148. 'The Best Man!'

Anyone listening to a conversation in the office, between Accounts Manager Aravind and Senior Accounts Officer Rekha in the would think that Rekha was Aravind's superior officer.

In addition to Rekha being two years older than Aravind, there was another reason for Rekha appearing to have authority over Aravind.

When Rekha joined the company about one year back, Aravind made a pass at her, when the two were alone, despite knowing that Rekha was married. Rekha's reaction to Aravind's inappropriate behaviour was so ferocious that Aravind apologized to her immediately.

Rekha accepted Aravind's apology and moved with him normally. But, as if punishing him for his misdemeanour, she had been speaking to him, as if he was her subordinate.

Fearing that Rekha could publicize his inappropriate behaviour towards her, Aravind accepted her treatment of him and acted as if he was giving her respect, considering that she was older than him.

He often joked with her, treating her like a friend, in an effort to make her feel that he had no inappropriate feelings towards her.

"What, Mrs. Rekha? Who, do you think, will win the contest?" Aravind asked Rekha.

"Which contest?"

"Have you forgotten? In our company's anniversary celebration tomorrow, the female employees are going to select one male employee as the 'best man.'

"Oh, that? You are not going to be the winner, for sure!" said Rekha.

"What madam! Everyone in our office has been saying that I am going to be the winner."

"Some male employees might have told you so. How do men know on what basis women will vote?'

"Okay. Whom are you going to vote for?"

"To the person, who is going to win!"

"Does it mean that you are not going to vote for me?"

"What a sharp brain you have, Aravind! That is why they have made you a manager!" said Rekha, sarcastically. 

The anniversary function was celebrated on Saturday.

When Aravind came to the office on Monday, he greeted Rekha saying "Hello"

"Hello, best man!" said Rekha.

"Don't add insult to injury. Every one in the office is surprised that the female employees have chosen Murali 'the best man.'"

"You mean all the men in the office are surprised. Did I not tell you that men couldn't guess whom the women would select?"  

"That may be true. But the question remains on what basis did the women choose Murali. He is an introvert. He doesn't even talk to most of the people."

"Let me ask you a question, Aravind. If the male employees in our office were asked to choose one female employee 'the best woman,'  whom would you people have chosen?

"Not you, for sure!" said Aravind, laughing.

"Tit for tat! You are using the same words I used against you. It is fine. I know pretty well that you people won't choose me. I can also guess whom you will choose!"

"How can you? If men cannot know the mind of women, women cannot know the mind of men, either!"

"Women know. That is the fact. If men are asked to select 'the best woman,' they will choose the woman, who is the most beautiful. But if women are asked to choose 'the best man,' they will choose the one who has the best character!"

"Is there no one in the office who is better than Murali in character? I am also a person of good character."

"When I say character, I mean treating women with dignity and moving with them with genuine goodwill, not with a desire to win over them. Women will consider only such men as men of character. Most of the men working in our office have a tendency to look at a woman as a sexual object. They will try to win over her love, without even considering that she is married. Many men think that they are smart and that women will fall for their appearance and talk. What can be surprising about women voting for Murali, who treats women, especially married women, with dignity?" said Rekha. 

Realizing that she could have hurt Aravind inadvertently, she added, "I am sorry. I was not referring to you. I have forgiven and forgotten your past behaviour. What I said was in general. Since you have been moving with other men in our office, you can gauge to what extent my statement is true."

"I will try to improve myself and win the votes of women employees during the contest next year. I should get at least your vote" said Aravind.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 148 (In Tamil)

piRan manai nOkkAdha pErANmai sAnROrkku
aRan onRO AnRa ozhukku.

Meaning:

The manliness of not looking at the face of another man's wife is not only a virtue to be followed by great men, but also a moral code.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thEdhal mudivu' by the same author)

Verse 149 (Soon)
Verse 147

637. Felicitation Function

In the function held to felicitate spiritual speaker Pandurangan, many people spoke about his special attributes and achievements.

"There are many speakers well versed in narrating mythological stories. All of them are scholars. They are well read and well informed. Among them, Pandurangan has created a unique approach for himself, following which he has been delivering discourses that delight the listeners."

