Courtesy:  123Freevector.com

                           THE FROZEN                                           TRUTH

                                                 P.Krishnamoorthy     

                                                                 

 The air was filled with cold moisture from the intermittent drizzle. The flash of the lightning illuminated the dark clouds for a split second every time. Ranjit had least expected a celestial intervention on that night. Still he was happy as the lightning helped him to focus his target well. He pulled the trigger. The marksmanship of the murderer was accurate and the deed was done. The next flash helped him to view the victim.  Kishore’s final remains were in the form of mass of flesh and pieces of human parts splattered all over, through the hole created by his Magnum .5 rifle. It was gruesome and repulsive.  He bowed his head as a mark of respect and prayed to the departed soul to rest in peace. He believed in benediction as a form of confession of sins towards repentance; but he cherished this until a new challenge was thrown in.
            Ranjit was satisfied with his accomplishment.   Kishore, the target, had a high price -tag, as he was a powerful politician with muscle and money power.   It was a test and trial to Ranjit’s talent.  Even a trivial mistake or miscalculation would have caused his personal disaster, as Kishore was a terror to many, including the underworld dons. Kishore’s assassination strangely coincided with Ranjit’s twenty-fifth assignment, which obviously meant that Ranjit had so far successfully evaded the long arm of the law  that followed even his shadows. His silver jubilee list also included some killings undertaken with ‘philanthropic flavor’ on behalf of poor whose victims were denied even access to justice system due to political clout of the offenders.
          When Ranjit returned home, it was few hours for the dawn. He decanted a large peg of ‘ Chivas’ into a crystal and swigged it on the rocks.  The impact of the scotch was instant in his system, stimulating him for a smoke.  He lighted a Marlborough and puffed the first smoke as he gazed at the old pink-stripped shirt, hanging on the wall. It was more than a memento or a memoir to him, which he adored, as it was the last gift from his mother on his eleventh birthday.  He disdained it in moments of despair, since it was responsible for their separation; yet he valued it as the only available remembrance of his mother since their parting.
           The chemical combination of the inhaled nicotine and the intoxication by the scotch led him to stroll down his memory lane.  First, he could visualize  Bagalpur, his birthplace, a small sandy village located at 200  miles from Bombay on the Bombay-Ahmedabad sector inhabited by a thin population. The half dilapidated stonewalled Hindu temple and a semi-finished community hall were the only strong structures acted as the landmarks in the village.  The numerous thatched huts of that hamlet evidenced its impoverished economic state. Ranjit’s world was confined only within the four peripheries of the village marked by drylands and deadwood.   As the only child to his mother, Madhuri, he enjoyed comprehensive freedom and protection from all responsibilities. She compromised and condoned even his numerous serious mischiefs and lapses of discipline since she had an inherent fear that he would just leave her even at the slightest rebuke irrespective of its reason.  She took strides in every adversity to ensure Ranjit’s happiness. She worked hard labor to guarantee this even at a high price of her failing health. She worked from dawn to dusk as a housemaid in the landlord’s home for paltry wages, that were also settled in kind.  The village, so backward in facilities, had nothing much to offer to Ranjit in terms of education, employment or entertainment.  The small rail station, through which only two trains to and from Bombay passed everyday, was the hangout for Ranjit and his friend Shashi to enjoy clandestine smoking with left over cigarette bits.
          It was his eleventh birthday.  His mother woke him up early in the morning to take bath and wear new clothes.  She also got him some of his favorite sweets.  “Mom! Why so early in the morning?”  “Yes my son!  I have to go to work early today as I have to compensate for the money I borrowed from the landlord to buy you the new clothes and sweets”.
          These words moved Ranjit very strongly and he was brooding over them. He was longing to relieve her from her tribulations; but he could do it only by working and earning for which there was never an opportunity in the village. “Ranjit! It is getting late for me. Have the new dress and let me see how you look in it”.  After wearing the new clothes, Ranjit touched his mother’s feet to invoke her blessings.  “Ranjit!  I pray  ‘God to give you the serenity to change things you can, to accept things which you cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference’.  You should grow up to a respected man, revered by the society for integrity, honesty and character. You should be the vanguard and upholder of the principles of truth.  God will certainly bless you with all prosperity.  Promise me that whatever be the circumstances in life, you will not leave me”.
          Ranjit could see her blurred eyes full of tears. They were tears of hope amidst fear.  As she was holding his hands for the pledge, there was a knock on the door.  A messenger from the landlord’s place to take her for an urgent errand waited at the entrance.  Ranjit felt disappointed at his failure to promise her as she desired. He came to the rail station and looked for Shashi.  He wanted to show his birthday gift to him; but he was not there.  The train to Bombay had just entered the station. One of the alighted passengers looked desperately for help to unload his heavy luggage from the compartment. Ranjit instantly offered his services even for a meager amount. He thought at least this would be a beginning in his quest to relieve his mother from her toil.  Before he carried the load, he removed the ‘gift’ shirt and left it in the compartment.  After unloading the baggage on the platform, he realized that he had left his new shirt in the train.  He jumped into the compartment to pick that. By that time, the train moved at a good speed. He was bewildered at the momentum of the train and scarred to jump from the compartment.  He looked at the few passengers in the compartment in a hope for help; but they only evinced their sympathy to him without any solution to his problem. His punctuated sobbing turned out to an outburst, as the train, in its speed, passed quite a distance from his village. He was perplexed at the sudden turn of events on his birthday.  He realized how the destiny’s directive had not allowed him to promise his mother against his desertion. Even in broad daylight, he saw pervasive darkness regarding his future and rejoining his mother became  an  oblivion. Haunted by isolation agony,  he became panicky. Continued crying and sobbing turned his eyes red and swollen.  By then, it was evening and the setting sun had already disappeared on the western skies, leaving the golden horizon for the dusk to set in. The long hours of starvation since morning, made him weak and finally dozed him to sleep.
          When he woke up, he found it was next day morning and the train was in its final destination; the great city of Bombay extended its hearty welcome to him, as it did for any such visitors by first ushering them to its customary avenues for livelihood. Iinitially they started with begging on the streets, followed by stealing the people, indulging in drug trafficking for cortels and finally turning them as  hit men before anointing  to the throne of the underworld boss.  Though Ranjit hated each phase of these transformations, he had to go through them as there was no other option for his survival. He could have easily become an underworld don in a short time with his success in each phase; yet he preferred to be a ‘top gun’’ that paid him reasonably well. It also allowed him to escape from the surveillance eye of the law, whose focus was always on the leaders.  In moments of introspection, he was very eager to see his mother by visiting the village; but with the number of years passed by, he was almost certain that she would have been dead by that time due to her ill-health. 
