(I hope you like this story though a bit long)
As soon as the clock struck four in the evening, Kamala Paati would become restless and get ready in her nine-yard sari to visit the Sri Parthasarathi temple close to her house. She must be over seventy years old, tall and frail. Her head neatly combed and her forehead shining with a streak of red line, she carried herself with dignity. As she lived just behind the temple, she easily entered it from the rear gate.
She would sit at the same corner
spot daily in the mandapam outside Perumal’s (god’s) sanctum and recite Sri
Vishnu Sahasranamam (Thousand Names of Vishnu). She never missed a day in this
routine. Sometimes, while gazing at Perumal, she would mutter something softly,
and on occasions, she would gently pat her cheek with her fingers in a gesture
of regret. She rarely spoke to anyone.
If the sanctum was less crowded, she would
step inside for a quick darshan of Perumal and take the theertham (holy
water). Since she visited daily, she was well acquainted with the priests,
particularly Singham Iyengar (hereafter referred to as Iyengar), who was not the chief priest but was always
present in the evenings. He was around sixty-five years old and showed respect
and kindness for the elderly Kamala.
One day, he gently asked her, “Do
not think I’m prying into your matters, but I notice you pray devoutly to
Perumal every day. It feels like you’re seeking something from him, yet it
seems He hasn’t answered. If there’s any way I can help, don’t hesitate to tell
me.”
Kamala replied, “Why would I
hesitate to tell you? I’ve been through a lot in life. Money isn’t an issue. I
had only one daughter. After carefully looking for a good match, we married her
off to someone we thought was from a respectable family. Later, we found out he
was a rogue, a cheat, and addicted to all kinds of vices. He never spoke the
truth and was a cruel person.
My daughter, on the other hand,
was calm, virtuous, and very strong. She was not the type to argue or raise her
voice, which angered him even more. In fits of blind rage, he would beat her
and torment her. While she was eight months pregnant, he kicked her in the
waist in anger just because she said she didn’t have the money he demanded. The
injury was severe, and though she gave birth to a baby girl, she passed away
within a week.
“We took custody of our
granddaughter and raised her. My son-in-law even tried to demand money in
exchange for the child, but with the help of my relative, who was in the police
force, we scared him off. There has been no contact with him since then.
“My granddaughter has grown into
a beautiful maiden, just like her mother, both in looks and temperament. She’s
highly educated and has a very good job. She’ll turn twenty-six this Vaikasi
(Tamil month). My last wish is to see her married to a good-hearted,
well-educated and loving person before I leave this world in peace. But nothing
seems to materialise despite my best efforts. That’s why I come here every
day to pray.”
“What’s her star and gotra? What
did she study, and where is she working? Maybe I’ll come across some good match,” Iyengar said.
“I don’t know all the details.
She’s doing research on finding cures for diseases like cancer, and she earns a
high salary,” Kamala replied.
“Ah, what an extraordinary and
capable girl! How is her health and personality?” he asked.
“She’s healthy, tall and
good-looking. I need a little help from
you. Will you do for me?” Kamala pleaded. She added, “I’ve been praying with
all my heart for years, but Perumal hasn’t opened his eyes to my prayers. Maybe
He has some reason, but I don’t know what.”
“Perumal knows when things must
happen. Don’t worry; He will surely listen when the right time arrives,” Iyengar said, trying to console her.
Kamala, with a determined voice, said, “You stand in front of Perumal every day and serve him. His name is always on your lips, and you’re always gazing at his divine form. If you whisper my request in His ear just once, I’m certain He will grant it. Will you do this for me?”
Iyengar chuckled, saying, “I don’t work here for money. My children keep telling me, ‘Father, stop working at the temple and just stay at home. But I can’t bear to be away from Perumal even for a day. Whether or not He knows how much I love Him, I can’t tell.”
“Please don’t brush this off.
When you’re alone, tell Him that the old woman’s granddaughter must be
married to a good man soon. I’m sure He’ll listen to you. After all, you have a
unique bond with Him because of your devotion and proximity. You’ll be blessed
for helping me,” Kamala pleaded.
Iyengar was torn between
feeling amused and pitying her deep faith in his ability to sway Perumal.
