the playlist and listened to the blaring pop songs while mopping the floor.

An hour later, Kathir returned home.

"Mullai rushed over to him and took the bag filled with vegetables.

"Yennanga ellam oru kilo napadhu rombha dhana?" she asked.

"Ama ama," he said.

Mullai took a look at the tomatoes.

"Yennanga idhu neraiya thakali azhugi irruku," she deadpanned.

"Appidiya illayae, ellam nalla thankali ya dhana, anda kadakaran pottan," he said, loosening his tie.

"Yenn kadakaran pottana, neenga apo vangalaya," she gasped.

"Yenna thankali ellam porruki poda theriyadhu," he gave her a sheepish smile.

"Ayyo kadavulae," she hit her head.

Typical men.

"Idhenna kathirika verum moonu dhan irruku," she hollered.

"Andha moonu kathirikavae 25 robha," he said, huffing.

"Ennadhu iruvathi anju robhava," Mullai asked dramatically, as if she saw the Ukrainian and Russian presidents hugging each other.

"Ungala Kaigari ellam napathu kilo va irrundha mattum dhan vanga sonnen," she asked angrily.

"Kathirika unnaku rombha pudikumae adhan vangitti vandhen," he pouted.

Mullai's heart softened at that.

Oh boy.

"Yennanga irundalum ivalo kassu kodutta neenga innaiku andha kada karanuku nalla vyabaram pannitty vandurukinga," she said.

Kathir smiled like a toddler.

Mullai got the shock of her life when she saw the supposed-to-be coriander leaves.

"Idhu yenna soyi keerai ya vangittu vandurukinga naan adha vanga sollavae illaye," she said.

"Adhu kothamalli illayae," he asked innocently.

"Yennadhu kothamalli ya idha," Mullai's eyes widened.

"Hmm."

"Managatti," she put the soy leaves down angrily.

"Yenkitta kaadu illanudha naan ungala kaigari vangittu Vara sonnen ana neenga patha ellam ippid vangi vechirukinga," she said angrily, breathing fire through her nostrils, and dashed off to her room.

Kathir looked at his wife thoughtfully and followed her.

He saw her sitting on the bed, catching her forehead.

He sat beside her and took something out of his purse.

"Indha," he said, giving it to her.

Mullai peeped in to look at his hand and saw his debit card.

"Ininae nee kassu illama kastha pada thevai illa. Neeyae kadaiku poi kaigari vangikalam," he said, pressing the card into her hands.

"Yennanga Naa," before Mullai could speak up, he shut her.

"Shss, edhum pesadha. Idhu naan oru husband ah seiya vendi ya vishayam," he said and moved away.

Mullai glanced at the card in her hand before looking in his direction.

If Kathir was gonna be this sweet, she would even wait a hundred years for him.

And there wasn't an opportunity once of doubt in that.

TBC.