          The stroll down the memory lane was interrupted by the surfeit of booze and smoke which finally knocked him down to bed.  The next morning when he opened the newspapers, he saw Kishore’s murder splashed on the headlines along with a photograph of the murder scene.  He was non-chalant and unperturbed, as he had seen many such on his earlier assassinations.  As he flipped the pages of the newspaper, his attention was sharply drawn to a small advertisement with a photograph of an old lady and words reading “I am sinking. I would like to see you before I die. Please come home” issued by the villagers.  From the address and the photograph, he recognized that she was none but his mother.   Ranjit erupted into spurts of joy at the information that his mother was still alive.  But he was at the crossroads of eagerness to see her alive as well as an instinctive premonition of getting caught by the authorities.  However, his strong sentiments to see his mother prevailed, and he decided to travel by car overnight which would dissemble him to escape the police net.
           When he reached the village it was three in the morning. He parked the car at a distance from his home and walked the distance. The early morning breeze was soothing and the half-hidden moon was mellowing with its soft light.  The stray dogs skulked the narrow lanes here and there. Even after an efflux of two decades, he found no major change in the village and it had its old impoverished rural existence.  He entered his old home. As he stepped on the threshold, the nostalgic memories of his childhood crossed his mind. He could not believe that he spent eleven years of his early life there. A solitary oil lamp in a corner lighted the small room.   He saw his mother lying in the middle of the room, groaning under pain.  Even the silhouetted outline of her body displayed distinctly the shrunken stature of her figure. With calibrated and silent steps he reached the bedside to see her closely.  She was merely a skeleton with minimal flesh. Her thin wrinkled brown skin concealed the color of the protruded bones.  The close wrinkles on the cheeks and the deep furrows on her brows with sunken eyes reflected the extensive sufferings she had gone through for her survival.  At the sight of her devastated health, he felt like screaming.  He controlled his emotional outburst to ensure no disturbance to her. Ranjit held her hands and instantly felt the familiar warmth in it.  He whispered into her ears, “Mom! I have come!”
          After a wait of two decades, she finally heard his voice and also felt his physical warmth, for which, all along, she desperately longed for.   Despite her struggle, she slowly opened her eyes with a faint smile. They peered at each other for few moments. She recognized him even through her blurred vision.  Her face bloomed like a fresh flower. A glimmer of light radiated from her eyes, which were stung with tears of joy that were seized from her since their separation.  The tears that welled up pulsed in her throat and finally burst into uncontrolled sobs.  Ranjit became lost in the torrent of feelings that rushed over him at her emotional reaction.   The sobs were finally silenced with an infusion of strength in her at the joy of seeing him.  She held his hands firmly and quivered warmly; “Ranjit! At last you have come.  While I am pleased to see you so prosperous and grown into a smart and handsome young man, I believe you had followed my guidelines of ethical means for your prosperity”.   An awkward shame suddenly engulfed Ranjit as the words “ethical means” kept ringing in his ears while the semi-darkness cleverly covered his guilty reflections. “All these days, I was fighting a battle with death and refused to die as I was carrying a burden in my heart.  I was withholding an important personal detail from you all long, and I did not like to die until I revealed that to you”.                   “I had been telling you that your father died in a traffic accident. That was not true. Forgive me, I had been a sinner all these years for lying to you. Before your birth, I was working as a housemaid in the next village and staying with that family. One night, when the family was away for a wedding, the landlord, in his drunken mood, raped me against all my resistance; out of that unfortunate incident, you were created. He promised to marry me as his second wife; but he did not keep that promise. Instead, with his money and muscle power, he made me to leave that village”.     As she completed her narration, she pulled out a photograph under the pillow and identified the man in the picture, as his father.  Ranjit could observe her placid face relieved and relaxed; for, after all, she was bearing the cross all these years.  She felt she had unloaded a heavy burden from her heart.  “If you ever find your father, show this picture to him; your paternity would not be anymore obscure”.
           Following these words, her sudden silence confirmed that she breathed her last.  It was a strange coincidence that the flame of the oil lamp also became extinct denying him to have a glimpse of the picture.   He got up from the bed and flicked his cigarette lighter and lighted the lamp again.  As the glow of the lamp gradually illuminated the area, Ranjit hurriedly peeked at the picture.  Even at a cursory glance, he felt a tremor under his feet and a heavy blow on his head.  He carefully looked at the picture again.  The whole world was falling apart before him and he was shattered to pieces. He even wished that he had not visited his mother and known his paternity.  Even his strong mental forte, that had infused courage in him several times in critical assassination scenarios, had a severe setback at that time. The man in the photograph was none but Kishore, his last victim.
          It took some time for Ranjit to get over from the impact of the shock, as the turn of events was so sudden and least anticipated. He felt extremely sorry and sad for his father to be killed by his own son. For the first time, he regretted his profession as a hitman and wanted to give it up.  He consoled himself on the bereavement. Ironically, on the flip side, he strongly believed that his father’s assassination was totally justified; he even asserted that his father deserved such an end and paid the right price for the desertion of his mother  Because of him, she had to bear a stigma  and consequent life-long struggle and suffering. He was also instrumental for her life- long struggle and suffering. He was ashamed and embarrassed at his paternity, which he preferred to be obscure as it was.  In short he wanted it to be a frozen truth for the rest of his life.
          It was already dawn in the village and the normal life was getting into gradual momentum.  He  stepped out of the hut and was surprised to see the whole area surrounded by police to take him. He was astounded as to how the police contingent came to the village. The police officer, who was assigned to arrest him, said,  “you must be wondering as to how we came here to take you.  We had been monitoring all your family details and movements. When we knew that your mother was in a dying stage, we only gave the ad in the papers; we were sure that you would come down to see her.  Finally we got you this time with a good evidence who witnessed Kishore’s murder”. Ranjit shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the hut.  The triumphed truth winked at him and whispered that he too had to pay the right price of punishment for all his killings including his father.