"On the one side, Mr. Pandurangan's discourses are commended by scholars and connoisseurs, impressed by his knowledge of the scriptures and mythological stories and his power of expression. And on the other, ordinary people are also attracted by his speeches. This is something rare to find."

"The Hindu mythology mentions about Souta Pauranika, an expert in giving discourses. The epics say how people showed a lot of interest in listening to his discourses. Mr. Pandurangan occupies a place today that was occupied by Sauta Pauranika during ancient times."

The above were some of the observations made by speakers who felicitated Panduangan. 

Finally, it was Pandurangan's turn to reply to the felicitations.

"Reading books on any subject and becoming an expert on that subject is something within the reach of every one. Anyone, who is willing to put in hard work will be able to achieve this. But, conveying what one has learnt, to other people, in an interesting and intelligible way is a special skill. Not many people had learnt this skill."

The audience were somewhat surprised by Pandurangan's words, which appeared to be self-praising. 'What is this? Why does this person praise himself, without even pretending to be modest, while speaking in public?' thought some people.

"In the beginning, I had not learnt that skill."

The audience now realized that Pandurangan was not indulging in self-praise and became interested in listening to what he was going to say.

"When I started giving discourses. not many people found my speeches to be interesting. Only a few people, who were able to discern the profound messages I had tried to convey through my speeches, appreciated me. I was able to comprehend that most of the audience felt, 'He is trying to convey something, but it is not interesting.'

I didn't know what I could do about this problem. I shared my problem, with a person close to me. That person was not well-educated, but she possessed worldly wisdom. She attended my next discourse. After listening to the discourse, she said, 'There is good content in your lecture. But your speech is not structured in a way to kindle the interest of the listener.'

"I asked her what I could do about it. She thought for sometime and then said, 'You are narrating stories written during ancient times. The happenings in those stories do not fit with the present day scenario. So, when you are telling those stories, if you can relate them to present day occurrences, the audience might feel interested. For example, when you narrate the story of Ramayana, you can compare Rama's unquestioning obedience to his parents with the attitude of the young people of today, who don't give any consideration to their parents' words. When talking about Lakshmana using strong words against his father, you can point out that even a good person, when gripped by anger, could lose his balance and use harsh words against his parents. This way, if you can link the events and characters in the mythological stories to the present day occurrences, your narration could stimulate the interest of the audience.'

"From my next discourse, I began to follow her advice. I was able to sense the enthusiasm my new approach created among the audience. Thus, it was not only the things that I had learned from books, but also the wisdom I had learned from that person that contributed to my speeches being liked the audience."

After a brief pause, Pandurangan continued.

"It would have been appropriate for me to bring the person responsible for my success to this felicitation event and honour her. But, I have not been able to do that."

Pandurangan paused again, removed his spectacles and wiped his eyes with his handkerchief.

"The person, who guided me in understanding the world and attuning my behaviour in accordance with the characteristics of the world, is not alive now. It has been three years, since my wife left me" said Pandurangan in a voice choked with emotion.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 64
Being A Minister

Verse 637 (in Tamil):
seyaRkai aRindhak kadaiththum ulagaththu
iyaRkai aRindhu seyal.

Meaning:

Even if you know well how to do a task,

do it knowing the nature of your world.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'pArAttu vizhA' by the same author.) 

Verse 638 (Soon)
Verse 636

1142. Miss Pearl

Ajan first met her in the jewellery shop.

By virtue of having worked in a jewellery shop for a few years, Ajan had developed the expertise of identifying and evaluating precious stones.

After working in a jewellery shop for a few years, Ajan had the idea of starting his own business. He quit the job and started a food grains business, with a small investment.

Though the income from his food grains business was small, it was sufficient for him to support his family, comprising him and his mother. 

Ajan's mother wanted him to get married. Ajan felt confident about expanding his business and increasing his income to support his family, after getting married and begetting children.

Ajan's mother was engaged in finding a suitable match for her son.

Ajan's former employer, the owner of the jewellery shop, would, now and then, ask him to come to his shop for help, whenever the shop had an important customer. 

