1091.The Snake Charmer

"Why are you looking so dull" asked Sabesan.

"No, I am ok" said Natarajan.

"You are not. From the time you saw that girl, you have been restless."

"Not from the time I saw the girl, but from the time she saw me!"

"Both mean same!"

"No, they don't. We look at many girls. But they don't care to look at us."

"But that girl looked at you, you mean!"

"Yes. Her gaze was not an ordinary gaze. When I read poets and writers describe a woman's gaze as a dart, a sharp knife etc. I would laugh at those descriptions. But when I encountered that girl's gaze, it appeared to enter my body and churn my organs. From that time, I have been experiencing a sensation of having been gripped by fever" said Natarajan.

"Why don't you meet the girl and talk to her, then?"

"I feel nervous. When I had met her gaze for the first time, my body experienced a sensation, from which it is yet to recover. I don't know what will happen, if I meet her gaze once again!"

"You are hopeless!" said Sabesan, in jest.

The friends walked without further conversation.

After a while, a snake charmer was coming from the opposite side, holding a snake in his hand.

After he passed them, Sabesan asked his friend, "What do snake charmers do with the snakes caught by them?"

"They will hold road shows and collect money from people watching the show" said Natarajan.

"They will do so, if the snakes are harmless. What will they do with venomous shakes? They can't take the risk of showcasing venomous snakes!"

"I don't know" said Natarajan.

"They will extract the venom from the snakes and sell it!" said Natarajan.

"Whom will they sell the venom to?" asked Natarajan, in surprise.

"I don't know to whom they will sell. But I know that using the snake's venom, drug companies make antidotes to be used as remedy for snake bites."

"They use snake's venom to prepare antidotes for snake poison!" exclaimed Natarajan.

"Yes. That's the way nature works. Poison is used to nullify the effects of poison!"

"Oh, I get it now. As suggested by you, I have to go and see the girl now!" said Natarajan.

"You should see her! Why?" asked Sabesan, perplexed.

"I mean I should meet her gaze again. The malady inflicted on me by her gaze can be cured only by another gaze from her!"

Natarajan moved away, without waiting for his friend's response.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 110
Reading the Cues

Verse 1091 (in Tamil):
iru nOkku ivaLuNkaN uLLadhu oru nOkku
nOy nOkku onRu annOy marundhu.

Meaning:

Her collyrium-applied eyes have two types of gazes. One type of gaze inflicts the malady. The other serves as the remedy for that malady.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'pArvaiyilE nOy koduththAy kanni iLa mAnE!' by the same author.)

Verse 1092
Verse 1090