Stories      
Good Intention Never Fails
by TA Ramesh

“It is already time for the lunch! What Kala, shall we have our lunch in the Kanagaraj Hotel itself?”

“Yes Vimala, we can have something here itself.”

The two young ladies in the light colored saris entered the hotel. In the Main Hall there was no rush. Yet, they entered the Family Room and sat near a table in such an angle that they could see the Main Hall as well as the street in which all sorts of vehicles going to and fro.

The hotel supplier approached them; got order for the lunch items they wanted and left the room. They then waited for the lunch to come in a very relaxed mood at least as they were damn tired of their walk in the town from the morning till they reached the hotel.

At that time a neatly dressed young man entered the Main Hall and sat at the central table looking at the ceiling fan in a thoughtful mood.

“Sir, what do you wish to have?” enquired the supplier.

“I would like to have lunch with my friends who are expected soon here. Will you wait for a few minutes?”

“Okay, Sir!” said the supplier and left him.

In the Family Room, when Kala turned her face to the side of Vimala, while arranging the things they had bought in a neat manner in a bag, she noticed that her friend’s attention was totally resting on the young man sitting in the centre of the Main Hall.

“Vimala, why are you looking at Mr. Anand like that? Do you know him?”

Kala asked Vimala as if she was well aware of him.

“Have you ever seen Mr. Anand before, Kala?”

“I know him long before!”

“What do you think of him?”

“You see Vimala, when I was studying Pre University Course in the college here, he was studying in the final year of the Degree Course. As we were both studying in the same college I had seen him there. As far as I know he is not a social type but he moves with one or two friends very close to him. After the college education I don’t know what he is doing now. But I have seen him now and then in the town afterwards. That is all. To say briefly, I feel quite ill at ease whenever I happen to see him. He does not look to be a man of good culture. Well, do you know anything about him?”

“Is that all? Or is there anything else, Kala? He is a person who thinks that everything happens due to him and further, why, you could have even said that he talks with others seeing eye to eye, a sharp looking man, an eagle and so on…! These things you see I too have heard about him … by looking at the external things we cannot come to a conclusion about a person. Judging a person basing the behavior, dress and gesture, one will be driven to a wrong conclusion only.”

“That means, do you know Mr. Anand? When, where and how did you meet him? Could you tell me in detail, Vimala?”

At that time the supplier came there, placed all the lunch items of their choice on the table and left the place. They both started taking their lunch without talking anything further.

Anand was still sitting alone there. Around him people were taking something or other for the lunch and leaving the place paying the bills.

There was no one in the Family Room, except Kala and Vimala. They resumed their talk again on the same note. Then Vimala herself talked about Anand giving all possible details she could.

“My cousin Sekar and Mr. Anand are close friends. They both used to visit Trichy town now and then during the holidays. Whenever Sekar calls at our house he often says many good matters about Mr. Anand. Whenever I hear about him I get a sense of novelty and enlightenment. It is true that Mr. Anand’s views are quite new and interesting. His thoughts, words and deeds are reflecting truths only. Not only that, he likes novelty in everything everywhere! Due to this reason, it seems that he is moving in a mysterious way. Therefore, I think many people like you have a false opinion about him.”

Hearing that, Kala felt sorry about her ignorance regarding Anand and expressed her feeling to her.

“Though I have lived in this town for many years I could not form myself a proper opinion of this gentleman. It is a strange thing that I have really come to know about Mr. Anand only after my father has got transfer to Trichy, our family has settled there and our friendship has developed to a great extent in these two months. In my case it has become a fact that only through friendship truth can be seen! Indeed, it is a wonderful thing!”

They both felt a sense of satisfaction. Nearly an hour had elapsed! Kala finished her lunch first, went to the toilet room adjoining the Family Room, washed her hands and returned back. Then, when Vimala was inside the toilet room and cleaning her hands before a wash basin, she heard that someone was calling her by her name. When she turned back, there was a smiling young man standing before her!

“Hello Vimala! When did you come?” said he with a great zeal.

“Hello my dear cousin Sekar!” said Vimala with a great joy that knew no bounds.

They both laughed for sometime like children.

“Yes, Sekar, I came here yesterday along with my friend, Kala to attend the marriage function of her friend. Today we went to her college to collect a certificate she requires. We finished all our works here. Now our lunch is also over. Within half an hour we are leaving for Trichy. That is our program.”

