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Devadasi
Chapter Listing
Chapter XXVII
About six months later, Udayar was getting ready to visit Meena when he saw
Ganapathy put an earthen jar in the horse cart.
' What is that jar, Ganapathy ? ' he asked.
' Pickle, sir,' he replied looking a bit sheepish.
' Pickle ? ' shouted Udayar. ' Why are you putting pickle in the cart ? We are
not going away for six months ! '
' Amma asked me to take it sir.'
' But what for ? '
' They are for Meena, sir,' he replied looking at the ground. ' Amma says Meena
likes mango pickle and that she can't get good ones in Palayam.'
' How the devil does Amma know that ? '
' Meena must have told her the last time they met sir.'
' What ! ' Udayar spluttered, ' What is all this about? When and where did
Amma meet Meena ? Why am I being kept in the dark about all this ? '
' It is all my fault, sir,' said Ganapathy.
' I might have known you were up to some mischief,' said Udayar. He had been
under the impression that Chinnamma did not know anything about Meena beyond
some vague surmises. So, as they were driving towards Palayam, Ganapathy told
him about Chinnamma's sorrow and her decision to go back to her village, how he
talked her first into postponing that decision and then into meeting Meena and
how they had met quite a few times after that.
' I thought it best, sir, that the two ladies should get to know each other.'
Udayar pondered for a while rubbing his chin. ' You know Ganapathy, women are
the very devil to understand,' he said at last.
' You are right about that sir,' his faithful servant agreed.
Udayar urged his horse faster towards Palayam.
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