Nenjamellam kadhal

Chapter-29

                                                                                Sakthi

Upon hearing her, I froze. My father's voice echoed in the room: "Lakshmi, you've spoken enough. En pullaya pathi ellam pesinadhu podhum, ellam kelambhu, edatha gaali pannunga, mela yaradhu oru vaartha pesina na enna pannuvenu enakey theriadhu." His words were forceful, making everyone vacate the room.

No one seemed surprised, indicating that everyone else knew about my adoption except for me. With tears in my eyes, I turned to my dada and questioned, "Did you really adopt me? Why"

He hesitated for a second before he spoke. " I connected with you as my own from the moment I held you. There was a challenging phase in my life when I had no grip over my life, and you became my anchor and  peace. After realising your importance in my life, I desperately wanted you to be mine, and then I pleaded and convinced your mother to let me adopt you. She initially refused, but eventually agreed because she loved me enough to give you to me."

"But why didn't you tell me? enna unkuda vachikama ingaye iruka vituta? Unakum na vendamnu nenachia?" I pressed on.

He wrapped his arms around me and buried my face in his chest and confessed, " Na unga ammata, enaku kolandhaya kuduthru nu kenjinappa, unna enaku manasara adopt panni kuduka othukitta, aana papers sign panna munnadi enta irundhu en kolandhaya pirichidadhanu aludha. En akka, enakaga ava kolandhaya thooki kuduthruka, appo avata irundhu ava kolandhaya pirika enaku manasu varala. Enkuda irundha unaku amma, anna akka irundhruka matanga, adha nee peria ponnu anadhum, unta solli, puria vachu enkuda kootitu polam nu wait pannen.

Enaku nee en ponnudhanu legal papers irukradhey avlo peria sandhosham. Enkuda en ponnu onna illa avlodha, aana mathapadi, oru appava enna pannanumo adhu ellamey nandha unaku pannen. Na en life la adhigama enaku venumnu asapatta orey oru vishayam, nee dha da muthukutty. En ponnu enkuda irukanum, adhavida peria sandhosham vera edhum illa enaku. I've waited patiently for a long time, hoping that one day you'd understand and come to me willingly."

Feeling overwhelmed, "Is that why you've always referred to me as your daughter? And I grew up calling you dada instead of mama." I inquired, wiping my tears away.

He hummed in agreement, and I whispered, " So, am I right in thinking that her guilt led her to be a helicopter mother for me and start controlling everything around me, overcompensating for the choices she made?"

With a slight grin on his face, he replied, "Sathama pesadha, amma vara, avalukku ketuchu, unta sanda poduva."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I nodded and whispered. "Then, can we go home? No matter how much you think you are separating from my parents, I am always lonely and unwanted here."

He agreed with me, saying, "Let's go to our home," and wiped away my tears while planting a kiss on my head.

Later, as I headed to my room, my thoughts were in disarray, and tears continued to stream down my face. My family, particularly my father and brother, remained mostly silent during the confrontation, which could indicate that they deeply accepted their point of view. I packed my belongings, determined to leave this place where I felt unwanted. Rolling my trolleys into the living room, I announced, "I am going to stay with Dada."

My mother questioned," When will you be back?"

I decided to take a major step and said, "I want to join SPS next semester, so probably I won't return anytime soon."