Seetha
I was seated at my desk, studying as usual for the approaching exams. I had successfully finished my bachelor degree and with this semester I would be done with my masters. I honestly was a nerd. I liked to study. Going to temples was my passion and the only trouble I ever gave my parents was when there was a book fair in town. I loved nothing more than a rainy day with a book in one hand and coffee in the other.
My friend Malu was sitting beside me, legs propped up on the table, snapping a gum while I worked on the essay we were supposed to give in for our internals.
“When are you going to start your essay?”
My voice held all the exasperation and frustration I felt at Malu. She kept her eyes on the ceiling, bobbing her head in tune to the song she listened to. I pulled the cord from one ear and said, “How long are you going to loaf around?”
“Hey,” Malu let the front legs of the chair hit the floor with an indignant bang, “I am not loafing. I am meditating.”
“And why are you meditating?”
“I am glad I amuse you,” she twisted her lips at my expression, “I don’t know if you are ready for what I am about to tell you, Seetha.”
I put my pen down. It had been days, weeks even, since Malu had been this serious with me. This carefree, indulgent, bratty Malu wasn’t who she really was. It irked me that she would not tell me what was bothering her. Maybe now she was opening up. I kept quiet, lest she changed her mind. When she did not continue, I prodded her, “Tell me.”
Malu’s eyes swiveled to me before gazing at the floor. “Remember Naren?”
I frowned in thought. “The guy who guided us to our exam hall in second year?”
Malu nodded.
“What about him?”
Malu bit her lip. Her hesitation bothered me. Normally we share everything. This new found pause was unsettling. “Malu?”
She jerked like I had pulled her out of a deep thought. “Hm?”
“You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Malu smiled at me. “Babe, you are the sister I never had.”
I smiled back but my heart wasn’t warmed from her words. It scared me even more. What was she hiding that she couldn’t tell her sister.
“Malu, you are scaring me.”
She must have understood that I was panicking. Smiling at me with her gentle eyes, she whispered, “Hey, there is no need to get scared. I am fine.”
“Then what is it?” I demanded.
She seemed to have come to a decision for taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.
“We-”
The door banged open and my little demonic sister, Mythu entered. I scowled at her, irritated by the interruption.
“What?” I practically barked at her.
She cocked her eyebrows at me. “Suddenly their idea seems good.”
I rolled my eyes.
“If you are in here to talk nonsense, then get out and stay out.”
Mythili narrowed her eyes at me. “Mom wants you.”
She closed the door behind herself with a bang. I sighed. If it were dad I could have dodged this. He was a sucker to my puppy dog eyes. But my mom was the Hitler of the house. There was nothing I can do to appease her if I didn’t answer her summons within moments.
I glanced at Malu. “Come with me?”
Malu looked interested. “Sure. I would like to know what the brat meant.”
Locking our hands together, we walked out to the hall. Let Malu think I had forgotten about her anxiety. I will not let her go without telling me nor without helping her.
Mom and dad were sitting on the couch, facing the TV, deep in talk. Mythu was browsing the music channels, tching every time a boring song came up.
Mom spotted us first and smiled. “Sit down, Seethu. Malu, you sit down too. I am glad you are here.”
My friend and I exchanged glances. Mom never considered Malu’s presence a good thing. To her credit, Malu always breaks something and it always happened to be Mythili’s. Remember that poem? Teacher’s pet and that is you!
Yeah, Mythu was mommy’s pet. We sat down beside each other on the other couch, me lounging against the couch’s arm.
My mom did not wait to jump in to the topic.
“Rajashekar called again.”
I sat up quickly, my head snapping to my dad.
“What did he want?”
“You, of course,” my mom interrupted.
I glared at her, making to get up from the couch, “I am too young for him.”
“Sit down,” my mom snapped and I sat down, still beyond angry.
“Mom, I don’t-”
“Their son has agreed to the marriage,” my dad beamed.
I deflated on the spot. My mom raised her eyebrow at me. In one marriage, I had met that guy. We were not properly introduced or anything. Quite the opposite, I was watching him from a distance, talking and laughing with a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, my mom caught me staring. The minute we had returned home, she had gone on for some time shouting something about not interested in keeping a girl who goes behind men at home and that I would spoil the ‘kid’. We went on a shouting match for around an hour until mom found the one word that shut me up.
Marriage.
“If you were not staring at him for fun, to flirt, to run away with, were you staring at him to marry him?”
I had clamped up faster than two magnets pulled apart. She had understood. But when my parents had approached his parents, they had not returned with good news. Apparently the guy did not want to marry any time soon. My mom, unnaturally kind, did not pursue any other grooms and suggested to dad that I do my master degree. There had been no objections in his front.
But now here she was, telling me that that guy had agreed for the marriage. I swallowed and asked the first of many questions I had in mind.
“What is his name?”
When they had returned from his house, they refused to tell me his name. In case the marriage never happened, they did not want me to have any memory of him.
“Ishwar,” my dad said, smiling at me with love.
Seetha Ishwar.. It had a nice ring to it.
“Seetha Mahalakshmi Ishwar?” My sister, correction, the little devil sputtered with laughter. “It doesn’t match at all!”
And surprise of surprise, my mom growled, “Mythili, you untamed donkey, shut up!”
This day was the best in my entire life.
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