Keep Your Love Strings... - Kalai Selvi Arivalagan (book suggestions .TXT) 📗

 Chapter 1

 After the wedding reception, all the friends and relatives moved away from the marriage hall. Only parents and close relatives remained in the marriage hall.  As Dora’s father thought that day to be auspicious to conduct the first day celebration of their marriage, he arranged for it. Usually it happened at the bride’s place only. So, Vel has to leave his parents and friends in the marriage hall and go along with Dora and her family to her house.

Vel always talked a lot. Wherever he is, the entire place turned cheerful. But, on that day, he did not speak a word. He felt nervous and delicate. He felt shy to face anyone in Dora’s family and he sheepishly smiled at every one who wanted to exchange a word or two with him.

 Vinay has told Vel about his first day experience at Saranya’s place. He had told him, how he felt nervous and shy at a new place where he does not know any one except the newly wedded wife, and she is also completely new, and yet to be known better.

Luckily, Vel could see Vinu’s brother Sakthi at Dora’s house. He asked him to be with him for sometime. But within few minutes, Dora’s father called Sakthi and he went away leaving Vel alone.

 After some traditional rituals, Dora’s grand parents blessed Dora and Vel. All the elders of the family blessed them to have a happy married life.  Dora in her new silk saree looked like a princess. Her long hair adorned with perfumed jasmines and roses added charm to her already glowing beauty. Vel never believed Dora would look so breathtakingly beautiful and with a sweet charm that mesmerized him. Sakthi asked him to go and wait in the specially decorated room.

When Vel entered the room, he could not wonder if he has been to the paradise. The room looked beautiful with strings of jasmine flowers across the room. Vel walked toward the flower decked cot and waited for Dora. Dora entered the room with her usual walk and smiled at him. Vel could not tell if he felt nervous or it is Dora who felt nervous. With his usual piercing look Vel looked at Dora. Dora also looked back at him boldly with a charming stare.

After few moments of romantic glances, Dora took the first step to break the ice. She sat near Vel and leaned on his shoulders with much love. Vel’s hands lifted with much hesitation and then he hugged Dora tightly.  The tightness of the hug told Dora how much he loved her and how much he yearned to be with her.

 As it is the first time to be alone, it took some time for both of them to break the ice and realize they have got the liberty to be one together. No one can interfere into their space and they can share their own likes and dislikes with each other without any hesitation. Dora did not want to let Vel’s hands go off from her.

With much joy, she cozily placed her head on his broad shoulders and snuggled to him with much passion. Vel also felt the same passion within him and he wished to have Dora with him in the same way.  He wished it would be a paradise if they are left like that locked together in a tight embrace. With an ever growing fondness, Dora lifted her head and looked at the eyes of Vel. She can see the fire of passion in those eyes and that made her shrug with ultimate joy that she can ever find in this world.

The whole world looked beautiful and romantic and the perfumed night helped them to drift into a world of love trance, where only love making mattered and nothing else. The passionate kisses that Vel shared with Dora, made her feel his love for her deep in his heart and she can also feel the sense of possession that ruled over Vel, which ultimately made him to take her into her tight embrace again and again.

 Chapter 2

 Morning dawned with much cheer. The clock showed 8 a.m., when Vel woke up the next day. Dora entered the room dressed grandly but now she looked different. Her face and her hands gleamed with the shine of fresh turmeric and her face glowed with the happiness and cheer of a newly married girl. 

The neatly plaited hair decked with fresh jasmine spread an elegant perfume wherever she walked. Neat little curls of hair on her forehead waved in the air and looked as if inviting him to enjoy once again their marital bliss.

 “Vel,” Dora called him in a whisper. Vel slowly opened his eyes and pulled Dora into his embrace once again. 

“Get up. Look at the time. It is already 8 am.  Every one from your home has come for the lunch.” 

“Oh,” reluctantly, he got up from the bed and went into the bathroom to take his bath. He did not take his usual time to take the bath.  For the first time, he let off his luxurious bath, and finished taking bath within ten minutes. To his surprise, he found every thing kept ready in the bathroom.

Dora has placed the new bath towel in the bath room. She has kept his new tooth brush along with paste on the table of the room. When he came back after taking bath, he found his neatly ironed new pants and shirt placed on the table.  Appreciating Dora, he whistled his favorite tune.  

Vel looked at his appearance on the mirror, and felt much impressed.

  “Oh, boy, what a perfect appearance” The dressed looked fitting on him, and Vel felt a lift to his handsome look.

 “Dora, who selected this dress?,” Vel asked her curiously. 

“Why, it is me only?”

