56. Burdens Pleasant to Carry

When the alarm rang, Sumitra didn't wake up. She had woken up five minutes before that. She had finished brushing her teeth when the alarm rang. 

Having got used to getting up at a particular time at the ringing of the alarm, she could wake up even a few minutes before the alarm went off.

'I need not set the alarm hereafter' she thought, after stopping the alarm.

'My dear alarm clock! Hereafter, you don't have to keep awake the whole night so as to wake me up in the early morning!'

For the next one hour, she was working in the kitchen making breakfast and lunch for everyone including her husband, her mother-in-law and her two children. After packing the lunch for her two school-going children and for herself, she gently woke up her mother-in-law. 

She appraised her mother-in-law of what she had prepared for breakfast and lunch and then got ready to leave for work.

"Why are you leaving so early today?" queried her mother-in-law.

"Hereafter, I have to commute to work by bus. So, I have to start early."

"Why? Won't Saravanan pick you up?"

"No. They have changed the shift for him. He will start late. I can't ride with him."

"My goodness! Already, you have been toiling for the whole day. Now, you have to start earlier! How can you bear the additional strain?"

"Your concern for me is a great source of strength for me, aunty! It is very rare to find a mother-in-law like you who has so much concern for her daughter-in-law" said Sumitra, moved by her mother-in-law's empathy.

Sumitra couldn't control her tears.

"Don't cry, dear! Your ordeal will be over soon" consoled her mother-in-law.

'She doesn't know why I am crying just as she doesn't know why I couldn't ride with Saravanan for commuting to work!' thought Sumira.

Saravanan, a colleague of her lived close to her. He offered to pick her up on his two-wheeler while going for work and drop her back. Though initially Sumitra was reluctant to accept the arrangement, given the social taboo against a woman riding with a man not related to her, she accepted it after being persuaded by her husband and mother-in-law.

Sumitra told her colleagues that Saravanan was a cousin of her. Saravanan also addressed her akka (elder sister). Yet, tongues wagged in her workplace, attributing illicit relationship between the two. But Sumitra was not bothered, knowing that gossip was a reality in all organizations.

After several months, a complication arose in her relationship with Saravanan.

While returning home from work, the two would have tea in a roadside restaurant. The previous day, when they were having tea, Saravanan addressed her as "Sumitra!" instead of the usual "akka" and then told her, "Sumitra! I am only one year younger to you. So, hereafter, I am going to call you by your name!"

Sumitra stared at him for a moment. She quietly drank her tea without saying anything. She then got up and walked away abruptly. Saravanan, upset by her reaction, came after her and apologized to her saying, "Sorry, akka. If you don't like it..."

Sumitra cut him off saying, "Hereafter, I will commute to work by bus. You don't have to take the trouble of picking me up and dropping me. Don't come by my house hereafter" and walked away. She boarded a bus at the nearby bus-stop and reached home.

When Sumitra reflected on the incident, it occurred to her that Saravanan acted that way in a moment of weakness but would correct himself after knowing that she didn't approve of his taking that kind of a liberty with her. However, she thought that once he had slipped, it won't be appropriate to continue her friendship with him and decided to cut off the relationship.

When her mother-in-law spoke out of concern for her, Sumitra broke down regretting that Saravanan had broken a good friendship by his inappropriate behaviour.

When Sumitra returned home that evening, her children enthusiastically greeted her. After conversing with them briefly, Sumitra went to the room where her husband Raghavan was lying on the bed.

"How did you like the lunch today? I had prepared Brinjal sambar*, but since you don't like Brinjal, I kept aside some sambar without Brinjal pieces for you. But I forgot to inform your mother about it" said Sumitra.

"Leave it. Why didn't you ride with Saravanan today? Mom said that he had been assigned to a different shift. But I know there is no shift system in your company!" said Raghavan

Sumitra felt like crying. Controlling her tears, she said, "How long can this arrangement go on? Some people at the office have been gossiping about us. You often say 'we shouldn't depend on anyone.' So, I decided to discontinue the arrangement."

Raghavan looked into her eyes, but she averted his gaze.

"Something has happened. I am sure you will tell me after sometime!" said Raghavan, smiling.

"Ok. Please get up. Practice walking, holding on to me."

Raghavan, who was recovering from a paralytic attack, put his arm around Sumitra's shoulders and began to walk."

"You are walking more firmly today than you were yesterday!" said Sumitra, with enthusiasm.

"Everyday, you get up in the early morning, prepare breakfast and lunch for all of us, pack lunch for you and the children, go to work and help me walk immediately after returning from work. Don't you feel tired?" asked Raghavan.

"No!" said Sumitra.

 

Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 6
The Worth of A Wife

Verse 56 (In Tamil)

thaRkAththuth thRkoNdAn pENith thagaisAnRa
soRkAththuch chOrvilAL peN.

Meaning:

An ideal woman is one who protects herself, takes care of her husband and ensures that the good name of her family is preserved.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'sugamAna sumaigaL' by the same author)

Verse 57

Verse 55