MPbGD thread # 2, part 70 on pg62 on 18/4/12 - Page 23

hey dear

nice part..looking forward fr auntz visit nd her reaction towardz ridz...

update soon

love

sania

Part 60

Arun got up asking "Perima, but why do you want to meet anjie?"

R: Why can't I meet your co-singer? Better still I'd love to watch you both sing on stage. When and where is your next program?

Arun: We don't have any programs this month because Anjie is appearing for her graduation exam.

R: What about you? Did you continue your studies later?

A: Perima, I'm doing a degree course in music. I have just two more semesters to go.

Riddhima put her free hand around his shoulder saying "That's lovely. God bless you. May you shine out in your chosen field. I think you have inherited the musical genes from your grandfather. Mama used to sing very well though he didn't take any professional training. You remember athaan?"

Armaan nodded saying "Of course I do. At every family function there used to be a mini concert by him. He used to sing carnatic music and was an ardent fan of Maharajapuram Santanam. I had got him a tape recorder with my first salary and half a dozen Santanam audio tapes. He was so happy."

Arun was glad that the topic had veered from Anjie to his grandpa. Karan excused himself as Linda called. Having finished dinner, Armaan shooed Riddhima and Arun away and started loading the dish washer.

Once Riddhima got Arun alone, she drilled him about Anjie and gathered that Anjelina was an Afro American. Her parents hadn't married and when her father had come to know that her mother was pregnant, he had walked away. He had been a struggling musician while her mother was a graduate working in an office. Her mother had married another man a few years later and had 2 more daughters. Her stepfather had been a good man and brought her up as his own daughter. She had left home after she finished her school finals and sang part-time to fund her education.

From the way Arun spoke about Anjie she knew he had a lot of regard for her. It seemed like he looked up to her as an idol. But at the same time had a soft corner for her too.

All of them sat talking about old times till late into the night and went to bed quite late. So the next morning when Shekar called from the airport at around 9 o'clock, Riddhima and Armaan were just up and having their coffee and the boys hadn't come down yet. Armaan rushed to pick them up saying he'd be back in half an hour. Riddhima got panicky that she hadn't had her bath as yet and neither had she made any preparation for the breakfast. As it is she was nervous about facing Karuna's sister. Her brain seemed to have stopped working all of a sudden. She couldn't even think of any quick recipe for breakfast.

Finally unable to think of anything interesting to make, she called her athaan. He pulled the car to the side worried what could be the matter. But hearing her problem he just burst out laughing. She also felt very silly when he told her that he had panicked seeing her call when he had left the house just a few minutes back. He solved her problem nevertheless saying there were a couple of packets of instant rawa idli in the shelf. It only had to be mixed with water and left for a few minutes and then to be poured into the idli mould and steamed.

She mixed the dough and letting it rest for a few minutes, went for her bath. While in the bath she continued to think of what else she could prepare quickly besides the rawa idli. There was aval kesari left over from the previous day. She'd make some onion pakodas and chutney, she decided. So after a hurried bath and dressing up quickly, she came to the kitchen to see Karan making coffee for the two of them.

He saw her flustered as she pulled out the cutting board and a few onions. The usual warm good-morning and teasing was replaced by just a smile. It didn't take him much time to realize that she was nervous about meeting his Kalpana perima. Putting his arms around her he wished her "good morning perima" and offered her his cup of coffee and pulling her to the breakfast table made her sit down. "I'll chop the onions for you. What are you planning to make?"

She got up at once saying "I don't have time to sit and sip coffee. They'll be here anytime. I overslept this morning and am very much behind schedule." Once again holding her by the shoulder and pushing her on the chair he said "It's ok perima, relax." By then Arun also came in asking "Any problem?"

K: Ok now like last evening, you sit here and tell us what to do. We'll do it.

R: No, no it'll be faster if all of us do it together. OK?

While Karan chopped the onions, she poured the idli dough into the mould simultaneously instructing Arun how to make the chutney. Putting the idlis to steam she prepared the dough for the pakoda using the onions chopped by Karan. She sent the boys to clean up the front room and the family room while she put the oil to fry the pakodas.

Suddenly Karan rushed in and put off the stove. Riddhima looked at him perplexed. He looked through the draws and found some foil paper. He covered something on the ceiling with it and then explained. "That's the smoke alarm. If the smoke of the oil reaches it, it will ring the alarm in the fire-station and we'll soon have a fire engine at our door-step. Now that I've covered it, the smoke can't get in. Otherwise, you'll have to do the frying outside on the electric frier. But I'll have to search for it."

Riddhima looked stunned at Karan absorbing all that he told her. Then admired the level of safety provided by this country to its citizens. Suddenly she came back to the present hearing some voices coming from the direction of the garage. Just then her athaan entered the hall with the guests and called out to her. She immediately walked out of the kitchen to welcome the guests saying "Vaanga, vaanga." Only when the lady looked pointedly at her hand she realized that she hadn't washed her hand and the pakoda dough was still stuck to her hand.

