Love Scars by Kalai Selvi Arivalagan (100 best novels of all time .TXT) 📖

the front-yard. Within mintues, Saranya impressed her with her skill in making lengthy strings of flowers that was thick and tightly strewn. As usual, his mother cut those strings of flowers into four equal pieces and pinned those thick strings of flowers on her plaited her. The fragrance of flowers spread a heavenly perfume around the hall and he could not stop wondering what are the other surprises she would have for him.

 

He picked a bunch of jasmine flowers from the nearby bush and kept them on the dashboard of his car. They brought inside a heavenly fragrance that reminded him of his mother and Saranya together.

 

“I am so lucky.” He smiled. As a coincidence, Saranya called him.

 

“Where are you now?” She questioned eagerly.

 

“Just now had my evening tiffin. I am starting my way to Chennai.”

 

“Ok. I am just getting ready to go to the temple. Take care. Don’t drive fast.” She advised.

 

“Sure”

 

“Hope, you will be here for the weekend.”

 

“Yes. I think, I could not wait for these three days. Take care. Bye.” He entered the national highway with a beaming smile and wished those three days will move away fast.

Chapter 10

 

I live with him, I hear his voice,

I stand alive to-day

To witness to the certainty

Of immortality. Emily Dickinson

 

Saranya could not forget his voice over the phone when he called her before that life-changing accident. Though she didn’t record their conversation, one of her close friends managed to get the recording from the company. She kept on listening to the audio again and again till she felt tired. She will definitely not feel bored, but it made her feel more depressed. Before she went to sleep, she never failed to hear the conversation at least once.

 

Half-way through the sleep she often wakes up with disturbing night mares. She could invitably feel the presence of his soul around her that made her dumb, searching for words to express her pain.

 

In the middle of the night, when the whole home slept and there was silence everywhere, she woke up. She could hear him calling her in whispers. The dark shadows moved along the window curtains and mimicked their time together in gentle gestures. Every move of the curtain brought in her fresh memories of their days spent together in hopes and dreams for a wonderful future.

 

“Saran” Whenever he called her, it set its imprint not only to her but also to the air that surrounded them and vibrated every minute particle in the air with love. Every human voice has a unique tone that is all its own. It carried its own signature and traits. No two voices are alike. Saranya felt his voice vibrating with tenderness that touched her with a warm caress. He loved talking to her over phone. Satish admired her voice and it sounded so musical when she spoke to him over the phone.

 

“You have a mesmerizing voice over the phone.” He told her for the hundredth time.

 

Saranya spoke so softly and it was always difficult for the other person to decide what she spoke to them.

 

Whenever she went shopping, the person at the shop will never understand what she is asking for. Even if she repeated again and again, they will keep on asking her what she really wanted. But things were different with Satish. He understood whatever she spoke at the first instance and never asked her to repeat.

 

“Will you stop listening to that recording?” Her mother pleaded.

 

“This is the only thing that gives me the comfort.” She refused to stop listening.

 

“I understand. But, that will make you feel more depressed. Please.”

 

“Ok.” She kept her mobile aside and took a book for reading.

 

“Don’t stay late. Try to get some sleep.” Her mother closed the door gently before she left the room.

 

Saranya felt sad for her mother. Her parents were in a confused state of mind and they could not accept what happened to her. They felt responsible for whatever that happened. Though Saranya requested her parents to wait for a while before finalising the marriage proposal.

 

Somewhere at heart, she felt this alliance may not materialise and she did not want to get married so soon and leave her parents alone. Every one in the family felt the proposal to be a good one and she must not refuse. Her maternal uncles advised her to continue her studies after marriage, and they will request the bridegroom’s parents to agree for that. After her sister’s sudden demise, both of her parents stayed aloof without talking to anyone. Not only to the family members, but also to their relatives, friends and neighbours. Whenever she saw her father’s fragile figure, she felt broken and desperately wanted to set things right at home by making them happy and be normal again.

 

From morning to evening, she engaged herself with many activities, both at home and college. But, at night, she could not sleep immediately. Numerous questions sprang before her mind and her future looked bleak and dark. She yearned for his nearness and she kept on questioning why that should happen to her.

