Small Story 142.

Small Story 142 The Principled Principal After checking her luggage, Swapna waited for her elderly neighbor, a 75-year-old retired college principal who had boarded the flight from London after visiting his daughter. During their conversation, Swapna discovered that he lived on the next street over from her. She offered him a ride home, but he was delayed due to needing a wheelchair. Once he arrived, he apologized for the delay. "No problem, Sir. Everything is fine," Swapna reassured him as he explained that his luggage was being handled by the porter. They both exited Bengaluru’s Terminal 2, where they were struck by the dramatic increase in passenger traffic in such a short span of time. As they made their way to Swapna's car, she asked, "Who do you live with here?" "I live alone. My adopted daughter is settled in the UK," he replied. Swapna was surprised. "What about your wife, sir?" "No, I’m a bachelor," he said, and Swapna was taken aback. At 75, with such a dignified presence, he lived alone by choice. His house came into view, and Swapna dropped him off, exchanging contact information before leaving. Later that evening, after taking a long rest, Swapna’s son returned from his office. "How are you, Mummy?" he asked, giving her a hug after 45 days. "How is Dharini?" he added. Dharini was the elder sister of Anil, Swapna's husband, who worked as an architect for a leading consulting firm in Bengaluru. That night, as they enjoyed dinner prepared by their cook, Damodaran, Swapna recounted her experience with Professor Ramnath. She shared his story of being a principled man who never married, despite being deeply attached to his late brother, and how he adopted a girl from an orphanage and helped her become a successful IT consultant in the UK. When Swapna mentioned the name Ramnath, Sandeep, her husband, exclaimed, "He lives near our house! How do you know him?" Swapna nodded. Sandeep explained, "He was my friend’s brother. My friend had an accident and couldn’t marry the woman he loved because her parents wanted her to marry a relative. Ramnath, who was very close to his brother, chose to live alone after his parents' passing and never remarried." Swapna admired his decision to live by his principles, and the next day, Sandeep invited the principal over to reminisce about old memories, while Damodaran prepared a delicious meal. K.Ragavan 31-1-25