1118. Love Me!

"Oh, my milky moon!

Are you the elder sister

or the younger sister

of my lover?"

"You sing nicely!"

Vikram, who was singing in a relaxed mood, lying on the terrace, was startled by this comment. He opened his eyes and looked around to find out from which direction the voice was coming.

There was no one on the terrace. Moreover, the voice appeared to come from above.

'Only the sky is above me!'

"It was me, friend. You were singing about me, weren't you?"

'Who is speaking? Is it the moon? How is it possible?'

The act of a tiny cloud passing the shining moon, touching at it at its edge, gave the appearance of the moon winking at him.

"I sympathize with you! It seems your lover has gone to some other place, leaving you to suffer solitude."

'Now, there is no doubt. The voice is coming from the moon only!'

Brushing aside the rational thought that arose in a corner of his mind 'how can this happen?' Vikraman looked at the moon and asked, "How do you know that?"

"I witnessed the farewell drama that was enacted on the same spot last night. Is it the way to conduct yourselves in an open area? I myself found it embarrassing to watch a few scenes and hid myself behind a cloud" said the moon.

Vikraman shrunk his body in embarrassment. 'We felt free to hug and kiss each other, only because we felt assured that no one was watching us.'

"Are you are suffering the pangs of separation, after your lover had gone out of station?" asked the moon.

Vikram nodded his head unconsciously. Only after nodding his head, he wondered whether the moon could see his nod from such a distance.

"Why don't you love me, till your lover comes back?" asked the moon.

Vikraman laughed aloud and said, "I can never do that!"

"Why? Am I not beautiful?"

"Of course, you are beautiful. You have a round face, but..."

"But?"

"You saw my lover's face yesterday. You would have seen how resplendent it was. Your face doesn't have even half that brilliance!" said Vikram.

Feeling hurt and embarrassed, the moon instantly hid its face under a large cloud.

Vikram opened his eyes, sensing that someone was shaking him.

His mother who had awakened him, said, "How many times have I told you not to sleep on the open terrace? You will catch cold. Come down to the house."

Vikram looked at the sky, still feeling confused. The moon that was reluctantly coming out of a cloud, shed its faint light on him.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 112
In Praise of Her Charms

Verse 1118 (in Tamil):
mAdhar mugam pOl oLi vida vallaiyEl 
kAdhalai vAzhi madhi.

Meaning:

Long live, my dear moon! I shall love you too, if only you can be as radiant as my girl’s face.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ennaik konjam kAdhali' by the same author.)

Verse 1119 (Soon)
Verse 1117