AN:- Part 4 of t Vetri's life in jail and after jail continues here.
—---------------------------------
Few weeks after Vetri goes to jail.
At SN's house, on the day Vetri's letter arrives, Surya sees the post and finds one addressed to Abi. He sees that it's from Vetri and is about to tear the letter in anger. Just then, he gets a call and drops it on the table in his hurry to attend the call. Padma, who comes there to give his coffee, finds the letter and takes it to Periamma.
Pad: Akka! Ithu maappillai Abikku ezhuthina letter. Surya kizhikka irunthan. Avan antha pakkam ponathum kondu vanthen. Enna panrathukka? Ava puthu veetu address kooda illaiye namma kitta?
Per: Padma! Ippothaikku entta kodu. En roomla vechukkaren. Ava address therinjathum post pannidalam. Ana onnu. Inimel unttayo enttayo than letter ellam kodukkanumnu securitytta sollidaren. Suryatta ithai pathi therinjathave kattikkathe. Naan samalichukkaren.
From then on Padma and Periamma collect the letters written by Vetri to Abi.
—--
Six months later in Puzhal jail.
Vetri sends a message regarding the lawyer to Poongavanam through a friendly staff in the jail. That lawyer, though new, accepts teh case and tells Vetri that he will do his best to help the boy. Vetri then asks the NGO staff who come to teach regarding him becoming a lawyer. They check with some law college professors and get the relevant information for him. They have found that there is no law preventing a convict from becoming a lawyer but for some specific crimes. In addition to clearing a national level exam, Vetri needs to get clearance for admission and bar exams, which may not be straightforward. They suggest taking some help from the prison authorities and the Law Minister to ease his path, if he is that determined. If Vetri gets entry to law college, he will be a big success story for the NGO and so they want to help him. Vetri finds details online and declares his interest to the CO and asks for permission to take his CLAT**.
As with any bureaucracy, things take time and Vetri seriously prepares for his entrance and courses with the help of the NGOs. Though he is working harder than he has ever worked in his life, Vetri feels more energized everyday. He still writes letters to Abi and his daughter. He understands that Abi may have blocked his email. He doesnt receive any reply from his father either, though he feels relieved that he could convey his feelings to his father.
Six months after his daughter is born, Vetri gets clearance from the jail authorities and applies for CLAT. When his daughter turns 9 months old, he writes the exams and receives his scores. It goes without saying that Vetri did very well and is one of the top 5 candidates. The jail authorities and the Minister promptly advertise this news as a part of ongoing jail reforms without releasing Vetri's exact identity. As Vetri is a high profile success story of an inmate, the Minister assures on TV that Vetri will be allowed to study in any law college of his choice within the state with fellowship and adds on his own that Vetri has promised to do community service in return. The prisoners are allowed to watch this on the common TV and Vetri is elated. He writes a letter to Abi and Sudar. He wants to write a letter to SN but then decides to meet him when he is released and inform him.
That month, Nandhini and Poongavanam bring Aranganathan to see Vetri. Vetri, openly cries in the visitor area when he takes the intercom.
V: (sobbing) Appa! Eppadippa irukkeenga?
AN: (voice breaking) Dei! Nandhini ellam sonna! Un letterukku bathila nerla oru vishayam sollanumnu vanthen. Enakku konja naal munnadi oru message vanthathu, en pethi peru Sudarvizhinnu! En paiyan enakku thirumba kidaicha mathiri, seekirame un ponnu unakku kidaippada! Ennaividavum nee nalla appa iruppennu naan nambarenda. Athukkaga naan kaathukkittu irukken.
V: Appa! Thanks ppa! Thanks ppa! Unga nambikkiayai inimel udaikka mattenap! Naan en Sudarvizhiya ungakitta Abiyoda koottitu varuvenpa!
The next hurdle for Vetri is that his release date is three months after the first day of college. He is worried that he may lose a year and so discusses this with the NGO and Poongavanam. Poongavanam checks with a lawyer who talks to SN as Vetri's lawyer for the case. SN goes through all details and asks the new lawyer to apply for full release of Vetri close to his admission time on grounds of his service at the prison and his ranking in the CLAT exam. He quotes the appropriate section of the law and asks the lawyer to apply right away, when the Minister's tv interview about Vetri is fresh in everyone's mind. Though his lawyer and others are very confident, Vetri is not. He feels that things may go wrong like many other times in his life. He worries that things may slip out of his hands again and spends everyday in hope and agony. His only solace is the photo of his child, memories of Abi and his prayers everyday in the temple.
In the meantime, the results of the prisoner's board examinations show that close to 70% of the students have cleared their exams with decent scores and all of them want to enroll in technical or vocational courses. The NGO celebrates this with a feast and Vetri receives sincere gratitude from his fellow prisoners. Vetri requests the NGO to pass on their newsletter with this news to his father and father-in-law. SN gives a copy of this to Vetri's lawyer and asks him to check for pardon from the Governor of the State for good conduct and as a reward for his services towards his fellow prisoners. After a nail biting finish, Vetri gets his pardon order just a few days before the deadline to submit his college application. He applies to the college in Taramani, Chennai and in Tiruchy and accepts admission in the Chennai college.
