Thursday, April 6, 2017

The distant rainbow

Palani, an incurable alcoholic beat his wife Bhagyam daily in the evenings for money. A lazy loafer, he brought no money for the house. With three young children to feed, Bhagyam worked hard in many houses. Life was a monotonous daily grind with nothing to enthuse and only back breaking work all day long. It was the last week of the month with not a grain of rice let alone other essential ingredients to cook a broth. The left overs she brought from houses where she worked hardly helped to keep even the kids from hunger especially at the end of month.  In desperation she often toyed with idea of suicide along with kids but would abandon such thoughts when she saw their trusting eyes and start visualizing a better tomorrow
Palani was tottering to get up after getting fully drunk at a cheap arrack shop when a friend by his side proffered a twenty-rupee note saying that it was found by the former’s side.
“It is not mine, I have spent all my money” Palani mumbled but the equally inebriated friend insisted it was his and added “You are ruining your life by drinking. What have you done for your wife and kids so far? Surprise them with some snacks with this.
 The confused Palani took the money and started ambling towards his home. Pricked by the taunt of his friend, he was filled with remorse when he thought of Bhagyam and the children. As he vowed that he would stop drinking, he saw the shop selling molagai bajji (chillies bajias) and other namkeens. He took molagai bajjis wrapped in old newspaper and hurried in his unsteady walk.
This particular evening, Bhagyam had made gruel from broken rice she had borrowed and diluted liberally with tangy butter milk she had brought from a household Hardly adequate, it only kindled more hunger. Each one had a large glass with some quantity kept for Palani.
The chimney lamp was flickering starved of kerosene in the dimly lit dark hut. As Palani entered, he saw the children jumping with joy amidst peals of laughter. Bewildered he saw a smiling Bhagyam with her eyes glued on a small TV placed on a rickety shelf covered by his lungi, a freebie from the generous government ahead of a municipal poll. He too joined the gaiety and danced with the kids happy with the new bounty. In the commotion, the packet of molaga bajjis lay uncared for on the floor. The distant rainbow is more enchanting than a small blessing on hand.

12 comments:

  1. Wonderful. Reality well portrayed. But keep thinking wht can be done to better such lives and change them

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  2. Excellent story, as always. This is the reality in Tamil Nadu today. Very sad.

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  3. indeed it is. freebies spoil those families.

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  4. Practical situation in most of the households of these people. Television will not fill their stomach but they need job. But they are already spoilt. Will not have the mindset to work and bring up the family. Most of these families are taken care of by womenfolk...

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  5. Beautiful story... life of BPL families lucidly pictured and how they tend to remain poor all the way by the grace of alcohol, illiteracy and their earned high ambition during elections..

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  6. The sad state of affairs prevalent in our country. Giving freebies for votes and making people lazy. 'If they don't have rice, let them watch TV!' - modern day Mary Antoinettes in the form of our political parties.

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  7. Happy endings are always beautiful like the rainbows.

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  8. A sad social and economic reality. On one side freebies like TV don't bring anything; it just worsens the social and economic situation. The only way this can get better is by counselling good sense into people like Palani.

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  9. TV freebie & they need cable & electricity connection. How will they ensure payment for these?
    Poor fate of the pakodas...

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  10. Namaste:
    When we fail to choose well we help create some of the burdens we endure in life. When we fail to act by creating a positive shift manifested from the trails endured from poor decision making we prolong our suffering and secure our unhappiness.

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  11. The story started on such a depressing note. I wondered how it would end.
    I know many tamilians here in Bangalore who go all the way to their native villages in TN during an election just to collect the freebies. And man! What a collection they have in their homes here in Bangalore! Some even have TWO sets of TV, mixie, and what not

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  12. A happy ending is a new start...I like the way you gave turn in your story that ended well.

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