Chapter 20
We only Part to Meet again
(January 27, 1981...)
(Khurana Kothi, Chandigarh...)
"So why can't we all go?"
"Because none of us are invited anyway. It's just our over-enthusiastic mother who has decided to gatecrash on their celebrations. Seriously, there is no party. I think Bauji mentioned something about going to Golden Temple."
"But I do want to go!"
"Why is it so important for you to go Iqbal?"
"I want to see bhabhiji."
"My question still stands," Maan stopped dribbling the ball with the hockey stick and looked at her intently, "Why?"
"Kyun tang kar rahe ho Veerji? [Why are you troubling me Veerji?] I want to meet my bhabhiji. That is all. Chaiyyiji keeps saying how pretty she is..."
"She is normal human being like everybody. A girl like you. Chand tare..."
"Haan haan," Iqbal spoke up, "Chand tare taan lage nahi koi. [Not like she has been adorned with the Moon or the stars.] I heard it last time when you were scolding Sashi Didi."
"It's five in the morning, why are we having this conversation now..."
"Tell me," Iqbal cut in spurting with excitement, "did you find her beautiful? And tell me honestly!!"
Maan glanced at his baby sister from the corner of his eyes, clearly uncomfortable with the spot she had put him in, "Umm...she was...well...decent..." He found Iqbal grinning at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Che Veerji," Iqbal tsked, "thorri jahi tareef bhi nahi kar sakde Bhabhi di? [Can't even praise Bhabhi a little?] Bhabhiji would be so disappointed after marriage."
"Iqbal! Leave! Now!"
"I am leaving!! I am leaving!!" She ran off only to turn back one final time at the threshold of the courtyard, "Oh Veerji," Maan snapped his head in her direction, "I hope you have bought a gift for bhabhiji. Warna bhabhi kahengi mera Veer nikamma hai." [Or Bhabhi would say my brother is good for nothing.]
And off she went before Maan could catch her.
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(Five o' clock in the morning')
(Handa Haveli')
"Happy Birthday!!"
"Yeahhh!!!!"
Geet woke up with a huge shout as soon as she heard her family scream 'Happy Birthday'. This was how the family always woke her up every birthday of hers. Even Meera would wake up on time on this day.
Geet woke up like a spring unwound only to have Lucky jump on her. "Happy birthday Kakku Di!"
"Thank you," she replied placing a huge sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"Happy Bithday puttar jee," Mohinder wished her sitting down next to her on the bed. "May Babaji bless you with his choicest blessings," Rano blessed her.
"Thank you so much Papaji," She hugged her father, leaned forward to kiss her mother and immediately looked at her sisters, "Where are ny gifts?"
"Here," Sameera took out a packet from her behind, "a new suit in tussar-silk, the one you have been eyeing since last Diwali. Ma has already stitched it for you to wear it today."
"But I don't have a jutti matching," Geet faked a glare.
"Nautanki! Here are your juttis," Meera brought forth another packet, "Chal kakke-pattake, jaa tayyar ho jaa."
"Chalo jee, we must hurry," Rano urged the family who seemed in no mood to break their leisure, "Khurana's are coming by afternoon. We must come before them."
As their parents left the room, Rano dragging along a reluctant Lucky who was dreading a bath this early in morning, Geet held her sisters back.
"Sammy Di, why are they coming?" she whined.
"Kyun, koi takleef hai?"
"It is just very awkward."
"Kakku, don't think about all this. It's beyond our control anyways. The elders decide such matters," Sameera reasoned.
"And think about the gifts you will get," Meera winked.
"Gifts!" Geet exclaimed with enthusiam, "pakka mere layi gifts aan gey?" [Are you sure they will get me gifts?]
"Ofcourse," Sameera replied matter-of-factly. "Your mother-in-law adorrres you," she teased.
"And one you will get from Maan paahji," Meera quipped.
"Paahji?!"
"Haan," Meera looked at her sisters, "he will marry you, Kakku, so he would be my jijaji. And we call both our jijajis as paahjis, so'" she trailed off.
