Part III

Nisha followed the melodious sound through the veranda that separated the kitchen from her parent’s room and soon could smell something delicious being cooked in the kitchen. In fact the whole verandahad a fulsome aroma.

After entering the kitchen she discovered Maa busy in frying samosas,one of Nisha’s favourite food items. She could also see Jalebis freshly cooked heaped on a big plate. Maa loved to cook for the family and enjoyed cooking exotic dishes. Forgetting everything she tried to pick up one piece of jalebibut maa gently caught her hand and stopped her from doing so.  “Wash your hands first!” she admonished Nisha.  Nisha meekly followed the command and then she picked up a handful to her heart’s content. 

 She munchedon the crisp and thin, fried a beautiful golden brown, freshly cookedjalebisthat were lightly fragrant with Kewra. In order to stop the delicately fragrant, sweet smelling sugar syrup from dripping down her palm and to arrest its flow up to her delicate wrist she licked it while relishing every drop of it.

Nisha exclaimed “Oh, maa!! You are terrific! You are a master at cooking! Nobody can beat you!  These Jalebis are amazing!” Maa just smiled at her and felt very happy that her daughter was satisfied. Then, after consuming a spicy samosa and topping it with another piece of jalebi she focused again on the questions that had been going through her mind. 

 She enquired “what is the occasion maa, is there anything special today? Is anybody coming? Has chacha suddenly decided to come from the US?”

With a sparkle in her eyes maa nodded and smiled at her, “First, why don’t you freshen up a little,” she suggested.

“No, first tell me what’s happening, is chacha coming?” Nisha asked excitedly.

“No dear, chacha is not coming today, in fact we received a call from him this afternoon, and he said that he would be busy for at least two months and would be able to visit India only during the children’s winter vacations,” Maa informed Nisha. “Why not go and tidy up yourself a little, dear?” Mother urged Nisha.

“Then tell me..., Oh, please tell me what’s happening”, insisted Nisha.

“Okay,”said maa.

Thenmaa called out for Neeru. Neeru came running to the kitchen and Nisha was surprised to find her in the house at this time of the evening. Generally her younger sister was out playing tennis with her friends during early part of every evening, and she could not help noticing a strange sparkle in her eyes too.

“Please fry the remaining samosas Neeru, I need to discuss things with didi,” maa asked Neeru.

“Yes mom” Neeru took over the task from maa.

Nisha was surprised again on the readiness with which Neeru accepted this responsibility because generally Neeru was reluctant to work in the kitchen, she preferred to get materials from the marketthan to cook or clean, as her shareof responsibilities among the household chores and would rather stay away from the kitchen, trying to read a book or play something. Being the younger sister in the family she was pampered by everyone else and somehow she managed to do what she liked the most rather than being involved in any household chores.

Maa took Nisha into her roomwhich she shared with her younger sister and when they were seated comfortably on her bed, she said “your father has been receiving marriage proposals for you, for a long time but we did not talk about them with you earlier because we wanted to be sure that we liked the match in terms of education, looks,income, family background and reputation of the family.”

She continued “Today morning we received a call from a very nice family.We know that they are good people because they had been our neighbours in the seventieswhen your father was posted in the North-East.They are god fearing, conscientious people who are very kind.  They had  helped us get through our difficult times.  Your father had been receiving threatening calls from an insurgent group there and was trapped into a false case with the government. Mr. Tewari at that time was also working in the same Department where your fatherwas”, she paused, then added,“He was the only one who had stood by your father’s side in the time of crisis.”

She continued further,“His wife is a very religious and gentle lady. They are good people. The ways of their cooking, living and overall culture is also similar to what we have. They have a son and a daughter.  Their daughter is already married and settled in Jaipur.  She is a brilliant doctorand is running her own clinic.  Their son is working somewhere in Delhi or the Delhi NCR and has studied MBA. We will soon know the details about him.”

She explained to Nisha,“One of the acquaintances who visited them mentioned about you to them and the old connections were reset. They now live in a place called Summer Hill near Simla. These days they are on a visit to Delhi for about a month.  It seems that they are visiting their son who is employed here.  Their son seems to be a good match for you my love.”

“But maa, neither you nor Papa discussed this matter with me and suddenly you are telling me all this!” Nisha exclaimed.

“All of this happened so suddenly, my dear. It was only in the morning that we came to know that they are here and they would like to visit us. Tomorrow, they will be leaving for Jaipur to meet their daughter.”

“But maa should this not be discussed with me first? Suddenly, you are telling me all this. You and papa could have asked me whether I was ready for marriage or not.”Nisha protested.

“My dear your education is complete, you have a good job, and you are of the right age, then what is the problem? Everyone needs a family.”

Mother tried to explain further “Your father is already fifty four years old and in six years he would be retiring from service, and then we have Neerja’s and Tinkoo’s responsibility too. Neerja and Tinkoo will also be finding their own paths in life, tell me, really, are we doing anything wrong, by thinking about your marriage?”

