136. An Evening of Pleasure

"Friends! We have come here to enjoy. All of you can feel free. There are no differences here based on your rank or designation in the company. The General Manager and the Junior Assistant will both be at the same level here!" said Manibharathy, the Managing Director of the company. 

"It is only to ensure that we could enjoy ourselves freely that we have not invited women employees to this party" said Murugan, the General Manager.

The company had the practice of bringing all its male employees to the resort on the hilly town for a day out. Women employees, who were fewer in number, had a day out for themselves at another place, also hosted by the company.

It was six months since Madhavan had joined the firm. This was the first time that he was participating in the day out. The scenes of the General Manager who was hissing like a snake in the office and the Managing Director who never stepped out of his cabin, mingling with employees at all levels, cheering them, shaking hands with them, placing their arms on their backs and joking with them appeared amazing to Madhavan. 

The entire day was spent on outdoor activities like visiting different places, boating, hiking etc, in keeping with the interest of each individual.

After returning to the resort in the evening and relaxing for sometime in their rooms, every one assembled at the banquet hall, for the evening get-together. 

On the table at the front side of the banquet hall were placed various alcoholic drinks and glasses. A few bartenders were in attendance to mix the drinks as required by the guests. 

People picked up the drinks of their choice, came to the chairs, sat in small groups and began to converse among themselves, sipping the drinks in a leisurely pace.

Madhavan was sitting alone in a place, a little away from where others were sitting and drinking.

Mukesh, who was senior to Madhavan, with whom Madhavan began to move closely after joining the firm, came to him and said, "What, Madhavan? You don't drink! Try some beer. You will then get used to drinking. Shall I bring you a glass?"

"No, Mukesh. I don't want to drink."

"In the beginning, I was also like you. But, after joining this company, I changed myself, so as to give company to my friends! In a few minutes from now, we are going to watch a performance. After watching it, you will get an impulse to drink!" said Mukesh.

"What kind of performance?"

"A cabaret dance!"

"Cabaret dance?"

"Yes. That is the specialty of this resort. We can't watch such a show even in city hotels."

"No, Mukesh. I am not going to watch it. I will retire to my room" said Madhavan.

"Don't be a fool. People play a couple of thousand rupees to watch a cabaret dance in some city hotels. They have to watch it under fear, since those shows are illegal and are offered secretly to a select number of customers. People watch the dance, feeling nervous about the prospect of getting arrested by the police, in the event of a raid. Our company has arranged for this show, by spending money under the head of entertainment expenses, to provide us an exotic enjoyment. You want to shut yourself off, refusing to watch this show!"

"No, Mukesh. I apprehend that if I get exposed to such pleasures, I may become addicted to them and it may lead to my life getting ruined. That is why I want to keep away from this kind of pleasures."

"You seem to have taken the Thirukkural verses you studied in the school serious. You said you won't drink. I didn't force you to. But, how can watching a cabaret dance impact you? Don't you watch glamorous dances and scenes in films?"

"In the types of films I watch, such a dance may be featured for five minutes. But I don't go to a movie to watch such kinds of dances!"

"Hey, ascetic! You are not going to grab the girl perfoming the show with your hands and dance with her. What is the big deal in watching a seductive dance? Has anyone become ruined by watching a dance?"

"Yes, of course. Even ascetics have been ruined by watching such seductive performances."

"Can you name one such ascetic?" asked Mukesh, in a challenging tone. 

"Sage Viswamitra!" said Madhavan, calmly

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 136 (In Tamil)

ozhukkaththin olgAr uravOr izhukkaththin
Edham padubAkku aRindhu.

Meaning:

The strong-willed will not slacken in their observance of the proprieties of life, knowing that the misery that such transgressions can lead them to.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'vENdAm mEnakai' by the same author)

Verse 137 (Soon)
Verse 135