Knight on Ninety Horses-Short Story-Note Pg 102 Dec 1, 2017 - Page 63

Originally posted by: Flame_of_Forest

strategically placed roses..lipbrows😆
any topic they talked, they turned it hilariously funny..
loved the affinity and rapport they share...the excitement to talk and share about everything as if they are best friends forever but met after a small gap.
waiting for destination Hyderabad !

Chapter 9

The autorickshaw raced through the crowded streets of Hyderabad, weaving impudently through hairsbreadth spaces between much larger vehicles and honking at anything and everything in its way, irreverently.

Exhaust fumes mingled with the delicious aromas wafting from the chaat bandis along the roadsides, creating a unique odor. The city of pearls was buoyantly alive.

Geet watched in round-eyed fascination, literally hanging on to the edge of the seat.

Maan and his uncle had received them at Kachiguda railway station and they were now driving back to his nani's house. Maan was riding pillion on his uncle's Vespa and the bike was riding next to the auto that Geet and her mother were occupying.

Maan looked at the excited girl in the auto and grinned.

"Geet you look like a village belle visiting the city for the first time."

"I have been to Hyderabad once before, about eight years ago I think, but I had forgotten how the city glimmers and how everything is larger than life."

Just then a double decker bus passed by them and her already round eyes grew even bigger.

"A double decker." An awed whisper left her lips.

Maan made a mental note and left her to enjoy the rest of the short journey.

Just looking at the child-like awe on her face made him happy.

He was glad she was here.

The auto stopped just off the main road in a busy suburb before a grand bungalow.

Maan's uncle ushered her mom inside after paying off the auto-driver and Geet remained glued to her spot looking on at the house.

The brightly lit house had a warm welcoming aura to it and seemed to be waiting for her with open arms.

She shook her head at the nonsensical notion and went to help with the luggage only to find him staring at her with baffled eyes.

"You felt it, didn't you? He asked her waving aside her offer to help with the luggage.

"Felt what?" She looked up at him in confusion.

"Like the house is alive and is waiting to take you in its warm embrace, rather than just a place of bricks and mortar."

She gave him a startled look at the apt description.

"You feel it too?"

"Every time I come here. Though Nani says that not everyone feels it, but some people do."

"It is called the matchmaker house by the way. Dozens of engagements and marriages have been brokered into this house and taken place from this house. Many a prospective groom and bride have met each other right at this house. People that knew Nanaji came here particularly for marriage talks coz they believed the house was auspicious. Nanaji is no longer with us, but my youngest mamaji and mamiji carry on the tradition.

"How romantic." Geet called out dreamily.

Just then someone called out to them from the front porch and suddenly her gaze fell on the crowd gathered there.

"Come Geet. They are all waiting to meet you."

People rushed to embrace her and her mom. Maan's uncles and aunts and cousins and friends of the family who had known her father when he had stayed in that house when he was younger.

"He is a rebel that father of yours. Come let me see the daughter and wife of the infamous Mohinder Handa who ran away from his home at fifteen and came to my house." A voice from the back called out.

The voice belonged to a frail old lady sitting on a chair, looking at them with a blank stare. Geet approached her carefully along with her mother and followed Rano Handa's action by touching the older lady's feet respectfully.

"Rano aunty, Geet this is my nani" Maan's hand reached out to take his nani's in his own and he guided it to the bent heads of Geet and her mother.

The frail hand with its paper-thin skin gently caressed first Rano's and then Geet's head in blessing.

Geet straightened half way when she felt one of nani's hand latching on to her wrist. Her other hand roved across Geet's face in a searching caress, learning it's shape and texture.

She was blind, Geet realized.

"That is definitely Mohinder's nose, but the rest of it seems to be your mother's. Your mother is a beauty for sure. No wonder Mohinder never came back from Goa. He pursued her for seven years, before she finally agreed to marry him you know. Finally managed to convince her to defy her family and run off with him, or you would be standing here today before me child" The old lady chuckled.

Rano Handa gasped and blushed to the roots of her hair, as Geet looked on in amazement.

"Mamma is this true?" She whispered in awe, sliding a sideways glance at her mother.

