Meant to Be note on page 162 - Page 37

Meant to be

part 23

Netech solutions

Koushik called for a small team meeting in the conference room... all the team members were assembled there..

"Good morning guys..i have an interesting news for u...guess what..?We are having an outbound training program in Kunoor.. By this weekend...

Tickets will be booked by the company..Thursday night we are starting from central station to Mettupalayam from there will be provided cab to reach Kunoor... two days stay and Sunday morning starting from there..so it will be officially two days training program for our team members..all must attend this training including myself without fail. No excuses ok..."

Karthik had seated just opposite to Raji and he had observed the restlessness in her eyes hearing the name Kunoor...

Koushik "I will send a mail regarding this... u can check for more details there..thats all folks...u may leave now.."

On their way to the work place..All were excited and discussed about the training program... "Wow out bound training first time attend panren..adhuvum kulu kulu kunoor la..pera kettaale chummaa adhirudhillaah..." Vishnu was over excited and amused..

"Podaa loosu.. nee yenna vacation kaa pora enjoy panradhukku..?adhu yenna edam theriyumaa? military ku training kudukara idam..Training chumma bend ah kazhattiduvanga...trekking..kayirumela nadakaradhu...maram yeradhu...mind games... adhu idhunu pulinji yeduthuduvaanga..."Lakshmi explained the training method..

"Iyaayaa... yennadhu naan yenna circus la yaa sera poren..naan varalai pa..." Vishnu protested..

"Adhaan koushik sonnaarula... without fail nu...kadnipaa vandhaaganum..." Lakshmi laughed at him..

"Kavalapadaadha daa Vishnu..night la camp fire...dance su..pattunnu semaiyaa enjoy pannalaam don't worry.."Karthik gave him some hopes..

"Thanks machi...ippa dhaan yen kannukku oru oli theriyudhu..." Vishnu acted dramatically...

And others laughed at his antics..

Raji was silent throughout the conversation and walked very slowly..karthik reduced his pace to match her...seeing her scrutinizing face..

He asked.. "Yenna.. Training camp ku varalai adhaane..."

Her shocked eyes said it all...that Karthik was right in his assumption...

"Inga paaru..unnai yaarum ippa opinion kekalai..it's an order.. all u need to do is to just obey it that's all..no more arguments..ozhunga training ku kelambara vazhiya paaru..."

Saying this he walked pass her with his usual long steps...

Raji watched his retreating back with a worried face..

In the evening

Raji went to supermarket which was located near their apartment to buy things needed to her trip..

After billing those items...she opened her hand bag to get her purse...she was panicked not having the purse inside..she searched frantically each and every corner of the bag but the result was vain...and looked at the girl in the counter with blank face..

How shameful this would be... Others were waiting for her to finish billing..

"Yengaa avanga kitta dhaan kaasu illai la ..nagara sollunga...naanga yevlo neram wait panradhu..?

An irritated voice coming from behind..

The girl understood her situation.. "Yenna madam panam illaiya?sari veetukku poi konduvaanga... ippa konjam thallunga customer wait panraanga la.." Raji could feel the tinge of mocking in her tone..

Raji felt like giving a nice piece of mind to that sales girl..but here she too at fault..and more over she doesn't want create a fuzz there..

When she moved aside..leaving her things behind in utter humiliation ..a strong hand holds her firmly...

"Indhaanga card ..bill pannunga.."

Raji looked at the man in surprise and more over embarrassed to stand in front of him so vulnerable YET again ...

"Hello..panam illaama onnum vaanga varalai...purse ah veetlaiye marandhu vanchittu vandhutaanga..its a small mistake yellaarukkum nadakaradhu dhaan..adhukkaga customer kitta ippadi dhaan behave panradhaa..?"

"Yaaru inga manager I want to meet the manager.."

Karthik said very commandingly..the girl at the counter was baffled hearing the manager's name..

"Sorry sir...customers wait panaannga adhaan ..sorry madam ..complaint laam pannidaadheenga sir..yen velai poidum" She said pleadingly..

