2020. 1. Heart of a Rose (Part 2)

Part 2

Dedicated to our own Sammy, an Iron Lady and our own Superwoman. Love,

Arnav sat on the recliner in his room, his head in his hands. The pill he had taken for his headache would take at least 15 minutes to act and his head was pounding. Regret that he had hurt his nani burned a hole in his heart like drops of acid falling on tender skin.

There was a knock on the door.

Di. It would be di. It was always up to her to keep the peace at home.

“Come in,” he grunted.

Anjali walked in with a tray of food for him. She placed it on the low table by him and limped back to close the door. She uncovered the tray to take a plate of food in her hands and then walked to sit by him.

“Chotey, your dinner,” she murmured.

“I am sorry, di,” he murmured.

She brought a spoonful of food to his lips.

He turned his face away.

“I—I didn’t mean to hurt nani,” he admitted. “It is just that...”

“I know,” she whispered. “Eat. We can talk later. You need to take your diabetes pill too.”

He ate, too tired and too upset with the incident earlier to have an appetite. After a few minutes, he took the half-full plate from his sister and left it on the tray. He poured a glass of water and quickly swallowed his medicine.

He then returned to sit by his di.

“She means well,” Anjali said, her voice soft and placating.

He nodded.

Anjali hesitated and then said, “When we lost our mother, she lost her daughter, Chotey. Never forget that.”

He looked at her, his eyes hurt.

Anjali had to look away. He reminded her so much of the 14-year –old boy who had hugged her on the day of their parents’ cremation and promised her, “I will always take care of you, di.” That boy was still alive within him. Life had ended for him the day their parents had committed suicide and their chachaji had thrown them out of their own home. Though he had grown physically into an adult, he was emotionally still arrested at that point, unable to move ahead with his life. She turned to look at him with wet eyes.

He looked away.

She cupped his cheek lovingly. “Talk to her, Chotey,” she murmured.

He nodded, his heart heavy with grief.

She slowly got up and left. There was only so much she could do and it was never enough to heal the gaping wounds in his heart.

A feeling of inadequacy filled her heart. If only their parents had behaved more maturely! If only they hadn’t chosen death over their children!

                                                   ***

After a wakeful night, Arnav walked down the steps early in the morning. The house was silent but he knew his nani would be awake, tormented by the memories his words had unleashed in her mind.

And he was right.

Nani was in her room, praying. Her face looked drawn. Clearly, she had not slept last night. He winced.

“Nani,” he called.

She looked up.

He walked in to sit by her.

They stayed silent for a while. The old clock she had brought from her home in Lucknow ticked, marking the seconds.

“I am sorry, nani, for being rude to you,” he managed to say.

“But you are still stubborn about not changing your life?” she asked, a wry smile on her lips.

He drew in a deep breath. “The business has a life of its own. Delegating is not an easy task.”

“What about shaadi, Chotey?” she asked.

Arnav shut his eyes, begging for patience from a God he didn’t believe existed.

“No,” he replied shortly.

“Are you sure, Chotey?” nani asked quietly.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Why?” she asked.

Arnav was confused. Surely she knew how his parents and their tempestuous marriage had embittered him!

“Other than the mess Aravind and Ratna made of our lives, do you any other reason?” nani asked coolly.

“Isn’t that reason enough to avoid marriage for a few lifetimes?” he asked shortly.

“All people are not Aravind and Ratna, Chotey,” nani replied softly.

Arnav turned away. “I have to be at the office early today, nani. I will get going,” he murmured, standing up to leave.

Nani stopped him as he reached the door. “Chotey, how old are you?”

Arnav replied, “30” without turning to face her.

“And how old is Anjali bitiya?”

“34.”

“Have you ever wondered why she refuses all the proposals we bring for her?” nani asked quietly.

He turned to look at her with sharp eyes.

“Because her Chotey is alone. When I insisted that she get married, she told me that she would marry only after her Chotey married,” nani said softly but clearly.

His eyes widened as he looked at her in shock.

“Now you can decide how long you want to cling on to the past and be selfish while your di stays a spinster, praying all the hours God gave us for a brother who is so preoccupied with his past to give attention to his present and future.”

The matriarch sat back. Her job was done.

                                                       ***

ASR called Anjali from his office.

“Di, please inform nani that I am ready to marry,” is all he said.

Anjali gasped and almost fell down in shock. “Chotey, yeh tum keh rahe ho? Are you sure? What made you change your mind?”

Arnav sighed. “She is right and I was wrong. It is time I looked to the future instead of back at the past. Aap nani se keh deejiye.”

Anjali slumped in her chair in pleasant shock.

“Kaa hua, Anjali bitiya?” mami asked. “Ijj Aiswarya Rai coming to our housewaa?”

“Even better, mami. You are going to get your first bahu. Chotey has agreed to marry,” Anjali managed to say through her tears.

“Hello Hi Bye Bye!” mami exclaimed.

“Mami, I need to call the Pandit after we share the glad news with nani. This calls for a havan!” Anjali exclaimed.

“It does, it does,” mami seconded her. “Chamatkaar hui gawa. Hamre Arnav bitwaa, who used to run from marrijj like people from snakewaa, ijj now ready for varmaala?”

“Kaa hua, Manorama?” nani asked, joining them. “Did you find a new makeup shop online?”

“Naahi, Saasumma. Your grandsonwaa ijj ready to be dulha.   Badhai ho!”

Relief spread across the elderly lady’s face. After a moment of hugging Anjali and mami, she said with tears in her eyes, “Light ghee lamps at the goddess’ feet. This decision will change Chotey’s life for the better.”

                                                   ***

“Chotey, I have left a few photos on your table. Go through them and select the girl you like. We can arrange to visit them,” nani said with a smile as Arnav walked in late at night from work.

He nodded.

“Did you have dinner, Arnav bitwaa,” mami asked.

“A sandwich,” he muttered as he climbed the stairs. He still had work left. It was going to be a very long day.

He entered his room and placed his laptop bag on the low table near the recliner, not noticing the covers of photos on which he had placed the bag.

He quickly grabbed his nightclothes and went to the washroom. After a refreshing shower, he returned, swallowed his pill, and took his laptop from the bag on the table to go out into the garden by the pool to work.

Aman called. He called Aman. Aman messaged him. He messaged Aman. The hours fled by, his focus entirely on the deal that had to be finalised.

Exhausted beyond words, he finally decided to call it a day.

Early in the morning, nani knocked on his door.

“Chotey, have you decided?” she asked.

“Decided?” he asked. “About what?”

“Your shaadi,” she cried, exasperated. “Didn’t you look at the photos I left on your...” Her eyes fell on the laptop bag sitting on the photos she had left for him in a few covers.

Hiding his impatience, Arnav lifted the bag from the table with more force than required.

One cover fell to the ground.

He threw the bag down and bent to pick up the cover. Sliding his fingers under the flap, he pulled out a photo and stood transfixed.

Sparkling hazel eyes filled with laughter, shining hair, a creamy complexion, plump rosy lips curved in a smile, colourful earrings, and a nosepin....she looked like a dream, a happy dream that Arnav Singh Raizada had never even dared to dream.