Rope Ladder

By Sivasankari

Sivasankari (born October 14, 1942) is a renowned Tamil writer and activist. She has carved a niche for herself in the Tamil literary world during the last four decades with her works that reflect an awareness on social issues, a special sensitivity to social problems, and a commitment to set people thinking.

She has many novels, novellas, short stories, travelogues, articles and biographies to her credit. Her works have been translated into several Indian languages, English, Japanese and Ukrainian. Eight of her novels have been made into films, having directed by renowned directors like K. Balachander, SP Muthuraman and Mahendran. Her novel 'Kutti' on girl child labour, filmed by the director Janaki Viswanathan, won the President's Award. Sivasankari's novels have also been made as teleserials, and have won the national as well as regional 'Best Mega Serial' awards.

As a multi-faceted personality, she has won many prestigious awards including Kasturi Srinivasan Award, Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiyar Award, Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award, 'Woman of the year 1999-2000' by the International Women's Association, and so on.

'Knit India Through Literature' is her mega-project involving intense sourcing, research and translations of literature from 18 Indian languages, with a mission to introduce Indians to other Indians through culture and literature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pustaka Digital Media
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 6580501806812

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Rope Ladder

Author:

Sivasankari

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

1

The smoke from damp firewood irked his eyes. Kichami tried to wipe his face without taking a break from his impending chore. He was making Mysore Pak and could not afford to leave the stove even for a minute. Although he longed to refresh himself with a ring of cool water, he just could not leave this precious sweet. If he did, Mysore Pak would become inedible, hard as rock!

If that wretched Sethu was around he would have asked him to wet his upper cloth to wipe his steaming face. There was no sign of Sethu at all, although he had told him a hundred times to be ready sharp at 2 P.M. at advocate Raman's place. Advocate Raman had asked for ‘potato bondas' and Mysore Pak to be served by 6 P.M. to all guests. He was celebrating his success over a difficult case and his friends had demanded a 'party'. Kichami had told Sethu firmly We should not delay them at any cost. Don't give me lame excuses and disappear. In fact, you stay home today and come with me. Sethu told him not to worry and said that he'll be there at Advocate Raman's place sharp at two. He ate his rice and buttermilk by nine and vanished. Now it is about 3 P.M.!

Where could he have gone? He really had no pressing job in the offing. But he was crazy about the movies. He might have gone for a morning show or more still, stood gaping at some film shooting. Athimber, brother in law I was watching a film being shot in Mambalam, just for a moment. I did not realize the time go by. How come, Athimber these heroines start weeping at the drop of the hat? He would ask questions naively, always moving around for information on shooting schedules. He also was in the habit of pouring over old film magazines in the club. People knowing about his craze for film stars and gossip will entice him by offering juicy news about some celebrity. They would make use of Sethu to run all their errands promising some gossip at the end of the day. Go and get some cigarettes and beeda they'd order him or Get Samosas from the Nayar's shop. Knowing him to be gullible people would even make up some tall story to appease Sethu's urge for film world, at the end of the day!

Who knows where he has gone today? He must be gaping, listening to some idiotic story without realizing that it is well past two o'clock. Kichami's attention was diverted to the Mysore Pak which was just reaching its final stages. He had a glass of melted ghee next to him which he poured in with a practiced hand. Another two minutes more, he thought, watching the mixture bubble and foam in the corners. Wiping his face in his upper cloth, he drew the greased plate near him. Stirring the mixture with his right hand, he got up to bring the vessel down from the stove. Deftly he held the vessel with his upper cloth, gave it a shake and expertly poured the content on the greased plate. After every bit was transferred on to the plate, Kichami sprinkled some sugar on to the mixture. He was satisfied with the appearance of the Mysore Pak. Choosing a clean knife, he quickly cut the sweet mixture into the desired shapes. There were totally eleven rows with ten pieces per row. Not counting the misshapen pieces, he'll be able to serve about 100 pieces which were ordered by the advocate. He left the plate to cool and came out to the verandah.

When he washed up in the cool water and came in, the time was three ten. Just as well he did not wait at home like a fool for Sethu and proceeded on his own to the advocate's place. He had started on the bondas by boiling the potatoes, sieving the gram flour; side by side he had attended to the Mysore Pak and got it ready. But there was still a whole lot of work to be done. He had to get the onions cut for the bondas and grind the chutney too. The serving leaves have to be cut to size, water to be flavored with cardamoms and fresh decoction to be brewed later for coffee too. Kichami realized that he would not be able to manage all this by himself.

