1146. The Lunar Eclipse

"Today, there is a lunar eclipse. Don't go out of the house" Alarmelmangai advised her daughter Selvi.

"Why shouldn't one go out during the eclipse?" asked Selvi.

"Don't ask questions about everything. What is the need for you to go out after it has become dark?"

"I am not going anywhere, Mom. I just wanted to know the reason for your advice"

"I want to speak to you about an important matter. And I want to speak to you, before your daddy comes home" said Alarmelmangai.

"That is fine. But, why did you cite the eclipse as the reason for stopping me from going out?" asked Selvi.

Selvi then went to the open yard at the central part of the house, looked up the sky and said, "The eclipse began only a few minutes back. But, within this short period, Rahu* has swallowed half the moon."

"Yes. I think that Rahu will swallow the entire moon in about half an hour" said Alarmelmangai.

She then pressed her daughter's shoulders and told her, "Sit down. I want to talk to you."

After a short pause, Alarmelmangai told her daughter, "Selvi! I know that you are in love with Perumal. I have already told you that I would talk to your father about this and get his consent for your marriage, and advised you not to meet your lover frequently, till the time I get your father's consent."

"Yes, mummy. I am acting as per your advice." 

"Don't lie to me. Our neighbour Periyanayagam has seen you sitting with Perumal on the bank of the village pond and talking to him. She asked me, 'What is happening Mangai? Your daughter has been roaming about the village with Perumal.'"

"Mummy! I told you about the meeting in advance and took your permission to meet him" replied Selvi, somewhat angrily.

"Well. You told me one day that you were meeting Perumal. Another neighbour Komalam told me that she saw you with Perumal in the temple on another day. You didn't tell me about that."

"What else?"

"Parvatham told me that she saw you two walking on the river bank yet another day."

"Okay. Come out with the list of all the places, where people saw us  on various days" said Selvi. The anger she had earlier was now replaced by a feeling of amusement.

"Am I narrating a story? I told you how people had told me about seeing you with Perumal on several days. What is your explanation for this?" asked Alarmelmangai, angrily 

Selvi laughed loudly.

"Why do you laugh? This is no laughing matter."

"Mummy! I met Perumal only on one day. We went to the temple. We sat for a while on the banks of the tank. Then, we walked for sometime on the river bank. We might have sat under a tree too. The people of this village have narrated this one day meet as incidents that happened on different days. You believe these stories and ask me about them! Rest assured, mom. I will never do anything in violation of your advice" said Selvi, pressing her mother's hand with affection.

She then ran to the open yard, looked at the sky and shouted, "Look at this, mom! The snake Rahu has swallowed about three fourth of the moon" with excitement.

*Rahu- As per a story in the Hindu mythology, the lunar eclipse is caused by a snake called Rahu devouring the moon (and then releasing it.)

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 115
Gossiping by Others

Verse 1146 (in Tamil):
kanDadhu mannum oru nAL alar mannum
thingaLaip pAmbu koNdaRRu..

Meaning:

I saw him but one single day, but the rumour thereof has spread like the seizure of the moon by the serpent.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'orE nAL unai nAn' by the same author.)

Verse 1147
Verse 1145