Tejavaram

The rain droplets are splashing on the ground continuously from the dark sky. So many people are coming to the house carrying garlands and placing it over the dead body covered with white cloth, which was placed in the middle of hall. The women above 40 years are mourning continuously sitting left to the dead body, while a woman was sitting silently at the corner of hall seeing her husband dead. Her head was attached to the wall while her face was numb, and her cheeks are covered with dry tears. Her eyes are still screaming sadness, and her heart wants to cry aloud but she was controlling it for the sake of her 10-year-old son, Dhana, sitting beside her, who was already sobbing for his father's death.

"Why do you take good people from this world so fast Eeswara?." cried one old woman and those words hit Dhana's ear.

He looked towards his mom who was still emotionless and asked "Why did god punish our dad mom? He is a good guy naa?" asked with tears spilling from eyes.

With the heavy eyes his mom looked at him "Don't know kanaa, perhaps there is no God, that's why good people exist so less on this earth," replied his mom with a dull voice.

A black car stopped in front of the house and a person wearing lawyer's suit entered the house while closing the umbrella carrying garland on his left arm. He kept the umbrella aside and went towards the dead body placing the garland on it, he did a short prayer by joining the palms and closing his eyes. He went towards the two persons who are the younger brothers of the dead person, they are standing at the right corner of the dead body trying to maintain sad faces.

"I spoke to SI Kannan and framed it as an accident, no need to worry from the police, is there any problem arising from family?" whispered the Lawyer to the brothers.

" No problem, my wife and Vedantham are with me and... she too believed us." said the first younger brother, Dharmaya, looking at his dead brother's wife.

"We will discuss the remaining matters later, first complete this task," said the lawyer

After a while the rain was decreased, and all the males along with Dhana went away carrying the dead body, leaving the women in house. After seeing his son, Dhana leaving with the uncles, Dhana's mom began to exhibit the sadness that was concealed so long. Dhana along with the younger brothers lighted the pyre after the completion of rituals.

****

"What, why can't we own his lands but only this rice shop, that too temporarily?" asked Vedantham the second younger brother. They were sitting in Dharmaya's office, where he was busy in reading the 'will' given by the lawyer.

"The will says that the land will be owned by Dhananjay if he got settled with a govt job or if he escalate the profits of this rice shop, at the age 30, if not then the land goes to the government, and we can't do anything." said the lawyer who is sitting beside Vedantham while both of them are sitting in front of Dharmaya.

"What if we kill him too?" said Vedantham.

"It is of no use; the land will be owned by government, we can only own this rice shop" replied the lawyer. Vedantham took a long breath to control his irritation.

"For now, we can temporarily own this rice shop till Dhana attained 18 years, we can make him sign the papers after his 18th birthday and legally own it, but the land..."

Dharmaya threw the paper on the desk hindering the lawyer's words and took the cigarette from the desk.

"Oy Lawyer now your work is over, you can leave." said Dharmaya while lighting the cigarette.

The lawyer stood up and went away from there.

" Bastard, even after his death he is not letting us to live peacefully. I should have tortured him to death instead of stabbing him." groaned Vedantham."Now should we feed those nasty unnecessary dogs for years till we get the land? " asked Vedantham.

"Yes" answered Dharmaya puffing his cigarette.

"Anna but...."

"What? Don't you need the land which is of lakhs?" asked Dharmaya.

"Of course, Anna but..."

"Then we should endure them, is there any other way to make the land ours?" asked Dharmaya.

Vedantham took heavy breath looking at his feet as he realized there is no better option rather than bearing them.

"We craved for our late brother's wealth for months and we are now owning part of his wealth, now to own the remaining part we need to wait for years. On Dhana's 18th birthday we will make this rice shop ours permanently and we need to make the land becomes his before his 30th birthday. Once he secures the land and hands it over to us, he can live to see many more birthdays else this birthday might be his final curtain call. We will take care of his studies and make him achieve government job." said Dharmaya.

"Why not business?" asked Vedantham

"Yes, we will support him there, he will be richer like his father leaving us to earn rocks while he earns gold and gain respect in this village. Now stop asking me these nasty doubts and search for best schools. " said Dharamya while smashing the cigarette on ash tray .

Vedantham agreed and left from there.