105. Can I Give You A Lift?

When Raman was waiting for the bus, a car that passed the bus stop, stopped after a few yards. A young man got down from the car, came to Raman, greeted him and asked him, "Sir, do you remember me?"

"Oh, Ramani! How are you? How is your mother?" asked Raman.

"Thanks to you, we are doing well. How are auntie, Kamali and Ravi?" asked Ramani, referring to Raman's wife, daughter and son.

Raman nodded his head, indicating that all were well.

"Where are you going, sir?' asked Ramani.

"I have to go to Avadi. I am waiting for the bus."

"I am going that side. Please come with me, sir. I will drop you."

"It's ok. I don't want to inconvenience you. I will go by the bus."

"There is no inconvenience for me, sir. The inconvenience may be only for the car! If you come with me, I can drive more relaxed, talking to you."

After hesitating for a minute, Raman got into Ramani's car.

Eight years back, Ramani's father expired suddenly. Ramani who was eighteen years old, was studying in a college. Ramani and his mother were the only people in their household.

Ramani's mother was a simple woman, with no worldly wisdom. Ramani was inexperienced. When the two of them were shocked by the death of Ramani's father and had no clue about what was to be done, it was their neighbour Raman, who came to their help. He helped them in arranging for the cremation of the deceased and in completing other formalities.

Even after the Obsequies had got over, Ramani and his mother were stuck with several tasks and formalities. They had no relatives living nearby. There was no one who could stay with them for a few days and help them to cope with the situation.

Raman came to their rescue again. Though he had been a neighbour, he was not close to their family. He had interacted with Ramani's father only a couple of times. But realizing he plight of Ramani and his mother, Raman helped them like a family friend would.

He accompanied Ramani to his father's office and helped him with the formalities of claiming the provident fund and other benefits that Ramani and his mother were entitled to. 

He also took Ramani to the insurance company and helped him claim and get the insurance amount. He also went to the banks with Ramani and his mother to help them get the bank accounts transferred to Ramani's mother.

Raman had helped Ramani for about three months in getting various formalities completed. He had visited several offices like the firm where Ramani's father worked, the insurance companies, the banks etc. several times and ensured that all the tasks were accomplished. He had even taken leave from his office for a few days for helping Ramani with his tasks.

Ramani and his mother would often recall all the help rendered by Raman and wonder how they could ever repay their debt to him.

After a few months, Ramani and his mother rented a house near Ramani's college and moved there. Ramani would often call Raman over phone and talk to him. The frequency of the calls began to dwindle over time and eventually stopped completely.

Eight years had passed. Ramani had completed his education, got a good job and bought a car too. The meeting between the two happened after eight years, by coincidence.

When riding in the car, Raman and Ramani were talking about the past and the intimacy that developed between the two families eight years before.

When the car was nearing Avadi, Ramani's mobile phone rang. Ramani took the call and spoke.

"Yes, sir. I said that I would come to your place by 11 a.m. But, I had to attend to an urgent matter. I will be there by two o' clock. I am sorry for the delay."

After Ramani completed the call, Raman asked him, "You were heading to some other place. You changed the direction, only to drop me, didn't you?" asked Raman.

Ramani did not say anything.

"Where do you have to go?"

"Mount Road."

"Mount Road! You told me you were going towards Avadi, which is in a different direction. You said so because you wanted to drop me at where I wanted to go, didn't you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What is this, Ramani! You have driven about 40 kilometers more. You have spent three hours of your time also for me, getting delayed for an appointment in the process. Why did you do this?"

"Sir, It is impossible for me to repay the debt our family owes you, for all the help you had rendered, after my father's demise. Today, I got a chance to help you in a small way. How can I let it go?" said Ramani, his eyes welling up in emotion.

Raman pressed his palm, reciprocating his feelings.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 11
Gratitude

Verse 105 (In Tamil)

udhavi varaiththu anRu udhavi udhavi
seyappattAr sAlbin varaiththu.

Meaning:

A favour returned, is not to be based on quantum of favour done,

but on the magnanimity of the person doing the favour.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'Avadiyil oru vElai' by the same author)

Verse 106 (Soon)
Verse 104

455. After the Change in Babu's Outlook...

Sachidanandam had been inculcating good values in the mind of his son Babu, right from his childhood. He was particularly emphasizing that Babu should be affectionate and compassionate towards every one and that he should feel even the mild the pain of others, as he would feel his own.

The values he had inculcated made a deep impression in the mind of Babu much beyond the expectation of Sachidanandam and moulded Babu into a man filled with love and compassion. Sachidanandam felt proud of his son. He was also proud of his own efforts in sowing such values in his son's mind.