The shop owner found that Ajan's expertise on the quality and value of precious gems impressed the potential customers and gave them the confidence to buy the gems, with a feeling of conviction. 

It was during such a visit to the jewellery shop of his former employer that Ajan met the young woman. 

From the way the woman had dressed, talked and acted, it was obvious that she belonged to a wealthy family. Whether she was speaking to the shop assistants or to the shop owner, she displayed an authoritarian tone. 

When the shop owner introduced Ajan to her, saying, "Madam! Ajan is an expert in identifying the quality of stones and assessing their value. He will help you to select the pearls," she threw a nonchalant look at him. 

However, within a short time of listening to Ajan explaining the different grades of pearls, their characteristics and value, she was impressed by his expert knowledge about precious stones. She began to look at him with respect and admiration..

After she had bought some pearls and left the shop, the shop owner thanked Ajan for facilitating the sale.

"Who is this lady? She is so authoritarian!" said Ajan.

"She has a reason to be so. She is the daughter of a high level official in the palace" said the shop owner.

"What is her name?"

"I don't know her name. Since she bought pearls from me, we can refer to her as Miss Pearl!" said the shop owner. 

After sometime, Ajan received word from the shop owner that Miss Pearl wanted him to visit her residence.

Ajan went to her house, feeling apprehensive whether she didn't like the pearls bought by her on his advice and whether she called him for reprimanding him for giving her wrong advice.

But, contrary to his fears, Ajan was given a warm reception when he reached her house. The servants served him some dishes, in spite of his saying that he was not hungry.

"It is Madam's order that you should be taken to her chamber, only after you take food" said a servant.

After Ajan had had his food, he was taken to the 'Madam's' chamber.

"Welcome, gentleman!" Miss Pearl received him enthusiastically. "I have known many experts well versed in the intricate knowledge about gems. But I have never come across a person with such an incisive sense of discrimination like you. I have some more precious gems with me. I want you to examine them and give me an assessment about their quality and value. I keep buying and selling gems. But I want to keep rare gems with high value, permanently with me. I need your help in assessing the values of the gems I have" said Pearl

Ajan examined the gems shown by her, one by one, studying them closely, and explained to her about the quality, characteristics and value of each of them. 

When he took leave of her, after completing his task, she offered him gold coins of considerable value as remuneration for his services. But he refused to receive any remuneration from her, saying, "I consider it my fortune that I am able to serve a noble person like you." 

Ajan was often thinking about Miss pearl. 

'What a majestic personality, with a commanding appearance, cheerfulness and affability! Why did I get a feeling of being overwhelmed, in her presence. I used to be amused reading writers comparing the eye of a woman to a lily flower. But her eyes do remind me of lily flowers!

'Will I get a chance to meet her again? Oh, what a stupid desire! I am nowhere near her in status. I am fit to be only a servant in her house. But, if I were to be a servant in her house, commanded by her and spend my time looking at her flower-like eyes from close quarters and admiring her majestic appearance from being near her, I would be fortunate! Oh, what a stupid thought!'

But, Ajan could not help having such thoughts quite often.

After a few weeks, Ajan received a message from Miss Pearl, asking him to visit her house.

This time, she was slightly upset.

"What is this, young man? I called you to my house only to make an assessment of my gems. But it has led to people gossiping about you and me!" she asked in an angry tone.

Though such rumours reached his ears also, Ajan did not attach any importance to them. With Pearl herself calling him and asking about the rumours, he had a fear that perhaps things had gone a little far.

"Madam! I have not done anything to cause such rumours."

"You call me 'madam!' Is this the way to address a woman you are going to marry? My name is Parivadhini" she said, smiling.

"I don't follow..."

"When I first heard about the gossip of the people of this town, I felt angry. But, after pondering over the matter deeply, I realized that the talk of the people only reflected my inner feelings. If you like this Parivadhini, please tell me. I will talk to my father and ask him to make arrangements for our marriage."

Parivadhini bowed down her head, involuntarily. 

Ajan was struck with wonder by the sight of the commanding Parivadhini bowing down her head like a timid girl.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 115
Gossiping by Others

Verse 1142 (in Tamil):
malaranna kaNNAL arumai aRiyAdhu 

alar emakku Indhadhu ivvUr.

