Read Part I of Crossed Wires before proceeding
"He wants to meet you," Shikha looked confused as she informed Barkha. "Alone..." Her expression turned questioning, hopeful that Barkha may have the answer.
Barkha shrugged, surprised at the request. A faint ray of hope sprang in her heart though she pretended to be indifferent. "Whatever for?"
"I don't know, his mother seemed very uncomfortable when I probed. He wants to speak to you..."
If nothing else, Barkha liked the idea of meeting him again, and was curious too. So she accepted. The same evening, at Sumesh's behest, they met at a cafe near her office. She had tried to look casual, not too eager, but when she saw him, she couldn't help beaming or blushing.
His smile was friendly, but as he urged her to order something first and the conversation progressed in fits and starts, he seemed to be buying time. Once the coffee and the cookies they ordered was served, he could delay it no further. And yet, he hemmed and hawed.
Barkha sighed and asked, "Amrita?"
He looked at her sharply, and then looked down. "I am sorry."
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked woodenly.
"Because... because... I can't be at peace otherwise. Look, it has nothing to do with you. It's just that, since I saw her the other day, I have been unable to get her out of my mind. I thought it was just a passing fancy or I wouldn't have come to see you at all. But once I was there I..."
Barkha raised a hand to stop him from continuing, her anger making her mad, her hurt making her want to cry. She fought hard to maintain equanimity. He is not worth the trouble, she had to scream inside her head till she believed it. "I am sorry, you are expecting me to wave the green flag to let you go your way? We were never committed to each other, in any case," she reminded him. "Why should you need my permission?" she asked with suppressed animosity.
"Because it is your sister we are talking about," he reminded her. "If she accepts me then I will be a part of the family, your family," he answered with evident contempt.
Her eyes flashed. "And if I say no?"
He shrugged. "That will be the end of it," he said with such simplicity that she had to believe him. It took the fight out of her and she remained silent for sometime. Her sister's face flashed in her mind. Ever since meeting Sumesh the previous evening, Amrita had been animated, excited, and blushing at nothing... Barkha and she hadn't exactly shared their views, and even if they had, Amrita would never have even hinted about it. But Barkha suspected that if she were to make way, then Amirta wouldn't be averse to marrying Sumesh. There was no doubt about how well those two had clicked while she herself had fumbled her way through, unable to rouse his interest even for a casual conversation.
She looked at him and said without any emotions. "Do you want me to broach it with her or my parents?"
He seemed unprepared for this question. "Maybe you can tell her you are okay with it," he replied after some thought
She chuckled though she wanted to scream. "Pave the way, so to say..." She nodded. "Sure, if my sister is interested, I will not stand in your way." She looked at him steadily and asked, "But how will you know? Will you ask your mother to broach us again about Amrita's proposal?"
He had the decency to look embarrassed. "I don't know... I will work something out..."
"If she is interested, I will let you know," Barkha offered on an impulse.
He beamed, paid and was clearly ready to celebrate while all Barkha wanted to do was vanish from the face of earth. To have him as her brother-in-law! Why hadn't she just thrown a tantrum?
Amrita... Because of her. If Amrita too liked him, then Barkha would not stand in the way. But if Amrita didn't...
No! That thought tormented her. For if Amrita didn't want to marry Sumesh, then he would be gone from their lives forever. As if he had never existed. She felt very bereft. Better to lose to Amrita than to never see him again!
Maybe as a return for this favour she will request them to settle down somewhere far away from home.
That would mean losing them both, she realised. Losing him does not matter, she told herself. He was never a part of her life, she reminded herself. She was in a public place, she tried to bring her mind back to the present. But she couldn't stop herself from burying her face in her hands and crying.
Her mother was waiting for her eagerly. Done with crying and self pity, Barkha said with bluster, "I am glad I met him and we talked! He is just not my type! In fact, I told him that to his face! Not to expect us to proceed further on this..."
Shikha frowned puzzled. Barkha smiled and went to freshen up. Amrita followed and had a zillion questions to ask about Sumesh and what the two had spoken. Barkha waved a hand. "Even yesterday, when he was here, I didn't think it was working out. Today it was confirmed," Barkha repeated.
Amrita seemed to be in a flutter. She kept returning to the topic of Sumesh, "You are being hasty, Barkha di! Maybe the two of you were to tensed. You should have asked for some more meetings before deciding..."
Barkha smiled, "Looks like somebody is besotted?"
Amrita blushed and shook her head vehemently. "I just..."
"Do you like him?"
"Of course! He is cute and smart and..." and she listed her reasons for liking him.
"What if I ask ma to speak his parents for you?"
Amrita's expression was enough to tell Barkha she had been right. She closed her eyes to gather strength and set the ball in motion.
