Her Healer, His Sukoon (Peace)

1. "First Meet"

Preeti Desai

"By god ki kasam, Baba, it's the hundredth time today, that Preeti is rejected for the marriage." Divya's harsh and loud voice came.

I was in the kitchen making poha, hearing my younger sister (Divya) talk about me, with my baba (Anant Desai).

"If this continues, then when will I get married?" Divya complains to Baba.

"It's been five years, we are searching for a man to marry your sister but it must be fate that till today no one has agreed to marry her." My mother's calm and composed voice came from the living room to the kitchen.

"Preeti is only twenty-two. It's not that she has passed the age of getting married. I will find a good man for her." My Baba defends me.

"By god ki kasam, when?" Divya rants, "Everyone in the house knows that I want to get married."

"You are only twenty-one, why do you want to get married, early?" Baba asked.

"Aap jante nahi hai, iski friend ki shaadi huyi hai kuch saal pehle or voh abroad alag alag jagah ghumne gayi hai, isaliye isse bhi shaadi karni hai aur apne pati ke sath ghumne jana hai." My mother spoke pointing towards Divya.

(You don't know, her friend got married a few years back and she has gone abroad and many other places to travel, and that's why she wants to get married so that she can travel with her husband.)

"Shaadi ka matalab ghumna nahi hota hai uske saath jimmedariya bhi aati hai." My Baba said in an irritated tone.

(Marriage is not about traveling, it's also about the responsibility that tags along.)

"By god ki kasam, Baba, you promised me that you will get me married. Now, you can't back off from this." Divya whined.

"I told you first your sister will get married and after that, you will," Baba said.

"Toh karanye na uski shaadi, main kaha mana kar rahi hu." Divya fumes to which Baba parts his lips to speak.

(Then, get her married, when did I disagree with it.)

"B.Baba?" I interrupted, stammering, entering the living room from the kitchen with the plate of poha in my hand.

I forwarded the plate to Baba and placed his medicine on the table with the glass of water.

"By god ki kasam" Divya points towards me, "This...this is the reason, no one wants to marry her."

"Apni iss badtameez beti ko chup rehna sikhao." Baba yells at Mother, pointing towards Divya.

(Teach this rude daughter of yours to keep quiet.)

"By god ki kasam, meine kya galat bola." Divya snaps harshly, "Ab toh puri city mein yeh baat pata chal gayi hai ki Anant Desai ki beti, Preeti Desai ki shaadi, uske haklaane ke vajah se nahi ho rahi hai." Divya shouts.

(By god ki kasam, What did I say wrong?) (Now it has become known throughout the city that Anant Desai's daughter, Preeti Desai, is not getting married because of her stammering.)

The moment she uttered those harsh words, my mother stood from her chair and gave a hard slap to Divya on her cheeks.

The sound of the slap was echoed in the living room. Divya's face was imprinted with the marks of my Mother's hand.

Divya in fury, stood from her chair and walked close to me while one hand was gripping the phone tightly and the other was resting on the cheeks where Mother slapped her.