After completing his education, Babu took up a job, got married and settled down in life.

Babu told Sachidanandam, "Dad! I want to become a member of our caste association."

"What for? You have been leading a good life and helping others. This is more than what most of the people could do. Don't digress from your path" said Sachidanandam.

"Dad! My objective of becoming a member of our caste association is only to help people belonging to our caste. We are well off. Shouldn't other people belonging to our caste also come up in life? It is only to further their cause that I want to join our caste association and work for the welfare of people of our caste."

'Why did you divert your thinking from the noble intention 'everyone should be well off' to the narrow 'people of my caste should be well off''?' thought Sachidanandam. But he didn't pose this question to Babu, since it was clear to him that Babu was not likely to change his mind. He refrained from saying anything more on the subject.

After joining the caste association, Babu began to involve himself vigorously in the activities of the  association. During his conversations with his father, Babu often spoke disparagingly of the people belonging to another caste that was considered inimical to his caste.

"Babu! It is one thing to think of doing good to people of our caste. But, there is no need for you to adopt a hostile attitude towards people belonging to another caste" said Sachidanandam.

"When they are subverting the progress of people belonging to our caste, how can I refrain from considering them as our enemies?" countered Babu.

Sachidanandam felt sad that the qualities of love and compassion imbibed in the mind of Babu had been replaced by feelings of hatred and enmity, but he didn't know how to extricate Babu from the dangerous path he was treading.

A clash erupted between people belonging to Sachidanandam's caste and those belonging to the caste perceived to be hostile to them. A few people were killed on either side.

Since Babu had gone out when the clashes were taking place, Sachidanandam was worried. He was relieved when Babu returned home after a while.

For the next two days, Babu didn't leave the house. He was sitting at home, watching the news on TV about the cashes, the arrests that followed, the efforts made to resolve the problem etc.

Sachidanandam was surprised, but also relieved to find that Babu didn't make any outbursts against the people belonging to the other caste, blaming them for the violence. 'Perhaps, he has realized that a hostile attitude towards people belonging to another caste would only lead to consequences like violence, murders etc,' thought Sachidanandam.

After a couple of days, the police came to Schidanandam's house and arrested Babu.

They told Sachidanandam that during the early stages of the clashes, Babu had stabbed two people belonging to the other caste and then hidden in his house and that he was being arrested based on the statements issued by the persons who were stabbed by him.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 46
Shunning the Company of Mean People

Verse 455 (in Tamil):

manam thUymai seyvinai thUymai iraNdum
inam thUymai thUvA varum.

Meaning:

The purity of mind and the purity of action are derived from the purity of the company you keep.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'maganidam oru mARRam' by the same author.)

Verse 455 (Soon)
Verse 454

454. Think Independently!

"Follow any religion or creed. Subscribe to any political philosophy or support any political party. But, think independently. Don't blindly accept what someone says."

It was this statement of Ravindranath that made Ramkumar take an interest in Ravindranath's 'Thought is Wealth' organization. Eventually, Ramkumar became a member of the organization.

"If making people think independently is the goal, why do they have an organization, membership etc. These kinds of organizations want to enslave people, by brainwashing them" said Ramkumar's friend Santosh.

"This organization is different from others of its kind. These people don't impose any creed on the members. They only say that we should not blindly accept the preachings of religious leaders, philosophers, politicians etc, but that we should think and come to our own conclusions. It is only for inculcating this thinking among the people, they enroll members and train them. I suggest that you also become a member of this organization" said Ramkumar.

"Leave me out of this. I don't like to strain my brain, by giving it arduous tasks like thinking!" said Santosh, laughing. 

"You had been following the practice of going to the temple on Sundays. But you don't do it nowadays. Have you thought independently and come to the conclusion that there is no God?" asked Santosh, teasingly.

"On Sundays, there are meetings for propagating the ideals of 'Thought is Wealth.' I am going to those meetings, as a volunteer. So, I don't have the time to go to the temple" explained Ramkumar.

"Think about it, Ramkumar. There was a time, when you had made going to temple on Sundays a rigorous routine. If I asked you to accompany me to some place or an event on a Sunday, you would decline my invitation, citing the reason that going to the temple on Sundays was an indispensable activity for you. Now, these people have brainwashed you into believing that it is more important to be present in their meetings as a volunteer than going to the temple. Volunteering means doing something at your own will. But you have been forced to go to their meetings as a volunteer, driven by a moral compulsion."

