chapter 58

Author's POV"Dei Agathiyaa!"Agathiyan was startled for a moment and turned around to find Aadhavan standing there. A wave of relief washed over him, and he let out a sigh. "En daa?"Agathiyan sighed again, feeling the weight of the day's events pressing down on him. Aadhavan rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by his brother's demeanor."Sir, inga ena pandreinga?" (What are you doing here, sir?)Aadhavan asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and mild exasperation. Agathiyan sighed once more, turning his gaze to the outer wall before finally meeting his brother's eyes. "What do you think?" he replied, his voice tinged with defeat.Aadhavan nodded in understanding. "Understood. I'm here to meet my wife, and you want to meet your wife, right?""Hmm," Agathiyan nodded, the weight of his troubles still evident in his expression. Aadhavan let out another sigh, this one heavier than the last. "Okay, follow me," he said, motioning for Agathiyan to walk with him towards the other side.Agathiyan furrowed his brows, hesitating for a moment before deciding to stay put. Aadhavan stopped in his tracks, turning back to face his brother with a resigned sigh. "I know it was you who told me about this route, but you didn't have to use it for the past five years. In between, our dear mamanar caught me once, so this way is blocked. If you try to jump from this side, it will be live telecasted on our mamanar's phone. Considering the fact that both his daughters are at home, that man surely won't sleep tonight. So, follow me, I found another way."Aadhavan's explanation was met with a raised brow from Agathiyan, who couldn't help but appreciate his brother's resourcefulness. They continued walking to the other side, and as they made their way through the dimly lit pathway, Aadhavan couldn't help but ask, "By the way, why are you using this way? You are the eldest son-in-law of the family. You live in other districts and rarely come here, so you will surely get a grand welcome, right? Even mama will tolerate you.""You are right, but the problem is not our mamanar but my dear wife, who is angry at me," Agathiyan admitted sadly, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his confession. Aadhavan stopped once more, looking at his brother with a mixture of doubt and concern."What do you mean?""What??""Thulir is angry at you? And she came to her mother's home? And you want me to believe it?" Aadhavan asked, raising his brows skeptically. Agathiyan rolled his eyes in response. "Dei, believe me da.""But how... What happened suddenly? You both went somewhere in the evening and were happy. Then what happened?"Aadhavan questioned, his curiosity piqued. Agathiyan sighed deeply, trying to gather his thoughts. "An argument happened. I don't know why she reacted that impulsively. This was supposed to be a happy day but ended up worse. We had an argument, and she left in the auto that passed by. I mean, she never does that. She always tries to have a conversation and mend things, at least after our marriage. I still can't believe what happened. Do I look like a male chauvinistic and egoistic man who wants a weak woman?"Aadhavan's concern deepened as he listened to his brother's account. "What exactly happened?"he asked, hoping to get to the bottom of the situation. Agathiyan took a deep breath and began to explain the events that had led to their current predicament.Flashback people"CARE TO EXPLAIN, MRS. THULIR AGATHIYAN?"Agathiyan asked her with raised brows, his voice laced with frustration. Thulir narrowed her eyes at him, his strict tone having zero effect on her as it never did. Not wanting any conversation at the moment, Thulir said, "You never asked. Now let's go. On the way, we will pick up Malar and Alar from Uyir Residence."She started walking towards the car parking, her steps brisk and determined. Agathiyan, already irritated and angry after knowing that Thulir had chosen Mozhi for him—even though it didn't happen—couldn't digest it. The fact that Thulir writes and Mozhi knows it but not him added more frustration. On top of that, his wife avoiding the topic and dismissing his question coolly didn't sit well with him. If it was someone else, he wouldn't mind and let it go, but in this mood, it felt like deep disrespect, and he didn't want to tolerate it. He walked faster than her, and in a few strides, he caught her elbow, stopping her and making her face him. The pressure he put on her arm was surely going to leave a mark, and her face showed the distress, which he knew but chose to ignore at the moment."Don't walk away from me, okay? Answer me—why do I not know about your writing, but she does?""Agathiya... Not now... We'll talk about this later.""I want to talk now.""Oh, then talk to yourself. I'm waiting in the car.""Thulir... don't test my patience... Is she that much more important to you than me, huh? I am your husband, but I don't know what you do?"He asked, his voice rising with each word. Thulir took a deep breath to control her rising temper along with the pain she felt under his hold."I am not responsible