The Arranged Marriage

Part 18

Parvathi athai and Moorthy Athimbair arrived at around 4PM, when everyone had finished lunch, cleaned up and had just woken from an afternoon nap. Sivu did not have the habit of taking a nap so she was bonding with Chachu Akka's daughter, Radhika. Although Radhika seemed a little quiet at first, Sivu and she got along from the get go. They were very similar in nature too. Radhika too loved music and dance and was very talented at it. She was a young girl with a lot of hopes and dreams in life. She was also very artistic so while everyone was napping,, Radhika was drawing a beautiful sketch of Lord Krishna and Radha. Sivu was watching her when she suddenly asked, "Chithi, Chithappava nee love pannariya?" Sivu gasped at that question but giggled. Radhu stopped what she was doing to look up at Sivu and teased saying, "Ayyo unnoda kannam ellam chevakkardhu paaru?" Then she started humming, "Paal irukkum oho pazham irukkum oho" and giggled. Sivu smacked her fondly and said, "Indha vayasula paadara paata paaru" and then she continued, "pasi irukkadhu pnjanaiyil kaathu varum thookam varaadhu thookam varaadhu." That's when they head noises downstairs of people talking so they decided to go down.

Athai and Athimbair had just walked in. Periappa was inviting them in, "vaango vaango. Kaarthalaye varuvel nu nenachen. Vaango ukkarunga." Both athai and Athimbair were respected hugely since he was the oldest mapillai of the house. Both periamma's and Sivu's mom quickly went to the kitchen to make fresh coffee and grab some snacks from the arai. Arai was a small store room where snacks such as murukku and pervalangai were stored in huge copper thooku paathram. They also stored pickled such as avakkai, kadugu maangai, maahani and thayir milagai there.

Chachu did not step out in front of anyone and stayed in the second kitchen with chellal. Athai looked up at Sivu and said, "O yaaru idhu, namma Sivakaami allavo?" Sivu quickly went towards them and took their blessings. Athai touched her head and said, "nanna Iru nanna iru. Mapillai enge? Varalayo?" Sivu replied, "Avarukku office la konjam velai aana function ku vandhuduvar." Athai nodded and then glanced at Radhu. "idhu yaaru anna? Minnala paathadha ormai illiye?" Periappa said, "Namma Chachu oda ponnu, Radhika." Radhu followed what Sivu did and got their blessings, that when Athai spewed the first venom, "unga amma porakartheye ava ammava muzhungina. Nee oru vayasagarthukulla unga Appa va muzhinginai. Ennatha chollardhu chelaperoda raashi appidi." Radhika was shocked and she teared up. Sivu gave a glare at Athai, grabbed Radhu's hands and took her inside. By this time, Radhu had started to cry. Sivu pacified her saying, "Iva pesardhellam kaadhula vaangikaadhe Radhu kutty. Ivalukku ellam moolai enge irukku ne therilai. Vaa namma Chachu akka kitte aparam Chellamma kitte polaam. Kanna thodachukko." They both walked away to the back kitchen.

After a little while, all the women gathered in the hall next to kitchen to do different chores. One was grating coconut, another was cutting vegetables and a third one was grinding rice etc. They were all chitchatting. Radhu and Sivu were given a whole bunch of flowers to put together to make garlands for the idols in the house. Everyone was having a general conversation when Athai turned towards Sivu and asked, "Sivakaami, kalyanam aagi 5 maasam irukkum illiya? Pulaiyandu irukkiyo? Unnoda Akka ellam 10maasathula azhaga kozhandaiyum kaiyuma irundha. Unna paatha appidi onnum theriyalai. Mappillai Unna nanna paathukaraar illiyo?" Sivu rolled her eyes and said, "Romba nanna paathukarrar athai. Kozhandhaiku ippo enna avasaram." Athai, of course, did not stop at that. "Idhellam thalli poda pdadhu. Aparam naal aaga aaga porakkamaye poidum aparam maladi nu koopuduva. Unnoda nallathukku thaan chollaren. Ennoda Chandru va kalyanam paneendu irundhirundha inneram vaaiyum vayaruma irundhirupaai" she said proudly. That was it. Sivu's eyes widened in anger. Her voice was choking and she got up looking at athai and with tears of anger rolling down her cheeks and voice cracking she said," Athai oru ponnoda velaye kozhandai pethukardha thavira vera onnu illiya. Engalukku eppo pethukanum nu naanum avarum paathukarom. Naala velai naan unga pulaiya kalyanam pannikalai. Chandru athaan aala kozhandhai thaan kudu mudiyum aana ennoda aathukkarar enna M.Sc padikka vakkaraar. Enakku pidicha ovvoru chinna chinna aasaiya nadathi kaataraar. Enna mariyadhayoda nadatharaar. Ennoda anumathi illama enna thoda kooda maataar. Unga Chandru avaroda kaal thoosi ku kooda...." Just then Periappa's roaring voice echoed, "Sivakaami, periava kitta ippidiye mariyadhai illama pesuva? Athai kettadhula enna thappu? Unna degree varaikkum padikka vachadhe jaasti. Kozhandaiya pethundu kudumbatha paakara vazhiya paaru. Nee paduchu kizhichadhu porum. M.Sc. paduchu nee enna pannaporey? Naan maapillai kitta chollaren."

Sivu could not control her tears. She just ran upstairs weeping. Radhu followed her to pacify her. She kept rubbing Sivu's back saying, "Chithi azhadhe chithi. Iva ellam ippidi thaan pesuva. Enakkum Ammakkum ippidi etharayo peroda pechu kettu pazhagiyachu chithi. Nee kavala padadhe. Enakku unnayum Chaithappa vayum nenacha perumaiya irukku theriyuma. Unna M.Sc padikka vekkara. Naan ellam aasai kooda pada mudiyadhu chithi." That's when Sivu wiped her tears and looked up at Radhu and asked, "Unnoda aasai enna Radhu?" Radhu sadly smiled, "Chithi naan 10th la State first. 12th la State second school first. Enakku kozhandai lerndhu doctor aaganum nu aasai. Adutha maasam entrance exam. Adhukku fees kattardhukku kooda amma kita paisa illai. Enna eppidi doctor ku padikka vekka mudiyum cholla. Amma thaiyal machine vachu thaan sambadhikkara. Naan tuition choli kudukaren. Parava illai chithi ennoda kanavu balikkalaina enna? Unna paatha enakku romba perumaiya irukku." Sivu could not believe what this young 15 year old had gone through. She hugged her and said, "Nee entrance exam ku padi. Nammal fees epidiyavudhu kattalam, kavala padadhe. Apparam nambikkaiya vidadhe. Namma edhavudhu yosikkalaam seriya?" She patted Radhu's cheek and smiled.

Radhu thought for a second and asked, "Ammam ippo periya Mama (Periappa), Chithappa kitta unnoda M.Sc. pathi pesi keduthuduvaara?" That's when Sivu burst out laughing, "Enakku Periappa va paatha Bridget Thompson thaan nenaivukku vara. Ivaalukku ennoda avara pathi theriyadhu. Enakaaga avar oru Periappa illai 10 Periappa va kooda samaalipaar aana enna vittu kuduka maatar." Radhu smiled proudly and asked, "Bridget Thompson yaaru?" and the two women sat their laughing and talking forgetting about the people downstairs.

Brinda Subramanian