Despite his hesitation, he finally said, “Don’t worry, I’ll certainly convey
your request to Him. He’ll surely fulfil your wish for your faith even if
not for my sake.”
That night, Iyengar
couldn’t sleep. The thought of requesting something from Perumal on someone’s
behalf seemed presumptuous. "Who am I to ask Perumal to fulfil such a
request?" he thought. The old woman’s plight, however, tugged at his
heart.
The next morning, in the
absence of the head priest, Iyengar performed the puja with greater
devotion than usual. Afterwards, when the temple was quiet, he stood before
Perumal’s idol. In a voice filled with emotion, he said, “My Lord, I’m not
asking this for myself. You know everything about this old woman, who has been
praying here earnestly for two years. Her suffering is not unknown to you. With
her belief that I have some special closeness to you, she has asked me to make
this request on her behalf. Your mercy is boundless, and you’ve rushed to help
before, at the slightest request of your devotees like Draupadi when she was
disrobed or Gajendra in deep trouble from a crocodile. Won’t you turn your kind
gaze toward this poor old woman too?”
There was no response from
Perumal. Iyengar felt as if Perumal was laughing at him. Feeling deeply
ashamed, he prostrated on the floor, asking for forgiveness. When he stood up,
a flower fell from Perumal’s hand. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of
joy at this omen. He thought to himself, “I should tell the old lady about this
gesture. She will be thrilled.” But that evening, Kamala didn’t come to the
temple.
That night, Iyengar had a
strange dream. Suddenly the room was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood
and the sound of bells. Perumal himself appeared before him with a
mischievous smile. “What’s this, Iyengar? You’re funnily searching for
ghee having the butter in your hands and yet expecting me to solve as I did for
Gajendra? Isn’t this a small thing for you to remedy yourself?”
Iyengar, prostrating
before Perumal in the dream, cried in excitement, “My God, my small mind is
unable to comprehend what you are hinting at.”
“Take your time and think
carefully. Everything will work out fine,” Perumal smilingly said, even as He disappeared.
The next evening, Kamala came to
the temple. “I didn’t see you yesterday. Is everything alright?” she asked Iyengar.
“Yes, everything is fine. I put
your request to Perumal yesterday, and a match was found immediately. I was
waiting for you to tell you the details.”
“I knew it would happen! I was
certain that Perumal would heed to you. What a blessing! Who is the groom, and
what does he do?”
“He’s twenty-nine years old,
well-educated, working in a foreign bank in Bengaluru, earning around four
lakhs per month, and comes from a good family. Here’s his photo, with all the
details on the back. Show it to your granddaughter. If she likes him, let me
know. I’ll arrange for them to meet,” Iyengar said.
“Once burnt, twice shy, it is
said. The boy and his family must be good people. Money is not important;
character is. Please check this point thoroughly,” Kamala stressed.
“Don’t worry,. First, see if your
granddaughter likes him,” Iyengar reassured her.
The next day, Kamala and her granddaughter Veda arrived at Iyengar’s house. Kamala was surprised to see how well-kept and beautiful the house was, with granite floors, plush sofas, a large TV, and an air conditioner. It did not look like the tenement of a poor priest.
Iyengar’s wife greeted them warmly and, sitting next to Veda, said, “She’s much more beautiful than I expected! I hope she likes the boy.”
Kamala asked, “Yes. Have you had
a chance to inquire about the boy’s family?”
“Yes, they’re from this area
only,” Iyengar’s wife said.
“You are not telling whether they
are good people and that you are fully assured on this point,” Kamala persisted.
"Alright, please tell
me one thing first —what do you think of me?" Iyengar asked with an
impish smile.
"You are a very virtuous
man, always steeped in thoughts of God. You are a great devotee of Perumal and
very helpful to everyone. What more can I say? But why are you asking me about
this when I’m asking about the boy’s family?"
Iyengar burst into laughter,
leaving both Kamala and Veda confused, as they looked at his wife for an
explanation.
It was then Iyengar
spoke, " Initially, I had no thought about this young man. When I
prayed to Perumal about your request, a flower fell from His hand. I took it as
a good omen. That night, in a dream, He appeared and said, 'You are asking for ghee
having butter in your hand, and still expecting me to find a match for the
young woman.”
