Chpater
8
Destiny's
Play - Part 2
(late
night, August 22..)
(Sighania
Residence...)
"Uff! I am so tired,"
Meera plopped down on the bed.
"Meera Di," Geet plopped
right next to her, "you should start exercising now."
"Kyun? Am I getting fat?
Hayye I have just got two new suits stitched..." Meera started off causing Geet
to laugh at her sister's concerns.
"Nahi roly-poly,"
Sameera jumped right between them, "what Kakku means is that just in case you
get married to that Khurana khaandaan ka commando munda, you would need to
build up your stamina. Warna roz teri left-right kawauga."
Geet howled holding her
stomach tight and scooted to make space for Nandini who had just enetered the
room.
"Nandini Di," Meera
pouted, "look they are being mean to me again."
"Sameera, what did you
say to her?"
"Nothing much Di. Just
warning her that Commandos can even eat lizards. And lazy lizards like her need
to be extra alert," Sameera doubled up with laughter.
"Bas karo tussi dono,"
Nandini gestured Meera to come in her lap. As she caressed her hair, Meera
began, "Nandini Di..."
"Hmm?"
"Will Anwesha Di come tomorrow?"
Sameera let out a snort.
"Only if her hubby-dear allows," she sneered while referring to Arjun.
"I have spoken to her
Sammy," Nandini replied, "I think she will be here."
Nandini saw Sameera
making a face. "Sammy, its not her fault..."
"I know Di, I know its
not her fault. But had she grown a spine all of us would have been spared the
whole drama," Sameera's tone softened, "Papaji would have been spared so much
pain."
**********************************************************************
(August
23, Early Morning...)
(Khurana Kothi...)
"Chaiyyiji, is this
necessary," Nayantara asked her mothered. Due to Tisha's meddling and Sashi's
deviousness, the trip to Amritsar had again been preponed by a few hours. "I
mean we can cancel the trip altogether too."
"No, I think we should
not cancel the trip," Dev countered Nayantara's suggestion. "It will look bad
on our part. and you never know how may relatives on their side might be aware
of our coming. It may cause humiliation to Mohinder ji later."
"Absolutely right Dev
ji," Savitri added, "Tara its best we leave right now. By the time Sashi would
reach here we would already be in Amritsar."
"Chaiyyiji, I guess we
should make a move now..."
"Hanji, tussi chalo, I
will go inform Darjee that we are leaving."
**********************************************************************
(four
hours later...)
(Handa
Haveli...)
"Rano jee, I swear I am
getting too old to handle Lucky now. The girls do a wonderful job of handling
him otherwise there is no way we could manage on our own. He is so spirited;
always running around. My knees do not favor such activities anymore," Mohinder
spoke to Rano who shutting the door, getting ready to leave for Nandini's
house, while Mohinder was sitting in the porch, coaxing Lucky to wear his jacket.
Rano stopped for a
minute and spoke solemnly, "Nandini once told me that Daman ji was an athlete in his school days..."
"Rano..."
Mohinder was interrupted
by the sound of a car entering their drive way.
**********************************************************************
The dawn had given way
to a sunny morning with rays that threatened a scorching noon to advent. As the
sunshine pricked into the morning sky, silence pricked the living room of the
Handas.
Rano came in with a
tray, offering water to the travel weary guests, her juttis breaking the quiet that had settled.
Savitri fidgeted in her
seat. It was only after landing up infront of them that she realized the
blunder she had made. In her haste to dodge Sashi, she had forgotten to inform
Mohinder Lal. I could have atleast made a
phonecall, she chided herself.
"Had we known of your
coming we would not have sent the girls to their sister's house last night..."
"We are very sorry for
the incconvennience, the situation was such that..."
Both Mohinder and
Savitri spoke up together.
Dev noticed the
awkwardness of the whole situation and spoke up, "Chaudhary jee, perhaps we
should postpone the visit to another day..."
Savitri gave a look of
displeasure at this suggestion even though she knew this was the only
alternative left.
"Savitri ji, Dev ji,"
Mohinder began, "if you don't mind perhaps you can accompany us to Nandini's
house. Subh mauka hai. We can discuss the alliance there and it would be a also
great thing for Nonu to be blessed by elders."
**********************************************************************
"Chaiyyiji," Nayantara
spoke as they followed Mohinder Lal's car towards Nandini's house, "is this the
right thing to do? I mean we don't even know them and we are about to attend
their family function. And if this match is not set, then everyone who knows of
our visit to Handas will start specualting and gossiping."
"First your Darjee and
now you," Savitri sighed, "hoyya kee hai sareya nu? You are you people so
adamant that I would refuse the match? Manno ya na manno mera dil kehnda hai,
aaj Maan di honn waali votti ithe hi milegi. [Whether you all agree or not, my
heart says that today I shall find Maan's bride here.]
