She turned away in a hurry when she heard her father’s reply, “Hello Chanda beta, did I wake you up?”
“Not really Pappa. I was just getting up. How are you all?” she asked, a smile in her voice that reflected on her face. The next second, the smile turned to a scowl as she felt Ranveer’s wet tongue slide down her back. Her body stiffening, Chanda tried to move away even as she made a conscious effort to talk sense. But Ranveer just moved closer.
“I have some good news to share. We have got an alliance for Ram.” Chanda shrieked—her father thought it was in joy, while her husband grinned at her mischievously, his hands tracing the curves of her body relentlessly. Mohan had a smile in his voice as he continued, “I know you must be excited. So, the plan’s like this. Your Mamma and I want you and Ranveer to accompany us to Pushkar to meet the girl and her family. Would this week be convenient?” It was obvious that he was eager to go ahead with the meeting immediately.
Chanda choked, her face a fiery red. “Ek minute, Pappa,” she said, before putting the phone on hold, “Ranveer, are you crazy?” She glared at him or tried to, her frown fading into a smile on seeing the desire and mischief on his handsome features.
“You know I am,” he said, pulling her closer to his chest.
“Ranveer, Pappa has something important to say. Can you keep your hands to yourself for a few minutes?” she requested, her black eyes pleading with his naughty brown gaze.
“There, whatever you say!” said Ranveer, spreading his arms wide, shrugging his shoulders. “Anything to make you happy.”
But she didn’t trust the mischievous glint in his eyes. The second he moved his hands away, Chanda sprinted out of the room with the phone, shutting the door firmly behind her.
“Sorry Pappa,” she said breathlessly. “The phone went on hold. Tell me, who’s the girl? What’s her name? Is she educated? Have you checked about the family? Did…”
“Arre!” said Mohan, grinning widely, his daughter’s enthusiasm catching up with him. “We don’t have too many details. But astrologer Vidyasagar recommended her highly for Ram. So, the plan is to go meet the people and find out more.”
“Oh, okay then. I’ll talk to Ranveer and we’ll come over as soon as possible.”
Even as she uttered the words, Ranveer took the phone from her and spoke into it. “Namaste uncle! How are you doing?”
“I’m fine beta. As I was telling Chanda, an alliance has come for Ram. We would like you and Chanda to join us on the trip to Pushkar to meet the girl and her family,” Mohan said.
“Uncle, I think it makes best sense if Chanda goes with you guys on the first trip. I’ll join you when the engagement takes place. What do you say? It’s best to save our leaves when the actual wedding takes place, right?”
Mohan couldn’t argue with his son-in-law’s logic. “You’re right, Ranveer. I hope you wouldn’t mind Chanda coming over here for a few days.”
“Not at all, uncle,” said Ranveer affectionately. “And how is aunty?”
“She’s fine beta.”
“We’ll call in an hour or so to confirm the dates and also talk to Ram. Is that fine, uncle?”
“Of course, of course.”
Ranveer disconnected the phone and threw it on a sofa, lifting his wife in his arms and carrying her into the bedroom.
5
Chittaranjan sat on the banks of Pushkar Lake, performing a puja, when he saw his son Suraj come running to him. He gestured to him to wait, before completing the puja diligently. It wasn’t fair to the clients to keep them waiting in the middle of it. Taking the money they gave him, he turned to his son and asked softly, “What happened, Suraj? Is everything okay?”
“Pappa, Maa asked you to come home immediately. Someone has come from Jaipur to see Sapna di for marriage,” said Suraj in a single breath. Excitement had run rampant at the Purohit home when Mishraji, a contact of Vidyasagar’s, had gone there carrying a message from the Maheshwaris. “Mishra uncle is at home. He asked you to come urgently.”
Chittaranjan’s dark eyes lit up when he heard that someone had brought an alliance for his daughter. He rushed along with his son in a half-run, to reach home as soon as possible.
His fourteen-year-old son continued to fill him in on all details. “The boy’s family has come down from Jaipur. They are staying at a hotel,” said Suraj in awe. “They must be very rich nah, Pappa? I hope they don’t ask for too much dowry to marry Sapna di. If they have so much money, why will they want more from us, who have nothing?” asked the teenager logically.
