"Don't we need money to lead a happy life, after our marriage? I am a merchant. When I get an opportunity to earn a considerable sum of money by selling merchandise in a foreign country, is it wise to forego the opportunity?" asked her lover Valavan.
"You have a good business running in our town. Is the amount you earn from your business here not adequate for the two of us?"
"It is adequate for the two of us, alright. But, it won't be adequate, after we beget twenty children!"
"Twenty children! My goodness. I don't want to get married at all!"
"Okay. I will settle for two! Don't worry. I am going to be away just for one year. One year will fly in no time and I will be back with you."
"For you, time will fly, since you will be on the run. But for me, sitting at home and counting the days awaiting your return, time will move only at a snail's pace."
"Some merchants will be coming here from my place and returning to my place several times during the next one year. I will send a letter to you through each and every merchant that visit this place. You can send your reply through the same person. So, you will not find time moving slow" said Valavan.
One month after Valavan had left, Urmila received a letter from him. In that letter, he had poured out his love for her and his craving to meet her soon.
The merchant, who handed over the letter to Urmila, told her, "I will be returning in ten days. Draft a reply to Valavan and keep it ready. I will pick it up from you, a day before I leave this place."
But, when he came back after ten days to collect the reply letter from Urmila, she told him, "Please tell Valavan that I am not giving him any letter."
After three months, Valavan sent her another letter through another merchant. After elaborately writing about his love for her, Valavan had written, "It appears that your anger at me, for leaving you alone and going away to a far off place on business had not subsided, when you received my first letter. That is why you didn't send me a reply, I presume. I hope that your anger would have subsided by this time and that you would send me a reply to this letter."
But Urmila didn't send him a reply the second time too.
After that, Urmila didn't get any letter from Valavan.
Valavan returned home after one year, after successfully competing his trade mission. He came to Urmila's house to see her.
Urmila's mother received Valavan from the front hall of her house.
"How is Urmila?" asked Valavan.
"You can see for yourself" replied Urmila's mother, in a dejected tone.
On entering the room, Valavan was shocked to see the appearance of Urmila lying on a cot in the room.
It was like a skeleton clad in a sari, lying on the cot.
Sensing that someone was entering the room, Urmila opened her eyes. Seeing the figure of Valavan, standing at the threshold of the room, she got up with a jerk and sat on the cot. Then, as if driven by some force, she jumped down from the cot, ran to him, hugged him and cried by pressing her face against his bosom.
"What has happened to you, Urmila? You have become so emaciated! Are you not well? You didn't reply to my letters. Are you still angry with me?" asked Valavan, upset by her appearance.
Urmila lifted her chin and looked at Valavan, "Was I angry with you? No. I was angry with myself, for being alive all these days, without gazing this face."
"If you had replied to my letters, I would have continued to send you letters. That would have made you happy, wouldn't it have?" asked Valavan.
"Definitely. But I wanted you to focus your attention on your business. Reading the lines in your first letter that were overflowing with love, I had an apprehension that the reply letters from me would only intensify your feelings for me and prevent you from concentrating on your business. That would have defeated the purpose of your visiting that place. So, I decided to suffer the pangs of separation, by refraining from writing letters to you. But, since my body did not have the strength my mind had, it became emaciated, unable to withstand the pain of separation. Now that you have come back, my body will regain its strength. I am able to feel my muscles beginning to grow stronger even now. Oh, my dress is becoming tighter!"
So saying, Urmila pulled Valavan towards her and locked him into a tight embrace.
Section 3
Shedding Shyness
kadal anna kAmam uzhandhum madal ERAp
peNNin peum thakkadhu il.
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