Meaning:

Not knowing the value of this damsel, whose eyes are like flowers, this town, by gossiping about her, has facilitated my earning her love.

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

Verse 1143 (Soon)
Verse 1141 

636. The Acting Chief Minister

"The Chief Minister has designated Chandramurthy, a novice with no political or administrative experience, as the Acting Chief Minister, during the time the Chief Minister would be on a foreign tour, ignoring senior people like us, who have rich experience in governance. Will Chandramurthy be able to manage?" Minister Parivallal asked Minister Kulaidaivelu.

"Chandramurthy is well educated, no doubt. But, education will be of no help in politics. Political wisdom is entirely different from the knowledge gained by college education. It is a pity that the Chief Minister did not realize this basic fact" said Kulandaivelu, sharing the concern of his cabinet colleague.

"The Chief Minister will be returning from his foreign tour only after three weeks. Within this period, we will create problems for Chandramurthy, leading him to commit mistakes. When the Chief Minister returns, he will be so angry with Chanrdramurthy for the mess created by him that he will dismiss Chandramurthy from the cabinet" said Parivallal. 

After returning from his foreign tour, the Chief Minister convened the meeting of the Executive committee of his party.

"During the time I was abroad, you people took good care of both the government and the party. I am thankful to you for this" said the Chief Minister. 

After looking at every one, he continued:

"It is true that Chandramurthy doesn't have much experience in politics or governance. But I made him the Acting Chief Minister, considering that he was well educated and capable of thinking clearly and doing things efficiently. As expected by me, he has functioned in an admirable manner. Apart from overcoming the hurdles created for his smooth functioning by some senior leaders of our party, he had also been vigilant about the schemes of the ruling party at the cenrre, which has always been looking for an opportunity to undermine us. Chandramurthy took extraordinary care to ensure that he didn't fall into the trap laid by the central government. Fallen into such a well-laid trap would have jeopardized the functioning of our government and got a bad name for us. He discharged the responsibility I had entrusted with him in an efficient manner and enhanced the image of our party in the eyes of the people. I congratulate him on his achievement."

Parivallal and Kuzhandaivelu looked at the Chief Minister, shocked and dismayed by his words. 

"Sir! I didn't do anything great. I reflected how you would act in specific situations and acted accordingly" said Chandramurthy, embarrassed by the praise showered on him by the Chief Minister. 

"I appreciate your prudence in recording, on a daily basis, all the happenings in the government and the party and giving  it to me on my return from the tour. Going through your diary, I learnt about every thing that went on during my absence" said the Chief Minister, with a smirk on his face.

He paused for a while and said, "One more thing. I want to reward senior ministers Parivallal and Kulandaivelu for the things they did in my absence. So, I have decided to give them rest, by relieving them from their positions" 

He turned to Parivallal and Kulandaivelu and smiled at them, as if he was greeting them.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 64
Being A Minister

Verse 636 (in Tamil):
madhi nutpam nUlOdu udaiyArkku adhi nutpam 

yAvuA mun niRpavai.

Meaning:

For one who has an impressive intellect, and is well-read,

is there any task that can be extremely challenging?

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'poRuppu mudhalvar' by the same author.) 

Verse 637
Verse 635

147. Twenty Five Years of Marriage

Invitees who had come for the silver jubilee of the marriage of Nagarajan and Bhuvana conveyed conveyed their greetings to the couple, some in English and some in Tamil.

Bhuvana looked at her husband standing beside her, with a sense of pride and joy.

At the time of their marriage, Bhuvana was 20 years old and Nagarajan was 25.

Karthik was born in the first year of their marriage and Selvi, in the third year.

Time seemed to have flown fast.

Nagarajan climbed fast in the ladder of his career and became the General Manager of his company. 

The family had their own house and a comfortable life that included annual holiday trips to hill stations and other places of interest.

Karthik had completed his studies and got a job in a good company. Selvi, after completing her undergraduate education was getting ready to pursue higher studies in the U.S.

