Janani: Alright, wake him up and tell him to come eat.
Ramya: Amuthan, wake up! "Come and eat, man."
Janani: "What on earth? Is he really calling you so casually—using such informal terms?"
Ramya: "Well, *he's* the one who told me to call him that way."
Janani: "Fair enough! You’ve certainly got your husband wrapped around your little finger just a short while after getting married. Good for you! Now, go ahead and ask him exactly what he likes, and then conduct yourself accordingly; that’s the only way he’ll keep doting on you and following you around."
Ramya: "Alright, Janani." Later, after Amuthan woke up, the five of them sat down and ate together.
Ajay: "Amuthan," he said, "why don't you feed Ramya a little bit while you eat?"
Following his suggestion, Amuthan and Ramya began feeding each other as they ate.
That night, as they lay in bed, Ramya asked, "Amuthan, in what way would you like me to be—what kind of wife would you love the most?"
Amuthan: "As my wife—my 'Ramya-kutty,' as I’ll always call you—I want you to always wear a saree with your hair adorned with plenty of jasmine flowers. And every night in bed, you must take good care of me."
"When I leave for work, you should give me a kiss and say, 'I love you.'"
Ramya: "Alright, my love. Once my monthly cycle is over, I’ll be exactly the way you described. You can savor that image, show me your masculinity, and fully enjoy my femininity."
Amuthan: "Okay, Ramya-kutty. Let's get some sleep now." He switched off the light, and the two of them drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, after packing all their luggage, Amuthan, Ramya, Janani, Ajay, and Anita—the five of them—bid farewell to Parvathi and set off on their journey.
Ramya: "Wait a minute, Amuthan," she said. She then fell at Parvathi’s feet to seek her blessings. "I’m leaving now, Akka. For as long as I stayed here, you looked after me just like your own daughter."
Parvathi: "Don't mention it, Ramya! No matter where you are, you will always be my daughter." She blessed her, saying, "May you remain a *Sumangali*—a woman blessed with a long married life—forever adorned with the auspicious symbols of turmeric and vermilion." Then, saying, "Wait just a moment," she retrieved a long strand of jasmine flowers from the fridge, placed them in Ramya’s hair, and sent her off with the words, "Go now, and have a safe journey!" Afterward, the group hailed a taxi, traveled to the railway station, and took a train back to Chennai.
Anita: "Janani..." "I’ll take an auto-rickshaw home; please look after Ramya Akka safely."
Janani replied, "She is the daughter-in-law of our house; we will take care of her. You go ahead," and sent him on his way. Then, she called Krishnavathi and said, "Mom, we have arrived in Chennai and will be home very soon. We are bringing a friend along with us; please arrange for an *Aarti* ceremony for her."
Krishnavathi replied, "Alright, Janani."
Subsequently, the four of them hailed a taxi and headed home. At the entrance, their mother, Krishnavathi, stood waiting with the *Aarti* platter.
Looking at Ramya, Krishnavathi asked, "How did she end up here?"
Amuthan replied, "Mom, we can discuss all that later. I have married her. First, please perform the *Aarti* for both of us and welcome us inside."
With a look of shock, Krishnavathi performed the *Aarti* for both of them, applied *kumkum* to their foreheads, and ushered them inside; she then stepped out, poured the *Aarti* water onto the street, and returned.
To be continued.....
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