150. Not Guilty Of

A week passed, since Jaganmurthy had returned home, after serving a prison sentence of two years.

No one visited him at home, during this time.

When Jaganmurthy was released from prison, he expected his son Kittu to be present outside the prison, to take him come. But Kittu didn't come to take his father home. When his son himself did not come to the prison to receive him, Jaganmurthy was not surprised that neither his daughter Radhika nor her husband Kumar came to receive him. He knew that his wife was not able to come on her own, since she needed someone to take her to any place. 

It was only after reaching home, did Jaganmurthy realize that one week before Jaganmurthy was scheduled to be released from prison, Kittu had moved to a house rented by him, since he didn't want to live with his father.

Only Jaganmurthy's wife Kokila was home, to greet him, when he went there from the prison. As soon as Jaganmurthy entered the house, Kokila began to cry, unable to control her tears. 

She called up her son and told him that Jaganmurthy had come home. But, even after that, their son did not come to their house to see his father. Nor did their daughter. 

Concerned that Jaganmurthy wouldn't have had good food in the jail for two years, Kokila cooked a variety of dishes for him. But he didn't relish those preparations.

"I served my firm for twenty years, working hard like a bull. They gave me awards and promotions acknowledging my performance and achievements. But, all of a sudden, one day they charged with fraud, dismissed me from service and sent me to jail, for two years.

"After I had been released from prison, even my son and daughter didn't come to see me. None of the people I worked with in the company want to see me. People who roamed with me, calling themselves my friends, are nowhere to be found. But, you alone have been taking so much care of me and cooking a variety of dishes every day for me. Have you not been upset with me?" asked Jaganmurthy.

"Of course, I am upset with you. I am also angry with you, for what you have done, which brought shame to me and our children, apart from making you suffer in prison for two years. But..."

"But, you are devoted to me as a traditional Indian wife will be, to her husband, irrespective of what he does to her?" asked Jagnmurthy, mockingly.

"Not just that. Above every thing, I respect you for one thing."

"What is that?"

Before Kokila could answer him, the door bell rang.

Kokila opened the door.

It was Bhavani, who was Jabanmurthy's personal assistant in his company.

"I am sorry, sir" said Bhavani, after coming inside.

"You handed over all the documents that incriminated me to the police that helped them to convict me and send me to jail and you are saying 'sorry' now!" said Jaganmurthy, angrily. 

"Sir! How could I have not given the details our office asked me to give? But, I have always had great regards for you, sir."

"I did so much for you. I had recommended and got liberal increments to you. I recommended that you be promoted too."

"Yes, sir. You have been good to me and helped me in many ways. But those are not the reasons for which I hold you in high esteem ."

"For what reason, then?"

"It is for the way you treated me, the way you moved with me, when I, as your personal assistant, was close to you in the office for several hours a day. I have worked under quite a few male executives in the past. All of them would exhibit some inappropriate behaviour towards me, one way or the other. They would touch me, as if their hand landed on some part of my body, accidentally. They would stand very close to me, almost brushing against me. They would say things with some hidden meaning. They would ask me whether I was living happily with my husband, with a smirky expression on their face. They would tell me vulgar jokes and check how I take them. They would comment about my dress, my complexion, my being slim etc.

"But, you were one person who treated me and the other women employees of our company with dignity. Not a single inappropriate word slipped out of your tongue, even inadvertently. You never looked at any woman employee with lust in your eyes. We women know the feeling behind the look of a man. We, the women employees of our company would always be holding you in high esteem, for the dignity with which you treated us. The reason I came to see you was only out of the respect I have for you. Other women working in our office asked me to convey their regards to you. I now take leave of you, sir."

Bhavani left.

"I was telling you that there was another reason for my respect for you, over and above the traditional sentiment of devotion a wife has for her husband. It was the same reason that Bhavani had mentioned!" said Kokila.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 150 (In Tamil)

aRan varaiyAn alla seyinum piRan varaiyAL
peNmai nayavAmai nanRu.

Meaning:

Though a man performs no virtuous deeds, but commits wrongs, it will be well, if he doesn't covet another man's wife.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'seyyAdha thavaRu' by the same author)

Verse 151 (Soon)
Verse 149