"Inimelaavadhu money ah vittutu customer ah value pannunga..."he turned towards the man standing next to the counter who was impatient and bad mouthed about Raji...giving him a deadly glare he held her hand and ushered her out of the store..

"Nee yedhukku panam tharra? She asked angrily..

"Ammaa thaaye... innoru sandaiya aarambikaadha...indha amount ah yennoda account ku transfer pannidu podhumaa.naan ippave account number sms panren ok vaa?'

She uttered a meek ok..

On their way to home...

"Yenna maa Raji...yeppadi iruka..?a middle aged man greeted Raji..

Raji looked little bit shocked with that encounter..

"Nallaa iruken maamaa..neenga yenga inga..?"

"Paiyan inga dhane velai seiyaraan adhaan paarthuttu polaamnu vandhen..dhideernnu yengaiyo paartha ponnu maadhiri irukae nu paarthaa nee..."he said with pride as if patting himself for his great invention...

"Nee yenga maa inga..?" he asked giving a calculating look to Karthik..

"Inga dhaan naan thangi iruken maamaa.." she showed him the huge apartment besides them..

"Oh appadiyaa nalladhu maa..?sari oorla kalyaanatha vachikittu innum oorukku pogaama inga yenna panra..?"He asked in surprise..

"Adhu ..poganum mama ticket inniku dhaan book panni iruken..."She lied with nervous smile...

"Sari maa naan varen...kalyanathula paarpom.."

Then that man departed throwing a suspicious look on Karthik...

"Yaarukku kalyaanam..?" Karthik asked casually who had witnessed the whole scene mutely...

"Adhu vandhu..oorla therinjavangalukku kalayanam..adhai dhan sollitu poraaru"

She avoided his suspicious eyes and walked ahead quickly..

"Purse ah marakkara alavuku appadi yenna ulagathula iruka..?"he asked her with piercing gaze..

"Adhu..adhu ..marandhuten..."she replied with struggle..

"Oh...Ok.." he don't want to intrude in her personal space anymore..so he let that fishy feeling go and went to his house..

However he tried hard he couldn't come out her thoughts..he was puzzled by her behavior..

Who was that man..whose marriage he was talking about..the more he thought of it..the more he get confused..

What could be the reason behind her restlessness and sadness...?his gut feeling said that it must be related to her family...but she could be the one who will clear all the things out .and no way on earth he would ask her the reason behind her strange behavior...he was still mad on her..

If she would feel like sharing..she may come to him... he would be always there for her at reachable distance..

He was shuffling the tv channels thinking all these..suddenly he heard the door bell

He was surprised to see the person behind the door..it was Raji who was standing at the door step with a pale face..

He raised his one brow questioningly..

"Sorry to disturb u at this late hour..." she said apologitically..

"Any problem..?" he asked concern...

"Ulla varalaamaa.." she asked hesitantly with hopeful eyes...he couldn't ever deny anything to those eyes...

He moved aside giving her room to enter..

After closing the door he too followed her...

She looked very tired and weak...

He was silently waiting for her to explain..

"Naan inniku oru naal inga thoongalaamaa?"She was more embarrassed seeing his exaggerated expression...

His brows reached its height..and his eyes popping out..

She bit her lips and paused for a moment and then continued...

"Kavya vera oorla illai..thaniyaa thoonga oru maadhiri bayamaa irundhadhu adhaan..."

"Kavya oorukku poi two weeks aachu..."he replied flatly..

She pouted her lips... "Inniku konjam bayamaa irukku adhaan.."

"Inniku yenna appadi dhideer bayam..?yedhaavdhu pei bhoodham varennu call sheet kuduthirukaa..?"he asked sarcastically...

If it was another day she would have given back him nicely...but today she was in dire need of his help ..so with great difficulty she controlled her ready to pounce' tongue and replied very calmly..

"Yenakku high fever aa irukku..adhaan rumba weak ah feel panren.."

He looked at her doubtfully...