“But not me mother, why is marriage necessary?” Nisha protested again.  “Can I not continue like this only?” She asked. “I can’t even think of leaving you,papa, Neeru and Tinkoo. I am not going anywhere and that is final.” Nisha was now tearful.

Mother took her in her arms and said “when we enter into marriage, it is not that we leave the people we love.  It is a new beginningin which we share our lives with more people.  This is the wayan order has been set in the society. In our society to start a new family girls have to leave their parent’s house.” Gently caressing her long strands, left open by her, mother added “You already know all this and we all need our life partners my love”.

Mother explained to her “You will not be separated from our hearts where ever you live. You will always be a part of our lives. But you know very well that all of us must move ahead in life. Nothing is stagnant.  Soon you will be wanting your own family.”

“My family is here and this the place I belong to. Why such a cruel order had to be set mother?” Nisha protested. “I do not like the thoughts of living away from you or papa.  This is so cruel to ask me to leave everything to which I am habitual and the people I love and go to a strange house among strangers.  They may not even like my coming to their place. Why should I be subjected to such discomfort mother?”

Gently and softly mother asked “Oh dear tell me if you had to go outside to a faraway place for work would you not go?”

Seeing her shaking her head in the negative maa added quickly “tell me if Neerja would have to go away to a far off place like the USA or Canada will you and I ever stop her because we cannot bear to live away from her?”

Maa paused and added tenderly “if we are physically distant from our family will our love for each other lessen?I understand there will be some pain initially but that is a part of life my dear, such pain only makes us grow. But the future will unfold to you much more than you can imagine now.”

With some pride she added “Do you know my dear with your virtues, your behaviour and your pleasant personality you will be able to win anybody’s heart very quickly. I am certain that where ever you go people will admire you. You are already popular at your work place I guess and I believe that you will be loved even in your new family. This family will give you all the love and care that you deserve”.

She paused and then lovingly added “you will be very happy when you will find love in your own family. This happens in every girl’s life I also made new relations after my marriage and received you and Neeru as the most wonderful gifts in my life. Moreover, making new relations does not mean breaking or leaving the old ones. This one is a family about which I anticipate that they will accept you with open arms.  I am also sure that Mr. And Mrs Tewari must have inculcated high values in their children. Any girl would be lucky to be related to them.”

In an attempt to abate her fears she added with firmness in her voice “Nobody is going to force you my child.  You will get full freedom to exert your choice.  If you do not like anything about the prospect then you just say so, but I expect that you would make a well thought out and considered decision with solid reasons to say a no.”

Nisha hugged her mother more tightly. She could feel the sadness that had descended on her otherwise cheerful mother.

Tinkoo entered the room with a bang. “Mameeji, mameeji  .. mamu has asked me to tell you to hurry up with all the arrangements.The guests would be arriving any time within half an hour.” Tinkoo, Nisha’s cousin whose parents were living in a small village in UP was being brought up  in their house since he was seven years old so that he could get good education in Delhi. Nisha’s parents looked after him. He was the most pampered and adored member in the family. He had already stopped missing his village or parents a long time ago and rarely remembered that he had his real parents in the village.He seldom remembered them only when somebody asked him. He loved his maternal uncle and aunt as his own parents and called them lovingly mamu and mamee.

“Tinkoo you change your clothes quickly and then help mamu with his work” mother sent Tinkoo to his room and then turned around to look at Nisha. “Just wash your face then I will help you dress in a saree that makes you look much prettier” mother smiled at Nisha trying to push back traces of water that seemed to wet her eyes.

While dressing up Nisha kept thinking about her meeting with Deven and could not decide whether she should share her feelings with mother.  She was reliving the event again and again and the whispering voice of Deven echoed in her mind now and again.

Should she tell mother about her feelings for Deven.  What would mother say?  What about father, how would he react?  He may not like the idea. 

What about Deven?

The events indicated that Deven liked her. But was the liking enough that it would materialise into something? 

Will she be able to face the people who were coming to meet them? What if they could read from her face that she may not be acceptingthem?What if they are able to guess what is going on in her mind? What will father say?Such questions kept nagging Nisha.

The perturbing thoughts were interrupted by Neerja who pinched Nisha on her arm. 

“What is this Dee?”asked Neeru. “I have been calling your name but you are not responding, you already seem to be in your sasural”, Neeru teased her.

“Shut up Neeru, it is just that this happened so suddenly and I was not ready for such a thing.  I am confused and I am not sure whether I want to marry at all.”Nisha was irritated.

“Oh Dee, whether you marry or not I am going to enjoy this evening, and please don’t be so irritable that it may spoil everybody’s fun, Neeru added jokingly.

Neeru sprang up from the couch as the door bell rang, and urged Nisha to hurry up with the final touches she was supposed to apply to her makeup.