A Short Story

Feb 14,2007 10.20 AM

Thangamma was on her way to "Arulmigu Sidhi Vinayagar" Temple after finishing her routine household chores. It was her routine every Wednesday, for the past 35 years. The orthodox city in which she lived had changed a lot over the last few years. Red balloons and flower bouquets decorated the sides of the street, which once used to be lined up with audio cassette shops playing T.M Soundarrajan's latest work on Lord Muruga, inundated with the smell of rose garlands and Vibudhi packets hitting the nostrils of pedestrians with ease.

"It’s all the effect of kali kalam amma", quipped Muthiah, the lone garland seller near the entrance of temple to Thangamma.
"Yes, the good times are over. Give me one archana thattu, of course with good coconut. I will pray to pillayar for the betterment of the minds of the youth"

Muthiah carefully picked up a coconut among the hundreds spread in the backyard, knocked it carefully with measured force, so as to evaluate the condition of the coconut. He then packed it along with a fresh rose garland, two bananas("Give me ripe ones, not the ones that look like dead rats"),few incense sticks("Don’t give the broken ones"), few strands of the holy "arugam pul" ("Its Pillayar's favourite") and a betel nut for courtesy sake.

Muthiah gave the archana plate to his customer for twenty years, with a respectful bow.

"I hope the coconut is good, I don’t want to see a decayed coconut inside the Sannidhi"
"It’s the best coconut available, 20 Rupees amma"
"What? It was only 18 Rupees last week, how did it increase by two rupees?"
"There were no flowers left amma, everything sold off to some big shop for valandan day"
"Every time you give me some reason or the other and extract extra money, Pillayar paathupar"
She snatched the plate from Muthiah and went inside the temple, after touching the holy steps with utmost devotion.

Subramania Sastrigal was waiting for Thangamma. He knew her routine pretty well, so he waited every Wednesday until 10.15 AM, so as to perform the special archanai for the welfare of her family.
"Ennamma, why are you late today?"
"There was no power in the house, so had to dry the clothes outside"
"Seri, I will start the archanai now"

Subramania Sastrigal started reciting the holy slokas with utmost care. He knew that if he made a mistake in the recitation, he would be caught red handed by a lady who knew all the slokas by heart. After reciting the usual Ashtotram and Vinayagar Agaval, he took the coconut out of the archanai thattu and hit it against the granite rock that lay next to Sannidhi door. As the coconut cracked into two hemispheres, Thangamma could spot something unusual in one of the pieces.
"Amma, Thenga azhugirukku"
"What, Muthiah told that it is the best coconut available and even I verified it, how can it be decayed?"
"Don’t worry Amma, it happens sometimes, nothing to worry. Please get me another coconut and I will continue the pooja"

Thangamma panicked, she knew it meant something wrong. Decayed Coconut definitely spelt bad omen.
"What wrong did I commit? I have prayed sincerely everyday, I never skipped Sankatahara Chathurthi Vratham or Vinayaga Chaturthi pooja, is Pillayar warning me about some impending danger?"
"Nothing bad would happen amma, it is just that he would be happy with a little more bhakthi from you
he will always protect those bhakthas who are sincere. You will do well, don’t worry"

Thangamma was not convinced by Sastrigal's reply. Two years ago, Mangalam had a similar experience at Sidhi Vinayagar temple and her house got robbed the very next day. Will my house also get robbed? Should I warn the Police and neighbourhood?


Feb 14,2007 6.30 PM

Sundaram started laughing loudly upon hearing the story from Thangamma that evening.
"Warn Police and neighborhood just because Thangamma tried to offer a decayed coconut? People will brand you a fool and send you to Kilpauk Mental hospital"
Thangamma was not amused with her husband's comment.
"How can you be so insensitive to my feelings? It definitely means some impending danger and Pillayar wants us to be careful"
"If something has to happen it will happen. Just try to forget the decayed coconut incident and face the reality. Dont keep narrating this to everyone around you, especially to Raghavan.He will definitely make some comments which you cannot bear. Can I get some good filter coffee now?"


Feb 18,2007 4.10 PM

"Ouch, it’s damn hot!" screamed Raghavan as Danny tossed a piece of Veg puff to Raghavan. Raghavan and Danny have been friends ever since they met in a Railway reservation counter, six years ago. They went to the same college and are now working for the same Multinational Company. With a six figure salary and no real commitments, life couldn't be much better for both these young Turks.

"How about watching Eklavya now?", Raghavan asked Danny, as he finished the last pack of potato chips.
"Yes machan, but the next show is at 4.30. If we miss that, we have to wait till 8.30!"
"We can reach the Multiplex by 4.30"
"Dei, Is it humanly possible?"
"Indha Raghavan solran, indha Raghavan mudikkaran, I will make it possible!"
"Ok, enough of Rajnikanth style, prove it dork"

Raghavan started his mighty Yamaha 250 cc bike and Danny jumped on to the pillion.
"5,4,3,2 .....And ONE!"

Raghavan's bike cruised past many other bikes and cars in the busy M.G.Road traffic with ease. The mighty Yamaha roared past the traffic signal in the nick of time. Danny heaved a sigh of relief.
"Had we got caught in the signal, you would have bitten the dust"
"Who? Me?? You still haven't seen my best"

Raghavan pushed the bike to its limits, for a moment Danny thought he was flying in the busy lanes of the crowded city.

"Shit! Why is this Innova guy not giving space for overtaking?"
"He doesn’t know that Raghavan is driving the monster behind, let me give him some driving lessons"

Raghavan moved to the right, close to the road divider and pushed the accelerator to zoom past the giant four wheeler. Had Raghavan known that the driver of Innova was just out from Styx pub, he wouldn't have made that manoeuvre.


Feb 18,2007 8.00 PM

The Doctors in the casualty ward were surprised, rather shocked to see an accident victim, come out of it without even a single fracture. Raghavan was tired of narrating the sequence of events for the nth time, but still he continued doing so. He was awaiting his friend Danny, who had gone for an Ultrasound test, just to make sure all his internals were fine.
Raghavan got a breather of space and he immediately called up his home. He got impatient by the second ring, after the third ring, he could hear the sweet voice of his mother Thangamma.
"Amma, I am alright now!"
"I know da, God is great, all my prayers these years has protected you from such a danger"
"I was wearing a helmet and Jacket, only those protected me"
"You still don’t believe the divine power, wont you? Listen, I want to tell you something that happened last Tuesday"
"Leave all that, I forgot to mention about something that happened today. As we crashed into the car, the very next moment, I realized that I was on the road and the bike was on top of me. I started screaming aloud for help. Suddenly, there was this guy waiting for his bus, he jumped amidst the traffic and pulled out the bike with a single hand! He guided me to safety and got me some water to drink. He then lifted Danny and helped him into an Auto rickshaw. I got into the same Auto rickshaw and reached the hospital. Only after we reached the hospital, I realized that I forgot to thank him. Without him, I am sure we would have been run over by some vehicle coming from behind, in that traffic"
"You didn’t tell me this today evening! Anyway, did you at least ask his name?"
"No I didn’t talk to him, but as he lifted Danny, I could see his Company Identity card that displayed his name- R.Ganapathy"

Tears started flowing down Thangamma's eyes, she knew that her prayers didn’t go in vain. She turned back and glanced at the Murugan Stores wall Calendar, she could see Vilayattu Vinayagar smiling at her with a reassuring look.