Chapter
9
Adamant
Him
(September
21, 1980...)
(Early
morning, Khurana Kothi...)
"I will not wear this
shirt," Maan threw the new shirt down, "if they want to approve of me then they
would approve me the way I am. They should value me, not my clothes." Maan took
his old shirt back and started buttoning it on stating his stand with a tone
that brooked no arguments.
Savitri sat on the bed
massaging her temples as Maan's temper grew by the minute. He was being
stubborn about everything.
First, it was about the
date of this meeting. As soon as Savitri came back from Amritsar that day, she
had telephoned Maan to apply for leave which he tried to dodge insisting he
couldn't possibly come home this soon. Had it not been for his father, this
delay of four weeks would have turned into forty.
Savitri was surprised by
her husband's reaction to her proposal for Geet. She had expected a
full-fledged lecture from him. But he simply gave her a dissappointing look.
His happiness to have Mohinder Lal Handa as his samdhi was far greater than his
anger at her.
Next Maan became adamant
about not having the dekha-dekhi today. Since, he had just come last
night he wanted a day or so to rest. But Savitri knew he just wanted to delay
this as much as possible. 24th onwards Shraadhs would start and it is inauspicious to do any ceremony in
those days. And by the time they get over, Maan would be on his way back to
Roorkee. Today was a Sunday, an ideal day for this meeting. And if things go
well, then Savitri intended to have the thakka* today itself.
But at the rate Maan was
getting ready to leave, she had her doubts.
Uff
yeh munda. What is wrong
with wearing nice clothes. The Handas should also know the status of their
future son-in-law. But no! He and his ideals. Clothes do not maketh a man, he
had told her. Humph! How about 'first impression is the last impression'. Mainu
taan ae baap-bete kuchh samajhde hi nahi. I should have called him directly for
the marriage only. God knows what will he do over there. I hope he does not
pull a stunt that embrasses both the families.
"Maan, please don't be
difficult," Savitri tried to reason as he refused Nayantara's offer to comb his
recently grown back hair to make them appear more voluminous, inisting he was
proud of the cropped Army-cut look of his head.
"You reject two elder
sisters in favor of the youngest, and you call me difficult?" pat came his
reply without missing a beat.
He turned around to look
his mother in the eye as she gave him an icy glare.
Everything
I do is a mistake; everything I say is a mistake. Both father and son just love
to find faults with me. So what if I chose Geet over Meera and Sameera? It
wasn't intentional. It was a matter of heart.
For
the first time in my life my son, my Maan actually gave in to my wishes
completely. Without any fight, without any argument. True I used the father-son
bond to my advantage, knowing Maan would never refuse his father anything. But
what else was I to do? As if he would have ever listened to me. All this talk
about Army, serving the country is fine but no one can live their life alone.
Everyone needs a life partner.
And
I needed to show him that I could take good decisions for him. Decisions he
would appreciate. For that if I have to be finicky and act pricey I would. But
I had to make sure that tomorrow Maan would not stand and say "Look Chaiyyiji,
I married the girl of your wishes and today I am leading an unhappy life."
I
had to make sure I chose the perfect girl for my perfectionist son.
"Di, I am not wearing
the tie," Maan gently but resolutely removed Nayantara's hands from his collar,
"And I am certainly not wearing a suit," he gave a pointed look to his mother.
Savitri whacked her head
and left his room to get some fresh air. If Maan keeps up with these tantarums
I would soon need more than fresh air. I better keep my blood-pressure pills
near, she went off grumbling.
"Chaiyyiji," Dev's voice
caught her attention, "chalna nahi? We are getting late."
"Thank goodness you are
here," Savitri let out a breath of relief as she saw him. Maybe he could help.
"Ask your saale-sahab about it. Otherwise he keeps boasting about Army and its
punctuality and when the occasion calls for setting an example he is not living
upto it."
"That's just not like
Maan. Kee hoyya?"
"Bas aevin," Savitri rolled
her eyes, "nakhre. Aa nahi paunga, ohh nahi paunga. If not like a Khurana then
atleast dress like the so-called esteemed Army officer that he is."
Saying so, she went off
to speak to her husband.
**********************************************************************
(Handa
Haveli...)
For one whole month
Mohinder lived in shadows of guilt. He had always claimed to have treated his
daughters as sons and yet for the past one month he had let his Kakku lead a
life of illusion.