Just then Karan and Arun came there and said "Hi perima, hi peripa." Riddhima expected them to either touch their feet and take their blessing or hug them but they did neither. As they sat opposite them enquiring about their cousins, Riddhima went back to the kitchen, washed her hands and got water for the guests. Armaan immediately came forward and took the tray from her hand and kept it on the centre table. Then pulling her by her hand, made her sit next to him saying "Kalpana, Shekhar, meet Riddhima" and simultaneously introduced them to her too. Riddhima immediately joined her hand in Namaste but the guests didn't respond to it.

Kalpana gave Riddhima a patronizing smile sizing her up from head to toe. Riddhima was surprised to see a woman 7-8 years older than her, wearing three-fourth pants and T-shirt. And when her glance fell on the man she was even more shocked. He was wearing a loose half pant and T-shirt very much like Karan and Arun. She felt too out of place amongst them. And when Shekar asked "So Riddhima, how do you find our country? Loving it?" His tone itself irritated her but she politely smiled saying "It's a nice country, from whatever I've seen of it, but can't be compared to my country."

Armaan looked at her surprised at her tone, while Karan and Arun were trying hard to stifle their giggles happy with the fact that Riddhima had snubbed their over smart peripa. Then Riddhima stood up saying "excuse me, I'll get the breakfast ready." Kalpana waved her hand saying "Please don't bother. We already had breakfast at the airport." "Ok" said Riddhima, "I'll get you some coffee then."

Kal: Please don't mind. We don't drink that Indian stuff. We have only green tea.

Seeing her face fall, Karan immediately said "Perima I'm very hungry and I love pakodas. Please make some for me." Arun joined in saying "Perima I'll have rawa idli." Smiling at the boys Riddhima nodded and turning to Armaan said "Athaan you've also not had anything since morning. Come and have some breakfast." Then turning to the guests said "Hope you don't mind." And not even waiting for their reply pulled Armaan by his hand. Hearing Riddhima and seeing her expression even Armaan couldn't help smiling. This was a new Riddhima he was seeing because he had never seen her being rude to anyone before.

Seating them at the table Riddhima first switched on the stove and then served them the rawa idli. Their breakfast area was directly in the line of vision from the hall where the guests were seated. Taking the first bite Arun exclaimed "Perima, this is awesome." Armaan pulled her to sit on the empty chair beside him. When she said "I'll make the pakodas and come", he dipped a piece of the idli in the chutney and held it to her mouth. She smiled and willingly opened her mouth for it. None of this was missed by the guests. "My God! What drama" Kalpana whispered. Her husband also scrunched his face in distate saying "look at them behaving like a newly wed couple."

In the kitchen as soon as Riddhima fried each batch of pakodas they seemed to disappear. And to top that, both the brothers were having a friendly quarrel on who ate how many. As Riddhima shaking her head and laughing at their argument, served them some more, Armaan asked "Oh! Looks like I'm not going to get any."

Arun: Dad, perima must be making all this for you all the time. We have her with us only for a few days. Let's take full advantage of it. Once you return to India, she's going to be cooking only for you.

Finally sitting down to have breakfast with them, Riddhima said "You are mistaken Arun, your father has appointed a cook. Both of them don't allow me to even enter the kitchen. Suja also has a maid to do all the work now, so there also I don't cook."

K: You are all really very lucky. Here we have to do all the work ourselves. Cooking, washing, cleaning, dusting, even cleaning the washroom.

R: Really, I admire you people for that. Linda was telling me that after the delivery she'll be sent home in two days. In our town the mother and baby stay in hospital for at least week and even after that the dai comes home to massage and bathe the baby and mother.

The guests walked in at that moment and Shekar said "You all seem to be very busy, sorry to disturb you. We came to just inform you that we are leaving."

K: We are not ill mannered like you, leaving your guests alone and having a private party. So we thought we'll tell you and leave.

Getting up immediately Armaan apologized saying "I'm very sorry for making you wait alone." Then washing his hands he said "Please come upstairs with me."

R: Would you like some coffee athaan?

A: You finish your breakfast first.

Shekar and Kalpana just looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

R: Ok I'll bring it upstairs, you go with the guests.

Laughing aloud artificially Kalpana said "Don't forget you are also as much a guest in this house as we are. This is my sister's house. Not yours."

Riddhima smiled very sweetly at her saying "You are right. This was your sister's house and still is. I'm not trying to take her place and never will. If I'd wanted I could have kept my athaan to myself and not allowed them to get married. But I got them married of my own free will. I can very well understand how you must feel having lost your sister so suddenly. But let me tell you, I too loved her like a sister." At that her voice choked and she couldn't continue further and everyone around just stood staring at het her dumbstruck.