chapter 12

Author's POV "Paah, I'm alright... what was the need to bring a doctor all the way from Chennai, huh? As if there are no doctors in Thanjavur. And why did you bring these two? I don't see the necessity, it's just a simple sprain, Paa  my phone slipped and the display broke that's why I didn't attended your call ,I had planned to get it repaired or buy a new one today. And you left Devaki and Jai alone, even though you knew today was her check-up, and now you all are here..... it's just a sprain but you brought a double headache with you "Thulir was scolding her father, Jayadev, who listened to all her complaints in silence, never retorting—just as it had always been. Jayadev never raised his voice against his daughters; they were his life. Although he sometimes scolded Thuyavan for his actions, he never did so with his daughter, especially Thulir, who had always been the troublemaker since childhood. Yet, he always supported her. If she fell ill, he would remain by her side until she recovered, neglecting to eat properly or even go to the office until she was well."Akka, why are you scolding Appa? He was worried about you. You know him well, he won't be able to sleep until he hears your voice every day. Yet, you choose to ignore this and now you're scolding him...We only know how impatient he was till he gets to see you in person...and about our arrival... Even if Appa hadn't brought us, we would have come on our own since our Board exams are finished and we have ample time to choose a college. So, please stop scolding him and reflect on yourself. It may be a simple sprain for you, but remember how he felt when you fell down the stairs and broke your legs, he cried more than you did. Don't dare to scold him again."Thalir seethed at her sister, she couldn't bear anyone scolding her father, even if it was her own sister and mother. Meanwhile, Thuyavan sipped another can of coke, relishing his sisters' quarrel. Accustomed to their bickering, he knew better than to intervene, as it would only turn their anger towards him... Thus, he opted to remain a spectator, just like his father. Both father and son exchanged a knowing glance and shrugged their shoulders, resigned to wait until Uyir arrived to silence her daughters.So what happened was , Thulir, in a fit of frustration, broke her phone the day before, which prevented her from answering her father's calls. This caused Jayadev to panic about his eldest daughter, prompting him to drive overnight from Chennai without delay, bringing a doctor with him. Fortunately, her uncles were unaware of their visit, or they would have come as well.Uyir, too, was aware of her husband's panic mode concerning their daughters. came along and the Twins already decided to spend their leave with their sister just preponed the plan and came along ...Aware of Uyir's preferences, Jayadev took precautions. He called Sudha ma, the caretaker of the house, to assist Thulir with cleaning. Jayadev wanted to prevent Thulir from receiving an earful if Uyir encountered any mess. Therefore, whenever they planned a visit to Thulir's, Jayadev made sure to call Sudha Ma to help Thulir tidy up the house.Even in such a state of panic, he didn't fail to call her. When Sudha Ma arrived and found the house in disarray with Thulir lying on the floor, her initial fear gave way to action as she helped Thulir onto the sofa, applied ointment to her ankle, and tidied up the mess. She considered informing Jayadev about the incident, but Thulir's constant pleading and requests stopped her.It was a traditional 3BHK house with an unspoken family rule: everyone should pursue their studies away from home, either in a hostel or a shared rental. This was to ensure they understood the outside world, and the value of money and family. Gowri ensured all five siblings adhered to this pattern, with no exceptions, not even for Uyir. This tradition is now being passed down to their children—Agathiyan, Aadhavan, Thulir, and Amudhan—all studied away from Chennai....Thalir and Thuyavan have just finished their schooling, and the same expectations extend to the younger ones of the family too...Thulir completed her bachelor's and master's degrees while staying in a hostel. For her PhD, she rented a house with two friends. However, they got married and moved out, leaving her alone. She chose not to return to the hostel due to mismatched timings and her travel commitments. Being comfortable with solitude, she managed well on her own. To lessen her financial burden, Jayadev purchased the house for her, allowing her to use her stipend for other expenses.After Uyir returned from buying groceries, Thulir and Thuyavan assisted their mother in cooking, while Jayadev ensured his elder daughter stayed in bed, taking care of her and persuading her to forgive him, which she eventually did. She couldn't stay mad at her father for long.The following day, Jayadev and Uyir departed for Chennai because Dev had an important meeting to attend, which he had previously cancelled. According to the plan, the twins stayed behind with their sister. Thulir certainly didn't want that, knowing Thalir's curious nature, it's difficult to keep things hidden from her. Thuyavan does ask questions, but he mostly refrains from troubling his sisters, allowing the ladies some privacy. but always check upon them from time to time...That night, the trio enjoyed a movie marathon and had fun in the days that followed. It wasn't as bad a decision as Thulir had anticipated. In contrast, her siblings kept her engaged, helping her to dwell less on those two and avoid hurting herself. Thalir slept beside Thulir, while Thuyavan took the adjacent room, though he often ended up sleeping in the hall to guard his sisters, especially Thalir...She is afraid of being alone, and when she gets thirsty at night, she has to go to the kitchen for water. She also has a habit of eating at night and often wakes up Thuyavan to keep her company. Her fear of sleeping alone is a major reason why the twins still share the same room, each with their own bed and separate sections in the wardrobe and cupboards.Uyir's daughters are quite the opposite of her, they speak a lot and loudly. However, they do share similarities with their grandmothers.Thulir shares similarities with Gowri in her stubbornness and strength, Thalir possesses the childlike innocence of Devaki. Both of them predominantly reflect their father's personality.Thuyavan is just the male version of his mother....Thulir was reviewing her thesis, while Thalir, lying beside her, scrolled through her phone. After some time, Thalir called out to her sister."Akkaaa...""Hmmmmm""Akkaaaaaa"Thalir stressed and prolonged this time to get her sister's attention....Thulir understood that her sister is not going to let her complete her work so she decided to postpone the work later considering that she still have a week for DC Submission.Setting her laptop aside, Thulir turned to her sister, who had just sat up. She then climbed down from the bed, tiptoed to the door, and peeked out to check on Thuyavan, who was sleeping soundly, likely exhausted from playing outside most of the day. Thalir quietly closed the door, returned to the bed, and sat down facing Thulir.Thulir narrowed her eyes at her little sister's acts..."Ena Thalir ""Akka I will ask you something don't lie okay""Pshhh...sleep Thalir I have to go early Tomorrow  "Thulir said  lazily and about to lie down but stopped hearing Thalir...."You love Agathiyan don't you Akka?""Thalirr...."Thulir was shocked she surely didn't expected that "I know you do Akka....I found his photo below you bed and you wrote "I love you Agathiyan" behind it...and I know that's your handwriting  "Thalir explained calmly. Thulir furrowed her brow, uncertain of how to manage the situation. Concealing it from Thalir was no longer possible, nor could she accept it, given the current state of her and his relationship. she doesn't know where it stands.....She took a deep breath..."Thalir listen.........It's been over for a long time, so let's forget about this and that photo. Okay.... let's sleep ""No, Akka, it's not over. I'm not a child anymore; I can observe and understand things as well. It's evident that you're causing pain to both yourself and him. You never come home when you know he's there, and he's always looking for you, asking about you. I may not be old enough to advise, but I believe if you both sit down and talk, this issue could be resolved. And as for Aadhu's absence, it was his decision to leave, and no one else is responsible for that choice but him.......if he knows the way to leave then he know the way to come back to.........You know him more than I do......do you think he would be happy if he come back and see you and Agathiyan ignoring each other...He would surely want his best friends to be happy akka....... Perimama and others says you resemble their mother,.....I don't know her I never seen Gowri alive but surely listen to her stories through others who know her......she is someone who fights for her love and can go against all just for her Shiva....And you're giving up without even trying,  let alone fighting."