Chittaranjan nodded his head absent-mindedly. He hoped so too. They reached home to walk in through the open door. Purnima was busy at the stove, preparing sweets and snacks for the guests who were to come later. Mishraji was sitting on a stool, sipping a cup of tea, regaling her with details about the Maheshwaris. Sapna was seated on the floor, looking irritated, chewing on a finger nail.
Mishra got up the moment Chittaranjan walked in. “Namasteji! Your daughter’s kismet has turned for the better. Mohan Maheshwari is a big businessman in Jaipur. His kirana shop in Tripolia Bazaar does business in crores. And you know, the boy Ram, he’s their eldest son. He runs his own jewellery business. Not just rich, he’s handsome too.”
“But Mishra uncle,” protested Sapna, “you know how these rich people are. They only want more dowry than the others. Why are you making Maa waste her time and money making all that extra food?” She felt angry. This isn’t how the man of her dreams would come, not introduced by an astrologer.
She had visualised her first meeting with her future husband in many different ways. He was sure to appear at one of the weddings while she was applying mehendi to the bride, as a friend of the groom or maybe even his brother. Maybe she would meet him in the local market. He would turn up in a big car and fall for her the moment their eyes met.
Not like this! She turned her angry eyes to her father, hoping to appeal to his kindness. “Let them not come, Pappa. We won’t be able to afford a marriage with a rich boy,” she declared.
“I…” Mishra tried to interrupt.
“Sapna, why are you being negative?” asked her father, his voice gentle. “We don’t stand to lose anything. Vidyasagarji and Mishraji are our well-wishers. Let the Maheshwari family come and see you. What if the boy is floored by your beauty? He may even refuse dowry,” he smiled, ever the optimist.
Purnima continued with her work, hoping against hope that her husband was right. That was the only way they could get their daughter married. It was all karma. The three abortions she had had after Sapna was born—all because the babies in her womb were girls—must have come back as karma. No wonder they were leading such a horrible existence. And it was no wonder they were unable to get even their only girl married off. She wiped the single tear that ran down her cheek with the edge of her sari. This alliance had to work.
Sapna didn’t want to argue with her gentle father. What did it matter anyway? When the boy’s family asked for dowry, he would automatically have to say ‘no’. She could always go back to daydreaming and wait for her Prince in peace after that. Cheering up, she got up to go behind the old bed-sheet that was used as a curtain, to get dressed in the only gaghra choli that she possessed. It was made of rough cotton, but Sapna had managed to make it grand with a lot of mirror work and embroidery. She brushed her long hair that fell to her hips and plaited it in a single braid. She applied kohl to her large, almond shaped eyes and was ready to take on the Maheshwaris. She was completely unaware of how beautiful she looked, her stormy grey eyes sparkling.
In the meanwhile, Mishraji had gone back to the hotel in the car he had come in. He was to return with the Maheshwari family within the hour.
6
Chanda looked at Ram with a smile on her face. Her eldest brother looked dashing in dark blue jeans and a brilliant white kurta of superfine cotton. He was an inch short of six feet and well built. “Are you nervous, Ram?” she asked softly.
“Totally! Can
you imagine going to meet a prospective bride, without even knowing her name, let alone her face? How long do you think I’m going to have to say a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’? And on what basis do I arrive at my answer? Just by seeing her face?” Though chilled out most of the time, Ram had a temper that rarely surfaced. It looked like this was one of those exceptional occasions.
Chanda placed an arm around his waist, hugging him close. “Don’t worry. You’ll know.”
“What will I know?” he growled, his black eyes blazing. He wanted to break something. He only refrained because his gentle parents didn’t deserve it. But what the hell!
“You’ll know if she’s the one for you. It’s not just the looks. It’s the vibes. I’d suggest you cool down. If you’re in a temper, you might not be attuned to any.”
Ram looked down at his little sister. “Are you serious?”
She nodded her head vigorously.
“Is that how you knew that you were in love with Ranveer?” he asked, a small smile breaking out on his tempestuous face, like a ray of sunshine piercing through a dark cloud.
