Samee, I work for the Periyagounder’s homestead at Periyapalayam. I go by Maran. You can ask him. Everybody compliments my work, samee. I will be delicate on the bulls. You will not have anything to fear.’ ‘Good. Come. Get in carefully,’said Ponna’s dad, giving over control to Maran. Moving the bull on the right somewhat aside, Maran jumped on to the driver’s spot. Then, at that point, he lifted his two young kids and made them sit. His significant other was somewhat on the heavier side. She raised herself up by putting one foot on the turn of the haggle herself behind her significant other, ensuring she didn’t contact anybody sitting on the feed spread. Since now a whole family was to the front of the truck, the weight unevenness irritated the bullocks.
In this way, Ponna’s dad moved further to the back to make it more straightforward for them. Presently they additionally had individuals to converse with. 23 It made Ponna restless when her dad began getting some information about his loved ones. Her apprehension was that once that finished, Maran could respond. Continuously, it would come to his asking, ‘The number of kids that does your little girl have?’ And when they would hear she had no youngsters at this point, they would show compassion for her and recommend some medication or some custom. ‘I have only embarrassment to expect, even from a Chakkili,’she thought. She did her part to ensure the discussion didn’t travel that way. Fortunately, her dad began discussing development all things considered. The two kids were exceptionally lovely. The one sitting on the dad’s lap probably been eight years of age.
A little kandangi fabric torn from a sari was all she was wearing around her midsection. The other one, sitting stripped on her mom’s lap, should have just been three. Ponna wanted to keep the child on her lap. However, station regulations prohibited her from contacting the kid. She ceased from playing with rank kids, since she dreaded some reprimand or remark. In the period of Purattasi, it was a custom to offer pongal at the Perumal sanctuary at the foot of a slope. Assuming that one pursued the faster route through Kollipalayam first thing in the morning, one could arrive at the sanctuary when the sun was above.
Obviously, assuming somebody was going like this by bullock truck, you could all go together. Prior, Kali used to step up to the plate and sort out for and even drive the truck. Those were exceptionally blissful excursions. He would take however many individuals as the truck could hold. Assuming they left early, they would be at the foot of the slope when it was brilliant and radiant. The slope was fundamentally an exposed stone that looked like a monster bushel that had been flipped around. The district encompassing the slope was all timberland.
On the Saturdays of the Purattasi month, swarms from adjacent ran to the sanctuary. You could see ovens caught up with getting ready pongal for the contribution. The sambar made with green gram dal, pumpkin and women’s fingers — all extraordinarily made for this contribution for Vishnu — were tasty. Everybody followed a similar recipe. On the mud streets prompting that slope, one would never recognize any indication of a human dwelling. It was all green and lavish vegetation. Raised fields developing groundnuts dabbed the edges of the streets and filled everybody with bliss.
Also, the plants that yielded toor dal remained with their leaves spread out like the spread out tails of pleased peacocks. It was alleviating to the heart just to drive on this street. Ponna had guaranteed three head shaves and three pongal contributions to this god. When might she get to finish that? Once during their excursion there, Kali’s truck was packed to the point that they were for all intents and purposes elbowing each other for space. Going with them from Thundukkaadu were Kannaaya and her two kids. Her child, who was three or four years of age, was dull and snot continually spilled from his nose. The young lady was a baby; she hadn’t even begun to creep.
Kannaaya was battling to deal with the youngsters while likewise clutching everything she was conveying for the sanctuary offering. Her better half was strolling behind the vehicle, since there was definitely no space for him in it. Ponna took the newborn child from Kannaaya and kept it on her lap, ensuring the sun didn’t annoy the child. The kid was in sheer enjoyment at the vehicle’s bobbing all over out and about, and it giggled at whatever point Ponna made a ‘kooooo’sound whirling her tongue around. Kannaaya’s wedding had happened just a year after Ponna’s, however she previously had two kids in a steady progression.