ECSTASY IN MUSIC

      

     

           By P. Krishnamoorthy

The sky is streaked with shades of pinks and reds signalling that, tomorrow, there’s a fine day ahead.

In the late noon sky, there’s a spectacular show; 

A myriad of colours, before the daylight goes.'

- Angela Wybrow

Paintings By P. Krishnamoorthy

(Courtesy: Vector Clip Art)

  THE

                    DIVINE

                                DECISION



   - P. Krishnamoorthy 

The midday sun was little harsh in the blue skies on that day. The N0.7 train between Manhattan and Flushing, Queens in New York had just  arrived in Queensboro Plaza. I was one of the passengers travelling from Manhattan.  Along with other commuters, a damsel entered into my compartment. She was  blind, and obviously her movements were guided by the  white cane she was holding. . She had a fair complexion and a beautiful face in a scintilating figure.  I could assess her age from her  fine features, that she would be  around twenty.  The only negativeness in  her features was  her blindness. My focus was shifted towards her from the book I was reading as she  mesmerized me even at the first sight. My eyes were riveted on her sublime beauty. It was conflicting  that  in that attractive  creation,  she was  ‘imperfect  permanently  and inevitably flawed’  with  blindness.  

She was ensuring that there were no obstacles on her way into the compartment before she found a seat.   She was just tapping on the ground with the cane  and  made her  move to find out any vacant seat. Probably she should have been a regular commuter of  No.7, as she knew on her right side of the entrance, there were always three seats. She was finding out whether any one of them was  vacant.  Again the cane  helped  in her pursuit. She gently tapped and found the middle seat was not occupied. She was happy on this success and sat on it. She made her next move to see whether anybody sitting on either side of the seats. She stretched her hand in her investigative venture and found  that they were also vacant.  She folded her cane into four parts and secured it in her lap. Finally, as she was comfortable in her seat, she outwardly reacted with a cute smile on her  face. I was amazed at the  meticulous way with which she handled all these successfully without any external help.  However, her face was reflecting a kind of dismal sadness with her  blindness. 

The contrast of her outwardly positive attitude in handling mundane  matters with utmost care even in  public domains against her negativness, was thought provoking to  me,   leading me to imagine what would be her  personal life. If she was blind right from birth, she would  not have had the luxury of seeing all varieties of nature’s splendor and other living things in and around her. On the contrary, if she had the blindness in the middle of her life, she was missing the best yester years including her kith and kin around her.  From  her gloomy face I could presume she had the deformity only in the middle of her life, as her sad face was reflective of what she was missing now.    

I am a devoted believer in divinity and not an atheist. I respect the traditions and connected conservatives who safeguard them..   I remember the saying that ‘all creations are by the grace of divinity’. If that was true, the question arises as to why this kind of  unfairness and  partiality  on the part of  divinity  in creating some  human beings  totally blind in birth or in the middle of  life. Yet I  do not  smear Him with such clear bigotry.  Any amount of justification given for such negative  act  either  thru philosophy or science  were not convincing to me.  I am also not inclined to apply the theological explanation that sins committed by the human beings in previous or present  birth do get  such drastic punishment.   Out of  twenty years of her life, barring  her childhood of ten years, one wonders what major sin she might have committed to  get this punishment of blindness. The dogmatic explanation of some traditionalists that the offsprings were victimized with such deformaties  for the grave  sins committed by their ancestors. According to modern thinkers,  such explanations  are simply superstitious and  puerile.

 My thoughts  were suddenly distracted  when she took out  the  cell phone from her hand bag and spoke to some one in her lingo. Her conversation was brief and  lasted  only for minutes.  I heard  her  melodious voice  in that short  duration . The train was just entering the next station - Woodside-61 street. 

I  went back to my thoughts of her life. On the contrary even though her eye sight was deprived, the mother nature had not penalized and deprived of her inner  adolescent changes at the appropriate age that would include a longing for a love affair. If on the premise that she had one such  in her life,  how she could fall in love with somebody whom she could not see? Why not?   When  she could have invisible  instinctual ways to know her people and other surroundings  thru her subliminal imaginative mind,  she  equally could have somebody selected as her lover. In fact most of us with normal vision, imaginatively or thru ‘day-dreaming’ achieve their unaccomplished ambitions and aspirations in real life. In her instance even she would get or already got a lover in real life, she could mentally visualize him in her own way. Also, as any normal person would like and expect to have a partner without any impediment, she would also be doubly careful in her limited choice. Unfortunately in this mundane and materlistic world, how many would have compassion and good intentions to come forward and accept a blind girl as life partner and be sincere to her.

By the time the train reached Junction Blvd. station. Some got down and after few minutes, the train resumed its journey towards Flushing. She was very keenly following the announcements and anxiously awaiting a call in her cell phone. Little later, the much-awaited call was ringing in her cell phone. This time she was very careful not to interrupt the speaker at the other end, so that  she  wanted to enjoy the caller’s talk.  Even as a silent listener she blushed and her reactions undoubtedly revealed that the caller was specially very dear to her. Her reflective facial expressions were an evidence to disclose that it was from her lover and not from kith and kin. As the call ended, she got up from her seat and stood at the entrance to alight in the next  station. Obviously she was eagerly expecting to meet her dear one.  To her surprise,  the cell phone again rang. After the call, she became very depressed and returned to her seat totally disappointed. She felt even embarrassed on her outwardly emotional expressions.  I was just recollecting  the saying  that ‘even minutes of separation between lovers appear like ages for them’. The train made a intermediary stop in Junction Blvd.

The conflicting issue was,  that while others around her were able to appreciate and review her captivating  beauty and smartness,  it was irony of fate, she was not able  to see  all that of her own  because of blindness.  It was gross injustice on the part of divinity. 

As the train was proceeding, the much awaited call came again  in her cell. With her face expressed her happiness and she was anxiously awaiting for the next station. At Met-Wilets Point the train made its scheduled stop. She got down at this station as per the last call.  

To my amazement the puzzle in my mind as to who could be her lover, was finally solved. There was a young man waiting to receive her. He appeared very jubilant on her arrival; but regrettably he was also blind and holding a white cane with him. With the guidance of the cane he moved towards the train to welcome her. They recognized instinctively and both embraced each other. It was interesting to watch  their initial conversation in silent language. They clasped their hands and in that grip, one could visualize their confidence on each other. She was radiant in joy as both walked together to adore their sublime love. The divine decision of another creation with blindness compatible to her would make their life happy. 

The inspiration for my above imaginative narration was “The short story of a  blind girl” by Mr Stephen in ‘Motivation’ (AcademicTips.com), reproduced below:

“ THE STORY OF A BLIND GIRL

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me? The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying:    “Just take care of my eyes dear.”

