2020. 1. Heart of a Rose (Part 7)

 

Part 7

Garima stood shell-shocked as Mami clutched her with eager arms, weeping all over her shoulder.

Sasi stood gobsmacked. Where was the upper-class lady who had entered his house a few minutes back, all Benarsi saadi and poise?

“Garima, how could you forget your Manno?” mami wept, lavishly spreading her kajal on Garima’s clothes.

“Manno?” Garima asked in acute shock. She held mami away from her and gazed at the colourful face before her, unable to recognise her. The eye makeup, rouge, and the hundred other cosmetic products mami had slapped on her face had mixed and mingled, turning her face into an abstract painting by a toddler.

“It is me, your own Manno, Garima. Remember how we shared the same bench in classwaa and how the bald Maths teacherwaa would ask me questions every day and you would whisper the answers to me,” mami wept.

Garima’s mouth fell open. It was Manorama! “Manno,” she whispered, fervently hugging her dear friend whom she hadn’t seen for decades.

Buaji’s face was a picture as she looked at the touching reunion happening in her living room. She raised one eyebrow at Sasi as if to ask him what in the name of Nandkisore was happening. Sasi shrugged helplessly. He had lost the plot a while back and it didn’t look like he had any hope of regaining it.

The Raizadas were no less intrigued. They watched the happenings with interest, smiling away at mami’s nautanki. Chandu Lal was thrilled. Finally, he was seeing light at the end of a very complicated and twisted tunnel.

“Meet your jiju,” mami said, tugging Garima to Manohar who stood up with folded hands to greet his wife’s childhood friend.

“I have heard numerous stories of your escapades, Garimaji,” Manohar said laughing. “I am so pleased to finally meet you. Manno had been gnawing away at my ear with tales of your eventful childhood.”

Garima smiled, saying tearfully. “Aap hamare ghar padhare, that itself is our good fortune. I never thought I would see Manno again in this life.”

Mami introduced Garima to her entire family. Anjali hugged her warmly while nani gave her blessings with a generous hand. When Garima was introduced to Akash who bent to touch her feet, she held him by his shoulders to lift him, kissed his forehead, and whispered, “Manno’s son, so grown up. Jeeyat raho, babua.” She then turned to mami and teased her, “How come you have such a well-mannered son, Manno?”

Mami laughed out loud. The Raizadas had to smile at the truth of the statement.

“Laagat he, Garima bitiya, Akass bitwaa has more of my son in him than his nautanki mother,” nani remarked with a laugh.

When the laughter died down, Garima turned to Sasi. “Payaliya’s father, this is Manorama, my childhood friend. We studied together for years. Manno, this is your jiju. That is your jiju’s jiji,” she introduced buaji who nodded pleasantly saying with a laugh, “Laagat he koi phillum chal rahi ho, Nandkisore. Do bichade yaar meeting after years. Garima, are you sure you don’t have one portion of a soapbox and Manoramaji, the other?”

All laughed.

Garima’s face grew serious. “Manno, you have come to see Khussi?”

“Yes, for Akass bitwaa’s cousin, Arnav bitwaa. Garima, you can’t deny me our bahuriya, hello hi bye bye!”

The Guptas shared worried glances.

Into this tense moment walked in Shri. Arnav Singh Raizada.

                                                        ***

 

Sasi, buaji, and Garima gasped seeing the dapper, mature-looking, suljhe hue successful businessman who wanted to throw in his lot with that of Khussi, the jhalli rani.

“Hai re Nandkisore!” buaji exclaimed.

“Jiji,” Garima whispered, a scared look thrown at buaji.

Nani introduced Arnav to the three Guptas. Like a good boy, Arnav greeted them with folded hands. The Raizadas heaved a sigh of relief as their scion displayed perfect manners and an irreproachable attitude.

“Garima, bhere ijj Khussi? We have been waitings to see her,” mami complained.

‘Hanging upside down from the balcony next door,’ Arnav could have told his mami. He hid a smile as her image flashed through his mind.