Mind boggling revelations about one's parents, she learnt that day, forever altered the way you looked at them. The mother who had only ever been the quite housewife and the father who was so awe-inspiring with his righteous nature suddenly seemed so much more tangible. Their story sounded better than any Mills & Boon she could ever read and she wanted to know everything there was to know right then.

"Mummyji please give them a break and stop embarrassing Rano didi." A beautiful woman stepped forward and pressed her hand against the older woman's shoulder to halt her runaway mouth.

"Oh alright. I won't say anymore. Rano this is my youngest daughter in law, Pooja.

Rano Handa looked at Pooja with grateful eyes.

Nani tugged on Geet's arm and whispered in her ear, "Come to me later. I will share all the details. You do want to know don't you? I can sense it."

"Oh absolutely Naniji. A romance in my very own house and I knew nothing about it." Geet bent and hugged her impulsively.

Maan's eyes narrowed on the two heads bent together, one completely white and the other dark, but both shook vigorously with the same mischievous inclination.

"Nani. Come let me take you inside. She does not need any encouragement from you believe me. She can get into trouble all on her own."

"Oh you have gotten to know her very well in just a couple of meetings Maan." Geet swore those sightless eyes twinkled just for a moment.

"He doesn't know me at all Nani, this stick in the mud grandson of yours. Why when he came to our house the first time three months ago I thought he was...

"Alright that's enough you two." Maan interrupted loudly and gently pulled his grandmother up. "Everyone's waiting to talk to her and Rano aunty and Poonam mami told me it's time for your dinner. Come on let's go. Geet follow me."

"Oh alright."Two similarly disgruntled voices called out.

"But still he isn't all that bad, is he? This grandchild of mine? Huh, Geet?"

"Not bad at all Nani, but he could do with some improvements and so Geet Handa has decided that she is going to be the one to help him bring about those changes. He is stuck with me for life long whether he wants me in it or not." She gave him a smug look.

"Will you really be with me for a lifetime Geet?" The husky tone of his voice was completely wasted on her.

"Yes absolutely. You can count on it. Dosti ki hai nibhani toh padegi."

"Arey waah Geet. You can say such awesome stuff too?" Maan smiled at her indulgently.

"It's not her dialogue. Suman says it in Maine pyar kiya." Nani pointed out.

"How would you know Nani?" He gave her an indignant look.

"I am blind, not deaf duffer. I have heard that dialogue a million times already since everyone who comes to the house pops that particular videotape into the VCR that your mama just purchased. They think that just coz the old bat can't see she can't hear too. Though I really do wish I could see how handsome this Prem fellow is."

"OMG Nani how I wish you could see Salman Khan's defined muscles in that movie. Before that movie, I did not even know that men could have bodies like that." Geet realized she was speaking to a much older lady and slapped her hands on her mouth.

"What of his body? Tell me. Why did you stop at the best part?" Nani called out in an excited voice.

"Nani. Stop that you two." Maan called out in his sternest voice.

"Stick in the mud." Both women called out simultaneously.

Geet gently trailed her fingers along the walls of the house as they slowly made their progress along the verandah. The sun-warmed bricks felt very soothing under her fingers.

"Nani this is such a beautiful house. Did Maan's nanaji build it for you?"

"No, we did not build it. We bought it for a grand total of nine thousand, seven hundred and fifty rupees. The house was built in the 40's just before independence, but for whatever reason it remined empty for the first few years. Maan's nanaji would pass by here everyday on his way to the university. One day he brought me here along with him and that was it. I fell completely in love with it. It was a house that was begging to be lived in and we decided that we were going to make it our home. It is a house with a soul."

"I know Nani. I was telling Maan that I felt it's warmth when I came in here. I can still feel it, that it is calling out to me to let go of everything and just breathe."

His nani's hand suddenly clutched Maan's tightly and her step faltered.

Just then her mother's voice called out to Geet.

"Coming mamma." With that, she excused herself and rushed inside the house.

"Did you tell her that every person be it man or woman, who has ever felt the warm embrace of this house, their marriage was fixed in this house?" His nani asked Maan softly.

"Nani she is fifteen and besides she is from Goa. Why would her marriage be fixed here in this house?"

"Why indeed Maan, why indeed?"

Originally posted by: ChandlerBing

Am I allowed to love this Maan more than the Geet!