109) The Guarantor

The feeling of community was very strong at Mambalam; it’s a typical middle class Brahmin community where neighbours helped one another and if there was a good dish made, it was shared and so was gossip. No one a stranger and this small group stood against the might of the municipalities and electricity board in one voice and usually got their demands met.

Rukmini was a 65 year old woman and retired teacher from a government school, she remained active attending the gita classes in the weekend, also learnt chanting besides taking free tuitions for kids in the colony. For some strange reason, she had remained a spinster and whispers had it that her father was too poor to search for a groom and those were the 50s and 60s when women were modest unlike today’s shameless actresses who do anything for money. Society had soberness and a set value system that had dissipated as the years gone by.

Rukmini was one to those who got up at 4:30 am and she would advise her students likewise. “Always gets up before the Brahma muhrtham. The fresh air before sunrise is so rich with ozone that it ennobles your mind”.

Then wait at the milk booth for the sachet and then enter the kitchen only after a bath. A
short puja and only then stove be lit for coffee. She chided today’s kids on “bed coffees” and contrasted it to a drunkard’s weak resolve. Point is, Rukmini was yesterday’s gold and a woman of great bearing and culture.

Last year she was served with a notice from the local bank asking her to persuade her friend to pay up on the loan. The story goes like that: her student’s father was a businessman and going through difficult times. He used her good name and influence with the bank officer to obtain a loan for Rs.15 lacs.

The bank officer said,” Your house is the security and I want the teacher to be the guarantor, for she is the soul of this community”.

The businessman begged and cringed and Rukmini felt repulsed to be dragged into this financial transaction. She signed the forms more out of buying immediate peace than later persecution.

This happened in 2004 and now after three years, the notice reminded her of her obligation. The businessman had defaulted the loan and even his security, a fraud. The house was joint property and he was not even a legal heir and now the bank moved in to liquidate Rukmini’s assets.

For a woman who had lived with honour and respect in a community for decades, this was a huge shock. Eighteen lacs was way beyond her reach for she was no actress or cricketer.

She had a lone one bedroom apartment and that wouldn’t gross more than 10 lacs. Her cash savings and jewels would gross no more than another 5 lacs.

The bank officer advised,” Ma’am, this is against my duty but I cannot help it. You can just sell the property and go absconding and we will make no efforts to trace you”.

She gave him such a ferocious look that he shut up,” And sacrifice my values. I might as well beg on these streets than being accounted for a cheat”.

She was penniless and she went back to work in a private school.

We in the neighbourhood had scruples seeing his divine lady suffer. We pooled together enough and presented her Rs.50,000 purse and another came forward to offer a spare room so that she remained amidst us and enrich our lives.

The best thing: was she bitter about her fate? I have never heard her mention this misfortune to anyone. And the mami still goes to her Gita classes and makes those filter coffees after a bath and puja.