1124. When the Soul Leaves the Body!

Looking at Aravindan lying on the hospital bed with a big bandage on his right leg, Mira felt like crying.

"How did the accident happen? You always ride the motorcycle cautiously?" she asked him.

"You have seen me drive cautiously when you were sitting on the pillion. How do you know how I will ride, when I ride alone?" asked Aravindan, laughing.

"How are you able to laugh, when you are experiencing so much pain?"

"Ah!"

"What happened? Has the pain intensified? Shall I call the nurse?" asked Mira, perturbed by Aravindan's cry of pain.

"No. When I was talking with you, I had forgotten about the pain for a while. By asking me how I was laughing even while feeling so much pain, you have reminded me of the pain. That's why I cried in pain. Don't call the nurse. It will create a problem" said Aravindan.

"What problem? Are you scared that she would give you an injection? Are you a baby?"

"Is this body scared of injections? Do you know how many injections this body has taken in the last couple of days?"

"What is the problem, then?"

"If there are two women in front of me, I will be in dilemma about whose beauty I should relish. I was referring to that problem!"

"You are bed-ridden, having been hurt in an accident. Otherwise, I would have delivered a strong blow on your scalp" said Mira, suppressing her laughter, provoked by Aravindan's friendly teasing. It was a relief to her that her lover, hurt in an accident, was joking and feeling good.

"By the way, you have not told me how you got hurt?" asked Mira.

I was riding my motorcycle fast. The motorcycle skid on the oil that had spilled on the road from an oil tanker, and fell down. A bone on my right leg got broken. The doctor has kept it in place and held it with a bandage. I don't know how long I should be lying on the bed, without moving my leg."

"Is the pain too much?" asked Mira, sympathetically.

"Not too much. Only as much as it would be, when my soul leaves my body!"

"How do you say it pains you as much as it would, when the soul leaves your body? Your soul has not left your body till now!" said Mira, teasing him in his own style.

"It has happened several times."

"Don't be silly!"

"I am only stating what I had experienced. When you leave me, after being with me for sometime, my soul will leave my body. Only when I see you again, my soul will reenter my body. This has happened several times!"

"Oh, I see!" said Mira, mockingly.

After conversing with Aravindan for some time, Mira took leave of him. Before leaving, she told him encouragingly, "You will be discharged soon. Don't worry."

When Mira was near the exit door of the room, she heard a sharp cry from Aravindan.

Mira turned back and asked him, "What happened? Is it paining?"

"Yes, it is the pain of my soul leaving my body. You are going away!" said Aravindan, laughing aloud.

Thirukkural

Section 3

Love

Chapter 113
In Praise of Love

Verse 1124 (in Tamil):
vAzhdhal uyirkku annaL Ayizhai sAdhal
adhaRku annaL nIngum idaththu.

Meaning:

The girl decked with splendid jewels is my very life when she is with me, and brings on death when she leaves me.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'uyir pOy uyir vandhadhu' by the same author.)

 Verse 1125 
Verse 1123