Robin Cook’s 25th novel, MARKER, is the one of the fantastic medical fiction, dealing with lethal play on human's life with lots of actions packed with unexpected twists in the story, which would keep the readers spellbound and rapt with the happenings.
The Story begins with a broken relationship between Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton working as medical examiners at OCME, when Jack, who loves Laurie, shows no commitment towards having a family with her due to the tragedy that struck his life in the past. With numerous vicissitudes and with her personal life on rocks, Laurie gets attracted towards the sudden deaths of patients whom she had autopsied lately. She finds that couple of healthy young man/women die of sudden cardiac arrest after what seems to be a simple minor surgery and when kept under observation, leaving no clue behind the nature of death and all postmortem reports gives no lead. Laurie gets more intrigued when she sees such kind of deaths increasingly happening to healthy patients , within twenty fours hours after their post-operation at Manhattan General Hospital, having no previous medical history whatsoever, which makes her deem that the deaths are somewhat connected and it’s an act of a devious serial-killer.
With lot of pressure from her superiors, who don’t want this news of her homicide theory hitting the media with her exiguous data and with no one believing her story, including Jack, she finds it hard to move on with her investigation, until she finds hope and support from Roger, the chief of the medical staff from the Manhattan General Hospital and with whom she shares a brief affair. Things take a positive turn for Laurie, when she discovers that similar series of death had occurred in St.Francis hospital too, but during different time period, and these evidences clearly states that the person involved in both the killings is the same. Meanwhile, Jasmine Rakoczi (known as Jazz), who is the nurse in the Manhattan General Hospital, carries out her mission of “sanctioning” selected patients, who is referred to her, by her boss Mr. Bob whose original identity is not revealed to her, using an undetectable killing agent. Hell breaks loose for her, when Roger investigates and comes up with the short-listed names of potential candidates of his prime suspect in the killing, including Jazz and interrogates her. Infuriated that Roger might blow her mission, Jazz kills him and when Laurie gets his headless and handless corpse for examination at the OCME, she grieves with guilt as she feels she is responsible for his death by involving him into this muddle. With Jack now supporting her with her conviction, Laurie seems indefatigable in her pursuit of finding the killer.
Her worst nightmares begin when Laurie herself had to be admitted at the Manhattan General Hospital for an immediate surgery and Jazz had to sanction her next. Jack when runs around to match the missing pieces of the jig-saw puzzle, is shocked when he finds that Laurie resulting positive to BCRA1 – a marker for genetic mutation leading to Breast Cancer, is the key to the serial killing and is constrained with time to save her when she has already got into the hands of the killer with no aid for escapism, ensconce the readers with an electric edge-of-the-seat finale. Is Laurie able to save herself from the brutal clutches of Jazz is crux of the climax and makes the book an interesting and electrifying read.
Robin Cook has understood clearly the plot of the story and with his in-depth knowledge of medicine has used the back drop of hospital to cultivate his latest novel and has expertly juxtaposed Laurie’s personal battle over her ruptured relation with Jack against her professional battle over the suspense of the series of 'unexplained deaths' around her and her indomitable spirit of investigation to unravel the plot.
The master of the medical thriller has made our hearts pound with yet another gripping story.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Quote that Impressed Me..
The error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Thavamai Thavamirunthu - Movie Review
Cheran’s latest release Thavamaai Thavamirunthu casting him at the lead role, supported by Padma Priya, Rajkiran, Charanya, Senthil (new comer) has hit the theatres, beginning of this month.
Like all his earlier release, Cheran this time too, has victoriously captured the hearts of the audience with his wonderful family melodrama. The movie is too touchy that the audiences are sure to be affected by the story and when they walk out of the theatre, would carry out with them, the impact that the movie had caused.
Thavamaai Thavamirunthu is a down to earth, simple anecdote highlighting father-son relationship woven against the rural backdrop, enlightening the struggles of parents, to bring up their children against so many odds and ends.
Rajkiran, who runs a press for his living, brings up his two sons Ramanathan (Senthil) and Ramalingam (Cheran) through lots of debts and sacrifices, to afford them best of education and life. As the son’s grow up, they start having their own lifestyle and priorities, which shatters all the dreams and hopes he had built on them. The elder son Ramanathan, after his wedding, is drawn to his wife’s whims and fancies and in the process neglects his parents. The daughter-in-law is so odious, she tactfully separates her husband from her parents and goes to live on their own.
The elderly couples, who are devastated by their elder son’s separation, find solace and trust in their younger son and with hopes and anticipation that they have at least their younger son with them, let him go out of the town to seek job, only later to find that their second son is no better than the first. Ramalingam had to elope with his college-love Vasanthi (Padma Priya) as he had made her pregnant in a moment of lust and feels culpable for his actions and wants to give her life. The rest of the story is about how Cheran struggles with his wife away from his parents and repents for what he had done to them and how he re-builds the shattered family nest to get back the lost happiness and confidence and how the family finally unites.
With a flawless screenplay, and with coherent sequences of events, which are very pragmatic, the director has shown maturity in every way and has expressed very realistic story and captured the hearts of the audience. However the length of the movie is too long and the initial narration of rajkiran’s life and cheran’s struggle in chennai to find himself a living, could have been cut-short, to make the story less dragging. The emotions are sequenced well enough to moisten our eyes.
Rajkiran deserves a special mention as he steals the show throughout the movie, there is no trace of acting from his side as he seems so naturally fit into the role of a father for whom his sons are the only world and hope, and has brought out the fatherly emotions and expectations expertly in his performance. His make-up of the old-age father towards the end of the movie had adapted him so well, that he looks realistically 20 years older on the screen.
The newcomer Padma Priya, seems to blend into the role given to her well and has shown matured performance. She will have a good round in tamil movies, if she maintains her acting standards. Charanya, who plays the mother of the two, has not much of a role-play, and doesn’t seem to make the mark to the extent of Rajkiran, in expressing her motherly feelings, though she has given her best of performance.
The musical score by Sabesh-Murali supplements the story, particularly in emotional sequence and the song “Oru Murai Thaan…” is indeed a tear-triggerer with its melancholic tune and strong lyrics elucidating the aftermath of fateful marriages committed, jeopardizing the family happiness. On the whole, the movie is worth the watch.
Thavamai Thavamirunthu is definitely an eye-opener and a deserving watch, particularly for the younger generation and it carries with it a very good message. It’s indeed a real good entertainer for all age groups.
Like all his earlier release, Cheran this time too, has victoriously captured the hearts of the audience with his wonderful family melodrama. The movie is too touchy that the audiences are sure to be affected by the story and when they walk out of the theatre, would carry out with them, the impact that the movie had caused.
Thavamaai Thavamirunthu is a down to earth, simple anecdote highlighting father-son relationship woven against the rural backdrop, enlightening the struggles of parents, to bring up their children against so many odds and ends.
Rajkiran, who runs a press for his living, brings up his two sons Ramanathan (Senthil) and Ramalingam (Cheran) through lots of debts and sacrifices, to afford them best of education and life. As the son’s grow up, they start having their own lifestyle and priorities, which shatters all the dreams and hopes he had built on them. The elder son Ramanathan, after his wedding, is drawn to his wife’s whims and fancies and in the process neglects his parents. The daughter-in-law is so odious, she tactfully separates her husband from her parents and goes to live on their own.
The elderly couples, who are devastated by their elder son’s separation, find solace and trust in their younger son and with hopes and anticipation that they have at least their younger son with them, let him go out of the town to seek job, only later to find that their second son is no better than the first. Ramalingam had to elope with his college-love Vasanthi (Padma Priya) as he had made her pregnant in a moment of lust and feels culpable for his actions and wants to give her life. The rest of the story is about how Cheran struggles with his wife away from his parents and repents for what he had done to them and how he re-builds the shattered family nest to get back the lost happiness and confidence and how the family finally unites.
