Small Story 138.

Small Story 138. Franklin's Miracle After attending his friend Desikan's Sadhapishekam, Ram made his way to the Mumbai airport to catch his flight to Chennai. His wife, Ambujam, couldn’t join him due to their daughter Vasanthi’s illness. Ram collected his boarding pass, sat down in a chair, and closed his eyes, recalling the function with his old friends. Suddenly, a man sat next to him—an American. "Hey, I’m Franklin from L.A. I’m a freelance film editor," he introduced himself. Ram replied, “I’m Ram, retired from Lintas Advertisement as a top executive." They exchanged pleasantries, and as the flight took off, they settled in with their seatbelts fastened. Franklin shared that his son had recently landed a great job as a cartoonist at Warner Disney, and that his wife, Rebecca, was a nursery school principal. Ram spoke about his own family—his two daughters, Vasanthi and Revathy, both had children, and were hoping to study abroad—one aiming for Sydney, the other for Munich, Germany. He shared that his passion for writing and spending time with friends made his retirement fulfilling. Franklin was impressed with Ram’s writing skills and asked him to narrate a story, as he loved listening to human dramas. Ram shared a touching family drama, and Franklin, being an editor, visualized the story vividly. The two spent a pleasant time chatting, and Franklin was genuinely moved by the story. When the flight landed in Chennai, Franklin took Ram's contact details and offered his own in return. He had only two days in Chennai and couldn’t accept Ram’s invitation to his home, but they parted with a promise to stay in touch. Back at home, Ram asked Ambujam about Vasanthi’s condition. She was completely fine, Ambujam reassured him. Months passed, and Ram received a call from Revathy. "Dad, my son Vedanth has been accepted into a college in Munich! But the fee is 45 lakhs, and my husband is trying for an education loan," she explained. Ram was happy for Vedanth but also troubled because he had recently purchased a new flat and couldn’t afford to help them. That evening, his other grandson, Sadagopan, called with some good news of his own. "My application to study AI in Sydney has been accepted, but the fees are 50 lakhs!" Ram was delighted but worried about how his daughters would manage such large sums. Despite both of his sons-in-law being well-placed, arranging that kind of money within 120 days seemed daunting. Ram prayed daily for a solution. Three months later, while chanting the Vishnu Sahasranamam, Ram’s phone rang. It was Vasanthi. “Dad, it’s Franklin. He wants to talk to you!” she said. Franklin got on the phone. “Ram, I have good news. Remember the story you narrated to me? I shared it with one of my clients, and he loved it! He’s willing to buy the rights and will pay you one lakh dollars for it.” Ram couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Thank you, Franklin! I’ll send my details right away,” he responded. The next day, Ram received a message from his bank—one lakh dollars had been transferred to his account. He immediately called Revathy and told her that he had transferred the fees for Vedanth’s studies. "Don’t worry about the loan. This is my gift to my intelligent grandson," he told her. He did the same for Sadagopan’s education in Sydney. Months later, Ram’s story became a hit overseas, and the company that bought it paid him a bonus of 500,000 dollars. Ram, who never expected such a fortune, decided to help few deserving organizations for development to create more jobs for young graduates. Ambujam thanked for her devotion to her goddess Kothai Nachiar. Desikan was overjoyed when Ram shared the news, and Ram whispered to him, “You are Kaliyug's Desikan.” And so, the miracle unfolded—one that seemed impossible, yet came true through faith, friendship, and a story that touched a heart halfway across the world. K.Ragavan 27-1-25