Thendral's POV,
After leaving the school, I drove straight to the hospital.
The cold morning air brushed against my face as I rode through the busy roads, but my mind was already shifting towards work.
Hospital.
The one place where I never allowed my personal life to follow me.
The moment I entered the building, I was no longer just Thendral.
I became Dr. Thendral-
General Surgeon.
Some days would be easy.
A few consultations... some rounds... paperwork... and I would actually get time to breathe.
But some days-like today-were exhausting from the very beginning.
Back-to-back surgeries.
No proper break.
No time to sit.
No time to think.
And honestly... maybe that was better.
Being busy kept my mind quiet.
Right now, I was inside the preparation room, getting ready for another surgery.
After sanitizing my hands properly, I wore my gloves slowly, my expression turning serious instantly.
The soft chatter around me, the sound of machines, nurses moving around quickly-everything felt familiar.
This was my world now.
A world where emotions stayed outside the operation theatre doors.
Hours passed with me standing inside the OT, completely focused on surgeries one after another.
My whole day became about saving lives... stitching wounds... giving instructions... and moving to the next patient without stopping.
No matter how tired I felt-my hands never shook.
Because once I stepped into the operation theatre...
nothing else mattered.
By evening, my duty hours had finally come to an end.
After spending the entire day inside operation theatres, my body felt exhausted, but the thought of seeing my children was enough to ease the tiredness little by little.
I left the hospital and drove straight to their school.
As soon as I parked the bike near the gate, I could already hear two familiar voices.
"Ammaaa!"
"Ammaaa!"
A smile instantly appeared on my face.
Dev and Diya came running towards me happily, their bags bouncing behind them as they rushed over.
I bent slightly and rubbed both their heads lovingly.
"Slow ah odi vaanga... vizhundhuruveenga," I said softly.
(Don’t run so fast… you guys will fall.)
But neither of them listened.
Both were too excited to see me.
After helping them settle on the bike, I started driving back home.
The evening roads were crowded, but the nonstop chatter from the two behind me made the ride feel lighter.
Halfway through, I stopped near a small shop.
The moment the kids realized what it was, their eyes widened immediately.
"Ice cream!" Diya shouted excitedly.
Dev was already pulling her hand towards the shop before she could even say anything.
That was it.
Both of them started ordering without a second of hesitation, completely lost in their excitement.
Thendral stood there watching them, unable to stop the small laugh that escaped her lips.
She could have restricted them.
Could have told them no.
But she didn't.
Seeing their happy faces after a long day was enough for her.
When they finally reached home, it was already 5 PM.
The evening sky had started turning orange, and the entire house slowly filled with warmth and noise the moment the three of them entered.
After freshening up, all three settled comfortably in the hall.
The television played cartoons loudly while snacks were spread across the table in front of them.
Dev and Diya were completely immersed in their own little world.
"Amma! Avan en chips eduthutan!"
(Mom! He took my chips!)
Diya complained dramatically.
"Poi solladha ! Nee dha first en snack saapta!"
(Don’t lie, ! You were the one who ate my snack first!)
Dev argued back immediately.
Within seconds, both of them started pulling each other's legs, teasing, shouting, and fighting over the smallest things.
"Deii!"(Hey!)
"Neetha start panna!"(You started it!)
"Ammaaa paarunga!"(Mom, look at him/her!)
Their nonstop chaos echoed through the hall.
Thendral leaned back against the sofa, watching them quietly while eating her snacks.
A tired smile slowly appeared on her lips.
The house was noisy.
Messy.
Chaotic.
But for her...
This noise was peace.
Thendral sighed dramatically before pulling both Dev and Diya into her arms at the same time.
"Pothum da... sanda podathu rendu perum,"
(Enough, you two… stop fighting.)
she said, trying not to laugh at their angry little faces.
Still grumbling at each other, both of them crossed their arms stubbornly.
"Seri, ippo poi homework pannunga."
(Alright, now go do your homework.)
She carried them towards the room and dropped them gently on the bed.
The moment homework came into the picture, the two magically became quiet.
No shouting.
No fighting.
They sat side by side with their books open, slowly doing their homework sincerely.
Sometimes Dev would help Diya spell a word.
Sometimes Diya would point out his mistakes proudly.
And in between, soft giggles filled the room.
Seeing them peacefully sitting together, Thendral smiled softly.
These two could fight like enemies one minute and become best friends the very next second.
Since they were busy quietly, she decided not to disturb them further.
Leaving them in the room, Thendral walked towards the kitchen to prepare dinner for her tiny little humans, while their small laughs continued to echo from inside the room, filling the house with life.
After dinner, Thendral sat quietly on the floor near the balcony, her back resting against the sofa.
Outside, the rain poured heavily, the sound of droplets hitting the ground filling the silent night. Cool wind drifted inside, carrying the smell of wet earth with it.
Behind her, Dev and Diya sat with their drawing books spread around them, busy coloring and arguing over crayons every now and then.
For a few peaceful moments, everything felt calm.
Then suddenly, Dev got up and climbed onto Thendral's lap.
Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him protectively and kissed the top of his head softly.
Dev leaned against her chest for a second before looking up at her innocently.
"Amma... eppo ma nee namma veetuku varuva?"
(Mom… when will you come to our home?)
The question made her freeze.
For a moment, she didn't know how to breathe.
Slowly, she caressed his cheek gently, forcing herself to stay calm.
"Amma oda veedu ithu dhaan, thangam..."
(This is Amma’s home, dear…)
she mumbled softly.
But Dev frowned immediately.
"Appo... appa inga varalama ma?"
(Then… can Dad come here, Mom?)
Thendral's fingers stopped moving for a second.
A painful smile appeared on her lips.
What could she even tell him?
How could she explain things that even adults failed to understand properly?
Her eyes instinctively moved towards Diya.
But unlike usual, Diya didn't look up at all. She simply kept coloring silently, pretending not to hear anything.
That hurt even more.
Thendral felt her eyes slowly filling with tears.
Quickly, before the children could notice, she wiped them away and hugged Dev a little tighter.
She knew all this was affecting her children deeply.
She knew they were silently longing for something she couldn't give them anymore.
But despite everything...
She truly believed she had no other choice. 💔
---
Adhithya's POV
Being a DSP meant my days were never peaceful.
From morning till night, work never stopped. Cases, station matters, meetings, reports-everything demanded my attention constantly.
But no matter how busy I stayed...
my heart and mind were always somewhere else.
With her.
With Thendral.
The woman I missed every single day.
And the painful truth was-
I was the reason she chose to walk away from me.
It was around 7:30 at night.
After finishing work, I sat alone inside my room, exhaustion weighing heavily on me. The silence around me felt unbearable.
My eyes slowly fell on my phone lying beside me.
With a deep breath, I unlocked it.
The wallpaper appeared instantly.
Me.
Thendral.
Dev.
Diya.
All four of us standing close together, smiling happily for the camera.
That photo was taken during our Ooty vacation.
Our best trip.
Our happiest memories.
I still remembered how cold the weather was that day... how Diya refused to wear her sweater... how Dev kept asking for chocolates every five minutes... and how Thendral laughed at everything they did.
Back then...
life felt complete.
A small sad smile appeared on my lips.
Slowly, I zoomed into Thendral's face alone.
Her smile.
Her eyes.
Even through a picture, she still managed to calm something inside me.
I stared at her for a long moment before pressing the phone against my chest tightly.
"Nee eppavume en Thendral dha di..."
(You’ll
always be my Thendral…)
I whispered painfully.
"Naa wait pannuven..."
(I’ll wait…)
No matter how far she went...
a part of me would always keep waiting for her. 💔
---
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