"Which one?" Sumesh asked, trying hard to seem indifferent but clearly eager.
"The girl in blue," his sister Priya mumbled to him, looking across the rows of diners at the wedding dinner they were attending.
"Both are in blue," he said puzzled seeing the two girls seated next to each other.
Priya slapped her forehead. "One is blue, the other is in indigo."
Sumesh rolled his eyes. "So which one? The one who has done her hair in a bun?"
"Yes, correct. Isn't she pretty?"
"What about the one in indigo? Isn't she prettier?" Sumesh asked, his eyes being drawn to the other girl.
"But the proposal is for the older one," Priya reminded him firmly. Just then, having finished their meal, the girls got up. The girl in blue turned and picked up a walking stick that she had hung on the back of her chair. The girl in indigo waited and then the two walked towards the wash area. Suddenly the girl in blue turned to look in their direction, and even at that distance, Sumesh felt the force of her personality. He looked away hastily.
That Sunday, his mother fixed for them to go to 'see' Barkha, the girl in blue, formally. Barkha was dressed simply yet traditionally in a very becoming pastel shade. Her mother Shikha and father Rajesh greeted them warmly. It was an informal get together and Barkha spoke with ease. Sumesh, however, felt his attention wandering. When Barkha asked him a question, he didn't reply due to being distracted. She paused and looked at him with an amused smile on her face. Suddenly the room quietened and Sumesh became aware that everybody was looking at him. Before he could apologise, Barkha turned to her mother and asked, "Where is Amrita, ma?"
Shikha looked uncomfortable. "She has gone to her friend's house..." she explained looking at Sumesh and his family apologetically. "My younger one had some notes to write..." She signed to the hovering cook to serve tea and snacks. Barkha got up and limped to the kitchen. Shikha called out, "Where are you going?"
"To help dai, ma," she replied over her shoulder and entered the kitchen. The dai didn't fuss, knowing Barkha well, and allowed her to carry the heavy tea tray. Barkha smiled as she went from Sumesh's parents to Sumesh and then served her parents before leaving the tray on the centre table and picking up her own cup. The conversation was smooth and friendly between the parents. Sumesh was courteous and Barkha willing.
The parents suggested that the couple could talk to each other in private. Shikha suggested Barkha take Sumesh to her room. "No ma, I think we will take a stroll downstairs," she said, and picked up her walking stick. Shikha swallowed her irritation as she smiled sheepishly at Sumesh.
Sumesh allowed Barkha to lead the way. They climbed down the two floors though the lift was available if required. Sumesh felt Barkha was deliberately forcing him to notice the already visible handicap and to prove to him that she was not defeated by it. While admiring her for it, he felt slightly wary, wondering if he would offend her by some oversight. He was watchful and felt it better to allow her to lead the conversation.
But even now, his thoughts were far away, on the girl in indigo. He had no doubts as to why she had been sent away, and he could well understand the anxiety Barkha's parents would feel. Much as he tried to bring his attention back to the girl with him, his mind wandered till he caught her mentioning her sister's name. "Ammu thinks I overdo it. But really, Sumesh, I feel tired when people look at me blankly - as if they don't know what to do with me," her eyes were twinkling. "But Ammu feels it's because I get angry quickly and am impatient with people who pity me... I know it is hard for them to know what to do... And that puts me off." She paused, and then continued, "But if she is around, she knows how to put them at ease and then it's as if a path has been cleared for me... I am missing her right now..." Then she looked at him shrewdly and said, "I think you too are looking for her."
Startled, he said, "Huh, no! I mean, I don't know her."
"How stupid of me... Of course, you only saw her from a distance that day!" she said with a wicked grin. Then she turned to face him, forcing him to do the same.
"Why did you even consider my proposal?"
"Our horoscopes matched," he shrugged.
"But you know I have a condition that will never get better. Are your parents ok with it?"
"Totally," he nodded. "My parents are pretty cool. They were impressed with your achievements and the fact that you are independent and run a business... So they think that you can run a home just as well..."
She looked at him thoughtfully. "And what about you?"
He carefully masked his expression and said, "I am here, am I not?"
That didn't seem to satisfy her. "Are you a mamma's boy?"
"You think I may not agree on my own?"
She seemed uncertain. "I don't know."
He looked at her steadily but his thoughts were in a whirl. "Yes, maybe I did give in because I had nothing against this match. Compatibility is what should matter more, and trust... And we came here to talk to each other, to find common ground..."
"But we haven't found one, have we? Because your mind is somewhere else..."
