At that time, a bullock cart entered the street from one end of the street. Muthaiyan noticed that the cart was moving behind her.
The young woman, not being aware of the bullock cart coming behind her, was focusing her entire attention on carrying the bags, by repeatedly shuffling them between her hands and balancing their weights.
Though the cartman tried to pull the ropes on the bulls, attempting to stop the cart, lest it should hit the young woman, Muthaiyan was not sure whether the bullocks would stop in time or whether the young woman would notice the cart and move aside.
Muthaiyan jumped into the street, rushed to the spot and pulled the young woman away. While pulling her away, he took care to ensure that the bags in her hand didn't fall down.
For a moment, the young woman, shocked by the sudden movement of her body by some force external to her, wondered what had transpired. Then she saw the bullock cart passing her and the cartman looking at her and scolding her for her inattentive behaviour, which could have resulted in an accident.
Even as the young woman turned aside to see who the person that had saved her was, she realized that he was still holding her tight. She extricated herself from his clasp, threw a thankful look at him and began to move.
"I see that you have been struggling to carry the bags. If you don't mind, I will carry two of your bags and escort you to your house" Muthaiyan told her.
"I am already worried whether people would imagine things about us, after seeing you holding me. I can't imagine how people will gossip, if they see you walk along with me to my house. People of this village have gossip in their blood" said the young woman and turned to leave.
The young woman's fears were proved right.
"When I was driving a bullock cart, a young woman was walking before the cart on the middle of the road, carrying three or four bags, without noticing the cart coming behind her. I was worried that the cart was going to hit her. Fortunately, her lover rushed to the spot and pulled her away. The passion with which he hugged her while saving her showed how much love she had for her!"
The above message shared by the cartman with some of his friends got spread to the whole village in no time.
With one of those who watched the scene identifying the young woman as Annapoorani and another identifying the young man as Muthaiyan, the message got the names added to it.
The "love" between Muthaiyan and Annapoorani became a talking point in the entire village.
It was only after some people asking Muthaiyan, "Is it true that you are in love with a girl called Annapoorani?" that Muthaiyan came to know the name of the young woman saved by him.
"Are you Muthaiyan?" asked the young woman.
"Yes. And who are you?" asked Muthaiyan.
"I am Kannamma, a friend of Annapoorani. Have you realized what you had done? The whole village has been talking about you and Annapoorani being lovers" said the woman.
"What was my fault? I saved your friend from getting hit by a bullock cart. Was it wrong?"
"What are you going to do about the gossip in the village, linking you and Annapoorani."
"I think it is good that such the villagers have been gossiping that way!"
"What do you mean?" asked Kannamma.
"I don't know what is in the mind of your friend. But, from the time I pulled her away to save her from getting hit by the bullock cart, I have developed a liking for her. I wanted to meet her again and know her mind. But, I was reluctant to approach her. I was feeling restless, not knowing how to meet her again and convey my feelings to her, since I didn't know her identity. Then I heard the villagers gossiping about us. With the villagers revealing what was in my mind, my love for Annapoorani has become known to all. If your friend also likes me, then I will meet her parents and request them to get her married to me" said Muthaiyan.
Kannamma turned towards a nearby tree and said in a loud voice "Your lover has spoken his mind, Annapoorani. Now you can come out from the hideout."
Annapoorani came out from behind a tree, her face beaming with love and ecstasy, with an underlying expression of shyness.
Section 3
Gossiping by Others
alar ezha Aruyir niRkum adhanaip
palar aRiyAr bAkkiyaththAl.
Verse 1140
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