Unkindled Love

Chapter 10

Gangakka too received a letter from her son. It was a special letter informing her that he had got a good job and had also found a house to live in. Reading his letter made Gangakka very happy. She thanked their family deity Lord Krishna.

But at the end of the letter, there were a few lines that disturbed her. Abhi had written, 'Aai, I am tired of hostel and hotel food. Now, I would like to get married and make a home in Bangalore.'

Gangakka didn't like that. According to her, there was no hurry for him to get married. He was, no doubt, good-looking, had just finished his B.Tech., and already found a job. But he was only twenty-three years old.

Twenty-three was a marriageable age for a girl, but not for a boy. If he was fed up of hostel and hotel food, he could always move back to his home here, Gangakka thought.

She did not understand why he had to be in Bangalore, an unknown place for her.

She thought of her distant cousin Shyam who was a PWD engineer. He was leading a comfortable life with a car and servants in Bandra. Abhi could definitely take up that kind of job. But it seemed that he wanted to be in Bangalore.

Gangakka did not have the slightest inkling about Gautami.When a boy shows an interest in marriage, then it is unfair for a mother to keep quiet about it!

Gangakka was extremely close to her daughter Suhana. They thought alike and spoke alike. The only difference was in their age. She immediately wrote to her daughter Suhana about Abhyudaya's decision to get married.

For Suhana, it was the most important occasion. She jumped with joy at the news and soon came with her two children. Anyway, it was the summer holidays. Mother and daughter started planning a strategy to find the kind of girl they would want for Abhyudaya.

First of all, she had to be very obedient, extremely good-looking and from an affluent family. But they could not tell people that, they would have to put it differently.

Gangakka usually met other women of her age at the discourses on the Puranas at the temple. At these discourses, given by a pandit or the temple priest, elderly people met, exchanged ideas and experiences and got to know about eachother's family matters. Such gatherings were also a broadcasting centre of news in the community.

At one such meeting, Gangakka announced that she was looking for a bride for her son.

'We are looking for a good graduate girl, but not for money. If an eligible, adjusting girl comes with just a coconut, we will still be happy,' was her statement. But those who knew her, knew very well what she actually meant.

Suhana's in-laws were greedy people. In order to please them Gangakka often sent them expensive gifts so that her daughter would have more prestige than the other daughters-in-law.

Suhana had a sister-in-law, Rajani. Now, Suhana's mother in-law was after Suhana to get Rajani's horoscope matched with Abhyudaya's.

Suhana did not like the idea at all. Telling a lie was easy for the mother and daughter. Putting on an act, Gangakka pretended as if she was very sad, and told them, 'I wish Rajani could have been my daughter-in-law! I was praying to god for that. But unfortunately the horoscopes did not match. How can we go ahead?'

A horoscope mismatch was one of the best excuses to withdraw from an unwanted proposal. And Gangakka used this excuse as and when required. Bhanu, Gangakka's elder brother, was waiting for this chance. He wanted his daughter Radhika to marry Abhyudaya. It was customary for a boy to marry his maternal uncle's daughter in old times.

Bhanu came with lots of gifts for his sister and Suhana. He knew that if Suhana was happy, she would push her mother. No one could beat Bhanu in sweet talk. He started buttering up his sister.