1081. The Magical Smile

Kumaran didn't anticipate that such a large crowd would have gathered for the temple festival.

The annual festival of that temple, located a few miles away from his village, was quite popular among the people in the surrounding villages. 

He had witnessed that festival, when he was a boy studying in the school. After that, he didn't have a chance to witness that festival.

Kumaran had no interest in witnessing the festival, but his mother insisted that he attend the festival. "You have completed your studies. You may take up a job in a far off place. You won't get a chance to attend the festival again. So, attend the festival now" was her advice.

She didn't tell him that the reason for her asking him to attend the festival was driven by the belief among the people in that region that unmarried youth who attend the festival would get married soon!

When Kumaran went near the temple, he saw that a large crowd was moving towards the temple like waves marching towards the shore.

Even from a distance, he could see the temple deity placed on an elevated pedestal, with the temple priests performing the worship rituals. It appeared to him that it would take a couple of hours for him to go near the deity and worship the deity.

He decided that he would worship the deity from a distance and return home. He surveyed the crowd again. Hordes of men and women were walking. This movement, when looked at from behind, presented a sight of heads floating in space.

Kumaran noticed one head distinctly, the head of a young woman. He immediately realized that it was the earring the young woman had worn on her ears that made her look distinct.

Kumaran had seen women wearing myriad types of earrings. Even in that gathering, there would have been hundreds of women wearing earrings. But, for some reason, the earring worn by that young woman presented a unique appearance.

Looking from a distance, he couldn't gauge the age of that young woman.

Driven by a sense of curiosity, Kumaran tried to go closer to her by walking past the people who were walking ahead of him.

When he went a little closer, he was able to see her hair. The movement of her unplaited hair that was hanging from her head, gently touching the back of her neck and her back presented an elegant sight.

When Kumaram began to wonder why he was drawn to a woman whose face he had not seen, she accidentally turned her head sideways.

To Kumaran's mind, that act seemed like that of a peafowl turning its head in style!

At that moment, Kumaran was able to have a glimpse of one side of her face. He found even that partial vision enticing.

Eager to have a view of her face in full, Kumaran increased the pace of his walking, walked past some more people and came close to her. Intending to look at her face from the front, he walked past her. He halted at a point, stood under a tree, turned his face and looked at her. The movements of her hair and her graceful sway made her resemble a peafowl even more closely.

When he got a chance to have a clear view of her face, he was dazzled by its brilliance. What a divine glow! It was as if a deity from the temple was walking with the crowd, intending to witness the festival!

As she came nearer, a desire to have her as his life partner began to sprout in his mind.

She came still closer. When she was walking past him, she turned her face unexpectedly, looked at him and smiled.

Kumaran felt that his attending the festival had received an unintended fulfillment.

Thirukkural

Section 3

Love

Chapter 109
Beauty that Torments

Verse 1081 (in Tamil):
aNangu kol Aymayil kollO kananguzhai
mAdhar kol mAlum en nenju.

Meaning:

Is the girl with sturdy studs an angel? A peafowl special?

Or a damsel? My heart is dazzled.

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

Verse 1082 (Soon)