72. Parimalam's Legacy

"I won't leave even a penny to my son Raju" said Dhandapani, in a voice filled with anger.

"What sin did he commit to deserve this punishment? Marrying a girl belonging to a caste different from yours is not such a big crime, after all!" said his friend Somasundaram.

"My son doesn't deserve to inherit my properties, after he defied me and married a woman of his choice."

"Your wife is not alive. Raju is your only son. If you are not going to leave your properties to him, whom are you going to leave them?'

"I will get married again and leave all my properties to my wife."

"At this age?" asked Somasundaram.

Dhandapani did what he had told his friend that he would. At his fifty fifth age, he married forty five year old Parimalam. 

Parimalam was an orphan. She was under the care of a distant relative who was making use of her as a domestic servant, treating her like a slave.

Dhandapani heard about the plight of Parimalam. He got her released by her relative, by paying a substantial sum to the relative. He then married her.

Soon after marrying Parimalam, Dhandapani wrote a will leaving all his properties to her. Raju was aghast at this development. He came to Dhandapani's house and protested loudly. Dhandapani was unmoved by his fervent pleas, interspersed with angry outbursts. Raju threatened to sue Dhandapani for disinheriting him. "Go ahead and do it!" said Dhandapani, dismissively.

Raju then turned to Parimalam and harangued her. "You inveigled my father into writing this will. I won't spare you, you flirting bitch!"

"If you speak to my wife in a disrespectful manner, I will kill you" yelled Dhandapani and threw an object that was nearby, on his son.

After Raju had left, Parimalam told Dhandapani, "What have you done? Already tongues are wagging that I married you only for your money. Your leaving all your properties to me will result in adding grist to the rumour mills. Your marrying me is a great boon to me. I am contented at being your wife. I don't want anything more. Please write a new will leaving everything to your son."

Dhandapani looked at Parimalam's tearful eyes and told her, "You are a selfless person. But my son showered abuses on you. I enjoin you that after my death, you shouldn't transfer my properties to Raju. You can give them to anyone you like to, but not to Raju!"

Dhandapani lived with Parimalam for 10 years and then passed away.

After Dhandapani's death, Raju came to Parimalam and told her "Listen, stepmother. You don't have any relative. Transfer to me the properties of my father that have come to you as per his will. I will take care of you for the rest of your life. We can have a legal agreement for this arrangement. Or, if you want, you can keep a small part of the properties for your needs and transfer the rest to me. If you don't do this, after your death, our family properties will go to someone else."

Parimalam declined his request. "Your father had commanded me that I shouldn't transfer the properties to you. I cannot act against your father's wish. After your son becomes a major, I will consider gifting some properties to him" she said

Outraged by Parimalam's rejection of his proposal, Raju berated her, using abusive language and left. 

He filed a suit against Parimalam alleging that she had lured Dhandapani into writing a will in her favour, through deceptive means. But, the suit was decided in favour of Parimalam.

Twelve years after Dhandapani's death, Parimalam became critically ill and was bed-ridden. She sent word to Raju. But he didn't come to see her.

After sometime, Raju received a letter by post. It was from Parimalam. He opened and read it.

"Dear Raju,

I won't be alive for long. I have written a will leaving all my properties to your son. The will is with my lawyer. I would have given all your father's properties to you. But your father had forbidden me from doing so. That's why I had to decline your plea asking me to transfer all the properties to you. I could have transferred the properties to your son but since, at that time, your son was a minor, I would have had to appoint you as the guardian. That would have meant acting against your father's wish. So, I thought I would wait till your son attained the age of majority and then transfer the properties to him. I don't know anything about writing a will. When you had filed a case against me, I had to engage a lawyer to defend me. I prepared the will using his services.

"Your father was a good husband to me. Why he was not a good father to you is something I couldn't understand. Perhaps, if you had been more forthcoming in showing your love for him, his anger might have subsided after sometime.

I pray to God  for the welfare of your family.

                                                                             Yours affectionately,                                                                                          Parimalam

After reading the letter, Raju rushed to Parimalam's house. There was a small gathering outside her house. Her lawyer was also there.

"What has happened to my stepmother?" asked Raju, feeling perturbed.

"She passed away this morning. Someone sent word to me. I just arrived" replied the lawyer.

Raju tried to step into the house.

"Stop. The body is not inside" said the lawyer.

Upset by what he had heard, Raju said, "Have they cremated her already? I am her stepson. I am expected to perform her last rites."

"Mrs. Parimalam had donated her organs. Her body has been taken to the hospital. They will return the body after taking out the organs that could be used. You can then cremate the body" said the lawyer.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 8
Love and Affection

Verse 72 (In Tamil)

anbilAr ellAm thamakkuriyar anbudaiyAr
enbum uriyar piRarkku.

Meaning:

Loveless people hold everything to themselves.

Those who are filled with love dedicate even their bones to others.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'soththu yArukku?' by the same author)

Verse 73
Verse 71