A Gift out of Luck!

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Story of a poor young girl who gets an unexpected fortune.

It was unbelievable! Selvi got Ten Lakhs out of a lottery. When the lottery vendor proclaimed this, it was more a surprise, rather than happiness. Selvi heartily said 'Oh God Thank you!'.

But, after receiving the money, what she did with that money and why she did like that, was a ocean deep mystery.

Selvi did not have father. Her mother was a deaf and dumb woman. They were living in a Village in Kerala. Her mother was doing some household works in a few houses nearby and was earning some bread for the family. No good food. Lack of good clothes. No decent shelter to live. But, even in such a difficult situation, Selvi managed to study in eighth class. She was very fond of studies and will never miss her classes in the school. As much as possible, she used to help her mother also in her works.

" Oh.. What an injustice it is? They say that Selvi has handed over all her ten lakhs of rupees to a poor family in Kollegal!" the neighbour woman Omana expressed her anxiety in a rampageous voice.

" Are you mad? As if you are from a 'Peak Lord' family, you have parted with ALL the money you received, and handed over as charity to someone else! And you two poor souls are again struggling for food and clothes! This cannot happen unless or otherwise you are mentally ill! " another neighbour Sivamma was right royally firing Selvi.

Selvi expressed a small smile and peacefully left the spot.

'Oh… You have a thought that you are a successor of 'Karna Maha Prabu' (A 'philanthropist' character in Mahabaratham) family..! You have no good food or clothes. There is not even a good rubber chappal for your feet to wear. In such a stage, you want to do charity. This is what they call 'kindness in poverty'.

Selvi simply moved away from 'Komala Patti' (patti-oldlady), ignoring all her criticisms.

"Alrealdy a poor girl. Struggling for food. Fatherless too. Will such a girl do such a foolish deed. If she would have donated about ten percent of the money, every one would have appreciated and complemented her. Will any wise girl give away the entire booty as charity?"

Each and every one accused Selvi's action with anger and rage.

All started with a single word 'Oh'; and continued with the surprise coated word 'What!!; and spread all over, with the comment 'Unbelievable Act!'. Finally, these comments brought a Journalist and a Video Grapher from a Private Television Channel who came in search of Selvi.

"Who are you?; What is your background?; why did you do like this?" the media people started pouring questions to Selvi.

At a point of time, leaving no alternate path, Selvi proclaimed as: 'Yes I will explain all my deeds. But, with that, you people must leave this matter and ourselves. OK?'

Selvi started the meet with this condition.

Before the start of the meet, she brought her dumb mother and also the poor family to whose benefit she handed over the entire money.

With the camera and mic functioning in full swing around, Selvi started her narration.

'Do you know who this woman is?' pointing to the woman sitting beside her, Selvi paused a little. There was a pin drop silence.

'She is the second wife of my father' she proclaimed.

'What…?!' people murmured with surprise.

'This woman lives in a nearby village. Do you know who this little soul – who is holding her mother and sitting near by, with a blank look! She is my father's child. Unfortunately, by birth, she is a mentally retarded child.

Every one sympathetically looked that child and that woman.

Selvi continued: " My father had his second marriage with this woman by cheating. Neither this woman knew our existence, nor we knew this women's existence, until the death of my father. After a few years, my father died. Somehow, this woman came to know the death of my father and visited us. Only then, we came to know the misbehaviour of my father. This woman, could not leave the child alone, and go for a work, even as a house maid. She was struggling a lot for even a single meal in a day. We also were not in a position to support her. Myself and my mother felt very sad.

Exactly at this time, I had this lottery prize. Myself and my mother are physically fit enough to do some work and live our life. So, I thought that, these people will be more in need of this money than ourselves. So I arranged to deposit this money on the name of this mentally retarded child. We made her mother as the guardian. Now they will be getting around Seven Thousand Rupees per month."

After hearing this, those who scolded Selvi for her activities previously, have now started praising her. The sacrifice of Selvi spread in social media as well as internet platforms. A wellknown Charity Institution, took responsibility for Selvi's Education till her College studies. Through another social media, people extended their financial support to Selvi, and she had around Twenty Seven Lakhs rupees in her account. 

Whatever came to Selvi through lottery may be a Luck. But whatever she got afterwards, because of her good deed, we must say, that it is a Gift.