KALAKADŪ TH OTHATHRI VADHYAR ( 16 )

                            KALAKADU THOTHATHRI VADHYAR ( 16 ) 

                                              K's death made KTV completely shaken and that was visible in his physical health and face. So was the case of KP too. Death had snatched K from her husband , children  , parents ,brothers and sister at her prime age of 33 ! on the  fateful 16th of June 1966 !To  die in the child stage or very old age will not be felt by a family unlike this sort of unfortunate untimely death.   Almost all of you would have seen only a KTV of  reduced size . but he was totally different as a figure tall and hefty with a frightening face that always made anybody bow ! It is not an exaggeration that when he walks on the street with unmatched fastness, people used to get up as a mark of respect .I had the opportunity of seeing  this whenever I went along with him. Many times, Periyanna myself and KTV  have walked to the paddy fields four to five miles away, on the banks of the tank bunds in rain or Sunshine or windy evenings .But KTV would never reduce his speed of walking.After that day I made it a point to make a trip to Kalakad and back to my place  of work daily ! I used to spend night time with parents( consoling them ) , brothers, sister and Kannan   have rest and return early morning to catch bus to Thirunelveli. After one month , as   child Ganesh was brought to us  ( at our request  to be brought up by us.)     GK who brought him from Kasi placed  Ganesh  only on my lap. We wanted to bring up the chldren Shanthi( born on 2nd October 1962 ) and Ganesh.

                                    Mother and Sankari took charge, Krishnan was helping his bit.  With the efflux of time ,I made my trips weekly once again. I was coacing a ,number of tuition students in my room but yet i was left with time. In such free times , my mental feeling was torturous because of K's death. There was a Parts Manager working in TVS, residing just opposite to my residence.His daughter was studying BSc Maths. She had failed in her final examination along with 7 of her classmates  .He approached me to help his daughter ,giving proper coaching along wth other girls too.. Just opposite house in the same street . For three months daily , f ive days of my teaching, sixth day test . All of them got first class with good marks. The seventh day I was in Kalakad. as usual. In the same street there was an Advocate whose grand daughter was in marriagable age. He came to my room and asked whether I was prepared to marry his grand daughter.  I almost drove him out of my room for his sort of approach.Somehow, he collected KTV's address and went with  two unripe mangoes! Sankari was there to say  " Uraikkaayppazham". He was informed by Mother we are looking for  daughter's marriage only as such!That advocate  gave a number of  " boy"s horoscopes out of which one was that of Sri.ASK!  

                        (    to be continued  )