OS: T/T Everlasting Love ... (last part @ pg. 4) - Page 3

"Bang!" ... the window slams shut in the middle of the night ... and wakes Tamil up from a deep sleep ... the rain is beating against the window and the sound of thunder is echoing far away ... Tamil slides out of the bed and walks towards the window to close it ...

Thulasi turns over on the bed and groans softly ... her head tosses restlessly on the pillow ... suddenly she sits up and cries out wildly ... "No ... no Charu ... I won't ... I won't let you take him away from me ... "

Hearing her groans and anguished cries Tamil rushes towards her ... her eyes are wide with fear ... "No ... no ... go away Charu ... "

Tamil takes Thulasi in his arms and whispers soothingly ... "Kuttima ... Kuttima ... don't be afraid... it's me ... I am here... "

Her whole body is shaking ... her breath is coming out in gasps ... slowly his comforting tones and his gentle hand rubbing her back calm her fears ... "Kuttima ... are you okay?" ... She snuggles closer to him needing his warmth and the comforting strength of his arms ... ... "Ye ... yes ... " she murmurs ...

Tamil gently coaxes her ... "Do you want to tell me about your fears?" ... "No ... no... " she whispers shakily "... it's nothing ... just some bad dream ... I ... I ... guess... "

Thulasi pushes his hands away ... pulls away from him ... flops back on her pillow ... curls her body away from him ... faces the wall ... and pretends to sleep ...

Tamil strokes her hair gently ... sighs and plumping up his pillow ... goes back to a dreamless sleep...

Thulasi wraps her arms around herself ... "I will always come between you and your husband... " ... Charu's words keep ringing in her head distressing her ... tears spring in her eyes and she cries softly ... rocking herself to a restless sleep ...

Slowly the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the bedroom from the kitchen ... Tamil twitches his nose and wakes up with a start ... he squints to look at the time on his mobile ... he is late ... he jumps out of the bed and quickly enters the bathroom to take a shower ... he dresses hastily and goes into the kitchen ...

Thulasi tightens the ponytail of her freshly washed hair ... and gets back to preparing the dosai for breakfast ...

"Sorry Kuttima ... I got up late ... I should have got up early to help you in the kitchen ... " Tamil apologises and waits for her eyes to turn towards him but they don't ... leaning towards her ... he drawls out ... "Kuttima ... are you okay ... are you angry... "

Still avoiding looking at him ... Thulasi says ... "No ... no ... I'm fine ... here's your coffee ... I'll bring your breakfast to the table ... "

Tamil shrugs his shoulders and takes the coffee ... after eating their breakfast ... Tamil slings his bag across his shoulders and picks up his bike keys calling out ... "Thulasi ... come let's go ... I'm taking the bike out ... "

Thulasi peeps out of the bedroom door ... "No ... no ... you go ... Deepa said she will be coming here so I'll go to college with her ... "

Tamil looks up with a perplexed frown ... then waves out to her, starts his bike and rides out ...

Thulasi sighs deeply and closes the front door ... she is not going to college ... she cannot concentrate ... Bhu's spiteful taunts have pierced her heart ... they are driving her out of her mind ... her head is throbbing with pain ... "Can Tamil really love a person like me ... can I trust his love for me ... when Charu recovers ... will she be able to come between us again ... will I lose him all over again ... "

These thoughts keep running round and round in her mind ... driving her crazy ...

Tamil stops at the gas station to fill up his bike ... he sees Deepa and her Dad having their car filled up ... Tamil parks his bike ... walks up to them and greets Deepa's father ...

Tamil is taken aback but quickly manages to hide his expression ... bids them goodbye and walks back to his bike ... his heart pounds in his chest ... "Why did Thulasi lie? ... What's wrong with her? She hasn't been her normal self since yesterday ... it isn't like her to cry over something that an evil woman like Bhuvana had told her ... something else is bothering her ... I have to find out ... "

His mind goes back to the words Thulasi had cried out in the throes of her nightmare ... "She had cried out Charu's name ... are the thoughts of Charu still hurting her ... I have to do something to earn her trust again ... I have put it off for far too long ... "

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" ... someone is knocking at the door ... Thulasi peeps out of the window ... it's Tamil ... she is puzzled to see him back so soon ... she quickly opens the door ... Tamil comes in and keeps his bag on the chair ... Thulasi asks hesitantly ... "Did you forget something ... "

Tamil turns to look at her ... dark circles encircle her eyes ... her face is pale ... he just smiles and lifts her chin up with his finger and wills her to look at him ... she averts her eyes and tries to turn away her face ... he holds her chin more firmly ... "Yes Kuttima ... I did forget something ... I forgot how much I had hurt you ..."

Thulasi stares at him in utter confusion ... her heart beats rapidly in her chest ... Tamil continues ... " I had said such cruel things to you ... I had embarrassed you, humiliated you ... I had even made a laughing stock of our relationship ... I broke your trust in me ... I broke your heart ... I ... "

Thulasi's hushes him with her fingertips on his lips ... her eyes glimmer with unshed tears ... she blinks rapidly to stop the tears from falling down ... and shakily whispers ... "You ... you did break my heart ..."

Tamil pulls her fingers down and holding it tightly continues ... "But through all this ... remember Kuttima ... I loved you ... I missed you ... I ached for you ... I made myself sick yearning for you ... I love you Kuttima and will always love ONLY you ... when you signed the divorce papers ... my heart broke ... as soon as I was out of your door ... I tore the papers and threw the pieces on the road ... Now please tell me Kuttima ... what is bothering you ... why are you not your usual self ... what can I do to win back your trust ... "

Thulasi finds herself saying softly ... "She ... she was in love with you ... she loved you so much that she gave her life to get you back ... do you think when she recovers ... she will come back to separate us again ... "

Tamil shakes his head ... "You don't have to fear Charu ... I had wondered on several instances why she claimed to have a strong friendship with me ... however I believed her words because she emotionally abused me with guilt feelings ... "

Thulasi says quietly ... "It was tearing me apart... but now ... I ... I have got back my faith in you ... I know you can never hurt me ... I realise she cannot come between us ... I feel at peace... and I love you also very very much ... "

Thulasi reaches up to take Tamil's face between her hands and kisses his cheek ... Tamil hauls her closer to his body ... amusement curls his mouth ... he nuzzles her neck and whispers wickedly into her ears ... "Is that all I get ... just a tiny peck on my cheek ... shall I give you lessons on how to love your husband ... "

Thulasi blushes and whispers back unsteadily ... "You're shameless ... later on you can teach me all that you want me to know ... but now shall we go to the temple please ... "

Tamil sighs, grins, nods resignedly ... and gives her a quick kiss before releasing her ... Thulasi runs into the bedroom and dresses herself in a pretty pink sari ... picking up the archanai basket ... she follows her husband out of the house after locking the front door ...

At last they reach the temple ... they stop to buy some flowers and coconut and then go inside the temple ... devotees are everywhere ... offering prayers ... breaking coconuts ... going around the main temple ...

After offering their prayers ... Tamil and Thulasi seat themselves on the floor of the temple ... their bodies face each other ... their heads are close to one another as Tamil shares a joke with Thulasi ... then suddenly Thulasi bursts out laughing ...

Thulasi's heart is so light and free ... she feels so safe and confident in her husband's love for her ... confident that her husband is hers forever and no one can ever part them again ...