"It is not like that. They didn't force me in any manner. They only asked me to decide whether it was more important for me to go to the temple every Sunday and worship God or to serve as a volunteer in the meetings and help in making more and more people think independently. It was me who decided that going to the meetings as a volunteer was more important than going to the temple" said Ramkumar.

Santhosh laughed and said, "I am reminded of a joke. A man told his friends, 'I am the boss in my house, and I have my wife's permission to say this!' Your claim is similar to that. Not only that you have surrendered your independent thinking at the altar of the very organization that claims to have the mission of making people think independently, but have also accepted the ideas of the organization, as your own ideas. It is a pity that you have not realized this!"

 Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 46
Shunning the Company of Mean People

Verse 454 (in Tamil):

manaththu uLadhu pOlak kAtti oruvRku
inaththu uLadhAgum aRivu.

Meaning:

It may appear that one's wisdom stems from his mind, but it is shaped by people around that person.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'suya sindhanai' by the same author.)

Verse 455
Verse 453

453. Latha's Concern

Sekar, who had lost his parents during his childhood, was brought up by his father's brother Muthusamy.

After the demise of Sekar's father, his properties had devolved to Sekar. However, the properties were held by Muthusamy, in his capacity as Sekar's guardian, till Sekar attained the age of 18.

Muthusamy brought up Sekar, without trying to exercise too much control on him. 

Sekar enjoyed the freedom granted to him by his uncle. He pursued his interests and engaged himself in activities that interested him. However, he acted responsibly, without going astray, and focused on his studies.

After completing his education, Sekar took up a job. After a few years, he quit his job and started his own business.

In course of time, Muthusamy passed away.

Annamalai, who was Sekar's classmate and friend in the school, joined a political party after completing his school education and became a popular leader within a short period. Sekar's friendship with Annamalai continued, even after Annamalai had become a political leader.

Sekar got married to Latha.

A girl was born to Sekar and Latha, ten years after their marriage.

Sekar decided to celebrate his daughter Sumathy's first birthday, in a grand manner.

"Why do you want to celebrate our daughter's birthday in a big way? Can't we celebrate it in a simple way?" asked Latha.

"We had to wait for ten years for a child to be born to us. My business has grown well. We are quite well off. Why should we celebrate Sumathy's birthday in a simple way?"

After hesitating for a minute, Latha asked Sekar, "You will invite your friend Minister Annamalai to the function, won't you?"

"Definitely. Though he is a Minister now, he will attend the function, even if has to skip a cabinet meeting, to attend our function!"

"People don't have a good opinion about him. They say he is corrupt."

"How are we concerned about it?"

"You don't understand. You are a good person. You have come up in life, using your abilities, through your own efforts. But, since you are close to Annamalai, many people think that you have developed your business, taking advantage of your closeness to Annamalai, a politically influential person. I have heard even people close to us saying this. However straightforward you may be, your being close to Annamalai has cast a shadow on you. I think it will be good for you, if you keep away from him" said Latha.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 46
Shunning the Company of Mean People

Verse 453 (in Tamil):

manaththAnAm mAndharkku uNarchchi inaththAnAm
innAn enappadum sol.

Meaning:

It is the mind that helps a man to gain knowledge; but it is one’s association that makes people say what sort of man he is. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'lathAvin thayakkam' by the same author.)

Verse 454
Verse 452

1115. What Caused the Pain?

"Are you angry with me? But, the reddish tinge the anger gives your face makes your face even more beautiful!"

"Stop describing the beauty of my face. I don't want anything to happen to my face!"

"Why do you say so, Aravalli?"

"Sometime back, you compared my eyes to lotus flowers. The very next day, some external particle got into my eye and I suffered from eye irritation for two days."

"That was an accident. Do you believe that if I praise the beauty of an organ of yours, something will happen to that organ, as a result of my sight falling on that organ?"

"I didn't say that your sight would cause harm to my organs. It might have been a coincidence. But the fact remains that when you praise the beauty of any of my organs, something happens to that organ."

"It is not fair to generalize something, based on one occurrence. The incident about your eye happened a few days back. Why do you mention it now?"

"When something happens repeatedly, should I not mention it?"

"What other thing happened?"

"Two days back, you said that my hip is delicately balanced on a point at the middle part of my body, like a tender creeper that could give in any time."

"Yes, I did. But that is a fact, isn't it? See, how I am able to cover your entire hip with one palm of mine."

"ssss... Don't touch my hip. It is paining already."

"It is paining! Shall I massage it with my palm?"

"No way. I am asking you to not even touch my hip and you want to massage it! What a craving you have!"

