Destiny's Play-Pg 118,128,136, 144 (26/2) - Page 26

Part VI

One month later

He sat in his heavily brocaded sherwani in front of the holy fire, sweating profusely from the heat generated by it. Pushing aside the floral sehera, he wiped off the sweat from his brow and wondered how long the ceremony will go on. The priest seemed to endlessly chant some sanskrit mantras, all of which were going way above his head. Damn these elaborate weddings, he thought. Left to himself, he would have been miles away from this bedecked mandap, the thronging crowds and the blaring noise. Unfortunately he did not have much of a choice. He looked to his right to see the woman for whom he was willing to subject himself to this torture. She looked happy and contended in her maroon bridal saree. Seeing her so happy made it worth the while, he consoled himself and looked past her to the man seated next to her who had started it all. His thoughts went back to that fateful day when he heard one of the most unusual proposals.

Maan's flashback

After he had left Arjun's office that day, he walked back home in a daze, with several thoughts criss-crossing his brain, making his head throb. He had gone to meet Arjun with one wedding proposal and got two instead, like the 'buy one, get one free' ads on television and print media. He was in no position to settle down in life. Damn, he did not even have a job. How was he going to support himself, let alone another woman? His father's health condition was still worrisome as he had still not come out of coma. Anwesha's marriage cannot be postponed till he fully recovers, as with every passing day, her impending motherhood will become more visible to the rest of the world and jeopardise their reputation. He, however, did not have any compulsion to get tied down so soon in life.

Arjun's condition that he surrenders the wealth that will be bestowed on him after marriage was the least of his worries. In fact he had no intention of enjoying that wealth even if he was allowed to do so. He despised the very idea of marrying for money. His self respect was way too important for him and there is nothing more demeaning than to enjoy the fruits of someone else's labour without being worthy of it. He will amass wealth, but in his own terms, with his own toil. Moreover, by giving his assent to Arjun's proposal and writing off the wealth in favour of his brother-in-law, he will ensure that his sister's future is secure, not only emotionally but also monetarily. And the woman he will be forced to marry is not so bad looking - in fact the damn creature is breathtakingly beautiful, he thought. So why was he hesitating to accept Arjun's proposal right away? Apart from his joblessness, the biggest deterrent was the fact that his heart was pledged elsewhere. Yes, the man was in love and has been so for several years now. He was a man of honour and wouldn't dream of breaking a woman's heart after building her hopes up. Although he had no plans to marry her in the near future, given his economic condition, he had assured her that they will be united in marriage once he gets his life on track. What will he tell her now?

That evening they met at their usual place, in a coffee shop at Bandstand in Bandra. He hesitatingly elaborated on the meeting with Arjun, finishing with the unusual proposal. When he was through, there was a pregnant silence for a long time. He wondered what was going through her mind but was unable to read her face; he never could, even in the past. After what seemed like eternity, getting no response from her, he cleared his throat and gently asked her what he should do. She looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears and said quietly that he himself knew the answer to that question. As his sister's future lay at stake, he did not have a choice, did he? she quizzed him. He silently shook his head in the negative. She told him that they cannot be so selfish as to think about their own happiness when that of their loved ones was at stake. They may have loved each other but destiny held different plans for them. They just weren't meant to be. The sooner he forgets her and gets on with his life, the better. He asked her whether she will be able to forget him. She circumvented the question and wishing him luck, abruptly got up and left.

The next morning he received a call from the hotel he had attended the job interview the day before. They offered him a decent salary and wanted him to join immediately. With the two major hurdles to his decision out of the way and keeping his sister's interest paramount in his mind, Maan called up Arjun and agreed to his proposal. He insisted in coming to Handa House and formally asking Rano to accept his sister as her daughter-in-law and him as her son-in-law. He respected her way too much to hide things from her. Arjun was apprehensive of how much truth Maan was planning to reveal to Rano and what will be his mother's reaction to it. His fears were unfounded though. Maan did not delve into details about Anwesha's physical condition or Mohinder's will. In a matter of fact tone he told her that Arjun and Anwesha loved each other and wished to be married. Knowing Arjun's wayward character, he did not feel confident giving his sister to him. Hence, to ensure that she is treated well, he would like to marry Arjun's sister. On marriage, however, he will take his bride to his house because he believed that a woman's place was by the side of her husband, wherever he may live. Although Rano was initially taken aback, she promised to speak to her daughter and get back to him. By that evening, Rano had informed him that she had got Geet's consent and that the two weddings can take place as soon as possible.

End of Maan's Flashback

Here he was one month later, all set to embark on a journey unknown. He slowly turned to his left and looked at the woman who will soon become his wife. She wore a beautiful bright red wedding saree, with heavy zari embroidery work. She was bedecked in jewellery from head to toe. Her round, chubby and blemishless face was half encased in gunghat. From what little was visible to him, he could see that she was exceptionally beautiful, even with minimal make up, or maybe because of it. His heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him. He quickly lowered his gaze and pretended to study the flames of the fire before him.

