Family Bonding and Cultural Reflections

I formed a bond with Aamanar.

Mom—or rather, my aunt—was very devoted to God.

It was just after the wedding, and during my period, I started bleeding right there.

I would come back in a daze.

Dad asked, “What happened, dear?” “No, Dad, Mom is doing all this for God…”

“…and saying that I shouldn’t come.”

“Mom, you come in.”

“Kamala, why are you doing this?” they would say, and scold Mom while holding her.

At that moment, I felt how my father would have said this if he had been there—

I felt it.

Our father would never say, “Don’t let our child come inside like this,” would he?

He wouldn’t say, “Make her stand outside,” would he?

At that moment, Dad said with such affection, “Come in, dear, come inside,” and that really

really

touched me. From then on, this feeling of “he is my father”

came to me—

this feeling.

The same feeling. Yes.

Back then, my younger brother had a house in Chennai.

When I went there, a girl came back after going to the shop.

I asked, “Who is this girl? Has someone new come?”

They said, “She’s your daughter-in-law.”

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