                                                                 
                                                                 


     THE  REBELS



                 By P.Krishnamoorthy

THE  CULPRIT

- P.Krishnamoorthy

It was the early morning of a Friday when the summer drizzle  played games with the beads of the sunlight and the devotional songs played from the middle apartment of 'Santosh Colony' in Ashoknagar, Madras. They were rendered so loud, the inmates of other apartments had a free devotional invoking at somebody's expense, reminding them of the omnipresence of the Almighty and compelling them to have faith in Him for any purpose or prosperity. 'Pankajam', the landlady of the middle apartment, hereinafter called "Mami", had her looks down the street, anxiously awaiting Leela, her servant-maid with the morning milk covers for the first morning coffee, the staple beverage of the South Indian population. 'Sadasivam', the senior male member and husband of Mami, hereinafter called "Mama", was solemnly peering through the morning paper with his dirty bi-focal for any sensational news. In the typical South Indian nomenclatures, "Mama" and "Mami", counterparts of 'uncle' and 'aunt' respectively, have been in cavalier use, and very liberally and widely addressed to any elderly individual. In society's jargon, Mama was a senior citizen but the government lingo titled him a 'pensioner'.

 Suddenly, Mami's sight turned towards a police constable in the colony compound, who was standing near the scooter belonging to her son,  Suresh.  Extremely apprehensive and annoyed with a policeman's presence, that too near their scooter,  she had to call Mama for possible investigation and report to her with full details.  As a sustained obedient spouse for the past four decades, Mama implicitly demonstrated his positive response to resolve the issue. He just rushed to glance the presence of the policeman near their scooter. "Suresh came home very late last night. He was walking up the stairs staggering as if he was intoxicated. He must have committed a 'hit and run' case en route; obviously the police had come. Let us wait for the policeman's next move."    Mama quipped to Mami. "I don't know why you always suspect Suresh for everything. Even though he was born to us, he is very smart and intelligent. Do you know that he has been offered a modeling career by a big company for their products?". She made an odd grin at him as she was grooming her wispy hair which was spread itself in disarray.

Mama's ego was ignited instantly with her words on Suresh's evidenced smartness, outweighing his individual personality; for, after all, Suresh was none but the "chip of the old block". Nobody would like to have their ego insulted, much less, a male by a female, and he was no exception to it. "Ah! You talk about the modeling offer he got. Do you know from which company he got the  offer and what sort of a modeling he would do for that company?  He had been offered to pose for an underwear manufacturing company. This means he had to appear nearly nude except for the underwear in the newspaper and magazine advertisements. They would carry his 'nearly nude' pictures also. I do not feel any pride or achievement in this".

At this juncture both of them heard the door bell ringing. He opened the door to see Murali, the thin and timid teenager and a total misfit to be in the present day ultra-modern youth world, belonging to the opposite apartment, standing with fixtures of fear. His  scare overpowered and allowed him only to deliver very meager words.  "Mama, did you see a  policeman had come to our colony?" "Murali! What is wrong with you?  What if, the policeman had come to the colony?  You seem to be scarred with his presence".

"Yes Mama, he must be looking for me. Last night when I was returning home from the temple, it was dark, and near the entrance of our colony, I found a hundred rupee currency note on the road.  As there was nobody around at that time, I took and kept it with me overnight.  Now I could perceive that somebody had seen me taking that and  would have reported it to the Police".

Down his memory lane, Mama recollected a proverbial saying " Make hey while sun shines".  He was impelled to apply that adage at this opportunity with Murali for his personal gains. In spite of his old age physical weakness, he was always sharp and alert to situations. Through a convincing offer to Murali to leave the money with him and he would take care of the police constable, Mama was confident to keep that 'fortune' to himself.  "Murali.  Don't worry. What you said might be right.  It would do no good to take chances with the police people.  Possibilities might be that he would visit your home and search you too!  It would be better for you to leave that note with me and I would handle the constable suitably". When Murali instantly expressed his concurrence, Mama was exuberant in the initial success of his game plan. Murali was relieved as the stolen currency note changed hands. He was happy to be out of it and left the house.

Poor Mama was not aware that there was an eye-witness to the whole scene whose testimony would attract jail sentence for him under Sec. 304 of the Indian Penal Code. This witness was none but his wife. She was very careful in strategically overhearing their deliberations and equally curious to watch the next move of Mama in the conspiracy.

Once again, the door bell rang and Mama opened the door to find Malini, a teenager girl from the upstairs apartment. "Mama, did you see the policeman in our compound?"   Malini, while questioning, was not scarred but appeared worried. "Yes. Malini but why you seem to be worried with his presence?"  "Mama, I had a fight with my friend in the school yesterday and that could be the reason for my worry". "Tell me as to why a Policeman had to be here for a quarrel with your friend?" "Mama, she was teasing me very badly yesterday and I slapped her.  She, being the daughter of the local Police Inspector, did threaten me to punish me through her father. That might be the reason for the constable to be here.  In the fight, she also forgot to pick up her important text book which I have it with me.  I also found a 50-rupee note inside the book.  I don't know what to do now".

Again the Mama's memory referred him to the proverbial sun and hay. There was an initial ecstasy as this  would increase the earlier fortune. "Malini, this time you had already done the damage. But ensure you don't repeat this again. God's sermon is that the moment one realises and repents for his or her mistake, the stigma of sin on that individual immediately vanishes. Leave the book and the money with me, and I would take care of the constable suitably. Don't tell anybody about this."

Mama's strategy combined with a little dose of philosophy worked very well with Malini. While he was complacent on adding to the earlier fortune, he hardly realised that all his favourable advances in the 'fortune conspiracy' were closely monitored, witnessed and watched by the eagle eyes of his wife. He was planning to spend that money in a card game, for which once he was an addict. He had to give it up when the financial resources came to a grinding halt. With this money he thought he could at least try his hand at his favorite old game. His plan was short lived as his wife  closely followed and questioned him as to what he is going to do with the money from the two. "Which money you are talking about?"  He was tough as he thought that will put down her spirits to acquire it.

I know I have been watching all your activities.  Instead of investigating as to why the policeman was standing near our scooter,  you have scarred the two young lives, and in the pretext of saving them, you have robbed the money which they got illegally.  In fact, you and the children are all thieves.  If you do not tell me your plan to spend that money, I will expose this to everybody including the policeman" .  Mami was really shrewd and used her trump card to threaten him. 

"Pankajam, listen to me first.  I do not have any plans to spend this money.  But we have to be very careful in doing it. First I have to dispose of the policeman to convince both Murali and Malini.  Let me just do that first. Meantime, you think over of what you want to do with this money.  Whatever your plans are, I should also be the beneficiary of that money either wholly or part of it. But for my convincing them, they would not have parted the money with us. I will be back in few minutes."

