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

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Ātā malā tū tujhī goṣṭa sāṅgaśīla kā?" Now will you tell me your story? Mandar asked Manasi. "Rahul rāva āṇi tū, tumacyāta nemake kāya ghaḍale?" Rahul rāva and you, what exactly happened between you?

"Ho, Dādā, sāṅgate." Yes, Dādā, I'll tell you. "Tulā Rahul āṭhavato kā?" Do you remember Rahul?

"Tuzhā collega-madhalā mitra, ho, āṭhavato." Your friend from college, yes, I remember him, Mandar replied. "To vādavivādaspardheta bhāga ghyāyaçā, nāṭakāṃsāṭhī lāmbalaçaka bhāṣaṇaṃ pāṭha karāyaçā ... tyāçā rājakāraṇāta śiraṇyāçā vicāra hotā." He used to participate in debating contests, he used to memorize long and complex speeches for theatre ... he planned to enter politics. Realizing the depth of detail of his regained memories, Mandar could not help feeling excited. "Tū tyācī chāyācitre kāḍhāyacīsa." You used to take photographs of him.

"Barobara, Dādā, tyā sahavāsātūna āmacyā maitrīçe premāta rūpāntara zhāle." Correct, Dādā, through that time together, our friendship was transformed into love. "Malā māhīta hote kī tyācyā gharacyāṃnā svataḥcyā Telugu saṃskṛtīçā khūpa abhimāna āhe, te Rahul-sāṭhī Telugu mulagīça śodhāyalā zātīla, āṇi to tyāṃçā māna rākhaṇyāsāṭhī malā māgaṇī ghālaṇāra nāhī." I was aware that his family has a lot of pride in their Telugu culture, they'll only go looking for a Telugu girl for Rahul, and out of respect for them, he won't propose to me. "Mhaṇūna mī Āī-Bābāṃnā sāṅgitale, āṇi te Rahul-cyā ātyā, Rama Atta, yāñcyāśī bolale." So I told Āī-Bābā, and they spoke to Rahul's paternal aunt, Rama Atta. "Rama Atta yāṃnī Rahul-lā vicārale āṇi tyāçā hokāra miḷavalā mhaṇūna Asha Aunty lagnālā tayāra zhālyā." Rama Atta asked Rahul and got his assent, that's why Asha Aunty agreed to the marriage. "Lagna ṭharalyāvara Rahul-cyā vāgaṇyāta zo mokaḷepaṇā ālā, Dādā, tyāmuḷe mī adhikaça tyācyā premāta paḍale." After we got engaged, the way Rahul's behaviour became liberated, Dādā, it made me fall in love with him even more.

Mandar thought of holding Pallavi in his arms earlier today. He felt protective of her, proud of her, aware of her feelings ... but liberated ... he thought of showing pride in Farhad with a kiss and scolding him for not taking his safety seriously.

"Tulā samazūna gheta hotā kā to?" Did he understand your feelings? Mandar asked Manasi.

"Āścarya vāṭāve itakā samazūtadāra āhe Rahul." You'd be amazed by how understanding Rahul is, Manasi replied. "Lagnācyā pandiri guñja vidhisāṭhī Nikhil-lā Āīne khaḍḍā sahā phūṭa khola khaṇāyaçā ase sāṅgitale, āṇi tyāne phakta cāra phūṭa khola asā khaṇalā." For the wedding canopy setup ritual, Āī told Nikhil to dig a pit six feet deep, and he dug it only four feet deep. "Maga tyā khaḍḍyāta ubhāralelā khāmba vādaḷavāryāta halū lāgalā āṇi to Asha Aunty-īñcyā ḍokyāvara paḍata hotā, tevaḍhyāta Pallu-ne to jhelalā āṇi tyāṃçā jīva vāçavalā." Then the pole set upright in that pit began to move in a windstorm, and it was falling on Asha Aunty's head when Pallu caught it and saved her life. "Koṇatyā śabdāṃta mī tyāñcī māphī māgū, heça malā kaḷenā." With what words to apologize to her, I just didn't know. "Paṇa Rahul malā mhaṇālā kī hyā vidhīcyā nimittāne śevaṭī Asha Aunty-īṃnā paṭale kī Pallavi-lā vidhavā mhaṇūna vegaḷe vāgavaṇyāta kāhī artha nāhī." But Rahul said to me that thanks to this ritual, finally Asha Aunty was convinced that treating Pallavi differently as a widow makes no sense.