"Doubt aa irundhaa ..Nee vennaa thottu paaru..."she held his hand and brought it to her forehead..

He snatched his hand back immediately..

The wound she had created in his heart were still alive and he couldn't forget that easily..

She felt like had a tight slap but she shrugged off the feeling as she knew she had tasted her own medicine..

Despite the touch last for less than a second he could feel her high temperature..

"Fever aah irundhaa doctor kitta pogavendiyadhu dhaane..inga yedhukku avndha..?"

"Indha neradhula yendha doctor irupaanga...?"

"Adhukaaga appadiye viduradhaa..yethanai 24 hours hospitals irukku?vaa polaam naan kootittu poren.." however he tried hard to talk sternly he couldn't avoid the concern visible in his tone..

"Naan tablet pottiruken.. kaalaila sari aagidum.."

He surprised with widened eyes..

"Neenga Rajalakshmi MBBS nu sollave ilalye..?" He asked mockingly...

"Paracetamol saapitaa fever koraium nu therinjikka MBBS padikka thevai illai.."

"But fever verum symptom dhaan..adhu varadhukku route cause yennanu specialist aa la dhaan kandu pidikka mudium..?" he was stating his point..

"Naan specialist illai dhaan..but indha fever ku route cause yennanu yeankku theriyuim..

Naan romba tension aana ippadi dhaan fever varum..nallaa thoongi yezhundhaa kaalaila sariyaa podium.." she said as a matter of fact..

Both were remembered the other night when Raji has had high fever...it rekindled the hidden pain in him...after a heavy silence he came out of his thought and asked with little irritated tone..

"Appo thoonga vendiyadhu dhaane..?'

"Adhukku dhaan inga vandhen..." she replied childishly...

"Loosu maadhiri pesaadha Raji..indha nerathula nee yen flat ku varradhai yaaraavadhu paarthaa yenna ninaipaanga?"

"Yaen ..nee kooda dhaan anniku yen veetla night stay panna..?" she argued...

"Oh.. ippo tit for tat' aa..neeyum yen veetla vandhu thangina dhaan andha kanakku ner aagumaa?"he asked in frustration..

"Pls Karthik ...yenakku thaniyaa irukka oru maadhiri tension aa iruku adhaan kekuren..pls.." he looked into her pleading eyes and nodded his head slowly..

"OK..nee bed la paduthukko..naan sofa la paduthukaren..."he bent down to get a pillow for him..

"Illai naan sofa la thoongaren...unnoda height ku adhu sariyaa irukaadhu.."

She stopped in the mid by his intimidating look..

"Nee bed la thoongara that is final ok.."

He ordered her stubbornly and went to sleep on sofa..

She showed her tongue at his retreating back in playfully...and cover her face with the duvet and tried to catch some sleep..

Raji was tossing and turning and she didn't slept a bit..she could hear the rhythmic sound of his breath..

She slowly slides down from the bed and went near him and sat on the floor...she laid her head on his lap..and holding his hand she slept peacefully..

In the mid night Karthik's sleep was disturbed by the warmness on his lap..

He woke up immediately and found Raji was sleeping like a kid by holding his hand..

The sight was heart wrenching for him...she looked very fragile ...his heart melted at the sight.. he slowly stood up without disturbing her sleep..and scooped her in his arms like a child and laid her on the bed tucked her under the duvet securely ...and looked at her innocent face lovingly for a while and went back to his place...

Next morning while Raji was wake up she had found she was in a strange place..nothing was familiar to her...it took a moment for her to recollect the things happened in night..

It was almost 12 am..the tightly closed screen didn't let the hot rays of the bright sun light in...it clearly showed the warmth of the person who had closed the screens..

She searched for him running her eyes around the house..he was not seen..finally she had found a note on the side table..

"I am leaving to office...

Prepared breakfast and lunch ..kept at table...do eat ur meal on time..take ur medicine..

I will be back soon...

U no need to come to office today take rest.."

