Chapter -33

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                                                                                             Sakthi

The present-day.....

My trip down memory lane was cut short when the car came to a halt. My father patted me awake after parking the car on the front porch. I sat up from the back seat and exited, taking the package with me. Mukhil Anna handed me the package. When I asked where he got it, he said a small girl gave it to him to give to me. I think this would be from the unknown.

My mother rolled down the passenger window as I approached it. I crouched down to the height of the window to say, "Abi yaarunu enaku strike agala, agave venam. Nee solra maaplaya neeye katiko enaku arrange marriage ellam set agadhu. Relatives la irundhu ellam kandipa enaku venam, na tirupi varapo Italian maaplaioda varen nee konjam porumaya iru."

My mother gave me a light slap. "Nee adhukellam set agamata. Podi nee epaum correct ah panradhu thunguradhudha poi adhu pannu po. Nalaiki kalela veetuku vandhu seru d, angaye iru Italy pora varaikum, or at least one day iru enga kuda, please."

I said with a grin, "Sari varen enaku pudicha dish ellam ennanu nyabagam vachirukia ila marandhutia ? adhellam cook aunty ah panni vaika sollu. Bye na thunga poren ."

Upon entering the house, when I did not see thatha dada out, I went to my room, placed the parcel on my bedside table, changed into a nightdress, and lay on the bed to look through the photos I had taken that day. I chose a few photos of myself that I liked and updated my WhatsApp and Instagram profile pictures.

When I opened the package, there were two men's shirts in a red, white, and navy blue checked pattern, as well as another with multiple colour-checked patterns similar to the first. Loosa ivan, indha shirt edhuku enaku anupirukannu therilaye. In the end, I just tossed the shirts onto the pile of things I had bought and slept after uploading pictures of my cousins, Sakthivel, and the wedding couple to WhatsApp and Instagram.

My sleep was disrupted the next morning by the ringing of my phone. With my eyes half-open, I answered Mom's call, and my ears were assaulted by Amar and Navya's high-pitched shrieks. "Sakthi epo varuva? chinna babies naangaley endrichu, kulichu ready aagi waiting, nee innum thungura eyes kuda open panama? Bad Sakthi. " In the background, I could hear my mother asking them to call me Chithi and Athai. "Sari sikiram endrichu va. Nanga ippo velada porom unaku dha wait panrom. Nee vandhadhum sendhu police and theif veladalam".

They returned my phone to my mother. "Nee elupuna endrika matenu kathi elupa aal set panirukia ma nee?" My mother burst out laughing.

I mumbled. "Vai na kelambi varen. Eppo paaru na thunguna yarukkum porukadhu."

However, I was too sluggish to get out of bed and started to check my phone. I looked through the comments I had received on my upload from yesterday on WhatsApp and Instagram. On WhatsApp, Unknown has responded to my status.

Unknown: oi alagi... Ipdi irundha, epdi na inga irundhu vela pakuradhu? You have slain me.

(open ah flirt panna arambhichitaney.)

Unknown: This colour suits you. But I like you in red.

Unknown: Do you know why?

Unknown: When I first saw you in person for the first time, you were in a red dress.

I thought to myself, "First pathapova, ayayo nammata naraya red irukey. Appavum ippovum eppo paru red poduvomey. Ivan solradhu short list panna vaipu illa raja.'

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