1084. The Reporters' Dilemma

"Look at that girl. She is so slim that she can be knocked out by a mere touch of the hand!" 

Yes. I have read poets describe young women having a hip tender like a creeper. I am now looking at a girl fitting such description!"

"Not just her hip, her whole body has the tenderness of a creeper. It is so supple and slender."

"When she walks, it is as if she is swayed by the wind, making one wonder whether she is walking on the ground or floating in the air."

"Let us stop talking. Someone may hear our conversation. We have been sent to this village by our editor to gather information for a news story about the recent unrest in this village arising from the hostility between two groups of people. But we couldn't find anything interesting to write about. Things had subsided by the time we arrived here. People of the village have been looking at us with suspicion. We should go back without getting hauled up by someone on suspicion of some mischievous intentions on our part."

"Very true. Already we were queried by a ruffian on suspicion. I was scared that he was going to beat us up. Fortunately, he let us go with a warning that he would break our bones if he sighted us again!"

"My God! I don't like to be reminded of that experience. Even thinking about the incident doubles my heartbeat. What a horrible appearance he presented! He was like a boar that had come out of a forest."

"Oh, the boar is coming again!"

"Where?"

"On that road ahead of us. He has not yet seen us. Let us hide behind this tree. My goodness! He is approaching that creeper-like girl. He is going to harm her. We don't have the strength to save her from him. Let us go a little closer and observe what happens. If he tries to attack that girl, we will run to a nearby street and fetch some help."

Both of them cautiously moved close to the point, where the girl was standing.

When the ruffian came near the girl, she turned her head and noticed him. Immediately, she turned back and began to walk away from him.

"Ponni, please stop!" said the ruffian.

"I will have nothing to do with you. Yesterday, I waited for you for a long time. But you didn't turn up. Why should I even talk to you?" said Ponni, without even turning back.

"Please listen to me, Ponni!" pleaded the ruffian.

Ponni turned back sharply, threw a stern look at him and said, "What are you going to say? You will concoct some excuse for your failure to turn up yesterday. And I have to believe your words and convince myself that there was no fault on your part. After all, I am a gullible woman, am I not?" 

"Ponni! You may fault me, blame me or castigate me. But for heaven's sake, never look at me like this. Your gaze makes my body shiver" said the ruffian.

The reporters, who were witnessing this from behind a bush, capped their mouths with their palms, unable to suppress their laughter.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 109
Beauty that Torments

Verse 1084 (in Tamil):
kaNdar uyir uNNum thORRaththAl peNdagaip
pEthaikku amarththana kaN.

Meaning:

This artless dame has darting eyes that drink the life of men who gaze at her.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'enna pArvai undhan pArvai' by the same author.)

Verse 1085

Verse 1083