“Hey Namboori, see this”, my hostel mate Jose cried, showing me a ad inn classified ads page of a newspaper.
WANTED POOJARI IMMEDIATELY. SALARY RS. 10,000. FREE ACCOMMODATION WILL BE GIVEN contact no xxxxx- it read
I was sceptic But Jose was enthusiastic. It was a holiday, about four in the evening. He took out his bike and we were on our way to Thrikkur, where the temple was located, as told by the manager of the temple when contacted on phone.
In half an our we reached there. The man was standing at the gate. He mounted his bike and we followed.
It was a big temple, with two Gods, one Shiva and another Vishnu There is a big pond near by.”Do you accept our offer?.The substitute poojary wans to hand over charge as soon as possible.”
I agreed. “When will you join?”
“The next Sunday, I shall come with bag and baggage”
We had tea at the Manager’s house. His wife and a young girl greeted us there. “Our Warasyar” told the Manager, pointing to the young girl. She looked hardly twenty, very fair and slim. I felt aliking for her.
On our way back, e passed the Thrikkur cave temple of Lord Shiva, where water dripped continuously over the Lingam, through a small water vein through the rock. I was eager to see it, but it was getting dark.
“”There is plenty of time after youu join the post in the temple. You should show it to me also. I sahall come as Ramu!”
Sunday morning we went to the temple and put our baggage in a large house, with tile roof, but ceing very high. The Manager had arraiged a small table ad chair, as I was astudent in the college..”Ramu” and I took bath,enjoying the cool clean water and I swam across the water. Jose did not know swimming. “You must teach me,” he said.
We then went to the temple. I was introduced to the Poojary. “Do you know how to cook?”, he asked.
“I used to do pooja as substitute.” I said. Warasyar took us to the Warium, and served dosa and coffee. “Wonderful,” cried Jose. He ate like a wolf and the girl smiled, satisfied. Jose then went away and we started to talk.
“How old are you? Don’t you go to school?”
She laughed loudly.”I am thirtyfive and still unmarried. My father died when I was three and grandmother, now very old, brought me up. I studied up to tenth standard.
We then went to my house, carrying some vessels, rice and vegetables provsions etc. needed for my cooking. “Shall I cook?” she asked.
“How can I thank you? You are like my Chechi. I said.
“I am so happy to have a young man for company. I must thank you. When I first heard of a new Poojary, I thought he may be an old man!”
So the days passed. After pooja, I used to catch a bus for Trichur, to attend college.
A Bank Manager used to visit the temple. Through him, I took advance from the bank and bought a bike. Now I used to take Deedi on my bike every day, after pooja in the evening.
Her mother had to go to her home and for some days, she suggested that I stay with her at the Warrium in the night.
She made the bed in her room and slept in her mother’s bed room. Early in the morning she would come with hot tea and wake me up. Then she would spread oil in my head and massage with her hands. The feminine touch , for the first time in my life, was like nectar to my sole! I kissed her. She gave me a towel and soap to take bath in the pond, as I have to be ritually clean, before I enter the sanctum.
Our contact invited attention of the people, who started whispering. One day we went all the way to my house where I introduced her to my people.
My brother asked me whether I intended to marry her. I loved her but did not summon the courage to ask her, because I am black. This I explained to my brother.
He laughed:”In olden times too, we used to marry upper caste Hindus. Your colour does not matte. I can see she cares for you.
On our return, we talked about this and agreed to marry.
A girl who has seen Jose, expressed her desire to marry him, Deedi told me.
“Does she know he is Christian?”, I asked, as he used to come as Ramu, in the temple.”Yes, she knows, said Deedi. So we arranged their meeting and they got married, by registration.
So I thus repaid him my obligation, because he was responsible for our marriage too!
I was sceptic But Jose was enthusiastic. It was a holiday, about four in the evening. He took out his bike and we were on our way to Thrikkur, where the temple was located, as told by the manager of the temple when contacted on phone.
In half an our we reached there. The man was standing at the gate. He mounted his bike and we followed.
It was a big temple, with two Gods, one Shiva and another Vishnu There is a big pond near by.”Do you accept our offer?.The substitute poojary wans to hand over charge as soon as possible.”
I agreed. “When will you join?”
“The next Sunday, I shall come with bag and baggage”
We had tea at the Manager’s house. His wife and a young girl greeted us there. “Our Warasyar” told the Manager, pointing to the young girl. She looked hardly twenty, very fair and slim. I felt aliking for her.
On our way back, e passed the Thrikkur cave temple of Lord Shiva, where water dripped continuously over the Lingam, through a small water vein through the rock. I was eager to see it, but it was getting dark.
“”There is plenty of time after youu join the post in the temple. You should show it to me also. I sahall come as Ramu!”
Sunday morning we went to the temple and put our baggage in a large house, with tile roof, but ceing very high. The Manager had arraiged a small table ad chair, as I was astudent in the college..”Ramu” and I took bath,enjoying the cool clean water and I swam across the water. Jose did not know swimming. “You must teach me,” he said.
We then went to the temple. I was introduced to the Poojary. “Do you know how to cook?”, he asked.
“I used to do pooja as substitute.” I said. Warasyar took us to the Warium, and served dosa and coffee. “Wonderful,” cried Jose. He ate like a wolf and the girl smiled, satisfied. Jose then went away and we started to talk.
“How old are you? Don’t you go to school?”
She laughed loudly.”I am thirtyfive and still unmarried. My father died when I was three and grandmother, now very old, brought me up. I studied up to tenth standard.
We then went to my house, carrying some vessels, rice and vegetables provsions etc. needed for my cooking. “Shall I cook?” she asked.
“How can I thank you? You are like my Chechi. I said.
“I am so happy to have a young man for company. I must thank you. When I first heard of a new Poojary, I thought he may be an old man!”
So the days passed. After pooja, I used to catch a bus for Trichur, to attend college.
A Bank Manager used to visit the temple. Through him, I took advance from the bank and bought a bike. Now I used to take Deedi on my bike every day, after pooja in the evening.
Her mother had to go to her home and for some days, she suggested that I stay with her at the Warrium in the night.
She made the bed in her room and slept in her mother’s bed room. Early in the morning she would come with hot tea and wake me up. Then she would spread oil in my head and massage with her hands. The feminine touch , for the first time in my life, was like nectar to my sole! I kissed her. She gave me a towel and soap to take bath in the pond, as I have to be ritually clean, before I enter the sanctum.
Our contact invited attention of the people, who started whispering. One day we went all the way to my house where I introduced her to my people.
My brother asked me whether I intended to marry her. I loved her but did not summon the courage to ask her, because I am black. This I explained to my brother.
He laughed:”In olden times too, we used to marry upper caste Hindus. Your colour does not matte. I can see she cares for you.
On our return, we talked about this and agreed to marry.
A girl who has seen Jose, expressed her desire to marry him, Deedi told me.
“Does she know he is Christian?”, I asked, as he used to come as Ramu, in the temple.”Yes, she knows, said Deedi. So we arranged their meeting and they got married, by registration.
So I thus repaid him my obligation, because he was responsible for our marriage too!
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