Seeing his lowered gaze, she summed up the courage to take a closer look at the man who was soon to be her husband. She couldn't get a good view of him through the floral strings of the sehera. Now who was the fool who had come up with the bright idea of covering the faces of the bride and the groom in gunghats and seheras, she irritatedly thought to herself. She wished she had seen him more closely when he had come barging into her room more than a year ago. She was distracted that day, her thoughts all over the place, that the minute she set eyes on him in that khakhi shirt and faded denims, not to mention that handkerchief carelessly tied around his neck, she immediately concluded that he was the plumber she was waiting for. Not even in her wildest dreams did she think that he was Maan, the man who will one day become her husband. She thought back to the sequence of events which led her to the altar.

When she heard his proposal to marry her so as to ensure that Arjun refrains from ill treating Anwesha, her eyes widened in horror. She staggered back to her room and held on to the poster of the bed, breathing heavily. Marriage to Maan? Never in her wildest dreams did she think that this day will come. After that fateful day, when her dreams of marrying Dev dissolved even before they materialised, her father falling victim in the process, she had vowed to herself that she will never trust another man or entertain thoughts of marriage. She wanted to spend the rest of her life being a good daughter, a good sister and in future, a good sister-in-law and aunt to Arjun's children. She never wanted anything for herself but now she was confronted with the possibility of becoming someone's wife, a thought she was not willing to even consider.

Shaking her head, she resolved to tell her mother that this marriage was not happening. Just then, her mind played back Maan's words - that he wished to marry her so that he can ensure that his sister is treated well by Arjun. The full implication of what he had said hit her then. It meant that he did not trust Arjun to take good care of his sister, not that she would blame him. Her brother was not the epitome of virtue. So if she refuses to marry him, she was convinced that Maan would not risk getting Anwesha married to Arjun, but then was he left with much choice? Who would marry Anwesha now that her relationship with Arjun has become public knowledge?

Then again, she cannot put it past Maan to not care about what the world thinks. He may decide to take care of Anwesha for the rest of her life rather than risk her future with Arjun. She had heard enough about his obstinacy from Khuranaji. She also knew that Anwesha meant the world to Maan and that he will go to any extent to ensure her well being. Anwesha never stops praising her brother in her innumerable visits to Handa House. She had also heard enough about Maan's fiery temper. Only a couple of days before, he had beaten the hell out of Arjun. If she refuses to marry him, and as a result Arjun-Anwesha's marriage does not take place, he may have no qualms thrashing her brother up again, maybe even kill him.

Then there was Prem Khurana's health condition to consider. The man who was like her father was lying in coma because of her brother's deed. She had spent two hours by his bedside the previous day. Doctors have still not given up hope altogether, although they placed a very slim chance of his full recovery. What will happen if on recovery he realises that things have only gotten worse during his ailment? No, she cannot take the chance of the huge catastrophe being unleashed around her because of her reluctance to get into a matrimonial bond.

Just then her mother entered her room and was about to tell her about Maan's proposal. Geet raised her hand to stop her and quietly said that she had heard everything and that she was willing to marry Maan. Rano heaved a sigh of relief. Caressing her head, she said, "Every mother wants to see her daughter well settled in life. To be frank, initially I could not digest the thought of my daughter marrying below her status and living in a chawl. I went to the pooja room and prayed fervently to Lord Krishna, our resident deity, to show me the way. On the one hand was the future of my daughter and on the other, the future of an innocent girl whose life has been ruined by my own son. I thought that they were mutually exclusive. I wondered which I should give importance to. While I have no problems accepting Anwesha as my daughter-in-law, I feared that by doing so I will be condemning you to a life of poverty and despair. It was then that I realised that I was being short-sighted. Did I not start my life with your father in humble surroundings? Am I now not in a position where all my comforts are met? How was the transformation possible? It was all because of your father's hard work and determination to succeed in life. I see the same fire in Maan's eyes. I see him as a man of principles, a man who would go to great lengths for the well being of his family. The fact that he came up to our house to ask that his sister be accepted as a bahu of this House only under the condition that the daughter of this House becomes his wife, and that too without bringing with her a single paise as dowry, shows not only the extent to which he will go to ensure his sister's happiness but also that he has a high self esteem. If he can do so much for his sister, how much more would he do for his wife? I thought that Dev, with his impeccable family background and education would make you a good life partner. Alas, that was not to be. Now this alliance has come on its own. I think God is showing us the way. In my view, Maan will make an excellent husband and son-in-law."

Geet did not know how far her mother was right about Maan but she knew that she will have to accept him for the good of everyone, especially for the happiness of Anwesha. As though suddenly struck by a thought, Rano looked at her daughter worriedly.

"Geet, would you be able to adjust yourself in his surroundings? Life in a chawl can be difficult, beti."

"Don't worry, mama. Money and comfort mean nothing to me. People and relationships are more important. I will adjust to everything."

Her mother proudly kissed her daughter on the forehead and said a silent prayer for her well-being and happiness.