Becoming Sweethearts [✓]

Part One

Gauri not-kumari Sharma, who was seated on the couch in her living room, flinched when her mother, Shalini Sharma, almost banged the empty utensil on the kitchen counter, not before glaring at her in anger. This was followed by Padmini Desai, her Paddy Maasi, murmuring in annoyance to her younger sister, loud enough for Gauri to hear even if she tried to increase the volume of the television. Her father, Arvind Sharma, simply shook his head; there was no way he was going to speak and take one person’s side in this matter while disappointing the other. So he simply skimmed through the newspaper all over again, like he was doing for the past one hour.

“Such a nice proposal, Shalu!” Padmini said in a regretful tone, glaring in Gauri’s direction from the open-kitchen, while Shalini fumed as she continued, “But this girl has to open her big mouth and ruin everything!” Gauri frowned and looked up to say something, only to see her mother’s eyes widen with a silent warning in her gaze to remain quiet. Gauri looked towards her father for any sign of support, but as usual, a glare from his wife had effectively sealed his mouth. Gauri huffed as she looked distractedly at the television set, while her focus was still on what Paddy Maasi was talking.

“Rajat Tripathi is such a sweet boy! Good-looking, earning well, and a software engineer with an annual package of 15 lakhs! Isse zyada achcha ladka kidhar milta apni Gauri ke liye. But this girl!” Padmini clicked her tongue in annoyance. This time, Gauri looked at her and said, “Paddy Maasi, this decent, good-looking, well-to-do, software engineer was sitting like a dumb doll when his father openly spoke about dowry!”

“Toh?” her mother said in an angry tone, making Gauri stare back at her in an appalled manner, “Toh? What do you mean by Toh?” Shalini looked at her husband in exasperation, but the man simply hid his face behind the newspaper.

Shalini, narrowing her eyes at her husband who was of no help, said, “Gauri, we elders were talking, right? What was the need for you to open your mouth? And moreover, Tripathi ji did not ask for dowry. He just asked what we were planning to give our daughter when she gets married. Where does dowry come into the picture? As though we would send you empty-handed to your in-laws! It’s a known-fact; after all, you’re our only daughter! Whatever is ours, is yours only! So what if he asked about something so obvious?”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this!” Gauri said, and looking at her father, she asked in a high-pitched tone, “Papa, will you say something to Maa?” Arvind did not respond.

“Neither can I believe the way you responded to Tripathi ji!” Padmini said, making Gauri almost chuckle at that, making Shalini get even angrier. “What did I say?” Gauri asked feigning innocence, “I just told that man that making such demands can land him in jail for almost two years and a fine of ten thousand. Kya galat kaha maine?”

“Kya galat kaha?” her mother charged towards her with the rolling pin in her hand, making Gauri dodge away and hide behind her father. “It was such an embarrassment when they called you a ‘badtameez ladki’, and got up and left from here, without even touching any of those samosa-kachori!” Gauri knew she was treading dangerous waters but couldn’t hold back the question, as she suddenly blurted out, “You’re upset because they called me ‘Badtameez ladki’, or they didn’t eat the samosa-kachori? If it’s the latter one, I can help by…”

“GAURI!” her mother warned her in a loud voice, making her swallow the rest of the sentence. Then, helplessly she turned towards Padmini, “Iss ladki ka main kya karoon, Didi?” Padmini shook her head with the same helpless expression. Gauri frowned, shifting from one foot to another, feeling as though she was in the second grade and was getting scolded by her teacher and headmistress in a PTA meeting on front of her Papa. Slowly, she inched towards the staircase that led her to her bedroom, wanting to escape from the scene. The moment she took a step to go, her mother called out to her, “Where do you think you’re running off? I haven’t finished talking!”