The sorry saga of two lovers

By Amanda Agalakada

The Mahiyangana Vihara is a sacred shrine in Sri Lanka. When people visit this shrine, it lingers in their memory because of its sanctity. Many pilgrims gather at the shrine to worship daily. The vast green paddy fields scattered through swathes of land increase its splendour and serenity.

The fertile land has been of immense assistance to the people of the area.

For Nandapala and Chamath this heritage site was part and parcel of their daily lives.

As children hey had worshipped at the shrine and even played at the premises. But the childhood friendship had later developed into something else.

Dreams

However, they would not have in their wildest dreams imagined that they would have to bid farewell to their beautiful village and the holy shrine at a crucial period in their lives.

A.M. Nandapala, 46, was a resident of Soraboraweva, Mahiyangana and was a sergeant at the Padiyatalawa police station.

He was married to a nurse and they lived in hospital quarters in Girandurukotte.

Nandapal's wife, D.M. Gnanawathi was employed at the Mahiyangana hospital and she took care of her husband. Eventhough she was a working woman she did everything needed to be done by a wife such as cooking and cleaning. Even when they were faced with problems, Gnanawathi did not hesitate to tackle them with courage and determination.

They took problems in their stride and never blew them out of proportion. To them, problems were only challenges in life.

She endured much hardship in carrying out her daily chores as all employed women normally do and never allowed hardship to come her way. She always fulfilled her obligations towards her husband.

Nandapala and Gnanawathi enjoyed a peaceful and happy married life until very recently, when Gnanawathi noticed a difference in Nandapala. She noticed that there was a gradual change in Nandapala but she could not fathom why. Gnanawathi was wondering what had happened to her beloved husband. She, for hours at times, tried to figure out his behaviour.

Unresponsive

He had suddenly turned out to be quite and unresponsive to her overtures. She imagined that it may be the result of the monotony of hard work that had brought about the change in her husband.

Although Gnanawathi asked her husband many times he did not reveal anything to his wife.

Duty

Twenty-two-year-old Chamath Priyashantha who resided in Jayanthipura in Gradurukotte had dreamed of being a soldier. “Because I was born in this country, I must protect it and by being a soldier is the only way I could fulfil my duty to my country” he told his friends everyday.

After completing his studies, Chamath joined the Signal Corps of the Army as a soldier. After completing a course of military training, he looked forward to participating in the passing out parade.

The Mahiyangana police said Chamath was due to report at the Anuradapura Army camp shortly. Chamath never imagined what was in store for him. On that fateful day he left for his friend's house which was in Soraborawewa in Mahiyanganaya with a lot of expectations.

The story took a twist when the police said that Nandapala had lent over Rs 400,000 to Chamath. On that day Nandapala had demanded that Chamath should return the money fast but he was not in a position to do so. Chamath had failed to return the money to his friend, Nandapala had by then asked for the money from Chamath's mother. Chamath's mother took a different view of the whole situation. She reprimanded Nandapala and chased him away saying, “I have no time for your lies."

Don't try to accuse my son of borrowing money from you. You want to put him in trouble and that is why you are accusing him of borrowing money from you”. Nandapala had to return empty handed.

Nandapala was expecting Chamath to come to his house and when the latter arrived he had questioned him about the money.

Escape

There was a heated argument and the argument turned to fisticuffs. Then it took a violent turn Chamath never imagined. He did not know what was in store for him.

No one in Nandapala's house expected the duo to fight in such a violent manner.

Nandapala flew into a rage forgetting the fact that Chamath and he were good friends.

He even forgot his role as a sergeant and that he should be a protector of the law. In a sudden fit of rage Nandapala had grabbed an iron bar and hit Chamath several times on his head. Chamath collapsed and died immediately because of the severity of the blows.

Nandapala took some time to realise the gravity of his action and the nature of the offence he had committed.

He had been involved in solving such murder cases during his course of duty in the police.

Nandapala knew that there was no escape from the law and that he would have to face the consequences.

Society

Nandapala had then decided to take his own life as he could not face society for he had committed a crime. Police sources said he had swallowed poison. Subsequently he hanged himself from a beam in his house.

Acting on a tip off that something untoward had happened in a house in Soraborawewa, the police rushed to the scene of the crime.

Acting OIC J.M. Nilantha and his officers of Mahiyangana police rushed to the scene and they had found the bodies of the two victims lying in the house.

What has now emerged is that Nandapala had an illicit ‘affair’ with Chamath for a long time.

As a result there had been many financial transactions between them. Neighbours were aware of it.

They said Nandapala of late had fallen out with Chamath because he kept the company of many girls and was intending to marry one of them. This is the sorry saga of two lovers who had fallen foul of each other.