Prayer=Slightest chance or hope
(Sorry, might be the saddest part you EVER read in this tale😭)
Amma enjoyed her coffee quietly, Sam took the baby from her, Nandan thankfully didnt have the books they brought 👏 for him he wanted to know if he could go home with them to play with Shravu
Appa said Shravu doesnt live with them, "I can come over and we can go bring him" Nandan spoke logically🤣
Tanmay: tomorrow is school day... not today love😭
Nandan:We always play on a Sunday😡
Tabmay:there arent many kids in the neighborhood, plus we dont know too many folks😕
Appa nodded
Amma:You have a nice house😃
Tanmay smiled "Aunty I dont know or do anything Sam, Samyukta takes care of everything😃
Amma:She is a lovely girl, I am impressed👏
Tanmay:Well she married me a month after her graduation so she never got a job or studied as much as you👏
amma: My father was a teacher in Madurai😳
Tanmay:Thats great, I know Iyers are very educated👏
Appa: where did u study (serious)😛
Tanmay: I went to Univ of Chicago for my MBA I did my undergrad from Delhi Coll of Engg?😳
Appa ALMOST smiled😆
Tanmay: R&B is the smartest in our family, undergrad both masters all on scholarship👏
Appa:Well he doesnt seem like he has a double Masters😡
Ranjan: he doesnt talk, I have told him to go out and meet people but he doesnt talk😳
Amma looked at Ranjan deeply and took a long breath
Appa: He doesnt live in India? (fishing for dirt)
Ranjan: The last 4 I mean few years he has been in Paris, he visits every 2 or 3 months😭
Appa:So he is not even in India?😡
Ranjan: He had a office in Gurgaon a few years ago Mr Iyer
Appa:He shut it down?
Ranjan squirmed
Ranjan: i would be willing... I can offer to stay out of the wedding, if you will agree to let your daughter marry him 😭
(he was seriously choked up but held it back, being a strong mature man, who life had handed some SERIOUS beating in the last 4 years, scandal, loss of wife, estranged son, disillusioned daughters😭
Somedays it seemed like a miracle he was even alive. He was quiet, and poised like his son, his wife was the talker...)
Tanmay looked at his father in law sadly and in utter SHOCK, 😲😭
he couldnt even fathom WHAT IT TOOK to offer such a huge price in exchange to see R&B married
Sam was inside, making Nandan sit down to do homework
Amma looked at Ranjan startled as he continued
Ranjan: I dont think I have desired... (he corrected himself), I dont think I have prayed for anything more in life.. 😭
I wanted Savita to make it, after her fall she didnt... now I want R&B and Ms Iyer to be married😭
(he cleared his throat loudly, sending rivers of tears down his cheeks)😭
Tanmay looked away, as his eyes clouded as well😭
Ranjan: In Punjabis we say daughter in law is Lakshmi... yours certainly is... she is Lakshmi and Saraswati, 👏
uske gale mein shehed hai, uske dimaag mein, the power to change the world. 👏She would be the greatest gift our family has ever received👏
Tanmay nodded whole heartedly "Yes agree Dad!" he said huskily swallowing his lump👏
Appa looked down somberly,
A 65 year old , one of Delhi's wealthiest men had just broken down... stood praying in front of a simple middle class man hands
extended, to receive Mr Iyer's most prized posssession, his daughter, in exchange for not even being in the country when the wedding happened
... he knew he was asking for something he did not deserve, he wished for his son's happiness,( he did not know his
son suspected him of wanting to marry Ishita, and for a moment his daughter did too)
It didnt matter what they thought, because somewhere in the past, he had shared a honest truthful marriage with R&B's mother,
his wife Savita, and he owed it to her to see him happy😭
Ranjan: I am looking to sign on for some Merc dealerships, it comes with visit to the Sales offices and factories, I could schedule that, Bremen Germany😭
Amma shifted, hugely uncomfortable
Appa:You dont have to do all that, this alliance is not a very good idea😡
Ranjan looked on completely devastated...😭
The help handed rasmalai and gulabjamun, Amma accepted reluctantly, Appa declined instead going for the Frontier salted biscuits
Tanmay: I have met Bala and Vandita they are wonderful (sincere)
Appa smiled "Yes Bala is very qualified, he has a M.A and a M.Com"
Tanmay: wow!!
Appa:He is very respectful to elders and knows all the Sanskrit shlokas
Tanmay:Thats great Uncle, I only know two
Appa nodded "I KNOW THAT THATS WHY I DONT WANT MY DAUGHTER ANYWHERE NEAR THIS FAMILY😡
Tanmay:I hear you are going to be Nana Nani again?😳
Amma smiled delighted, Appa nodded proudly
Ranjan: That is GREAT NEWS Mr Iyer. Mooh meetha kab karwa rahe hain?
Appa grudingly picked up the tray of rasmalais and took it to him "Please"
Ranjan accepted it with a broad smile..."Mysore pak would have been better"
"Please come home sometime, Amma said politely😃
Appa turned to place the tray on the coffee table and gave her the "look"😉
Ranjan: sure Sure!😃
Appa: I have to go meet Mr Ghosh at 6, its already past 5 lets go (smiling faintly)
Amma nodded, sadly?😭
Tanmay excused himself
Sam walked in with a tray, it had "tamboolam" the traditional way of sending off Iyer women
It contained betel leaves the supari nuts, haldi and vemilion in
silver containers, a bag of fruits a bunch of roses and a silver Balaji idol that weighed atleast 100gms
Amma was imprssed, she hugged Samyukta, they touched their feet again, and packaged everything in a silk bag
"It was the best Iyer food I ate at a Punjabi's house" Amma said sincerely, "in fact the best Iyer food in a while"
"Yes, yes, quite good" Appa relented a little
Sam whispered "aunty, may I please have Ishita's horoscope?"😳
Amma looked on nervously... her eyes glistening...nodded slowly praying they dont match, 😭
As if on cue Sam's eyes filled up also... she smiled, praying they would match😭
They walked across the street with a help, had him place a box of mangoes in the trunk
They stood on the sidewalk watching Appa start the car and drive off
Tanmay wouldnt tell Sam about Ranjan's offer to Appa, yet she would spend most of the night crying on his shoulders, 😭
sobbing uncontrollably wondering why her only brother's
good fortune should be so interlinked with her Dad's dubious misfortune.😭 Tanmay would listen helplessy unable to offer any solace😭
Edited by Nisha0604 - 9 years ago
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