True Stories - our promise to her......

More than three quarters of a century ago, there lived an Antharjanam* who was raised in an orthodox family in south Kerala. Her father, though not rich or formally educated, ensured that his children were not deprived of the same. Thus, she was able to graduate with a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry, and teach in a pre-school. A year later, she got married to the protagonist of this story.

After marriage he chanced upon her graduation mark sheets and found that she had excellent grades. He was someone who, despite having top grades in every exam he’d written, had to postpone his higher education for 10 years because his father was no more and his family lived hand-to-mouth. He did not want the family he supported to have the same fate. Thus, he sent her to Medical College, Trivandrum to procure her
MBBS degree. The struggles that he had to undergo, the hardships he endured, the comforts he sacrificed and the opposition that he faced even from his close relatives cannot be put into words. Even then, he strove hard to pay for her books and other educational expenses. Then came two children and their expenses shot up, but he somehow managed to make ends meet. At the local pawnshop, people knew him by his first name and his only gold ring by a mere glance.

She finished her MBBS and became the first doctor from the Nampoothiri**
community in Kerala. By that time, the couple had had two more children. Soon she also got appointed in the Department of Medicine at Trivandrum Medical College. She then pursued her MD in Medicine and graduated with flying colours. Her husband anted her to make maximum use of her potential, and not be denied of any opportunities owing to family commitments. So, he sent her to London to procure an MRCP, while he took care of the kids. Remember, the time was 1960s when even the men in Kerala had not started dreaming of going abroad, and an Antharjanam traveling overseas all
alone to study was unheard of. But this time she missed her children so badly that she came back to India against his wishes after a year without completing her degree.

She went on to become a successful doctor, a loving wife, a doting mother, earned name and fame. Her four children grew up to be successful in their lives. Time flew and she retired as Professor of Medicine at Trivandrum Medical College. By that time her husband had long since retired, and she did not pursue work, in spite of receiving lucrative offers. Instead, she faithfully joined her husband in his spiritual quest. Together they found their Prathyaksha Krishna, who had been with them throughout, in Srimad Bhagavatam, thus making their life brighter, richer and ever more meaningful.
In her 80s now, she leads a peaceful, blissful life with her husband, children and grandchildren. She has always and still continues to speak with high regards about her husband, who sacrificed a lot, so that she could study and become successful in life. Not even a single day passes in her life without her thinking of his selfless deeds or speaking about him with love and gratitude.

One day we asked him, “What made you do what you did, and how did you have the courage? How many things could have gone wrong..!” He smiled ever humbly and replied, “You see, it was a period when women in our community were confined within the four walls of the house. I always seethed at the injustice and wanted to prove a point. I paid for her studies with my own, hard-earned money. It was actually no big deal, she was brilliant and I just helped her to live up to her potential. And about the
courage part, truthfully I didn’t have much; I just believed that Lord Krishna would take me across, even if it was one stroke at a time. You have to move forward and keep the faith if you want to achieve anything in life.”

I feel extremely proud to be the first grandchild of this blessed couple.