**********************************************************************
(Singhania
Residence...)
"Nandini, there is an
emergengy."
"Kee hoyya?"
"Bauji called. The
Khuranas are coming along with them right now to our house."
"Right now?" Nandini
stood shocked, "They are coming here! To our house! Hayye rabba how wil we
attend to them? There is a function in house, so many guests, everything is in
a mess..."
"Relax Nandini...relax. Its
not as huge as an issue as you are making it to be. Plus you have the girls
here to help you right. Just think of them as another set of guests, alright,"
Daman attempted to calm her down.
"Yes," she took a deep
breath, "yes, you are right. I will go see the arrangments."
"Nandini..."
"Jee?"
"Mummyji said something
about making sure Meera and the other two behaved well."
"Jee," she hurried out
to speak to the girls first things first.
**********************************************************************
Savitri took the scene
before her.
The courtyard, where
they were seated, was abuzz with flurry of activities. The eldest son-in-law of
Mohinder Lal, Daman Singhania was sitting with them and was engaged in a
conversation with Dev. The second son-in-law, intorduced as Arjun Pathania was
sitting in a separate corner away from all with his wife Anwesha, the second born
of Handas. The girl whom Savitri recognized as Sameera stood next to her father
with another girl she did not recognize. Nandini and Rano were in the kitchen
looking after the cooking.
Tents were being put up,
rugs were being spread, sitting arrangements were being made, tables were being
set for the food to be laid later, last moment cleaning, dusting and general
supervising was being done. And a dash of color, omnipresent and alluring,
stood out in all this chaos.
She was fluttering
around like a busy bee. A moment she was here; and there in the next. Red
salwar picked from pleats and tucked in waist, ankles bared to ease her
movements. A lively kameez filled with patterns of flowers. Chunni negligently
missing. Two plats. One swinging in front, mischievous and impertinent. One
forgotten behind, melancholic but swayed
compliantly. Jhalli. And completely unaware of the spell she cast on everyone
around.
Her appearance could not
take away from the fact that she was a sight to behold. An angel. Soft tendrils
that had gone astray from her otherwise tight plats engulfed her face. But even
they could not hide her ethereal beauty. The rays that were tortuous to others,
were adoring her creamy complexion with reverence.
She glowed as a full
moon would on a dark night. But her own eyes gave her skin a tough competition.
Bright, sparkling, enchanting. They shone with liveliness holding the innocence
of her soul within. They let nothing out, only luring in the hearts of anyone
who dared look in.
"Kakku," Daman's voice
broke her reverie, "get some water for the guests."
"Jee pahji," she replied
back running away to get the water.
"Is she a relative of
the family?" Savitri heard Nandini ask.
"Yes, she is one of my
younger saalis."
"Barri sohni hai."
Mohinder
ji's daughter? Meera? Savitri turned her attention back to
the girl who was referred as Kakku. Her complete disregard to her looks and
devotion to help her eldest sister in the family function was endearing and
spoke volumes of the person she was. Simple yet divinely beautiful, caring,
hardworking, a loving sister, an obedient daughter and a perfect choice for
wife.
It was love at first
sight for Savitri Swaroop Khurana.
She had chosen her badi
bahu then and there as a single thought ran through her mind, Captain Maan Singh Khurana, there is no
escape now.
"She will be my badi
bahu," Savitri spoke with conviction and command, "Daman ji we accept this
rishta."
Daman was shocked to see
whom Savitri reffered. "Geet?!," he choked out in utter disbelief.
**********************************************************************
What
is happening here, a confused Daman tried hard to clear
his mind. Surely there is some misundersatnding here. Hadn't they coem to see
about Meera?
"Savitri ji," he began
in hope to bring the situation under control. "This is not Meera. You have come
to see Meera, not Geet."
"Geet?"
"Yes, Bauji's youngest daughter."
"Then Geet it will be!"
"But..."
"Daman ji, I have
resolved and set my mind. I want Geet as my eldest daughter-in-law. Bas!"
**********************************************************************
As Daman hurried to
inform his father-in-law of the latest developments, Geet appeared before
Savitri holding a tray of glasses. She gave an odd look to her jiju rushing
away, shrugged and smiled at the guests.
"Auntyji, paani..."
"Auntyji nahi, ab Chaiyyiji kehan di aadat paa lo," Dev murmured winking conspiratorially at
Nayantara.
"Jee?"
"Kuchh nahi," Dev
fumbled at being caught and grabbed the glass of water, "...paani..."
Geet gave a confused
look at Dev and headed back to her work, completely oblivious to the adoration
that emanated from Savitri towards her.
**********************************************************************
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