Nalabhagam, T.Janakiraman
This is, as always, another book
with an explosive (at that point of time) theme by T.Janakiraman. Every other
book by this author is special for me for three reasons. One, they make me feel
as if this author has taken a peek into my life at some point of time or the
other. Two, like most classics of Tamizh literature, this one also revolves in
and around Thanjavur district – my native place. And, three, every other work
by this author, ‘pushes my emotional envelope’ and stretches my mind’s canvas,
so that it can contain more of emotions and I could paint some vivid pictures
in the same.
The story goes like this –
Kameswaran was abandoned by his father and step-mother while he was a young boy
and he was brought up by Vatsan who used to cook in the temples. He was brought
up in the best of ways and discipline and devotion to God is all that he knows
about. Now he makes a living by working as a cook in religious tour trains.
Rangamani is a middle-aged woman
whose husband passed away due to TB within a few years of marriage and she was
left to suppress both her carnal requirements as well as emotional requirements
for a child. She has an adopted son now, but who is also not bearing any child.
She is so worried for the future of her daughter-in-law and is in pain thinking
that her daughter-in-law’s fate will also end up similar to hers – without any
progeny.
Muthuswamy is a famous
astrologer, who is travelling in the same train as Rangamani and tells her that
as per the family horoscopes, her adopted son will never have a child, but her
daughter-in-law will. Rangamani meets Kameswaran in the same train and
something deep down tells her that he is the son that she couldn’t bring out
from her womb. She asks Kameswaran to come and stay with him as her son.
Kameswaran, though reluctant, feels the same love for her and accepts her as a
motherly figure.
Meanwhile, thinking over the
astrologer’s words, Rangamani has some plans of bringing progeny to her family,
by involving Kameswaran with her daughter-in-law, in crude concept of surrogate
father. What did transpire? Did Kameswaran see things the same way Rangamani
did? What did her daughter-in-law and son think about her plans? What were the
emotional struggles? ‘Nalabhagam’ answers all these questions.
