142. At the Doorstep of Disgrace

When Guru saw Jayanthi for the first time, the thought that instantly arose in his mind was, 'how I wish that she were my wife!'

Jatanthi was married to Jagadeeswaran, Guru's colleague in the office.

After Jagadeeswaran brought Jayanthi to his house, after the marriage, Jagadeeswaran's friends in the office went to his house to wish the newly wed couple. It was at that time that such a thought occurred to Guru.

Though a counter thought also surfaced in his mind questioning whether he should entertain such a thought about his friend's wife, Guru realized that that thought tickled his mind and made him feel excited.

When Jayanthi brought a tray containing cups of coffee and offered the cups to the visitors, going to them one after another and inviting them through her smile to pick up a cup, Guru felt like touching her hand, adorned by bangles that were clinging as she moved.

After that occasion, Guru made it a point to visit Jagadeeswaran's house a few times, in the guise of visiting his friend. Though he was aware that his crush towards Jayanthi, even if it was suppressed in his mind, was inappropriate, he could not quell the attraction he had been feeling for her.

Jagadeeswaran had to go out of station for a few days, on official work.

"You are leaving your newly-wed wife alone and going for an official tour!" Guru asked Jagadeeswaran.

"Yes. But we are living in an apartment block. If my wife needs anything, she can take the help of our neighbours. Moreover, Jayanthi is a brave woman, by nature. So, she can manage things" said Jagadeeswaran.  

The evening after Jagadeeswaran had left on a tour, Guru felt restless. He felt an urge to visit Jagadeeswaran's home and see Jayanthi.

'What is wrong in visiting her and saying hello to her? If I become friendly with her, she may be attracted by me!' thought Guru.

Unable to control the urge to visit her when she was alone, Guru left for Jagadeeswaran's house.

When Guru pressed the calling bell, Jayanti opened the door. The black color sari worn by her and her dark unplaited hair that was flowing like waves on either side of her face stirred up a feeling of mild fear in him.

Seeing Guru, she asked, "oh, you!" standing near the door, which she had opened partially. She didn't attempt to open the door fully and ask him to come in.

"Yes" said Guru, bringing a smile on his face, with some difficulty. "Jagad has left, hasn't he?"

"Yes. He left in the afternoon" said Jayanthi, standing in the same position.

Guru was not sure what Jayanthi was thinking about his visiting her. Has she taken it as normal or has she begun to doubt his intentions?.

Seeing that Guru was silent, Jayanthi asked him, "Is anything the matter?"

As Guru began to think how he was going to answer her question, he suddenly felt a chill running through him.

'What am I doing! Driven by the attraction I felt for another man's wife, I have come to her house and am standing at her doorstep. What a degrading behaviour!

'If Jagadeeswaran were to become aware of the attraction I have felt for his wife, what will he think about me?

'If Jayanthi becomes suspicious of my intentions, what will she do? Will she yell and make her neighbours come here? If some of her neighbours rush here, responding to her cries, what will I tell them?

'If people come to a conclusion that I came here with a bad intention and I suffer humiliation, what will happen to my life?

'Even if it doesn't happen, but if Jayanthi thinks that I have come here with an ignoble intention, can I visit this house again? Will I be able to continue my friendship with Jagadeeswaran?

'What a foolish blunder I was about to commit!'

Guru stepped back a little and told Jayanthi, "Since you are alone, with Jagad being away, I just wanted to check whether everything was alright here, whether you were safe and whether you needed any thing." 

"I have no problem here. Everything is fine. I am grateful to you, for your concern for my welfare and having taken the trouble to come here to check everything is fine" said Jayanthi, with a smile.

Seeing her smile, Guru heaved a sigh of relief, thinking, 'how narrowly I pulled myself, at the last minute, from falling into a pit of disgrace.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 15
Not Desiring Another Man's Wife

Verse 142 (In Tamil)

aRan kadai ninRAruL ellAm piRan kadai 
nnRArin pEdhaiyAr il. 

Meaning:

Of all those who have been beyond the boundaries of morality, there are no greater imbeciles than those who go after another’s wife.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'manam pOna pOkkilE' by the same author.)

