Horegallu – Character Sketch of Grandfather and Ratna

Horegallu By Sudha Murty

Sudha Murthy’s Grandfather was a retired school teacher. He used to sit on the horegallu under a banyan tree in his village and listen to the travelers and farmers working in the fields. They used to tell him about their worries and the difficulties they lived with. He would merely listen to them. Just listening to them would ease their minds and enable them to continue their journey. Grandfather knew that a horegallu is essential in any journey. Every one carry burdens according to one’s capacity and situations. It is essential to stop ones in a while and put down the burden. Everyone has to refresh and regain the lost strength to carry on the rest of the journey. Grandfather is a human horegallu who enabled the villagers to put down their worries and get a mental relief.

Ratna, a colleague of Sudha Murty, too did exactly the same duty that grandfather did in the village. She was a senior clerk, middle aged and always smiling. She used to listen to fellow colleagues during the lunch hours with great patience and endurance. She had an infectious cheerfulness about her. Though not a trained counsellor, she knew that listening to others problems would help them relax and relieve their worries.