With a flawless screenplay, and with coherent sequences of events, which are very pragmatic, the director has shown maturity in every way and has expressed very realistic story and captured the hearts of the audience. However the length of the movie is too long and the initial narration of rajkiran’s life and cheran’s struggle in chennai to find himself a living, could have been cut-short, to make the story less dragging. The emotions are sequenced well enough to moisten our eyes.
Rajkiran deserves a special mention as he steals the show throughout the movie, there is no trace of acting from his side as he seems so naturally fit into the role of a father for whom his sons are the only world and hope, and has brought out the fatherly emotions and expectations expertly in his performance. His make-up of the old-age father towards the end of the movie had adapted him so well, that he looks realistically 20 years older on the screen.
The newcomer Padma Priya, seems to blend into the role given to her well and has shown matured performance. She will have a good round in tamil movies, if she maintains her acting standards. Charanya, who plays the mother of the two, has not much of a role-play, and doesn’t seem to make the mark to the extent of Rajkiran, in expressing her motherly feelings, though she has given her best of performance.
The musical score by Sabesh-Murali supplements the story, particularly in emotional sequence and the song “Oru Murai Thaan…” is indeed a tear-triggerer with its melancholic tune and strong lyrics elucidating the aftermath of fateful marriages committed, jeopardizing the family happiness. On the whole, the movie is worth the watch.
Thavamai Thavamirunthu is definitely an eye-opener and a deserving watch, particularly for the younger generation and it carries with it a very good message. It’s indeed a real good entertainer for all age groups.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Mother
Geetha felt the earth below her feet rocking and the grounds splitting….the entire world seem to have come to a stand-still for a minute and she felt almost dead. The phone which she let go of her hand, was hanging from the table and she could hear a voice so distant on the other end calling for her…”Geetha are you on the line…do you hear me”….but geetha was too much traumatised to react…how can she react when she had just received such a deadly blow ….Girish words still reverberated in her ears..”Ramesh on his way home met with an accident”….everything happened just at a wink of an eye…
Geetha was eagerly waiting for Ramesh call, he had promised her that he would take her and their little son anish to temple this evening. Today is geetha and ramesh first wedding anniversary and they wanted to goto temple to thank the lord for such a wonderful life he has given them in this last one year and more for their little priceless gift – their new born baby boy anish, who is all their world.
Geetha was all ready, cladded in the new saree which ramesh had gifted her two days back. The saree itself was a big surprise for her, natrually becoz that day ramesh took her out telling her that they are going to meet his colleague and entered a big textile showroom instead and took her to the costliest saree section to get her a very expensive silk saree…geetha was so dumb-found seeing the vast collections of sarees which all looked so gorgeous and dazzling, she had the most arduous task of picking one saree from the bundle…everything that her eyes laid on, were looking wonderful and urged her to pick, she finally selected a saree in blue which was ramesh favourite colour and was studded with golden zaree and stones, with all happiness and satisfaction she tried the saree on her and was very pleased to see how beautiful she looked in the mirror….
Now she is all neatly dressed in that saree waiting for ramesh to come home to take him to the temple with anish. When ramesh didn’t turn up, she got angry (ofcourse false anger) with him for not sticking onto his time even on their wedding day and making her wait so long….ramesh late coming to home is nothing new to her, but particularly today, she felt she cannot tolerate to be kept awaiting, maybe because today is their first anniversary and geetha felt its her prerogative to have even her smallest of dreams and hope to be unshattered today.
While waiting with so much apprehensions and excitement, the call came…she instantly knew its going to be ramesh calling up to come up with some excuse for not making it home …how many times it has happened before….earlier when ramesh had booked a ticket for them to watch a movie just after their wedding, and she was all excited to go and was ready waiting for him, promptly came the call from him….”Geetha darling ! sorry dear, I didn’t expect this, but last minute my boss fixed a conference call with the clients to address some important issue, I cannot avoid the call, my presence is important here..geethu dear,I promise you this weekend we will compensate for this movie and also have dinner out…. hope u understand my situation and don’t feel bad….” Geetha had no choice but to say “OK Ramesh, I understand, go ahead with your call, we can make it some other time…” but the outing what ramesh promised for the weekend never happened….not the first time, but manier times ramesh gave her too much of false hopes and promises about finding time to be with her together but never could make it …geetha was so generous enough to understand his situation and forgive him everytime, but this time when she went to pick the call, she was determined not to forgive ramesh nor let him cajole her to agree to his late-coming…With false anger on him, she picked the receiver and even before ramesh could open his mouth she blurted out “How can you do this to me ramesh, being our anniversary and having promised to take me to the temple, you haven’t reached home yet, I cannot take up any excuse now…..you better..” her words were interrupted by a voice that didn’t belong to ramesh, “Geetha…” Oh ! that’s not ramesh voice, that’s Girish on the other end, ramesh close friend and colleague at work.
Geetha was embarrased for a moment, she felt so stupid to have spoken so much unwanted things to girish thinking he is ramesh, but why is girish calling me now thought geetha for a second, girish was the first one to wish them for their wedding, maybe ramesh wanted to cajole her thro girish, he knows geetha has good respect for girish and whenever she had quarrel with him, Girish was always the mediator between them, and maybe because of girish brotherly affection on her, she never disagreed with him and always listened to him. Now she felt her hubby is using girish has his gambit to coax her. That's very typical of ramesh !! she couldn’t help letting out a smile.
“Oh ! Girish, how are you ? sorry I thought it was ramesh on the other end…tell me, whats up, is ramesh going to be coming late home today, now what has turned up, meeting or con-call or discussion…??” She asked mockingly.
“No Geetha, I…..I…wanted to tell you something…I…I…” , girish was too hesitant to talk on the other end….geetha felt something strange about his voice, and suddenly fear gripped her as she felt so much tension in his voice…there was some undercurrent passing through her too..
“Girish, are you alright ? is everything ok at your end ? I hope appa is alright” she knows that Girish father is an heart patient and now she feared that anything might have happened to him.
“No no geetha, he is fine….geetha, I donno how to tell, but I have to…..I have a news for you, don’t get shaken to hear the news..please be strong…”
hearing these words only it occurred to geetha, that girish might have some news so disturbing to her and not to him…Could it be Ramesh ?? her tension was mounting so high…she instantly reacted…
“Is everything alright with Ramesh ??”
“Geetha, am sorry to say this…..Ramesh on his way home met with an accident. He had an head-on collision with a lorry and he fell on the road injuring his skull…he is admitted in apollo…his condition is very serious. Can you please be ready, I will come home in few minutes to pick you up. I am at the hospital now”
These are the words that sent a shock waves all through her body and paralyzed her. She felt so weak and unstable hearing the news, that she just let go off the phone in her hand. In the other room her son anish started crying suddenly..…the voice of girish on the other end ”Geetha are you on the line…do you hear me” sounded too distinct. She thought she is going to faint, her legs were shaky and everything in front of her was becoming black..with the faint hearing of her son’s cry in the other room, she dropped to the ground and at the same time she heard a mild click on the other end.
The phone going dead on the other end was an omen to her.
**********
Cuddled in her hands was little anish with a big smile on his face..poor boy !! he is too young to realise the tragedy that has struck his mother. Geetha was sitting in front of the operation theatre, waiting anxiously and praying intestively for the operation to become a success. Girish and his wife Swetha were with her, swetha was pursuading geetha to have little food or juice, as she hadn’t had even single drop of water since the time she rushed to the hospital 12 hours back nor she spoke a word. She was refused entry into the ICU where ramesh was and the only time she could have a glimpse of him was when he was rushed into the operation theatre by the team of doctors.