SN informs Padma and Periamma about the newsletter and how Vetri has gotten his pardon. They are very happy that Vetri is proving that he is a good man and that Abi did not put her trust in a wrong man. Then, they show all the letters written to Abi by Vetri. SN also asks them to wait for Vetri to be released and as Abi is in her IAS training, they dont want her to be disturbed.
On the day Vetri is released, he collects his things and kisses Abi's photo that has stuck to his purse. He finds Poongavanam, Kalai, Nandhini and his gang waiting for him. Everyone has a teary reunion.
Vetri is hesitant to go to his home and wants to go and visit SN first. Poongavanam tells him to come to his place, clean up, wear fresh clothes, eat and then visit either of the houses. They all reach Kanchipuram and Kalai and Nandhini go ahead to their place to inform the family. Vetri goes to SN's house and Surya tries to stop him at the entrance. SN allows him entry. Vetri goes in and looks around for Abi, though he knows that she wont be around. He says sorry to SN openly for his betrayal in the court.
SN: Dei! Enda ippadi pannina? Ennai viduda! En ponnai kai vittiyeda? Appadi yaaruda unakku en ponnaiyum ava vayathula valara kuzhanthaiyum vida mukkiyam! Enda, Abi unnai evlo nambina? Neeye kolai panninen sonnappo, irukkathunnu nambinale da! Ava nambikkaiyai ippadi kothari pottutiyeda padu paavi! Unnai nambunathai thavira vera enna thappu panninada? Entha moonjiya vechukittu inga vantha?
V: Sir! Naan abikku panna drogathukku enakku mannippe kidaiyathu than! Analum mannippu kettu than aganum. Athukku than vanthen. Neenga ennai mannikkalainnalum sari than Sir. Analum oru naal neenga ennai nallavannu othukkara kaalam varumnu enakku nambikkai irukku Sir. Athu mattum illai, Abi eppadi irukka, nalla irukkala, paappa eppadi irukkannu kekkanumnu vanthen Sir. Neenga ippo sollalainnalum paravayillai! Ana, naan Abiyayum, pappavayum our naal kandipa pappen Sir. Ava kitta nerla mannippu keppen. Ava ennai sethukkalainnalum ava than en pondatti eppavume.
Sur: Dei! Avalukku pappa irukkannu unakku eppadi da theriyum? Ava kozhanthai azhichuttannu naan solren da!
V: (gets angry but controls himself) Machan! Abi appadi pannave maatta! Athu ungalukkum theriyum enakkum theriyum. Athanala unga thangaiyai neengale thappa sollatheenga! Naan munnadi iruntha Vetriya iruntha ithanai neram ithai sonnathukku unga kazhuthula kai vechiruppen. Ana, en Abikkagavum, en paappavukkagavum, kovathai control panna kathukkittu irukken. Athukkaga summa ennai seendi paakkatheenga! Athai, Amma, Akka - naan kilambaren.
Sur: Inimel varathe da intha pakkam!
SN: Surya! Nee ithai vidu.
V: Sir! Naan vanthathu innoru vishayathukkum. Enakku law collegela seat kidaichirukku. Neenga ennai oru tharam pidikkatha pothukooda en pakkam nyayam irukkunnu kaappathineenga! Athe mathiri nermaiyoda naanum nyayathin pakkam vathadanumnu asirvatham pannunga Sir. Oru studenta kekkaren!
Per: Mappillai! Abi enga irukkannu kekkave illaiye?
V: Irukkattumma! Enakku avala pakkara thaguthi varache naane avalai kandu pidichu poven.
SN, Padma and Periamma bless him and Vetri leaves that place after taking leave from Deepthi and Hari. Just before he leaves, Periamma gives back all his letters unopened. Vetri is sad but not shocked as he expected this.
Vetri goes to his place and his father welcomes him and his mother bursts out crying and clings to him. After settling down with a glass of tea, he shows his admission details to his father and tells them that he plans to stay in the hostel and visit them whenever he can. Aranganathan asks if he needs money for his expenses, Vetri tells him not to worry. Chitra gets upset that Aranganathan is willing to give money to a murderer and not her. Nandhini tells that the business is set up by Abi and Vetri contributed to their investment. So he has every right to take their money. Vetri stops this argument saying that he plans to set up a garage with his friends in Chennai and earn money part time. Later, he shows the photo of Sudar sent by Abi only to Aranganathan. He wants his father to not inform anyone including his mother till he can find Abi. When he leaves, both Aranganathan and Nandhini separately give him some money and tell that it's their way of making amends to him.
