INDEX
Chapter 1 - Parvati Has a News (this post)
Chapter 2 - The Gadodias and A Bose (page 4)
Chapter 3 - The Maheshwari's Party (page 5)
Chapter 4 - The Analysis (page 7)
Parvati Gadodia may have never read these lines or heard of Jane Austen but this was what she abided by.
"Shekhar!" she shouted her son's name hysterically as she barged in his room one fine morning.
"What, mother?" Shekhar replied without looking up from his morning paper. His wife Sharmistha, who was folding a bed sheet, turned to face her jubilant mother-in-law.
Parvati was carrying a small golden plate which had some flowers and sweets. She huffed as she set the plate on a nearby table, "I just met Annapurna Maheshwari in the temple. Her son Lakshya is coming back from London!"
"So?" Shekhar's dull tone was in sharp contrast of his mother's.
"So?" Parvati looked aghast at her son and then at her daughter-in-law, "Are you both least bothered about your daughters? Do I have to spoon feed you everything?"
At the mention of his daughters Shekhar's ears perked up. Sharmistha gave a confused look.
Parvati rolled her eyes and sighed. "Ragini is 27 now and Swara almost 26. Aren't you concerned about their marriages? We need to fix them up as soon as possible."
Shekhar shook his head, "Mother, they are hardly old maids. Ragini is doing well in her job as a music teacher and Swara has just joined her internship. They are doing fine."
Parvati knew talking to her son was futile so she turned to her daughter-in-law, "Sharmistha? Are you not worried about their marriages? At the least you should be for Swara, if not for Ragini." Parvati purposefully emphasized on Swara. She wanted to rattle Sharmistha.
Ragini was Shekhar's daughter from his first wife Janki who had passed away in childbirth. Shekhar re-married in a years' time. Janki was always the favorite of Parvati and no matter what Sharmistha did, she could never take the place of Janki in Parvati's heart. Both the women were civil to one another but Parvati was not one to let any taunt slide, especially if it was targeted at Sharmistha.
"Of course I am worried about the girls," Sharmistha replied in a timid voice, "I have never differentiated between them." She tried to justify herself. She didn't need to. It was well known to all in the family that Sharmistha loved both the girls equally. She never let Ragini feel that they were not related by blood.
"Then you must be happy to know that we've been invited by Annapurna on Saturday. It is a dinner party for Lakshya's return. She has been very selective about the guests list and she has included us- All because of my hard work." Parvati gave herself an imaginary pat on the back.
"I am glad to know that you put so much hard work in maintaining your friendship with rich people," Shekhar replied dryly, flipping the page of the news paper.
Parvati frowned, "Oh! Taunt your poor old mother! Those Maheshwaris are one of the richest families in Kolkata. Even their staff has better houses than us," she exaggerated, "Despite of this, Annapurna calls me kaki'. That requires hard work. Now only if I could get Ragini married off to Lakshya..."
"Why not Swara?" Shekhar questioned, "Now who's differentiating?" Sharmistha tried to stifle a smile.
"Ragini is calm and collected and the elder one," Parvati answered, "But Swara!" Parvati shook her head, "That girl is not cultured at all - she speaks what's on her mind, she has no filter in her mouth. You have given her way too much liberty. I told you not to let her study further after her masters. Now she is thinking about Phd! How will we ever find a guy who is more educated than her?"
"Who says the groom needs to be more educated? Swara and Ragini are both independent girls. I am proud of the way they have turned out. They don't need to marry just for the sake of it." Shekhar now sounded impatient.
"Can't I decide anything for my granddaughters?" Parvati voice became hoarse, "If your father were alive today, you would have treated me better."
"Mother!" Shekhar folded the paper and looked straight at his mother, "When have we ever behaved badly with you?"
Sharmistha sensed the sudden growing tension in the room. Before it could blow out in an argument she interrupted, "Maa, maybe we should go shopping. The girls might need new dresses for the party."
Parvati's frown turned into a smile, "Now we are talking."
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Mangal Lakshmi