Verse 143 (Soon)
Verse 141

618. Blaming the Fate!

"Hey, Kannan! How are you?" Prakash greeted his friend, who visited his room.

"Not good. It has been two years since I completed my education. I have still not got a job. I am feeling frustrated. I thought if I met you and talked to you, I could feel better. Hope you free today" replied Kannan.

"When it comes to spending time with friends like you, I am always free. I have a practice of visiting my uncle once in a few months. I thought of visiting him today. But, no problem. I can schedule it for next week."

"I don't want you to change your program because of me. I can come next week."

"It is fine. My visiting my uncle is only for the sake of courtesy. I can visit him next week. Let us go out somewhere" said Prakash.

The two friends went to a restaurant and had their lunch. They then went to a movie and returned to Prakash's room in the evening.

They chatted for a while on various topics. 

"Are you applying for all the jobs you are eligible to apply?" asked Prakash. 

"My experience has been that there is a lot of competition for jobs in big companies. About one thousand people attend an interview for fifty posts. So, I have stopped applying for jobs in big companies. I apply only for other kinds of jobs" said Kannan.

"I think it is a wrong approach. You could be one of the fifty people selected for the post. If you stop applying to big companies, just because you were not selected by some big companies after being interviewed, won't it amount to restricting the opportunities available to you?"

"I think I don't have the good fortune of getting a job in a good company. When fate is against me, my attempts at fighting against my destiny will be futile."

Deciding not to talk further on the topic, Prakash changed the topic, by talking about their mutual friends.

When the topic turned to Gurumurthy, one of their close friends, Kannan asked, derisively "How is he? Has he started another business now?" 

"Like you, he also says that his fate is not good. But he keeps trying to do something or the other" said Prakash.

"He became an insurance agent. When he could not make much headway in that line, he got into network marketing. He failed in that venture also. What business is he engaged in now?" asked Kannan, in a mocking tone.

"Kannan! It is not fair to make fun of him. Like you, he also has not got a job till now. But he keeps thinking, 'if I can't get a job, what else can I do?' He explored self employment or business opportunities he could take up without much investment. That's how he ended up pursuing insurance and network marketing activities. Well, he didn't succeed in his efforts. But, he won't give up. He will try something else!" said Prakash.

It appeared to Kannan that Prakash's words carried a hidden message, 'While you have been blaming the fate and not even making use of all the opportunities that come your way, Gurumurthy keeps trying something new, even after repeated failures. You have no moral authority to find fault with his ways.' 

"I take leave of you. As advised by you, I will apply for jobs in big companies also" kannan told Prakash, while taking leave of him.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 62
Perseverance

Verse 618 (in Tamil):
poRiyinmai yArkkum pazhi anRu aRivu aRindhu
ALvinai inmai pazhi.

Meaning:

Misfortune is not disgrace; not gaining requisite knowledge, and not persisting, is disgraceful.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'vidhiyin pizhai' by the same author.) 

Verse 619 (soon)
Verse 617

1139. The Man on Horseback

When Damayanthi went to the market with her mother Kalyani, she watched her mother buy some vegetables.

"Are you not buying bitter gourd?" asked Damayanthi.

Kalyani looked at her daughter with surprise and said, "You want me to buy bitter gourd! But, you don't like bitter gourd." 

"He likes bitter gourd. So, I thought I will also get used to like it."

"He? Whom are you referring to?" asked Kalyani.

Damayanthi checked herself and said, "I was talking about daddy."

"But your father also doesn't like bitter gourd. It is because you both don't like bitter gourd, I have stopped buying it" said Kalyani, still perplexed by her daughter's words.

Another day, When Damayanthi was walking on the streets with her friends, she saw a soldier riding a horse.

Damyanthi told her friends, "This is his horse. But someone else is riding it."

"His horse? Whom are you talking about?" one of her friends asked Damayanthi.

"Don't you remember? When we were bathing in the tank, a man came there riding a horse. He let the horse drink water in the tank and stood at a distance, lest we should feel uncomfortable bathing in the tank, in the presence of a man. He was such a gentleman! It was when I met him for the first time. After that, I met him in the temple, when I had been there along with you people" said Damayanthi.  

Damayanthi's friends exchanged puzzled looks among themselves.