Vetri' hope that Abi's mother may give him a hint about her whereabouts is dashed at SN's home. Without that information, the first thing he does after he gets a smart phone and connection is to search for Abi's name online. He finds her name as the 20th rank holder in the UPSC exams. Vetri feels proud and happy and a little guilty that she has achieved his dreams and he was not there with her. He also figures out the irony that she has become what his father wanted him to be and he is pursuing her father's chosen career. He doesnt have much idea about her whereabouts as she is still in her training. Vetri has no choice but to wait till her proper posting to find her whereabouts. He also thinks that before his conviction, he would have mercilessly teased her for 20th rank and how he got 5th rank in CLAT. He stops sending letters to Abi and Sudar and starts writing his fortnightly letters in a journal stored in cloud st orage. He hopes to get Abi's digital address and send the document to her.
Vetri starts college and Poongavanam sets up a garage for him. Vetri is happy to have his gang of friends nearby and visits his home once in a month or so. Initially, Vetri has a tough time in college as his professors and fellow students treat him with contempt that he is a convict and has got a place only because of the Minister. Slowly and steadily Vetri makes his place in the college. He is very determined to practice criminal law and help those waiting for trial in prisons. He approaches his professors repeatedly and puts up with their high-handed treatment in his pursuit of goals. After lots of hard work and conviction and perseverance, Vetri gets internships with a busy lawyer practicing criminal law. He realises that a lawyer's office is as tough as any other place and the first year he only gets to be the general dogsbody. But he perseveres and by the time he is in his third year, he gets to research interesting cases and Vetri's natural intelligence and personality helps him to get a name with his boss and colleagues.
All the while, he keeps searching for Abinaya Sankaranarayanan in search engines to find her posting details and tracks her postings and her whereabouts. Out of impulse, he takes off to the district where Abi is posted as a new collector. He stands in the crowd and sees her receiving petitions from the public outside the collectorate. He then finds her residence and after some wait, sees his 4 year old daughter coming out of the house with another lady of his age. He follows them to the temple nearby and observes them for a few minutes and leaves the area.
When Sudar is over 4 years and little less than 5 years from the day Vetri entered the jail, he has graduated as a topper from law college. A few months later when Sudar would have been almost 5, Vetri clears his bar exam and is allowed to practice law. He leaves for Kanchipuram from Chennai to join a law firm there as a junior lawyer. He entered his hometown as a lawyer, the same town he left as a murder convict and a rowdy. Five and a half years after he left Abi and his child, he gained the confidence to look for them.
During the first break Vetri gets after he joins the law firm, he goes to the district where Abi is posted. To his misfortune, he is told that Abi has gone for a visit to New Delhi for a meeting of Collectors with the Union Home Minister and taken her family with her. The next time he gets some time off, he goes to her office and finds her leaving for a hospital visit after a major truck accident. Since her posting is not in a big city but a more rural district, it's not easy for him to make his trips often. He still believes that helping those on trial is the path that leads him to his daughter. Over the first year, at work, Vetri is mainly made to do research and prepare briefs for the senior lawyers. He convinces them to allow him to start taking the cases of people on trial from Kanchipuram to begin with. He also talks to the lawyer who helped the boy in the jail library and took notes from him.
Six months after he joined the firm, Vetri manages to clear one case of a lady caught for prostitution. As that lady cannot afford any fees, Vetri had to compensate for the hours working after hours and weekends. Over the next few months he can only manage a few trial cases a month and frees a few and gets reasonable conviction for the rest. Vetri is frustrated that he still cannot meet Abi. One year into his job, Vetri goes to Abi's district again. This time he sends a note to Abi through her Davali. He has deliberately written his name in Tamil and asks for a few minutes of her time. Abi sends a note back telling that she is not interested and would be happy if he doesn't contact her. Few months later, Vetri goes to her office with his letters and a print out of his journal entries with his name card neatly packed in an envelope. He passes on the envelope to the Davali with a note requesting her to read them whenever she could and reach out to him over his phone. He also adds that he will wait for her call before trying to meet her. Abi asks the Davali if Vetri was waiting and upon hearing that he is not, she puts the envelope away in her table drawer.
Vetri doesn't hear back from Abi and he keeps at his job working harder than ever in his life. Jail life and absence of Abi has made him lose interest in any fun activities and he is fully focussing on his work almost all through the day. He makes good progress in work and is allowed to take paying clients by his firm. He still continues his under trial work and many accused and their families approach him regularly. He rarely gets paid for these but he manages with his old money and Poongavanam's help. His gang of friends have decided to come back with him and they set up the garage back in the original place. They also help Vetri in some of his case research.
Two years after he came back to Kanchipuram, when his daughter is six and a half years old, Vetri gets the news that Mrs. S Abinaya is taking charge as the new collector of Kanchipuram.
To be contd.
—————
**CLAT: Common Law Admission Test - a national level entrance exam for admission to law colleges in India.