"They have put this intimation on the college notice board. My friend Ravi saw it today and told me just now" said his son Mani.
"We don't even have the admission letter, with us. The Correspondent had signed, endorsing your application form and we handed over the form to the college office. They told us that they would intimate us about when we should pay the fees. After that, there had been no communication from the college."
"They won't send any communication to us. We have to mention my application number and pay the fees."
"What should we do now? The registration of the property sold by me has been scheduled on a date four days from today. Manickam, the buyer, would pay me the sale value only on that day. That is the term of the sale agreement, against which I have received an advance payment. I cannot go to him and ask him to pay the money now" said Ramamurthy, gripped by a concern about arranging for the money.
"Dad! You secured admission for me at this college, with great difficulty, by approaching some influential people, through your contacts. My friends are surprised that I got admission into this college, in spite of my marks being lower than the minimum expected by this college. If we don't pay the fees tomorrow, the college administration may give my seat to someone else" said Mani.
"What should we do now? The registration of the property sold by me has been scheduled on a date four days from today. Manickam, the buyer, would pay me the sale value only on that day. That is the term of the sale agreement, against which I have received an advance payment. I cannot go to him and ask him to pay the money now" said Ramamurthy, gripped by a concern about arranging for the money.
"Dad! You secured admission for me at this college, with great difficulty, by approaching some influential people, through your contacts. My friends are surprised that I got admission into this college, in spite of my marks being lower than the minimum expected by this college. If we don't pay the fees tomorrow, the college administration may give my seat to someone else" said Mani.
"Values have been deteriorating with the passage of time. This is 1970. If this were like the time that was in my younger days..."
"During your time, you didn't even get a chance to study in the college, dad!" said Mani, interrupting his father.
"Even now, I don't have the means to give you college education. I had managed to fund your studies, up to the Pre-University level. To pay for your B.Sc. course, I had to sell a piece of our ancestral land. I need to preserve the sale proceeds and use it to pay for your studies, for the next three years!"
"How are you going to arrange for the money, to pay his college fees? Why don't you ask Manickam, the buyer, to advance the payment for the sale?" asked Parvathy, Ramamurthy's wife.
"He is not a person acquainted with us. I know him only as the buyer of our land. We had already received an advance payment from him and used it to meet certain expenses. As per the agreement, the remaining amount is to be paid, only at the time of registration. How can I go and ask him to pay that amount now?" asked Ramamurthy.
"Why don't you take our son, go to Manickam's house and ask him to help us. We have no other source to mobilize the required sum."
"Even now, I don't have the means to give you college education. I had managed to fund your studies, up to the Pre-University level. To pay for your B.Sc. course, I had to sell a piece of our ancestral land. I need to preserve the sale proceeds and use it to pay for your studies, for the next three years!"
"How are you going to arrange for the money, to pay his college fees? Why don't you ask Manickam, the buyer, to advance the payment for the sale?" asked Parvathy, Ramamurthy's wife.
"He is not a person acquainted with us. I know him only as the buyer of our land. We had already received an advance payment from him and used it to meet certain expenses. As per the agreement, the remaining amount is to be paid, only at the time of registration. How can I go and ask him to pay that amount now?" asked Ramamurthy.
"Why don't you take our son, go to Manickam's house and ask him to help us. We have no other source to mobilize the required sum."
"Ok. I will go and meet him. If he says no, then we can think of other ways" said Ramamurthy.
When Ramamurthy visited Manickam, with Mani, Manickam welcomed him, enthusiastically.
When Ramamurthy visited Manickam, with Mani, Manickam welcomed him, enthusiastically.
"Sir, I need a favour from you. Please don't mistake me. This is my son Mani. He has got admission to a college. His college is suddenly asking us to pay the admission fees, before tomorrow..."
Before Ramamurthy could complete the sentence, Manickam interjected, saying, "So, you have come to ask me, whether I can pay now, the amount I have to pay at the time of registration?"
"I don't need the entire sum. If you can pay me five hundred rupees now, it will be sufficient" said Ramamurthy, feeling embarrassed.
"I don't have that much cash on hand. I will receive the sum from a source only after a couple of days. But, I can get the sum you need, from someone and give you. Can you come in the evening?"
"Sure, sir. Tell me when we should come."
"You may come after six in the evening. You don't have to come yourselves. It is enough if you send your son" said Manickam.
Ramamurthy went to Manickam's house, at seven o' clock in the evening.
"Welcome. I told you it would suffice, if you send your son. You need not have come yourself!" said Manickam.
"I thought I may have to sign some papers" said Ramamurthy.
"No need for signing any papers. You are going to sign the document, during the registration, any way. Here is the cash. Please take it. I will deduct this five hundred rupees, from the payment I have to make at the time of registration" said Manickam, smiling.
"Sir! You have done me a great favour. I was clueless about whom I could approach for help."
"I have not done anything great. I only gave you a part of the money I have to pay you at the time of registration, four days earlier. That's all."
"You may not consider your help to be big. But from our perspective, you have rendered me a great help, at the right time and ensured that my son's college education is not hampered due to our inability to pay he fees in time. Both my son and I will always remember your timely help" said Ramamurthy.
"Sir! You have done me a great favour. I was clueless about whom I could approach for help."
"I have not done anything great. I only gave you a part of the money I have to pay you at the time of registration, four days earlier. That's all."
"You may not consider your help to be big. But from our perspective, you have rendered me a great help, at the right time and ensured that my son's college education is not hampered due to our inability to pay he fees in time. Both my son and I will always remember your timely help" said Ramamurthy.
Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue
The Path of Virtue
Chapter 11
Gratitude
Gratitude
Verse 101 (In Tamil)
kAlaththinAl seydha nanRi siRidhu eninum
GnAlatthin mANap peridhu.
GnAlatthin mANap peridhu.
Meaning:
A help done at the right time, even if small, will be considered bigger than the world.
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kallUrik kattaNam' by the same author)
Verse 103 (Soon)
Verse 101
Verse 101
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