Continue to Part III
"He wants to meet you," Shikha looked confused as she informed Barkha. "Alone..." Her expression turned questioning, hopeful that Barkha may have the answer.
Barkha shrugged, surprised at the request. A faint ray of hope sprang in her heart though she pretended to be indifferent. "Whatever for?"
"I don't know, his mother seemed very uncomfortable when I probed. He wants to speak to you..."
If nothing else, Barkha liked the idea of meeting him again, and was curious too. So she accepted. The same evening, at Sumesh's behest, they met at a cafe near her office. She had tried to look casual, not too eager, but when she saw him, she couldn't help beaming or blushing.
His smile was friendly, but as he urged her to order something first and the conversation progressed in fits and starts, he seemed to be buying time. Once the coffee and the cookies they ordered was served, he could delay it no further. And yet, he hemmed and hawed.
Barkha sighed and asked, "Amrita?"
He looked at her sharply, and then looked down. "I am sorry."
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked woodenly.
"Because... because... I can't be at peace otherwise. Look, it has nothing to do with you. It's just that, since I saw her the other day, I have been unable to get her out of my mind. I thought it was just a passing fancy or I wouldn't have come to see you at all. But once I was there I..."
Barkha raised a hand to stop him from continuing, her anger making her mad, her hurt making her want to cry. She fought hard to maintain equanimity. He is not worth the trouble, she had to scream inside her head till she believed it. "I am sorry, you are expecting me to wave the green flag to let you go your way? We were never committed to each other, in any case," she reminded him. "Why should you need my permission?" she asked with suppressed animosity.
"Because it is your sister we are talking about," he reminded her. "If she accepts me then I will be a part of the family, your family," he answered with evident contempt.
Her eyes flashed. "And if I say no?"
He shrugged. "That will be the end of it," he said with such simplicity that she had to believe him. It took the fight out of her and she remained silent for sometime. Her sister's face flashed in her mind. Ever since meeting Sumesh the previous evening, Amrita had been animated, excited, and blushing at nothing... Barkha and she hadn't exactly shared their views, and even if they had, Amrita would never have even hinted about it. But Barkha suspected that if she were to make way, then Amirta wouldn't be averse to marrying Sumesh. There was no doubt about how well those two had clicked while she herself had fumbled her way through, unable to rouse his interest even for a casual conversation.
She looked at him and said without any emotions. "Do you want me to broach it with her or my parents?"
He seemed unprepared for this question. "Maybe you can tell her you are okay with it," he replied after some thought
She chuckled though she wanted to scream. "Pave the way, so to say..." She nodded. "Sure, if my sister is interested, I will not stand in your way." She looked at him steadily and asked, "But how will you know? Will you ask your mother to broach us again about Amrita's proposal?"
He had the decency to look embarrassed. "I don't know... I will work something out..."
"If she is interested, I will let you know," Barkha offered on an impulse.
He beamed, paid and was clearly ready to celebrate while all Barkha wanted to do was vanish from the face of earth. To have him as her brother-in-law! Why hadn't she just thrown a tantrum?
Amrita... Because of her. If Amrita too liked him, then Barkha would not stand in the way. But if Amrita didn't...
No! That thought tormented her. For if Amrita didn't want to marry Sumesh, then he would be gone from their lives forever. As if he had never existed. She felt very bereft. Better to lose to Amrita than to never see him again!
Maybe as a return for this favour she will request them to settle down somewhere far away from home.
That would mean losing them both, she realised. Losing him does not matter, she told herself. He was never a part of her life, she reminded herself. She was in a public place, she tried to bring her mind back to the present. But she couldn't stop herself from burying her face in her hands and crying.
Her mother was waiting for her eagerly. Done with crying and self pity, Barkha said with bluster, "I am glad I met him and we talked! He is just not my type! In fact, I told him that to his face! Not to expect us to proceed further on this..."
Shikha frowned puzzled. Barkha smiled and went to freshen up. Amrita followed and had a zillion questions to ask about Sumesh and what the two had spoken. Barkha waved a hand. "Even yesterday, when he was here, I didn't think it was working out. Today it was confirmed," Barkha repeated.
Amrita seemed to be in a flutter. She kept returning to the topic of Sumesh, "You are being hasty, Barkha di! Maybe the two of you were to tensed. You should have asked for some more meetings before deciding..."
Barkha smiled, "Looks like somebody is besotted?"
Amrita blushed and shook her head vehemently. "I just..."
"Do you like him?"
"Of course! He is cute and smart and..." and she listed her reasons for liking him.
"What if I ask ma to speak his parents for you?"
Amrita's expression was enough to tell Barkha she had been right. She closed her eyes to gather strength and set the ball in motion.
Continue to Part III
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