"What you say doesn't make any sense to us, Damayanthi. No such incident happened, when we were bathing together in the tank" said, one friend.

"Oh! In that case, it might have happened, when I was bathing with some of my other friends" said Damayanthi.

"But, you don't have other friends!" pointed out another friend.

"Perhaps, it took place when I was bathing with my mother" said Damayanthi, even as she was wondering why she had been contradicting herself.

"It is obvious that something has happened to her. We will suggest to her mother to get her married soon!" said another friend, evoking a laughter in others.

"One more thing. All horses look alike. So, even if you had met a man riding a horse, this horse may not be the one you saw him riding. So, don't keep dwelling on this" another friend advised Damayanthi.

Later, when Damayanthi met her lover in private, she told him, "I didn't tell anyone about my love. But my love for you, which I have locked up in my mind, keeps popping out now and then by breaking the lock open, exposing me and embarrassing me in the process. So, I suggest that you meet my parents soon and arrange to have our marriage performed soon."

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 114
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1139 (in Tamil):
aRigilAr ellArum enRE en kAmam
maRugin maRugum maruNdu.

Meaning:

Believing that none knows its secret, my love reels confused in the streets (of this town).

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kudhirai vIran' by the same author.)

Verse 1140 (Soon)
Verse 1138

617. The Goddess of Wealth

"Grandpa, who are Sridevi and Moodevi?" Nitish asked his grandfather Ekambaram.

Nitish's father Kumar, who was sitting on the sofa watching the TV, lowered the volume of the TV so that he could listen to his father's answer to Nitish's question.

"Sridevi is Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. Moodevi, her elder sister is the Goddess of Adversity or Misfortune" said Ekambaram. 

"Is Moodevi a bad person?"

"No. We can't say she is bad. We expect God to be a benefactor, a power that will help us. We worship Lakshmi, expecting that She will bestow riches on us. It is believed that Moodevi will stop good things from happening to us."

Oh! That's why we don't worship Moodevi!"

"Yes."

"Are Sridevi and Moodevi real?"

"We go to the temple and pray to God. Is it not because we believe that there is God? The perception about the existence of Sridevi and Moodevi is also based on belief."

"If some student in my class doesn't study well, my class teacher will call him 'Moodevi,' Moodevi is a feminine name. But I find my my class teacher calling a boy by this feminine name, amusing."

"It is not only your class teacher who does so. Many people have the practice of calling men, 'Moodevi,' while criticizing them. It is because, the name Moodevi is not used to depict a person. Though as per Hindu mythology, Moodevi is the elder sister of Lakshmi, in practice, Moodevi is associated with anything despicable. The term is used to refer to undesirable habits and practices, varying from physical factors like lack of cleanliness and hygiene to mindsets and attitudes like laziness, not making efforts, sitting idle etc."

"We need only Lakshmi. We should keep away from Moodevi. Shouldn't we, grandpa?"

"Yes. Lakshmi is auspicious. She represents good things. She will give us riches, fortune, health  and happiness. But, how can we get good things? Can we get them, if we are sitting idle?" asked Ekambaram.

Nitish nodded his head, signaling his agreement with his grandfather's words.

"Grandpa! It is me who is asking you the questions. But, you keep looking at daddy, while answering my questions. Don't you see that daddy is watching the TV?" asked Nitish. 

"Yes. But your father is also listening to our conversation. That is why I am looking at him also, while talking to you" said Ekambram, looking at both his son and his grandson and smiling.

Nitish turned to Kumar and asked him, "Dad! Don't you know these things? Didn't grandpa tell you about these, when you were a boy?"

Even before Kumar could reply to his son, Ekambaram said, "I have told your father many times about these concepts. But, he might have forgotten. It is better that he hears them again so that these will be deeply impressed on his mind." 

He looked at Kumar with a smirky expression on his face and continued talking to his grandson. 

"So, where were we? Yes...Lakshmi will do good to us. But, if we sit idle, good things won't come to us on their own. Hard work, efforts, enthusiasm, energy, interest, involvement, concentration, dedication cleanliness, good intentions - these attributes represent Lakshmi. If we have these attributes, good things will happen to us. We will experience success. Even fortune will favoour us. Dirt, garbage, laziness, slumber, passivity, lack of motivation, diffidence - these attributes represent Moodevi. If someone has these attributes, he won't see good things happening to him. Thus, when we say Laksmi, we mean being healthy, active and energetic, both physically and mentally. When we say Moodevi, we mean the opposite state. Do you understand?"

