Thanks very much to all who have liked and jotted down your thoughts! <3
Apologies for the prolonged wait. I had to prepare for my boards and then the new IF had me concerned. But it looks like things are getting better so here I am with the next chapter.
14: Obligations
It was business as usual in the Bharadwaj household. No, that’s absolutely untrue. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth.
The family was preparing to host a wedding--the grandest the town of Coonoor had ever seen, if Jai Bharadwaj was to be believed. The entire town was on the guest list and everyone from the grocer to local municipal commissioner was waiting with eager anticipation. Not just because what the event promised to be but more so because of what they had heard---the bride and groom were a match made in heaven and the account of how that had come about was worthy of a fairy tale no less. And Jai was determined to make the fairy tale a reality.
“You should not stress yourself so much” his wife Kiran said one morning as he got ready for the day, “or you will lose what little hair you have left on your head and Geet certainly won’t like that.”
He was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom attempting to rearrange a thinning lock over his balding pate, but then gave up laughing, “my turban will take care of that. As for the stress, it is happy stress dear wife, one that a man assumes automatically as soon as he fathers a daughter. And you know very well I won’t be able to rest till the last guest leaves and our Geet’s care has been transferred into Maan’s capable hands.”
Kiran nodded, “I know. It’s a huge task. But I’m so glad we found a boy like Maan.”
“No,” Jai corrected her, “I’m glad Maan found our Geet.”
And with those cheerful parting words he took his leave. It was only 6 am but he had plenty to do---from urging the lazy foreman who had no concept of North Indian weddings to speed up the construction of a rain proof pandal in the yard, to signing the bonus checks he had promised his employees, to making a trip to the bank to collect the ten lakh rupee loan he had applied for after firmly refusing his restaurateur brother Raj's offer of help.
Geet’s father wasn’t the only one whose anxieties were robbing him of sleep, his wife too was experiencing a similar ordeal.
As the bride’s mother she shouldered several responsibilities. And among them finalizing the guest lists (ensuring no one no matter how distant a relative was left out), making adequate arrangements for their stay and securing appropriate gifts for them was perhaps most important and delicate because an unhappy invitee could mean indelible damage to the family’s reputation and social standing.
She made several calls as she did every day to the tailor, the jeweler (Mr. Mehta had finally responded), the caterers, the flower vendors, and a variety of other merchants to remind them of their various tasks and urge them along, for if she didn’t it was highly likely that on the day of the wedding the mandap would be bare of decorations and Geet wouldn’t have any gold around her neck.
But these weren’t the only things that played on Kiran’s mind as she went over the snack list once again and added nimbu pani and thandai to it (it wouldn’t be fair to Geet to have guests wiping perspiration off their brow on her special day). There was something else that she had postponing for a while. And the sooner it was dealt with the better, for Geet’s sake if not her own.
She took a deep breath before knocking on her daughter’s door. There was no response though she could hear voices coming from the other side.
Now who could Geet be talking to when she had just seen her walk in there alone?
Unable to tolerate the suspense she pushed the door open, “Geet…” the rest of the words died in her throat when she saw the scene in front her and it worried her to an immense degree.
Seated on the window sill of the room her daughter seemed engaged in a deep conversation with a large lily plant in a terracotta pot.
She was saying: “When I was going about my life in perfect peace why did you have to barge in and mess it all up? Don’t tell me that your mom made you. And wipe that smug smile off your face!”
She then cleared her throat and spoke in a fairly good imitation of Kiran’s future son-in-law’s voice, “I had no intention of…”
“What?” Geet demanded, her voice scaling several decibels.
If she continues like this she’ll go hoarse, thought Kiran but didn’t find it fit to interrupt. This imaginary conversation was quite entertaining.
Her daughter’s pretend Maan voice said, “I admit I was feeling lonely. For some strange reason that made me think of you Geet and realize that only you could be my companion. I was missing your constant chatter even though at one time it used to be the most irksome thing to me. And… I was also doing your parents a favor because no one other than I is capable of handling your idiosyncrasies.”
Kiran’s eyes opened wide.
Geet appeared all worked up, “What? Are you calling me crazy?”
Her Maan voice replied calmly, “No we both are… crazy for each other.”
Kiran blushed, and so apparently did her daughter. There was a long pause while she saw her look down and play fidget with her toes.
