Daughter of Man -Laithambika Antharjanam -Translated by K. P. K Menon

In the beginning of the story we see a very busy government officer, who doesn’t have enough time for self and tightened with schedule of government works and meetings. He was suffering from heavy headache and he doesn’t have food and didn’t bath that day. He doesn’t have time to spend with the child that was born after a long wait. He has realised that anyone who enjoys serving people must have to suffer these things. He was very much tensed but didn’t show that to the visitors and exchanges smile with them. But after entering into the room he shouts at his secretaries and asks them to come tomorrow. But the secretary knew that after sometime the government officer will call them and talk to them, so he was waiting. So the government officer meets everyone and finally the secretary comes and informs that there is a lady waiting for him and she wished to meet him last so she could meet in private. The officer shouts at the secretary that if you want to kill me why don’t you tell directly and adds I didn’t eat anything from the morning. The secretary says even the women didn’t had anything even water from morning. And also says she will go away soon and will not take much time.
The woman enters and the leader sees her indifferently. The woman was in an attire of 80th century. She covered herself with a dhothi , an umbrella and dangling earring. Behind her was a boy of six or seven holding the woman. The leader was speechless and trying to recollect something, gets up and nears her and enquires her that where she from is and what does she want? The woman stood still planting her eyes on the ground. And then when the woman raises her head, the dhoti slips down. The woman was trembling and eyes filled. She chants like mantra ‘I don’t want to sit Govindankutty, I don’t want. I’ll go away now. And you may not now but, but’ her throat chocked of because of tears and her face has marks of hard work and problems she has to undergo. The leader forgetting him cried, ‘Oh..!My Kunjathalamal’. He finally recognized her.
There was a vague silence that looked like meeting of a mother and her son after a very long gap. In the look Kunjathalamal had there was no anger, no demand, it showered only affection. The leader in his mind, have the preview of his own past. He realises that she was a Goddess who deserve daily worship but was thrown into dust by him mistaking it for a stone. The leader was feeling very guilt of his own acts. The woman whom he doesn’t want to meet made him to forget all other engagements. He regrets his acts and compares her to a cow which is sacrificed even after pouring love and sympathy. He calls her the Crucified Daughter of Man. Now he recalls his childhood, in a small village where he was playing and enjoying like any other kid. His father passed away and his relatives moved away. He was with his mother, whose only intention is to give him good education and better life. He cleared his primary education in one go but now his mother was worried about his higher studies as she could not afford him food and how is she going to manage his educational expenses. Now our Kunjathalamal plays a vital role by saying that he is an intelligent boy and he will tile his house one day. When Lakshmi, Govindankutty’s mother expresses her worries about lack of money, Kunjathalamal says if the boy could bring flowers from around for puja I can afford him money that he could use it for educational purposes. Govindankutty could give her only the image of a Goddess may be because he always met her in the temple or may be because she had a hand that always feed him food, after long search for flowers and coming back. He was not lucky enough to have his mother’s presence to witness all his success.
Kunjathalamal was his only refugee after his mother’s death. She fed him, and treated him the way she treated her own son. Kunjathalamal fed not only him but a lot people. At night she would stand by the gate and call people who hadn’t had food and fed them. Because of this charity she was felt as a woman born to give. She was treated by everyone as the one born to give. May be because of this charity to everyone Govindankutty doesn’t feel that he should inform his moving out of the village after passing 10th std. After coming out of the village he used well every opportunity her received and grew according to Kunjathalamal’s forecast. He never had thoughts of his childhood in the countryside.
Once Govindankutty crossed the village for a function, then he saw the Mana(from where Kunjathalamal served food )was closed, the tank was filled and gate was ready for topple. The person accompanying him said that the people have lost everything because of charity. For the sake of charity and feeding people, they took loans and after the death of the family head they have fed 500 members during the ceremonies. To pay this they have sell their property. And the elder son is rheumatic and the second son lost hope of getting job and joined a political party and is loafing around. Kunjathalamal moved out with his son Unni and his family to a small house nearby and lives there out of kindness of an old tenant. He wished to meet Kunjathalamal and ask ask about all her affairs. Fasting was not a big thing for Kunjathalamal. She fasts for Pradoksham, Ekadhasi and Monday. She would fast for 20 or 21 days a month. Even on those fasting days she would feed all other people. And the people around calls her the daughter of mountain, and the goddess who lives in the top of the mountain.
The horn sound brings back him to conscious and the secretaries were peeping in and both remained silent and at a moment their eyes met up and Kunjathalamal utters words of pardon for disturbing him and says she is very much happy for him and says ‘ am so happy as Unni himself got some good fortune and says Unni is bedridden for more than eight years and the family is totally destroyed and his brother has lost hope on himself in getting a job and joined apolitical party. Also she has a daughter who is unmarried. And people said me to meet Govindankutty and he could solve all his problems. And she adds up ‘ if you could not do anything about it, at least help in admitting unni’s son in a school so that at least he will get food in the midday, and prays Guruvayurappa to help and save her.
Now Govindankutty asks sorry and states that we are the reason for your present condition. We were very conscious about the food we received during our hunger but never paid attention to the hands that served us. Even after all this you don’t show any anger or don’t even curse us, that is your love Kunjathalamal. I have a request to you, be the same mother who you are, be the mother this motherless Govindankutty. And after bursting out all feelings and tears out, he calls his secretary and asks to get ready the car and to make a seat for Kunjathalamal, and finally says he is the Son of Daughter of Man