Raghu found fault with almost all the girls whose profiles she had gathered, using her contacts and other sources. He found some deficiency or other in the appearance of the girl, like the girl being fat, her nose being long, her teeth being crooked etc.
"There are men who marry women with physical disabilities. But you are too much obsessed with the appearance of the girl, the way cattle buyers would evaluate the cattle before buying it" said Sarala, expressing her displeasure.
"I am not looking for the most beautiful girl on earth. I only want that the girl I marry should be fairly good-looking. Is it wrong?" countered Raghu.
At last, he chose Vanitha, whom he considered beautiful.
A few months after heir marriage, Sarala came to Raghu, when he was alone.
"Vanitha just takes care of her own needs. She is not concerned about me or your father" she said.
"Don't say something, just for the sake of finding fault with her" said Raghu.
"I am not trying to find fault with her. She doesn't even provide us adequate food. She doesn't bother to find out whether we took our food or not. We have to manage with whatever food is left, after she takes her food. Some times, there won't be enough rice and some other times, there won't be sambar or rasam*. Some days, there will be no vegetables left for us."
Even as she was narrating her experience, she began to sob.
"Your father had been living like a king. Today, like a beggar, he has to eat leftovers! Why shouldn't Vanitha prepare food that will be adequate for all of us? After all, we are not poor. We can afford to eat a full meal, can't we?"
"You could have posed this question to Vanitha herself!"
"I did. She said that aged people should eat less. That would be good for our health, she advised us! She also said that we shouldn't be spending a lot of money on food!"
"I would talk to her" said Raghu.
Raghu himself had been facing such problems. He was not getting enough food, some days. When he asked Vanitha about it, she said, "It is not as if you need more food. You just have a craving for food. You should learn to control your tongue. I want you to eat less, lest you should develop a belly!" she said nonchalantly.
Unable to bear the pain felt by his parents, Raghu took up his mother's grievance with Vanitha.
Unable to bear the pain felt by his parents, Raghu took up his mother's grievance with Vanitha.
"My parents are aged. They need to be taken care of. Should you not provide them adequate food?"
"You are talking as if they are starving! Every one in your family is a gourmand. If what I cook is not enough to satiate your parents, ask your mother to cook something for her and your father. I think she has the physical strength to cook!" was her indifferent response.
"You are talking as if they are starving! Every one in your family is a gourmand. If what I cook is not enough to satiate your parents, ask your mother to cook something for her and your father. I think she has the physical strength to cook!" was her indifferent response.
Raghu regretted why he took up the issue with her at all.
Raghu had noticed that Vanitha sometimes cooked some dish and ate it without sharing it with him, not to speak of sharing it with his parents! If she was just selfish, even that was acceptable. But should she have no concern for other people in the household?
After a few months, Raghu's parents moved to their native village, to live there permanently.
Raghu had noticed that Vanitha sometimes cooked some dish and ate it without sharing it with him, not to speak of sharing it with his parents! If she was just selfish, even that was acceptable. But should she have no concern for other people in the household?
After a few months, Raghu's parents moved to their native village, to live there permanently.
Raghu began to nurture an apprehension whether Vanitha would be affectionate towards the children that may be born to them.
"I think I might have conceived. I am going to the doctor today" said Vanitha.
Raghu felt thrilled on hearing this.
"I think I might have conceived. I am going to the doctor today" said Vanitha.
Raghu felt thrilled on hearing this.
"You are conveying this great news in such a casual way! I will come with you to the doctor" said Raghu, excitedly.
"No. You may go to the office. I will go to the doctor alone. There is no need for you to accompany me!" said Vanitha.
"Give me a call, after meeting the doctor" said Raghu, concealing his disappointment.
Raghu didn't get any call, till the time he left the office.
When Raghu went home in the evening, he found that Vanitha was lying down on the bed. She looked tired.
"What happened? Are you not well? What did the doctor say?" asked Raghu, with anxiety.
"I got my pregnancy aborted!" said Vanitha.
"I got my pregnancy aborted!" said Vanitha.
"What do you mean" asked Raghu, shocked. "Why?"
"I don't want to have a child!"
"You don't want to have a child, so, you got it aborted! Should you not have consulted me?"
"Why should I? Who has to bear the child, you or me?"
"Why should I? Who has to bear the child, you or me?"
"There are thousands of people yearning to have a child. But you got your pregnancy aborted!"
"I don't like the idea of having children, and struggling to bring them up. I want to be free!"
"Why did you get married, then" asked Raghu, angrily.
"I don't like the idea of having children, and struggling to bring them up. I want to be free!"
"Why did you get married, then" asked Raghu, angrily.
"To live happily! The world is not going to lose anything, by our not contributing to its population!" said Vanitha.
Raghu looked at her, feeling desperate. Her beautiful looks struck him like a slap on his face.
Raghu looked at her, feeling desperate. Her beautiful looks struck him like a slap on his face.
Long, attractive eyes, a nose that appeared to have been sculpted with perfection, well aligned teeth, slim figure and...
'I went in search of this beauty, didn't I?' said Raghu to himself.
'I went in search of this beauty, didn't I?' said Raghu to himself.
* sambar, rasam* - Liquid dishes that are part of a South Indian Meal. Cooked rice is eaten after mixing it with sambar or rasam.
Thirukkural
Section 1
Section 1
The Path of Virtue
Chapter 8
Love and Affection
Love and Affection
Verse 79 (In Tamil)
puRaththu uRuppellAm evan seyym yAkkai
agaththu uRuppu anbu ilavarkku.
agaththu uRuppu anbu ilavarkku.
Meaning:
If a person doesn't have an organ called love in his heart, what purpose will the external organs serve?
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'idhaRkuththAnE AsaippattAy?' by the same author)
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