Continued...

Malar and Kaushik were elated to see ARJUN
They immediately rushed to him to give him the gift. As Arjun ruffled their hair lovingly, they revealed the gift that they were hiding behind their backs

Arjun was touched to see the gift

It was a trophy shaped like a stethoscope. On it, there was a note written. On reading it, a teardrop escaped Arjun's eyes.

Dear ARJUN Mama,
You're the best big brother and Doctor we know! We are proud to call ourselves your cousins. You are such a loving and caring person. You nurture us and other tiny tots like us with so much affection. When we visit your hospital along with you at times, we see many tiny children like us demanding to be checked only by you and not any other doctor. And we know why. We are incredibly proud of your achievement. You deserve all the name and fame and much more.
WE LOVE YOU!

From,
Kaushik and Malar
With ❤️

(Logic here :
Malar and Kaushik are small children who have just entered primary school. How did the write such an elaborate note in English for Arjun?
Well, M and K conveyed their thoughts while Ashwin wrote it for them😁)

This simple gift brought tears to Arjun's eyes. More than that, he was more touched by the fact that they had bought it for him with their savings.

He hugged them tight and planted a kiss on both their foreheads. After this, the entire family relished the hot payasam which Kalpana had prepared while each one took turns to feed Arjun.

——————————————

At Anbalayam Ashramam...
Shantamoorthy was incredibly proud of Roja.
By the time she returned back , a feast was ready for her.
Roja entered and saw the entire place decorated with balloons.

R: Appa, enna pa ithellam
SM: Yennode Thangakutty satharna vishyama pannirka
Etho ashrama baaratha koraika than salary athigama kudukara velaiku pona nu nenachen. Aana pona edathula ivlo seekirathulaye ivlo periya vishyam pannirka Roja🥰

R: 🙈

Priya pitched in...
Roja, nee badam halwa evlo taste ah pannuva nu enga ellarkum theriyum. Naanga ellarum athukku adimai. Aana Inniki nee ivlo periya vishyam pannirka la athan first time naa unakkaga badam halwa try pannirken. Nee sapte aaganum solliten Athu eppdi irunthalum. 😅

R: Wow Priya. Kitchen ke pogatha nee enakkaga ivlo paasathode senjirka. Atha naa sapdama iruppena.🤪

P: Naa samaikarthe illa somberi nu kuthi kaatra la. ☹️unnaaa....

Saying this, priya went chasing behind Roja to give her a knock on her head 
Roja escaped 😂

Thatha and Paati: Kozhandaingala , Sanda pottadhu pothum. Badam Halwa soodu aaritu irukku.

Rajesh: Enakku pasikuthu. Ippo neenga varalena naa poi ella badam halwa vayum saptruven.

Lakshmi Aunty: Dei pakki, unakku eppovume sapadu thana. Priya evlo azhaga badam halwa vaye cake mathri candle laam vechu ready pannirka Roja cut pannanum nu. Evlo aasaiya panni vechirka. Nee atha keduthurva pola.

Priya ran into the kitchen and brought the badam halwa in a platter.
She had already planted the candles and it was all ready.

The smell filled the entire room. Roja smelt it eagerly.

Mmmmm...semma smell priya. Athay mathri taste um semmaya irukkum pola 😋

SM: Cut pannu ma Roja

Rajesh was ready with a party popper in his hand. Thats when Roja noticed that none of the kids were there.

R (concerned): Pasanga ellam enga. Aalaye kannom

"Itho vanthutom!"
The children called out in chorus. Roja turned towards them

"Enga da poitinga. Naa pathari poiten theriyuma"

The children surrounded Roja and said said lovingly

"Naanga ungala vaai varthai ku akka nu kooptalum neenga engaluku amma than. Enga yarukume amma appa illatha koraiye theriyatha alavukku enga mela anbu kaati irukkinga
Appdi patta engalode amma ku engalala mudincha oru chinna gift"

Saying this all of them pulled out a large frame which was wrapped in gift paper and unwrapped it.

What a splendid gift it was!
It was a pencil sketch which showed Roja nurturing the children like a mother. Below it, each child had written a few words about Roja's love and care and had also congratulated her for the achievement ❤️
Although it was an amateur sketch, Roja felt it close to her heart as it was hand drawn by the children together and they had framed it with the money they had saved. Apparently each one used to get a small amount every week to take a bus to school, but they had skipped the bus, and had walked to school instead to save the money for the frame.

Roja was really happy. She felt that her life was fulfilled although she had no blood relations. Later, everyone clapped as she cut the halwa and fed it to all. The halwa was a super duper hit and everyone heaped praises on Priya.