 “You, I really like this. It is so fitting and perfect.” Vel once again took her into his tight embrace and kissed her on his forehead with much love.

Dora looked at him and gave him a mischievous smile. She could now find a different Vel. 

 “What are you thinking, my love?” Vel asked her with the same mischievous smile.

 “I am just thinking, how you looked earlier, and how you are looking now.”

 “That means.” Vel could not understand what Dora meant.

 “I mean, when you were at work.”

 “That is different. Don’t relate me now to that kind of behavior.” 

 Someone knocked at the door, and asked Dora if both of them are ready. Reluctantly, Vel let Dora to go and to open the door.  He silently wished for the time when they will be once again left to be alone.

Marriage has changed Vel in a day, and he desperately yearned to be always with Dora and enjoy the life to the maximum. 

Dora’s father wanted both of them to visit a famous temple near Kanyakumari, and at the same time, Vel wanted to go for a honey moon trip to Kodaikonal. But Dora wanted to celebrate their honey moon in a place which is not much visited by people and where they can spend their time by being alone without any disturbance. Dora selected to stay at Sirumalai hills.

 Dora’s father remarked her that it is a foolish decision, and why she has not selected to visit Kodaikonal. As Dora kept on insisting to stay at Sirumalai hills, he has to give in. He managed to find out a guest house at Sirumalai hills where Dora and Vel can spend their time together at least for a week as their honey moon trip.

 Dora told Vel that it will be nice to visit a place where many have not visited and it will be fun to explore the place on their own. The trip will also provide them ample time to understand each other without interference from anyone around.  Dora’s father booked an AC coupe for both of them in the Vaigai Express that goes till Madurai.

 Chapter 3 

The Vaigai reached Dindigul in the evening around 7 pm.  Evening has set in and Dora can feel the chillness in the air. Dora clutched Vel’s right hand tightly to feel warm and protect against chillness. The darkness that has set in made Vel feel to be together in a single shawl and feel the warmth of their bodies against each other. Vel could help feeling other than anything that is connected to romantic feelings.

Is it so with all the people who are recently married? Will all people feel in the same way? Feel romance at every step you take, every mouthful of food you eat and every moment you are together with your spouse. Whatever it may be, Vel now felt so romantic and felt the high and low ebb of strong emotional feelings that stirred him with much love toward Dora. 

 Vel has read in books that the emotional attachment toward one’s spouse will be high during the early days of marriage and it will slowly go down after sometime. After reaching a period of plateau, it will once again grow and reach the peak.

As it is said, Vel felt his love to be at its peak and wished it to remain forever in the same mode. With so many thoughts in their minds, they entered the exit gate of the railway station. Dora with a shiver moved closely to Vel to feel herself warm. Vel with a smile let her move toward him more closely, and that is what he also wanted at that moment.

From November to January, the nights at Dindigul are chilly and the temperature went down to make the coconut oil to freeze like the butter. The glass bottles filled with coconut oil became chilly and the thin coconut oil turned into a solid like butter.

There is no need for any refrigerator as the water also turned cold and chilly. The temperature will not go down to freezing level, but made the people there shiver in the chilly morning breeze. The days are usually hot and the summer seasons are the hottest seasons. Along with the hottest days, scarcity of water also threatened people, and it turned the lives of people more miserable.

 Vel and Dora reached the three star hotel in which their accommodation was booked. After having the late night dinner, both of them reached their room.  Dora has to wear the sweaters as she could not manage the cold winds of the night, and the slight drizzle at night made it even chillier.

 The next day dawned with even more chillness. Dora could not touch the water from the tap and she has to ask for some warm water even to brush her teeth. After taking bath in the warm water, they started around 7 am in the morning to the guest house at Sirumalai hills. 

Sirumalai hill is a small hill station 20km away from Dindigul. The hill is 1200m in height and spreads over 60,000 acres. The altitude of Sirumalai hill ranges from 3,000 feet to 4,600 feet. This hill is a rich abode of birds and animals. Many species of snakes, mongoose, fox, jackal, wild boar, rabbit, and Indian bison can be seen in Sirumalai hill. It is also a wonderful place to go for trekking for young people. The thick forest in this hill is full of rosewood, silver oak, eucalyptus and gooseberry trees. Different varieties of medicinal plants are also grown in this hill.

 Dora and Vel reached the guest house around 8 am in the tourist car arranged by the hotel. After having breakfast at the guest house, they decided to go for a short walk and explore the place. The place surrounding the guest house looked breathtakingly beautiful. They can see drifting clouds on the hill tops. Morning birds constantly sang and their chorus seemed to invite them also to join their love songs.

The moment they decided to spend their honey moon there, Dora made a perfect schedule