Location: New Delhi
Venue - Hotel SV International
The executive suite has a small dining area. There is a big spread of Indian and Chinese food on the table. An open laptop lies on one side of the table. The food has just been touched, but the occupants have lost their appetite. Annapoorani and Karthik sit speechless with shock written all over their faces.
Annapoorani's shock slowly turns into dejection which after sometime changes into disgust and finally settles on a mix of anger and determination. Karthik does not display as many expressions as his mother, but his charming face has a tinge of sadness.
Location: Chennai
Venue - Hospital
Sathya helps Prakash to sit up comfortably on the bed as she places pillows to support his back. She places a food tray of on his lap and proceeds to feed him the soup, salad, daal and rice. After he has eaten, she removes the tray, wipes his mouth and face. Prakash looks at her gratefully as well as guiltily.
"Naan unnai ethanai kashtapadutharen, Sathya!"
"naarpatthu ettu thadavai", she replies curtly. Prakash looks hurt.
"Listen, we have both gone through this conversation umpteen number of times and shed buckets and buckets of tears. It is time to move on, now look positive and give me a smile like a good boy."
"Yes ma'am, whatever you say", he smiles slowly which turns into hearty laughter for both of them.
As she hands him over the day's newspaper, she queries, "Will you manage till I go grab some lunch from the hospital canteen?"
"Sure, get me a butterscotch ice cream when you are coming back."
"What! No way. If you catch cold and start coughing, what will happen to the stitches?"
"Please da.. please. En kannu illa, mooku illa, vaai illa...", Prakash pleads.
"pallu illa... naaku illa appadinu continue pannaadheenga, thaangalai. Ok, I will try."
"Seekiram poittu vaa", he starts reading the paper.
Sathya has her lunch. She is still not sure about the ice cream, nevertheless buys it and as an after thought buys a Bengali sweet.
She places the two packets on his bed, pulls out the icecream hands it over to him, all the time praying that it should not affect his health adversely. As she dips her hand into the other cover, Prakash gives her the icecream.
"This is for you, Sathya", she is captivated by his smile.
"Enakku kudukka ennaiye vaangittu vara sonneengala, arivu kozhundhu thaan ponga. Anyway naan mattum thaniya saapittaa enakku vaithu vali varum, so have this", she gives him his favourite sweet.
There is a twinkle in his eyes. As the two love birds enjoy their togetherness and the dessert, ofcourse, Sathya's cell phone rings. It is Annapoorani. Sathya switches on the speaker phone and places the mobile between them. Prakash listens.
"Hello Sathya, Eppadi ma irukke? How is Prakash? Operation mudinjudha?"
"Ellam nalla padiya mudinjudhu aunty."
"Romba santhosham, Sathya. Why did you not encash the cheque?"
Sathya briefly tells her what happened to the cheque and how Dharani had paid up the surgery bill. Anna poorani and Prakash are not surprised that Saroja had not parted with her money willingly.
Annapoorani - "Sathya, give me your email id, I am sending a message to you. I will be awaiting your reply. Here, Karthik wants to speak to you."
As Karthik's voice comes over the phone with a hello Sathya', Prakash's eyes suddenly turn ice cold. He disconnects the call and stares at Sathya who is puzzled to see his sudden anger.
She wants to tell Prakash that Karthik is only a friend, but before she can put her thoughts into words, he grabs her nearest arm and pulls her roughly towards him. As she begins to open her mouth to protest, he covers it with his lips. Butterscotch and rasamalai meet each other😉. Just then the door opens and in walks Vinodhini, who gets to witness their passionate intimacy with fire burning in her eyes and her stomach.
to be continued
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