Convergence (Gnanakoothu) by Ma. Aranganathan

This is an English Translation of “Gnanakooththu”, s short story written by Ma. Aranaganathan. Translated from Tamil by K. Saravanan. This is 25th English Translation in Classic Tamil Short Stories Series.

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The following were the excerpts from the letter written by Siva Sankaran alias Sivam, who is presently residing in NewYork west Side Avenue, to his father Muthu Karuppan.

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It is always better to telephone after half past seven. Mother should be available at that time.

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I prefer walking. I feel good. If I travel by train, I need to spend one dollar. No difficulties in walking anyway.

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There is a temple here. I have gone there once.

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It is probable that I may get transferred to a place called Salt Lake City. I mean- all the persons who are working in our computer division will be transferred.

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As such, cooking is not difficult. Everything is available here. Tender egg-plant and lady’s fingers are easily available.

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I can read a lot, if I like. But not interested like earlier.

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Thiru Arutpa ¹ and Thirumanthiram ² are kept under my safe custody.

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I have got an opportunity to get acquainted with a lady reporter working in New York Times newspaper here. She is very well experienced and well-read including computer science. She has travelled throughout the world. She had been to Chennai also once and knows a lot about the streets of the city. She categorically says, ‘If someone lived for another hundred years, he would be reading only two books- ‘Alice in the wonder Land’ and Thirukural ³. Her name is Ms Lavula.

The proficiency level that you have got in English is more than enough to run your day to day life here. I was not also not comfortable in the beginning. Now I am accustomed with it. The people around me are also just like me. They say ‘We also know only this much of it’.

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Only fruit juices in the morning- I have got accustomed with bread. The friends who are staying with me eat different varieties of food.

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Need to shell out eight thousand rupees for the telephone charges.

2

It was a letter, addressed to Muthu Karuppan, neatly printed with a letter header “Muthu Kumarasami Pillai (I.A.S), Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat”, on a smooth paper except the word ‘Retired’, written by hand.

“I came to understand through our Association that you are searching for a bride for your son. My ancestors were from the South and our family is traditionally vegetarian. My Chithappa ⁴, has retired from the government service. At present he is residing at our place and he knows your father well. Once he accedes to this proposal, his word will be final. We respect his words.

She is our only daughter. She has passed M.Sc. We own a house and four kottai ⁵ of arable land. Here, in Chennai, we own a house in Ashok Nagar. All these properties will be in her name. Since she felt that her science education shouldn’t go waste, she is working in a college.

It is quite surprising that we don’t know each other in spite of living in Chennai for the past forty years. Even though I do not know you and your family, this alliance seems to have been fixed with the help of blessings from our ancestors and the assistance from our Association. All is because of the blessings of Lord Shiva!

Looking forward to your letter…

3

After the school hours, Saraswathi Ammal returned to her home only after 7’O clock. Muthu Karuppan was sitting on an easy chair in the balcony. On seeing her, he said, “I thought you would come late today. You know that he was sad last time”

Saraswathi washed her face. While she was making coffee, the telephone rang.

“Please attend to the call. I will speak to him after sometime” she told.

He heard someone talking on the other side. After a while, Sivam came on the line.

“Am I speaking to Appa? Mother isn’t there today too. Is it?”

“She’s here. You have informed that you would be transferred to some other place. Any update?”

“I will come to know about it only on next Saturday. Probably I may have to go there. All, four of us, have to go”

“It is very far. Isn’t it?”

“Yes…The Company will look after everything including accommodation. I will get five hundred dollars more there”

“I hope your health is alright. Isn’t it?’

“I am fit as fiddle. Give the receiver to mother”

Sarsawathi received it.

“Dear Son! How is your health? You are taking oil bath. Aren’t you?”

Yes...everything is fine here. How is everything there? Anything important? If the house needs any repair works, we can do it immediately. I will send the money. How is father’s health? Tell him not to strain himself in the hand pump to take water from the Bore well.”

“Your father told me that you would be transferred to a new place. Wouldn’t it?”

“Yes. It may happen. I’ll inform you”

“Can I give the receiver to your father?”

“It’s already late. Let me hang up. I’ll inform everything in letter”

Sarsawathi Ammal kept the receiver down. She wondered, “How clearly it is audible as if he is speaking sitting beside me.”

