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"It's beautiful. But walking on the hilly area is a bit tedious for me" said Latha.
"There is a rock there. We will go and sit on it."
"Men take their lovers to places like a beach, a park etc. But you have brought me to a hilly area surrounded by forests!"
"What lovers need is solitude. We won't get it in a park or a beach. Not many people will come to a place like this. Don't you like this place?" asked Jayaraman.
"Of course, I do. Didn't I say that this place is beautiful? All the same, my legs are paining. Women are tender beings. They shouldn't be subjected to a lot of strain" said Latha, smiling.
"You have walked hardly half a kilometer on the hill road. Are you so tender that you can't withstand even this strain? Ok. Let us not go further up. We will sit here for a while and then leave."
"Ok" said Latha. She turned suddenly and said, "I saw some movement there. Was it a hare running there?"
"Ok" said Latha. She turned suddenly and said, "I saw some movement there. Was it a hare running there?"
"Possible. There are a few animals like hares, deer etc, here!"
"Oh! Will there be lions and tigers too?"
"No. If such wide animals were here, they won't allow people to come here."
"No. If such wide animals were here, they won't allow people to come here."
"What about monkeys?"
"When we were coming up, didn't you notice a boy yelling 'monkey! monkey?"
"Yes, I did. But I didn't see any monkey!" said Latha.
"How could you have seen? He yelled 'monkey' on looking at you!"
"You..." said Latha, with feigned anger, picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it at him.
"Ok, ok! Don't get annoyed. Now, just sit there. I will take a snap of you" said Jayaraman.
"Why do you want to take a snap of a monkey?" asked Latha, pretending to be still angry with him.
"There is no portrait of Anjaneya* at my house. That's why."
"In that case, you need a portrait of yourself. Stand here. I will take a snap of you!"
"In that case, you need a portrait of yourself. Stand here. I will take a snap of you!"
"Ok. Tit for tat. The account has been balanced now. So, please pose for the photo!" said Jayaraman.
Latha sat straight on the rock and posed for the photo.
Latha sat straight on the rock and posed for the photo.
"Be still. I will take a few snaps. Don't move till I say 'ok.'
When Latha tried to say something, Jayaraman gestured her to be silent, by keeping his forefinger on his lips.
When Latha tried to say something, Jayaraman gestured her to be silent, by keeping his forefinger on his lips.
After a couple of minutes, he said, "You can get up now!"
Latha got up and looked at the photos captured in his mobile.
Latha got up and looked at the photos captured in his mobile.
"Oh, there is a deer behind me, in one of the photos. How?" asked with surprise.
"When I was about to click the photos, I saw a deer standing behind you. I wanted to click the photo before it would move away. That's why I asked you to be silent, lest the deer should be alerted, and then clicked the photo. Fortunately, I was able to capture your photo, with the deer in the background."
"When I was about to click the photos, I saw a deer standing behind you. I wanted to click the photo before it would move away. That's why I asked you to be silent, lest the deer should be alerted, and then clicked the photo. Fortunately, I was able to capture your photo, with the deer in the background."
"It is fabulous!" said Latha, with excitement.
"You won't know how fabulous it is. Only I know it."
"What do you know?"
"Look at the deer's gaze. How innocent does it look!"
"Look at the deer's gaze. How innocent does it look!"
"Yes, it does."
"If you observe the photo closely, you will see that the innocence in the deer's gaze is found in your gaze too!"
"Get lost, you Cupid!" said Latha, blushing.
"Get lost, you Cupid!" said Latha, blushing.
"Oh, how beautiful do you look, when you blush! I missed taking a snap of you, when you were blushing!"
"Enough of your flattery!"
"Oh, even now, I could have captured your blushing face. But, there is just one problem."
"What is it?"
"What is it?"
"When you have a gaze with the innocence of a deer's gaze and a natural expression of blushing on your face, the chain you are wearing looks out of place"
"Oh, now I understand. All this flattery was only with the intention of relieving me of the chain I am wearing. Once we climb down the hill, I will go to the nearest police station and report you as a chain snatcher!" said Latha, and hit him with her hand, playfully.
*Anjaneya - the Hindu God in the form of a monkey.
Thirukkural
Section 3
Section 3
Love
Chapter 109
Beauty that Torments
Beauty that Torments
piNaiyEr mada nOkkum nANum udaiyAtku
aNI yevanO Edhila thandhu.
Meaning:
When she is adorned with the innocent gaze of a doe, and modesty to boot, of what use to her are jewels made of extrinsic materials.
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'sangilith thirudan' by the same author.)
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