“My Goodness! Because I have come to this hotel to meet my friend Anand, it seems it is possible for me to meet you here! Otherwise, it won’t be possible at all for me to know when you have come here and when you have left…! All right, come on let us go and talk with Mr. Anand for sometime.”

Sekar and Vimala met Anand and were talking there after a longtime forgetting everything of immediate importance! But, as Vimala had not returned, Kala looked for her here and there! She noticed that she was talking with Anand. She paid money for the bill to the supplier and started to meet them there.

Soon Vimala introduced Kala to Anand. With the exchange of a few formal wishes, Kala and Vimala took leave of them and left the hotel soon.

***

The time was 1.30 p.m. The rush in the Main Hall of the hotel had considerably got reduced to some extent. Anand and Sekar placed order for the lunch with their favorite items to the supplier. Then they began their talk for which they had met there.

“You have not said anything about the cheaper edition books required for my post graduate studies in literature or where such books are available, Sekar,” said Anand.

“You see, Anand, in connection with your book matter I have called here another friend who will tell you all the details about where you can get cheaper edition books and how you can get them. So, let us proceed with our lunch till he comes. But I want to clarify myself regarding your plan for the future; that is, is it necessary that you have to continue your education? Will it entirely solve your problem if you simply became a writer? Are you really strong with your such idea like that?”

Anand gave his reply to the doubts of Sekar in a moving manner taking a lion’s share of their conversation!

“Jean Rousseau’s words that “Man is born free, but he is chained everywhere,” comes to my mind now. Actually my position is more or less so now. Against my interest according to the wishes of my parents I studied a Degree Course. Then for the benefit of all, I joined in the family business in partnership with my father and his relatives and worked hard for five years. To the best of my ability I too developed our business using my talent. Only the work load increased on and on. But the benefits were enjoyed by other partners in our business. If anything went wrong, other partners said indirectly to others that it might be the mistake of mine. That was known to my parents too. Instead of finding out who has done the mistakes and correcting them then and there my father also said that everything would become all right if I had taken a little more interest in the works by concealing the problems under some pretext or other.

In another instance they said that if I got married, I would not be thinking in that manner. Now, they not only say this matter to those it has not to be said but also make a story out of it that I can do nothing by myself. I have done good things, but they are doing only harmful things to me. Therefore I have decided to continue my education in higher studies and do the profession of writing work which is most interesting to me to the satisfaction of my heart.

I have got enough wealth with me. It is not necessary that I have to earn more. For me good name is most important. I wish to earn that name and fame in the writing profession. My views, the truths I have seen, I like to share with the people and with great passion I would wish to plunge head long in this profession in order to show to the world that through my writings I can do greatest possible benefits to the people.

There shall be opposition from others from whatever work we do in this world. It is in our hand only to change the opposing forces into useful tools by meeting them face to face by our good deeds for carrying out all the deeds in order to see that all the results come out finally with good things only. That is my intention and desire in this profession.

In this sort of free intellectual activity only I feel I can get real satisfaction in life. Therefore whatever work I do I have resolved to follow the philosophic idea that nothing is greater than good here afterwards! There is sure success in this!”

Due to intensity and the boldness of Anand’s words about his future plan of action, Sekar did not find much word to say anything further. So, he simply looked at the room from where the supplier could bring the lunch items for them.

No sooner had the supplier brought them the hot lunch, started they to pay full justice to it!

First Anand finished his lunch and went to the Toilet room to clean his hands. At that time another young man approached Sekar.

“Hello!” said he and sat by the side of Sekar.

“Hello Nagarajan, here our Anand will come,” said Sekar.

When Anand came back, Sekar introduced him to Nagarajan and went to clean his hands.

“Mr. Anand I am happy that we are sailing in the same boat,” said he and went on, “I don’t know how it is possible for you to study English literature after studying science!”

“Mr. Nagarajan, science deals with the physical things of Nature. Literature deals with the metaphysical things of Nature and human nature. But Nature is the connection for both and I feel our education will be a complete one only when we have studied both. What do you say?”

“There is truth and novelty in your answer Mr. Anand. Now I am reading Bible which is prescribed for the M.A. second year exams. It is an insipid subject. Could you please say something interesting about this holy book?”

Nagarajan waited with interest for the reply of Anand.