Geet did not know about
Savitri ji's change of heart. She merely assumed that the matter had died a
natural death due to indecisiveness of both the families. He wanted Geet to
know the truth but Rano, Daman and Sameera were of the opinion that it would be
best if she is not told anything yet.
"Papaji," Sameera had reasoned,
"the reason you are so keen on this match because Maan Singh Khurana is an Army
officer, right? You really wish to see him as you sn-in-law, right?"
Mohinder nodded in
affirmation.
"Then it's best that you
don't tell Geet about it. Yet. How will she be able to come to terms with the
fact that she was chosen over her two elder sisters? The more she will dwell on
it, the more she will dislike it. You know how she is. And since they are yet
to come and have a formal meeting regarding Maan and Geet's match, this matter
is still dicey to discuss. With Savitri ji's track record of changing
preferences as quick as rising sun and setting of sun, we can never be sure
about this alliance till the formal meeting is done."
So Geet was not told.
They waited for Maan to
come on leave and as soon as he did, the very night the Handas were informed
that the next day they would come with a formal proposal for Geet. Infact,
Savitri ji hinted that as long as Maan did not cause any disruption, they would
have the thakka ceremony there and then.
"Babaji, aj meri laaj
rakhna. Let my lie bears fruits that brings happiness in my Kakku's life."
**********************************************************************
(Khurana
Kothi...)
"Saale-saab," Dev
entered Maan's room taking in the scene where Maan was still fussing about
wearing a suit with Nayantara, "why are you harrassing my wife. Mind it, I will make you
pay for every worry line you cause on her pretty face." He delivered the threat
with a teasing smile.
"Jijaji," Maan rolled
his eyes, "if you are so worried then why don't tell Di to drop the argument."
"Hmm, just because you
don't wish to get married that doesn't mean I am not inclined to keep mine
intact. Telling your wife to drop an argument is not conducive to a happy
marriage. You can note this down as Happy Marriage Tip No. 1 from your dearest
jijaji," Dev grinned at Maan and winked at his wife.
"Lo, shuru ho gaye."
"Oye," Nayantara softly
spoke giving a playful whack to Maan.
Maan smiled at his
sister's love for her husband.
"Hayye, kinna sohna
lagda hai mera veer hasde hoye. [My brother looks so handsome while smiling.]
Geet will be floored in one look."
Immediately, Maan's
smiled turned into a scowl remembering where he was and the reason his Didi and
Jijaji were here.
"I am not wearing a
suit. Bas!!"
"Why?" Dev calmly
countered.
"I will not give in to
such shallow things. I will simply go as me."
"Maan, what was that
motto you once told me? That guiding principle of training during your time in
IMA*?"
"Right time, right
place, right..."
"...rigs. Think of it as
that. Wearing right rigs for an occasion like this."
"I agree with your logic
Jijaji," Maan countered, "but I refuse to give in to Chaiyyiji's idea of going there as a rich-landlord-out-to-assert-his-status."
"Good. Then lets strike
a compromise. Wear the new shirt Nandini had brought. Think of it as a gift
from me. I will not ask you more."
Maan gave a resigned
sigh eyeing the shirt with disdain. Who
dresses up nice for his own doom? Maan had heard all about how this
alliance had come to be. Iqbal had filled him up on all the details. The visit
of the Handas here, going to Amritsar, choosing this girl named Geet, who by
the way was the youngest sister and not the sister whose proposal had
originally come. Only the likes of his mother was capable of doing this. He did
not know any other details like her age, education, etc, since Iqbal was
clueless about the same. And was definitely not going to ask the elders about
it. They would only gloat deeming it to be his interest in the girl. Who apparently was some beauty, he shook
his head. For the same reason he had even refrained from seeing her picture
which his mother had gleefully proclaimed to possess. He shuddered to think
what kind of girl she would be. After all, it was his mother's choice.
He looked at the controversial
shirt again. Chal Maan puttar, you are a
commando! A Ghatak. You can do this.
"Fine I will wear the
new shirt," he spoke finally causing his sister to give him a adoring smile.
Well atleast some good this shirt would do, if it makes his Di happy. "But I am
not wearing the tie. Bas!!"
**********************************************************************
*Thakka - is an informal ceremony to declare boy and girl affianced to each other. What we call rokka in Hindi.
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