No... "From" ,no" To"... no name... nothing..its just a note..not addressed to anyone..

She didn't expect him to call her dear Raji..but atleast she had expected a plain Raji..he was not even ready to address her name atleast in the letter too..that much hatred she had built in his mind...her eyes wetted with the realization of the intensity of his aversion..

Suddenly her phone ringed...

It was him..she answered with the heavy heart.. "Hello.."

"How do u feel now?" he asked out rightly..

"Feeling better..."she replied curtly

"Breakfast saapitiyaa?"

"ummm.."

"Ippo muzhichittu dhaane irukka..?' he enquired her...

"yes..."she replied in monosyllable...

He passed for a second and asked...

"konjam door open panna mudiyumaa...I am standing outside.."

She was surprised and looked through the door lens..he was standing behind the door...

"Key yenga irukku ..?"she asked..

"kadhauvukku pakkathula irukka shelf la irukkum spare key.."

She took the key and opened the door..and looked at him awe..

She couldn't control her heart jumped in joy..he had come for her..and only for her..whatever may be the situation and how much she messed up things ..one thing was obvious to her..her karthik would never leave her..he couldn't hate her for sure..as the new realaization drown in ner face beamed in joy and her eyes lit up with delight..

"yenna?" he asked scowled at her stupidly grinning face ...

"You have the key with u..then why u have asked me to open.?'

"Oru ponnu thaniyaa irukara yedathukku appdai just like that nulaiyaradhu avlo manners kedaiyaadhu..."He replied nonchalantly..

She doesn't know how to react..except regretting her deeds once again.. "ivana poi thappaa nenaichome..." She came out of her thought and asked..

"Yenna ivlo seekiram vandhuta?"

"Office la velai onnum perusaa illai..more over inniku night oorukku kelambanum illaiyaa?adhukku pack pannanum adhaan seekiram vandhuten.."he said looking elsewhere than at her eyes..

She very well knew he was here for her only..the realization had lit up her mood and her face beamed..

Mean while He checked the vessels and shouted at her..

"Yenna yedhuveme sapidaama irukka?appo saapitennu poi sonniyaa?'

She jolted with his intimidating look...

"Adhu ippo dhaan muzhichen innimel dhan saapidanum.."she replied gulping hard..

"Ok nee fresh up pannitu vaa,naan Tiffin ah reheat panren.."

She had her breakfast silently...he sipped the juice and an awkward silence prevailed there..

Raji's eyes were pooled with his concern over her how much I have tested his patience.till he is the same not even changed a bit. Except for the rough and tough exterior he had pretending himself to be..

Inside still the same loving and caring Karthik...

She looked at him with regretting eyes and also full of emotions..he couldn't face the gaze further and detached his eyes from her..he knew he would lost the battle if he stayed further..he got up at once to walked away...but she caught his hand in mid..

He looked back at her over his shoulder..

"I am sorry Karthik.." her face and eyes reflecting sincerity and it clearly visible that she was really regretting..

With a sigh he pulled off his hand slowly and walked off without a word...

"I mean it Karthik...I am extremely sorry..."she asked again...

He turned to face her straight...

"Don't u think it's too early to feel and ask sorry.." his voice full of sarcastic.. and mockery..

She bent her head down in remorse..and a drop of tear shattered on the floor..

Karthik closed his eyes in agony ...

"Raji let it be..it will take some time for me to heel..don't worry I will be normal soon..take care of ur health first..." turned to walk ahead...but he stopped in his track hearing a meek whisper of "Karthik" from her...

He rushed to her immediately and caught her instantly before she hit the floor unconscious...

He cocooned her in his arms and took her to place her in bed..while walking he noticed that she was slightly peeped open her eye and closed it immediately..but he caught the sight on time and understood her prank and his slightly melted heart had gone rigid again...and he thumped her on the bed with force..

"oouucchhh.."she whined in pain holding her back..

He smirked at her and said..

"Don't play with me..keep all your dramas out of me..."

She looked at him with fuming face..

To be continued...