The sight of ramesh in such a shape had taken away every little hope she had about his survival. Ramesh suddenly seemed to have shrunken in size and he looked too unrecognizable to her. Despite the bandage on his head, blood was oozing out on all corners of his head and she could see peeled flesh on his hands, legs and at every visible part of his body. How delicate a person ramesh is, both physically and mentally, even for a small prick from a thorn on his leg, he would bring the roof down and moan…poor soul, with so much blood sheds and injuries all over his body, how can he withstand the suffering. Even in his unconscious state, ramesh will suffer from pain thought geetha…just the mere sight of him, she lost control of herself and wailed all through the night. No amount of consoling words from girish and swetha could make her feel better.
To swetha and girish, it looked geetha has become a live mummy, she was so motionless. Even when anish was crying, she paid no attention to him. She had deaf ears to his wailing. Swetha took over the child from her and was trying to put him to sleep. No amount of talking and persuasion from both of them could make geetha lift her limb. She was sitting as solid as a rock without any movement. Her eyelids failed to flutter. Though geetha was aware of people talking to her, her son crying, she was too lost into her talk with god, with whom she was arguing and fighting silently to bring her husband’s battling life back. “Why God ! why did u do this to me ?? how faithful I was to you, never a day I missed to workship you, then why me ??? why did you unite us together and why now you are trying to take away ramesh from my life, why are you trying to take back the happiness what you gave me, am I not worth this happy life with my ramesh. Then why the curse on our lives…why the curse……”
It suddenly dawned on geetha, it was not god’s curse that is turning into reality, but that of mayamma curse that's becoming true now….those words of mayamma is still vivid to her, though a year has passed from the day of that incident, still geetha remembers it as vividly as though it happened yesterday.
She sank into the memories of the past.
**********
There is no hurdles and obstacles that mayamma has missed encountering in her life to strive in this world. Right from her childhood days till now, all that life offered her was hardships..hardships…hardships….She hoped that as the years passes, she will have some peace of mind, but she was wrong, as the years passed her sorrows and miseries only increased but never decreased. Despite all her struggle for life and survival, if there was something that was holding her onto her life, that was her son Ramesh. If not for him, mayamma who at a very young age of 18 after loosing her husband after a year’s happy and contented life, would have succumb to death.
Mayamma, with very little education had a very tuff life since her childhood, her father who was a full time drunkard had no responsibility towards his wife and being a single child to them, she had to support her mother who got sick due to constant harassment from her husband. Mayamma had to forget her childhood dreams of education and work in a garment factory. Whatever little money she earned mostly was confesticated by her father for his luxury of drinks and gambling and whatever litle money left behind to her , which most of the times, she saved by hiding money from her father’s sight , went to her mother’s treatment. In her teens, her mother’s sudden demise was the worst thing to happen in her life. No longer willing to stay with her irresponsible father , mayamma eloped from home and not having any home to stay, she took refugee in an orphanage where she came across Velan, the son of an elite business who was a regular social-worker at the orphange. Velan took an instant liking for her and made her his wife. To mayamma, it looked that god had played a game on her, giving so much sufferings before to show her such a wonderful life after that. Everyday she thanked god for the lovely life he had bestowed on her. Her joys were doubled when after a year of their marriage, they were gifted with ramesh. Mayamma had not seen anything as beautiful as her son ramesh, such a cute little being he was. Velan and Ramesh were her paradise. When mayamma was at pinnacle of pride to have velan and ramesh in her life, god turned cruel on her.
Her happy married life lasted only one year and god took velan from her life in a train accident. When mayamma was crying in front of her husband’s corpse holding the baby in her hand and with a vaccum in her life and not knowing what to do next , an hand touched her shoulders to give her strength and confidence and above all support. That was velan’s mother, her mother-in-law. If not for her support, mayamma wouldn’t have known how to lead her life without velan and with ramesh in hand. She saw her mother-in-law more than a mother and with her support after velan’s death, she learnt from her the tactics of their family business and slowly started flourishing in her life. She soon with her skills and intelligence, learnt to expand her business and with her income supported ramesh with good education and pampared him with all money and goodies in his life. To Manyamma, velan is alive in ramesh. She never saw him dead. As ramesh was growing up into fine looking young men, so was mayamma’s love towards him. With the demise of her mother-in-law soon afterwards, the only reason she could think of to live was Ramesh.
Ramesh after his graduation went to his bombay office to take care of the business adminstration, mayamma was all proud of him for his efficient handling of the business, afterall the business was a result of her years of hardwork, if ramesh could expand her dynasty, who would be more happier than her ??
Soon it was time for ramesh to get married and mayamma wanted to give the best of girl in this world to ramesh as his wife, she dreamt of a happy life for ramesh with his wife and she playing with her grandchildren…every rich men in the town were lining in queue to give their daughters in hand for ramesh marriage and mayamma had so much expectations about her daughter-in-law and was searching for the most suitable girl for his wedlock.
How many applications she received and reviewed to make sure ramesh gets the best of the women , afterall who understands ramesh’s wishes and dreams better than her. Finally she decided one girl for him, whom in her opinion, was the girl born for ramesh.
Mayamma was living in cloud nine happily satisfied that she has made a right choice for her son and ramesh will be all happy for her selection and immediately accept her decisions and soon she would hear the wedding bells of her son’s marriage. She was waiting anxiously for ramesh’s return home from bombay to break the good news of his marriage.
Very little did mayamma knew that time that ramesh had some other plans for his marriage life.
**********
“No…it cannot happen !! I will not give consent for this marriage” growled the shocked mayamma at her son, when he broke to her his love with geetha, an orphaned girl who grow up in bombay and was working in ramesh office, upon his return home and after hearing that his marriage has been fixed by his mother.
“But why ma, geetha is a very good girl , we love each other a lot and she will keep you very happy and will make a good daughter-in-law to this family”, retorted ramesh.
“I sent you to bombay only to expand your business and not your personal life Ramesh, Being your mother, I know what is good for my son and what is bad, I cannot jeopardize my son’s life by letting him marry any orphan” , shot back mayamma.
“Amma, being born as a orphan is not geetha’s mistake, that’s her fate”, ramesh tried to convince her
“Let it be so, but my son is not a orphan to marry one, your fate is not bad enough to marry some father-less girl” , mayamma didn’t allow herself to get convinced.
“Amma, please understand, I cannot live a happy life with some one whom I don’t love, that too, after betraying the girl to whom I am the only belief, I cannot live happily with the girl whom you choose”, ramesh made a frantic attempt
“Ramesh, You know how much hardships I have gone thro in my life, all that I have done to give you a good life. When it comes to your marriage, don’t I know what is best thing I should do for you. If you think of the fact that your mom would give you only best of everything in your life, listen to me, the orphan whom you have choosen is more far-fetched “, strong came the words from mayamma.
There was a verbal war which continued between mayamma and her son for many days. Never in her dreams mayamma expected her son would betray her and she couldn't digest the thought of it. Neither could ramesh convince mayamma to agree to accept geetha as her daughter-in-law, nor could mayamma convince ramesh to forget geetha and get married to the girl she had choosen. Both were struck like glue to their decisions about not accepting the other’s choice.
More and more the war intestified between mayamma and her son, the more mayamma hated geetha, who in her opinion was the one who snatched her son away from her. It was for that orphan, he was not listening to her, she was thinking of giving her son a big and happy family to live with, not an isolated life. She had no big family to count on when she grew up, she didn't want ramesh to live in the same environment, but ramesh is not ready to listen to her, he is against her now, all for a girl whom she loathed like hell. Slowly mayamma’s mind and heart started to canker with hatred for geetha, which made her to strongly rebel her son’s love.
