Mixed Masala

Chapter 19

"Hi, Amma," Meera said as her mother answered the phone.

It was Monday and Meera was in her office after just having consumed her fifth cup of coffee for the day. She hadn't had anything to eat but not because she had had no time. She was simply too agitated to be hungry.

"Meera? How are you, darling?" Lakshmi Devraj asked. "And how's Kavitha?"

Lakshmi had known Kavitha and Sudha for as long as Meera had. The girls had been best friends in school and had often dropped by during weekends for tea or the occasional sleep-over. Sudha's family had moved to Kuala Lumpur just after the girls had finished their secondary education and Kavitha's mother had moved there after her husband suffered a fatal heart attack three years before.

"I'm okay ... and so is Kavitha," she said simply.

"That's good to know," Lakshmi said, sighing. "And I'm glad that she's got a friend like you. You're a good girl, Meera and we are so proud of you." In fact, Lakshmi Devraj was extremely happy with the way all three of her children had turned out. "Jaya was a little disappointed though. She had made all these plans."

It was Meera's turn to sigh. "I really didn't know that she had bought a cake and everything ..."

But Lakshmi cut her off. "Don't worry. She understands." She paused, then added, "So Kavitha's really okay?"

"Naturally she's still grieving, but she's strong and I know she'll get through this ... and I intend to be there for her as much as she'll let me."

Lakshmi smiled to herself, pride filling her heart. "I'm so glad you will be coming along with Raj to Ipoh this weekend," her mother said. "It'll be good to have all my children home again ... and my grandchild too." Ravi and Jayashree had insisted on driving Raj home that weekend, their first trip to Ipoh after the birth of their son.

Meera hesitated a moment, then made up her mind to simply say her piece. After all, that's why she had called her mother in the first place. "Is Appa home?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes," Lakshmi said. "Hang on, I'll call ..."

"No, ma. I just ... I need to tell you both something and it cannot wait until the weekend. So I'm going to talk to you about it and then maybe ... maybe you can tell Appa?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Meera? What is it?" Lakshmi asked, her heart suddenly filled with trepidation.

"Well, I've been thinking ... about Kavitha and about Rakesh. They had so little time together ... It's so unfair." Meera paused, and when her mother did not respond, she continued. "Jaya Akka told me that you had all hoped that Suresh and I would get married one day." She took a deep breath and asked, "Do you still feel that way?"

Lakshmi's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. I don't think I've ever been speechless my entire life, she thought to herself. And yet, here I am ...

"Meera," Lakshmi finally managed to say. "What exactly are you trying to tell me in this roundabout way of yours? Jaya told me ..."

"Forget what she told you. That was then, this is now." Meera steeled herself and then said, "Suresh loves me ... and I feel the same way about him ... I just need to know I have your approval, yours and Appa's ... before I take the next step."

"Our approval?" Lakshmi repeated as though in a daze. "For what? ... This is all very sudden ..."

"Amma, you've known about Suresh the whole time! For goodness sake, you have been trying to get us married since the day he and I first met!"

Lakshmi sighed. "And that just goes to show you, mothers always know best."

Meera smiled and shook her head. "Does that mean that you approve?"

Lakshmi chuckled. "I never thought I'd be having this type of conversation with my own daughter. This is all very unconventional you know ... and I'll have to run it by your father first." Lakshmi smiled to herself as she added, "And of course we approve. You have our blessings."

Meera let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, Amma. You have no idea what this means to me."

Lakshmi laughed. "Oh, but I think I do. After all, I knew that the two of you were perfect for each other even before you did!"

Meera smiled. "And I bet you're never going to let me forget it."

Lakshmi chuckled as a flood of emotions raged through her all at once. She was happy that things were finally working out as she had hoped it would. She had liked Suresh the moment she had first seen him. In a day and age when decent men were so difficult to come by, here was someone who by all accounts was an upstanding young man who seemed to genuinely care about her daughter. That coupled with the fact that she knew the boy's family so well (notwithstanding a heartfelt endorsement from Ravi) ... Yes, Suresh really was a very suitable boy ... even though he had had the misfortune of being born into a Malayalee family just like her. And now, what could be better than Meera falling in love with a boy whom she, Lakshmi, had chosen for her.

She said a silent prayer of thanks. She was grateful that she had a daughter who valued her parents' blessings. She was completely ecstatic that she would be planning another wedding very soon ... but she was also slightly apprehensive as to how her husband would react to the news. Lakshmi and Vishwanath had discussed the matter some time ago when they had noticed the friendship between Meera and Suresh blossoming, and Vishwanath had indicated that he thought of Suresh as a very nice young man ... And yet, fathers would be fathers. Lakshmi was only too aware that her husband could easily change his mind and reach for his shotgun instead, although thankfully he didn't actually own one. He did however have a set of really heavy golf clubs ...

"I love you, Amma."

Lakshmi broke out of her reverie as she heard Meera's voice.

"I love you too, darling," Lakshmi said, sighing happily. "We both do. Now tell me. Have you both decided on a tentative wedding date yet? Naturally I'll have to consult an astrologer ... When do you kids plan to get married?"

Meera smiled as she said softly, "I don't know yet ... I have to propose to him first."