24-Van tALiNai vaNangi
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https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=204688#p204688
by arasi »
TWENTY FOUR
Van tALiNai vaNangi
(At His Mighty Feet)
Chellamma told me that Murugesam Pillai's son Raja Bahadur was coming back to India from Paris after finishing his studies in engineering. The world was still in the grips of the war.
In all their pride and excitement, Raja Bahadur's parents had planned a grand welcome for him. They had decorated their home like a wedding house and had invited friends and family from everywhere.
Man proposes and God disposes. The day that Murugesam Pillai thought was going to be jubilant, turned out to be the saddest day of his life. On a day of such joy, a telegram came in place of Raja Bahadur. The ship that he was on was bombed by the Germans and was destroyed, it said.
Murugesam Pillai fainted after reading this. When he came back to his senses, he fell on the ground and wept. Any amount of consoling did not help. He did not get up again.
Bharathi sat by his side to pacify him. He said that Pillai was in the same plight as daSarathA was when Rama was banished.
Murugesam Pillai recalled amid sobs, Raja Bahadur being an adorable infant. He went on weeping, recounting how his son was such a delightful baby who charmed them with his crawling, baby talk and play, and how he grew into a fine man, possessing such a keen mind.
ANNiammAL wailed. When she was pregnant with her child, Pillai had heard from a holy man that the early morning sun's rays were good for a pregnant woman, and that the child she was carrying would grow up to be strong and healthy. Pillai took her every morning to a hill top for her to catch the rays, in spite of protests from the family.
Bharathi tried very hard to console the couple. He sang in a moving way, verses from kamba rAmAyaNam of MaNDOdari's cry when Indrajit was killed--kulaSEkara AzhvAr's van tALiNai vaNangi about daSarathA's grief and dEvaki's Alai nIL karumbannavan tAlO, where she grieves about infant Krishna being taken away from her. Murugesam Pillai and ANNiammAL were quietened for while, but started wailing again.
Pillai was already a sick man. The doctors couldn't help him. His grief shook him up and he got worse. He kept repeating: Has Raja Bahadur come back?
To let him die in peace, family and friends decided to tell him a white lie--that Raja Bahadur had survived, and that he was expected to arrive a week later. They sent a false telegram to this effect and decided that Arabindo should take the telegram to Pillai. This, they thought was bound to convince him.
Van tALiNai vaNangi
(At His Mighty Feet)
Chellamma told me that Murugesam Pillai's son Raja Bahadur was coming back to India from Paris after finishing his studies in engineering. The world was still in the grips of the war.
In all their pride and excitement, Raja Bahadur's parents had planned a grand welcome for him. They had decorated their home like a wedding house and had invited friends and family from everywhere.
Man proposes and God disposes. The day that Murugesam Pillai thought was going to be jubilant, turned out to be the saddest day of his life. On a day of such joy, a telegram came in place of Raja Bahadur. The ship that he was on was bombed by the Germans and was destroyed, it said.
Murugesam Pillai fainted after reading this. When he came back to his senses, he fell on the ground and wept. Any amount of consoling did not help. He did not get up again.
Bharathi sat by his side to pacify him. He said that Pillai was in the same plight as daSarathA was when Rama was banished.
Murugesam Pillai recalled amid sobs, Raja Bahadur being an adorable infant. He went on weeping, recounting how his son was such a delightful baby who charmed them with his crawling, baby talk and play, and how he grew into a fine man, possessing such a keen mind.
ANNiammAL wailed. When she was pregnant with her child, Pillai had heard from a holy man that the early morning sun's rays were good for a pregnant woman, and that the child she was carrying would grow up to be strong and healthy. Pillai took her every morning to a hill top for her to catch the rays, in spite of protests from the family.
Bharathi tried very hard to console the couple. He sang in a moving way, verses from kamba rAmAyaNam of MaNDOdari's cry when Indrajit was killed--kulaSEkara AzhvAr's van tALiNai vaNangi about daSarathA's grief and dEvaki's Alai nIL karumbannavan tAlO, where she grieves about infant Krishna being taken away from her. Murugesam Pillai and ANNiammAL were quietened for while, but started wailing again.
Pillai was already a sick man. The doctors couldn't help him. His grief shook him up and he got worse. He kept repeating: Has Raja Bahadur come back?
To let him die in peace, family and friends decided to tell him a white lie--that Raja Bahadur had survived, and that he was expected to arrive a week later. They sent a false telegram to this effect and decided that Arabindo should take the telegram to Pillai. This, they thought was bound to convince him.
Arabindo, who never left his house, agreed to do this because of his love for Pillai. Even then, Pillai would not believe in the news. After listening to Arabindo calmly, he said: Not that I don't believe you, but my inner being does not believe in it. What I had in hand, slipped away. You took the trouble to come out of your house for my sake! How can I ever repay you?
When this ploy didn't work, they tried another. They found a young man who resembled Raja Bahadur, dressed him up in a suit and brought him to Pillai who was speechless at first. He opened his eyes wide and looked at the man for a while. Then, he looked cynical. His hopes were shattered. He turned in his bed, as if to turn away from this performance. Within a few hours, death came to him.
As if what the holy man had told Pillai was the truth that the rays of the sun would make him grow into a healthy man, to lead a long life, and as if the father's plea to God to bring back his son did work, on the twenty seventh day after his father's death, Raja Bahadur arrived safely in Puduvai. He had floated to an island with the help of a broken piece of the ship, and was spotted by another ship soon after!
He was welcomed with a sigh of relief but with heavy hearts.
Bharathi said, "Murugasam Pillai gave his life away for his son. Had he not died, his son might not have returned. Who knows?"
When this ploy didn't work, they tried another. They found a young man who resembled Raja Bahadur, dressed him up in a suit and brought him to Pillai who was speechless at first. He opened his eyes wide and looked at the man for a while. Then, he looked cynical. His hopes were shattered. He turned in his bed, as if to turn away from this performance. Within a few hours, death came to him.
As if what the holy man had told Pillai was the truth that the rays of the sun would make him grow into a healthy man, to lead a long life, and as if the father's plea to God to bring back his son did work, on the twenty seventh day after his father's death, Raja Bahadur arrived safely in Puduvai. He had floated to an island with the help of a broken piece of the ship, and was spotted by another ship soon after!
He was welcomed with a sigh of relief but with heavy hearts.
Bharathi said, "Murugasam Pillai gave his life away for his son. Had he not died, his son might not have returned. Who knows?"
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