STORY OF GIFTS

I and my wife were at the breakfast table. I opened the wedding invitation card lying on the dining table. My friend Seshadri’s son’s marriage was just a week later. We two had decided to attend the function as it was just three kilometres away. My worry was about the gift to be given.

“Madhura, I have an idea. Do you remember we got a beautiful glass-bowl as a gift for our marriage?” I asked her.

“Well. That was more than 25 years back. I don’t recollect. But, why you talk about it now?”

“We did not use it at all, as we had a good wall clock already and there was no space and no need to have another. So I had kept it safe in a suitcase in the attic.” I said.

My wife is intelligent. She said, “So, you want to give it as our gift to Seshadrimama’s son?”

“Exactly. I will see if it looks new and repack it in a good wrapper. That will be a good present. We need not scratch our heads thinking about a proper gift.” I said.

Surprisingly, she agreed. I brought it sown from the attic and found to be looking very good. My wife only remarked,.”

I wrapped it in a fresh gift wrapper, wrote our blessings to the boy on a card and stuck on the wrapper. Now, it looked really grand.

As arranged, the Ramanathan couple picked us up in their car at our gate on their way to the venue.  I joined Ramanathan in the front, while my wife joined his wife behind. On the way, Ramanathan spotted my gift pack and asked me, “You are giving him a gift?”

“Yes. We thought giving an article is better than cash. In the case of cash, it will be spent in no time and they won’t remember us at all. but If it is an article, they will preserve it for a long time, remembering us every time they see it.” I replied. “And, what about you?” I enquired.

“Well, Sheela feels the other way. If we give cash, they will pool all the cash and purchase something useful but too costly for them otherwise. Thus, they would prefer cash.”

“Both views are correct. We will not debate on that topic now.” I said.

“Why?” Ramanathan asked.

Ecause the car is yours. If I don’t agree with you, you may ask us to get down.” I said laughingly. He knew I was just joking. He laughed and patted me on my back.

At the venue, I met several friends and acquaintances. We gossiped on all topics under the sun. We had nothing else to do except watch the stage, which was encroached by the photographers, masking the view of the proceedings. Some flowers were thrust on our hands by a volunteer. We threw these flowers towards the stage, while the tying of the maangalyam was in progress. Of course, the flowers fell only on the photographers and the vadhyar who were covering the proceedings. After some time, we heard the vadhyar announcing “Aseervaadam. Athais, mamas and other relatives and friends of the bride and groom be available here.”

I was ready with my present. I and my wife together handed over the well-wrapped gift to the groom. We were happy when the photographer took our photo. Thus, our part in the function was over. Slowly, we walked to the dining hall for the sumptuous lunch.

“Madhura, now do you agree I am smart? I could make use of an unwanted gift for a good occasion. It saved a lot of expenses too.” I said beamingly to my wife.

About an year passed. One day, Ramanathan and his wife came to us with an invitation card. “My grandson, Vivek’s upanayanam has been fixed on coming Thursday. I had told you about this in our daily meet in the garden, if you remember. We invite you both to come and grace the occasion and bless him.”

“Surely, Ramanathan. Where is it to be held?” I asked.

“In the first floor of the Ayyappan Kovil. Everything is mentioned in the card.”

“Okay. Will you have some coffee?” I enquired. But they said they had to visit more houses.

When they are gone, I turned to my wife. “Now, what we should do for a gift?”

“Let us give some cash only now. When I offer Bhiksha to the boy, I will give him tha cash. Let us not bother ab out aseervadam etc.”, she concluded. I had to agree with her sometimes.

In the hall, I met our friend, Seshadri. I enquired about his son’s wedded life. He told us that they were doing well and that his daughter-in-law was expecting now. In two months, they will be conducting the seemantham function. “I will inform you the date and place. You two have to come and grace the occasion.” He said.

