Chapter 14
Ifs and Buts
(Khurana Kothi...)
...Thud
...Thud
...Thud
The backyard of the outhouse echoed everytime the ball hit the wall with a resounding smack. Each hit preceeded with a lightening quick swish of the hockey stick cracking the still air.
Broad shoulders, slim waist, upright carriage, Maan stood firm with legs apart and waist bent as he dribbled the ball against the wall. The hockey stick was gripped firm in his hand and he played his strokes like the seasoned hockey player that he was.
He had been an inter-state hockey player. The youngest from his circuit to make the District Team. Different colleges from the city fought for having him on their team. It was only a matter of time and he would be playing for the State on National Level. There wasn't a center-forward as mean as him. Or a player as versatile who could play as both Right-out and Left-out with equal ease.
But the ignorance of his mother had ruined his dream. Her narrow approach to life had become a roadblock in his. Sports was a waste of time. Running around, getting hurt was below their status. The whole web of her emotional drama was so tightly spun that even Darjee's support could not help Maan escape her schemes.
A sport teaches you discipline. It teaches you the spirit of giving your task your best. The killer-instict to rise high in life. To gracefully accept your mistakes. To take failures in your stride. To recognize when someone else is better than you. And to strive to achieve that higher level of capability for your own self. It makes your body fitter and mind stronger. How could it be not worth his time?
His thoughts turned into a torrent of angst and his wrist started flicking with even more force. The heel of the stick took a beating from both the sides. The ball was already loosening from its seams and one forceful shot punctured the ball from its rigid sphere.
He huffed and squat on the ground, leaning on the hockey for support. Sweat dripped from his hair and run down towards his back before it got absorbed in his black vest. His shorts stuck to his the corded muscles of his thighs like second skin.
Atheletics was his passion. Hockey was his life. It had also helped him in his profession. His profficiency in every kind of field sport drove him to NCC and then Army. Even now as an officer he played all his favorites for his regimental team. But disallowing him his dream had become a sore poinbt with forever.
And it was the final straw in the always-on-tether-hooks relationship between mother and son.
This regressive atmosphere of his home was what he always sought to escape from. First hostel and then Army, these institutions kept him forward-facing in life rather than pulled him down into backward lanes of the society his family dwelled in. This was one of the primary reason he had wanted to avoid marriage. Because that was one tie that would make him prey to his mother's dogmatic ideology. He would be duty-bound to cede his independence for the welfare of that one soul who would be his responsibility henceforth.
And how just it would be on that girl who was to come and share his home with him. This circus of a family, the constant fights, screaming matches, zero education and irrational thought processes, this was what she would witness everyday.
"Veer..."
"Hmm..."
"Tussi bimar ho?"
"Nahi, kyun?"
"Then why have you asked Sashi didi to go to Amritsar with Chaiyyiji?"
Maan shook his head at the level Sashi has degraded herself that even a fifteen year old girl knows her reality. "Iqbal, unless Sashi is not given the same opportunity as Di she would never let the matter rest. She is quiet as long as Darjee is not around or I am not there. But she won't give up till she feels vindicated," Maan rolled his eyes.
"But if she does something stupid there? She will end up ruining Darjee's goodwill'"
"That is why I am sending her with Rinku and Deepu. Sashi may be a pain in the neck but she always strives to keep an impressive image infront of her kids."
"Ohhh'will you also go to Amritsar to meer Bhabhi?"
"Bhabhi?"
Iqbal giggled at her brother who seemed pre-occupied with his thoughts. "Geet bhabhi!"
"No."
Maan pat her head keeping his hockey back in the kit-bag, "Ho gaya tera?"
"Jee..."
"Go study. This year will be your first board exam right? You must do well."
"Acha ji."
Maan saw his sister fondly. Though unlike others he did not call her Baby, but there was no denying the fact that even at fifteen she was the baby of the house. And Geet was just nineteen. His previous musings came back to hit him with full force.
Forget about his own family and their misgivings. How was it possible that a nineteen year old girl can come and handle such complex relations as a daughter-in-law of the house? Even if he believes his mother's claims of being totally floored by Geet that wouldn't mean that she would give up her expectations from her daughter-in-law. All these sweet talks only stayed till before the marriage. After marriage every woman claiming to be a mother to her bahu takes pride in her exulted status as a mother-in-law.
If I am to get married and bring a girl into this family, then I atleast must make sure that I protects her from all the grief that this marriage may bring forth for her.
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(One week later...)
(Handa Haveli...)
Everyone was happy. The mood in the house was joyous. She should be feeling happy too. And why shouldn't she?
