Hello,Iam Sankaran’s ‘spirit ’ speaking!

Iam Sankaran,aged 60,retired as a clerk in a govt service,a widower and father of two grown up daughters and I died today early morning. As usual I made a cup of coffee for myself,gulped it down and came and stood in the pooja corner of the hall.I started praying to God ,I kept my appeal before him the regular one.”Muruga,en appane,please get a good alliance for my daughter.Padma.I am not asking for a rich alliance.All I want is that both my daughters should marry into good families,the boys who marry them should be reasonably well emplyed ,that’s all.I have ten sovereigns o f gold.I will divide it between the two sisters.All I am requesting you is to get me good alliances,alliances who will not expect a fat dowry and grand wedding from me for my girls,that’s all.I will take care of the rest.I will sell my house,I will do anything to celebrate my daughters’ weddings.”

I felt a pressure in my chest.Before I could call out to my daughters,I my head reeled and I fell down.After that I found myself sitting on one of the beams in the roof.Iam not Sankaran any more,Iam Sankaran’s spirit.I have no face,no hands and no legs,I am very light, like cotton,Iam not able to speak.

My body has been washed,they have covered my body with a new cloth .Neighbours are standing and sitting by the side of my body.Now listen to me,that girl who is wearing a green colour saree and is sitting by the dead body, sobbing aloud,all the time mumbling,”Appa,why did you leave us like this ?Who will take care of us,appa” is my elder daughter,Padma.She is twenty years old.Don’t you see?She is dusky in complexion,small made with a lovely face.She is soft spoken and is well versed in cooking and all other household works.She has all the qualities to get married and settle down well,except that she is a poor man’s daughter.The girl who is leaning on Padma’s shoulder and crying her heart out is my younger daughter,Suseela.Suseela,as you can see is very fair and very good looking and she is eighteen years old.

Some thirty years back,I married a wonderful woman called A;amelu.She made life heaven for me ,this poor clerk,by showering love and affection on me.But this bliss lasted only for a couple of years.When my younger daughter was hardly an year old child,Alamelu died of some common fever.I had no time to mourn her death.I had to take care of my daughters and go to office also.Ask the flower selling woman who lives near my house in a hut,ask the maid servant who works in my neighbour’s house,ask some of the kind hearted neighbours.They will tell you what a tough time I had in taking care of my kids,these ladies helped me mostly by babysitting them, till I returned from office.Iam indebted to them for ever.Somehow my daughters grew up into fine young ladies.I could not afford to give them college education,I could not get them nice clothes to wear,I could not buy jewelleries for them,but I gave them values and principles.I retired with a paltry amount as my pension.But this house where we live is our ancestral property and we managed to have two meals a day with the pension money.

My heart is wrenched.I want to go and sit near my daughters,but I can’t,I have no legs.I want to stroke their heads and comfort them,but I have no hands.Iam crying my heart out in pain,but no one can hear me I have no voice,Iam bodyless,but I can feel the pain in my heart,that means I do have a heart,no?

Wait ,some people are entering my house to pay me their last respects,let me see them and listen to what they have to say.
Raman enters the house with his wife.Raman is tall and heavily built.He is the richest man in our town,he does real estate business and also lends money for interest.His wife Parvathi is standing by his side.Normally she would wear only rich silk sarees and plenty of jewellery on herself.But since they have come to a house in mourning,she is devoid of jewellery and is weaing an old cotton saree.Both of them have the required somber expression on their faces.

Raman says,”Sankaran was such a nice person.I know him from our childhood days.I told him several times, “Sankara,fix your daughter’s marriage as soon as possible,even when you have the strength to run around.Come to me for any help.”He used to simply nod his head.I feel vey sorry for these girls”.His eyes fall on my daughters for a second.
His wife comes near my daughters,sit near them stroke their heads and after that ,both of them walk away slowly.It is our custom not to take leave when one leaves the house in mourning.

Before I turn my attention on my daughters ,I hear a screaming voice.My cousin sister,my only close relative, enters my house, sobbing and talking at the same time.
“Anna,how did you have the heart to leave me.You have never complained of even a head ache all these years.How did you get this attack Anna.I told you so many times,not to worry about your daughters’ marriages.God will help you and he will show the way.But you were always worrying about them,anna.Now,see they have become orphans”Iam gritting my teeth, which are not there, in anger.”How dare she calls my daughters ‘orphans?”.I keep quiet.My sister sits there for some time,says kind words to my daughters like a stranger and walks away.My cousin Vanaja is a rich woman.Her husband retired from a senior position from a private company and she has a son who is an engineer and is earning well.

