Think And You Have Received

As a normal tiresome day at college came to an end, I got into the college bus waiting to get back home. The one thing different that day was that I had a lot of friendship bands tied on my wrist. As I sat down chit-chatting with my fellow travellers, there came up a conversation about rakshabandan occuring the next day. As the conversation continued, I was in my own world thinking about asking mom to get me few rakhis that evening, so that I can celebrate Rakshabandan for the first time. Rakshabandan normally coincides with Avaniaavittam and that meant all my brothers meet up in one place to perform the thread changing rituals.


As I reached home, I found the house full of students. Admist them was my mother, glancing at a book through her reading glasses. I refreshed myself and ran to the kitchen shouting for my evening coffee. She came in a second later and started preparing my coffee. Then came in one the kids asking something. I shouted at her, asking her to get back to her seat and wait for two minutes. I hate it when someone gets between when she prepares my evening coffee and snacks.

Ten minutes and I was off to accompany my mother with my scheduled job of teaching. One hour had gone and mom reminded me that it was time to go for our dance rehearsal. She was already kick-starting the 'sunny'. After assigning them work, We left the stundents under my bro's supervision and proceeded to the choreographer's house.


Being known for her punctuality, we were at the spot on time to find no one else there. In the hall, we sat facing each other on the sofa. She looked at my wrist and suddenly something flashed across her mind. She spoke slowly, "I have got 9 rakhis at home. Tomorrow is Rakshabandan. All of them will be present at our place for avaniavittam. You can tie the rakhis then. Also I got 10 pieces of Diary milk. When you tie a rakhi you need to give a sweet also" I smiled. I wanted to ask how she knew what I thought hours ago and had already forgotten. But then I knew she did the shopping in the early hours of the day, long before I thought about it. Then I said, "for whom is that extra diary milk?" She said "That is for your uncle's helper boy, Murugan. Poor boy, he will feel left alone. So give him one too."

It might be apt to say 'Ask and you shall receive' when you talk about GOD. When it comes to her,
it's 'Think and you have received already.'

Nine years pass by since you bid adieu. But what I am today is what you did to me.