This is a hashtag i have created for this type of posts by me. This will not be used for any other posts like about Swami Gnananandagiri swamigal. Today i want to have a lighter post as the two earlier ones are little bit heavy (at least to me). In this i am going to tell how the Gothram saved me.(?)

He was my thickest friend from school days. Wearing his shirts, eating from the same plate, my sleeping at his house and him sleeping at my house are all very normal things as far as both the families are concerned. His father is a wealth land lord having coconut groves, plantain groves agricultural lands and lots of buildings. Normally the friend's father will leave in the early morning and return late night. Occasionally he will be home for lunch. So he will see me once in a while when both our timings match. but he knows about our friendship.

I got appointed in a bank around 60 km away from where my parents and friend reside. Hence i will visit my home as well as his on every weekend. This routine was going on since i got appointed. My friend has a sister who was in school. She fell in love with her own uncle (her mother's peroyappa's son) who is a central government employee. We cant say his status is equal to that of the girl. He was living in another town. So the chance of them meeting frequently is very slim. The fact that she is in love with her uncle is known to her immediate family and our friends' circle except to her father. We used to help her in meeting her fiancée whenever he comes to meet her.In the meantime i got the appointment and moved away. Till then she used to write letters and give it one of us who will post it. From the day i got appointed the system was changed. She will write letters ( at times daily once) and keep them with her till i reach her home on weekends. Then the letters (not covered in the literal sense) will be handed over to me. I will purchase a cover depending on the number of letters and post it. The posting will be done after my reaching the office. This happens on the vice versa also. He will write to my address. As a dutiful friend i will deliver the cover without opening them. Everything was cosy till one evening.
On a sunday, when i was at her home she handed over a bunch of letters for posting. As i intended to leave for my office on sunday itself i simply kept them in my shirt pocket, came back to my home, removed my shirt, hanged in the hanger and went to bathroom to take a bath before proceeding to bus stand. Meanwhile, my sister who wanted some cash went through my shirt pocket ( again a regular practice for my sisters. I will be keeping money in two or three places so that even if i did not notice her taking the cash there wont be any problem for bus ticket and other things) and took that letters and read them. It was promptly brought into the notice of my parents by her. There was a war council going on in the hall when i returned from the bathroom. I innocently asked what is the problem. Then the bombshell came. are you in love with that girl? i vehemently denied it. Then the evidence was thrown into my face.Again i denied. Then i was asked to read that letters. The letter went on like this " Dear my sweet love, lots and lots of kisses. bla bla ... i was waiting to see you the for the last two sundays. But you were not here. (unfortunately i have not also came home for the last two weekends as i was away attending marriages and a union meeting)So come home atleast this weekend. bla bla bla. signed yours in love for ever xxxxxxx. Sheepishly i have to tell them the entire story and the lover is not me and it was her uncle. Though they accepted my explanation there was some disbelief in their eyes. Then it struck me " Dad both of us (the girl and me) belong to Srivatsa gothram. " The matter was conveyed to the girl's father by my father and after some pursuation ( we, friends, simply told him unless you agree for this marriage we will help the boy elope your daughter and we will see to that they got married in a Registrar's office. My father was working in that office so i know the procedures and loopholes). She got married to the person she loved and is living happily now. From that day onwards i handed over lots of postal covers and asked her to paste the covers and hand it over to me. Even now when we meet we used to have a hearty laugh over this incident.