His total confession was a remarkable success indicator to Mami.  In the colony's gossip group, the latest news was that a new restaurant, "Archana"  was opened in that area; already her friend, Buvana, with her husband Chandramouli dined in that restaurant and was bragging to everybody about it. She had been planning restlessly to counter this. She decided to use this  'fortune' in that direction.  

Mama went down to check with the policeman.  By the time he came down to the entrance, he had disappeared.  The colony watchman Velu was there near their scooter.  He enquired him about the visit of the policeman and his looking at their scooter.  Velu said, "Sir, he is my brother-in-law.  He was asked to do the morning beat in this area.  As he saw me, he came up to me and we were exchanging notes on our domestic problems. Nothing else, Sir".

 As soon as he finished, Mama's glance turned towards the first storey of the building to ensure both Murali and Malini were not there. Thank God, as he expected, they were not watching him. Now he could tell them that he had convinced the policeman and he left the colony.  After a successful first phase of his enactment, he came back to his home and Mami was ready to receive him. "What happened? I don’t see the policeman now?  Did you talk to him?  Was there any damage to our scooter?"  A series of questions baffled Mama. 

"Yes. I spoke to the policeman and he is convinced.  It looks that Suresh had not stopped on a traffic red light and he was the traffic cop at that point.  On my convincing explanations, he understood as to why he could not stop in the red signal. He said he will waive and warn him this time.  Even to tell a lie, one should be intelligent.  Only a lie has saved Suresh from police prosecution." "What was that convincing lie you told him?"  She was more interested in getting the truth from him. "I told him that I had a mild heart attack and we called him.  He was rushing to see me and that is why he did not stop in the red light? Mama's fabrication was just beautiful and apt to the situation. He proved once again that he was intelligent.

"For Heaven's sake at least, please stop your non-sense. By the time you went down to see the policeman, he had disappeared. You have been talking only to the watchman. All these I was witnessing from our window.  Your guilty conscience warned you at that time, and you wanted to make sure that both Murali and Malini have not seen you  after the policeman left. Insead, they came to me and asked me about the policeman and I told them that you had already talked to him and convinced him. That is how he had left the place. Even in this I have to save you" Mami's counter was so strong, he could not offer anything to defend him. He felt so ashamed that at that age he lied to her just to keep his ego up; but alas, he miserably failed in it.

"Now tell me what is your plan for the money"  He was soft this time to Mami.  Being good, Mama thought he would be given a major share in the spending spree of the fortune. "We are going out for dinner tonight in Archana restaurant.  My friend Buvana had already visited that place and she was bragging about it in our circles."  After a protracted argument, they settled at a tentative agreement to dine at Archana. It is quite long since he also had a full course dinner; the last lavish meal he had was nearly three months before in a relative's wedding. 

After a short siesta wherein both had dreams about the ensuing evening dinner, Mama was the first one to get up at the sound of the calling bell. He opened the door to see a traffic constable at the entrance.

         

"Sir, who is Suresh here?" asked the traffic cop. "I have a summons for him.  He had done a traffic violation of not stopping at a red signal three days before?" "Oh!  Suresh is my son.  I can take the summons".  With rays of anxiety in his face, he signed for Suresh and opened it.  It contained an order to appear before the Magistrate's court next week or pay a fine of Rs.150/- through money order. He called his wife to convey the sudden setback they had in spending the 'fortune'. Following this, she hurriedly came to him and she understood what had happened. As they were looking at each other, Suresh came out from his room.  "Yes. I did that violation.  But now, I don’t have to pay from my pocket as you got some money from an unaccounted illegal source.  Let the fine be paid out of that".

Mama and Mami were startled at the quick decision made by Suresh. They were thinking that he was asleep in his room and would not have known about anything on this. Finally the "nice dinner" and "visit to Archana restaurant" have become a mirage. Now, the old couple consoled themselves as, at least that they don’t have to pay the fine from family funds. But this complacency was again momentary as there was a call again at the door.  Mama opened the door to see both Murali and Malini standing at the entrance. 

"Mama, please don’t worry about our problems. We got the information that the police constable was just visiting his brother-in-law, watchman Velu this morning.  Murali's father, while returning home, had dropped that one-hundred rupee note which Murali picked up.  It is their money and not anybody's.  About me, my friend called me and apologised for her behavior in the school. She said that she had left the book with the money of Rs.50/- in the school. So I have decided to return her book with the money and become friendly to her. Could you please return our money?" Mama's intelligence had a severe test and the proverbial sunshine was short-lived to make the hey .  Both Murali and Malini collected their money. However, Mama's guilty  conscience made a hearty laugh and whispered "you are still a culprit". 

RADHA-KRISHNA

"Krishna, who steals from his sanguine eyes,

The precious love deep rooted in the heart inside.

When he stole a glance at Radha’s hazel eyes,

Desire and Love melted to one in two hearts,

And two souls entwined together to form a name 

”Radha-Krishna”.

           By P.Krishnamoorthy

                                                                           

BY  P. KRISHNAMOORTHY

"O Adorable Krishna!
Let my longing eyes
behold thy form
Let my ears hear
the Divine Song in thy flute
O Healer of all sorrows
Show me thyself
Thou art the only truth"

  

 Disability

I 

FESTIVAL  ENTERTAINERS

மெளனத்தின் எல்லை

 பி.கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி

அந்த வீட்டில் தனியாக ஊஞ்சலில் சோகத்தின் சிகரமாய் உட்கார்ந்திருந்த சுந்தரம்,  சுவற்றிலிருந்த பத்து வருஷத்திற்கு முன் எடுத்த தன்  கல்யாண போட்டோவை கண் கொட்டாமல் பார்த்து கொண்டிருந்தார். கண்களிலிருந்து தாரை தாரையாக கண்ணீர் தரையில் விழ எதோ வாழ்க்கையில் முக்கியமான உறவை இழந்து விட்டது போன்ற உணர்ச்சியில் தத்திளித்தார். ஆம்! அன்றுதான்  தன் தந்தைக்கு பத்தாம் நாள் காரியமும், அதற்கு அவர் மனைவி பவித்திராவுடன் ஆற்றங்கரைக்கு சென்ற இடத்தில், பவித்திராவை ஆற்றில் முழுக விட்டு, அவளுடைய சாவின் சடங்குகளையும் சேர்த்து முடித்து விட்டு திரும்பிய அவரை தனிமை வாட்டியது. அவரது நினைவலைகள் கடந்த நிகழ்வுகளுக்கு அவரை தள்ளி செல்ல, சிலையாக மாறினார்

