CHAPTER XIII
Shantivan
The three vehicles reached Shantivan and all the passengers disembarked their respective vehicles. The able bodied Guptas stayed behind the invalid Gupta, who was being wheeled in by the hospital attendees. ASR and Akaash led the group from the front. Anjali opened the door and at the hall entrance the remaining stay-at-home Raizadas stood in awe as the Gupta clan appeared.
ASR: Which room have you allotted Di?
Anjali: Woh Chote, I have prepared both the rooms on the ground floor. I think Payal and Buaji will love the blue room next to our room, and Shashi Uncle and Garima Aunty can have the green room that has its own shower and bathroom.
ASR asked the hospital orderlies to follow him to the green room along with Shashi Gupta. Anjali, Nani and Mami followed ASR to the green room. For the three Raizada women, this was a momentous occasion, ASR tending to his in-laws. For the last two years, he had not even acknowledged their existence and had treated his wife like an outsider. And suddenly out of the blue today he had announced that they were being moved into the house that too without Khushi.
ASR: JP, OP and HP, chaliye inki madat kar dijiye.
The hospital attendees made sure Shashi Gupta was comfortably settled. ASR settled their account with a generous tip and the ambulance left the Raizada property. Questions were bursting on the lips of the hovering Raizadas, but they decided to zip it up for a while. They also had to complete the pooja that was left undone when the Gupta clan had shifted.
ASR addressed his in-laws: Aap settle ho jaiye, kissi cheez ki zaroorat ho to bata dijieyega. Teek hai main change karke aata hoon.
As soon as ASR left the vicinity, both Nani and Anjali stepped forward and welcomed the Guptas.
Nani: Aap log fresh hokar mandir mein aajayega. Panditji grihashantiki pooja aarambha karnewale hain. Anjali bitiya aap inka khayal rakhiyega. (After you have freshened up, pls come down to the temple. The priest is in the process of starting the Grihashanti Pooja. Anjali please take care of them?)
Anjali: Ji Naani. Hum sambhal lenge. (Sure Nani, I will take care of everything here)
Garima: Dhanywaad, aapko hamare karan kashta utana pad raha hai. Lekin hum Arnavji ko kuch bol hi nahi paye. Sab itna jaldi ho gaya_____ (Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience. But I could not say anything to Arnav and everthing has been happening so quickly... )
Anjali: Auntyji, aap fresh hokar niche aajaeeye, phir baad mein dekhenge. (Aunty, you just freshen up and come down, we will take care of everything later)
The duo of grandmother and granddaughter left the Guptas. The Gupta women ensured that Shashi Gupta was settled with his medication and left the room to join the Raizada clan in the temple room. The only one person who was not happy with the advent of the Gupta clan in Shantivan was Manorama Raizada and was seething with anger and was out for blood. She watched the three women approach the temple gingerly and started with her invective.
Mami: Yeh phati saari gayee nahi yahan se, khoon bhari taang aa gayee. Kyon, khoon bari taang, yahan par aane ki himmat kaissi hui tumhari. Pichli baar bataee hui baat samajh nahi aayee, ya forgetiya gayee tum? (Hardly is Fati Saree (Khushi) out of the picture, this Khoon-Bhari-Taang (Payal) is in here. How dare you come here? Did you forget what happened last time, or wasn't it enough?)
Nani: Manorama, ab nahi. Aap aaeeye na aur baitiye, Payal beti, aap bhi us taraf bait jayeeye. (Manorama, not now, (Addresses Garima & Buaji). Please come and sit. Payal why dont you sit on that side.)
Payal: Ji hum kuch madat kar saktein hain kya? (Thank you, do you need some help, can I be of any help)
Buaji: Hai re Nandkishore, Payaliya yeh kya keh rahi hain? (Payal what is she saying)
Payal refrained from answering while Buaji continued her outburst,
Buaji: Manorama ji aap dono bhashaon ko brasht karne par kyon tuli hain. Ya to shudha Hindi mein boliye varna purna roop se angrezi mein baat kariye. Par yeh baat aap samajhne se rahi, apko samjhana matlab, bhains ke aage been bajanae ki tarah hoga. (Manorama, why are you insisting on destroying both languages. Either talk in chaste Hindi or stick to pure english. But anyway you are not going to understand. It will be an yeoman's task to make you understand {I have used a Hindi phrase: the loose translation would be playing a Mozart tune in front of a Water Buffalo})
Manorama: Aapne humko buffalo kaha. (You called me Water Buffalo)
Buaji: Woh ji bhains ki insult ho jayeegi. (That will be an insult to the Water Buffalo)
Manorama: Is ghar mein humari respect koi nahi karta, ab baharwale bhi yahan aakar humari insult kar rahe hain. Lekin yaad rakhna khoon bari taang, tumne mere bete ke paas aane ki khoshish ki, to mujhse bura koi nahi hoga. Do saal humre Akaash bituwa ki shaadi ki gaadi par break laga hua hai, ab tumhare aane par, yeh gaadi to aage chalne se rahi, ab to gaadi teji se reverse mein jayegi. (No one respects me in this house, now outsiders have also started insulting me. But remember Khoon-Bhari-Taang, if you try to get closer to my son, the consequences will not be good. For the past 2 years, this marriage program has come to a stand still, and with your advent in this house means the program will start moving in the reverse direction.)
