The men began to pedal furiously, until crasssshhhhh….. Ammu’s cycle slipped on a wet patch of the road and she tumbled down like Jill of Jack and Jill.

“Ammmuuuu……” the girls threw their cycles to the side of the road and ran to her.

She had bruised her knee, and her denims were torn and tattered around the right knee.

She was too shocked to feel anything, not knowing what had happened, looking up at familiar faces in a daze as someone held out a hand to her and she tried to get up.

The pain brought her back to reality as she stood up. “Ammu, are you okay?” someone was asking her. “Yeah, I am okay.” she answered unable to place the girl the voice belonged to.

The men got onto their bicycles and sped down the hill, grinning, knowing that the girls could be overtaken at the next climb. It felt good to let them speed past in girlish delight.

They slowed down as they saw the commotion on the road. “Why are the girls bicycles to the side of the road? “, asked Karthikeyan and they parked their cycles and ran to the scene, very very worried.

“Ammu ……” Kripa and Jaya spoke out at once.

It was a shocking sight to watch her as she stood up, her forehead bruised to one side, her knee bleeding and her hand sporting several nicks and cuts.

“Why did you have to hurt yourself? Stupid, stupid, and just like always “, Jaya asked as he pushed Suja and Margu to the side.

Kripa held his hand, “Jaya, be careful, she is hurt, be gentle. Jaya, heed, Jayyyaaaaa…”, but he did not hear a thing, he felt as helpless as he saw her hurt and looking as vulnerable as she winced in pain. “Jaya …. I am okay.” she caught his sleeve and pulled his face close to her ear. There were too many people talking around them. He relaxed as he heard her words. But his hands were shaking as he held her round the waist and helped her to the side of the road. The crowd began to disperse.

“Need to take her to a doctor. “, Kripa told him, “Stay here I will get the car.”, and getting onto his cycle he pedalled furiously to reach the car park.

Suja called her mother and father, and Meenakshi wanted to speak to Ammu. Jaya spoke to his mother knowing that she would be very perturbed to hear Ammu’s weak trembling voice.

“At least now, believe me Jaya; your marriage has spurred much jealousy in the families. What do we do now, is she crying? Are you going to come here to pick us both before going to the doctor?” she asked and calmed down after she heard his calm voice.

“ Amma and Appa need a vehicle , call the drivers and ask them to pick them up , tell the driver the directions to this place . Anni , why did Anna go to the vehicles when we could have called the drivers by phone ?” , he wondered at how tense everyone had been , him included . “Never ever react instantly , especially in panic .”, he tutored himself in his mind as he looked at her , her eyes closed in pain , trying to calm him in spite of everything . “I love you , you know that, I really love you .”, he thought as he wiped off the tiny drop of blood as it trickled from her forehead. She squeezed his hand gently , feeling the tension in him , understanding that perhaps she too would have felt that tense or more .

The vehicles came all at the same time . Kripa asked Swathi to help Ammu into the car and Jaya refused to sit in the front , not releasing her hand as he sat next to her.

He looked worriedly as her knee , observing the fresh outpour of red, wishing he could stop it , somehow in some way . Swathi tried to lighten the situation as she climbed in .

“Jaya , what will you do when she has to bear much worse pain ? Every woman does eventually go through that , you know .”, she said .

“Lot of time for that and the eagerness will lend courage I suppose .”, Kripa laughed and the others joined him .

“Anna , why did you bicycle to the stand ? Oh-oh ,we forgot to return the bicycles . Wait , I need to remind the others to return the bicycles . “ He called his sister and left instructions , very glad to be in control of something at least .

The doctor laughed when he saw the concern on a whole crowd of faces . “ I need to have space to move , can all of you wait outside ? “, he asked and watching the reluctance on Meenakshi’s face , gestured her to wait . Jaya also had to go out . “Why did all of you have to race the girls ? You are all grown up people and yet behave like teenagers . What will I say to Somu when I call him to inform she is alright ?”, Ishwar was pacing the corridor as he spoke , very angry with the boys .

“I will need to clean and cut off the skin that is scraped . It will not hurt much , but I am preparing you .”, the doctor spoke as he looked at her . She nodded and smiled a little .

“Good , a fighter , she will be alright .”, he thought as he cleaned the wound and dressed .

The dressing was done in no time , but Meenakshi started to feel dizzy . She held the backrest of the chair as she saw him prepare the tetanus shot and closed her eyes as she muttered a prayer. “Attah , va , come let us go .”, Ammu nudged her and walked out with her .

Ishwar insisted on meeting the doctor . “Your daughter is lucky to have such a loving family .”, he said . Ishwar was about to tell him that Ammu was his daughter-in-law but did not . “She is also my child, is she not ?”, he wondered and grinned at Meenakshi as he got into the car . The others heaved a sigh of relief the watch the tiger smile .

INDEX