Maara (மாறா)

Crabby, pinky. Pinky, crabby.

Pinky, pinky, crabby!

Grandma, don't roll it down!

-Grandma! -Don't get drenched.

-You'll get drenched! Listen to me! -Leave me!

Sit on this side.

-I don't want you to get drenched. -Grandma!

Why are you worried? I'm the one getting drenched.

Hey, what is it?

Nothing.

Go to sleep.

Then tell me a story.

Once upon a time there lived a king...

I know this, tell me some other story.

Okay.

What other story?

A fox lived in a forest...

No! It's the story where the fruit is sour, right?

Sleep now.

What is your name?

She's asking you. Tell her your name.

Tell her.

Parvathy.

Oh, no.

No, Paaru.

-She likes to be called Paaru. -Oh!

Given a chance she'll be wide awake till sunrise.

Should have been born as an owl.

Are you going to Chennai?

No, Kanchipuram.

Medical camp.

-Is she a nurse? -Yes.

-Shall I ask her to give you an injection? -Yes.

Naughty minx!

She wants an injection.

Okay. No need. Go to sleep now.

Shall I tell you a story?

Mmm.

But only if you ask me for a story, I'll tell you.

Okay, tell me a story.

Once upon a time there lived a soldier.

Usually a story starts with a king, right?

Quiet!

Haven't you heard too many stories of king or fox already?

This soldier was very special.

He's an immortal soldier.

The bravest of braves

even the most powerful weapon could not kill him.

That's because this soldier

kept a secret that no one knew.

What secret?

You know what?

His soul was not with him,

he had locked it up inside a fish.

Every time he returned home from the battlefield

a loud sound from a conch shell was heard.

That fish waited for that sound

holding on tight to his soul.

You heard it?

But poor thing,

this time,

that fish didn't hear the conch being blown.

The sound of the conch was lost

in a terrible storm and torrential flood.

Along with cattle, birds, huts

this fish was dragged away by that flood.

Then what happened?

Paaru, sleep. Don't disturb her.

No problem.

Close your eyes and listen.

-Mmm? -Mmm.

The soldier who lost his soul

decided to hunt and find the fish, come rain or shine,

and left with a conch in his hand.

As he walked through a dense forest,

the forest asked him where he was going.

As he narrated the story of the fish,

the river overhearing their conversation tugged him into its water and dragged him.

A huge mountain blocked him and asked,

"What is your tearing hurry?"

He narrated his story once again,

the mountain was so touched

that it took him to the sea with a sense of urgency.

Our soldier was caught in the maze

of the seven seas and floundering.

But he could not find the fish.

He stopped a solitary cloud passing above his head

and asked, "Did you see my fish?"

"No,

but if I do, I will personally tell you," said the friendly cloud

and sped past him.

The conch blew aloud

the soldier's love and yearning in search of the fish,

on the other hand, time passed by like the waves in the sea.

The soldier was shrouded in sorrow without any means to even die.

One night,

the cloud which went on a mission to look for the fish returned

and conveyed a message to the soldier in the form of a heavy downpour.

The soldier blew his conch with trembling hands.

As if the moon had been melted

and mixed into the dark sea, all of a sudden

a glow spread all around.

That glow

slowly turned towards the soldier.

The fish which was the soldier's quest

that he carried out from his heart and sharp eyes,

was finally within a few feet from him.

Our soldier's joy knew no bounds in finding his lost soul.

The waves in the sea danced in glee along with his mind and heart.

With its mission fulfilled,

the conch returned to its birthplace, the seabed.

All of a sudden,

a giant wave rose big enough to churn the mighty ocean.

MAARA

What happened, Mom?

One minute.

-Do you have any keys with you? -Key, huh?

Formal wedding announcement.

"On March 29th of this year,

nine o'clock in the morning

Bala, son of Ramanathan and Mala,

and daughter of Mani and Saraswathi..."

Paaru.

Have you ever seen grandma talk?

-Yes. -When?

When I was your age.

Is that so, Grandma?

Did you tell Paaru about Kishore?

Uh, I didn't.

Tell her.

Hey!

How is the groom?

His family likes Paaru...

He's standing there, Kishore. He's your prospective groom.

How come you got a job as soon as the wedding topic came up?

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

You didn't tell me earlier either.

You pop a face out of the blue and ask me to marry him!

Don't keep fiddling with that stuff, come here.

Aunt, maybe Paaru has a boyfriend already.

If such a chap exists, problem solved for me.

If she has to like him...

Look, someone has to jump out of these books into real life!

Is she being practical or sensible, at least a little bit?

On top of it, this wanderlust has caught on like a bug.

Going from place to place

-pottering with ruins and remains. -Keep quiet, Mom.

-Mom, it's called restoration. -Whatever!

Are you the slightest bit worried that you're getting older by the day?

Her grandma has spoilt her.

She rejects every groom that we suggest right away.

Mom, didn't you invite Mary aunty?

-Don't change the subject. -

Aunt, why are you getting stressed out?

She knows what she's doing, let her be.

She doesn't know what she wants.

That's the real problem.

Yes, Mom, I don't know.

But I know what I do not want!

What do you want now?

I must talk to that boy, right?

I'll talk to him, okay?

But I have to leave now.

Why this tearing hurry? Huh?

In these four days, what ruin will you restore?

Aunt, you are sounding like a broken record!

-She agreed to talk to him, right? -Hey, Paaru...

-We'll go downstairs. -...looks like Kishore is ready

to marry you tomorrow!

I'll give you one week.

-One week, huh? -Let's go.

For what?

-What? -If I kick you, it will all be fine.

-Hey! What did I do? -Get lost!

Paaru, is this also you?

Your grandma.

Just because he is good-looking and has a well-paid job,

should I marry him?

Mmm?

What are you doing?

Come.

I'm leaving.

Manage everyone's mood till I come back.

Paaru, where are you going?

Me, huh?

Treading through dense forests,

climbing huge mountains, and crossing the wide blue seas,

I am going to a faraway place.

Who is this calling me?

Whose voice is this, tell me?

Why does it ring in my ears clearly?

My lips refuse to shoo away This voice in my ears everyday

To travel in life I hanker Holding this voice's finger

My veins like the ropes of a swing Sway to a lullaby they sing

It lilts my life in a melody A soothing rhythmic rhapsody

When it rains, In that downpour my body drenches

Mind will search for a place special To wander and chill, cool, and casual...

Hey!

You said it will take one week, and what are you doing here?

The fear of meeting him brought you here early, right?