Lakshmi

Chapter 13 Lakshmi, Lakshmi, Lakshmi

All the guests who came and witnessed the marriage of Karuppiah with Lakshmi ate nice rice pongal, and drank sufficiently the dhal payasam. Payasam is a rice cooked with milk, jaggery, elachi cardamon, and with few more spices that provide best aroma. Devi and the king had ensured no lavish dinner 

Kattayya was happy to assemble all the guests in the house of the priest, and the king had a word to bless all. Both Karuppiah and Lakshmi were found to be in an exceedingly blissful mood, as they never expected that they would instantly get married. In fact, Lakshmi had several plans to experience an in depth intimacy with Karuppiah, prior to her marriage, in terms of sharing her life from her childhood, and was wanting Karuppiah to open up his whole heart telling her. All such expectations had got thwarted, just before the festival of Perumal on the full moon day. 

Yet Lakshmi knew that Karuppiah had been chained with her eternally, and felt they would have more intimate times,  with no suspicions and back biting. She wanted to pull him into her room, as there were many things in her room to show him. She laughed. What to show?

The king blessed all those who came. Deivanai the mother of Karuppiah, his sister Saroja  and Sarasu bent their knees before the king for blessing. The king 

gave them sumptuous presents of wonderful sarees of Kumbakonam, besides fifteen golden coins for each. The king hugged both Karuppiah and Lakshmi on his breast, and kissed their foreheads.

The king then began. " My dear friends. Me never expected today would be a wonderful day. I am aware that both Kattayya and Sasivarnam would agree with me. We have now in our kingdom,  a new couple as the treasurers. I have great affirmation on their talents and potentials"

"But I am considering their way of life from this moment. I wish they can move into the new room of Karuppiah by tomorrow noon. I have already requested the chief mason, to build a verandah in the space between the east wall and the feed store of the horses, and make it a nice kitchen. I am not interested in giving them a bungalow immediately, as intimacy develops only in small rooms". He started to laugh with big guffaw.

He continued: "Karuppiah would continue the work on the horse stable and learn all works  assigned by god to him. All works  are honorable works. To me keeping the horse stable is as important as  that of the treasure of a kingdom.  I will soon find an alternative worker in place of Karuppiah for the stable, yet he would supervise the horses, along with the learnings of the revenue collections and expenditures at the kingdom. I have asked the chief accountant of the kingdom to present himself on the fifth day  from now on, before the couple to learn  the finance management. The couple is encouraged to travel to all the revenue head quarters any time, and check land records,  and work out necessary plans for renewal if any. I wish Lakshmi to learn quickly the horse riding. I am sure Karuppiah would teach Lakshmi the skills of horse riding. Lakshmi and Karuppiah will have their office at one of the rooms near the north gate temporarily"

He now turned to Karuppiah. " Karuppiah, please show me tomorrow the bundle that the monks had given you to hand over it to the medicine man at Madararapattinam. Also bring the brass box, and the map  about this  fort". Karuppiah was in a shock. "How come the king knows of the bundle, the brass box with the map?". He wanted to share his shock with Lakshmi. 

After drinking a cup of payasam from the hands of Lakshmi, the king once again began."Both Lakshmi and Karuppiah assumes this responsibility at a critical political phase. Yet I am sure they will be blessed by this experience. I request Kattayya and Sasivarnam to organize the  evening meeting with me,   in the presence of Karuppiah and Lakshmi, tomorrow'.

Saying it, he invited both Karuppiah and Lakshmi to him, and gave them the little platter containing gold coins and jewels as his personal gift.

Devi and the priest were in tears. They kissed Karuppiah. They embraced Lakshmi, wishing her life well.

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The kitten was waiting for Karuppiah and Lakshmi to come into Lakshmi' room. It knew that this night is the couple's first night of intimacy to knowing one another. After observing all cultural expressions of the Tamils,  before the entry into the room of Lakshmi, both Karuppiah and Lakshmi did  a walk to the temple of Perumal.

Kitten had no patience. She wanted to show her first before the young couple. She knew that it would frighten the couple  perhaps. Yet it had determined to reveal herself; after all the elders of the Dwarf Galaxy had assigned her the duty to oversee Karuppiah, to making the Ramanathapuram territory in prosperity! Kitten felt the absolute necessity to have the dialogue with the couple.

