I remembered Thanappa from the “Missing mail” today
Today, when I was on a call with my father, I reminded him of his postman from back in the day. My father liked his personality and treated him well. If my father had a mail, he would shout my father’s name twice- once when he made the turn to our lane, and second when he’s right below our house which was on the 1st floor.
It would be unfair if I didn’t mention the series of crisp clanking from the bell of the Hero cycle that usually accompanied the shout.
The missing mail from Malgudi days is a short story that was part of my curriculum for English literature in 9th grade. I was reminded of the missing mail, and the central character, Thanappa, since I had reminded my father of his postman.
I went online and read the story again to enjoy a full dose of nostalgia.
For those who don’t know the context of the story, Thanappa is the postman who is designated for delivering mails to Vinayak Mudali street. Thanappa’s character was such, he didn’t just deliver mails. Thanappa shared a personal bond with every family, particularly with Ramanujam and his family. To the extent that he finds the match for Kamakshi- Ramanujam’s daughter.
The marriage had to be fixed before a particular date since the boy wouldn’t be able to marry for 3 years if it is formalized after a particular date. In the midst of this, Ramanujam’s uncle passes away, and the telegram informing the same doesn’t reach Ramanujam because Thanappa suppresses it.
Thanappa reveals the news after the ceremony is completed, and Ramanujam’s initial reaction is anger but decides to ignore it acknowledging Thanappa’s intentions.
I am not sure my father’s postman would go to the extent of suppressing mails, but like Thanappa, he shared a personal bond with my father!
Thank you for reading!
