All Strings Attached

Chapter Two

"You're going to be a politician soon," Thathayya says, pouring me a cup of black tea, "you'll know soon enough what kind of a politician people want."

"Where's the milk?" I complain, knowing already what his answer is going to be, as I accept the cup of tea from him.

"This is Earl Grey," Vilakshan explains, as Dhushyanth expects. "Would you like chai instead?"

Dhushyanth shakes his head, declining, as he savours the taste of Earl Grey. "Maybe you should marry," he suggests to his grandfather in playful humour, "since you are also a single male politician."

His grandfather chuckles heartily. "A retired politician," he corrects. "After your nanamma passed away, I couldn't keep up with the politics anymore," he says, his eyes drooping with a sad smile.

"Why?" Dhushyanth continues to tease in an attempt to ease his grandfather's concealed despondency, "were you Nayanamma's political puppet? Was she the actual mastermind?"

His grandfather only smiles, the sadness lingering in the wrinkles of his aged countenance. "I don't want to force you to marry, Dhushyanth," he tries to explain to Dhushyanth why it is important to have a wife who would stick up for him, and to him, as required, "you should want to marry out of your own free will. Maybe there are some people who will not take you seriously without a wife, but you need a strong support system to be able to do what you're setting out to do—"

"You just want me to get married, Thathayya. I know you think I'm getting older—"

"Are you listening to me, Dhushyanth?" Vilakshan Reddy asks, tersely, not appreciating Dhushyanth cutting in while he made an effort to explain to his grandson why a support system in his wife would be important. "That's not what I'm saying. You are getting older, and there are people who will not take you seriously without a wife, but I am saying- you need a support system, you need someone to stick by you when you win the elections next season."

"I have all of you," Dhushyanth insists petulantly, "it's not fair for me to marry someone for political gain or public support."

"It is not about public support or political gain," his grandfather repeats, "it's important to have a support system."

"I have a support system," I tell him, "I have you, mom and dad, Dhruv, his future in-laws—"

Vilakshan Reddy chuckles, internally wishing Dhushyanth would give the idea a thought. It is essential, he thought, especially for someone as emotional as Dhushyanth to have a calm and level-minded person to balance him out in politics. "They do not like politics, do they?" He asks, allowing Dhushyanth to divert the topic.

"They think they're too intellectual for politics," Dhushyanth chuckles half-heartedly as his grandfather's words weigh on his mind.

Thathayya shakes his head. "Dhruv has always been different from all of us."

"He's mom's son," Dhushyanth agrees, "they're lawyers."

"As are you," his grandfather points out, disallowing Dhushyanth to downplay his achievements, "you're a lawyer yourself."

Dhushyanth leans back in his seat, letting out a relaxed sigh. "I'm a lot of things," he claims with mock-modesty.

"Cocky is definitely one of those things," his grandfather jabs, making Dhushyanth laugh out loud.

"Do you actually think I should get married?" He asks, not letting the question while away in his mind much longer.

"There's a time for everything, Dhushyanth. This is the time for you to marry."