"It hasn't sunk in yet."
"I won't."
Both Geet and Sameera spoke up together and burst out laughing at the realization.
"He is only a year older to me," Sameera shrugged, "so I will simply call him Maan. Or maybe Maanji in compnay of elders."
"Anyways," Geet spoke up, "I doubt if I will get a gift from him, separate from the family."
"Kyun?" Meera inquired.
"Dil ki awaaz," Geet struck a dramatic pose and the girls were soon convulsed in a fit of laughter.
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(Khurana Mansion...)
He was sitting on his bed, ready to leave for Amritsar. They were just waiting for Ajaipal to come back from his office.
Maan looked at the gift in his hand.
The wrapped packet evoked strange feelings in his heart. Ask him to track down the enemy camp in the mock-drills; it would take him just an hour. Ask him to construct a sand model of a battle-plan; it would take him just half an hour. Ask him to solve a Rubik's cube; it would take him just fifteen minutes. But for the first time, it took him more than a day, three days actually, he dejectedly rued, to simply pick a gift for the girl who was affianced to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(24th Night...)
"You must get a gift for her," Savitri informed Maan.
"Call Nayantara Di and go shopping," he replied.
"Maan," Savitri scowled at her son, who wasn't paying attention to such an important topic. "I said YOU must get a gift for her."
"Must I?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ofcourse he must. His mother had left him with no other alternative. It was just like her to unload a problem on him and leave him to struggle for a solution.
How was he to know what was expected of him to gift her?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(25th Noon...)
"Yash"
"Hanji Veerji," Yash looked at his elder brother who came quite hesistantly in his room.
"I need your help actually."
Yash grinned at him, "Bolo Veerji, banda haazir hai."
"What kind of gifts do girls like?"
Sweat broke on Yash's forehead. "Why are you asking me this Veerji?" It seemed as if Maan was here to take him to task. He was sure it was the work of Iqbal. He cursed her under his breath for being a squealer.
"You are often mingling with girls, so I assumed you must know."
"Girls," Yash squeaked, "me! No, Veerji. I don't know about such things."
Maan squinted his eyes at his fidgeting brother. "So you don't hang around with girls?"
"Nope."
"And you have no clue what one can gift them?"
"Absolutely not," he replied with psuedo-confidence.
"Ofcourse, you must be spending all your time playing cricket."
"Jee Veerji."
"With complete dedication?"
"Total focus!"
"And for that you even went to Ludhiana last month?"
"We won the cup Veerji.".
"And it had nothing to with Ritu's birthday?"
"I don't even talk to that girl."
"Cricket is all you think about?"
"With all my heart."
"And what did you gift her?"
"A bracelet!"
Yash took a second to open his eyes and realized what he had slipped out. He grimaced as he saw his brother's raised eyebrow. Maan Singh Khurana.
"You are going to have a talk with me later, right?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Right! Yash needed a reminder that even though Maan wasn't present at home, he knew his family and their dealings inside out. Atleast, one good came out of Yash's stupidity.
Maan atleast had an iota of where to start with gift-hunting.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(24th Evening...)
"Dekho jee," the jeweler placed a piece infront of him, "such a beautiful piece. Look at the intricate design. And the ruby, 2 carats. It would make a great gift for a loved one."
Maan held the bracelet in his hands. The weight felt right and the stone seemed genuine as far as his knowledge went. It seemed pretty good.
But it didn't feel right.
It seemed so trifle a gift for Geet. It was just a worthless bauble in comparison to the light that shone in her eyes.
The shop across the street caught his eye. A bookstore.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He had no clue if he this book would make a worthwhile gift. But in his eyes it was way above meaningless materialistic things.
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(Handa Haveli...)
"Kaali teri gutt, te paranda tera laal ni*"
"Aaho ni aaho."
"Roop di ae raaniye tu parande nu sambhal ni. Kaali teri gutt te paranda tera laal ni."