She nodded again. “Yes. I could feel it even the first time I laid eyes on him. Till then, I refused to show interest in any man, especially because I felt I didn’t have the right, having been married as a child and all that. But when I saw him give a lecture at our college, I could feel the powerful pull of attraction. I don’t think you should worry. And, if, by chance, you don’t feel anything, it’s okay to refuse the alliance. You know that, right?”
A deep sigh surfaced from Ram. He seemed to be sighing all the time nowadays. But he did look relieved. Though still not comfortable with the boy-meet-girl process, he felt better after the chat with his sibling. “Chalo, let’s go and get done with it.” He tucked an arm into hers and pulled her towards the door.
Chanda resisted. “Ram, I hope you realise that we aren’t going to the dentist for a root canal,” she teased, her face impish.
“Haha! Very funny,” said Ram, dragging her out of the room they were sharing. By now, their parents had also stepped out of the adjoining room and the four of them took the lift to go down. It was time to go see the girl.
7
They had to leave the car on the main road and walk down the narrow lane for a few minutes before they reached the dilapidated structure that housed the Purohits. The door had been left open invitingly since the Maheshwaris were expected.
A beautiful rangoli graced the road outside the door. The four of them stepped around it carefully as Meera commented, “That’s so lovely.”
They went into the minuscule room even as Chittaranjan welcomed them with folded hands, “Welcome to our humble abode.” He invited them to sit on the mat spread on the floor, while guiding Mohan to the only stool that was available. Suraj brought a tray of tumblers filled with cool water from a pot even as Purnima instructed him to be careful not to spill the water.
After everyone settled down, Purnima brought a large steel plate filled with jalebis, gulab jamuns and chaklis. Chanda got up immediately to help the older woman. “Namaste aunty,” she smiled at her, her eyes searching for the young woman they had come down to see.
Chittaranjan spoke softly. “I work as a pandit and this is my small family. Sapna is my eldest born. She has managed to finish school. Nowadays, she’s learned to apply mehendi designs and has become an expert in the art. She’s much in demand during marriages in all of Pushkar.” He was obviously proud of his daughter’s achievements. “She’s our main responsibility. Once she’s married off, it’s our two sons—Suraj and Shyam. They are still at school.”
Mohan listened to the man in front of him, understanding more than what he actually said. It was obvious that the Purohits were poorer than even what he had imagined. Well, that was no deterrent if Ram and the girl—oh, yes, Sapna—liked each other. He nodded his head and said, “Ram is our eldest born. We have three more sons after him and Chanda here,” he gestured to his daughter, “is our youngest child. She’s married and lives in Delhi with her husband. Bhagavan ki dua se we have all things material. Mishraji must have mentioned that Ram runs his own independent business. He’s twenty-nine and we believe it’s the right time to get him settled with a wife. Vidyasagarji recommended your family to us. We hold him in high regard and that’s the main reason we were keen to see your daughter immediately.”
Chittaranjan nodded his head in agreement, a beatific smile on his face. “Of course.” He turned towards the curtain and called out softly, “Sapna, aao beti.”
Sapna. So that was her name. Ram stared at the vision that stepped out from behind the curtain, his heart beating rapidly. He didn’t care about what the others might think about him. He needed to know if she was the right girl for him. She was barely a few feet away as she stepped out, her bare feet making no sound. She wore no anklets. Nor were there bangles on her wrists. But the mehendi on her delicate hands called out to him. She was slim to the point of being thin. His eyes moved up further, taking in her figure, moving in a hurry as they encountered her shapely breasts. He saw narrow shoulders supporting a graceful neck on which sat a finely chiselled profile. Yeah, she was looking at her father and Ram was able to see only the side of her face.
“Come, Sapna,” called out her father, “take Mohanji’s and Meeraji’s blessings.”
Sapna obediently touched their feet, her eyes flitting this way and that, unable to meet anyone’s. The truth was that she was feeling too shy and awkward. With a sigh of relief, her gaze caught the dark eyes of a young woman and turned to her with a hesitant smile.