பூங்குளம் கிராமத்தில் முப்பத்திஐந்தை வயதை முடித்து விட்ட சுந்தரத்தின்  வாழ்க்கையில் எந்த வித புயலும் இல்லாமல் அதுவரை அமைதியாக ஓடிக் கொண்டிருந்தது. அழகான மனைவி பவித்திரா, தந்தை சதாசிவம் இவர்களுடன், வீட்டின் ஒரே பிள்ளையாக, கெளரவமான தாசில்தார் வேலையுடன் வாழ்ந்து வந்தார். அவர்களது  ஒரே குறை, திருமணம் முடிந்து பத்து வருட தாம்பாத்திய வாழ்க்கையில் குழந்தை இல்லாதது ஒன்றுதான் அந்த குடும்பத்தை  மிகவும் வாட்டியது. இதனால் அவர்கள் இருவரும் ஒருவித தாழ்வு மனபான்மையில் சிக்கி தவத்தனர். இருவரும் ஒருவரை ஒருவர் குற்ற உணர்ச்சியில் எப்பொழுதும் பார்த்து கொண்டனர். .

பக்கத்து டவுனில் அடுத்த மாதம் மருத்துவ முகாம் ஒன்று நடக்க போவதாகவும், அதற்கு வரும் லேடி டாக்டர் மிகவும் பெயர் பெற்றவர் என்றும், அவரை பார்த்து குழந்தை பிறக்காத குறைக்கு எதாவது மருத்துவ ரீதியில் தீர்வு காண முடியுமா என்று  கேட்டு பார்க்கலாம் என்று பக்கத்து தெரு சுபத்திரா மாமி பவித்திராவிடம் ஒரு நாள் கோவிலில் சொன்னாள். பவித்திரா சுந்தரத்திடம் இதை பற்றி கேட்க, அவரும் அதற்கு சம்மதம் சொல்ல,   பவித்திரா எதோ உடனே குழந்தையை பெற்று விட்டது போலவே உணர்ச்சி வசப்பட்டாள். சுந்தரம் பவித்திராவின்  முகத்தில் என்றும் இல்லா மகிழ்ச்சியை அன்றுதான் கண்டார். ! தாரமான பிறகு தாயாவதில் பெண்களுக்குதான் எத்தனை பெருமை!  சாதாசிவமும் “கடவுள் கண்ணை திறப்பாரும்மா. கவலைப்படாதே” என்று சொன்ன வார்த்தைகள் பவித்திராவின் செவிகளில் ரீங்காரம் செய்து கொண்டே இருந்தது.

மறுநாள் காலை காப்பியை எடுத்து கொண்டு சதாசிவம் அறைக்கு வந்த பவித்திராவிற்கு ஓர் அதிர்ச்சி காத்திருந்தது. எவ்வளவு எழுப்பியும் அவர் எழுந்திருக்காததால் அவள் சுந்தரத்தை கூப்பிட்டு பார்க்க சொன்னாள். சுந்தரம் பார்ததில் சதாசிவம் இரவு தூக்கத்திலேயே இறந்துவிட்டது தெரிந்தது. எல்லா உறவினர்களும் இரங்கலுக்கு வீட்டுக்கு வந்து போக,  தந்தையின் இறுதி சடங்குகளை ஆற்றங்கரையில் முடித்து வீடு திரும்பினார் சுந்தரம். வீட்டில் பவித்திராவை தனியே விடாமல் அக்கம்பக்கத்து மாமிகள், கூட இருந்தது  சுந்தரதுக்கு மிகவும் ஆறுதலாக இருந்தது. கூடவே பத்தாம் நாள் சடங்குகளுக்கு புரோகிதருடனும் பவித்திராவுடனும் கலந்து எல்லா ஏற்பாடுகளும் செய்து விட்டு, அன்று  காலை எட்டு மணியளவில் ஆற்றங்கரைக்கு போகும் வழியில் புரோகிதரை கூட்டிச் செல்வதாகவும் முடிவு செய்தார். அதற்காக வேலுவின் வண்டியும் ஏற்பாடும் செய்தார்.  

       அன்று சதாசிவம் இறந்து பத்தாம் நாள். காலையில் சீக்கிரமே வேலு தன் இரட்டை மாட்டு வண்டியுடன் வந்து குரல் கொடுத்தான். சரியாக எட்டு மணிக்கு வீட்டை விட்டு சுந்தரமும் பவித்திராவும் வண்டியில் ஏற, ஏறு முன் “ஏன்னா! இந்த வண்டி செளகரியமாக இருக்காதே.  வேறே வண்டி எதுவும் கிடைக்கவில்லையா”  என்றாள் பவித்திரா. “அம்மா! இது புது வண்டிங்க. ரொம்ப செளகரியமாய் இருக்கும்” என்றான் வேலு.    பிறகு ஆத்தங்கரையை நோக்கி  வேலுவின் வண்டி வேகமாக பறந்தது. போகிற வழியில், சுந்தரம் வண்டியை நிறுத்தச் சொன்னார். “சாமி! நான் போய் புரோகிதரை கூட்டி வரட்டுமா?” என்று கேட்ட வேலுவிடம், சுந்தரம்  “வேண்டாம்.  நான் அவரிடம் மற்ற விஷயங்களும் பேசணும். நானே போகிறேன்” என்று வண்டியை விட்டு கீழே இறங்கினார்.            

மெயின் ரோடிலிருந்து ஒத்தடி பாதையில் கிட்டதட்ட இரண்டு மைல் தொலைவில் இருந்தது அந்த புரோகிதர் வீடு. சுந்தரம் நடக்க ஆரம்பித்து அரை மணி நேரத்தில் புரோகிதர் வீட்டை அடைந்தார். அவருடன் எல்லாவற்றையும் பேசிவிட்டு,  புரோகிதர் நேராக ஆத்தங்கரைக்கு வருவதாக சொன்னதும், சுந்தரம் அங்கிருந்து கிளம்பி வண்டியை அடைந்தார்.  ஆத்தங்கரையை அடைய காலை பத்து மணிக்கு மேல் ஆகிவிட்டது.