for your assumption that I would be sleeping at home when you and our daughters are not there. And you heard her—how she knows about my writing. I didn't go and broadcast it to anyone. Now leave my hand. I don't want to talk further now."Thulir seethed, her eyes throwing fury. Agathiyan took a deep breath and let go of her elbow. She turned to walk, but he blocked her way again. She looked up and glared at him, her eyes blazing with anger."Okay, let's leave that writing part. But even after knowing she was the one who complained against me, how the hell did you choose her to be my wife? That was the only black mark in my career, which I still couldn't get over. And you chose her for what? To destroy my whole career and disrupt my life forever? You lost your senses. I couldn't have forgiven you if it was anyone else, but her? Really? What were you even thinking while doing it? Don't you know how insane I went during that case?"He asked, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt."No, I don't know the impact that case had on you until you said it now. Even now, you didn't say it completely and chose to keep it to yourself, so I have no idea about that. And what? Your wife? Then who am I, huh? And I already told you, I didn't search for another wife for you but a mother for my daughters. What did you expect from me, huh? That I would search for a weak and innocent girl to be the submissive wife who would serve you? You are just proving you are like other men—male chauvinistic and egoistic men who can't stand a strong woman and expect a weak wife to toy around with as you wish."Thulir retorted, her voice sharp and cutting deep. Agathiyan's anger flared, his face contorting with rage. Taking a deep breath, Thulir composed herself and said, "Let's go.""Where?"Agathiyan asked....Thulir's eyes narrowed he continued. "Is there anyone else left you want me to meet now? Who's next, that criminal who tried to honeytrap me?"Agathiyan's expression hardened, his fists clenching at his sides. Thulir, not wanting to say something she might regret, fisted her hands as well. She walked past him, her steps deliberate and controlled. Just then, an auto pulled up. Without a second glance at Agathiyan, she climbed in and left, leaving him standing there, watching her disappear down the road.Flashback ends When Agathiyan finished explaining, he looked at Aadhavan, who shook his head in disbelief."She fucking warned you to shut the fuck up, and you decided to speak right there? Why?"Aadhavan asked, his voice a mix of frustration and disbelief. Agathiyan glared at him, but his brother wasn't intimidated in the slightest."She just needed time to settle down. She knows that whatever she says in that state won't end well. That's why she warned you, but you didn't get the cue.""What do you mean? She was getting angry and spoke to me like that, and you're blaming me? Really?"Agathiyan asked in disbelief. Aadhavan looked at him with narrowed eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking."Agathiya... Thulir met her senior during her undergraduate years—the phase where you disappeared from her life to focus on your exams and academy. During that time, Thulir and I were best friends, and she shared everything with me, including details about this senior. From that knowledge and experience, I'd like to give you this life advice. It might be like crying over spilled milk now, but it could be useful in the future.""Dei, solithola da.""Okay... When Thulir says she meets Mozhi, her independent woman mode is supercharged, and she loathes the entire male community, sparing no one. At that time, every man looks like a devil in her eyes. A man talking to her then won't ever end on a good note. She needs time to cool down and realize that she's not brave enough to live alone and throw away her dependency on any man to lead a single, happy life like Mozhi. Thulir takes that time to cool down and return to her usual self in a few hours. During that time, she avoids talking to any man, her mind battling with the possibilities of how to become Mozhi, weighing the pros and cons. In the end, she always chooses to remain herself. That's the effect Mozhi has on Thulir. She tried to avoid speaking because she knew this would happen, and you decided to mess it up. Wow, great. Now suffer like this."Aadhavan said, throwing his hands up in irritation. Agathiyan furrowed his brows, and after a long pause, he asked,"It's been two hours, so now my wife would be in normal mode, right?"Aadhavan narrowed his eyes at his brother."Yeah, she'd be normal, but the problem is even Normal Thulir isn't going to easily accept what you blurted out last. So, all the best. Anyway, come fast. I have to go to my Imsairani."Aadhavan said with excitement about meeting his wife. They both climbed the wall in the darkness, jumped to the other side, and silently sneaked into the house. They were met by the sight of Thuyavan pacing back and forth in tension. He stopped and looked at the duo with raised brows, folding his arms in front of him. Both Agathiyan and Aadhavan exchanged glances and sighed.Â