The Journey of the young Man

CHAPTER-1

Beautiful morning begins with the bright sun. People were walking here and there. The carts were moving all over the town of Thalli. It was 24th April 1906. It was a common day for the people of Thalli. In this huge town of Thalli lived in a small hut a disable pregnant women named lagmu. She was about to give birth to a child with her husband Ramji. Her husband was a merchant who sold leather to shoemakers. As usual he left to the market to sell leather. He had been renting a plot to sell his products. The money had been tight lately, he hadn't paid his rent since a month. The moment he reached the market he found the plot owner Kakaram awaiting for him with some goons. He threatened Ramji to pay rent. Ramji tried explaining about his situation but Kakaram ordered his goons to thrash Ramji. He snatched away the leather he had as his month's rent.

He evicted Ramji from that plot and threatened him to be never seen again in the market. Thrashed Ramji went home with a face with bruises. Lagmu got tears as soon as she saw her beaten husband. She applied turmeric and tried treating by herself as they didn't have enough money. She treated him and asked him to rest when the door rang. She opened the door and found a British officer there to collect tax. Their tax was pending since 2 months. The officer was being harsh the moment Lagmu tried explaining he ordered his fellow officers to evict the house. They barged into the house and threw all the household items out. They slapped Lagmu when she tried stopping them. Injured Ramji was thrown out ruthlessly. Their house was emptied and the British government took the ownership of the house.

Disheartened Lagmu picked up the bed and made Ramji rest on it. She went to her neighbours seeking help. Everyone refused to her. Sad Lagmu returned to her husband and found him asleep. She didn't wanted to disturb him. She again began to search for help she walked a mile and came across a temple. She went in there crying for help and seeking god to help her when she came across a priest. He understood her pain and asked them to reside in his house until they are capable of living independently. Lagmu joyfully took the priest to her husband who was asleep. She walked him up but he didn't open his eyes. She thought he was in a deep sleep when the priest cried," he is dead." Lagmu cried with tears, "Mind you words, my husband is alive." The priest tried to calm Lagmu and said the his body had turned pale blue as it had been hours since he was dead. Lagmu collapsed on the ground with a shriek.

The priest immediately took her to the hospital where she delivered a baby boy and left the world in pain of losing her loved ones. The priest felt pity on her child having lost his parents, so he decided to adopt him. He took the child home, but his wife refused to accept Lagmu's son as her son as he was of a lower caste. But later on she reluctantly accepted him as his son. The priest arranged a adoption ritual the next day. Many people came on that beautiful occasion. Their entire house was covered with flowers and people gathered. The ritual started and went on beautifully, the priest had even hosted lunch for the guests. Now the priest Muniswamy and her wife Lata were now the official parent of the baby. The days passed  on and the baby grew eventually. Now the baby was of 8 months and now it was the ideal time to name the baby according to the Hindu culture. They hosted a naming ceremony and named the baby as Sampangi Ramaiah. It was a beautiful Hindu name.

Sampangi grew up in a Hindu priest's family, hence was not allowed to eat any non vegetarian food. When Sampangi was 2 Lata got blessed with a baby boy. She gave more importance to him than Sampangi and named him after a Hindi god Narayana to show his superiority. She used to be so bias that she used to give Narayan fresh food and Sampangi the leftovers. Muniswamy couldn't notice these things as he used to spend most of his time in the temple. Amidst such situation Sampangi manages to grow up as a good child.