Sati

Talk of the town

Lightning peeks into the room through the partially opened window, thunder followed by it;

Manav slips out of his thoughts about his mother. Amar offering tea to Manav says "looks like the person is close to you"
Manav smiles at him slightly and says "ya she is; So I will give you the details I know, would you check if you have that book in your library?"
Amar "yes officer sure!", keeping his tea cup down goes and brings a writing pad and hands it over to Manav saying "would you write it down for me?"
Manav "yes I will", Manav writes the details he had about the book and hands the pad to Amar.
Amar shaking his head as he reads what Manav had written says "I'm sorry to say this officer, but for sure I don't have this author's book in my library".
Manav comes to the edge of his seat, asking "are you sure Mr. Amar? Please do look again"
Amar looks at Manav's sad face and comes near the table and keeps his tea cup and showing the pad he says "officer this library of mine, all the books in this library, are the ones which I have read. I only keep chosen books which I read and like. Hence I can clearly say this author's book isn't in here. I have never heard this author's name. Maybe because of my less experience with books, but this author's any book is not in this library"
Manav's face frowns in disappointment; he leans back at his chair and looks down at his tea cup.

Amar sensing Manav's sadness, clearly visible on Manav's face says "but officer I can help you look for it. I have other publisher friends across Calcutta. I will speak with them and try my level best. If you'd like that".
Manav's face recovering from the sad frown, Manav says "I would really appreciate that. Thank you", stands up keeping his tea cup on the table, puts his hand forward for handshake, Amar gives Manav a firm handshake ensuring his help.

Manav leaves Amar's mansion; as he walks to his car, small rain drops accompanied by strong wind blows by Manav's hair making his side parted hair come near his face. Manav combing his hair back from his fingers sees an old couple walking towards the tram and looks at them getting on the tram. The old man himself being so tender, trying to help his lady get aboard by holding her hand. Manav smiles looking at their bonding, reaches his car and gets in.

He looks up at the back view mirror near the steering to find his mother's chain with a small lily shaped pendant hanging on it. His head full with his mother's thoughts, his eyes fill up with tears.
Manav wipes his tears looking around to check whether anyone saw him in that state.
"Men don't cry"; Mr. Bakshi's loud, firm voice echoing in Manav's ear, he begins to drive towards home. As Manav drives he remembers the day he had explored rain with his mother on the roof of their house in Bombay. Having a broad smile on his face he remembers his parents marriage story his mother had written to him when he was in law school in London.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mrs. Devashi Bakshi; she had long hair, dark brown eyes, an oval face filled with radiance. The woman was elegance coming to life.
Mr. Bakshi, Manav's father had once come Calcutta for official work. He saw Manav's mother while driving through a Kali temple. She was wearing a plain white, red border saree. It was Dussehra season. Mrs. Bakshi was trying to make her way through the crowd towards the temple to offer her prayers; But little did she know, she made her way into Mr.Bakshi's heart.
The moment Mr.Bakshi saw Manav's mother, he fell for her. He stopped the car to get a closer look at her and talk to her; he gets out of the car, Devashi's back facing Mr.Bakshi's face, Mr.Bakshi's eyes fixated at her, she turns when one of her friend calls her name, "Deveshi".
As she turns, her long braider hair comes on her shoulder; putting it back, she turns back and walks towards the the Kali Devi statue. That was the second time Mr.Bakshi fell in love with her.
Mr.Bakshi rushes towards her, but he gets lost amidst the huge Dussehra crowd.

That day Mr.Bakshi couldn't sleep. His eyes were filled with Devashi's beautiful face; He had to find her. The next day he asks around near the temple he had seen her. Someone directs him towards her house. He goes and stands in front of her house. Old roofed house, having long porch and quiet big garden for a small house. He sees her walking out of the house with some wet clothes on her shoulder, Mr.Bakshi moves near the bushes to the left of the front gate to look at her, Mr.Bakshi almost covered by the white bougainvillea flower bushes. She stands there drying the wet clothes on a thread hanging at the side of the garden and collecting the dry clothes, looks near the gate to see Mr.Bakshi staring at her.

