Sabari Parinayam

1

The cool breeze that ruffled Sabari's hair was in contrast to the warmth that emanated from the lamps lit along the steps leading to the river beside the temple. The lamps left afloat in the waters swayed gently to the rhythm of the ripples, created by people dipping in the holy water and flow of the river current. The whole temple was alit with the small earthen lamps and so was the river. It was the time of the year wherein ancestor were believed to visit their homelands to see how their children were doing. The lamps where lit to welcome them to the land and their houses. The temple priest, an old friend of Sabari's parents, had insisted that she stay for the festivities, though she was in no mood for it. That, he said, was the very reason he wanted her to stay.

The smell of the burning oil calmed Sabari's emotions. She grew up with that smell. It reminded her of her mother's morning pooja. The ringing of the aarti bell had woken her up every single day of her life, until a month ago when she woke to a silence that was numbing. How peaceful her mother had looked, lying in her bed. It was sometime before Sabari realized that her mother was never going to wake up. She had felt lost after her father's death, ten years ago but her mother's demise made her feel..made her feel empty. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recollected the happenings of the past three months. So reluctant was she to let go of her mother that Sabari wanted the ashes to be buried under a Tulasi plant in their backyard.
Sabari looked at the pond in front of her and sighed. Difficult as it was,she fullfilled her mother's last wishes. She cried as she saw her mother's ashes float away in the gentle flow of the river, in her mother's native village. The tears finally rolled down. She tried her best to remain calm but the whole atmosphere of the temple reminded her of her mother. The lamps, the smell of the burning oil, the temple, the hymns in the background, the children running around with their mothers busy with the lamps. It was a scene right out of her childhood. What calmed her a moment ago seemed to heighten her emotions now.

Her mother has warned her many a times about the loneliness she would feel but Sabari has always brushed it aside.

"You should not have named me Sabari if you wanted me to get married amma!" She had teased her mother.

"I did not name you Sabari to make you a singleton!" her mother had retorted

"I know. I know. It was for the knowledge" Sabari had pacified "But I guess the single status comes complementary with the name" she teased.

"Nonsense. Men today have absolutely no sense of what is important. Idiots they all are!"

"Don't be spiteful amma. You can't call them names just because I can't give them something they want"

"Really? What about those people who were ready to marry for dowry?"

"Aah! Now those are the people you can curse...I guess" Try as she may Sabari could not blame the many men she met for not wanting to marry her. Especially after she let them know that she had very little to no chance of bearing children. The accident that had killed her father had also made Sabari incapable of becoming a mother.

Sabari wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks. A young women, in her twenties, was walking toward her and gesturing at Sabari to come over

"What happened Kalyani?" Sabari questioned her cousin's daughter. Kalyani had come to live with them as a school goer and was now a final year college graduate. The youngster had been trying very hard to keep up Sabari's spirit since the demise of her grandmother and virtually never left her alone.

"Pinni come!" She said excitedly, addressing Sabari by relation, as her mother' younger sister. "It seems today is a special day. You should wish for something and three dips in the water and your wish will come true!! come na?!" She tugged at Sabari's hand.

"If only it were that simple" Sabari smirked

"Abba! Don't be such a pessimist na. Come" She pulled at her aunt's hand again "Come na. This day and muhurtam come once in 400 years it seems. Com...." Kalyani was suddenly swirled out of her position by a kid who ran over to the opposite side of where they were standing "Stupid fellow! Can you not see!" she yelled at the boy.

"Kalyani!" Sabari chided "Watch your tongue. Don't scream at him like that"

"I should watch my tongue or he should watch where he is going?!. Idiot fellow!"

"Kalyani! small fellow ra he is"

"Small fellow aa? Did you see him? He must be in Inter or something. Small fellow it seems. And see. See how he is staring at me. Do that again and I will break you legs! Mannerless fellow!" Kalyani spoke louder to the guy who was, having heard Kalyani's words, staring arrogantly at her. He looked quite like a fuming bull.

"Leave him na. You were saying something. Dipping in the water" Sabari attempted to interrupt the staring contest that was happening.

It usually never took much to distract Kalyani "Oh that! Yes! You make a nice wish and dip in water and it will come true!" She got back her excitment "It seem it has always happened till now pinni! Wish na pinni?! Wish na!"

Sabari sighed "What do you want me to wish?"

"Wish for tall, dark, handsome, wealthy and goo..no wait! Awesomely romantic in heart and bed, man!"

"At my age...."

"Abba!!!" Kalyani smacked her forehead lightly "Please stop Pinni! Stop with that age bullshit! You are only 35. Not some 95 year old women who lost all her teeth and is bent with age!" She noted that Sabari was standing close to the edge of the landing over looking the river. She waved her finger at her aunt "See. If you won't do it I will wish on your behalf and push you into the water."

"Kalyani..."

"God please bless Pinni..."

"What stu..."

"So that she gets a handsome, good, romantic and wealthy man.." Kalyani walked towards Sabari with hands propped to push .

"Kalyani stop"

"Who will love her with all his life and treasure her and take good care of her" Kalyani made to push Sabari. But before she could even get to her the arrongant boy ran through betweem them throwing Kalyani to the ground and plunging Sabari into the pond!

"You jerk!!" Kalyani yelled running over to the edge of the landing "She cannot swim!! You jerk!!! Somebody please help!!! Help!!!" Kalyani ran down to the steps leading to the water but Sabari was further away. Tears rolled down Kalyani's eyes as she saw Sabari struggling to stay up. Kalyani twisted her hands in the agitation and cursed her helpness at saving her aunt, for she did not know how to swim, either. Just then a couple.of men jumped into the water. But..Sabari could not be seen above the water...