I see the crowd getting up and making way for some one to enter.Govindan Pillai is entering the house.He is the owner of the only grocery shop in our area.This shop caters to all the needs of the local peple and is a landmark in our town.
“Sankaran sir was such a decent,quiet person.I used to give him things on credit and he used to pay the money without fail in instalments.Such a sensible person.I don’t know why God takes away good people from us.”So saying, he remained there for sometime and walks away.

I don’t know where to look and what to say.I marvel at the audacity of these people who said so many nice things about me just now.How I wish they had made these observations when I was alive!How I wish they showed me this kindness when I approached them for help!

I managed to get an alliance for my elder daughter Padma.Sarangan is an accountant in a private firm.His’ is a middle class family.He has two sons,both of them are qualified and well employed.Sarangan’s elder son is also an accountant in a well known company.His horoscope matched with that of my daughter Padma.I approached Sarangan with the request that he should consier my daughter’s alliance for his son.Both Sarangan and his wife came to our house with their son to see Padma.Thsy liked Padma.But when I told Sarangans that I would give my daughter 5 sovereigns of gold and I wiil give her a simple marriage in a temple,Sarangan’s face became small.He said that they would not mind my not giving gold and silver but they wanted the marriage to be conducted in a decent mandapam.Their idea of a decent marriage when calculated worked up to one lakh of rupees.I was shattered.But I did not want this alliance to slip out of my hands.I approached,Raman ,yes,the same Raman who came to pay his last respects to me.I pleaded with him to lend me fifty thousand rupees I owned a plot of land near Madras,I thought I would sell it and pay Raman the loan ..I thought that I would sell my house and take care of the remaining expenses.But Raman laughed.He said,”Sankaran,are you joking?Fifty thousand rupees!My God!How do you think you will repay me?Do you think you will be able to pay atleast the interest on time?No,my friend,you will not be able to pay me the interest and the loan would remain like that only.No,Sankaran,Iam sorry,I just can’t lend you that much of money”said Raman and sent me away.I had to let go of that alliance.

As a last resort I approached my cousin sister.
“Vanaja,please have mercy on me and my daughter Padma.Take her as your elder daughter in law.I will try and give her a decent marriage”said I.But she refused.She said,”Anna,both my husband and my son want our daughter in law from a well to do family.Iam not in a position to see sentiments here.Please understand my position also” said she and shed tears.

From then on I have become a broken hearted man.

This man Govindan who is the proud owner of the grocery shop in the town was a different person yesterday.I went to his shop to buy some groceries on credit.He shouted at me in front of so many people.”Sankaran sir,I have already given you things on credit,you have not paid a paise so far.I can’t lend you anymore grocery.Iam doing business,Iam not running dharamshala,you see.”From that moment I became a living corpse.I realized one thing.A poor man has no right to get married,he has no right to raise children,he has no right to dream about a good future for his children.He and his family should live and die as paupers only.The laws of the country written by the man wouldn’t allow you to live well and wouldn’t allow you to die also.
My thoughts are running in my mind.

Well the puohits and men whose business it is to tie the body and take it to its last destination enter the house.They get ready the body and lift it.My daughters fall on my body and sob uncontrollably.”Appa,how can you leave us and go like this?Don’t go away ,appa.We don’t want to get married appa.We will earn and take care of you appa.Don’t go away,appa.”They shed tears.Even a stone hearted person would have shed tears hearing these words.

I can not bear it anymore.I bang my head against the wall and cry.”My children have become ophans without me.Now,who will take care of them?Who wil get them married?”

My body has been taken away to the cremation ground.Some good hearted neighbours enter the house,the house is washed with water as is the custom,my daughters who have taken bath are sitting in a corner in the hall,weeping.Our next door neighbour enters the house carrying a tiffin carrier and a flask full of steaming coffee.
“Padma,Susee,I know that you would not have taken even coffee in the morning.Drinkthis coffee and after sometime eat this food that I have brought.For the next ten days,you don’t have to cook,my dears.I will bring coffee and food for you,ok.I will come and sleep here with you in the nights,you are not alone we are all with you,ok?”Myheart melts hearing these words.

Night falls.Iam standing guard over my daughters.My eyes are riveted to the picture of my God,Murugan.As always, he is smiling,but today his smile appears to have some meaning .Suddenly,a thought comes to me and like a spark that is fanned this thought grows big,takes a shape and fills me with gratitude,inner peace and a joy that I had never experienced before.Iam trembling with emotion.