**********
“Ramesh, if because of me you and your mom are having constant fight at home, I will go away from you life, I was destined to be an orphan, I don’t want you to become one”, said geetha in a chocking voice to ramesh, who had come back to bombay few days back with an excuse to look into his business, as he thought his absence would alleviate his mom’s anger and give his mom some time to re-think her decision.
“Can you go away from me and my life that easily geetha”, asked ramesh
Geetha had no answer, she just shed her tears silently. Ramesh with gentle touch, wiped away her tears and held her hand. The minute he touched her, geetha’s emotions which she had tried hard to bury within her broke loose and she hid her face on his shoulders and cried like a baby.
Geetha always felt miserable about being orphaned and was longing for someone to give her all the love that she had missed in her life. When ramesh came into her life, it was like she got the kind of love what she was dying to get all these years. She knows well she cannot live without him and she cannot think of loosing him too.
Geetha dreamt of a happy marriage with ramesh with the consent of mayamma. Ramesh has told her a lot about his mother to her and even without seeing mayamma, she became geetha’s role-model. She started seeing mayamma as her mother. She was waiting for the day when she would see her, to touch her, to hug her, to talk to her. Mayamma was geetha’s inspirations and she adored her.
When ramesh went home to inform about his love to his mother, geetha was so positive that soon she would hear from ramesh about the glad news of his mother’s consent and was dreaming about mayamma coming to see her. But when ramesh came back, one look at his face, made it clear to her, that everything that she had dreamt, hadn’t happened. Now both of them hoping that mayamma will change her mind, could do nothing but to wait, but in the course of time geetha realised that the mother-son relationship is getting strained because of her. Being born as a orphan she knows how much it pains to be without parents, geetha didn’t want ramesh to go through that pain due to her. So today when she met ramesh at his home, she talked about going away from him, but then with his touch she realised that the only seperation between her and ramesh is death and nothing else…
Ramesh holding the shaking geetha in his arms was consoling her. He could not think of hurting his mother, she is everything to him, she gave him everything he asked for happily except geetha, at the same time, he couldn’t see geetha getting hurt, for he was madly in love with her. He had to make a decision somewhere to end all the problems. He clearly saw only two options in front of him. One his mother, another geetha. By choosing one, he had to leave the other. Now he has to make a choice. He has a tuff decision to make…
Ramesh thought for a while and when he pulled geetha away from him and had her face to face, he had already made up his mind.
“Geetha, I have decided”, he started to say….
**********
When ramesh called up to say that he is going to come home, mayamma was confident her son won’t let him down. She knows how much ramesh loves him. He cannot afford to see her crying, so he has finally decided to leave geetha for me, she thought happily. Mayamma failed to realise that her blind faith on ramesh overlooked the aspect of thinking that ramesh could decide otherwise.
Mayamma was all excited and called up the girl’s family to tell them that her son is coming back with change of mind, and asked them to start the marriage preperation. There was happiness on both the ends and when she hang up, she felt like the most satisfied person on the earth. Afterall, who knows her son better than her, no matter where he goes , what he does, he is her ramesh, she sees velan in him, velan never hurt her anytime, nor will ramesh !!
**********
Mayamma could never have received such a big blow in her life as what she has received now. When she saw ramesh and geetha together in garland standing in front of her, she knew her son, no no, geetha’s husband ramesh had betrayed her. Had my son is still alive, he would have come back to me leaving geetha, the one I see in front of me is not my son, he is a stranger to me now. She felt that life has became so meaningless to her…her whole purpose of living for ramesh sake was not worth now. She could even forgive geetha for snatching her son away from her, but not ramesh for betraying her.
Ramesh had decided to marry geetha to bring the battle between his mom and him to an end and hoping that time would change his mom’s mind, he was confident that if not now, some day mayamma will change her decision, for his sake. He knows that his mom loves him too much and won’t keep him unhappy for long.
Ramesh was pleading to mayamma to accept him and his wife, he tried every bit of begging, pleading, coaxing with her to accept his wedding with geetha…..
Mayamma even refused to bless them, she couldn’t tolerate the sight of geetha…..she didn’t want even ramesh to stand in front of her, she threatened on her life to make them go out of her house. Ramesh and geetha with hope and anticipation that mayamma should not take any extreme steps stepped out of the house.
As geetha and ramesh were leaving mayamma’s house, as an wounded animal, they heard her scowl “Ramesh, for having hurt me and wounding me, take my curse….you won’t live happily for long with that orphan, you both won’t live together for long”….
Geetha’s spines sent a shiver all through her body upon hearing those words….
**********
Geetha’s body jerked and that startled swetha and girish next to her. Girish came to her and asked, “Geetha are you okay?”……geetha looked at girish, so pale was her face !!
“Girish, I want to see maayamma” she whispered.
“What ?? “ Girish asked.
“I want to see maayamma” ,she whispered again….
“Are you sure geetha??” Girish asked.
Geetha just nodded her head.
Girish knows their history. After Ramesh left mayamma house, he went and settled in bombay with geetha, he found himself a new job in the company where girish is working and started his life with geetha, soon they heard that mayamma had sold off all her business to some businessman and also sold all her properties and had re-written her will giving all her properties to charity and has gone to settle in the orphanage where she had fled to, during her teenage. Twice ramesh and geetha had gone to see her in the orphanage but she refused to see them. Ramesh and geetha expected a change in mayamma after anish was born. When Ramesh went to see her with the baby, mayamma refused to see him and his son, when I don’t have a son, where does the grandson come from ? she told to the attendent who came to inform her about her son and grandson visit. Only thing ramesh and geetha missed very badly in their life was mayamma, girish knew that well. He knows how much geetha fears mayamma and how much she is at guilt for having seperated ramesh from her, her guilt has grown more after anish was born. And now when she wanted to see mayamma, he wasn’t sure how to react.
Girish when went to the room where he had kept ramesh belongings to make a note of mayamma contact number , the doctor called him aside…
After a short discussion with the doctor, girish face lost all its colour. He looked at geetha with tears who was now back into her shell not winking her eye.
Girish hesitated only for a moment, then dialled the orphanage number where mayamma resides, and when he heard someone picking the call, “Can I speak to mayamma”, he asked shakily
“Wait a minute” said the voice on the other end. Girish waited nervously…
In few minutes time, he heard the phone being picked up, a very fragile voice on the other hand spoke. “Mayamma speaking…”
Girish hesitated for a minute not sure how to start. After a pause, he cleared this throat and started to speak “I am girish, your son ramesh friend…I have a news for you..It’s about your son”
**********
“Noooooo…………!! “ Screamed geetha, when she heard that ramesh is no more alive, after almost 5 hours of struggle to save ramesh, the doctors faced defeat.
They brought the body of ramesh out of the operation theatre, neatly covered in bandage from head to heels, with very few portions of face visible outside. Such a peaceful expression on ramesh face made it hard for anyone seeing him, to believe that there is no life in that body, it looked as though ramesh is sleeping with his body bandaged.
Her mild sobs which started after seeing ramesh body, become hysteric cries and geetha kept crying uncontrollably.
**********
Mayamma was on her way to see her son…..she cursed herself and wailed all through her journey for being so cruel to him, if only she had been soft with him, she would have had him alive with her now. When girish broke the death of her son to him, all her ego, anger, hatred for ramesh too died along with the news. Now no amount of feelings and crying could bring her son back to her…she felt miserable for the way she treated ramesh all these days and now there is no way she could see him again for rest of her life. Damn her ego!! She could not see ramesh when he was alive, atleast she wanted to see his body before that was burnt to ashes.
**********
When mayamma reached the hospital, girish was on the entrace waiting for her. “Where is my son “asked mayamma, all her tears had dried up and she was bereft of all her strenght and looked 10 years more older than her age.