"Are you there, Barkha?" a voice interrupted them.
"Ammu!" Barkha said in a voice reflecting mixed emotions.
Amrita walked towards them, lit softly by the streetlights. Sumesh feared that the girls would hear his heart beat like the drum. As Barkha rushed towards her sister, he stepped back, waiting for a formal introduction. Barkha did the honours after hurriedly whispering something to her sister. Amrita smiled. Sumesh thought his heart would jump out through his mouth. Luckily, it behaved better and remained in its cage as he politely enquired about her.
She replied in a voice that seemed filled with honey. The two started conversing while Barkha sliently merged into the background. She heard him ask Amrita all the questions he should have asked her to get to know her better. Only when her phone rang did Sumesh and Amrita seem to become aware of her presence. Shikha wanted to know when they were coming up. "Have you both already settled down?" her mother whispered and giggled.
"No ma, we will be up in two minutes," Barkha said, her voice choking.
When they went back up, this time by the lift, Shikha was by the door waiting for them anxiously. Barkha had composed herself by then, but the moment Shikha saw Ammu and Sumesh step out first, she could guess what had happened. Ammu's joyous smile, Sumesh's sheepish grin and Barkha's mellow expression told their own tales. Shikha felt devastated, but silently let them in.
Barkha wanted to escape to the sanctuary of her room, but forced herself to sit with the elders. Amrita went in to freshen up after greeting Sumesh's parents while he sat down with an inscrutable expression.
"You guys took your own sweet time, didn't you?" Sumesh's mother Meenal commented with a twinkle in her eyes. She turned to look at Shikha. "We'll take leave now and get in touch with you at the earliest." Sumesh and his parents got up. Meenal walked up to Barkha and put a hand on her shoulder. "Dear, it was wonderful meeting you. Hopefully we will get to meet you more."
Barkha hung her head to hide the disobedient tears that threatened to well up. After they left, she hugged her mother. "What happened?" Shikha asked softly.
"Ammu..."
"Ammu!" Shikha called out angrily.
"No!" Barkha stopped her mother firmly. "I think he was already interested in her after he saw her at the wedding."
"Then why?"
Barkha replied dreamily, "Because he came looking for her." She looked at her mother and smiled through the tears. "If Ammu likes him, you get them married..."
Proceed to Part II
"The girl in blue," his sister Priya mumbled to him, looking across the rows of diners at the wedding dinner they were attending.
"Both are in blue," he said puzzled seeing the two girls seated next to each other.
Priya slapped her forehead. "One is blue, the other is in indigo."
Sumesh rolled his eyes. "So which one? The one who has done her hair in a bun?"
"Yes, correct. Isn't she pretty?"
"What about the one in indigo? Isn't she prettier?" Sumesh asked, his eyes being drawn to the other girl.
"But the proposal is for the older one," Priya reminded him firmly. Just then, having finished their meal, the girls got up. The girl in blue turned and picked up a walking stick that she had hung on the back of her chair. The girl in indigo waited and then the two walked towards the wash area. Suddenly the girl in blue turned to look in their direction, and even at that distance, Sumesh felt the force of her personality. He looked away hastily.
That Sunday, his mother fixed for them to go to 'see' Barkha, the girl in blue, formally. Barkha was dressed simply yet traditionally in a very becoming pastel shade. Her mother Shikha and father Rajesh greeted them warmly. It was an informal get together and Barkha spoke with ease. Sumesh, however, felt his attention wandering. When Barkha asked him a question, he didn't reply due to being distracted. She paused and looked at him with an amused smile on her face. Suddenly the room quietened and Sumesh became aware that everybody was looking at him. Before he could apologise, Barkha turned to her mother and asked, "Where is Amrita, ma?"
Shikha looked uncomfortable. "She has gone to her friend's house..." she explained looking at Sumesh and his family apologetically. "My younger one had some notes to write..." She signed to the hovering cook to serve tea and snacks. Barkha got up and limped to the kitchen. Shikha called out, "Where are you going?"
"To help dai, ma," she replied over her shoulder and entered the kitchen. The dai didn't fuss, knowing Barkha well, and allowed her to carry the heavy tea tray. Barkha smiled as she went from Sumesh's parents to Sumesh and then served her parents before leaving the tray on the centre table and picking up her own cup. The conversation was smooth and friendly between the parents. Sumesh was courteous and Barkha willing.
The parents suggested that the couple could talk to each other in private. Shikha suggested Barkha take Sumesh to her room. "No ma, I think we will take a stroll downstairs," she said, and picked up her walking stick. Shikha swallowed her irritation as she smiled sheepishly at Sumesh.