Nitish nodded his head enthusiastically, indicating that he understood his grandfather's message.

Kumar also understood the message indirectly conveyed to him by his father: 'I have worked hard, earned money and created some assets. But, you are sitting idle, without going for any job, banking on the confidence that you can manage to live on the wealth created by me!'

Ekambaram turned to his son and smiled. Kumar turned his face away, in anger.

"Dad! You have told me many times straight over my face that I am lazy and that I am living my life on the wealth created by you. Now, you are trying to convey the same message to me indirectly, in the guise of answering the questions posed to you by your grandson!' thought Kumar.

"The messages directly conveyed to you several times by me have not had an impact on you. Is this indirect message going to bring about a change in your attitude?' thought Eakambaram.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 62
Perseverance

Verse 617 (in Tamil):
madi uLAL mAmugadi enba madi ilAn
thaL uLAn thAmaraiyinAL.

Meaning:

They say that the dark angel Moodevi (the Goddess of Adversity) dwells with laziness, and the Lakshmi (the Goddess of Prosperity) dwells with the labour of the industrious.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'Lakshmiyin akkA' by the same author.) 

Verse 618
Verse 616

616. A Conversation Outside the Restaurant

When I was about t step into that restaurant, a person coming out of the restaurant stared at me for a while and asked me, "Aren't you the son of Mr. Sivaraman?"

"Yes. But I am unable to place you!" I said. 

"What Chandran, are you not able to recognize me? I am Jambu, who was a tenant in your house" he replied.

"Oh! I am sorry I couldn't remember you. It it was several years back. Hope every one in your family is fine."

I tried to end the conversation and enter the restaurant.

"Just a minute, Chandran! Why are you in a hurry?" Jambu held my hand with his and continued. "At that time, you were a boy, studying in the school. We were staying in a portion adjacent to yours. Being a boy, you wouldn't have interacted with us a lot. Your father was a noble person. I can never forget him. How is he?"

"He passed away some years back."

"Oh, what a tragedy! Of course, he would have been quite old. Yet, I am shocked to hear about his demise. This world needs people like him. You wouldn't have known much about me. At that time, I was working as a sales executive in a company. My salary was low. The job was tough. If I didn't reach the target for a month, I wouldn't be paid the salary for that month. My company would release the salary only after 15 to 20 days, as a punishment for my failure to reach the target.

"I struggled a lot to run my family. Some months, I was not able to pay the house rent in time. But, your father was never annoyed by the delay. 'What can you  do, if you don't get your salary in time? You can pay me after receiving your salary' he would say. How kind and how understanding! Whenever I was feeling rejected, he would enthuse me saying, 'Don't feel disheartened. You have been working hard. Be patient. Your efforts will definitely be rewarded.' I used to think that he was just trying to make me feel good.

"We stayed in your house for about two years. After that, we had to move to another other area, where my son's school was located. Over a period, I was able to succeed in my efforts. I realized that your father's words were not words of consolation, but words of wisdom. Now, I have my own business and I am doing well in life. I would often think about visiting your father and thanking him for his valuable advice. But, somehow, I couldn't make it. And he is not there now. Are you living in the same house?"

"No."

"Oh! You would have got your house demolished and rebuilt it as an apartment complex. That is what people do nowadays. Are you looking after your father's business now?"

As I was thinking what reply I should give to his questions, he looked at his watch and said, "I have to meet someone. It is getting late. Bye." 

He then walked away.

When I entered the restaurant, the owner of the restaurant, sitting at the cash counter told me in a stern voice, "Why should you stand at the entrance and chat with someone, for hours together? Don't you know that you have to report for duty?"

I looked at the wall clock hung above his head. It was still five minutes for my shift to start. But, he chided me, as if I chatted with someone and reported for duty late!

But, I couldn't protest. He was my employer. I was an underpaid server working for him. I cannot point out to him that he was wrong.