Kitten had  proposed to sit on the window sill, while Karuppiah would begin  his talk with Lakshmi. It knew that intimacy is  holy. Hence  as a member of the  Dwarf Galaxy kittens, the kitten felt that it should respect their intimacy. Hence it decided to leave the room,  moment it finished off its narrative with the couple. 

Devi had arranged the room of Lakshmi in a decorative manner. She had  ensured pure white silk bedsheets on the queen bed of Lakshmi, adding four soft pillows, made of wild silk. She ensured burning of pieces of sandal woods in the room, and sprayed jasmine flowers on the bed. The room was rather big. It had a queen bed, besides two beautiful reclining chairs. There were two small tables having plates of fruits, and jaggery made rice balls. And on the wall was the painting of goddess Lakshmi on lotus, which Lakshmi had purchased from Krishna Achari, as a gift to Karuppiah.

Devi was able to organize few brass jugs of water, and a jug full of buttermilk. Devi also ensured a wall painting of a sea shore depicting  a small girl child walking on the shore  in nude. On seeing the arrangements, she laughed heartily, understanding that every male and female go through these experiences of intimacy in their lives, and that is the way humanity gets multiplied. She reminded herself in soft giggles. 

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The kitten was in thoughts over the nature. Her eyes suddenly rolled over to the wall paintings. It heard the door of the room of Lakshmi got opened. She saw Karuppiah entering, being  followed by Lakshmi. She noticed Lakshmi carefully closing  the door behind. She saw both in her eyes a pure excitement of intimacy. She saw in Lakshmi an extended blush. The entirety of Lakshmi was in  giggles, and in smiles. Smiling profusely  more than ever before. Equally it saw in Karuppiah a boldness accompanied with a big smile. Karuppiah sat on the middle of the bed. He took the right hand of Lakshmi and planted a kiss on the palm.

The kitten called Lakshmi in its girlish voice from the window sill.. "Lakshmi,Lakshmi,Lakshmi". 

Having astounded by the voice from somewhere,  both Karuppiah and Lakshmi got stunned. " Who calls? That too in a cat's screeching voice?".

Speechless, both Karuppiah and Lakshmi at once ran out of the room and reached the main hall to find  both the  mother of Karuppiah, and Sarasu talking with the priest and Devi, all  sitting cross legged on the carpet, deeply in chat. Sister of Karuppiah was in her dream sleep.

Lakshmi burst out  saying,  " There is some one in the room calling my name". Karuppiah nodded his head in agreement with Lakshmi. It appeared they were in great astonishment.

Now the entire family was in the room of Lakshmi. Devi was bold enough to search the entire room, underneath the queen bed and all. She shrugged her shoulders as if  she did not find any. Sarasu inhaled the nice fragrance of the jasmine from the room. She imagined herself with Lakshmi, and with Karuppiah on the queen  bed. She blushed and chuckled.

Now the priest came to their  rescue. He advised Lakshmi. " Probably the goddess Lakshmi might be calling. So if at all you hear the voice once again, reply 'here I am' ". 

Lakshmi and Karuppiah both did not get away with that sudden shock and amazement. Clear voice. Calling Lakshmi. They nodded their heads towards the priest. Karuppiah sat on the middle of the bed, and Lakshmi closed the door behind, and walked towards Karuppiah.

"Lakshmi,  Lakshmi, Lakshmi!". 

Definitely it ought to be the calling from goddess Lakshmi. The physical Lakshmi and Karuppiah sternly looked at the window sill, from where the voice was appearing.  As instructed by her father, in fear and shock, Lakshmi uttered," Here I am".

Suddenly there was a little whirlwind of misty smoke on the window sill. The couple saw a small little kitten waving its hands at them, purring and meowing. It said" Hello Karuppiah! Hellow Lakshmi! Do not get frightened. I am your friend since the day  Lakshmi began to love Karuppiah", commented the kitten. Now the kitten slowly walked towards the fruit platter and started to eat the  jamuns, slowly plucking them one after the other, from the bunch in a slow motion. Karuppiah's eyes was in bewilderment.

Lakshmi still frightened, sat much closer with Karuppiah and bearhugged him in a stunned silence. Karuppiah patted her hands, which were now encircling his neck seeking security.