"I offered to massage your hip, only with the intention of alleviating your pain. What has happened? Has your hip got sprained?"

"I don't know what caused the pain. Soon after I had my make-up this morning, after taking my bath, my hip began to hurt. My mother applied some oil to soothe the pain. But it had no effect."

"In spite of suffering from the pain, you have come to meet me, your lover Vallabhan. I bow my head before the intensity of your love."

Vallabhan looked at Aravalli, shifting his gaze from her hip to her head.

"Why are you looking at me like this?"

"I am trying to  ascertain the cause of your hip pain, by studying your appearance."

"The pain is at my hip. But you are looking at my head. I wonder whether you have something called the brain inside your head!"

"It is because I have a sharp brain inside my head that I am able to realize that the cause of your hip pain stems from your head!"

Aravalli threw a look of puzzle at Vallabhan.

"Which flowers are you wearing on your head?" asked Vallabhan.

"Anichcham flowers. Why do you ask this question?... Wait. What are you doing? Why are you removing the flowers from my hair?"

Vallabhan clipped the stems from the flowers he had removed from Aravalli's hair and then tried to put the flowers on her hair again.

"Wait... I don't know how, but after you removed the flowers from my head, the hip pain has disappeared. Don't put the flowers on my head again" said Aravalli.

"The pain will not return. I have clipped the stems, haven't I?"

Vallabhan put the flowers on her hair and told her, "You wore the Anichcham flowers, without clipping their stems. Your hip was strained by the weight of the stems and began to pain."

"Your explanation doesn't appear credible to me, but it is true that the pain has gone now" said Aravalli, smiling.

"Hereafter, I won't praise the tenderness of your hip. Then, you will complain that something has happened to your hip, because of my praising its beauty. I will confine myself to feeling the tenderness of your hip with my hands."

So saying, Valabhan gripped Aravalli's hip with both his palms.

Aravalli didn't try to restrain him.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 112
In Praise of Her Charms

Verse 1115 (in Tamil):
anichchappUk kAl kaLaiyAL peydhaL nugappiRku
nalla padA paRai.

Meaning:

She decked herself with Anichcham flowers, without removing the stalks. Her waist was unable to withstand the weight of the stems. No merry drums would be beaten for her waist that was strained.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'odivadhu pOl idai irukkum' by the same author.)

 Verse 1116 (Soon)
Verse 1114 

452. My Son!

Some of my friends, my classmates in my school, had organized a get-together of people who studied in the same class, to commemorate the completion of 50 years of our completing the final year in our school.

It was during that get-together that I met Jagadeesan, who was close to me when we were studying in the school, after a long gap.

Jagadeesan told me that he had retired after a successful career and that all his three sons had well settled in life. He was particularly proud of his third son.

"My first two sons studied Engineering and got good jobs. There is nothing unusual about it. But my third son did his Bachelor's degree in Commerce. I advised him to study to become a Chartered Accountant. But he was not interested in that idea. He went for a mediocre job in a company. But within two or three years, he became very close to the Managing Director of the company. In five years, he was made the General Manager of a new company, started by the group. After working there for a few years, he quit his job and started his own business. He has taken a loan from the bank and been running his business successfully. I am proud of him" said Jagadeesan, with an overwhelming feeling of pride.

"It is a commendable achievement, indeed" I said, in genuine appreciation.

"You say you have been practicing as a lawyer. When are you planning to retire?" Jagadeesan asked me.

"When I don't get any more cases, that will be my time of retirement" I said, laughing.

We exchanged our contact details, before taking leave of each other.

After that, we conversed with each other over phone occasionally.

After a long gap, I got a call from Jagadeesan. I could sense his tension the very moment I head his voice.

"The police have arrested my son. I need your help in getting him out on bail. You should also handle the case" he said.

"Don't feel perturbed. Tell me which son of yours was arrested and on what charges."

"It is my third son. They say that he took the loan from the bank, by submitting fake documents to the bank."

"Oh! Don't mistake me. You should speak the truth to the lawyer. Only then, as a lawyer, I can do the right thing. Do you think that your son would have submitted fake documents?"

"He has admitted to me that he did so. But you should save him somehow. How proud I was about him! He has done such a horrible thing!" lamented Jagadeesan.

"Ok. I will ascertain the details of the case and then see what can be done. I want to ask you one thing. I think your son would have ventured into such an act, influenced by someone. Do you have an idea from whom your son would have derived such an influence."

"It was due to the company he had been keeping."

"Can you be more specific?"

"His previous employer was an unscrupulous person. My son who was close to him would have got the idea to defraud the bank, by observing his fraudulent schemes from close quarters."

