my exams will be beginning by January end so this will probably be the last story i write in a long time...i shall update my SS but can't promise how regularly😳 hope you people understand..
Please read...
"Do you want to go back to US or not? If you want to go back, you'll have to do as I say..is that clear?" her father told Manyata.
She groaned internally. She was in India only because her father had threatened of withdrawing financial support if she didn't come back for few days. Seven years ago her father wanted his only child to be foreign educated and got her admitted to an Ivy League school much against her mother's wishes. He was regretting his action now as he saw how much distant his baby had become from her roots. She had changed her outer appearance to that of an American girl with multiple piercings on her eye brows and blonde streaks in her black hair. She complained that she wasn't able to breathe in the filthy air of the country and wanted to escape as soon as possible. He promised himself that he will bring her on track very soon, whatever it may take. She disrespected elders in the name of being cool and wore hippy kind of clothes which brought scorn to everybody who saw her.
"What do you want me to do dad? And if I do as you say, do you promise to give me my passport back?" she asked.
"yes my dear..i will..but first hear me out..I'm extremely disappointed with your behavior..so I want you to spend some time with someone I'd like you to meet..maybe you can learn some civility then.."
"dad..how much exactly is some time'? and who's the bloke?" she rolled her eyes.
"you'll have to spend a week with him..He is a very good person..I'm sure you'll like him..at the end of the week you can go back to your zoo..but if you say no-"
"okay ok dad..i shall do that..not a big deal" she agreed.
The Bloke' came home in the afternoon and she could barely stop herself from puking as she took in his heavily oiled hair and simple, non-designer clothes. He bid her a namaste' with his folded hands and flashed a grin. Down-market' was the first word that came to her mind looking at him. her dad must have lost his mind.
"Im going to Delhi for a week my dearest..don't trouble him too much..be a good girl.." her dad patted her cheek and left.
Sleep eluded her almost all night at the thought of spending an entire week with a stranger. Why was her dad doing this? Anyways this ordeal was just for a week..it's not as if she had to do it for a life time..She fell into slumber in wee hours of morning only to be rudely awakened with a shake at 5am. A female servant was shaking her and Manyata threw a pillow at her. "I'll fire you!! How dare you?" she screamed at her.
"My apologies madam..but sir had instructed us that we had to wake you at this time and we couldn't go against his order" the maid replied.
There was a knock at her door and somebody said "Manyata get ready fast..we are going out" he popped his head in.
"are you crazy? Have you seen the time? Its early morning yet..im going back to sleep" she said groggily.
"ok fine..I'm calling up your dad..Only he can take a decision" he said and patted his pocket for the phone.
"No wait..I'm coming..I'm coming!" she accepted defeat.
"Mister, do you care to tell me where we are going at this hour?" she asked after he made her change her clothes four times, saying they were inappropriate for the place where they were supposed to go.
He remained quite like he didn't hear her and Manyata's eyes fell out when she came across the cow shed. "Don't stand there..Help me milk the cows..Will you?" he ordered.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF MISTER..I'M NOT-"
"Now where did I put my phone? Can you fetch it please?" he said cutting her.
"don't threaten me..I'm not your servant..don't smile at me..i don't like it" she retorted.
At 10am her hands were beginning to resemble ripe plums and her pricey designer clothes were stained green with cow dung and hay.
"You must be hungry..Here, eat this.." he handed her a paper wrapped package. She was wolfishly hungry and tore the paper to find grilled sandwiches inside. She reluctantly had to agree that they were the best sandwiches she had eaten in a long long time. He smiled to himself. Day one was just beginning. Her hair was falling on her face and he put it back behind her ears. She gave him a puzzled look.
"you can go home and take rest now..but be ready at 2pm..we are going clothes shopping" he said curtly.
Shopping!! The word thrilled her and she imagined herself coming home with bags laden with costly designer clothes. But she was proved wrong when he took her to a non-descript shop and asked her to choose clothes which she liked.
They had only Indian clothes in stock and if given a choice Manyata would never look those clothes in the mouth. Only a stern look from him had her choose the first thing that her hands touched. It was a salwar suit and he demanded that she change into it immediately.
"only a week more! Then I'm never coming back" she repeated to herself as she changed into it.
"you are looking mind blowing!" his compliment pleased her. Just as she was beginning to relax he threw another bomb at her.
"Choose many of them for yourself..The entire week you will be wearing Indian clothes and that's final.." he said.
