When Kalpana received a phone call about the accident that had happened to her husband Rathnam, when he was working in the factory, she felt devastated.
When she unconsciously kept her palm over her chest, she sensed that her heart was beating very fast. For a moment, she wondered whether her heart would explode.
She thought about her son and daughter, who had been to the school. Realizing that with Rathnam having been hospitalized following the accident, she had the sole responsibility of taking care of her family, she consoled herself quickly.
The accident had happened anyway. She prayed to God for early recovery of her husband and rushed to the hospital.
When Kalpana reached the hospital, Rathnam's colleagues, who were in the hospital, noticed that despite feeling perturbed and anxious, Kalpana retained a sense of sobriety.
Rathnam underwent treatment at the hospital for about a month. His company claimed that the accident had happened because of negligence on the part of Rathnam. However, it came forward to bear his hospitalization expenses, as a goodwill gesture.
When Rathnam was discharged from the hospital after a month, his left leg had become disabled, as a result of the injury caused by the accident.
Since Rathnam became incapacitated to work in the factory, his company paid him a modest sum, as compensation. The company made it clear that it was not lawfully obliged to give any compensation to Rathnam and that the compensation had been paid, purely on humanitarian grounds.
A few days after Rathnam returned home from the hospital, Manickam, the trade union leader of Rathnam's company, came to Rathnam's house.
"The company has to pay you compensation. But it is refusing to do so. Instead, the management is offering your wife a job, on compassionate grounds. If we take up the matter with the Labour Commissioner, there are good chances of the Labour Commissioner ordering that a compensation be paid to you" he told Rathnam.
"Okay. I will appeal to the Labour Commissioner" said Rathnam.
Kalpana asked Manickam, "In case we lose our case after appealing to the Labour Commissioner, will the company still give me a job?"
"It won't. Once I file an appeal before the Labour Commissioner seeking compensation, the company will become hostile to me" said Rathnam.
"So, does it not make sense for us to accept the company's offer of a job to me?" asked Kalpana.
"You don't understand, Kalpana. The company has an obligation to compensate me for the accident that happened when I was working in the factory. The company is shirking its responsibility and offering you a job, in the form of charity. Should we accept this?" said Rathnam, angrily.
"Rathnam! I think that what your wife says makes sense" said Manickam. "If the company claims that the accident happened due to your negligence, it will be difficult for us to disprove that claim. Considering that the company came forward to bear your hospitalization expenses and also paid you a small sum of money as compensation, the Labour Commissioner may rule in favour of the company. So, your wife's suggestion that we accept the job offer made to her, appears to be wise."
"Kalpana is an educated lady. She will be able to get a good job elsewhere. Why should we accept the charity offer made by the company?" asked Rathnam.
Kalpana could not control her sobs.
In the midst of sobs, she told Rathnam, "The moment I heard the news about the accident, I decided that I should take up some job, to earn money needed to run our family. My vigorous efforts to get a suitable job were not successful. After attending a few interviews, I have realized that despite my educational qualifications, my lack of experience and my having been a housewife for the past few years stand in the way of my getting a good job. At a time I have reconciled to the reality that I could be employed only as a cook or as a housemaid, this opportunity has come. Can we afford to fritter this away? If you don't get a favourable decision from the Labour Commissioner, what are we going to do? Even if you are awarded a substantial sum as compensation, will it be sufficient to take care of our needs for the rest of our life?"
Kalpana went into an adjoining room, her sobs still continuing.
"Rathnam! Even after such a big shock, your wife did not get heart-broken, but managed to keep her cool. She has calmly thought about the future of your family and taken steps, within her means, to get a job so that she could compensate for the loss of your income. You are fortunate to have such a pragmatic and prudent person as your wife" said Manickam
aThirukkural
Section 2
Materialism
Chapter 63
Unfazed in the Face of Trouble
Verse 623 (in Tamil):
idumbaikku idumbai paduppar idumbaikku
idumbai padAdhavar.
Meaning:
Those who don't get tormented by adversity will cause the adversity to suffer.
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'GnAyiRRuk kizhamai paper' by the same author.)
Verse 624 (Soon)
Verse 622
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