“Muruga,en appane,gnana panditha!I have realized one thing now.Iam nothing before you.You are the one who created me,you are the one, who led me in the path of life and you are the one, who are going to take care of me and my children.When you are there,how will my children become orphans?No,I know that you will take care of us.
I .Sankaran’s spirit is surrendering to you,my God!Iam doing ‘charanagathi’ before you and Iam leaving the task of taking care of my daughters and celebrating their marriages in your hands.You are my saviour and you know what is to be done.”So saying I just allow my bodyless form to continue to hang there.

A few days passed by.One day evening an auto came and stopped in front of my house.I saw Sarangan and his wife getting down from the auto.Sarangan and his wife came to offer condolences even on the day I died,how come they are here now.?My doubts were cleared in a short while.
Sarangan asked the next door lady, who was sitting with my daughters,”Amma,are their any elders at home?We have come to talk about the marriages of these girls?”
That lady beaming with happiness,made them sit in the hall,told my daughters to go inside and ran out.She returned with Raman,yes the same Raman who refused to lend me money.”Mama,Raman sir was Sankaran mama’s best friend.He is like the elder of the family only.So,please tell him what is in your mind.”

“Raman sir,Sankaran wanted to give his daughter in marriage to my elder son.We also liked the girl.But when Sankaran said that he would be able to give his daughter a simple wedding at a temple,we were disappointed and we backed out.When I heard the news that Sankaran had passed away,both I and my wife felt very sad.Sankaan was an honest, God fearing man.We did a wrong thing by backing off from the proposal.
It is not the girls’ fault that their fater had no money.Why should they suffer?Besides ,they are good girls,they will bring happiness to the family into which they will step in.So we want to get the girls married to our sons” said Sarangan and looked at Raman’s face anxiously.
“What?You want both the girls for your two sons?”Raman could not but be excited at this proposal from Sarangan.

“Yes,sir.I want both these gems to come to our house as our daughters in law.But first find out from them, if they are ok with this proposal.”said Sarangan.My daughters blush and smile with tears in their eyes, which says that they are more than happy.

I just can’t believe that my daughters’ marriages have been fixed,that too into the family that I wanted my daughter to marry into.Iam excited,joyful and happy.I run to the pooja corner in my house,fall at Murugan’s feet and cry my heart out.
“Muruga,en ammaiyappane, when I told you to bring me two good alliances for my daughters,that too the ones, who will not expect a grand marriage from me ,you were smiling.The same usual smile.When I told you,’give me alliances and I will take care of the rest’,then also your smile never changed,but nothing happened as far as their marriages were concerned. I said,”Muruga,Iam surrendering to you.I know that you are there to take care of us.As long as you are there my daughters won’t be orphans.Look at the bounty you have given us!My daughters could not have dreamt of a better life than this Muruga,you are my father and you are my mother.”I cry and cry.

My daughters’ marriages take place in a grand style.Vanaja ,my cousin sister has taken care of the mandapam expenses.Raman has given my daughters thirumangalyam and chains.Govindhan has taken care of the food to be served to one and all who attend the weddings.Neighbours,friends and even the maids who worked in neighbours’ houses have presented my daughters with new sarees,utensils etc etc.Muhurtham time approaches.Iam sitting on a branch of the tree that is right opposite the mandapam.When the bridegrooms tie the thali around the brides’ necks,tears of joy and gratitude flow from my eyes.I bless my daughters,bless them from the bottom of my heart.I bless all my friends,neighbours and the kind hearted maids who made it possible for me to smile amidst my tears.I bless Sarangan and his wife for the generosity of heart that they have shown on this occasion.

Again I run to the temple where my ammaiyappan is standing in all grandeur.
“Appa,Muruga perumane,you are the one who is the saviour of my life and that of my children.How will I ever show you my gratitude for the boon that you have bestowed on me?En deivame,grant me this one boon.Grant me one more janam and in that janam.I want to be looking at you for all the times to come.I want to be right in front of you and be gazing at you .God,make me one of the stone steps that lead to your sannadhi.Let the old and the young,the rich and the poor jump over me,cross over me and let little tender feet of kids stamp over me to come to your sannadhi.Muruga,grant me this one favour.”
“Muruga seems to have heard my prayer and has taken pity on me.I feel my form becoming firmer and slowly Iam taking the shape of a stone step.I look at my appan.His smile has become a little wider.

 

My dear hira,
You have made my day with that compliment.Thanks.
love
mithila

 

My dear crazy writer,
Thank you for the fb..
love
mithila

 

Dear sridhar,

Thank you ,sridhar for those wonderful words of appreciation.Coming from a stalwart writer like you these words really mean a lot to me.

Thanks once again
love
mythili

 

My dear coffee lover,
Iam happt that you liked the blog.When we surrender to the 'some one ' above,he really takes care of us,is he not our father and mother?When we surrender to him,there is a tremendous peace descending on us.
love
mithila