She imagined him with a dog chain on his neck and yowling at the sky. This was only a tip of the ice berg as her boot camp was set to get stricter. Whenever she refused to comply he warned her with the phone call threat and she fell in line.
The next four days saw him taking her to a classical music concert, a bullock cart ride, a barefoot walk through the paddy farm in a nearby village and finally a local wedding. He showed her an India that was strikingly different from what she had imagined and she had sobered down quite a bit in four days from her previously hippie avatar. Of course there were moments when she faltered and he lost his temper. For example she fell asleep during the classical music concert and he screamed at her when they were home.
"I'm doing so much for you and you just don't care..What kind of a girl are you? I must be a fool to hang out with you!!" he said.
She felt so helpless that her eyes filled with tears. "look..I'm sorry..Don't cry now.." he said looking the other way.
"I never wanted to do this, yet you forced me and now you complain..is that fair?" she said.
The bullock cart ride thrilled her and she secretly thanked him in her mind for that. They were taking a bare foot walk in the paddy fields and she tried to strike a conversation with him much to her own surprise. "Mister..my dad's orders aside..why do I feel that you have some ulterior motive in all this? What are you after? You can tell me you know.."
"I'm doing this because I want YOU'" his eyes bored into hers and she instantly backed off two steps.
"don't talk nonsense..look at you and look at me..i'm the sky and you are the earth..We can never be together.." she shook her head as if erasing the imagination of that scenario from her head. What's got into her! if any guy in America had behaved this way, she would have handed him over to police and here she was going around with a stranger hand in hand..
He took her to his friend's wedding next day and the bridal Mehendi ceremony was taking place. "Eww..it looks so yucky! Wonder how she applies it on her hands?" these words involuntarily escaped out of Manyata's mouth.
He smiled an evil grin. He had found one more task for her. He called out to a small girl and said something in her ears which made her smile.
Manyata was standing in a corner that was farthest from the others and the little girl came to her and began to drag her by hand. "didi..that uncle told me that you love mehendi so much..Come with me..My mom will decorate your hands..Come didi" the kid was adamant.
The women folk forcibly made patterns on her hand ignoring her protests and she couldn't say no to them lest they feel bad. Somehow she sat still for an hour and when she washed the mix off her hand, the color red was so deep in her palm that it amused her. Everyone remarked that her husband will love her very much and she felt like blushing, much to her annoyance. Next the Sangeet ceremony started and her feet itched to dance. At last she let go all her hang-ups and joined them. But her care taker/ baby sitter/ tutor didn't join her and she felt kind of upset about it. Today must have been the day of surprises it seemed. He remained quiet all the time and after a sumptuous wedding feast it was time to go home.
"hey..You have been showing me all Indian things isn't it? So today I want to go home in a rickshaw..will you take me home?" she tried to cheer him up and failed. He was lost somewhere.
He hailed an auto and they sat in it. Manyata got the corner seat for herself.
She had never felt so thrilled before today and that too because of some utter strangers! Though she had initially hated the mehendi, the color Red felt nice on her hands and she was happy about it.
"Hey mister..why are you so quiet today? Did your quota of tasks for me finish so soon? Bring me more..I'm loving it.."
"Stop playing games Manyata..PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE!" the look in his eyes was so fierce that she let out a shiver.
"I'm playing games?? Oh really? Look who is talking! Do you care to explain what is it that I did which affected you so much?
"I was only trying to teach you a lesson and you..-" he didn't finish.
"tell me im listening.."
"Tomorrow I'll call your father and ask him to return your passport so that you can go back to where you belong..just leave..i don't want you here" he almost screamed.
"Fine..I'm fed up..So tomorrow will be the last day I have to tolerate you..Freedom at last..ohh lucky me!" she said sarcastically.
He dropped her at the gate of her house and took the same auto back, without bothering to even say good bye. She was feeling numb. He had said that he'll ensure her passport is returned to her soon..That ought to have made her happy isn't it? Then why wasn't she happy? Or jumpy or excited?
Like 5 days ago, sleep again remained elusive and that gave her lot of time to think. Automatically her mind began to compare India with America and India won. In America, her life was sort of mechanical; with no strings attached. No one forced her there, no one spent an entire day with her..no one fed her pani puri by road side..no one asked her to stop playing games..no one..STOP...WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS GIRL..she said loudly.
If she really looked at it without the tint of her prejudices, she was in love. She was the princess in the fairy tale Frog prince' and contrary to the story; she had fallen for the proverbial frog. The pseudo cool girl's mask had been lost somewhere and the simple innocent girl was back, all due to him'. But he had said he didn't want her in his life..he had washed his hands off her. Would she ever see him back now? and she didn't even ask his name..okay she had asked once, but he had ignored her.
