195. The Barefoot Man from Malaya (Short Story No.9 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: The Barefoot Man from Malaya (Short Story No.9 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

Every woman dreams of a man sweeping her off her feet. In certain cultures, till today it only remains a dream. A stark example of this is the Jaffna Tamil society or the whole Tamil society for that matter. Till today the notion of marriage with an outsider is still unwelcome in most families. Marriages in the family among cousins is still practiced and are fixed since birth. 

In this short story written by the affable Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam, readers will come across a character, Rasamah, who defies all tradition to marry Kandasamy, a man not of her family and who didn't proceed with the usual channel of asking for the bride's hand.

Kandasamy, who works as a government clerk in Malaya has come back to his hometown in Karai Nagar, Ceylon. After much personal research about Rasamah, he just walks up to Rasamah's house and asks her directly for her hand in marriage. This shocks Rasamah to bits as she never expected this to ever happen. She was brought up in the tradition of marrying into the family, never outsiders and also not to speak matters of the heart to an unknown man.

However, Kandasamy is adamant in marrying her and bringing her back to Malaya where he assures her of a secured and comfortable life. He even tells Rasamah that he doesn't want any dowry from her. Dowry being a very debatable issue currently, this story portrays lightly what dowry means and its importance in marriage.

Before Kandasamy leaves for his home after the abrupt proposal, Rasamah gives him three kolukattais (sweet dumplings). When he is home, he gives the package to his mother who is impressed by Rasamah's cooking ability and immediately approves of her. Without fail, Kandasamy keeps asking Rasamah for her hand.

Alas, as with all Tamil mothers, Rasamah's mother clearly disapproves of the proposal of Kandasamy as he breaks all tradition. She considers him to be a scoundrel for not asking for Rasamah's hand through her. She also disapproves of Kandasamy taking Rasamah to Malaya. 

With all the hullabaloo of going back and forth, do you think Rasamah and Kandasamy crossed the marriage threshold successfully? In this romantic story of marriage and true love, you will have an insight into how marriages and proposals take place in the Jaffna Tamil society.

For more interesting short stories from Marriage and Mutton Curry, I suggest you head over to the nearest bookstore and get your hands on a copy today.