Girish took her to the room where ramesh body was kept. The sight of her son’s lifeless body was too much for her bear. “Ramesh my dear son, how could u leave this mother and go………how can I live without you” she wailed and ran and touched his feet for forgiveness and cried.
Girish and Swhetha were torn apart to see mayamma wailing like this…automatically tears rolled down their eyes.
Everytime she looked at her son, she held herself responsible for his death. Mayamma was crying unimaginably and no one around could find any word to console her, what they can tell to console a mother who has lost her beloved son?? They let her cry to her heart content.
Mayamma was so tired and exhausted crying and at one point she couldn’t withstand standing, she fell to the ground. When she fell on the ground, she saw something on the other corner of the room, which she hadn’t noticed so long. Mayamma wiped out the tears to see what was it in the corner. As her eyes were dizzy she first saw an outline of someone sitting in the corner, when she wiped away her eyes for a better vision, she got a clear view of a young girl, who must be in her prime youth sitting so lifeless. She was having something on her lap, and it looked like a baby. Instantly she recognised who they were.
Mayamma looking at the girl and the baby was aghast. This is exactly how she was looking and holding her ramesh, when she had lost velan at her prime youth and now she is seeing the same sight again this time happened to that girl.
That lifeless face was holding no ray of hope. Looking at her mayamma knew what geetha would be going through now , as she herself has experienced the same tragedy in her life years back.
A thought that never struck her all these days, striked her now. Having lived a life with a family since childhood, and after marriage living in a place where there was so much love and affection from everyone around, I could not face the tragedy that struck my life when velan left me, how can this girl, who have had no family since her childhood and had no love from me after her marriage, can face the tragedy struck in her life when ramesh , her only hope, has left her ?
After all these years, mayamma’s mother-in-law came to her mind, what if her mother-in-law had desolated her after the death of her son, what would have been her plight ? mayamma relished the love of her mother-in-law and took refuge in her after her husband’s death, but where will geetha go now ? she has no family with her. At the same time another realisation too dawned on her, when she married velan, she had no father or mother, she was almost like an orphan, when velan mother graciously accepted this orphan into her family, why didn’t I do that to geetha ?
Oh my god ! why did I deprive this girl of the love and affection, what I got from my mother-in-law, when both of us were nearly orphaned..she felt too small to face geetha now. She had done injustice all these days to her and her son, thought mayamma.
Mayamma slowly rose to her feet, she looked at her son for a minute and thought,I deprived my son of my love, now I have lost him, if I deprive this girl of my love, I will loose her too. My son is gone now, he cannot come back.But I have a this girl who is my daughter now and grandson to look after, they need me…with clear mind and slow steps, she approached geetha.
**********
Geetha was far too lost in her thoughts that she failed to see the approaching mayamma coming towards her. She was already in deep sorrow unable to bear the demise of ramesh, now she was more afraid what mayamma would do after she sees her son like this. Geetha’s guilt towards mayamma has become more, after ramesh death. Her mind was racing with many thoughts.
For having seperated mayamma son from her, I had lost my husband now.
How can I face mayamma now, mayamma’s only hope in life was ramesh and he is no more now.
For my love, ramesh lost his mother’s love, now I have lost ramesh and what will I answer mayamma if she comes looking for her son.
She was silently waiting to see the mother of her husband, who loaths her from the beginning and now more because she had seperated her from her son until his death.
While thinking of how to face mayamma, she felt a hand touching her shoulder, geetha looked up and was shocked to see mayamma. She staggered to her feet with anish in her hand. Geetha had no strength or will to even slightly emote. She was looking nearly dead.
“Geetha Beti”…started mayamma, that took geetha off-guard, this is not what she was expecting to hear from her mother-in-law. She repeated those words again, “Geetha Beti….don’t worry , I know how much of a loss it is for us to have ramesh away from our lives. But I am there for you, I have lost my son, but god has given me a daughter in you..I am there for you” said mayamma with so much of love in her words.
Geetha was intensely looking at mayamma now, the face that was looking back at her was very soft and old and it had some expression which geetha had not seen in the face until now – that was love, yes, she saw love in mayamma’s eyes and that love was towards her. Mayamma slowly took anish from her and held him in her hand and pulled geetha towards her and laid her head on her shoulder.
The minute her head touched mayamma's shoulders, that snapped the cord that was holding geetha from all her emotions. Geetha hugged mayamma and cried uncontrollably and mayamma was soothing her, geetha felt she is no more alone in this world now, she has mayamma now with her, who now she knew loves her. Geetha now has got a shoulder to cry, a shoulder to share her burden, a shoulder to get love and affection, what she thought she wont get for rest of her life after ramesh death, above all, she got a shoulder..shoulder of a mother to lean on….
Mayamma hugged geetha and held her grandson tenderly in her arms, anish was smiling at mayamma sheepishly, looking at anish she thought, my son is not dead..he is alive in anish.
Ramesh body though lifeless, his soul when departed his body, departed with joy and content seeing his mother and wife uniting.
Giving away his life was afterall worth, wasn’t it ?
----- THE END -----
Geetha was eagerly waiting for Ramesh call, he had promised her that he would take her and their little son anish to temple this evening. Today is geetha and ramesh first wedding anniversary and they wanted to goto temple to thank the lord for such a wonderful life he has given them in this last one year and more for their little priceless gift – their new born baby boy anish, who is all their world.
Geetha was all ready, cladded in the new saree which ramesh had gifted her two days back. The saree itself was a big surprise for her, natrually becoz that day ramesh took her out telling her that they are going to meet his colleague and entered a big textile showroom instead and took her to the costliest saree section to get her a very expensive silk saree…geetha was so dumb-found seeing the vast collections of sarees which all looked so gorgeous and dazzling, she had the most arduous task of picking one saree from the bundle…everything that her eyes laid on, were looking wonderful and urged her to pick, she finally selected a saree in blue which was ramesh favourite colour and was studded with golden zaree and stones, with all happiness and satisfaction she tried the saree on her and was very pleased to see how beautiful she looked in the mirror….
Now she is all neatly dressed in that saree waiting for ramesh to come home to take him to the temple with anish. When ramesh didn’t turn up, she got angry (ofcourse false anger) with him for not sticking onto his time even on their wedding day and making her wait so long….ramesh late coming to home is nothing new to her, but particularly today, she felt she cannot tolerate to be kept awaiting, maybe because today is their first anniversary and geetha felt its her prerogative to have even her smallest of dreams and hope to be unshattered today.
While waiting with so much apprehensions and excitement, the call came…she instantly knew its going to be ramesh calling up to come up with some excuse for not making it home …how many times it has happened before….earlier when ramesh had booked a ticket for them to watch a movie just after their wedding, and she was all excited to go and was ready waiting for him, promptly came the call from him….”Geetha darling ! sorry dear, I didn’t expect this, but last minute my boss fixed a conference call with the clients to address some important issue, I cannot avoid the call, my presence is important here..geethu dear,I promise you this weekend we will compensate for this movie and also have dinner out…. hope u understand my situation and don’t feel bad….” Geetha had no choice but to say “OK Ramesh, I understand, go ahead with your call, we can make it some other time…” but the outing what ramesh promised for the weekend never happened….not the first time, but manier times ramesh gave her too much of false hopes and promises about finding time to be with her together but never could make it …geetha was so generous enough to understand his situation and forgive him everytime, but this time when she went to pick the call, she was determined not to forgive ramesh nor let him cajole her to agree to his late-coming…With false anger on him, she picked the receiver and even before ramesh could open his mouth she blurted out “How can you do this to me ramesh, being our anniversary and having promised to take me to the temple, you haven’t reached home yet, I cannot take up any excuse now…..you better..” her words were interrupted by a voice that didn’t belong to ramesh, “Geetha…” Oh ! that’s not ramesh voice, that’s Girish on the other end, ramesh close friend and colleague at work.
