with Sri Ganesh

… That evening I met with Deepti and Arjun; when I related to Deepti the statements made by the deputy Tahsildar regarding the routing of the new Highways, she informed me that the new Minister for Public Works at the Center is Kamal Nath, whose wife both she and Gita, but particularly Gita, know very well and she advised me to contact Gita about it… As for Arjun, he related to me at length the conversation he’d had the day before with Manikandan, on the latter’s insistent request, and how he had found him devious and unbalanced and acting as if possessed and how he’d had to talk to him in very strong terms, but without much hope of being heard, and how he was now a little worried for me… And how he had finally agreed to give M., as “dhan” (an offering of appeasement), Rs. 500/-…! … Yesterday – Sunday, Parthy did the puja as usual -, M. came to find me at home, during the hour, midday, when I normally rest; I was reading, with a table fan on, and I didn’t even hear him enter; and I was jolted to see him sitting there – a tribute to his quietness! He had brought a gift for me, a new black tee-shirt which he had bought, he said, in Thiruvannamalai; and he had come to ask me for more money. I at once set a distance between us and refused both his gift and his request, which appeared to shock him; when he insisted, I told him that I could not find the person I knew and, instead, found someone without honor and integrity and that I thought our friendship deserved far better than this and I did not wish to see him until he understood it… I do not know what he received or grasped; he left silently. From recent experience I must consider the possibility that he may merely become more resentful, instead of looking at his own actions more honestly… … And in the afternoon I phoned Gita in Amritsar, regarding the matter of the National Highway; she responded at once, saying she was certainly willing to go to Delhi, but she wanted to be provided with a clear map and with an introductory letter of explanation. So, this morning, between the cleaning and the preparations for the puja I tried, vainly, to get a phone number to reach Ramalingam of Land-Service; then I just asked Sri Ganesh to take care of it… - 01-06-09:

323