"Who was his previous employer?"

"M.N.O.P."

"M.N.O.Pande! The man who had borrowed millions of rupees from the banks and run away from the country!" I asked, shocked.

"Yes. He was the one. My son should have got such ideas, because of his having been closely associated with M.N.O.P" said Jagadeesan, feeling disgusted.

 Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 46
Shunning the Company of Mean People

Verse 452 (in Tamil):

nilaththu iyalbAl nIr thirinthaRRu Agum mAndharkku
inaththu iyalbadhu Agum aRivu.

Meaning:

Water will assume the quality of the soil it is present in. People will acquire the thinking of the group they are associated with.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'en magan' by the same author.)

Verse 453
Verse 451

104. Higher Interest Rate

When Sambandham came to his relative Kailasam's house, a young man was sitting in Kailasam's house and conversing with Kailasam.

"Who is this gentleman? I have not seen him" Sambandham asked Kailasam.

"He is known to me" said Kailasam.

The young man told Sambandham, "Mr. Kailasam is my guide. I will never forget the help rendered by him."

"Oh, what help?" asked Sambandham.

"That's nothing" said Kailasam. He then introduced Kailasam to the young man, saying, "Sukumar! He is Mr. Sambandham, my relative. We will see again later" and sent him away.

After Sukumar had left, Sambandham asked Kailasam, "Who is this person? What help did you render him?"

Kailasam narrated the background.

A few years back, Kailasam had deposited fifty thousand rupees in a finance company, lured by their offer of high rate of interest. The firm was paying interest every month, on a particular date. The depositors located in the city would go to office of the finance company and receive the interest in cash.

For the first two months, the firm paid the interest on the due dates. From the third month, the payment was delayed and the depositors had to visit the office of the firm a few times, to receive the interest payment.

Once, when Kailasam had been to the firm to receive the monthly interest, he met Sukumar. Sukumar had come to the firm, to deposit money. 

After sensing that Sukumar was going to deposit money in that firm, Kailasam took him aside and told him, "I have deposited fifty thousand rupees in this firm. They are not paying the interest regularly. I have to visit the office several times to receive the interest every month. It is not safe to deposit your money here. Don't commit the mistake I have committed. It will be safer to deposit your money in a bank."

"But this firm is paying interest at a rate five percent higher than the rate paid by the banks!" said Sukumar.

"I deposited my money here only for that reason. But I am now regretting my decision."

"Sir, I will be depositing only ten thousand rupees. I will take the risk and see!"

"Think of it this way. Five percent additional interest will amount to five hundred rupees per annum. Are you going to risk ten thousand rupees, for the prospect of getting hundred rupees additional income in a year?" asked Kailasam.

Sukumar reflected for a while. But he was still focused on the prospect of getting a higher rate of interest.

"Okay. Do one thing. Wait for one month. You will have time to think about your decision" said Kailasam.

"If I keep the money idle for one month, I will be losing interest income. However, considering your suggestion, I will wait for one week, before depositing the money" said Sukumar. He also asked for and got the phone number of Kailasam.

"What happened afterwards?" asked Sambandham, showing his curiosity.

"Two days after that, the firm closed shop. People who had deposited their money lost their money" said Kailasam.

"So, you also lost your money. You didn't tell me about it!"

"Do you expect me to proudly broadcast to the world, my foolish act of losing money, lured by the offer of high interest? Since you asked me about my acquaintance with Sukumar, I am telling you this."

"Ok. You were telling me about your acquaintance with Sukumar. Please continue."

"Learning the news of the firm downing its shutters, Sukumar rang me up and conveyed his condolences. His decision to postpone his move to deposit the money in that firm, on my suggestion, saved him, from losing his money. He has been grateful to me for warning him, and stopping him from depositing the money with the firm. He asked for my address and visited me to convey his gratefulness to me. After that, I have not given him any suggestion or advice. But he keeps calling me a guide! He visits me now and then, for showing his gratitude and respect to me. He says that after that experience, he cultivated the habit of thinking twice, before taking any decision" said Kailasam.

"Though you may think that the help rendered by you is small, he has realized its value and been grateful to you" said Sambandham.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 11
Gratitude

Verse 101 (In Tamil)

thinaith thuNai nanRi seyinum panaith thuNaiyAk
koLvar payan therivAr.

Meaning:

Even if the help rendered by a person were to be as small as a millet seed, those who know its value, will consider it as large as a palmyra fruit.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kUdudhal vaDDi' by the same author)

Verse 105
Verse 103