Daastan [#MissionDesi]

Chapter 3

Padhma called us to join granny for lunch. We were all seated on the floor, waiting for food to be served.

"Muthassi," Rama, my elder sister said,"Please serve us quickly. I can't wait any longer! Its been years I haven't tasted food cooked by you."

"Yes yes. Feed this hungry cow first," Vinayak said.

A spoon was sent flying which landed smack over Vinayak's forehead. He feigned unconciousness and Rama and granny started giggling like school girls while Hiya clapped witnessing the usual household banter and amma rolled her eyes.

Soon, Sadya was served over a banana leaf partitioned with vegetables, rice neatly arranged side by side.

Sadya is a complete meal, combination of Avial (blend of vegetables, coconut paste and green chillies), hot and tangy rasam poured over rice, Moru (plain and sour buttermilk salted and chopped green chillies and ginger added to it), payasams slurped from earthenware mold.

Evening was spent munching on Upperi (Banana chips fried in coconut oil), listening to Hiya telling us stories from school, granny telling her stories about our childhood spent in Allepey and couple of visits by village people.

Dinner was served light. Exhausted, we left for our rooms, Vinayak carrying a sleepy Hiya in his arms.

Unpacking my suitcase, I put away my clothes in the wardrobe, toiletries in the washroom, placed a thumped paperback over the bedside table, brushed my teeth, changed into night clothes and stood at the window, looking out at the darkness descending over the garden out front.

Rain was falling down sprinkling the leaves with shiny golden pearls under the mercury streetlamps. Nostalgia swept over me. I wished I could turn back time and be young and carefree again. Just then I heard my name been whispered from behind me.

Granny was standing at the door. "I was about to go to my room. Saw the light in your room was still on. Sleep seems to have deserted you."

I nodded.

"Hmm.." She said as if contemplating her next words. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something important. By now, the thought might have crossed your mind a couple of times as to why I called you here faking my almost death."

I cringed at the choice of her words.

She smiled and said, "Well, lets be honest. Everyone has to die someday.."

"Muthassi." I cut in.

"OK OK," granny said, sighed and then carried on. "To tell you the truth I don't know what you boys are up to these days. In our times, boys of your age would be married with 4-5 children. You know how I met your grandfather?" She said, eyebrows wriggling up and down.

I laughed at that and let her tell me the story that she loved telling whoever was willing to lend an ear, over and over again.

She delved into the story, making sure not to skip even a minute detail about how grandpa went to see her at her house. She was in a petticoat and blouse, painting the walls of her house. Thinking he was someone who had come to visit her father, she sat him down and talked about the texture of walls and what should be done when fungus grew in your house, which paints to use, about gardening and manure. Grandpa, enchanted with her chatter, kept on listening, encouraging her to talk more and then some more till her father came home and interrupted the monologues flowing freely through her.

The reason for grandpa's visit got her tongue tied. Shy, she ran out of the house and stood into the veranda not coming inside till grandpa left.

No matter how many times the story would fall on my ears like a record playing my favourite song, I would always return to it. Imagining granny shy was far beyond my imagination. But still, i never doubted how grandfather fell for her at first sight. Beauty has always been by her side. Not just that, she was intelligent, quick with her words.

She wiped her moist eyes with her pallu and continued, "Arvind, the real reason I called you here is because I want you to get married. To fit into that shrinked by city life brain of yours that no matter how accomplished you are, you need to have someone by your side to share your life with. You will not have your mother, sister, brother in law, me or friends always around you. No one can fill in the void or provide you with the love which only a girl can. Let me assure you that the girl I have chosen for you will definitely make you see the truth in my words."

I just stood there not knowing what to say. Was I really ready to take this big step?

"Just meet that girl once and then decide," muthassi said knowing better not to push it further.

I stayed awake at night, tossing and turning in my bed. Thoughts like, Will I be a good husband? Will I love her? Will she love me back? kept on sprouting in my head. It wasn't as if I was afraid of commitment but the fact that I didn't see it coming, I felt as if I had walked right into a telephone post and smacked my head, dizzy and confused.

I slept around 5'o clock, thoughts still swirling around my mind like a hurricane.