Geet pranced around the room wearing her new dress, new jutti and most importantly her new parandi which was gifted to her by Anwesha. The reason it was so special because Anwesha had hand-made it for Geet with beads, threads and matching with her new suit. Her hip-long hair, beautifully entwined with the silk threads of the parandi, sashayed with every step she took.
The girls were having fun with Meera singing an apt song for her and Sameera providing the chorus.
And after a few minutes the doorbell had rung signaling them the arrival of their guests.
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"See I told you Maan paahji would get you a gift," Meera whispered.
"Haan," Geet agreed with a thoughtful frown, "but why hasn't he given it to me yet?"
The Khuranas, Chaudhary Ajaipal, Savitri and Maan had arrived an hour back. While Ajaipal's sincere blessings had touched the daughter in her and evoked the same emotion in her as she reserved for her father; on the other hand, Savitri's lavish gifts did hold their appeal to the girl in her. But what held her curiosity was the lone packet that Maan had discreetly kept on the side-table. The shiny wrapping paper that peaked out from the mouth of the packet confirmed that it was a gift. But why hadn't he given it to her?
It was a suspense that all three of them were eager to unravel. But since Mohinder had not encouraged the girls to hang around with the guests, they had resorted to peeping into the drawing room from the kitchen window.
"Maybe he wants to give it to you separately?" Sameera attempted a guess.
"Hmm," all three of them concurred.
"Will we get a chance to meet separately?" Geet raised a doubt.
"I don't suppose so," Sameera answered.
"Hmm," they concurred again.
"Should we send Lucky to sneak that packet away?" Sameera suggested.
"What if Maan paahji takes offence?" Meera countered.
"Hmm."
"Maybe..." Sameera began only to be interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone.
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It was a trunk call from Chandigarh.
Maan's leave had been cancelled and he was called back with immediate effect. The moment the telegram had landed in Amrit's hand, she had judiciously made a call to Amritsar.
Thus, the Khuranas were now saying their goodbyes to Handas, who were acompanying them out till their porch.
The mood had turned dull, but the circumstances could not be helped.
But what about this gift? If I have brought it till here, I should present it to her. But the opportunity seemed to have evaded him by fate.
He stole a glance at Geet who was walking behind them with her sisters. However, he did catch her quickly avert her eyes from the packet he held. Hoping that his observation was right, he steadily slowed his pace to fall back from the elders. He glanced back at her to one again find her looking at his hand expectantly.
Geet was dejected that she wouldn't get a chance to receive the gift from Maan. He was her fianc after all. Kuchh special taan pakka hoga, she mused. From the inside of her home to the path through their courtyard towards the outer porch, she had her eyes constantly fixed on the packet in his hands.
And even though it was at the cost of grudging admittance, she did feel a sense of loss. It was sort of nice the last time he had spoken to her. Chaar sarri gallan de baad, ek sweet jahi gal taan kitti si. [After four rude things, he did say something very sweet to me.]
She felt a gaze settled on her. Glancing up, she saw his eyes intently looking at her. Phir ghoorde payye ne. [He is glaring at me again.]
It took a moment for her to realize why. It was subconscious, but she did somehow realize. Even though surprised at her own actions, she did drag her steps slower than her sisters. She was curious about the purpose of his actions, but she did find herself looking forward to where it would lead.
Another moment and they were now walking along each other. Few steps behind others. Few heartbeats closer to each other.
Yet another moment passed and none spoke.
Taking a deep breath in, fueled by curiosity and compelled by impatience, she glanced at him, "You are leaving?"
"Yes," he bent his head forward in resignation, "and I might be gone for longer than I had expected."
"Oh," she replied back suddenly feeling very low.
"The return makes one love the farewell," Maan passed her the packet he held, "Happy Birthday Geet."
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*Kaali teri gutt, te paranda tera laal ni - Most of you have heard the hindi version of this song. This was the original by the renowned Punjabi singer Asa Singh Mastana
So, is it going to be "Yeah Birthday Bash!" or "Arghh! Let's bash Jazzy"😆 Hey, can't help it. Just sticking to the reality😃
PMs later :) Good night🤗
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Edited by jazzerette - 13 years ago
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