Her situation was so ideal that it bordered on unbelievable. A father-in-law she could respect. A mother-in-law who claimed to adore her. And a man who has shown far more understanding and goodness that can be expected or imagined.
Who shows so much understanding that he allows his future wife to give priority to her father's wishes rather than him? She had been stunned when she had herad him say those words. True she was too agitated to realize the worth of his words at that time. But on reflection later she couldn't help but feel grateful.
Who gives so much leverage to the girl he would marry, that he allows her to first complete her education and then get married? Most of the parents did not see it important to further educate their girls. She has been blessed to have parents who gave importance to education despite opposition from relatives. Prospective in-laws did not even like educated brides for their sons. Accepting to educate her even after marriage was rarely heard off. And to agree to sucha demand. It must be one of the first in her family. Maybe even whole of Amritsar. No! Punjab!
Who asks a girl her opinion about getting married? He was considerate towards her, her thoughts, her father and her family in general. Maybe life with him wouldn't be so bad. Provided he doesn't turn like Arjun jijaji. All promises before marriage and afterwards he became a typical chauvinist husband who treated her Anwesha Di nothing more than a glorified maid.
Geet had expected him to an arrogant high-headed stuck-up. But didn't seem like that, despite the appearance. He seemed reserved, quiet kinds but spoke what he felt was necessary. Penetrating eyes under straight thick brows that seemed to be taking in every detail of his surrounding. A proud aquline nose. Square jaw with resolution in every line of his mouth, with lips that wouldn't smile at all. But he wasn't that sarru-looking as he was in his boring photograph.
She was just nineteen. Yet to complete her graduation. Not that she was getting married right next day. Another year for graduation. She will not get married anytime before 20 atleast. But even then how was she supposed to take on the responsibility of a wife or a daughter-in-law. Why wasn't anyone able to see that how huge this was for her? She had always been of the impression that she would get married after her two elder sisters. Not before them. She was still reeling from the shock and struggling to come to terms with the fact that she would be the one getting married first.
And a week isn't a good enough time for getting used to the fact. Specially when she had no strong reason to resent this match.
It was so convenient in the beginning when she believed that he had slighted her sister. She could have held a grudge against Sarru and his family and kept her distance with this marriage emotionally. But with his admission of not having hurt her sister's diginity knowingly it became difficult to lay the blame on his head. She had no other valid reson to say that this marriage was not right for her.
Now her hestitancy to accept her marriage just boiled down to one issue.
Her guilt.
Guilty at being fairer than her sisters. Guilty at being called morebeautiful than her sisters. Guilty of always being preferred ahead of her sisters only because of her apparent good looks.
Her family may believe that she is too carefree to notice things. But she always noticed when her mother was taunted for having a given birth to a dark-skinned girl. She always noticed when her masi would ignore a hungry Sameera and pamper Meera and Geet. She also noticed that all these reasons and much more caused her father to break away from his family in Hoshiarpur and come settle in Amritsar, so that his daughters never get mistreated again.
And thus she kept her silence not letting anyone know that she noticed. She simply did not want her father to see one more worried face in the house. She only wanted to see him smile when he would see her happy.
So even if she does not feel comfortable with this marriage, with getting married before her sisters, she would keep smiling.
But how can I bring myself to rejoice this match when my sisters are yet to have their share of happiness?
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Mohinder was laying the floor of the front of his house, while Meera sat beside him humming softly. He loved doing all these jobs himself. Carpentary, plumbing, masonry. It was his favorite way of relaxation, kept him active and also gave him the chance to tend to his home with his own hands.
"Mohinder jee?"
He turned back and was shocked to see the guests from Chandigrah. He had completely forgotten about their arrival.
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"Kakku are you ready?"
"Jee..."
"What happened, why are you so glum?"
"Di, mere exams ne te..."
"Kakku..."
"Sammy...kakku...chalo chalo. Velliyan na maro. [Don't waste time] Sammy go see what your papaji is doing. I think he has forgotten about today's visit."
"Ma, I will go see. Di can help you in kitchen."
Geet ran towrads the courtyard to alert her father about the guests who could be arriving anytime soon. Her future mother-in-law and her eldest daughter Nayantara Di.
But she stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the scene before her.
Meera was attending to Savitri ji, an another woman and two little kids in their drawing room which faced the courtyard.
And crouched on the floor of the courtyard applying cement on the floor while her father layed the tiles was the man she was affianced to. Maan Singh Khurana.
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Chapter 15 - Page 15
A Face with a Smile - Part 1
12