“We thought you were here to see Payaliya,” Garima revealed.

Akash gasped.

“What?” Chandu Lal asked. Could the day get any worse?

Arnav was too shocked to respond. But the other Raizadas were vocal after a long moment of acute shock.

“Payaliya? Your other daughter?” nani asked.

“But we told Chandu Lalji that Arnav bitwaa liked Khussi’s photo, hello hi bye bye!” mami exclaimed.

“I told Madhumatiji over the phone. I did. Kasam se. I told her the bride was Khussi,” Chandu Lal tried to establish his innocence.

Buaji hit her head. “Hai Re Nandkisore! There was something wrong with our phone, Devyaniji. I couldn’t hear him fully and he couldn’t hear me at all.”

“We had no idea it was Khussi,” Sasi said with a sigh.

There was silence as the Guptas looked at the Raizadas wide-eyed and the Raizadas returned the favour.

“Is it a problem that I wish to marry Khushi, uncle?” Arnav asked quietly, breaking the silence.

The Guptas hesitated, but finally, Sasi spoke, “Bitwaa, I have two daughters. Payaliya is the older one and Khussi the younger. We were expecting to marry off Payaliya first and then Khussi.” He looked at nani who nodded, understanding a father’s desire. "So, entertaining a proposal for Khussi when Payaliya is unmarried is...difficult. Moreover...” Sasi looked Arnav in the eye and said clearly, “Khussi is an orphan. She is Garima’s sister’s daughter. After the death of her parents in an accident, we have been looking after her...” His eyes pleaded with his sister to put into words their reservations.

Buaji took up the onerous duty. “Woh kaa he, Devyaniji, our relations, especially our mother, didn’t like us taking on her responsibility. She has spent many years in this house feeling like an outsider. So we were planning to get her married to a boy in Lucknow with a large family that accepts her as she is and doesn’t mind that she is an orphan, Nandkisore.”

Arnav’s heart ached for the beautiful maiden who was alone and helpless against the world. He would give her a home and a family and make up for all the bitter experiences she had undergone in this house.

 Buaji drew in a deep breath and blurted out the truth. “He will also have to accept that she is sanki, jhalli, and a parmeswari!”

The Raizadas were too astonished to speak. Arnav blinked. Chandu Lal clutched his heart. He strongly believed that too much honesty was very detrimental to the successful negotiation of a marriage proposal and buaji was determined to cross all existing boundaries of honesty.

Garima continued from where her jiji left off.   “She is young, naughty, does everything without thinking of the consequences.” Her eyes lingered on Arnav’s pristine appearance with doubtful eyes. “It will take a lot of patience and fortitude to bear her antics.”

Buaji and Sasi nodded in full agreement.

“She is pure-hearted and fun-loving, Devyaniji, and I fear, too immature for marriage to any man, let alone someone as successful as your grandson is,” Sasi spoke softly, knowing he was disappointing the whole family.

Chandu Lal's heart sank into his jootis. Nothing could save this deal when one party was determined to undermine it by being too honest.

ASR was nothing if not persistent. Water dripping on a stone for centuries to carve out a hole had nothing on him. A breath later, Arnav said softly, “My di and I are orphans, just like Khushi. So her lack of parents is not a matter of concern for us. I have a large family that is willing to make her a part of us. And although we live in Delhi, we are from Lucknow.” He was determined to save Khushi from a life of loneliness, neglect, and penury.

Nani spoke up, “Sasiji, to know if Chotey and Khussi bitiya are compatible, I think they should meet. How can we decide if they will get along?”

All the Raizadas except Arnav added their persuasions.

Sasi looked at buaji and Garima, helpless in the face of this joint entreaty.

“The girls are with their friend next door. I will summon them,” he said quietly, leaving the room.

Arnav and Akash felt their hearts lighten. They had laid eyes on the right girls.

Garima and buaji pushed the Raizadas to taste the snacks, unaware of the thoughts rushing through Arnav and Akash’s heads.

                                                         ***