Devashi looking at the man staring at her continuously, cringes as she never knew who that man was, slowly walks near the gate, Mr.Bakshi comes near the gate looking at Devashi approaching him; He sees her. He stands there thinking to talk to her but not knowing what exactly to talk; she watches him make effort to say something, expecting an explanation on why he was standing near the bushes, hears someone calling her inside the house, "Devashi...Devashi tumi kothaya?", Devashi makes haste to answer and before walking into the house, she turns back to look at the stranger near the gate;

That look, that look which made Mr.Bakshi fall frantically in love with her;
Mr.Bakshi stands there looking at her go into the house. He turns around making a decision. A decision to marry her no matter what. He knew, his heart knew that he could never love anyone other than her.

Mr. Bakshi when returns to Bombay, tells his father, Manav's grandfather that he had fallen in love with a girl and will marry her and no girl other than her. Arrangements were made to go to Calcutta to ask for Devashi's hand in marriage.

It was evening time, Devashi returning from her music practice, sees a car outside her house. Wondering who might be the guest in her house, walks inside the house to sees women and a man dressed well, sitting in the hall. As she turns to her right she finds the stranger sitting and drinking tea in her house. Not knowing what was happening, she searches for her mother. Her sister pulls her hand and takes her inside the kitchen, and starts murmuring. Devashi unable to hear what her sister was saying. Her mother walks into the kitchen and says "why are you late? come with me" and again pulls her hand to take her across the hall to the opposite room. As Devashi walks with her mother to the room she looks at the stranger, Mr.Bakshi turns towards her and smiles at her. Devashi's mom tells her to change and come out as the people sitting outside were there to ask her hand in marriage. Devashi's mind goes blank;

She gets ready and comes out of the room to see room of people looking at her. Her father "this is our daughter Devashi". Devashi formally greets Mr.Bakshi's parents, but doesn't turn to her right to greet Mr.Bakshi sitting next to her where she was standing. She carefully stops herself from trying to look at Mr.Bakshi knowing that he had his undivided attention on her. Devashi's mother "she learning music, she knows how to cook also".

Devashi looking down with shyness, slowly turns towards him to see him staring at her; He had an unapologetic look; firm and small smile in his face and his eyes didn't seem to look away from her. Devashi looks away with nervously.
Her mother signals her to go back into her room. She goes to her room and sits down front of the mirror and recalls his face. Smiles remembering his gaze at her, feels little intimidated by his handle bar mustache. Many thoughts roaming around her head, she tries to hear the conversation happening outside the closed door.
She hears her father saying "she only wishes to continue her music"
Manav's grandmother replying back says "in Bombay we don't think it is possible..."
She's interrupted by Mr.Baksi saying "no problem with that".
Devashi smiles listening to his words and gets back hearing footsteps.

Devashi wasn't even asked whether she liked the man. Rajesh Bakshi and Devanshi Roy's wedding happened like every other Bengali wedding, but Rajesh and Devanshi's  inter state wedding was the big deal. It was the talk of the town. Devanshi's father, Mr. Achuyt Roy didn't listen to anyone. He felt it was a great offer to his daughter that a class one Army office was eager to marry her. 

This is how Mr.Bakshi married his first love, Devanshi.

The first night after their marriage was the first time they spoke to each other.
Mr.Bakshi had a sense of joy and accomplishment that he had got the girl of his dreams;
Devashi that night realized that the handlebar mustached scary man had a romantic side. Devashi's dusky voice melted Mr.Bakshi's heart, but over the years she couldn't melt Mr.Bakshi's pride and stubbornness. The man had a perception of how a man in society should live his life;
His perceptions blinded his way of parenting while Manav was born. This made Manav hate his father more and more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Manav arrives at the guest house. Rain pouring down, he sees Aashima getting down the stairs with an umbrella.Manav "there is no way you are walking today to your house" he runs and opens the car door asking her to sit inside.Aashima looking at him getting drenched in rain runs to him to hold umbrella on his head and says "Sir aap jao. Mujhe aadat hai".Manav getting inside the umbrella, already drenched. He snatches umbrella from her hand and with a strict tone says "andar baitho Aashima"Aashima sensing the firmness in his voice quickly sits inside the car and looks at him; Manav shuts her door and closes the umbrella and comes across the car bonnet and sits in the driving seat, puts the umbrella in the back seat. He gives a cold look at her and starts the car.