"How is the patient doctor?" Sai asked the doctor. . .
(Sai was a medical student in the hospital. . )
"Oh! He will be fine in few days. you seem to be very curious! Do you know him?"
"Yeah i know him very well. He is from my village."
"Oh! Then you must also know the old lady who keeps asking about him too. "
"An old lady! Where is she?"
"She is in the waiting hall . . . . but wouldn't tell us how is she related to him."
Suddenly like a storm Sai's mind rolled back into his past. . .
Something told him it was her. . .
He rushed to the waiting hall. . .
She was in her fifties but looked a lot older. . .
her face was wrinkled. . .
eyes holding back a great grief. . .
but like her tears had dried out. . .
but still Sai knew well it was her. . .
Tears trickled down Sai's eyes. . .
The doctor asked "What happened? why are you so sad looking at her?"
"Her name is Shantamma. She is the mother of the patient."
Ten years back . . . .
Madhav Shastri was the head priest of his small village. He was also the sarpanch.
Shantamma was his wife.
The whole village respected Shastri and Shantamma was no less than a goddess to the villagers.
Ramu was the son of satyamma. Satyamma had lost her husband long ago.
She maid for the Shatri's home.
Though Ramu was a son of a maid, but Shantamma loved him just as her son.
Ramu stayed mostly with the Shastri's eating and playing the kids. . .
Shantamma even sent him to school with her children.
Everything was fine till one day. . .
Ramu fell sick terribly. .
his body hot, shivering. . .
in the beginning everyone thought it was a mere fever. .
Shantamma the physician was called. .
he gave few potions mad from the herbs. .
"I have given the medicine but it may take a week or two. . . " said the physician.
A whole week passed but Ramu's health didn't improve. .
Ramu's uncle Ramesh suggested another physician to be called. .
Though Shantamma suggested to wait for a week but no one listened as they grew desperate. . .
Another physician from the nearby village was called . . .
He checked Ramu and said with gloomy face. . .
"The boy is suffering from
dosh gunam"
Everyone was shocked. . .
They knew well what it meant. . .
"dosh gunam" was a popular belief of the villagers that if any woman sexually harassed a boy or forced him into sex with her then he would fall ill with this sickness. . .
They believed the only way to cure it was to bring the blood from the thighs of the women and put it on the boy's eyes. . .
Now the question was who did it?
Everyone knew Ramu was always with only two women. . .
His mother and . . . .
Shantamma. . .
Ramesh grew angry. . .
He along with few villagers thronged at Shastri's house. . .
Shastri believed in his wife's innocence and ordered them to leave immediately . . .
Four days passed Ramu's health become even worse. . .
Ramesh was desperate. . .
He again thronged towards Shastr's home. . .
This time he pleaded to save the boy's life. . .
Sashtri believed in his wife but then. . . .
He said. . .
"I will give my wife's blood. . .If it doesn't work i shall have your head cut off. . . "
Shantamma couldn't take this insult. . .
But was forced. . .
The blood was bought and put 9in the eyes of the boy. . .
The night was dreadful . . .
No one could sleep. . .
"What if it were true. . .what if Ramu really gets cured. . .no no!!
This is not possible!!!"
All sorts of thoughts crept Shastri's mind. . .
The doom's day arrived. . .
To everyone's astonishment. .
The boy was cured!!!!
Shantamma was thrown out of the village and she was branded as a bitch. . .
Shastri killed himself out of insult. . .
"So was Shantamma really guilty?" asked the doctor. . . who listened the whole story. . .
"No she was not. . ."
"How do you know it?"
"Because I am Ramu. My full name is Sai Ram.
And I know the truth. . . ."
PS : the story was inspired from an old Telugu movie called "GRAHANAM"