Geetha was embarrased for a moment, she felt so stupid to have spoken so much unwanted things to girish thinking he is ramesh, but why is girish calling me now thought geetha for a second, girish was the first one to wish them for their wedding, maybe ramesh wanted to cajole her thro girish, he knows geetha has good respect for girish and whenever she had quarrel with him, Girish was always the mediator between them, and maybe because of girish brotherly affection on her, she never disagreed with him and always listened to him. Now she felt her hubby is using girish has his gambit to coax her. That's very typical of ramesh !! she couldn’t help letting out a smile.
“Oh ! Girish, how are you ? sorry I thought it was ramesh on the other end…tell me, whats up, is ramesh going to be coming late home today, now what has turned up, meeting or con-call or discussion…??” She asked mockingly.
“No Geetha, I…..I…wanted to tell you something…I…I…” , girish was too hesitant to talk on the other end….geetha felt something strange about his voice, and suddenly fear gripped her as she felt so much tension in his voice…there was some undercurrent passing through her too..
“Girish, are you alright ? is everything ok at your end ? I hope appa is alright” she knows that Girish father is an heart patient and now she feared that anything might have happened to him.
“No no geetha, he is fine….geetha, I donno how to tell, but I have to…..I have a news for you, don’t get shaken to hear the news..please be strong…”
hearing these words only it occurred to geetha, that girish might have some news so disturbing to her and not to him…Could it be Ramesh ?? her tension was mounting so high…she instantly reacted…
“Is everything alright with Ramesh ??”
“Geetha, am sorry to say this…..Ramesh on his way home met with an accident. He had an head-on collision with a lorry and he fell on the road injuring his skull…he is admitted in apollo…his condition is very serious. Can you please be ready, I will come home in few minutes to pick you up. I am at the hospital now”
These are the words that sent a shock waves all through her body and paralyzed her. She felt so weak and unstable hearing the news, that she just let go off the phone in her hand. In the other room her son anish started crying suddenly..…the voice of girish on the other end ”Geetha are you on the line…do you hear me” sounded too distinct. She thought she is going to faint, her legs were shaky and everything in front of her was becoming black..with the faint hearing of her son’s cry in the other room, she dropped to the ground and at the same time she heard a mild click on the other end.
The phone going dead on the other end was an omen to her.
**********
Cuddled in her hands was little anish with a big smile on his face..poor boy !! he is too young to realise the tragedy that has struck his mother. Geetha was sitting in front of the operation theatre, waiting anxiously and praying intestively for the operation to become a success. Girish and his wife Swetha were with her, swetha was pursuading geetha to have little food or juice, as she hadn’t had even single drop of water since the time she rushed to the hospital 12 hours back nor she spoke a word. She was refused entry into the ICU where ramesh was and the only time she could have a glimpse of him was when he was rushed into the operation theatre by the team of doctors.
The sight of ramesh in such a shape had taken away every little hope she had about his survival. Ramesh suddenly seemed to have shrunken in size and he looked too unrecognizable to her. Despite the bandage on his head, blood was oozing out on all corners of his head and she could see peeled flesh on his hands, legs and at every visible part of his body. How delicate a person ramesh is, both physically and mentally, even for a small prick from a thorn on his leg, he would bring the roof down and moan…poor soul, with so much blood sheds and injuries all over his body, how can he withstand the suffering. Even in his unconscious state, ramesh will suffer from pain thought geetha…just the mere sight of him, she lost control of herself and wailed all through the night. No amount of consoling words from girish and swetha could make her feel better.
To swetha and girish, it looked geetha has become a live mummy, she was so motionless. Even when anish was crying, she paid no attention to him. She had deaf ears to his wailing. Swetha took over the child from her and was trying to put him to sleep. No amount of talking and persuasion from both of them could make geetha lift her limb. She was sitting as solid as a rock without any movement. Her eyelids failed to flutter. Though geetha was aware of people talking to her, her son crying, she was too lost into her talk with god, with whom she was arguing and fighting silently to bring her husband’s battling life back. “Why God ! why did u do this to me ?? how faithful I was to you, never a day I missed to workship you, then why me ??? why did you unite us together and why now you are trying to take away ramesh from my life, why are you trying to take back the happiness what you gave me, am I not worth this happy life with my ramesh. Then why the curse on our lives…why the curse……”
It suddenly dawned on geetha, it was not god’s curse that is turning into reality, but that of mayamma curse that's becoming true now….those words of mayamma is still vivid to her, though a year has passed from the day of that incident, still geetha remembers it as vividly as though it happened yesterday.
She sank into the memories of the past.
**********
There is no hurdles and obstacles that mayamma has missed encountering in her life to strive in this world. Right from her childhood days till now, all that life offered her was hardships..hardships…hardships….She hoped that as the years passes, she will have some peace of mind, but she was wrong, as the years passed her sorrows and miseries only increased but never decreased. Despite all her struggle for life and survival, if there was something that was holding her onto her life, that was her son Ramesh. If not for him, mayamma who at a very young age of 18 after loosing her husband after a year’s happy and contented life, would have succumb to death.
Mayamma, with very little education had a very tuff life since her childhood, her father who was a full time drunkard had no responsibility towards his wife and being a single child to them, she had to support her mother who got sick due to constant harassment from her husband. Mayamma had to forget her childhood dreams of education and work in a garment factory. Whatever little money she earned mostly was confesticated by her father for his luxury of drinks and gambling and whatever litle money left behind to her , which most of the times, she saved by hiding money from her father’s sight , went to her mother’s treatment. In her teens, her mother’s sudden demise was the worst thing to happen in her life. No longer willing to stay with her irresponsible father , mayamma eloped from home and not having any home to stay, she took refugee in an orphanage where she came across Velan, the son of an elite business who was a regular social-worker at the orphange. Velan took an instant liking for her and made her his wife. To mayamma, it looked that god had played a game on her, giving so much sufferings before to show her such a wonderful life after that. Everyday she thanked god for the lovely life he had bestowed on her. Her joys were doubled when after a year of their marriage, they were gifted with ramesh. Mayamma had not seen anything as beautiful as her son ramesh, such a cute little being he was. Velan and Ramesh were her paradise. When mayamma was at pinnacle of pride to have velan and ramesh in her life, god turned cruel on her.
Her happy married life lasted only one year and god took velan from her life in a train accident. When mayamma was crying in front of her husband’s corpse holding the baby in her hand and with a vaccum in her life and not knowing what to do next , an hand touched her shoulders to give her strength and confidence and above all support. That was velan’s mother, her mother-in-law. If not for her support, mayamma wouldn’t have known how to lead her life without velan and with ramesh in hand. She saw her mother-in-law more than a mother and with her support after velan’s death, she learnt from her the tactics of their family business and slowly started flourishing in her life. She soon with her skills and intelligence, learnt to expand her business and with her income supported ramesh with good education and pampared him with all money and goodies in his life. To Manyamma, velan is alive in ramesh. She never saw him dead. As ramesh was growing up into fine looking young men, so was mayamma’s love towards him. With the demise of her mother-in-law soon afterwards, the only reason she could think of to live was Ramesh.
Ramesh after his graduation went to his bombay office to take care of the business adminstration, mayamma was all proud of him for his efficient handling of the business, afterall the business was a result of her years of hardwork, if ramesh could expand her dynasty, who would be more happier than her ??
Soon it was time for ramesh to get married and mayamma wanted to give the best of girl in this world to ramesh as his wife, she dreamt of a happy life for ramesh with his wife and she playing with her grandchildren…every rich men in the town were lining in queue to give their daughters in hand for ramesh marriage and mayamma had so much expectations about her daughter-in-law and was searching for the most suitable girl for his wedlock.