Nani: Manorama, kuch to lihaaz kijiye? (Manorama, curtail yourself)
Garima: Payaliya, yeh sab kya ho raha hai''.kuansi baat aur kya baat hui. Aur tum yahan kab aayee thi? Aur yeh tumhe khoon-bhari-taang kyon keh rahi hai? (Payaliya, what is happening. What is Manorama talking about ? And when did you come to this house. And why does she keep calling you Khoon-Bhari-Taang)
Manorama: Yeh kya bolegi, dono behne bade gharon ke ladkon ko faansne mein lagi hai. (What will this girl say? Both of your daughters have set their eyes on targeting boys from rich families)
Buaji: Hai re Nandkishore, e sasoori ka keh rahi hai Payaliya? (Payaliya what is this lady saying)
Unknown to his mom, Akaash had come down to check on the Guptas and witnessed his mother's rantings and could not contain himself. He had kept his equilibrium in check due to Di's insistence. But his mother just would not stop. His steadfast refusal to marry had become a bone of contention between him and his mother. His mother given a choice would have placed him on the bidding stand and would have auctioned him off to the highest bidder a long time ago. He had tried confessing his love, but Payal refused to even listen to him. His attempts to coax her had failed abysmally.
Akaash: Maa kitni baar tumhe samjhana padega, yeh humare mehmaan hain, aissi baat mat karo. Sorry, main apni maa ki taraf se maafi mangta hoon. (How many times does one have to make you understand, these are guests and you should not talk to them in this fashion? I am so sorry for my mother's behaviour and would like to extend my apologies on her behalf too.)
Manorama: Maafi aur tum mangoge, Manorama Raizada ki taraf se. Dekha khoon bhari taang, tumhe yahan do gante bhi nahi aaye hue, mera beta mujhe jawab de raha hai. Aur do chaar din aap yahan reh gayee pata nahi yeh Akaash mujhe kya kuch nahi bolega. (You are going to apologise and that too on my behalf. Look Khoon-Bhari-Tang, you have been here just for 2 hours and my son has suddenly developed a spine. If you stayed here for another 2-3 days, I dont know what all I will have to listen)
Payal: Akaashji, please kuch mat kahiye. (Akaash please dont say anything)
Payal turned to Manorama
Payal: Aap chinta mat kijiye, hum yahan se chale jayenge. Dekhiye hum abhi yahanse chale jaate hain. (Dont worry, we will leave soon. And I will leave this room if it helps you)
Akaash: Bas bhi karo Maa (Enough Mom)
Manorama: Wah Akaash bituwa, tumhe apni maa ka dard nahi dikta, bas padi hai to chinta is khoon bhari taang ki. (Wonderful Akaash, you are more worried about this girl. You cant see your mother's pain)
Akaash: Bola na Maa, aur kuch bhi mat bolna (Mom, just Dont say anything further)
Manorama: Kya kar loge jo ab tak nahi kiya tumne. (Yeah what will you do and what more is there to be done that you haven't done already)
Akaash: Maa, please ab tak maine kuch nahi kiya (Please Mom, I have not done anything thus far)
Manorama: Wahi to problem hai bituwa, tumne kuch bhi nahi kiya, aur jab tak yeh khoon bhari taang yahan par rahegi, tum kuch nahi karoge. (Exactly, that is the problem Akaash, you have not done anything, and until this Khoon-Bhari-Taang is here, you will not take any action)
Akaash: Kuch nahi kiya na, ab dekho main kya karta hoon. (You are right, till date I have not done anything, now see what I can and will do)
Akaash turned and dragged a surprised Payal along with him to the priest who was in the process of completing the grihashanti pooja. He bent down and grabbed a pinch of vermillion between his thumb and forefinger and applied it on Payal. He unhooked the chain from around his neck and put it around Payal's neck. The whole incident was completed in less than a minute and there was a stunned silence in the room. No one had expected Akaash to take such a drastic step.
Akaash: Aaj ke liye itna action teek hai na Maa. Main shaadi ke liye issiliye raazi nahi tha kyonki main Payal ko apne man se patni maan liya tha. Aur aaj apne badoon aur apne bhagwaan ke samne maine isse apni patni bana liya hai. Aur tum - Payal, jahan bhi jayogi tum, meri hi ban kar jaogi. Chalo ab sabse aashirwaad leten hain.
(What do you think Mom? this much of action is enough for today? I did not agree to getting married because, I had already accepted Payal as my wife. And today with you elders and my maker as my witnesses I have made her my wedded wife.{Turning to Payal} And you, Payal, where ever you go, you will go as mine and bear my name. And that being said, let us take everyone's blessings)
Edited by akhilash - 13 years ago
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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Arjun
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