The year was 1942, Kamava was only 40 when she became a widow. The whole community felt relief and sadness for her. Relief because her husband had been bed ridden with a stroke for 16 years, and sadness because her life was full of tragic circumstances. She had three children, her eldest son Cariappa was 21 and already had taken over running the coffee estate. Her second child, her daughter Gangu was married about 7 months before and her youngest son was in school.
After the 11 day ceremony for mourning was finished, the family started the process of clearing out his room. They gave away all his clothes , and the sons with the household help, went through the entire room and either gave away or burned some of his belongings. While they were removing the four poster bed's mattress from the room, they came across a whole bunch of copper wires in knots and spirals with little bags tied together with herbs etc under the bed. On asking the mother, she said it was for their father, and to throw it away into the Kaveri river. Nothing more was said about it.
Many years later when she died, at the age of 72, she left a letter for her three children. This is what it said:
"Dear Children
This letter is to tell of the terrible truth that has been burdening my soul for the last 50 years. When I married your father, on the wedding night he told me that he had a mistress and I would have to live with the fact that he did not believe in being faithful. For the next few years, all I did was pray, and went to every temple, holy man that I could to help me get my husband back. One day, a lady in the village, told me about a tantric, a man who practised the dark arts, who was in another village and how he could help me. I decided to go to him, and he listened to me and gave me some copper wires, and some small bags and told me to place these under the mattress directly under where your father slept. He said that within the month your father would be mine and mine alone. I did, and that month your father had a stroke and was bedridden for the rest of his life. He could not do anything, and was totally dependent on me. In one way I got my wish. I died with this horrible truth burdening my soul. Please forgive me.
Your loving Mother."
All the three kids sat down and wept. They wept for their mother, they wept for their father and they wept at the total loss of all happiness and helplessness.
After the 11 day ceremony for mourning was finished, the family started the process of clearing out his room. They gave away all his clothes , and the sons with the household help, went through the entire room and either gave away or burned some of his belongings. While they were removing the four poster bed's mattress from the room, they came across a whole bunch of copper wires in knots and spirals with little bags tied together with herbs etc under the bed. On asking the mother, she said it was for their father, and to throw it away into the Kaveri river. Nothing more was said about it.
Many years later when she died, at the age of 72, she left a letter for her three children. This is what it said:
"Dear Children
This letter is to tell of the terrible truth that has been burdening my soul for the last 50 years. When I married your father, on the wedding night he told me that he had a mistress and I would have to live with the fact that he did not believe in being faithful. For the next few years, all I did was pray, and went to every temple, holy man that I could to help me get my husband back. One day, a lady in the village, told me about a tantric, a man who practised the dark arts, who was in another village and how he could help me. I decided to go to him, and he listened to me and gave me some copper wires, and some small bags and told me to place these under the mattress directly under where your father slept. He said that within the month your father would be mine and mine alone. I did, and that month your father had a stroke and was bedridden for the rest of his life. He could not do anything, and was totally dependent on me. In one way I got my wish. I died with this horrible truth burdening my soul. Please forgive me.
Your loving Mother."
All the three kids sat down and wept. They wept for their mother, they wept for their father and they wept at the total loss of all happiness and helplessness.
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