Change is possible if you decide to-PART 3

 

“Settu! I’m the husband of Jyothi who lives in that street. I urgently need some money. We already have some jewelry pledged here, could you please check and give me something,” pleaded Kathiresan.

“Hey! Just yesterday your wife came and took ₹2000 saying it was your wedding anniversary. Now you come here today saying it’s urgent? What kind of husband and wife are you both, coming every day asking for money? Do you think this is a charity? Go away properly. Don’t come here in the morning and annoy me,” shouted Settu.

Hearing this, Kathiresan felt like his heart skipped a beat.

“Wedding anniversary? Oh no, that’s why Jyothi dressed up so nicely yesterday, probably to look good for me. And I misunderstood her, scolded her... even hit her!”

Feeling tormented with guilt, he ran from there.

He rushed to the bus stand thinking:

“Nothing should have happened to Jyothi... I must find her, fall at her feet and ask for forgiveness. Do I even deserve that? I shouldn’t have doubted her, believing some random conversation. I’ve done a terrible wrong.”

Torn by these thoughts, he reached the hospital.

After asking around and searching anxiously for a long time, he finally found Anbu. He hurried to him and cried out:

“Sir! Where is Amma (Mom)? Everything that shouldn’t have happened, has happened. I don’t know how I ended up doing all this. Where is Amma?”

He dropped to his knees, crying uncontrollably.

Anbu sternly replied:

“Why are you here? Is drinking more important to you? People like you come here after causing all the trouble. You think you can just see if she’s okay and leave? I won’t even let you see Amma. We don’t want you anymore.”

Kathiresan pleaded:

“No son, even yesterday my friends provoked me with their talk. They always act like they want the best for me, gave me job offers, and so on. I argued with Amma just because she asked if I was going to work. Everything escalated because of my drinking. It was my first time drinking, and I acted horribly. Please understand me, son. Please forgive your father, Anbu.”

With tears in his eyes, he broke down in front of everyone.

 

Anbu replied:

“Who should understand whom? Me or you? These friends of yours—who are they? The ones who made you drink, took money from you—are they really your friends?”

He continued:

“I had a friend too. One day in school, everyone was talking about their dads—what jobs they do, whether they are strict or loving. They asked me too. I said, ‘My dad sometimes talks nicely, but if he drinks, he never lets us sleep, uses foul language. Sometimes, I have to hit him so that he’ll sleep.’

Everyone looked at me in shock. Some even said, ‘Correct bro, that’s the way to deal with it.’ But my friend Mani came to me later and said, ‘Even if you're angry, hitting your father is wrong. Your mom is the one suffering the most. Watching her husband and son behave like this in front of her—it’s unbearable for her. Try to change him without raising your hand.’

That’s why, even yesterday, I didn’t do anything to you. That friend was a real friend. The people around you—they're destroying you.”

Hearing this, Kathiresan deeply realized the damage his drinking habit had caused.

“From now on, I will try my best not to drink. No son should ever have to describe his father the way mine did. But my son has gone through it,”

he said, hugging Anbu tightly, who finally consoled him.

 

Then Anbu took Kathiresan to see Jyothi. Seeing him open his eyes, Jyothi asked softly:

“Did you eat? Last night, due to the fight, you didn’t eat properly. I don’t know what time it is now. The doctor came in the morning and said everything is fine.”

Holding her feet, Kathiresan cried:

“Will you forgive me? I made a terrible mistake... a terrible mistake.”

Jyothi gently said:

“Please get up, holding my feet won't change anything. Your drunkenness made you speak that way. I know you’re not like that at heart,”

She helped him up.

Seeing Jyothi’s maturity, Kathiresan was overwhelmed with guilt.

“It’s my drinking, dear... I’ve never hit you before. And now I’ve reduced you to this state. What kind of horrible man have I become?”

he cried, holding her hands.

Jyothi replied:

“You must change. You’ll return to your old self only if you truly want to. We won’t have unnecessary fights anymore. Now that you’ve realized, that’s enough. Ask your son for forgiveness, not me.

You both go and eat something. I have a slight headache. I’m going to sleep.”

She closed her eyes slowly, drifting off to rest.

 

“Alcohol can destroy a family. But emotion can rebuild one.”

 

                                                                                               -by Nandagopal G