Kutti and the Temple Bell

In the town of Thirupullani, near the great sea and beneath the shade of ancient tamarind trees, lived a clever little girl named Kutti. She was only nine, but her eyes missed nothing and her questions never stopped. She lived with her Paati—Grandmother Meenakshi—who wore a jasmine-scented braid and always had a kolam drawn at her doorstep.

Every night, after a dinner of hot rasam and curd rice, Kutti would snuggle beside Paati on the cool red oxide floor, as the ceiling fan hummed above them. That’s when the stories began.

One night, Kutti asked, “Paati, why does the temple bell ring every evening before sunset?”

Paati smiled. “Ah, that’s a story older than your Appa’s Appa! Listen, ma…”