A few days with a ghost.

Chapter 13

 the past

The friendship between D’souza and Parvathy alias Parvathy Menon took a new turn.

The Theyyam dance was held as organised by the Thekkedath . People worship the Theyyam with much reverence and reveal their wishes  The Theyyam  blesses and gives  predictions and people believe that the Theyyam has  occult powers .  Being a member of the Thekkedath, Parvathy and households went to Theyyam and the Theyyam made a shocking prediction on seeing Parvathy.’Nee tharavattil ninnu vittu pogum’ Theyyam said in Malayalam, ‘you will go out of the Tharavadu’. No one could understand the meaning at that time. 

As the prediction that it may, , Parvathy and D’souza got married in a small function along with their close friends. Though her father PTR Menon did not give approval though he was a communist ideologist, he didn’t raise any objections. D’Souza got a transfer to Ernakulam and they started a new life there. 

After a few years Parvathy gave birth to a girl child whom they named Geetha Shiny, probably they wanted the name to carry the semblance of both castes to please the Thekkedath Tharavdu. They seldom went to Thekkedath and the people of Payinampally  had forgotten them. 

With the death of Menonettan the feud between both Tharavads eased and became cordial. Much changes took place in Payanampally and the Theyyam took various forms with the developments of the Panchayat and influx of new crowds who migrated to the village. Theyyam became no more an affair of two families but a temple celebration.

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Parvathy finished her postgraduation in Political Science and joined as a lecturer in a nearby college. With the death of her father their connection with Thekkedath tharavadu totally became disconnected. But their thirst for social activities kept them busy. Both D’Souza and Parvathy were active in the field of social activities like organising blood camps, visits to old age homes etc etc kept them busy. No wonder that their children Geetha and Jesly also got involved in such activities and nurtured the same. 

The youngers used to gather in the evenings in the house of D’souza . Parvathy and D’Souza have grown old. With Geetha graduating in Physics had chosen specialisation in Nuclear Physics as she was so attracted to this area of science. She and her class mate Ramakrishnan Viswanathan became very close. 

Viswanathan Iyer was  a renowned advocate .The association of Viswanathan and D’Souza began while they were in Cannanore. Viswanathan was then practicing  as an advocate in the District and other subordinate courts. Later he decided to move to Ernakulam , the seat of Kerala High Court. He was having many clients both criminal side and civil . Being thorough with IPC he earned laurels in handling criminal side. The High Court being appellate court , his versatility in viewing the cases  were totally different. While handling a case and putting up his oral  argument he started’ My Lord, the provisions of the Act are not to be used capriciously but logically…….’ Whereas the Prosecution ………”. 

The meeting point of the two was the congruity of their views based on communist ideologies. When the chemistry works out the friendship grows and the association becomes inseparable. Thus was the case of Viswanathan and D’Souza. So there was  no wonder how the children of two became closer. It so happened that both Geetha and Ramakrishnan got interest in Nuclear Physics and they pursued their studies.

 

A few days with a ghost.                                   Adv. Janardhanan venkiachalam

continues