       ஆத்தங்கரையில் ஒரு மண்டபத்தின் வாசலில் முதலில் பவித்திராவும் பிறகு சுந்தரம் இறங்க, வேலு வண்டியை ஒட்டி சென்று ஒரு மரத்தின் கீழ் கட்டி,  அவனும் மரத்தடியில் உட்கார்ந்து கொண்டான். அவர்களை தொடர்ந்து புரோகிதரும் அங்கு வர, சுந்தரத்தை ஆற்றில் குளித்து வர சொன்னார். ஆனால் பவித்திரா பிடிவாதமாக முதலில் குளிக்க முன் வர, சுந்தரமும் அவள் குளித்து வருவதற்குள் மண்டபத்தில் சில வேலைகளை கவனிக்க ஆரம்பித்தார். ஆற்றில் வெள்ளம் இருகரைகளின் உயரத்திற்கு நல்ல வேகத்துடன் புரண்டோடியது

சடங்குகளுக்கு வேண்டியதை தயார் செய்துவிட்டு புரோகிதர் சுந்தரத்தை குளித்து வரச் சொன்னார். பவித்திரா திரும்பி வர  காத்திருந்த சுந்தரம், வெகு நேரமாகியும் அவள் வராதது அவருக்கு கவலையாக இருந்தது. ஆற்றையே பார்த்து கொண்டிருந்த சுந்தரத்தின் பார்வைக்கு அவள் குளிக்க போன இடத்திலிருந்த அவள் உடல்தான் மேலே மிதந்து  வேகமாக வெள்ளத்தில் அடித்து செல்வது தெரிந்தது. ”பவித்திரா! பவித்திரா என்னை விட்டுட்டு போகாதே” என்று உச்ச ஸ்தாதியில் அலறி, மயக்கமாக கீழே சாயவும், இதை கேட்ட புரோகிதரும், தூரத்திலிருந்த வேலுவும் ஒடி வந்து அவரை தாங்கி பிடித்தனர்.  வெள்ளத்தில் மிதந்து போகும் பவித்திராவை பார்த்ததும், வேலு ஆற்றில் குதித்து காப்பாற்ற போனான். குதித்த சில நிமிடங்களில் அவனும் ஆற்றில் மூழ்கி இன்னொரு பக்கமாக அவனுடைய உடலும் வெள்ளத்தில் அடித்து சென்றது. பவித்திராவின் உடல் மாத்திரம் ஆற்றில் கொஞ்ச தூரத்திலுள்ள ஒரு பாறையில் அடித்து நின்றது.  அங்கு சிலர் ஆற்றில் குதித்து பவித்திராவின் உடலை மீட்டனர். வெள்ளத்தின் வேகத்தில் வேலுவின் உடல் மட்டும் கிடைக்கவே இல்லை. புரோகிதரும் மற்றவர்களும் சுந்தரதிற்கு ஆறுதல் சொல்லி பவித்திராவுக்கு இறுதி சடங்குகளையும் தந்தைக்கு பத்தாம் நாள் காரியமும்  செய்ய வைத்தனர். மிகுந்த சோர்வுடன் காணபட்ட சுந்தரம் வண்டியை தானே ஓட்டி கொண்டு  வீடு திரும்பும் வழியில்,  புரோகிதரை அவர் வீட்டிற்கு செல்லும் ஒத்தடி பாதையின் ஆரம்பத்தில் இறக்கி விட்டார். புரோகிதரும் வண்டியை விட்டு இறங்கிய சுந்தரத்திற்கு ஆறுதல் சொல்லி விடை பெற்றார். வண்டி நின்ற இடத்தின் கீழே கண்ணாடி வளையகள் உடைந்து கிடப்பதை பார்த்தவுடன்  சுந்தரம் சிறிது குழம்பி போயிருந்தார். அந்த இடத்தை சுற்றியும் வண்டிக்குள்ளும்  நன்றாக பார்த்தார். அந்த  சுற்று புறத்தில் காலடிகளின் தடையங்களும்,  வண்டிக்குள் கண்ணாடி வளையல் துண்டுகளும் கிடந்தன. ஒரு மூலையில் தங்க மோதிரமும்,  தீப்பெட்டி ஒன்றும் இருந்தது. வண்டிக்குள் எதோ போராட்டம் நடந்த அறிகுறிகள் தெரிந்தன. வேலுவின் பையிலிருந்த தீப்பெட்டியும் கையிலிருந்த மோதிரமும் எப்படி வண்டிக்குள் வந்தன? இப்படி ஒவ்வொன்றையும் பார்க்க பார்க்க  சுந்தரதின் சந்தேகத்துக்கு சாட்சியங்களாக அமைந்தன. மேலும் இவை எல்லாம் போராட்டத்தின் பரிமாணத்தை உணர்த்தின. புரோகிதர் வீடு வரை  சுந்தரத்திடம் நன்றாக பேசிக்கொண்டு வந்த  வேலு,  பிறகு  மெளனமாக வந்தது இப்போது சுந்தரத்தின் சந்தேகத்தை பல படுத்தியது.  முதலில் வேலுவிடம் பார்த்த தீப்பெட்டியும் மோதிரமும் வண்டிக்குள் வந்திருப்பது இருவர் கைகலப்புக்கு முக்கிய சாட்சியங்கள்.  ஆற்றில் பவித்திராவின் உடல் மிதக்கும்போது,  சுந்தரம் அலறி மயக்கமாக சாய்ந்த நிலையில் வேலு ஒடி வந்து “அய்யா! இந்த ‘பாவி’  போய் அம்மாவை காப்பாத்திரேன்” என்று சொன்னது இப்பொழுது அவர் செவிகளில் எதிரொலித்தது.  வேலு எதற்காக எப்பொழுது ‘பாவி’ ஆனான்? .குழம்பிய நிலையில் வீட்டை அடைந்தார் சுந்தரம்..

       விதியின் சதியால் இனி அவர் தனிமை நிலையில் இருக்க வேண்டிய கட்டாயத்தில் இருந்தார். அவரது நினைவு அலைகள் மறுபடியும்  வண்டியிலிருந்த கண்ணாடி துண்டுகளின் காட்சியை கண் முன் நிறுத்தின. சுந்தரம் அன்று நடந்ததை எல்லாம் நினைவு படுத்தி அவர் குழப்பத்திற்கு ஒரு விடை கிடைக்குமா என்று பார்த்தார். . அவருக்கு ஏற்பட்ட சந்தேகம் அவர் வாழ்க்கையின் அடித்தளத்தையே ஆட்டி வைக்கிற ஒரு பூகம்பம். இதை யாரிடமும் கலந்து பேச முடியுமா என்ன? . நிச்சயமாக நடந்த போராட்டத்தில் பவித்திரா இருந்தாள் என்பதற்கு  வளையல் துண்டுகள் வண்டிக்குள் கிடந்ததில் சாட்சியமாக இருந்தன.  வேலு ஒருவன்தான் அப்பொழுது வண்டியில் இருந்தான். அப்பொழுது இருவருக்கும் தான் போராட்டம் நடந்திருக்கிறது. எதற்காக அவர்கள் போராடினார்கள் என்பதை மனதுக்குள் அலசினார்.  நினைத்து கூட  பார்க்க முடியாத காட்சிகள் அவர் கண் முன் தோன்றின.  இதெல்லாம் அங்கு நடந்ததா என்ன? சுந்தரம் துடித்து போனார்.  