How many applications she received and reviewed to make sure ramesh gets the best of the women , afterall who understands ramesh’s wishes and dreams better than her. Finally she decided one girl for him, whom in her opinion, was the girl born for ramesh.
Mayamma was living in cloud nine happily satisfied that she has made a right choice for her son and ramesh will be all happy for her selection and immediately accept her decisions and soon she would hear the wedding bells of her son’s marriage. She was waiting anxiously for ramesh’s return home from bombay to break the good news of his marriage.
Very little did mayamma knew that time that ramesh had some other plans for his marriage life.
**********
“No…it cannot happen !! I will not give consent for this marriage” growled the shocked mayamma at her son, when he broke to her his love with geetha, an orphaned girl who grow up in bombay and was working in ramesh office, upon his return home and after hearing that his marriage has been fixed by his mother.
“But why ma, geetha is a very good girl , we love each other a lot and she will keep you very happy and will make a good daughter-in-law to this family”, retorted ramesh.
“I sent you to bombay only to expand your business and not your personal life Ramesh, Being your mother, I know what is good for my son and what is bad, I cannot jeopardize my son’s life by letting him marry any orphan” , shot back mayamma.
“Amma, being born as a orphan is not geetha’s mistake, that’s her fate”, ramesh tried to convince her
“Let it be so, but my son is not a orphan to marry one, your fate is not bad enough to marry some father-less girl” , mayamma didn’t allow herself to get convinced.
“Amma, please understand, I cannot live a happy life with some one whom I don’t love, that too, after betraying the girl to whom I am the only belief, I cannot live happily with the girl whom you choose”, ramesh made a frantic attempt
“Ramesh, You know how much hardships I have gone thro in my life, all that I have done to give you a good life. When it comes to your marriage, don’t I know what is best thing I should do for you. If you think of the fact that your mom would give you only best of everything in your life, listen to me, the orphan whom you have choosen is more far-fetched “, strong came the words from mayamma.
There was a verbal war which continued between mayamma and her son for many days. Never in her dreams mayamma expected her son would betray her and she couldn't digest the thought of it. Neither could ramesh convince mayamma to agree to accept geetha as her daughter-in-law, nor could mayamma convince ramesh to forget geetha and get married to the girl she had choosen. Both were struck like glue to their decisions about not accepting the other’s choice.
More and more the war intestified between mayamma and her son, the more mayamma hated geetha, who in her opinion was the one who snatched her son away from her. It was for that orphan, he was not listening to her, she was thinking of giving her son a big and happy family to live with, not an isolated life. She had no big family to count on when she grew up, she didn't want ramesh to live in the same environment, but ramesh is not ready to listen to her, he is against her now, all for a girl whom she loathed like hell. Slowly mayamma’s mind and heart started to canker with hatred for geetha, which made her to strongly rebel her son’s love.
**********
“Ramesh, if because of me you and your mom are having constant fight at home, I will go away from you life, I was destined to be an orphan, I don’t want you to become one”, said geetha in a chocking voice to ramesh, who had come back to bombay few days back with an excuse to look into his business, as he thought his absence would alleviate his mom’s anger and give his mom some time to re-think her decision.
“Can you go away from me and my life that easily geetha”, asked ramesh
Geetha had no answer, she just shed her tears silently. Ramesh with gentle touch, wiped away her tears and held her hand. The minute he touched her, geetha’s emotions which she had tried hard to bury within her broke loose and she hid her face on his shoulders and cried like a baby.
Geetha always felt miserable about being orphaned and was longing for someone to give her all the love that she had missed in her life. When ramesh came into her life, it was like she got the kind of love what she was dying to get all these years. She knows well she cannot live without him and she cannot think of loosing him too.
Geetha dreamt of a happy marriage with ramesh with the consent of mayamma. Ramesh has told her a lot about his mother to her and even without seeing mayamma, she became geetha’s role-model. She started seeing mayamma as her mother. She was waiting for the day when she would see her, to touch her, to hug her, to talk to her. Mayamma was geetha’s inspirations and she adored her.
When ramesh went home to inform about his love to his mother, geetha was so positive that soon she would hear from ramesh about the glad news of his mother’s consent and was dreaming about mayamma coming to see her. But when ramesh came back, one look at his face, made it clear to her, that everything that she had dreamt, hadn’t happened. Now both of them hoping that mayamma will change her mind, could do nothing but to wait, but in the course of time geetha realised that the mother-son relationship is getting strained because of her. Being born as a orphan she knows how much it pains to be without parents, geetha didn’t want ramesh to go through that pain due to her. So today when she met ramesh at his home, she talked about going away from him, but then with his touch she realised that the only seperation between her and ramesh is death and nothing else…
Ramesh holding the shaking geetha in his arms was consoling her. He could not think of hurting his mother, she is everything to him, she gave him everything he asked for happily except geetha, at the same time, he couldn’t see geetha getting hurt, for he was madly in love with her. He had to make a decision somewhere to end all the problems. He clearly saw only two options in front of him. One his mother, another geetha. By choosing one, he had to leave the other. Now he has to make a choice. He has a tuff decision to make…
Ramesh thought for a while and when he pulled geetha away from him and had her face to face, he had already made up his mind.
“Geetha, I have decided”, he started to say….
**********
When ramesh called up to say that he is going to come home, mayamma was confident her son won’t let him down. She knows how much ramesh loves him. He cannot afford to see her crying, so he has finally decided to leave geetha for me, she thought happily. Mayamma failed to realise that her blind faith on ramesh overlooked the aspect of thinking that ramesh could decide otherwise.
Mayamma was all excited and called up the girl’s family to tell them that her son is coming back with change of mind, and asked them to start the marriage preperation. There was happiness on both the ends and when she hang up, she felt like the most satisfied person on the earth. Afterall, who knows her son better than her, no matter where he goes , what he does, he is her ramesh, she sees velan in him, velan never hurt her anytime, nor will ramesh !!
**********
Mayamma could never have received such a big blow in her life as what she has received now. When she saw ramesh and geetha together in garland standing in front of her, she knew her son, no no, geetha’s husband ramesh had betrayed her. Had my son is still alive, he would have come back to me leaving geetha, the one I see in front of me is not my son, he is a stranger to me now. She felt that life has became so meaningless to her…her whole purpose of living for ramesh sake was not worth now. She could even forgive geetha for snatching her son away from her, but not ramesh for betraying her.
Ramesh had decided to marry geetha to bring the battle between his mom and him to an end and hoping that time would change his mom’s mind, he was confident that if not now, some day mayamma will change her decision, for his sake. He knows that his mom loves him too much and won’t keep him unhappy for long.
Ramesh was pleading to mayamma to accept him and his wife, he tried every bit of begging, pleading, coaxing with her to accept his wedding with geetha…..
Mayamma even refused to bless them, she couldn’t tolerate the sight of geetha…..she didn’t want even ramesh to stand in front of her, she threatened on her life to make them go out of her house. Ramesh and geetha with hope and anticipation that mayamma should not take any extreme steps stepped out of the house.
As geetha and ramesh were leaving mayamma’s house, as an wounded animal, they heard her scowl “Ramesh, for having hurt me and wounding me, take my curse….you won’t live happily for long with that orphan, you both won’t live together for long”….
Geetha’s spines sent a shiver all through her body upon hearing those words….
**********
Geetha’s body jerked and that startled swetha and girish next to her. Girish came to her and asked, “Geetha are you okay?”……geetha looked at girish, so pale was her face !!
“Girish, I want to see maayamma” she whispered.
“What ?? “ Girish asked.
“I want to see maayamma” ,she whispered again….
“Are you sure geetha??” Girish asked.
Geetha just nodded her head.