As usual, the vadhyar announced the aseervadam time. I was standing with Seshadri, discussing about Indian political scenario. Seeing me unmoved, Seshadri said, “It is time for aseervadam, Moorthy. Just reminding you, that’s all.”

“My wife will be giving a cash-envelope to the boy when he will be receiving bhiksha from her.”

Immediately Seshadri rushed to the vadhyar and handed a gift parcel to be presented to the boy, with a citation mantra. The boy thankfully accepted the gift with a good smile.

Ramanathan met me later. He asked me, “Last time, you were in favour of presenting a gift in the form of an article. Now, you are giving money, why?”

“Ramanathan, now the boy is a student. He may need a lot of money to buy his educational stationery. We felt that he can pool all the money received and use it to buy his study materials.”

“Yes, you are right,” agreed Ramanathan.

As usual, we three met in the park next day evening. Casually, I said, “Tomorrow is first. That is I have only 30 days more in my office. I am retiring on the last day of the month.”

 “I invite you for my daughter’s grihapravesham next Monday. Take a day’s leave and come,” said Mr Ramanathan. I told him that I cannot make it as I wanted to say good-bye to some of my friends in various sections of the office. I wished all success for that function.

“Oh, you are 60 years old! No one can say that, Moorthy”  Seshadri opined.

“But, are you not celebrating your shashtipoorthy?” asked Ramanathan.

“Shashtipoorthy is to be conducted by the children, not by me. With my son in Canada and daughter in Hong Kong, how can they come together on a mutually agreeable date?”

“So? No celebration of your sixtieth birthday?” Ramanthan looked worried.

“Yes, It will be just another day in my life, that’s all. Moreover, I don’t believe in such celebrations. The money is just wasted, in the form of decorations, dakshina, purchases etc.”

“No, we don’t think so. We want this day in your life to be memorable.” Seshadri said.

“Ramanathan agreed with him. When is your star birthday?” Ramanathan asked me.

“On 13^th” I replied.

“Okay, it is next Thursday. We two and our wives will have lunch at your house. It should be a real sadya on plantain leaf, with payasam and vadas “ Ramanthan proposed.

Seshadri said, “Your idea is very good. I second it. Don’t worry about the preparations. My wife will prepare beautiful paalpayasam. Since it is for your birthday, she will be happy to do it.”

Seshadri added, “My wife will prepare aviyal and vadas. She is very proud of thiese dishes.”

Ramanathan said, “All you have to do is get the plantain leaves and banana chips. Cook enough rice. Arrange for enough curd. For the rest of the things, leave it to the three ladies.”

Things went off as planned. All of us enjoyed the lunch which included the paalpaayasam and aviyal and vadas by our guests. The three ladies put their expertise together to cook tasty sambar, rasam, poriyal, banana chips and pappad. It was a rare chance to sit cross-legged on the floor and eat out of plantain leaf..I found that I could sweep the payasam out of the leaf with my hand. It was fun to see both my friends struggling to take out the flowing payasam from the leaf. Ultimately, they were given tumbler and spoon 

Before leaving, Both Ramanathan and Seshadri together handed a wrapped gift to me. Seshadri said, “Don’t take is as a big gift. It was a piece received at the time of my son’s marriage. He could not find enough space to keep it in his luggage and said he had one similar to this one. Thus, he gave it to me. I too could not hammer a nail on the wall for hanging it. I presented it to Ramanathan’s daughter for the grihapravesham function hoping that it will decorate her rooml.”

Ramanathan continued, “My daughter gave it to me, asking me to replace the old one with this. But, I thought of you and accepted it for presenting to you on a good occasion. It is a  combined  present from us both. So, please accept it as a token of remembrance for today’s get together. ” The two couples clapped and chorused ”Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Moorthy, happy birthday to you!”.

I appreciated their gesture and accepted it. After they left, I and my wife opened the wrap with curious looks. What we found shocked us. It was the wall-clock we had presented to Seshadri’s son for his marriage two years ago.