He walked with long strides to the backyard and gave a shout Hey you there, young fellow! Come here!

The boy atop the compound wall, plucking the jasmine looked up.

Who's there?

It's me.

What do you mean me. Do you work in this house?

Yes.

Come here, what's your name?

Arumugam said the boy and began to pluck the jasmines once more.

Hey, you, come here at once, shouted Kichami. The boy jumped down from the wall and the flowers he had gathered spilled out of his pocket.

Look here, said Kichami never mind about the flowers. Do you know the club in the 3rd street?

Is that the one in which our master plays cards every Sunday? the boy asked.

Yes, yes. Bless you my boy! Now you run across and get hold of the man called Sethu who usually comes to work with me. Tell him it's late and your Athimber wants you to come immediately.

The boy gaped. Whom should I call? he asked perplexed.

Sethu, Sethu said Kichami exasperatedly. That black, pock marked, assistant of mine

Oh, the man who came to give the provision list to Amma two days ago? the boy recollected

The very same man. Go run and get him.

Whom should I say called him? the boy was still confused.

Tell him that the cook Iyer wants him. Go for God's sake and get him.

Arumugam still hesitated. I have to pluck flowers otherwise Amma will scream.

She won't; she won't. She's busy inside getting ready for the guests. You go now and I'll explain if she asks. Go, go. I'll keep a plate of sweet and bondas for you separately, Kichami coaxed him and the boy tempted by a vision of sweet and savouries, ran down the road. Five minutes later Sethu arrived panting and puffing as Kichami was peeling potatoes.

Am I terribly late, Athimber? he started. You know what happened? I was coming here well before 2 P.M. when I passed that Hussain's house, his old mother stopped me to get the taxi quickly as she had to take Hussain's wife to the hospital. It was her delivery time, you know, and she was in severe pain and none of the menfolk were around. When such an old woman pleads, what could I do? I found her a taxi and she further begged me to go with her to the hospital. How could I refuse? I dropped them at the Royapettah hospital, dashed up to Hussain’s cloth store, gave him the news and here I'm!.

Even before he could finish, Kichami cut him short Don't keep blabbering and waste time now. Wash your hands and feet and start cutting the chillies, onions and ginger for the bondas.

Sethu washed up and sat down to chop the onions with the cutting knife. You know that old lady, athimber... when he began once more, Kichami glared at him.

Don't open your mouth to utter word. If you do, I'll give you bashing with this piece of firewood. Who wants all your stories about Hussain’s mother, his wife and her labour pain? I agree that you are a great philanthropist all set to help the poor. Now shut up and attend to your work. If bondas and chutney are not ready in an hour's time, the Advocate will be mad with us. What little money we hope to get out of this tea will be lost and hope you'll be happy with that! You are a stupid idiot. I really do not know how to cope with you!

Sethu realized that his athimber was really furious and began to attend to his work quietly. Just as he opened up the banana leaves to cut, Arumugam appeared saying There is no sign of that foolish man in the club, they say... oh, here he is!

Okay okay, you carry on with your flower plucking. I'll call you later for the snacks said Kichami and shooed him off. When he next glanced at Sethu chopping away the banana leaves, pity stirred his heart. Poor fellow! he thought to himself. Poor old Sethu. The whole world is calling him an idiot. He recalled how Sethu's parents had wanted a boy and the penance they did before his birth. Sethu was no other than his wife Visalam's younger brother. Visalam's parents had feverishly prayed in all the temples, dipped themselves in sacred waters and finally did a special pooja at Rameshwaram according to the astrologer's advice. Maybe it was just a coincidence or maybe it was the grace of God, Sethuraman was born to the devout parents. Kichami's eldest son Rajamani and Sethu were more or less the same age and one can imagine the age gap between Visalam and Sethu. Unfortunately, the boy was not smart or bright and this was a great source of worry for the parents. Some people predicted that Upanayanam ceremony would instill a little intelligence in Sethu. Although the ceremony was performed Sethu remained pretty much the same unable to even repeat the sacred Gayatri mantra. Since he was spending two years in every class the parents thought education as far as he was concerned