An Errant Lakshmi For A Change!

Sharada · Sep 9, 2005

certainly wrong

We all know that this is a story and taking rigid stands/sides is meaningless. How a character acts and reacts is based on the writer's imagination and that we have no right to refute. As readers we can comment and judge - but we cannot tell the writer that his character is/has done wrong! So what we are discussing here Varalotti is whether Lakshmi's running away is justified.
Lakshmi confessed through a letter and ran away - that was wrong. Perhaps she felt ashamed to tell him in person. But what is she running away from? The deed will continue haunting her and her future will be insecure. By punishing herself she will be ruining Sethu's life too. Imagine his plight. How will he tell others that his wife has deserted him although he lavished her with love? Like Ambika pointed out, there are many women who do not get an iota of love from any quarter. Lakshmi was one of the lucky ones - but she ran away. She should have explained the situation to Sethu and based on his reaction, she should have planned her moves. Meena commented that as relationships are based on trust, one betrayal can leave a festering wound. But considering Sethu's goodness, I think he would have forgiven her and forgotten the issue.
Sharada

sudhavnarasimhan · Sep 12, 2005

Sethu's TRUE reaction

Hello everyone,

Have been reading this snippet section and enjoying the debate going on. I just have a question to Sridhar since he started the whole thing with his story.....can you tell us how Sethu would have reacted if Lakshmi had faced him and confessed all this to his face.....
Sridhar i want a man's point of view, don't get into the character Sethu and tell us a hypothetical end that Sethu forgot, forgave and lived happily ever after again! Do you think a MAN as a Husband can really do all this be it as STERLING in character as Sethu!
Ladies let's wait and see A MAN'S POINT OF VIEW, before we condemn Lakshmi anymore....
sudha

varalotti · Sep 12, 2005

You have nailed me!

While it is comfortable to argue endlessly and replying to the other ladies' arguments sitting in a cozy position, it is very difficult to give a typical man's point of view in that. Let me try. It is very tempting to say that Yes Sethu being a nice man, he would forgive her and they lived happily.. blah blah.. But honestly a man forgiving his wife's infidelity is one in a billion. While it is normally easy for a woman to forgive her man's straying, it is not so easy for a man. All ladies would immediately pounce upon this chauvinistic argument and tear me to pieces. But let's first get the facts straight. Historically for a man, his woman is the most sacred possession. In those days when wars were fought between kings the victor would first try to seize the queens of the defeated king. The basic idea is to add insult to injury and the best way to do that would be to molest the women of the vanquished. I am afraid to say that the traces of such an instinct is still there in men and men normally find it very difficult to forgive. If Sethu is such a kind character he might have the magnanimity to accept Lakshmi as his wife for the outside world. He might give her her place in the home. He might give her money, food and other comforts. But the relationship would not be the same. There would be a permanent wall between them.
I am not saying that the mens attitude is right or wrong. It's a plain fact. The moment we discuss about something being right or wrong, then we lose the perspective and we lose sight of the reality.
A few years back even pre-marital escapades of women, if known by their husbands, would result in the break-down of their marriages, while the whole world knows that most men were busy 'sowing wild oats' before marriage. Now that has changed at least to some extent. The fact men are now prepared to marry divorcees and widows is a change in the right direction. But as of now it will be too much to ask men to forgive wife's infidelity.
I am not saying that all men are bad and all women are good. Immorality resides equally in both the sexes. But when it comes to forgiving partner's infidelity men are way behind.
sridhar

sudhavnarasimhan · Sep 13, 2005

Thanks for putting across a man's or SETHU'S viewpoint. I guess that could be the reason for Lakshmi not facing her husband and she also would know that even if he forgives her, there will be a crack in their relationship for all times....By doing what she did, she will maybe give the space for Sethu to get a better companion than herself. Though we cannot forgive her wrong deed, maybe we can understand why she took this drastic step.

Is that okay with you Sridhar.....
sudha

lakshmisuresh12 · Sep 20, 2005

Hi,

I think Lakshmi shudn't have run away from her husband. If she was really guilty for whatever she had done, she had to coonfess, not run away......When Sethu was so loyal to her and had reported everything that had happened in his office, Lakshmi shud also have told everything to her husband.....I know she wudn't have got the same treatment from her husband after reporting this to him, but she had to face it coz she has committed a mistake.
First of all, she shud have control on her self, when she lost the control, she can't blame it on anyone or anything, for that matter......She has done a mistake and she also has to face the consequence....But here, she has left Sethu alone in the mistry and ran away...This not right.......She will join the orphanage and help the poor and forget her sorrows, but what wud Sethu do? He also loved her truely......He had completely trusted her and wud share each and everything with her.......Now, what wud he do for the rest of his life? Spend his life all alone?
Regards.