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Respected Shri Muthu Kumarasami Pillai,

This is Muthu Karuppan. I am indeed very glad to have your relationship. I have told my son also about it. You know well that any arrangement we make should be as per the wishes of our children. Don’t you?

You have told that you know about my father and my forefathers through your Chithappa. I also feel that I need to tell you some details about me.

My father, Siva sankaran left on pilgrimage to visit all the six abodes of Lord Murugan. He never returned home after that- till date. My mother kept waiting till her death, wearing her Thali ⁶ . People still say that her death was not natural.

As I couldn’t pass the school examinations, I came here and settled with a job. My elder brother- he is now sixty five years old. He is living in his wife’s house. His son is said to have be mentally retarded, but it is benign they say. My younger brother- he is forty five years old. He has just passed his S.S.L.C examination through coaching in private tutorials. He may get promoted to Lower Divisional Clerk after five years or so. The children of my younger brother are living with their mother.  

When the Freedom Movement was in its full swing, My Periyappa ⁷ went Vedaranyam to see his daughter and grandchildren. While buying salt ⁸ from a grocery shop, he was beaten by the police, imprisoned. Later, when he was on freedom fighter pension, he died. I was with my Periyamma ⁹ at her home. They had four or five milch cows. I was looking after them. It was a holiday during summer, and due to my carelessness one of the cows was missing. Without informing anyone, I came to Chennai.

I must tell you about my maternal uncle also. He is still living in my native place. Ever since I was seven years old, I knew that he used to steal coconuts and sell it. Now the assets of Amman Temple are under his custody. I almost forgot his face.       

When I was working in Chennai, I got married. I went to our caste Association to invite them for my marriage. The secretary of the Association told me nonchalantly, “You have to invite the government not the Association”

There was a truth behind his insinuation. The woman whom I married was from Adi Dravidar ¹⁰ Community. I didn’t invite the government for my marriage.

Presently I don’t know anyone in our Association. But it is good that our Association is helpful in many ways.

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“Your reply should be sent only to him. Shouldn’t it? Then why are you sending a copy of it to our son?”

“Isn’t the reply about him? He must read it.”

“Inform him that when he comes here on Pongal ¹¹ we need to finalise all the arrangements one and all”

“Yes…I have included this in the letter.

“One of my colleagues in the school told me that what we would do if he marries a woman at his own will”

“What will you do?”

“Haven’t you seen in the letter? He has mentioned about some newspaper reporter. What are we going to do if he developed relationship like that and brought a white lady here?”

“We can’t be that dead sure about it”

“Why can’t it be?”

“She wouldn’t be necessarily a white lady. Even black people are also living in America”

Muthu Karuppan sat on his the easy chair comfortably. The wind was breezy.  He inhaled the air deeply, closed his eyes, as if he was experiencing clean air for the first time in the city.

                                                    ***End***

Note:

1.      Book of hymns written in praise of the God by Vallalaar.

2.      The Tirumantiram or Thirumantiram is a Tamil poetic work, written either in the 6th century by Tirumular Tirumantiram's literal meaning is “Sacred mantra” or "Holy incantation"

3.      The Tirukkuṟaḷ  (shortly the Kural) is a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 short couplets of seven words each. The text is divided into three books with succinct teachings on virtue (aram), wealth (porul) and love (inbam) respectively. Considered one of the greatest works ever written on ethics and morals.  

4.      Younger brother of one’s father.

5.      It is an archaic unit of land measurement. One Kottai is roughly equivalent to 1.5 acres of land.

6.      Sacred thread worn/ tied around the neck of a woman during marriage. She wears it till the death of her husband.

7.      Elder brother of one’s father.

8.      During the Freedom struggle in India, Mahatma Gandhi followed a novel way of protest against imperialism. He started a Salt Satyagraha, a symbolic protest against tax imposed on salt. Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu was one such place where this protest against Salt tax became popular.

9.      Either the elder sister of one’s mother or the wife of one’s father’s elder brother.

10. A scheduled caste Community in India.

11. A Tamil festival in the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ (In the second week of January every year)

 

Translated from Tamil by K. Saravanan.

Source: Ma. Aranagnathan’s Short story “Gnana Kooththu”