It was a rainy day right from the start, making it difficult for the newspaper boy. He'd, however, made sure that he delivered our newspapers on time.
A couple of hours later, we'd a visitor in Kausalya who'd come all the way from the coastal hamlet of Ponnani, about 35 kms north of the temple town. She'd been wanting to look up Lekha after her admission and surgery and had brought with her, delightfully mouth watering eatables that she knew we're fond of......damn sweet of her, she must have spent a fortune on them. But, then, that's the quintessential Kausalya who's ever ready to give despite the tough life that she leads.
I'd heard of the difficult conditions that she lived in, only recently, from Lekha's younger sister. But when I heard out the entire story I was amazed that she continued to present a pleasant countenance despite her ever flowing cup of woes.
Kausalya, her ailing husband, her second son, Aby along with his wife and two children and her third son - who's perpetually sick - live in a handmade mud hut that has neither a proper toilet facility nor a potable water point. The family stays in this wretched place thanks to a treachery. The main plot has a 'pucca' house where a widow - as old as Kausalya is and who's a far off relative - and her son live. The story has it that years ago, Kausalya's husband had given his friend the money to have the small piece of land, that they're occupying, registered on his name. Tragically, the gentleman died soon after leaving no documentary evidence of the said transaction - the paradox, however, is that the entire neighbourhood is aware of it, but they've not been able to provide succour to Kausalya because of the stand taken by his widow that she wasn't aware of 'the give and take'.
Kausalya has met the who's who of the municipality but has not been able to meet with any success thus far. She'd taken a legal recourse where a court had asked her to leave the place and she has appealed against the verdict in the higher court. Succumbing to the advice of her friends and well wishers, she has now decided to leave her present abode and move into a house on rent which is also turning out to be difficult because:-
(a) a sum of Rs. 50,000/- is required as security deposit
(b) the widow, staying on the main plot of land, refuses to give her any assistance in lieu of
the space that she's gonna surrender when she moves into a rented house, while giving up her
claim on the land, once for all.
(c) no house owner is ready to rent his/her house as Kausalya has a large(?) family of seven
members.
(d) and she doesn't want Aby to move away because - to quote her - she'd miss her grandchildren
and moreover, he'll have to shell out a similar amount for his dwelling against his daily
earnings from the construction work that he goes for.
Kausalya and her family stay in real inhuman conditions - potable water is adjacent to the toilet!
Can neighbours be so heartless that they don't permit the poor family to use their wells or toilets and seem to get a sadistic pleasure to see them suffer? Wonder what the local politicians and social workers are up to?........Sleeping?
Tailpiece.
(a) On hearing her story we'd asked her to shift to the barn at my dad's house and mom was very enthusiastic about the idea. But alas, Kausalya is not keen to move from her present surroundings as her son is a 'karmi' in the temple nearby to which she and her family have sentimental attachments.
(b) Have put two people, knowledgeable about the locality, to scout for a house that the family can take on rent without having to pay the security deposit. Something needs to be done before the continuing adversity saps the will to live in Kausalya and her family.
PS.
Her eldest son and his family had shifted to his wife's place quite a few years back and has not kept in touch with them ever since.
A couple of hours later, we'd a visitor in Kausalya who'd come all the way from the coastal hamlet of Ponnani, about 35 kms north of the temple town. She'd been wanting to look up Lekha after her admission and surgery and had brought with her, delightfully mouth watering eatables that she knew we're fond of......damn sweet of her, she must have spent a fortune on them. But, then, that's the quintessential Kausalya who's ever ready to give despite the tough life that she leads.
I'd heard of the difficult conditions that she lived in, only recently, from Lekha's younger sister. But when I heard out the entire story I was amazed that she continued to present a pleasant countenance despite her ever flowing cup of woes.
Kausalya, her ailing husband, her second son, Aby along with his wife and two children and her third son - who's perpetually sick - live in a handmade mud hut that has neither a proper toilet facility nor a potable water point. The family stays in this wretched place thanks to a treachery. The main plot has a 'pucca' house where a widow - as old as Kausalya is and who's a far off relative - and her son live. The story has it that years ago, Kausalya's husband had given his friend the money to have the small piece of land, that they're occupying, registered on his name. Tragically, the gentleman died soon after leaving no documentary evidence of the said transaction - the paradox, however, is that the entire neighbourhood is aware of it, but they've not been able to provide succour to Kausalya because of the stand taken by his widow that she wasn't aware of 'the give and take'.
Kausalya has met the who's who of the municipality but has not been able to meet with any success thus far. She'd taken a legal recourse where a court had asked her to leave the place and she has appealed against the verdict in the higher court. Succumbing to the advice of her friends and well wishers, she has now decided to leave her present abode and move into a house on rent which is also turning out to be difficult because:-
(a) a sum of Rs. 50,000/- is required as security deposit
(b) the widow, staying on the main plot of land, refuses to give her any assistance in lieu of
the space that she's gonna surrender when she moves into a rented house, while giving up her
claim on the land, once for all.
(c) no house owner is ready to rent his/her house as Kausalya has a large(?) family of seven
members.
(d) and she doesn't want Aby to move away because - to quote her - she'd miss her grandchildren
and moreover, he'll have to shell out a similar amount for his dwelling against his daily
earnings from the construction work that he goes for.
Kausalya and her family stay in real inhuman conditions - potable water is adjacent to the toilet!
Can neighbours be so heartless that they don't permit the poor family to use their wells or toilets and seem to get a sadistic pleasure to see them suffer? Wonder what the local politicians and social workers are up to?........Sleeping?
Tailpiece.
(a) On hearing her story we'd asked her to shift to the barn at my dad's house and mom was very enthusiastic about the idea. But alas, Kausalya is not keen to move from her present surroundings as her son is a 'karmi' in the temple nearby to which she and her family have sentimental attachments.
(b) Have put two people, knowledgeable about the locality, to scout for a house that the family can take on rent without having to pay the security deposit. Something needs to be done before the continuing adversity saps the will to live in Kausalya and her family.
PS.
Her eldest son and his family had shifted to his wife's place quite a few years back and has not kept in touch with them ever since.
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