Part 4: At the Agarwal House
Sunday, 18th September, 1994, 10.30 am:
"Kya? Taiji held her head as she seemed about to faint. Bela tried to steady her as she sat down on the swing in the hall. Anand was standing in front of the whole family, with Tauji fuming in anger on the sofa nearby and Rakesh practically glowering with rage as he eyed Naina. Naina tried to hide her gaze and scrambled behind Preeti. But before Rakesh could reach her, Tauji sprang up from the sofa and was about to give a tight slap to Naina, when Anand intervene,. "Bhai sahab...ruk jaeye! Tauji paused in the act. Never before had he hit a girl child in his house and the news that Anand had shared with them a few minutes back had been enough for him to lose control. He bit back his lip and eyed Naina with a gaze that explicitly told her that she'd lost the trust he had on her.
"Aise kaise? Yahi sab awaragardi karne ke liye college bheja tha tujhe...aur tu us lafangey ke saath gulcharre uda rahi thi...hamare muh pe kaalik pot kar? Rakesh spit out venomously, as he lunged ahead to complete what his elder brother had been about to do- slap Naina on her cheeks. Anand hurried forward and jerked Naina away from his clasp.
"Kya kar rahein hain aap? Anand shouted at his brother. "O bai! Anand babu...sahi kar rahe hain...ye chudail...mujhe pata tha ye hamari naak kata ke rahegi...main hamesha kehti rahi ladkiyon ko dheel mat do, mat do...ab dekh liya kya anjaam hua hai! Maa nahi hai to kaise par nikal aaye hain iske...Bela...tumhara dhyaan khali filmon aur nache gaane mein rehta tha na...lo filmy kahani ban gayi ghar pe...arey lappo chappo chala rahi hai theek hamari naak ke niche...ishq farma rahi hain maharani...! Taiji yelled in disgust, as Bela stood with her head lowered. "Ram ram...jaane us ladke ke saath kya muh kaala kiya hai isne...zeher hi de deti humko maharani!
"Naina! Tumse yeh umeed nahi thi! Tauji finally uttered, looking appalled. "Aur tum Preeti...tumne bhi hamein nahi bataya? Preeti stayed mum and Arjun looked on helplessly.
"Dekhiye...pyaar karna koi gunaah nahi hai...ab kaanoni taur pe ye dono ke dusre se shaadi kar sakte hain...aur main mila hun Sameer se...wo acha ladka hai bhai sahab, Anand looked at Rakesh as he sniveled his face up in disgust.
"Matlab waah Anand! Badon se puche bina tum us ladke se mil bhi aaye..kya charitra hoga us ladke ka jo ek shareef ghar ki ladki ko fasaya usne? Tauji hollered. Anand flailed his hands in an attempt to cool them all down.
"Haan kyunki main pehle khud yeh tafteesh karna chahta thi ki wo ladka wakeye mein hamare khandan se rishta jodne ke layak hai ya nahi! Aur mere vichar mein Sameer ek zimmedar aur nek ladka hai!
"Wo kitna acha hai, kitna bura- yeh tum mujhe to mat hi samjhao Anand...haddiyaan tod dunga...ek number ka bigdail raeeszaada! Rakesh bellowed. "Aur tu...tujhe duniya mein ek wahi mila tha? Baap ki izzat ka khayal nahi hai tujhe ki aise behaya ki tarah us ladke ke saath chakkar chalane lagi! Naina swallowed a lump in her throat, somehow disturbed by the description of Sameer her father had chosen to reveal to her family.
"Yahi din bacha tha dekhne ko...shaadi hi kar aati usse bhaag ke! Izzat to bech hi aayi hai! Rakesh spewed as Naina's eyes shot up in rage and disgust. Anand pressed his palm onto her shoulders to pacify her.
"Bas kijiye bhaisahab...Naina aur Sameer ek dusre se pyaar karte hain...aur mujhe un donon pe pura vishwas ki unhone koi hadhein paar nahi ki hain...pyaar karna koi gunaah nahi hai...aur ladka acha hai...shareef hai...imandaar hai...ache ghar se hai to humein bhala kya aapatti ho sakti hai? he reasoned.
"Arey Anand, tumko to har aira gaira shareef hi dikh jata hai...arey main jaanta hun us namakul ko! arey Ek number ka aawara aur lafandar ladka tha...school mein bhi ladkiyon ke piche bhaagta rehta tha nahi to ladkiyaan uske piche...cigarette, sharab...jaane kya kya gul khilaye hain isne! Rakesh yelled.
"Bhaisahab...baccha tha...ghar se door raha tha...wo umar hi itni nazuk hoti hai ki bacche, khaskar ladke behek jate hain...lekin Sameer ab samajhdaar hai...usne mujhe vishwas dilaya ki wo na to ab dhumrapan karta hai, aur sharab to usne kabhi pi bhi nahi hai! Chachaji explained.
"Waah Anand babu...usne kaha aur aapne maan liya! Taiji interjected.