Girish knows their history. After Ramesh left mayamma house, he went and settled in bombay with geetha, he found himself a new job in the company where girish is working and started his life with geetha, soon they heard that mayamma had sold off all her business to some businessman and also sold all her properties and had re-written her will giving all her properties to charity and has gone to settle in the orphanage where she had fled to, during her teenage. Twice ramesh and geetha had gone to see her in the orphanage but she refused to see them. Ramesh and geetha expected a change in mayamma after anish was born. When Ramesh went to see her with the baby, mayamma refused to see him and his son, when I don’t have a son, where does the grandson come from ? she told to the attendent who came to inform her about her son and grandson visit. Only thing ramesh and geetha missed very badly in their life was mayamma, girish knew that well. He knows how much geetha fears mayamma and how much she is at guilt for having seperated ramesh from her, her guilt has grown more after anish was born. And now when she wanted to see mayamma, he wasn’t sure how to react.
Girish when went to the room where he had kept ramesh belongings to make a note of mayamma contact number , the doctor called him aside…
After a short discussion with the doctor, girish face lost all its colour. He looked at geetha with tears who was now back into her shell not winking her eye.
Girish hesitated only for a moment, then dialled the orphanage number where mayamma resides, and when he heard someone picking the call, “Can I speak to mayamma”, he asked shakily
“Wait a minute” said the voice on the other end. Girish waited nervously…
In few minutes time, he heard the phone being picked up, a very fragile voice on the other hand spoke. “Mayamma speaking…”
Girish hesitated for a minute not sure how to start. After a pause, he cleared this throat and started to speak “I am girish, your son ramesh friend…I have a news for you..It’s about your son”
**********
“Noooooo…………!! “ Screamed geetha, when she heard that ramesh is no more alive, after almost 5 hours of struggle to save ramesh, the doctors faced defeat.
They brought the body of ramesh out of the operation theatre, neatly covered in bandage from head to heels, with very few portions of face visible outside. Such a peaceful expression on ramesh face made it hard for anyone seeing him, to believe that there is no life in that body, it looked as though ramesh is sleeping with his body bandaged.
Her mild sobs which started after seeing ramesh body, become hysteric cries and geetha kept crying uncontrollably.
**********
Mayamma was on her way to see her son…..she cursed herself and wailed all through her journey for being so cruel to him, if only she had been soft with him, she would have had him alive with her now. When girish broke the death of her son to him, all her ego, anger, hatred for ramesh too died along with the news. Now no amount of feelings and crying could bring her son back to her…she felt miserable for the way she treated ramesh all these days and now there is no way she could see him again for rest of her life. Damn her ego!! She could not see ramesh when he was alive, atleast she wanted to see his body before that was burnt to ashes.
**********
When mayamma reached the hospital, girish was on the entrace waiting for her. “Where is my son “asked mayamma, all her tears had dried up and she was bereft of all her strenght and looked 10 years more older than her age.
Girish took her to the room where ramesh body was kept. The sight of her son’s lifeless body was too much for her bear. “Ramesh my dear son, how could u leave this mother and go………how can I live without you” she wailed and ran and touched his feet for forgiveness and cried.
Girish and Swhetha were torn apart to see mayamma wailing like this…automatically tears rolled down their eyes.
Everytime she looked at her son, she held herself responsible for his death. Mayamma was crying unimaginably and no one around could find any word to console her, what they can tell to console a mother who has lost her beloved son?? They let her cry to her heart content.
Mayamma was so tired and exhausted crying and at one point she couldn’t withstand standing, she fell to the ground. When she fell on the ground, she saw something on the other corner of the room, which she hadn’t noticed so long. Mayamma wiped out the tears to see what was it in the corner. As her eyes were dizzy she first saw an outline of someone sitting in the corner, when she wiped away her eyes for a better vision, she got a clear view of a young girl, who must be in her prime youth sitting so lifeless. She was having something on her lap, and it looked like a baby. Instantly she recognised who they were.
Mayamma looking at the girl and the baby was aghast. This is exactly how she was looking and holding her ramesh, when she had lost velan at her prime youth and now she is seeing the same sight again this time happened to that girl.
That lifeless face was holding no ray of hope. Looking at her mayamma knew what geetha would be going through now , as she herself has experienced the same tragedy in her life years back.
A thought that never struck her all these days, striked her now. Having lived a life with a family since childhood, and after marriage living in a place where there was so much love and affection from everyone around, I could not face the tragedy that struck my life when velan left me, how can this girl, who have had no family since her childhood and had no love from me after her marriage, can face the tragedy struck in her life when ramesh , her only hope, has left her ?
After all these years, mayamma’s mother-in-law came to her mind, what if her mother-in-law had desolated her after the death of her son, what would have been her plight ? mayamma relished the love of her mother-in-law and took refuge in her after her husband’s death, but where will geetha go now ? she has no family with her. At the same time another realisation too dawned on her, when she married velan, she had no father or mother, she was almost like an orphan, when velan mother graciously accepted this orphan into her family, why didn’t I do that to geetha ?
Oh my god ! why did I deprive this girl of the love and affection, what I got from my mother-in-law, when both of us were nearly orphaned..she felt too small to face geetha now. She had done injustice all these days to her and her son, thought mayamma.
Mayamma slowly rose to her feet, she looked at her son for a minute and thought,I deprived my son of my love, now I have lost him, if I deprive this girl of my love, I will loose her too. My son is gone now, he cannot come back.But I have a this girl who is my daughter now and grandson to look after, they need me…with clear mind and slow steps, she approached geetha.
**********
Geetha was far too lost in her thoughts that she failed to see the approaching mayamma coming towards her. She was already in deep sorrow unable to bear the demise of ramesh, now she was more afraid what mayamma would do after she sees her son like this. Geetha’s guilt towards mayamma has become more, after ramesh death. Her mind was racing with many thoughts.
For having seperated mayamma son from her, I had lost my husband now.
How can I face mayamma now, mayamma’s only hope in life was ramesh and he is no more now.
For my love, ramesh lost his mother’s love, now I have lost ramesh and what will I answer mayamma if she comes looking for her son.
She was silently waiting to see the mother of her husband, who loaths her from the beginning and now more because she had seperated her from her son until his death.
While thinking of how to face mayamma, she felt a hand touching her shoulder, geetha looked up and was shocked to see mayamma. She staggered to her feet with anish in her hand. Geetha had no strength or will to even slightly emote. She was looking nearly dead.
“Geetha Beti”…started mayamma, that took geetha off-guard, this is not what she was expecting to hear from her mother-in-law. She repeated those words again, “Geetha Beti….don’t worry , I know how much of a loss it is for us to have ramesh away from our lives. But I am there for you, I have lost my son, but god has given me a daughter in you..I am there for you” said mayamma with so much of love in her words.
Geetha was intensely looking at mayamma now, the face that was looking back at her was very soft and old and it had some expression which geetha had not seen in the face until now – that was love, yes, she saw love in mayamma’s eyes and that love was towards her. Mayamma slowly took anish from her and held him in her hand and pulled geetha towards her and laid her head on her shoulder.
The minute her head touched mayamma's shoulders, that snapped the cord that was holding geetha from all her emotions. Geetha hugged mayamma and cried uncontrollably and mayamma was soothing her, geetha felt she is no more alone in this world now, she has mayamma now with her, who now she knew loves her. Geetha now has got a shoulder to cry, a shoulder to share her burden, a shoulder to get love and affection, what she thought she wont get for rest of her life after ramesh death, above all, she got a shoulder..shoulder of a mother to lean on….
Mayamma hugged geetha and held her grandson tenderly in her arms, anish was smiling at mayamma sheepishly, looking at anish she thought, my son is not dead..he is alive in anish.
Ramesh body though lifeless, his soul when departed his body, departed with joy and content seeing his mother and wife uniting.
Giving away his life was afterall worth, wasn’t it ?
----- THE END -----
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