"Greed can corrupt anyone. He should have been tempted on seeing two lakh rupees. It should have been an impulsive move to have run away with the cash I gave him, for depositing in the bank!" said Selvarangam.
"But he had deposited cash in the bank several times in the past!"
"In the past, the amounts handled by him were small- within fifty thousand rupees. Yesterday, there was a big transaction. So, the sum was big. Seeing cash of two lakh rupees, he might have been struck by temptation. So, he has taken the money and vanished. But how long will this money last for him? He has also left his wife and children behind!"
"Did you talk to his wife?"
"Yes. I went to his house and talked to his wife. She cries, 'He has left us in the lurch. How are we going to survive?'"
"Have you given a police complaint?"
"Not yet" said Selvarangam and left home.
Selvarangam returned home, after a while.
"Have you given a police complaint?" asked Santha.
"No. I am yet to go to the police station" said Selvarangam.
"Where did you go, then?"
"I had been to my friend Sivarama's house."
"What for? Is he a policeman or a clairvoyant who could say exactly where Sankar is now?" asked Santha, sounding sarcastic.
"Sivaraman is not just my friend. He is also a guide."
"He is an ordinary person. He might have been educated and fairly well-informed. But should you have to seek his guidance on a matter like this?"
"It has been my experience that seeking the guidance of a man of character and integrity like Sivaraman kept me from doing inappropriate things. In the epic Mahabharata, there is a character by name Vidura. He was the younger brother of the Kaurava king Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra always sought Vidura's counsel, but he never acted as per his counsel. Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana didn't even give Vidura the respect due to him. But the Pandavas acted as per Vidura's counsel. As you know, the Pandavas became victorious in the end and Duryodhana was ruined."
"That is a mythological story. It has no relevance to contemporary life!"
"Ok. Let us take a contemporary example. Mahatma Gandhi was a great man. Every one in our country respected his words. When he was observing a fast for some cause, he asked Rajaji, his friend and a great personality himself, whether it would be okay, if he drank lime juice, while observing the fast. Rajaji told him that since lime juice had nutritional content, it won't be appropriate for Gandhi to drink lime juice, while fasting. Gandhi accepted Rajaji's counsel and drank only water, when he was fasting. Since Rajaji showed him the right path, Gandhi described Rajaji as his conscience keeper."
"Ok. I understand where you are coming from! What did your friend tell you?"
"I had been thinking that I was the only person affected by Sankar's criminality. Sivaraman made me realize that Sankar's family was also affected by his act. He asked me to act, keeping that in mind. He pointed out to me that Sankar's family members, who had committed no wrong, should not suffer as a result of my actions. If I gave a complaint to the police, the police would first inquire his family members. Sivraman advised me that I should take care to see that they are not harassed by the police, by convincing the police that Sankar's family had no role in the crime committed by Sankar. He also advised me to do what I could, to help them come out of the difficult situation in which Sankar had put them. After Sivaraman brought these aspects to my attention, I felt guilty that I had not considered these aspects of the situation. So, I am going to the police station, taking Sankar's wife along with me and explain to them all the facts in detail so that the police would look at the issue in the right perspective."
Selvarangam looked at Santha's face.
She didn't say anything.
Thirukkural
Section 2
Section 2
Materialism
Chapter 42
Learning through Listening
Learning through Listening
izhukkal udaiyozhi URRukkOl aRRE
ozhukkam udaiyAr vAych chol.
ozhukkam udaiyAr vAych chol.
Meaning:
The words of wisdom from men of character will help us like a staff helps a person walking on a slippery surface.
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'naNbaridam kEtta AlOsanai' by the same author.)
No comments:
Post a Comment