Mr. Jambu, a tenant in our house, was inspired by my father's words and came up in life, by making efforts.

'Even a person, who is in a good position, should make efforts to reach a higher position. If a person remains idle, feeling complacent and doesn't make efforts, he will go down from his position' my father had told me many times.

But, I ignored his advice and chose to be idle. As a result, unable to successfully run the business established by him, after his death, I had to wind up the business. And, I had to sell our house, for meeting the liabilities, incurred in my business. 

After winding up my business, I took up a job as a server in a small restaurant, for my survival.

Quietly accepting the reprimand of the restaurant owner, I got into the restaurant to start doing my work.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 62
Perseverance

Verse 616 (in Tamil):
muyaRchi thiruvinai Akkum muyaRRinmai
inmai puguththi vidum.

Meaning:

Efforts will produce wealth; idleness will bring poverty.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'Ottal vAsalil oru sandhippu' by the same author.) 

Verse 617
Verse 615

141. Missed the Bus

The last bus had left.

'I shouldn't have come to this town to witness a dance performance' Sruti cursed herself.

'I should have left the theatre a little earlier, without sitting through the show till the end. I foolishly stayed till the end, out of my interest and a false hope that I would be able to catch the last bus.'

When Sruti told her husband Krish about her plan to go to this town to watch the dance show, Krish asked her, "Should you go to a far off place to watch adance show?"

"We will never have a chance to watch such shows in our place. If you don't like the idea of my going alone, why don't you come with me?" replied Sruti.

"I have to prepare for tomorrow's class. Moreover, I don't have the patience to sit for two hours and watch a dance performance, with no clue about the meaning of the movements of the artist. You may travel by bus. But, take care to catch the last bus leaving that place at 9.10 pm" said Krish.

"A friend of mine residing in that town is accompanying me to the show. In case I miss the last bus, I will stay with her for the night and return in the morning. If I have to inform you over the phone, I should call the principal's home and request him to inform you. Though he is friendly towards you, giving him such trouble won't be appropriate. So, don't worry, if you don't get any message from me."

Krish was working as a lecturer in a college, located in a place twenty kilometers away from the town. The teaching staff and other employees working in the college were provided residential quarters in the campus, which had essential facilities like shops, medical facilities etc.

The place was a small village. The village had no theatre or other sources to provide entertainment. Sometimes, Krish and Sruti would come to the city during weekends, to watch a movie or to do shopping. For the first time, Sruti traveled to the town alone, to witness a dance recital.

The plan was for Sruti to visit her friend's house and then proceed to the show along with her. 

When Sruti visited her friend's house, she found that the house was locked. A neighbour informed Sruti that her friend had to unexpectedly leave the town earlier that day, on an emergency.

Thus, the option of staying with her friend for the night also became unavailable to Sruti.

As Sruti was thinking about what to do and weighing the option of staying in a hotel, she heard someone calling out her name.

"How are you, Sruti?"

Momentarily startled by someone addressing her, when she was stranded in that town, she turned back to see who the person was.

Sudhakar! Her classmate in the college.

"Oh, Sudhakar! What a surprise! I missed the last bus to my place and I am stranded here" said Sruti.

"I have the same problem too. Don't worry. I will take care of you" said Sushakar, smiling.

A feeling of apprehension began to raise in Sruti's mind.

When Sruti was studying in the college, Sudhakar was madly in love with her. Even after Sruti had rejected his overtures several times, Sudhakar continued to pester her. 

Sruti learnt that Sudhakar had entered into a bet with some of his friends that he would somehow win over her.

It was only after Sruti threatened to file a police complaint against him that Sudhakar stopped making overtures to her.

"I don't know what to do. Is there a good hotel, safe for a woman to stay?" asked Sruti.

"This is a small town. The safest place here is this bench at the bus stand. If you are prepared to sit her for the entire night, I will remain here, guarding you" said Sudhakar.

Wondering whether she could be sitting on the bench for the entire night, Sruti cursed herself again, for her foolish complacency that resulted in her missing the bus.

"Don't worry. I have someone known to me living in this town. I will take you to their house. You can stay there for the night" said Sudhakar.

"What about you?" asked Sruti.