When Nagarajan's friend greeted Nagarajan, saying "You have set an example for an ideal family life," Bhuvana had a feeling of pride and fulfillment.

The next day, when Nagarajan went to his office, his personal assistant Prema followed him to his cabin and after he sat down, asked him, "How did your silver jubilee function go?"

"Why didn't you come?" asked Nagarajan.

"As I had told you already, my husband left for Germany yesterday on official work. I had to be home to send him off. He left home only at 10 pm" said Prema.

"I missed you" said Nagarajan, smiling. 

"Really?" asked Prema, with a mischievous smile. 

"I have an important call. Tell the peon that I should not be disturbed for the next half an hour" said Nagarajan, blinking his eyes.

"Can I be present?"

"You should be the one taking notes during the call."

Prema went out of the cabin, gave some instructions to the peon, entered the cabin and locked it from inside.

Even before she could turn back, Nagarajan came close to her and hugged her.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 147 (In Tamil)

aRan ilAn ilvAzhvAn enbAn piRan iyalAL
peNmai nayavAdhavan.

Meaning:

Only a man who doesn't crave the feminine grace of another’s wife will be considered a person leadings a righteous family life.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'veLLI vizhA' by the same author)

Verse 148
Verse 146

635. The Minister's Choice

"Our leader has become a central minister now. This is a new responsibility for him. I don't know how he is going to manage!"

"Yes. If one is a minister at the state level, one will be able to manage with the help of the officials at the state level. The officials at the centre are of a different kind. Managing them is not going to be easy. Though our leader knows English, functioning as a Minister at Delhi, the capital city, will be a challenge to him."

"That's why he is going to have a personal secretary."

"Whom is he going to appoint as his personal secretary?"

"It is only through his personal secretary, will our leader be able to interact with other ministers and officials. I think that he will choose an educated and knowledgeable person from our party as his personal secretary."

"That means neither you nor I will be selected!"

This was the dialogue between two second level leaders of the political party.

"Mr. Arumugam! You have become a central minister. There seems to be a lot of competition to be appointed your personal secretary!" said Sabhapathy, the President of the party.

"Yes, sir. I have come to you, only to speak to you about this. I have chosen a candidate. I would request you to give your approval" said Arumugam.

"Who is the lucky person?"

"Gunaseelan."

"Gunaselan! He is quite young. After observing that he was a good orator in our party's public meetings, I made him a spokesperson of the party. He has been articulating our party's policies and views in the Television debates quite effectively. But, will he be a fit candidate for a personal secretary? Several senior leaders of our party are hankering for this post. Some even approached me, requesting me to recommend them to you. But, I told them, 'Arumugam will choose the person he thinks suitable. I won't recommend anybody.' But, you have chosen a young and inexperienced person!"

"Sir! Our party has been given a berth in the union cabinet for the first time. Reposing your faith in me, you have chosen me for the post. I want to make the best use of this opportunity, perform extraordinarily well and earn a good name for our party at the national level.

"Gunaseelan is educated. He is a man of integrity. While speaking in the television debates in support of our party, he will present facts and figures and advance logical arguments. He won't belittle the other side. He always uses measured words, chosen after careful thinking.

"I have noticed that he has admirably carried out the tasks and responsibilities given to him by you now and then, on matters relating to our party. If I have him as my personal secretary, he will not only carry out the tasks efficiently but also advise me appropriately on various matters."

Arumugam looked at Sabhapathy.

"This will create some flutters in the party. Some of the senior leaders will feel discontented. But, when you have taken a good decision, after deep thinking, I have the responsibility to support your decision. Best wishes" said Sabhapathy.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 64
Being A Minister

Verse 635 (in Tamil):
aRan aRindhu AnRamaindha sollAn engnAnRum
thiRan aRindhAn thErchchith thuNai.

Meaning:

He is the best helper (of the king) who understanding the duties of the latter, is by his special learning, able to tender the fullest advice, and at all times conversant with the best method (of

performing actions.)

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'antharanga udhaviyALar' by the same author.) 

