Chapter 6
It was 10:00 PM. Dinner had ended long since, but none of them had left the dining table yet except for aunt.
The food had dried up on their palms and aunty had given up asking them to get cleaned up before continuing their conversation.
Uncle was sharing fascinating stories about his career as a school principal and Geet was egging him on.
"But papa you have to tell him about the time they stole your glasses..."
"Papa you can't leave out the one where you ran the exams with police protection when that village sarpanch threatened to disrupt the exams with goons he hired."
"Papa you absolutely must share the one where you were threatened with a gun by that evil evil president of the school committee."
She had probably heard the stories a million times already, Maan theorized, as he watched her reminding her father of the parts she thought were important and had forgotten to include in his narration.
Her voice vibrated with excitement, her whole body leaning towards her father. Every once in a while, she would pull on Maan's sleeve to draw him closer though he doubted she realized it all.
He watched with fascination, the pride that glimmered in her eyes as her father continued his captivating tales.
He was in awe of uncle and the very interesting life that he led.
He loved his own quiet and calm father very much, but he did not have much in common with his father to carry on a conversation like the one that was currently taking place at the dinner table.
He almost felt a pang of envy for the rapport that Geet shared with her father. They argued back and forth loudly and vigorously with Meera chiming in every once in a while.
The conversation gradually dwindled down after aunty put her foot down and insisted they all clean up.
Geet he realized had only punctuations and exclamations in her repertoire. There was no sign of a full stop anywhere and she carried on where her father left off with renewed vigor.
This time it was her life she shared with him, about her school and her friends, her favorite teachers, her favorite subjects and who was the most gossipy aunty in the neighborhood.
She followed him into the bathroom and right along with her, came her cat. He washed his hands and stepped outside and the duo followed him. Geet was still chattering dime to a dozen.
"Geet leave him alone for heaven's sake. He might need to freshen up." Rano aunty scolded her, handing him a napkin.
"But mamma there is so much I have to share with him and so little time and he just freshened up didn't he?" She gave a puzzled look at her mother and then looked at him quizzically. He swore the cat was looking at him with a similar expression.
"No aunty it's quite alright. I am perfectly fine." Even if he wanted to there was no way he was going to carry on his personal business with those two curious females right there at the door.
"Geet. I did not hear you brushing." Mohinder uncle's voice call out firmly.
"Yes papa, right away."
She narrowed her eyes at him assessingly and whispered fiercely.
"One good deed deserves another, you know right?"
He looked at her with an arched eyebrow, casually leaning against the door and waited to see what good turn she thought she deserved.
She took the toothbrush in her hand, giving it a look of utter disgust while holding it far away from her mouth and started humming. The noises she was making started with vigorous humming and ended with tone deaf screeching.
She rinsed her perfectly unwashed mouth with water and called out proudly,
"All done papa."
He looked at her in astonishment as she stuck her tongue out at him and grinned in triumph, putting away the bone-dry brush in it's slot.
He could not hold it in any longer and started howling with laughter while clutching his stomach.
"I know I know. Supposedly I am all grown up and should know what is the best for me and my personal hygiene and all that but I just cannot bear the taste of toothpaste after an awesome meal. I absolutely love brushing in the mornings but nights...nope. The humming is my genius touch by the way and I think it nicely covers up the lack of sound that my non-brushing makes or is it doesn't make."She confided in a conspiratorial whisper.
"God help you and your rotting teeth Geet Handa. Next time try brushing with some baking soda and coconut oil. That is what my nani uses to this day and she has perfectly white teeth even at her age."
After promising him to try it out the next day they both headed back to the living room.
"Ok. Now it's your turn to tell everything about yourself Maan. You have barely said a word since you came."Geet's eyes twinkled.
"Well you barely gave him a chance to now did you Miss Handa. How could he even get a word in with that mouth of yours that is just like a duck's butt that goes splat anywhere and anytime and all the time." Rano aunty pointed out in a voice filled with laughter
"Mamma!!!" Geet called out chagrined and glared at Meera who chuckled out loudly from her seat next to her mother.
Geet marched to the two of them and squeezed herself next to her mother while pushing Meera to the side.
"Mamma I am your favorite daughter am I not?" She cuddled against her mother.
"No you are the adopted daughter." Her sister teased her while pulling her hair.
"Di stop that." Geet yelled at her sister.
"Enough Meera. Don't tease her so." Rano cuddled her younger child to her breast.
"You are mine for sure, but if you don't grow up soon enough and start brushing your teeth properly at night, I just might marry you off to the first boy that makes an offer for you and call it good riddance." Rano chuckled.
Daughters sure were different he thought as he watched the three women curled up into each other. It had been a long time since he or his older brother had cuddled with either of their parents so. He had been in hostels for the last five years and a faint pang of yearning rose inside him looking at Rano aunty and her daughters.
"So tell us more about yourself Maan." Geet encouraged.
"It's already getting late Geet and I have to get back to my hotel." He did not lead an interesting life like her father, nor was he articulate and funny like her. He would bore her to tears within five minutes of their conversation.
"Oh but you can't leave yet, there is so much yet left to say." Her lips curved downwards in disappointment and tears pricked her eyes.
"Geet let me go drop him off back to his hotel now. I am sure you will be able to meet him soon enough again." Mohinder called out to his daughter gently. He knew how much his younger daughter loved having people over, just as she hated saying good-byes to anybody.
"But when papa? When will we ever see him again?" Geet asked with a dull voice.
There was no artifice in her he realized and felt a pang of regret at his inability to share more of himself with her.
He looked at the child before him who was on the brink of womanhood and could not help wonder what kind of woman she would turn into.
If he was ever given another opportunity in life to meet the Handas again, especially her, he promised himself he would not hold back.
He asked all of them to pose for a final picture with him and they all arranged themselves on the chairs in the middle of the living room.
Geet walked over to him, whispered something and returned to her seat.
He gave her a startled look, then chuckled softly and nodded.
The evening with the Handas had been one of the most memorable moment of his life to date.
He grabbed the envelope eagerly from the photographer and slipped out the photo and the extra copy he had ordered from the studio.
He chuckled in genuine amusement as he looked at the folded sleeves of his shirt.
He remembered the words she had whispered in ears.
"Maan please roll your sleeves. Be a Bombay duck for one last time, so we can all remember you as you were when you came to our place, before the wind of change called Geet Handa happened to you and your shirts."
Now he looked down at the straight sleeves of his shirt and grinned. Perhaps the wind of change had not just been to his shirts after all.
He could not wait to see the Handas at the wedding in 3 months, especially her.
Madhubala - Ek Ishq Ek Junoon
Cricket
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
Forum Games
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
75