Sumesh allowed Barkha to lead the way. They climbed down the two floors though the lift was available if required. Sumesh felt Barkha was deliberately forcing him to notice the already visible handicap and to prove to him that she was not defeated by it. While admiring her for it, he felt slightly wary, wondering if he would offend her by some oversight. He was watchful and felt it better to allow her to lead the conversation.
But even now, his thoughts were far away, on the girl in indigo. He had no doubts as to why she had been sent away, and he could well understand the anxiety Barkha's parents would feel. Much as he tried to bring his attention back to the girl with him, his mind wandered till he caught her mentioning her sister's name. "Ammu thinks I overdo it. But really, Sumesh, I feel tired when people look at me blankly - as if they don't know what to do with me," her eyes were twinkling. "But Ammu feels it's because I get angry quickly and am impatient with people who pity me... I know it is hard for them to know what to do... And that puts me off." She paused, and then continued, "But if she is around, she knows how to put them at ease and then it's as if a path has been cleared for me... I am missing her right now..." Then she looked at him shrewdly and said, "I think you too are looking for her."
Startled, he said, "Huh, no! I mean, I don't know her."
"How stupid of me... Of course, you only saw her from a distance that day!" she said with a wicked grin. Then she turned to face him, forcing him to do the same.
"Why did you even consider my proposal?"
"Our horoscopes matched," he shrugged.
"But you know I have a condition that will never get better. Are your parents ok with it?"
"Totally," he nodded. "My parents are pretty cool. They were impressed with your achievements and the fact that you are independent and run a business... So they think that you can run a home just as well..."
She looked at him thoughtfully. "And what about you?"
He carefully masked his expression and said, "I am here, am I not?"
That didn't seem to satisfy her. "Are you a mamma's boy?"
"You think I may not agree on my own?"
She seemed uncertain. "I don't know."
He looked at her steadily but his thoughts were in a whirl. "Yes, maybe I did give in because I had nothing against this match. Compatibility is what should matter more, and trust... And we came here to talk to each other, to find common ground..."
"But we haven't found one, have we? Because your mind is somewhere else..."
"Are you there, Barkha?" a voice interrupted them.
"Ammu!" Barkha said in a voice reflecting mixed emotions.
Amrita walked towards them, lit softly by the streetlights. Sumesh feared that the girls would hear his heart beat like the drum. As Barkha rushed towards her sister, he stepped back, waiting for a formal introduction. Barkha did the honours after hurriedly whispering something to her sister. Amrita smiled. Sumesh thought his heart would jump out through his mouth. Luckily, it behaved better and remained in its cage as he politely enquired about her.
She replied in a voice that seemed filled with honey. The two started conversing while Barkha sliently merged into the background. She heard him ask Amrita all the questions he should have asked her to get to know her better. Only when her phone rang did Sumesh and Amrita seem to become aware of her presence. Shikha wanted to know when they were coming up. "Have you both already settled down?" her mother whispered and giggled.
"No ma, we will be up in two minutes," Barkha said, her voice choking.
When they went back up, this time by the lift, Shikha was by the door waiting for them anxiously. Barkha had composed herself by then, but the moment Shikha saw Ammu and Sumesh step out first, she could guess what had happened. Ammu's joyous smile, Sumesh's sheepish grin and Barkha's mellow expression told their own tales. Shikha felt devastated, but silently let them in.
Barkha wanted to escape to the sanctuary of her room, but forced herself to sit with the elders. Amrita went in to freshen up after greeting Sumesh's parents while he sat down with an inscrutable expression.
"You guys took your own sweet time, didn't you?" Sumesh's mother Meenal commented with a twinkle in her eyes. She turned to look at Shikha. "We'll take leave now and get in touch with you at the earliest." Sumesh and his parents got up. Meenal walked up to Barkha and put a hand on her shoulder. "Dear, it was wonderful meeting you. Hopefully we will get to meet you more."
Barkha hung her head to hide the disobedient tears that threatened to well up. After they left, she hugged her mother. "What happened?" Shikha asked softly.
"Ammu..."
"Ammu!" Shikha called out angrily.
"No!" Barkha stopped her mother firmly. "I think he was already interested in her after he saw her at the wedding."
"Then why?"
Barkha replied dreamily, "Because he came looking for her." She looked at her mother and smiled through the tears. "If Ammu likes him, you get them married..."
Proceed to Part II
No comments:
Post a Comment