Boy wants to marry classmate-girl. Boy's father forbids it because girl's family is not so well-off. Pays off the girl's father to get her married elsewhere. Sends boy off to do a Teacher-training course far from home.

One day, boy calls father to say he has a stomach complaint, and will the father please come to help. Father retorts that surely, boy is old enough and has enough money to go see a doctor by himself. Boy whines a bit. Father angrily says, "Oof, you are so much trouble, why don't you go die?" Boy retorts, " OK, I will die and show you"

Boy travels back to small town, borrows money from a shopkeeper-neighbour, and downs a bottle of insecticide and collapses in the bus-stand. Passers-by see him and inform father. Distraught father rushes to the scene and hires a jeep to get them to the hospital (an hour and a half away).

Stomach pump. Referral to bigger hospital in nearby big city. Ambulance organised.

En route, son rises up, embraces father, saying he is very sorry and never wants to be parted from father.

And dies.

An episode from a Tamil Soap? No! This happened, some 10 days ago to Balamanikandan s/o Chandran from Valagapattu about whom I have written earlier. The parents have still not reconciled themselves to this loss.

And I continue, at every opportunity to rail against TV and movies.