"I can manage to lie down even on the pavement. Don't worry about me."

After being in a dilemma for a couple of minutes about going with Sudhakar to the house of the person known to him, Sruti made up her mind to go with him.

Sudhakar engaged a cycle rickshaw and gave the rickshaw operator directions for the destination. The rickshaw began to move, carrying the two of them.

The rickshaw went on a main road for some distance and suddenly turned into a narrow lane. Sruti's sense of apprehension was intensified.

The door of the house was knocked at 5 o' clock in the morning.

The old lady who opened the door looked at Sudhakar and nodded her head.

Sruti who was inside the house stood up, on seeing Sudhakar enter the house.

"You have come so early!" she said, smiling at Sudhakar.

"Yes. I wanted to take you to the bus stand in time for you to get the first bus leaving to your place" said Sudhakar.

Sruti looked at the old lady and said, "I take leave of you, madam! I am thankful to you for giving me shelter in your house" said Sruti, looking at the old lady. 

"This is a small house. Well-to-do people like you may not find staying here comfortable. I am happy that you stayed here" said the old lady.

"She had no other option. She chose staying here over sitting on a bench at the bus stand for the entire night!" said Sudhakar, laughing.

When the two were walking to the bus stand, Sruti told Sudhakar, "I am sorry, Sudhakar. Considering how you were pursuing me in the college, I was apprehensive of your intentions. But, you acted like a perfect gentleman and helped me get a safe place to stay during the night. I am happy that you have changed" said Sruti, in an apologetic tone.

"I have not changed Sruti, It is you who have changed!"

"What do you mean?"

"When I went after you in the college, you were an unmarried woman. Now, you are married to someone. I moved with you in a way I should, with the wife of another man" said Sudhakar.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 15
Not Desiring Another Man's Wife

Verse 141 (In Tamil)

piRan poruLAL pettu ozhugum pEdhaimai jnAlaththu
aRam poruL kaNdArkaN il.

Meaning:

The indiscretion of desiring another man’s wife will not be found

in those who are enlightened about virtue and possession.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thavaRa vitta bus' by the same author)

Verse 142
Verse 140

615. Praise or Derision?

"Were you able to get results today?" Karpagam asked her husband Damodaran, even as he was stepping into the house.

"Yes, at last. I was able to secure admission for Guna in a good college. Valli's husband was overwhelmed with joy. When he thanked me repeatedly, I was a bit embarrassed." 

"You took leave for four or five days, knocked the door of several colleges and got admission in a good college for his son. Won't he feel grateful?"

"Yes. Guna's scores being not so impressive, getting him admission in a good college, without paying donation, was a challenge. First, I should search and find colleges with a reasonable reputation that would accept students who are not top scorers. I should then shortlist the colleges that won't ask for a donation. And finally, I should visit those colleges, find out whether they would give admission to Guna, given the scores he has got. Valli's husband is not a person with worldly knowledge. When my sister Valli requested me to help her son get admission in a good college, how can I help not helping her?"

"I wonder how many people, driven by their mission to help other people, will take leave for four or five days and tirelessly visit several colleges every day, without even bothering to have their food at the right time!" 

"I am unable to comprehend whether you are appreciating me or deriding me!" said Damodaran.

"Do you think that I will deride you for helping others? I only wanted to point out that you are as much persevering in your efforts to help other people as you are in doing things for our family. On several occasions, you have helped my relatives also. When my younger brother was unjustly dismissed by his company, even the trade union, of which he was a member, did not come to his help. It was you, who engaged a lawyer, fought his case before the Labour Commissioner and got him reinstated. You even refused to get the fee you paid to the lawyer reimbursed by my brother. You have not even told me how much you paid for the lawyer, despite my asking you about this repeatedly. If I were to find fault with you, even my parents would ostracize me!" said Karpagam, looking at her husband, proudly.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 62
Perseverance

Verse 615 (in Tamil):
inbam vizhaiyAn vinai vizhaivAn than kELir
thunbam thudaiththu UnRum thUN.

Meaning:

He who desires not pleasure, but desires labour, will be a pillar for one’s kin – wiping and bearing their woes.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kaRpagaththin madhippIdu' by the same author.) 

Verse 616
Verse 614