“When you talk about this book, the figure of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi comes to my mind,” said Anand and proceeded with his view. “Before Gandhi came to the picture of our national struggle, violence was the rule of the day. He used non-violence as his supreme weapon and brought freedom to our country. That is a new experiment very suitable at that time. As that was only good means it brought success to him. Well, your subject of study is literature only, but you are asking my views about this thing or that thing in it. It is quite surprising to me! Instead of telling your advice regarding the method by which literature can better be studied you are asking my views with great zeal!”

“I would like to talk with you about many things. Your answers are increasing my enthusiasm. You are putting me under great surprise by your new answers.”

Coffee came to the table. They all took coffee and talked about the book matter. Within a few minutes Nagarajan gave the addresses wherein cheaper edition books could be purchased by post. Finally he thanked Sekar for introducing him to Anand and put an end to their talk for that day. At 2.30 pm they paid the money for the bill and left the Kanagaraj Hotel.

*****

One day after three years Anand and Kala left Madurai city in a car as newly married couple and reached a fertile village within half an hour to enjoy their honey moon there. The car stopped before a small bungalow surrounded by a vast area of coconut trees. There the couple was received with red carpet welcome in a grand manner by a few servants in white uniform dress.

It was all a surprising thing for Kala! Many questions arose in her mind. She wanted to know to whom the bungalow belonged and what connection was there between Anand and the great man who had offered them that bungalow with all the facilities one could arrange for in such a beautiful place to spend their honey moon days there.


Soon they entered an orchard near the bungalow. The orchard was full of grape trees and beyond that there was a garden full of rose flowers near a small stream going by that way. They sat on the grass meadow among the beautiful flowers there. Then Anand began to talk with Kala in such a way as to clarify her confusions.

“You know, I had studied one year Free lance Journalism Course by post along with my second year M.A. Degree Course in literature in private. I had finished Journalism Course before I wrote my M.A. Exams which were not difficult for me then as I had done well the former one earlier. After I had finished my M.A., I saw in one of the monthly magazines, Our Nation an advertisement saying that the proprietor of Our Nation was interested in enlisting young writers in his magazine work and that he wished to receive applications with relevant Bio-Data from talented writers at the earliest.

I applied for it . in the interview I was selected and an appointment order was immediately issued to me. The Chairman of our magazine is the well known Madurai Mill owner Mr. Sathiasundaram. It was a new magazine in our country. Within one year we have increased the circulation of this magazine to number one position in our country. The credit goes to me also as I am one of the responsible persons who have done this great achievement.

When I gave our marriage invitation card to our Chairman, he immediately suggested me that I could have this bungalow for spending our honey moon days here. Our Chairman is such a noble person that I have decided to show my gratitude to him by accepting this kind offer not only to spend my honey moon here but also to write some worthwhile articles on Nature and the culture of this beautiful spot, which is my top most duty to our magazine. This is my intention for selecting this place for our honey moon!

Indeed the meandering stream going there, the beautifully sweet smelling flowers lying here and the refreshingly wonderful natural sceneries around here would obviously make any person in my mood a poet like Wordsworth or Shelley or Bharati!”

Kala felt really very happy that she was married to Anand and that too she had to enjoy her honey moon in those beautiful surroundings.

“Your happiness is my happiness,” said Kala and went on, “you are lucky that you are working under Mr. Sathiasundaram. But you have not told me how you overcame your difficulties when you were pursuing your studies and finally achieved success in your study of M.A. literature.”

“It is a long story, Kala. But I will tell you everything one by one now. You see, our people, our parents, they never encourage new efforts or any experiments. They still rely upon old methods and conventional ideas in order to maintain their status quo. They make the youngsters helpless in their pursuit of new ideas even though the intention is good and the means is also a reasonable one.

Most of our men think that education is a waste because unemployment problem is looming large in our country. To maintain our physique we have to eat food; so also, to maintain the poise of our mind and heart we require knowledge through proper education. Therefore education is a fundamental need of men. Using this device one has to try new methods to solve problems and come up in life. Forgetting this they bluntly ask whether you get money out of education. Education is needed to understand the truth, to find a better means to follow and more over to make our country proceed in the right direction.

Leaving these ideas aside, the lovers of obsolete ideas stand as barriers before the progress of youngsters and bind the intellectuals firmly from coming forward to solve the problems of our country. This is the main draw back affecting the development of our country very much.”

He sighed for a while and went ahead with his main story.

“Myself and Sekar often went to the Kanagaraj Hotel. There the exchange of views on literature took place between Nagarajan and me. I received then my M.A. first year syllabus. In our local library the books I needed for my studies were not available very often. Therefore, I started purchasing books in VPP. There were a lot postal delays too! Sometime I used to get my ordered books in post even after two months! Even two weeks before my first year exams I purchased some books with great difficulty.