Verse 636
Verse 634

634. The Finance Minister

When People's Welfare Party (PWP) won the elections and was set to form the government, there was a lot of interest among various sections of the people including the media, political commentators, economists and the general public at large about who was going to be made the Finance Minister in the new government. Names of a few senior leaders of the party made the rounds.

But, to everyone's surprise, Chief Minister Manickam chose Parankusam, a retired professor of Economics as the Finance Minister.

This decision shocked the senior leaders of the party and led to some heartburning. However, they chose to keep quiet, since they did not have the courage to ask the Chief Minister.

Six months passed, since the PWP government had assumed office.

Chief Minister Manickam, who was also the President of the party, convened a meeting of the Executive Committee of the party. Finance Minister Panakusam, though not a member of the party, participated in the party, as a special invitee. 

The Chief Minister spoke:

"I know that many of you were surprised and shocked by my appointing a person who had not been a member of our party as the Finance Minister. All of you are aware to what extent the economy of our state had been ruined by the party that was holding the reins earlier. I strongly believed that we needed a professional, an expert, to retrieve the economy from the pit it had fallen and make it healthy. It was also imperative that the economy could be put back on rails, only if the person managing the Finance portfolio took steps purely from the perspective of Economics, keeping political considerations aside. That was the reason for my choosing Mr. Parankusam, an Economist with no political background, for the job.

"During the last six months, the Finance Minister has taken several decisions and implemented measures for reviving the economy. Some of his decisions and actions might not have been to your liking. You may pose your questions to him."

"Sir! Soon after coming to power, we have raised a few taxes. People are unhappy with us for these raises" said a senior leader.

"Further, we have not implemented many schemes we had promised in our election manifesto. In the television debates, our party spokespersons have a tough time answering the questions raised about this issue" remarked another.

"Even a minister like me has been unable to answer the questions about our electoral promises, posed to me, when I visit my constituency" said a minister.

"The Finance Minister will answer your questions" said the Chief Minister, smiling.

Parankusam hesitated for a moment and then said, "While entrusting me with the responsibility of managing the Finance portfolio of the government, the Chief Minister told me, 'You should set right the economic situation of the state, acting the way you would, if the economy of your family were in a bad shape.' After studying the state of the economy, I told the Chief Minister, 'Sir! The revenue deficit has been increasing. Because of it, the borrowings have increased. The interest on the borrowings has been making the revenue deficit go up still further. If this situation has to be rectified, we should increase the revenue on the one side and reduce the expenditure on the other side. We will be able to take up new schemes only after bringing down the revenue deficit to zero.' The Chief Minister accepted my diagnosis and my action plan to revive the economy. Accordingly, I have implemented some measures."

"You make it sound so simple. How are we going to explain these to the people and make them understand?" asked a minister.

When Parankusam tried to answer him, the Chief Minister said, "People have given us a tenure of five years to govern. We have five years' time to deliver on our promises. It is quite possible that we will face the discontent of the people during the first two years, because of the unpopular but essential measures implemented by us. If there were to be by-elections, we may lose some or even all of them. But, if we pursue the path of course correction devised by us, with steadfastness, for two years, we will be able to see results in the last two years. At that time, we will be in a position to implement the schemes promised by us. Once people are able to realize that the measures implemented by us have begun to yield results, they will extend their support to us. The points mentioned by the Finance Minister are known to all of us. But, since he was not obliged to consider the political perspective, he was able to look at the economic situation objectively, decide what steps were needed to improve the economy and outline his plan of action to me. I accepted his plan and gave him the freedom to implement the plan the way it should be."

Nobody said anything.  

"We should do one more thing to make people understand that the financial position of the government is bad. We should cut our salaries by half. The amount saved from this step my not be significant. But it will send the right signal to the people." 

The Chief Minister paused and added "Again, it was the Finance Minister, who suggested this step," turning to Parankusam, with a smile.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 64
Being A Minister

Verse 634 (in Tamil):
theridhalum thErndhu seyalum oruthalaiyAch
chollalum valladhu arasu.

Meaning:

The minister is one who is able to comprehend (the whole nature of an undertaking), execute it in the best manner possible, and articulate his views unequivocally. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'nidhi amaichchar' by the same author.) 

Verse 635
Verse 633