Sankaran Pillai wanted money for his regular horse betting, but had no way of getting it. His only option was to pledge his daughter Lakshmi’s gold chain. Lakshmi’s marriage was only two months away. When she was six she had happily given her anklets, but now it was different.
Sankaran Pillai was not in a good mood. He didn’t have money for his horse betting. It was only the previous day that he had been sacked from his job for some repeated irregularity. If not for this, he would have easily raised the money in the office itself, like he had been doing all these years. There was no one to lend him money now.
“If only the stupid manager hadn’t sacked me, I would have easily arranged money by now”, he said to himself, “But still I shouldn’t miss this race today. I must somehow get money”.
He glanced around the house and the cupboard seemed to strike him. “Lakshmi’s gold chain, why didn’t I think of this before”.
No sooner had he opened the cupboard his wife came dashing in. “Don’t you dare to take Lakshmi’s gold chain. Beware that it’s only two months left for her marriage and this gold chain is her dowry”.
Sankaran Pillai pushed his wife away. “You don’t have to tell me about our daughter’s marriage. I know very well how to manage it”.
He put the chain in his pocket and prepared to leave when he saw Lakshmi in the verandah. She had been observing everything. Sankaran Pillai stood for a while hoping that Lakshmi would speak to him. “Whatever she says, I must be soft to her. I have to convince her that I would bring it back”, he thought. However Lakshmi spoke nothing and he started leaving.
He was stopped at the doorway by an elderly woman who lived closeby. “Eh you Sankara, have you gone mad?. What will happen if the chain is gone? Will those horses get another chain for your daughter’s wedding?”
Sankaran Pillai got wild. “Will you shut up old lady and mind your own business; remember your grave is waiting for you”.
It was the last day of the racing season and the stake money was a very big sum. Sankaran Pillai had already pledged the chain on the way. He then bought tickets in favor of his favorite horses and occupied a seat in the gallery. There was still plenty of time left for the races to start. He wondered if his choices were right. The last time he won a prize money was about ten years back. Since then he had never won, although he didn’t miss a race.
“I will win today, I know”, he told himself, “But what shall I do if I lose today?. How will I redeem the gold chain?. God must help me today as he did ten years back”.
Sankaran Pillai looked back at his last successful betting. He had quit his job and was looking for another then. He badly wanted money for his betting and his eyes rested on Lakshmi’s anklets. Laksmi was only six then. He had kissed her and asked, “Appa doesn’t have any money now, so please give your anklets, and don’t tell this to amma”. The little girl had immediately removed her anklets and given it to him.
He had the anklets pledged to gamble. As luck would have it, he won. But the stake then was less and was shared among twelve other winners. Yet Sankaran Pillai got two thousand rupees as his share then. He immediately redeemed the anklet and also bought a new frock for Lakshmi. That was his last win and it was also the last time, that he had pledged something for his race. After that he found a job, and didn’t have the need to pledge anything until today.
It was time for the races to start. Sankaran Pillai thanked the Gods for his win ten years back and prayed for another victory. The horses swept across the field with their jockeys. There was shouting and cheering along with a running commentary. The horses raced to the finish and the result of the first event was announced. Sankaran Pillai checked his ticket. His favorite had won the event. The events went on one after the other, and in all the four events his choice was right.
Sankaran Pillai could not believe his luck. He was spell bound wondering how many joint winners would be there to share the stake with him.
He didn’t have to wait for long as the loud speakers were on high pitch with the announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen. We have great pleasure in letting you know that it is for the first and of course the last time this season, that the stake money has gone undivided, to a single winner. The stake amount of fifty thousand is to be claimed by a single winner”.
Sankaran Pillai thanked all his Gods and received the money. Unable to believe his luck, and too happy with the money, he was hardly able to think. He gave tips to the staff at the ticket counter. There was a small crowd still around him. People from the press rounded him and his photographs were taken. It took another half an hour for him to get relieved of the people around him, and get into a taxi. He went straight to the pawn broker to redeem the gold chain.
“Lakshmi’s gold chain had made me win today, just like her anklets ten years back”, he thought. “I must buy her an anklet too, for she doesn’t have one now. Jewellery and clothes can wait, but I want to see her with anklets after so many years”. He bought a pair of anklets.
He now thought of his wife and the elderly woman. “Why did I behave so badly in the morning, anyway I can easily make it up now”. He bought two silk sarees for his wife and a cotton saree for the old lady, and started to his house.
Sankaran Pillai reached his house and saw the old lady was still at his place. His wife was cleaning the floor and didn’t respond to his call. He realized that she was angry with him. He turned to the old lady and gave her the cotton saree, “This is for you”.
His wife starred at him with surprise when he threw the other two sarees at her and reached for the cupboard to stack the currency bundles. He then took the gold chain and the anklet from his pocket, “Where is Lakshmi, call her”.
“She was very disappointed by the way you left and is in her room since then”, his wife told him.
The old lady who was till then busy examining the saree went inside saying, “I’ll bring her”
Soon Sankaran Pillai also went to her room and knocked at the door. “Lakshmi, see what appa has brought for you. Your gold chain is also safe in the cupboard. How can you think that appa would let you down?. Tomorrow appa will buy you two more gold chains. Now come on open the door”.
There was no response. His wife also joined him and still there was no answer. The old lady went out to call the neighbors. Together they knocked and called, all in vain. They then decided to break open the door.
The door was opened and what it revealed was a very horrible picture Lakshmi lay hung from the ceiling, dead. Her face blue, hair undone and tongue protruding out. Many people had gathered by now and there was shouting and crying everywhere around. The anklet slowly slipped from Sankaran Pillai’s hand, and in the ensuing commotion, the drop of the anklet went unheard.