In the meantime, the road side philosophers and the commentators in the neighboring houses built up a story about me that I belonged to a political party and that I was mainly going to the Kanagaraj Hotel to talk with different peoples in order to make my party win in the ensuing election. At home our people started the bride hunt for me with hope that somehow everything would be made all right if I got married. Wherever they tried to see a bride they came to hear a story or so about me that I was a man of bad temper or an adamant fellow or a drunkard or something like that. Therefore my matter had become a great problem for my parents.

Further in addition to that, the post man had delivered my first year M.A. Exam Time-Table intimation letter to a wrong address in our area! After the exams were over, the Time-Table came to my hand! What could I do? My parents advised me not to study so hard at the expense of my health and urged me to stop my efforts in that direction.

With great difficulties I purchased the books for my second year M.A. studies too and continued my studies relentlessly without bothering about anything in the world. First, I finished my Diploma in Journalism Course. Then I wrote my two years’ M.A. Exams in one sitting and got my M.A. Degree in flying colors! Afterwards I joined Our Nation magazine as a journalist and am working there for the past one year. Those who talked ill of me and ridiculed me were put to shame. Now they are all looking at me with due respect!”

There was silence for a few seconds. Anand looked at the twisted path of the on going stream there for sometime.

“If I were in your position I would not have been successful,” said Kala. “You have achieved what you have thought against odds. That is something remarkable! Now would you tell me how you chose me for your life partnership?”

Anand looked at her blushed face and looked down at the green grass.

“There is nothing secret in my achievement, Kala. If your aim and means are good, your end will also be a good one. Okay, let me tell you how our marriage matter was finalized. But before that let me tell you how the marriages of Sekar and Nagarajan took place, because after their marriages only our marriage took place.”

He closed his eyes for a while in a thoughtful mood. Then he revealed her the facts one after the other.

“A few months after I had started my M.A. studies I came to know about the love affair of our Sekar. If one does a mistake before the eyes of everyone, a firm impression that he is capable of doing mistakes is well formed in the minds of others. Then to change that impression in others the guarantee of another person is needed by him. Our Sekar fell in love with the daughter of his Company proprietor. Because the mistake he had already done in the Company was so fresh in the mind of the proprietor that he did not approve of the marriage between him and his daughter. I went to the rescue of my friend by using the good relationship of our business with his Company as the trump card and finally successfully settled the marriage matter between them.”

He paused for a minute and went ahead with his narration.

“Three months after that I went to the house of Nagarajan. The parents of Nagarajan were finding it very difficult to select a suitable bride for him as they had found some fault or other in every offer. They did not have good opinions about the lady as they were not educated. They belonged to the category of the people who considered ladies as a sort of throw away leaves or just a thing of entertainment. When I asked him to know about the latest offer for Nagarajan, he showed me the photo of Vimala and asked me to give him my opinions regarding her.

I asked him what the decision of his parents was. He told me that they had heard about Vimala that she was a talkative girl, that she used to meddle with the affairs of others in the town and that she was unsuitable for a good family. As I was there in the right moment I explained about the good and innocent nature of Vimala to them and convinced them to a great extent. Then the marriage between Nagarajan and Vimala took place in a smooth manner.”

Anand looked at Kala for a while and went on with the final part of his narration.

“Then we got married after two years i.e. a few days ago! When I was studying if anyone asked me about my marriage I did not even say a word to anyone. I agreed to have my marriage only after I got my M.A. Degree. After I started writing articles for Our Nation I became well known to everyone and those who created stories about me sealed their mouths once and for all. There was special respect for me from all quarters after that. Therefore I declared to my parents that I would be ready to marry a good lady of their choice.

It was a great surprise to me when they said that they were interested in you and that you would be a suitable wife for me. I married you whole heartedly.

Is it necessary for me to tell you that if both our intention and action are good only, good can happen to us? This is true not only in my case but it will be so if everyone’s intention is good. Therefore I can boldly say that when one ventures upon a good deed with a good intention in mind, even if the world turns against him, the success that is due to him cannot be snatched away by any force!”

“You are correct my dear Anand,” said Kala.

“Okay my dear! Let us not waste our time in the history of our past. Let us enjoy our life for which we have come here!”

They both laughed and started walking hand in hand in a jolly mood towards the bungalow.         

June 21, 2008

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