“Hello Sapna,” said Chanda, looking at the nervous young woman. “I’m Chanda, Ram’s sister. And this here is Ram,” she introduced.
Ram looked into the striking grey eyes and was lost. He understood exactly what Chanda had meant. His heart thundered like a galloping horse. He got up from the floor to stand next to his sister.”Hello Sapna,” he said softly.
Being barely a couple of inches over five feet, Sapna had to look up a long way at him. “Hello,” she responded, her voice just a whisper, refusing to meet his eyes.
Ram wasn’t too surprised. Nor did he blame her. There were too many people around. Chanda held her hand and made her sit down next to her. She noticed the dark mehendi design on her hands and held one of them to check it out. Ram watched from a couple of feet away, rather frustrated with the situation. “Did you do this design?” asked Chanda.
Sapna nodded her head, her gaze on the floor.
“Do you sing, Sapna?” asked Meera, refusing to acknowledge her husband’s frown. She herself loved to listen to Hindustani music though she couldn’t sing to save her life. What’s wrong in asking?
Sapna nodded her dark head, without raising her head.
“Why don’t you sing that thumri on Lord Krishna?” invited her father.
Sapna nodded yet again before she began to sing in a melodious voice. While Meera closed her eyes out of respect to Sapna’s beautiful voice, Ram watched avidly. Though he wasn’t a fan of classical music, Sapna’s rendition of the love song in the name of Krishna, struck a chord within him. There were no two ways about the fact that Sapna would become his wife. It didn’t strike him to wonder if she would also be of the same opinion.
Taking a sip of water to wet his parched throat, Ram waited for his parents to say something. They all tasted a bite of the snacks served, for the sake of formality, before Mohan got up from his stool. Meera, Ram and Chanda stood up too.
“Sapna has a delightful voice, Chittaranjanji. I’m sure you must be proud of your daughter. We will get back to you by tomorrow morning with our decision. Mishraji will contact you. In the meanwhile, you also ask your daughter about her opinion regarding a liaison between our families.”
Ram hid his disappointment. He had so wanted to talk to Sapna in private. Hopefully, the next time.
They left in the car they had come, leaving Mishraji with the Purohits.
All four of them went to the parents’ room to
talk about the meeting. Meera sounded excited when she said, “I think the girl—Sapna—is perfect for Ram. I have accepted her as my daughter-in-law.”
Mohan grinned teasingly, seeing the colour rush up his son’s manly cheeks. “My dear wife, it’s Ram who’ll be wedding her. Should we find out if he likes Sapna, or is it enough if you have approved of her?”
Meera gave her husband a mock glare before turning to look at Ram. “Ram, you tell me. What’s there not to like about Sapna?”
“Mamma, are you trying to bulldoze Ram into marrying the girl of your choice?” joined Chanda in the teasing. As if the gentle Meera was capable of “bulldozing” anyone! It was obvious to Chanda that her brother was floored. But he hadn’t uttered a word. “Let’s hear what Ram has to say.”
“I think Mamma Pappa know best,” said Ram, in a non-committal fashion. He was too dazed by the powerful attraction he felt towards Sapna. Was it possible to fall in love at first sight? He wasn’t sure if this was love, but he did know that he wouldn’t object to spending the rest of his life with her.
Chanda shook her head vigorously. “It doesn’t work that way Ram. What do you think, Pappa?” She dragged their father into the conversation. “It’s not Mamma Pappa’s decision to make. If you aren’t keen to wed her, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” Mischief gleamed in her black eyes as she raised a brow at him.
Mohan held Meera’s hand when she opened her mouth to voice her protest. All three of them looked at Ram, wanting him to voice his opinion. “What? I’m okay if all three of you are okay,” he insisted.
Mohan winked at his daughter before saying, “Well, in that case, let’s not rush into this alliance. We have only seen one girl. And it looks like the family is also too poor. Let’s ask Vidyasagarji for more contacts. I’m sure he must have a long list. We’ll meet a few more girls and then decide. What do you say, Ram?”
Flaming Sun Collection 2: Marriages Made in India (Box Set with 5 novellas) Page 2
