Small Story 244.

Small Story 244 A Sweet Encounter at the Bus Terminal Parvathy came to North Chitrai Street in Madurai to buy the famous halwa. She had been staying for two days at her friend Lakshmi’s house to attend the Chitra Festival. After enjoying the festivities, she planned to return to Periyakulam in the evening, but not before picking up the special halwa from a popular shop. Madurai was bustling with people visiting temples and celebrating the Chitra Festival. Parvathy thoroughly enjoyed the warm hospitality of her classmate Lakshmi and Lakshmi’s son, Krishna, who worked in a good position in the TVS group. A well-mannered young man and an eligible bachelor, Krishna had made a good impression on Parvathy. Parvathy herself had only one son, Laxman, who worked in the police department in Dindigul. After buying the halwa, Parvathy returned to Lakshmi's home. Following tea and snacks, she left for the Periyakulam bus terminal. At the terminal, she met a charming young woman named Mridula, who was traveling to Batlagundu. They started chatting during the wait. Mridula mentioned that she worked at a bank in Dindigul. Just before boarding, Parvathy, by oversight, handed her halwa bag to Mridula and asked her to take some. Mridula smiled and said, "No problem, aunty. You bought it for your home. I also got some from the same shop. Let’s exchange a little from both." In the confusion of exchanging the halwa bags, the bus arrived, and they hurriedly boarded their respective buses. Later, Mridula called Parvathy using the number written on the halwa bag. “Aunty, your halwa was delicious! Same shop as mine.” They laughed over the coincidence. The next day, Mridula visited Parvathy’s house with her parents. Over tea, Mridula’s mother revealed that they had received Laxman’s horoscope through their marriage broker, and it matched perfectly with Mridula’s. They had also seen Laxman's photo and liked him, and Mridula had developed an interest in him too after learning about him from Parvathy. Parvathy was overjoyed. She had secretly hoped Mridula might become her daughter-in-law. And soon enough, within a month, the marriage of Laxman and Mridula was celebrated grandly in Periyakulam—Mridula’s native place as well. Thus, a sweet exchange at a bus terminal during the Chitra Festival led to a beautiful bond between two families—thanks to a bag of halwa. K.Ragavan 13-5-25