The jasmine fragrance entered the nostril of Karuppiah.

Karuppiah asked the kitten, " Who are you?"

The kitten now stretched her fore limbs upwards, yawning a bit.

She replied, " I am the kitten from the Dwarf Galaxy to help you both". "Help? From Dwarf Galaxy?", enquired Karuppiah.

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The narratives from the kitten began to flow like a river from a beautiful hill in a thicket of forests, enticing the whole trees, animals, insects and birds,  creating an uninterrupted drizzle of fragrance, felt both Karuppiah and Lakshmi.

Now Karuppiah was leaning his back upon the wall adjacent to the queen bed in cross legged posture.  Lakshmi was on his lap, her head on his chest, while both her face and body slightly tilted towards the kitten, intertwining Karuppiah's fingers with hers, while deeply listening to the narratives from the kitten in awe.

Kitten continued: " Lakshmi, as I said earlier, I am from the Dwarf Galaxy, and that too from one of its planets. We are an army of kittens. We are immortal beings. We have been given the responsibility to care the earth  Like us, there are rats army, butterfly army, sparrow army, peacock army, and many others, each army has been assigned to care some planets in some galaxies. We kittens care you the human beings on the earth. I am assigned to take care of you".

"My elders have assigned a group from my kitten army to look after the old Madurai territory. I am assigned to watch you and Karuppiah, since the day your heart sought Karuppiah", added the kitten.

Lakshmi questioned," How did you know, that I sought my beloved Kala"

The kitten replied: " We immortal kittens are taught about divine love. The moment you started to mention his name in your heart, the message clicked in upon my mind diary. Because whatever would happen to Karuppiah would be in my discretion, unless there are certain issues which goes beyond my controls".

It continued, saying," Karuppiah! You should know that from the day Lakshmi met your grandfather, from the moment he explained your ability, braveness, and intelligence to Lakshmi, from the moment he desired that you should be her husband,  we are watching you and Lakshmi. Your grandfather was a perfect man, desired no wealth, was sincere to the king, and was secretly guarding the treasure cave, from the prying eyes of few evil doers in this fort campus. Although the king had sent away two of the evil doers in the act of a job transfer, still there are few hiding in this fort  enacting themselves innocent".

"You would come across these venom soon. But beware I am here to guard you. Few things are important to be shared as conditionalities. One: Never invite me to come public. We are hidden beings. We hide ourselves somewhere. But we watch you. Two: When we see a more dire  need, we would meet you, not upon your summon. Third: Always be in bliss. Because the life events would  shape you as better persons to serve the people. Hence enjoy one another. Fourth: Be always jointed with one another, in mind, in spirit, and in  body whenever it was possible. You both are created as models for others"

"On the third day after the temple festival, I  will come to you to take you into the cave of the treasure chests", the kitten told.

"The cave door does need a tiny key, although the king was aware of the location of the key, I would show you. You have to insert the needle at the proper hole on the wall, and it needs a slight pressure by your intertwined indicator fingers. Both of your fingers should slightly push that small-minuscule hole, pushing slightly the needle  at a particular place on  the wall, inside of the sanctum samctorium. You would see the door open. And you would see the treasure chests. Desire not on anything inside the chests. You are allowed to inspect only. Because it belongs to god Perumal and goddess Lakshmi. Hence it belongs to the poor", continued the kitten.

" Once the political situation becomes intact, you could invite Sasivarnam and Karuppiah to show the treasure chest", meowed the kitten.

" Do trust Lakshmi", said the kitten to Karuppiah. " Which Lakshmi?", wondered Karuppiah.

" I will not appear to you, unless I want. Hence make  this moment as your divine moment, to experiencing one another,  tasting each others' like. Tomorrow there are more things of work ahead for you". Upon saying this, the kitten vanished herself in a whirlwind smoke of sandal wood fragrance. 

Far off at a  sea, the waves  began to roar,  and slashed its waters on the shore, cooling the earth by its successive oncoming tides.

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While Lakshmi and Karuppiah were in their union of bliss, the king,  in assembly with his two comrades, was writing a letter to the Tanjore king. The king requested both Kattayya and Sasivarnam to meet the Tanjore king, and submit the letter, as well to hand over  the bundle from the monks to the British envoy visiting the Tanjore Tamil Library.