86. Answer to A Question Not Asked!

"Are you going to Chennai?"

"Yes."

"Where are you going to stay in Chennai? At Senthil's house?"

"No. I will be staying with a friend. However, I will be visiting Senthil. Want me to convey something to him?"

"No. I asked you this because anyone from our village who visits Chennai won't fail to visit Senthil and accept at least a cup of coffee from him."

"True. That's why I have included a visit to his house in my schedule, though I will be staying at a place quite far from where he lives."

"Though Senthil hails from our village, he has sold his lands and house he had in this village and settled in Chennai. His parents are no more. He has no relatives here. Yet, he has such an attachment to our village that he insists that anyone from our village who visits Chennai should stay in his house. If someone stayed at some other place, that person should still visit Senthil's house and have at least one meal there. This is Senthil's friendly command! I am amazed by his hospitality."

"He was the first person from our village to settle in Chennai. After Senthil took up residence in Chennai, people from our village, who went to Chennai for some work, found it convenient to stay in Senthil's house. Senthil was happy to host visitors from our village. Subsequently, he has made it an unwritten rule that anyone visiting Chennai from our village should be his guest, during the period of their stay!"

"After Senthil got settled in Chennai, during the past ten years, a few more people got settled in Chennai. But people from our village still go only to Senthil's house, whenever they visit Chennai."

"Fortunately, in a month, only four five people from our village visit Chennai. If the number of visitors were to  be more, how could he entertain them?"

"Only we are talking about the numbers. Senthil doesn't seem to be concerned about the number of people visiting him. As you know, I visit Chennai very often. Every time, he asks me, 'Uncle, when will you be coming again?'" 

"Senthil's wife is even more hospitable than him. She keeps telling me, "Uncle, every time, you come here alone. When you come next time, please bring along auntie!' She is not being just courteous. She really wants my wife to visit them. We can realize the earnestness behind her words, when we hear her saying them."

"Senthil is fortunate to have a wife like her. If any guest visits our house, my wife will feign sickness and lie down on the bed!"

When Senthil came home from work, he asked his wife Rukmini, "Rukku! As you know, Rathanvel uncle is coming for dinner today. Please make arrangements."

"I am on the job. When he had come last time, he told me that he is a vegetarian. So, I am making arrangements to cook a vegetarian dinner for him."

"Rukku! I hope you won't mind my asking you a question!" asked Senthil, reluctantly.

"I know what you are going to ask. However, I would like to hear the question from you. Shoot!" said Rukmini, smiling.

"Since you know what the question is, please give your answer!"

"You wanted to ask me whether entertaining visitors from your village is a burden to me. You may not believe me if I say that I feel rejoiced whenever someone from your village visits us and I have a chance to prepare food for them, but that is the truth. In fact, every time, a guest takes leave of us after accepting our hospitality, I begin to crave when the next guest will come!" said Rukmini.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 9
Hospitality

Verse 85 (In Tamil)

selvirundhu Ombi varuvirundhu pArththiruppan
nalvirundhu vAnaththavarkku.

Meaning:

He who cherishes the guests who come to him, and looks forward to new guests, will himself be the honoured guest of the gods

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kEtkAdha kELvikku badhil' by the same author)

Verse 87
Verse 85