After all this, all were sitting in the main hall chatting happily. That's when SM took up Arjun's topic

SM: Roja, tv la paathom ma. Nee tv la pesinadhu engaluku perumaiya irundhuchu. Aana othungi pona unna unakku kedaika vendiya credit ah kuduthu unna perumai paduthi irukkaru...Antha doctor thambi Arjun. Enna than irunthalum itha seiya oru manasu venum

Thatha : Ama ma, avar oru periya doctor. Nee avar hospital la velai paakara oru saadharna receptionist. Avar nenachu iruntha ellame avar than pannen nu solli peru vaangitu poirkalam. Aana avar atha seiyala. Nejamave nallavaru than

Hearing all this, Roja's face brightened up. Priya was noticing this.

Priya (mindvoice):
Aaahaaa...iva kaadhal ulagathuku poyachu. Hmm roja..nee nadathu ma....😉m

Smiling to herself, Roja got up from there and went to her room. Although others didn't know, priya knew everything a bit too well...

———————————————

That night in Arjun's place...

Arjun was sitting near the swimming pool looking at the reflection of the bright full moon in the water.
Kalpana came there after finishing all her chores.
She was happy to see Arjun relaxed, when he usually wasn't.
She came and sat near him

"Arjun"
She called out lovingly.

Just then Arjun realised that his mom had come. He turned towards her and smiled
"Amma, vaanga ma"

Kalpana: Arjun, nee inniki panninathu enakku romba santhosham pa

A: Ethu ma. Antha operation ah mudichatha

K: Athu nichyama Enakku perumai than pa .
But atha vida nee press people munnadi onnu senjaye pa. Athu Enakku innum perumaiya irundhuchu pa

Arjun looked at her curiously. Kalpana continued
K: Nee unnode hospital la work panra staff ah verum staff ah paakama unakku samama nenaikara la. Antha ponnu Roja ku nee credit kudutha paaru romba santhosham pa.

Arjun smiled at her
K: innoru vishyam theriyuma Arjun. Naa itha annike unkitta sollanum nu nenachen. Aana nerame kedaikala

A: Sollunga ma
Enna vishyam

K: 3 days munnadi naa kovil ku poi irukkara appo naa Roja va erkanave meet panniten pa.

Saying this, Kalpana narrated the entire incident that happened at the temple that day right from blessing Roja for her job, to Roja helping her out to Arjun.

After hearing everything, Arjun smiled at Kalpana
A: Amma , Intha vishyam Enakku annike theriyum ma.

Kalpana looked surprised
Arjun continued -

Appa kitta Neenga ithellam anniki sonninga. Atha Naa ketten ma. Appo than Naa therinjikitten Roja ungaluku help panna ponnu nu. Ungaluku theriyuma ma, Roja anniki Ennode hospital ku than job kaga vantha. But naa enna nadanthuchu nu theriyama avala thorathi vittuten late ah vantha naala
But athukku appram neenga pesinatha vechu than naa unmai ellam therinjikitten
Appram naane marunaal avangala kooptu job la appoint panniten ma

Kalpana looked stunned:
Eppdi pa

Arjun (cupping Kalpana's face in his hands): Amma, naa Intha ulagathaye mathikara miga periya pokkisham na athu Neenga mattom than. ❤️
Appdi patta ennode pokkishatha kaapathinavanga avangalukaga naa enna vena seiven ma. Oru velai pottu kuduka mattena😌
Aana Roja ku theriyadhu ma,  ava kaapathinathu ennode amma va than, athunala than naa manasu maarinen nu. Athu theriya varapo varatum ma

Kalpana waa delighted to hear these words from her son. She hugged him tight

A: Amma, naa unga madila paduthukalama ma?
K: Ithu enna pa kelvi...nee unnode doctor tholil ah vittutu en kooda time spend panrathe Enakku periya varam pa.
Vaa da

Arjun happily placed his head on Kalpana's lap. He felt that all the pleasures, peace and comfort of the world ultimately was there. He was used to giving medicines to cure many many diseases everyday, but for him, his mother's lap was the best medicine for all his woes. Kalpana ruffled his hair lovingly as she went back to those days when he was a small child.
She wondered how time had flown by. She smiled as she realised that Arjun had fallen asleep
She planted a kiss on his forehead & muttered

"Ooruku periya doctor. Daily ethanayo kozhandaigala cure para. Aana Enakku eppovume nee kozhandai than da" ❤️😇

To be continued
Thanks for reading ❤️