Chapter 11

 

Oh yes, getting

A man to love is easy, but living

Without him afterwards may have to be

Faced. A living without life when you move

Around, meeting strangers, with your eyes that

Gave up their search, with ears that hear only

His last voice calling out your name and your

Body which once under his touch had gleamed

Like burnished brass, now drab and destitute. Kamala Das

 

Saranya spent just a week at her husband’s home. Though her in-laws wanted her to be with them, her parents were reluctant to leave her there alone. They promised them that they wanted Saranya to spend sometime with them and then decide what to do then.

 

The sudden demise of Satish had shocked his mother to the core and she fell down unconscious when she heard the news and had to be hospitalised for a few days. The doctors allowed her to go home for a short time to attend the funeral rites of Satish, and someone was always near to attend her.

 

It was only a few weeks after her marriage, and she was not familiar with anyone in the family except Satish. There was not much time to explore each other’s likes and dislikes and it was just the beginning of their lives. Right from the beginning, Satish’s mother had a liking for her, and she wanted Saranya to be near her always. She felt by being Saranya somehow made her feel at peace and she believed that would be the best thing Satish would have also wished.

 

In that sprawling house, Saranya was familiar only with their room at the upstairs and the stairs that lead to the terrace. She had never been alone at the kitchen or the hall. Satish always accompanied her at the dining table, and sat along with her in the hall when the whole family sat together to watch television. Her mother-in-law was kind enough not to insist her to be at the kitchen to help her cook or set the dining table. Even the little children at home wanted to play with her and get familiar with her. But, she could not spare her time for everyday, they visited someone’s house to have a wonderful lunch or spend their time watching the latest movies in the local cinema halls.

 

Saranya smiled a lot but spoke a very little. Though the family looked lovingly caring, and wished her to be happy at all instance, Saranya thought it will definitely take some more months to understand the members of the family, and she could not tell how far they are good or happy with her. Being so attached to her son, she did not refuse, when Satish decided to move to Chennai along with Saranya just after 30 days of marriage.

 

 Saranya wanted to spend some more time with her parents before she could move along with him to Chennai. If she immediately moved to Chennai, her parents will be left alone. Saranya wished she lived at least near them in the same town, so that she will be able to meet them every day or on alternate days. Moving away to Chennai made her heart feel happy and sad at the same time. She felt thrilled to start her life at Chennai and wished her mother will stay with her for sometime. Saranya’s mother did not want to leave her father alone at home.

 

Initial days in Chennai went smoothly and fast. She had ample time to spend herself and used the time to set things at home as Satish discussed with her. The neighbours in the apartments were neither friendly or indifferent, they all went on with their work and days at Chennai were completely different from the days at her native.

 

In the beginning, even the children didn’t smile at her. One day when she was buying vegetables from the vendor at the apartment gate, a toddler who was moving around with her walker tugged her saree and smiled at her. She bent down and kissed her. The little girl clapped her hands gleefully. From that day onwards, her evenings were spent with them and she loved watching them play till Satish came home from the office.

 

Sarany started to relish the warmth of married life. The whole world turned to be a happy place and she learned to accept and forget the painful days that they all went through after her sister’s sudden demise. With a life brimming with hope and happiness, she believed that her sister’s soul would bless her with more happiness. Saranya wished her sister to be born as her baby and thus bringing their lives to be a fulfilled one.

 

To her surprise, one of her neighbours, her husband’s colleague, arranged for a welcome lunch on a Sunday. That Sunday evening was a memorable one, for the little children at the apartments arranged for some entertaintment program at the space in the courtyard. As a token of thanks, Satish arranged for a wondeful buffet dinner at home and invited everyone at the apartment to their home. Smiling, and smiling, and smiling, Saranya felt content and happy and thanked god for giving her such a wonderful married life

 

Saranya’s parents wanted her to start her family immediately. Though no one at home wanted to go for work, Saranya wanted to start going for work in Chennai. A city life will be completely different from the life at a small town, and she wanted to explore the possibilities of strengthening her knowledge and love for language. Satish