“Then how can you just get up and leave without notice? It’s been almost two weeks and I haven’t even heard a word from you. Nor do I have an address to send a letter to. Is that why you left this stupid plant here? So, I can look at it and miss you all the more? Well let me tell you I won’t! I’ve had enough! I won’t ever see you again, or speak to you, even if you come crawling on your knees and beg me to. And don’t you dare come to my room…even if it is just to sit on the window sill. It belongs to me, got it?”
“Geet…”
Her daughter swung around clearly irritated at the interruption. She glared at her for a moment before awareness dawned on her ---- “Ma… you here?
Kiran felt deeply embarrassed, “I… just walked in.”
But her daughter looked even more disconcerted, “But ma… I was just kidding. Maan has never been in my room. He has just sat on the windowsill a couple of times… that’s all.”
Kiran smiled, “And I used to wonder why he doesn’t come knocking on the front door anymore…”
Geet continued earnestly, “please understand. He has never crossed his limits. He has always been a gentleman.”
In response Kiran took her daughter in her arms, “Of course my dear, you don’t have to vouch for him. There’s no one else in the world whom I’d trust you more with.”
Geet hugged her back, “Thank you.”
Kiran swayed with her gently in place, “you are missing him, aren’t you?” She discerned a faint nod. “He’ll be back. He's a man who keeps his word. I talked to his mother yesterday and she told me that sometimes due to the sensitive nature of the mission, diplomats may be barred from contacting home or family for the duration of the trip.”
Geet’s eyes grew round with alarm, “Does that mean...?”
“No,” Kiran shook her head. “Apparently it's perfectly routine. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“But...”
Even though her anxieties seemed fairly legitimate, Kiran couldn’t allow her daughter to dwell on it. She wanted to see her happy and content so it would help reduce the trauma when the time arrived to bid farewell and that day was approaching fast.
And Kiran was determined to do something that many mothers couldn't garner the courage for---prepare her daughter for her new life and sever the umbilical cord that bound her to her home, not unlike a mother hen when she lets go of her brood. It was a harsh but necessary step.
“Now, now... let’s forget Maan for a few minutes, shall we? He’s been getting way too much attention lately,” She said forcing a bright smile on her face. “I have some work for you.”
“I don’t think about him at all. It is just that pot over there.” Geet retorted. “What kind of work?”
“Why don’t you start putting away a few things that you may wish to take with you to New Delhi... like keepsakes and so on.”
Geet burst into a loud laugh, “There are way too many things ma; almost this entire room! How can I take it all? And you know more than anything else that it is you I want mommy dearest! Will you come with me?”
Kiran gently but firmly shook her head, “I can’t beta, even if Mrs Sharma invites me. I can just visit for a day or two and only on certain occasions.”
Geet’s brow knit together, “If you can’t, I can. I will come to see you every month. Then I will need this room just the way it is now.”
“That wouldn’t be proper Geet.”
“Why not? Maan said that I could! He promised!” Geet whined.
Kiran pulled her back into her arms and smoothed her hand over her silky head. This exercise was proving to be more difficult than anticipated; “I don’t doubt that he will. I can see how much he cares about you. But it is the society we have to worry about. Even if he and his mother agree, people around us won’t. In our culture once a girl gets married, she is expected to grow up right away. She is allowed no time to acclimatize. She has to become a woman, assume all kinds of responsibilities, behave in a certain manner, and follow all the norms society dictates. If she doesn’t, she won’t be accepted, worse she will be scorned. Take for instance the case of your sister. Even if she wished to be here with you right now, she can’t because her in-laws won’t allow it.”
Geet’s face assumed an expression of quiet determination; “If that is so, then I won’t leave you.”
“Then you have to forget about marrying Maan. Are you willing to do so Geet?” Kiran asked gently.
Geet grew silent. It was clear that her mother had presented an impossible choice.
Kiran smiled, “I’ve got my answer. My son-in-law has taken undisputed control over my daughter’s heart. What more could I ask for? Now let’s not tarry anymore and get to work. What do you wish to sort first? Books and albums? Let’s see....”
Her daughter sat down heavily on the bed. Her face had completely drained of all color. Kiran rushed to hold her as she sobbed her heart out.
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