She decided that if he said no, she will never go back to America and stay in India. Yes! This was her home and it had taken a hell lot of time for her to realize this simple fact. The people here were her own and she was an Indian.
She slept with a determination that when her dad returned home day after tomorrow he will meet a new daughter who wasn't the same as before. The flowering affection in her mind delighted her to the extent that she woke up at exactly 5am without the need of Alarm clock. But no one awaited her. She so wanted to see him, touch him, talk to him, and get yelled at by him. She wanted to express her feelings and say sorry.
It was 6.30pm in the evening and he wasn't in sight yet. Footsteps sounded in door way and she looked in expectation. It was her dad. He was back one day early. But where was he?
Like expected, her father was so glad to see a new version of his previously obstinate daughter and he told her that she was looking just like her mother in the Indian attire.
"umm..hmm dad? I wanted to ask you..actually I'm just curious..i mean, who was that guy?" she tried to sound merely curious.
"which guy darling?" her father asked.
"you know whom you selected for my..my education?"
"oh you mean Beeru? He was just an employee in my office..Now he is gone..forget him..kiddo I found a guy for your marriage..like you he is a graduate from a prestigious University in US of A..Udayveer is a really nice guy..he is coming for lunch tomorrow..You'll be pleased to meet him" he patted her cheek.
Beeru..that was his name.. "dad, can you give me Beeru's phone number please? I want to..hmm say thanks"
"kiddo..he is gone to his village..you can say thanks when he comes back..but probably you won't be in India when he returns"
The wave of dejection over powered her and by force she swallowed back her tears. She would probably never meet Beeru again. And to increase her misery her father brought this Udayveer guy from nowhere..
All night she practiced what she would say to Udayveer and how she would face him.
Next morning after breakfast, her dad handed her an envelope. "here's your passport and your ticket..you can go back soon"
"dad please cancel it, I'm not going back.." she went away before he could ask why.
Afternoon arrived too soon and she was in her room when a maid came to call her.
"Mr.Udayveer is here to meet you madam..so sir asked you to come down soon" she said.
Manyata dressed herself in all Indian clothes, did her hair in a plait and wound flowers in her hair.
A man was examining a painting in the drawing room when she came down. His back was towards her. His male perfume's odor reached her from 10 feet away. She could see that he was impeccably dressed. So this must be Udayveer she guessed. Her rehearsed lines came to mind and she began.
"Look Mr. Udayveer..just go back the same way you came..i will never marry you..Understand?..I'm already in love with someone else..so leave.." she said to his back.
"So the sky fell to earth and fell in love with it..right miss America?" he turned.
If such a thing were possible, her eyes would have fallen out of their sockets directly to the floor. Her mouth went dry. "Beeru" she said sinking onto the sofa.
"Hi..Im Udayveer..you can call me Beeru if you want..Shakespeare said what's in a name.." his answering smile took her breath away.
The next moment she was in his arms, hugging him out of relief, out of anger, out of happiness..and much more than that, out of love. He hugged her back and her tears stained his shoulder.
"See..I don't care if your name is Beeru or Udayveer or anything..but the truth is I love you..Serious love..Life time love..i'll do anything you say..wake me up at 5am or early..Make me wear a saree all my life..but do tell me that you love me too" she pleaded.
"do you know why I spent a week with you? I did that because I wanted to break your arrogance and see you defeated..I hated you at first look but somewhere during those moments you made me forget myself..Made me care for you..And like a fool I kept denying my feelings. That's why I behaved so strangely at night while returning home..but now that you've confessed I need to do the same. I promise to love you for a life time and beyond..will you marry me? He got down on one knee.
They had a quick engagement ceremony few days later with the blessings of Manyata's exulted parents and also Udayveer's parents. Udayveer proved to be the sweetest fianc ever with his care and Manyata could say that she was experiencing heaven on earth.
"tell me one thing, why did you conceal your identity from me during that one week? I thought you were an employee of my dad.." Manyata asked him on their wedding night.
"if I had told you the truth, you would have escaped on first day itself and nothing of this would have been possible" he pointed out to the decorated bed.
"Oh by the way, have I ever told you that I love you?" she said.
"no you haven't..tell me now..through out the night, miss
America" he buried his face in her hair.
Before i log out, i'd like to dedicate this story to my best friend who also suggested the title🤗🤗thank you my dear...😳
Please read/like/comment😳
Thanks for reading😃
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