The Neighbor’s Visit
A few days after the temple visit, Arun hoped things would return to normal. But Lakshmi had other plans.
That afternoon, as he sat quietly reading, Lakshmi walked in with a bright smile. “Kanna, come to the hall. Our neighbor, Sumathi Mami, is here with her daughter-in-law.”
Arun frowned. “Why do I need to come?”
Lakshmi sighed. “It’s been so long since you spoke to anyone outside. And they brought sweets for you.”
Arun hesitated. He didn’t want to interact with anyone, especially in his current state—wearing a soft cotton salwar and his hair still long and neatly braided. But refusing would seem rude.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the hall.
Sumathi Mami, a warm but sharp-eyed woman in her fifties, beamed at him. “Ah, there he is! Or should I say, she?”
Arun stiffened. “Mami, please—”
“Oh, I’m just teasing, dear. But truly, when Lakshmi told me how much you’ve changed, I had to see it for myself!”
Her daughter-in-law, Kavitha, giggled. “Arun Anna—no, that doesn’t feel right anymore. Should we start calling you Akka instead?”
Arun flushed deep red. “Kavitha, stop it.”
But Sumathi Mami was already examining him. “Such lovely, thick hair! And the jasmine suits you so well. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Lakshmi had another daughter.”
Lakshmi chuckled. “He’s been adjusting so well, Mami. Slowly learning the ways of the house.”
Arun turned to her in shock. Adjusting? Learning the ways of the house?
Sumathi Mami nodded approvingly. “Good, good! A man without a wife is helpless. It’s only right that he learns to manage things like a woman. After all, women make the best caretakers.”
Kavitha leaned forward mischievously. “That’s true! And with such a delicate face, Arun Akka could easily pass for a young housewife.”
Arun clenched his fists. “I am not—”
Lakshmi gently patted his hand, silencing him. “Shh, kanna. They’re only saying what’s obvious. And what’s wrong with looking graceful?”
Arun swallowed hard.
Sumathi Mami suddenly clapped her hands. “Ayyoo! I just got an idea. There’s a small ladies’ function at our house tomorrow—just close family and neighbors. Arun, why don’t you come?”
Arun’s eyes widened. “Mami, I—”
Kavitha gasped dramatically. “Yes! He should come! And… in a saree!”
Arun’s heart stopped.
Lakshmi smiled. “Oh, now that’s a wonderful idea.”
“No,” Arun said firmly. “I won’t.”
Sumathi Mami chuckled. “Why not, dear? Everyone already thinks you look lovely in feminine clothes. Just imagine—wearing a soft silk saree, bangles jingling, a little bindi…”
Arun’s head spun. “This is too much.”
Lakshmi gently squeezed his hand. “Kanna, you already wore a saree once at home. This is just a small step forward. And imagine how happy Priya would be, seeing you become so well-adjusted in her absence.”
Arun’s breath hitched. Bringing up Priya always weakened his resolve.
Sumathi Mami nodded. “Just for an evening, kanna. No one will judge. In fact, I think everyone will adore how graceful you look.”
Arun wanted to scream, to refuse outright. But the way they were looking at him, the slow, steady way they had been chipping away at his resistance…
His silence sealed his fate.
Lakshmi smiled. “Then it’s decided. Tomorrow, we’ll make you ready for the function.”
Arun felt his world closing in.
The Ladies’ Function: Arun’s Ultimate Test
The next evening arrived too quickly. Lakshmi wasted no time, draping a soft silk saree around Arun’s trembling frame.
“Relax, kanna,” she whispered as she adjusted the pleats. “Just enjoy the experience.”
Arun swallowed hard as the cool fabric settled around him. The blouse fit snugly, accentuating his slender form. Meena had already braided his long hair beautifully, weaving fresh jasmine through it.
“You look so lovely, Maami,” Meena teased, adjusting his bangles. “Just like a demure newlywed!”
Arun’s face burned.
When he stepped outside, he felt utterly exposed. The moment they arrived at Sumathi Mami’s house, all eyes turned to him.
Gasps of delight. Murmurs of approval. Whispers.
“Lakshmi’s son-in-law? No… surely that’s her daughter?”
“He looks so natural in that saree!”
“Aiyyo, he’s prettier than half the girls here!”
Arun’s breath came in short gasps as he felt himself drowning in their admiration.
Sumathi Mami walked up to him, beaming. “Ah, my dear, you look perfect! See, it wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Arun wanted to disappear.
But it was only the beginning.
The function turned into a flurry of feminine attention—women adjusting his pallu, praising his hair, teasing him about how “shy” he looked.
And then came the final humiliation.
Kavitha clapped her hands. “Oh! We should take a group photo—with Arun Akka in the center!”
Arun shook his head desperately. “No, no, please—”
But they pulled him in, placing him among the young married women. As the camera clicked, he realized something terrifying.
For the first time, he wasn’t just playing along.
He was being accepted. Not as Arun.
But as something else.
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