It was only after He disappeared, it struck me
what He meant. If Perumal has willed it that way, then let it happen
beautifully, I decided. That’s when I gave you the boy’s details and photo, but
even then, I didn’t tell you who he was till I knew your mind."
Seeing Kamala still confused, Iyengar's wife added with a broad smile, "This groom, Krishnan, is none other than
our son! We showed him Veda’s photo, and he was very pleased. He’s been asking
when he can come over to meet her. Now, it is for you both to take it
forward."
Both grandmother and Veda joined
them in the happy laughter that ensued.
Nice. A simple feel good story.
ReplyDeleteChitra
Perumal always present but we should have immense faith to feel .
ReplyDeleteThe ambiance in the temple, the concerns of a middle class family and the emotions have been captured vividly.
ReplyDeleteJanardhan N
Very good story.ramakrishnan.a.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful feel good story. My belief is that Parthassrathi walks alongside you. His manifestations are intriguing. Loved the way you have portrayed the characters.
ReplyDeleteAs Usual, another masterpiece athimber ,nicely captured emotions in simple words..keeps you glued till the end .👌👌👏👏
ReplyDeleteNice story emphasising the grace of God when one asks for something without any ulterior motive. But I was amused at Perumal addressing the priest as 'Iyengar.' :)
ReplyDeleteThangam
Nice description of the Maami. It matches the description of many maamis who visit the temple :)
ReplyDeleteNice story!
ReplyDeleteAdiyen
Dasan
KP sir, You have created a theme that offers insights into the human dilemma about belief in prayer - which is more effective- praying for others or for oneself ! I was able to empathize with your characters- to care about these characters and their feelings.
ReplyDeleteGod has a unique way of uniting people. Just seek his guidance to lead us to the right path.
ReplyDeleteJagadeesan
Inscrutable are His ways! At on stroke, He had blessed and answered both of His ardent Bhaktas. Beautiful analogy " asking for Ghee having butter in Hand" very much.
ReplyDeleteVery nice Thatha what a wonderful short story
ReplyDeleteI loved the phrase, "asking for ghee with butter in hand". A feel good story. The power of prayer
ReplyDeleteMarriages are made in heaven they say- this one in a temple ! A God’s abode in any case!! A simple story yet very captivating because of the way it is written! God’s ways are always difficult to comprehend but He knows best : and He leads you to the destination without our knowing it. As usual loved reading this. Thanks. Rama Sampath Kumar
ReplyDeleteWell narrated beautiful story! I am sure they lived happily ever after! And Kamala paatti was happy too...Sandhya
ReplyDeleteThe very name of the story summarises the central theme. The details have thereafter been very neatly adorned around.
ReplyDeleteGood one! I could visualize the scenes unfolding as I read along because of the vivid descriptions. Ending was not a surprise but loved the story.
ReplyDeleteWonderful story.
ReplyDeleteFaith is the answer! It is the lady’s unshakable faith that she got the due credit she deserved.
ReplyDeleteFaith guides us - bhagawan comes to us in the form of mortals with a message - divinity exists in all of us. Nice story :) Regards - Mahesh
ReplyDeleteAlmost all your stories leave me feeling great, Chittappa. The best ambiance is to read your stories sitting beside a smoothly fleeing stream. How wonderful it is - noise of the flowing water! The joy I experience after having read and thought about the story is very similar!
ReplyDeleteOMG. Iyengar realized he had an eligible bachelor son only after praying God at the temple and after God coming in his dream.
ReplyDeleteSometimes everyone needs a little nudge to see what is right in front of their eyes. Beautifully narrated, captivating - both emotionally and spiritually. Love the story. :)
ReplyDeleteLiked this. You have narrated in a poignant manner, highlighting the impact of human touch and kindness.
ReplyDeleteMarriages are made in heaven and so the life partnership is surreal that should be espoused
ReplyDeleteNice story brought to life by your engaging prose. (JJ)
ReplyDeleteSweet story!
ReplyDeleteI love the priest's attitude and the lady's perseverance.
ReplyDelete