Hasta-prāpya-stabaka-namito bāla-Mandāra-vṛkṣaḥ

Chapter Twenty

"We're almost home," Nikhil was narrating for his video. "My Dādā is officially back with all of his belongings from Vikarabad. Only his friends are still there, but Mandar Dādā has everything he needs right here, with his family. He'll never have to eat alone or live in a rented room again. Dādā's old memories are coming back fast, and now it's time to make new memories with Pallavi Dī and the rest of us. Manasi Dī knows that we're pulling up to the house now. Let's see if she is outside yet."

Nikhil realized that the driveway was full of reporters. Farhad honked the horn to get them out of the way, and brought the car to a stop right at the door. The men got out, and Nikhil continued to make his video while Mandar began to carry his belongings into the house, with Farhad's help.

"You're Mandar Deshmukh, right?" A woman's voice alerted the other reporters. She had found a photograph of Mandar from the news coverage of Raghav's arrest for the hit-and-run. As soon as Pallavi had said that her first husband was living, the story had acquired a new angle.

"Did you desert your wife, Mrs. Pallavi?"

"Where have you been since 1st December, 2018?"

Mandar had been brought up to answer whatever questions were put to him. He had never had to face reporters before. He smiled, trying to reassure them and himself.

"Yes, I'm Mandar Deshmukh," he began. "Until Pallavi found me three days ago, I didn't know my name. I lost my memories in the accident. I was in Vikarabad the whole time. I wanted to find Pallavi, but I didn't know where."

Manasi came up to Farhad and took the box from his hands. Mandar, carrying another box, followed Manasi into the house and they placed the boxes in the courtyard.

"Aika, Manasi," Mandar spoke gently. "Āpaṇa āza saṃdhyākāḷī bolūyā." Let's talk this evening. "Tujhyāvara kāhī mahinyāṃpūrvī zo prasaṅga ālā hotā, tyābaddala tū malā saṃpūrṇapaṇe sāṅgaśīla nā?" You'll tell me all about the incident that happened to you a few months ago, won't you?

"Ho, Dādā," Manasi agreed. The memories of her wedding to Rahul, ruined by Āī's indiscreet behaviour at every event, were still painful. What should have been the first happy occasion in the family after Mandar Dādā's death had been disrupted by the death of Sharada Kākū's mother, and turned into a grotesque spectacle with Āī telling everyone that Raghav took shameless liberties with Pallavi. When Manasi's turn had come to be the bride deserted and marked with ignominy, like Pallavi after her wedding, Manasi had missed her big brother more than ever.

"Hyā vārtāhārāṃçā Pallavi-lā trāsa hoū naye, mhaṇūna mī ātā dukānāvara zāto." These reporters shouldn't trouble Pallavi, so I'll go to the shop now, Mandar was saying. "Paṇa mī kāhī tulā visaralo nāhī." But I haven't forgotten about you at all. "Āpaṇa doghe bolū, Amruta-lā ādhāra deū, āṇi Nikhil punhā çukīcyā mārgālā lāgū naye mhaṇūna prayatna karū." The two of us will talk, give support to Amruta, and make an effort so that Nikhil won't go on the wrong path again.

Manasi smiled and nodded. Whenever Mandar Dādā talked to her like this, she didn't feel helpless anymore. Mandar Dādā was the captain of their team.

Mandar turned around and stepped out of the house to get another box. He found Farhad in front of him, with his arms full, and took his burden.

Farhad leaned close to Mandar's ear. "You can just say, 'No comment.' You don't owe these reporters anything."

Mandar smiled, put the items in the courtyard, and followed Farhad out through the door again. He thought, these reporters are just doing their jobs. Raghav said, they're pursuing a video of him arguing with Pallavi at their wedding reception. If they're about to report that Pallavi held Raghav responsible for defaming her, causing Bābā's heart attack, putting Nikhil in jail, and forcing her into marriage, Raghav deserves that embarrassment. Pallavi told me not to worry about her. But Farhad is telling me to be careful, and I should listen. Farhad is sensible, and obviously Raghav has given him plenty of experience with bad publicity.