OVINICHUNNY

I was in front of the Deity, about to begin my prayers. A came boy came behind me and my attention was directed towards him. He was wearing only a koupeenam ( strip of cloth to cover nakedness), janayu, the sacred  thread and a krishnajinam, a cross belt of an animal skin found in the Himalayas- all typical of ovinichunny, when, vedas are taught to him, in a math or vedic patha shala. He was very handsome, his skin white as an English man’s, teeth shining, and eyes blue!

I told him to meet me after the darshan.  waited in the valiambalam, a hall for devotees to sit and recite Gayathry. I was staying in the near by Mana, as Namboothiry houses are called. It was my routine, to take bath in the river, on the bank of which the Siva temple stood and pray there.. After some time the boy came and sat beside me. “What is your name?”

“Shasthry Sharman of —–Mana. I am studying in the othu matham here and the School at Shoranur. My houe is near by”

“You are  Keshavan’s son, isn’t it?”” He nodded his head. “Come here every day for break  fast. You can coach  my daughter; she is in fourth”

So it became easy for both. I need not engage a tuition master. My wife liked the boy. In course of time, we lost his company, as he entered the college. Occasionally he did come and my daughter was very happy. We entertained hopes of a marriage in due course.

My daughter finished her studies after graduation and she is now working in a school. Whenever we mentioned marriage, she used to refuse.

At long last, a man with beard and long hair, wearing saffron cloths, came to our house. At once my daughter came running; she had recognised her old friend. She touched his feet. He blessed her.

“I have taken Sanyasam”, he said.