"Ji maan liya! Aur mujhe us ladke me koi burayi nahi lag rahi...aur mujhe pura yakeen hai ki agar Sameer aur Naina ke pyaar ki baat nahi hoti aur unke ghar se Naina ke liye rishta aata to aap sab khushi khushi, apne bhagya samajh kar chat mangni pat byah kar dete!
"Ladki naam mitti mein mila aayi...khandaan ki izzat bech aayi aur aap badi vaqalat kar rahe hain ishq aur romance ki! Bina spewed.
"Bhagwan jhoot na bulaye bhabhiji...mujhe hamari Naina pe pura bharosa hai...isne aur Sameer ne kuch galat nahi kiya hai...! Bela intervened.
"Bhabhiji...bhaiya...baat samajhne ki koshish kijiye...bina matlab ke agar hum inhe door karenge to bacche bhaagenge hi na ghar se...agar maa baap khushi khushi bachon ki apni pasand se shaadi kara dein to harz hi kya hai...humein apne bacchon ka dost banana chahiye na ki dushman! Chachaji softened.
"O bai! Bhaag ke dikhayein...taange tod dungi dono ki! Taiji quipped in through gritted teeth. "Anand babu...yahi nateeja hota hai dosti ka...ladki haath se nikal gayi aur muh pe khade hoke besharmon ki tarah keh rahi hai ki ek ladke se pyaar karti hai...wo bhi ischool ke time se...ne waah badi chant nikli ye!
"Bhabhiji bas kijiye...ab jo ho gaya so ho gaya na...aur mujhe yakeen hai...agar hum chirag leke bhi dhundhne nikalte na to Sameer jaisa acha ladka Naina ke liye nahi mil sakta tha...sochiye toh...kitni khush rahegi wo...kitna naam hai unka sheher mein...hamari bacchi se wo itna pyaar karta hai...itni fikr karta hai wo uski...mujhe vishwas hai wo Naina ko kisi cheez ki kami nahi hone dega! Chachaji tried to calm his family down.
"Anand babu...duniya dekhi hai humne...aap ekdum bhole hain...wo Maheshwari parivaar ka...apne nana ka iklauta waaris hai...wo bhala hamare jaise maamuli gharane mein apne bete ki shaadi kyun karwayenge? Hamari haisiyat hai unke saath len-den ki? Aur bura na maana...na Naina ko hoor ki pari hai aur iske khud ke baap ke pass to phuti kaudi bhi nahi hai...to aap aur hum milke kitna kharcha kar sakte hain bhala...lut jayen kya? Preeti ki bhi to shaadi karni hai ke nahi? Taiji reasoned bitterly.
"Haan! Ghum phirke baat mere paison pe aa gayi! Rakesh snapped in anger.
"Baat aapki beti ki hai to aap pe hi aayegi na! Tauji snapped his mouth shut with his retort. "Bhai...ye prem-vivaah vagerah hamare khandaan mein hota nahi...biradhari mein muh dikhane layak nahi reh jayenge hum...aur unko dahej dena hamare bas ki baat nahi!
"Taiji...meri bhi to kuch pagar hai coaching se...main bhi uske shaadi ke kharche mein apna yogdaan dunga...jitna maine joda hai sab le lijiyega! Arjun uttered meekly.
Anand smiled at him in approval and Naina looked at her elder brother with gratitude.
"Tu chup kar! Behen ko do thappad lagan ek bajaye...use chakkar chalane ki aur prem vivaah ki ijazat de raha hai...tere paise mere hain...meri mehnat ki kamai hai! Rakesh blasted him. "Achaa...kahin ye sab ke baare mein tujhe pehle se to nahi pata tha...Arjun! Kahin yeh sab teri razamandi se chal raha tha...!
"Papa! Aap Sameer ko galat samajh rahe hain...wo sach mein ek acha ladka hai..., Arjun trailed off.
"Aap ek baar...Sameer se, uske parivaar se mil to lijiye...ye sab baatein baad mein tay karte hain na...agar hamare bas ka hai to kyun na hum Naina ko wo dilwayein jo wo chahti hai...kya isse acha ghar hum uske liye dhundh sakte hain? Nahin na? Chachaiji tried to reason.
It took two days of coaxing and cajoling for chachaji to convince the entire family to give a chance to Sameer, and meet him and his family personally, before arriving at a decision. And then, if they didn't like it, they had all the right to say no and Naina would abide by their decision. Naina looked up at her uncle at this, and he patted her shoulders, sure that such a day would never come, once the family met Sameer.
Rakesh felt embarrassed, livid and tensed at having had to bow down to the boy he had come to despise the most in his life. Arjun too tried to convince his father that Sameer wasn't what he thought he was. He tried his best to make his father understand that Sameer was a nice guy who really cared for Naina. Perhaps more than her own father had ever had! Arjun silently mused.
Finally, after a lot of mulling and discussions in the Agarwal house, and with immediate elders in the family like bua dadi, a date was set for the formal marriage discussions between the Maheshwaris and the Agarwals.
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