வீட்டை விட்டு கிளம்பும் போதே, பவித்திரா, வேலு வண்டிக்கு பதில் வேறு வண்டிக்கு சொல்லியிருக்கலாமே என்பதை மறை முகமாக சொன்னது ஞாபகத்துகக்கு வந்தது. புரோகிதர் வீட்டிலிருந்து திரும்பியதும் ஆற்றங்கரைக்கு போகும் வழியில் வண்டியில் எந்த கேள்விக்கும் பவித்திராவின் மெளனம் பதிலாக வந்ததற்கு காரணம் அப்பொழுது தான் சுந்தரதிற்கு புரிந்தது. மேலும் வண்டியில் பவித்திரா சுந்தரத்தை விட்டு சற்று  விலகியே அவர் மேல் படாமல் உட்கார்ந்து வந்தாள். அவரை நேருக்கு நேர் பார்ப்பதையும் தவிர்த்தாள்.  போராட்டத்தில் பவித்திரா வேலுவிடம் ஒரு வேளை தோற்று போயிருப்பாளோ? நினைவலைகளில் இந்த எண்ணம் சுந்தரத்தை  மன வலியால் கொடூரமாக தாக்கின..  இருவரின் கைகலப்பில் உடைந்த கண்ணாடி வளையல்களால் ஏற்பட்ட  கை காயங்களை மறைக்க புடவை தலைப்பால் அவளுடைய கைகளை மறைத்து வந்தாளோ? இப்படி பல சந்தேகங்கள் சுந்தரத்தை வாட்டியது.. அவள் போராட்டத்தில் தோல்வியோ அல்லது வெற்றியோ அடைந்திருந்தாலும், தன் மேல் மாற்றான் கை விழுந்ததே அவள் கணவனுக்கு  செய்த மன்னிக்க முடியாத பெரிய துரோகம் என்ற மன நிலையில் தான்  ஆற்றில் குளிப்பதற்கு அவள் முந்தி கொண்டு சென்றது, ஆழம் பார்க்காமல் தண்ணீரில்  முழுவதும் மூழ்கி அதிலிருந்து மேலே வருவதற்கு எந்த வித முயற்சியும்  எடுக்காதது. இதெல்லாம் தன்னை  நிரந்தரமாக அழித்து கொள்ள பவித்திரா செய்தது என்று சுந்தரின் உள் மனதின் ஆதங்கம்.

வேலுவின் மரணம் தியாக எண்ணத்திலா அல்லது குற்ற உண்ர்ச்சியிலா என்பது விவாதத்துக்குரியது. அந்த போராட்டத்தில் அவன் எண்ணியதை அடைந்தானா அல்லது பவித்திராவின் கடுமையான எதிர்ப்பினால் தோற்று போனான என்பது இருவருக்கு மட்டும்  தெரிந்த விஷயம். உலகத்துக்கு அது வெளிப்படாத ஒன்று. வேலு நிச்சயமாக குற்றம் செய்தவன். பவித்திராவை அவன் கெட்ட எண்ணத்தோடு அணுகியதே முதல் குற்றம்.  அவன் சாவு அவனுக்கு கிடைத்த சரியான தண்டனை. அவன் ‘பாவி’ என்று ஆற்றில் குதித்து பவத்திராவை காப்பற்ற போனது ஒரு பாவ மன்னிப்புக்காக இருக்கலாம்.  அதை பிராயசித்தம் என்று எப்படி நியாய படுத்த முடியும்? இதுதான் அவர் மனசாட்சியின் வாதம்.

பவித்திரா ஆற்றில் இறங்கும் வரை நீடித்த மெளனத்தின் உள் நோக்கம் சுந்தரதிற்கு இப்பொழுது புரிய ஆரம்பித்தது. மன குமுறலில் அவளால் வெளியில் சொல்ல முடியாத   ஒரு அருவறப்பான சம்பவத்தில் தான் ஒரு கதாநாயகியாக இருந்து விட்டதையும், அதனால் தன் கணவனேயே கண்களிருந்தும் நேர்க்கு நேர் பார்க்க முடியாத ஒரு தற்காலிக  குருடியாக விட்டதையும், அந்த கேவலாமான ரகசியத்தை  அவளுடைய பெண்மை தன்மானத்தால்   வெளியே சொல்லாமல் தடுத்ததையும் – இவ்வளவையும் அந்த மெளன மொழியில் பவித்திரா வெளிபடுத்தி அவள் கெஞ்சியது அவள் களங்கமில்லாதவள் என்று. .

 போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்ட இருவரும் இப்பொழுது உயிருடன் இல்லை. யாரை போய் நிஜத்தை கேட்பது? எது நடந்திருந்தாலும் தன்மானத்திற்காக பவித்திரா உயிரை விட்டிருக்கிறாள். அதற்கு காரணமாய் இருந்த வேலுவை விதி, சாவின் மூலம் தண்டித்து விட்டது.  ஆனால் எல்லாம் முடிந்த நிலையில், சுந்தரத்தின் மனசாட்சி  மட்டும்,   ஆற்றில்  நடந்த ‘அக்னி பிரவேசத்தில்’ சாவை சந்தித்த பவித்திரா, புடம் போட்ட தங்கமாக  வெளியில் வந்தாளா அல்லது களங்கத்தை சுமந்த பெண்ணாக வந்தாளா என்ற கேள்விக்கு விடை கிடைக்காது  அவர் வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் முடிவு தெரியாத முடிவை  தேடி அலைந்தார்.   உலகம் இருவரின் மரணத்தை ஒரு அசம்பாவித விபத்தாக ஏற்றுக் கொண்ட நிலையில், நடந்த உண்மைகள் உறைந்த போன உண்மைகளாகவே இருக்க சுந்தரம் விரும்பினார்.