531. The Letter from Mother

Murali's father passed away at his village home, one week after Murali had joined a company at Chennai, after completing his collegiate education.

His sudden death was a big shock to Murali and his mother Sakuntala.

"Your father struggled a lot to get you educated and ensure that you come up in life. But he died without even witnessing your receiving your first month's salary" lamented Sakuntala.

After one month's training in the Chennai office of his company, Murali was posted at the Nagpur branch of the company.

Since Sakuntala didn't want to leave the village, Murali stayed alone at Nagpur.

Before Murali had left for Nagpur, Sakuntala told him, "Murali! Your father has borrowed ten thousand rupees from his friend Kasi, for your education. The loan carries no interest. Your father had promised Kasi that you would repay the loan in installments, after your taking up a job. No one will give a loan on such liberal terms. Mr. Kasi is a noble person. He has a lot of regards for your father. That is why he extended the loan to us. Your father was not inclined to seek any loan from anyone, including our relatives. Considering that Kasi had been lending money to people on interest and that he was a close friend of your father, your father approached him for a loan repayable with interest. But Kasi said that he won't collect any interest from your father, who was his close friend. Kasi is a good person, but he is strict on money matters. He is known for using harsh words against defaulters. Make it a point to send him a thousand rupees every month by means of a bank draft."

"Definitely" said Murali.

After receiving his first month's salary, Murali sent two hundred rupees to Sakuntala, through Money Order.

"I am glad that you sent me two hundred rupees, after receiving your first month's salary. I hope you would have sent thousand rupees to Kasi, as I had advised you earlier" wrote Sakuntala, in her letter acknowledging the receipt of money sent by Murali.

On reading his mother's letter, Murali was irritated.

'I have just started earning. Without considering that at least for some time in the beginning, I could be spending the money freely and enjoying my life, my mother has started pestering me! After all, it is an interest-free loan. What If I repay it with some delay?' he reflected angrily.

He replied to his mother: 'I will send money to Mr. Kasi from the next month. Please don't write to me on this subject again."

But, Murali didn't send money to Kasi the next month either, a major part of his salary having been used for buying some expensive dresses and partying with his friends. He told himself that he would start sending money to Kasi from the next month.

Since Murali continued to spend money on luxuries and entertainment during the next month also, the thought of sending money to Kasi didn't cross his mind at all!

During the next few months, he forgot about sending money to Kasi. 

After Murali had, in his letter, expressed his displeasure about being reminded about sending money to Kasi, Sakuntala refrained from writing to him on this subject in her subsequent letters.

After about eight months, Murali received a letter from his mother, which carried these lines:

"Since you had written to me that I need not remind you about sending money to Kasi, I didn't write to you on this subject again. I was under the impression that you were sending money to him every month. It was only after Kasi came to our house yesterday and spoke to me angrily that I realized that you had not been sending money to him. I paid him five hundred rupees from the amount saved by me out of the money you had sent me during the past several months, and apologized to him.  Some of our neighbours could have heard his angry outburst. I felt humiliated by Kasi's coming to our house and yelling at me. However I don't feel shamed by Kasi's angry outburst as much as I am by your nonchalance in forgetting your commitment to repay his loan."

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 531 (in Tamil):

iRandha veguLiyin thIdhE siRandha
uvagai magizhchchiyin sOrvu.

Meaning:

Getting slack and smug when relishing a joyous moment

is more harmful than excessive anger.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ammAvin kadidham' by the same author.)

Verse 532
Verse 530