'That's all. It's gone. Everything is gone. Gone!' Mrs. Jaya thunders. 'How dare you Pooja!?'
'She spoiled our family's reputation, maana, maryaade, everything!' Mrs. Saroja sobs.
Things after Pooja's big announcement had happened in a flash. As she said it is "a yes", the under-thirty population in the crowd had cheered, whistled, and clapped. The kids, though only a little aware of what was happening, had been excited by all the cheering, and started hopping around, screaming. Their parents had to hush them.
Mrs. Jaya pulled Pooja by her arm, got her off the stage and the family exited the marriage hall without looking back. Phelan and Pooja hadn't got a chance to speak a word.
'I don't know what to do with this girl!' Mrs. Jaya continues now. 'Sending her to San Jose was a big mistake. Chee!'
The family is lodged in the living room. The PC sits on the couch at the far end, looking stoic. Mrs. Jaya and Mrs. Saroja sit on the dining table chairs at the other end. Paartha and Pooja are on the sofa, and Ishita sits on the armrest next to her sister. Everyone is still in their grand clothes. Pooja wants to change now, more than anything else.
For some reason, Ishita is having a whale of a time.
'I don't have a daughter. I always thought...it's okay, she is like my daughter too' Mrs. Saroja shakes her head. 'So much I loved her'
Pooja stares at her.
'I'm still the same Saru. Don't you like me anymore? Really?' Her voice shakes a little. 'How does me loving Phelan change who I am?'
'This is not love, this is..this is just...' Mrs. Jaya looks around, as though she is searching for something to throw or break.
'What?' Pooja asks in a tight voice.
'This is just her age speaking. They don't understand anything at this age' Mrs. Saroja pats her sister's arm reassuringly.
'I thought she will never do such things. She never did boyfriend drama before' her sister wails.
'I know, I know' Mrs. Saroja nods. 'It is the age'
Pooja feels sick in her head. She had gotten on the stage and poured out everything in her heart. Later, she had panicked. It was like she couldn't believe what she had just done. What did I do? What will they do now?
After reaching home, gathering more courage, she spoke again. Without a break. Everything from the beginning. How she met Phelan, how they grew fond of each other, and how they knew it was love. The entire story, excluding the kissing bits.
She also showed them the famous letter written by Phelan, lest they wouldn't even listen to her anymore, given the hyperventilation of the two ladies. The PC had read it first, and silently passed it to the ladies, who pored over it with great interest.
'Look at the way he has written! "I had many girlfriends" anthe. And trying to justify it later' Mrs. Jaya now shakes the paper violently. 'Shameless, mannerless, cultureless people!'
'Maa! He has clearly written that he is not justifying it. He is just telling the truth' Pooja throws up her hands.
'Yes! He is so caring atte! And so sweet!' Ishita says dreamily. 'And soooo handsome'
Mrs. Jaya gasps at this. 'Handsome it seems! Shut your mouth! Kids should be like kids'
Ishita mutters under her breath that she isn't a kid, and that she cast her vote in the elections seven months back.
'He has written "I kind of stole my friend's girlfriend" here' Mrs. Saroja points out, adjusting her reading glasses. 'Did he kidnap her or what?'
'No that's not what it is' Paartha laughs. 'It's a fancy way of saying he ch-'
'But he has written that he stole'
'Such a shameless boy he is. Thuu!' Mrs. Jaya spits. 'No character'
Pooja can't control herself at this. 'Don't speak about him like that, Amma'
'I will speak. You don't open your mouth! You have said everything in the marriage hall only. To insult us. What else you have, haah?'
Pooja exhales loudly.
'I showed this letter so that you all know how honest he has been. So what if he had relationships in the past?'
'See, relationship! This word was only not there during our times. No ship, no boat, nothing!'
Ishita stifles her laughter, closing her mouth with her palm. Paartha gives a dry smile.
'All this is because of those American web series you people watch these days. Learn, learn more from it' Mrs. Saroja remarks.
'Which new web series you have started Akka?' Ishita asks Pooja, and promptly backs off after receiving a death stare.
'What will people say?' Mrs. Jaya speaks to herself loudly, resting her palm on her forehead. 'They are already laughing at us, because of you!'
'We'll search someone for her, don't worry' Mrs. Saroja decides. 'People will forget this after some time'
'It's too late for that Saru' Pooja replies, crossing her arms, and leaning back on the sofa.
Mrs. Jaya suddenly gets up, grabs Pooja's arm and pulls her to the side. The others can see but not hear them.
'Why are you saying it is too late? What have you both done?' She hisses.
Pooja stares at her mother unblinkingly. 'What?'
'You and that boy. What all have you both done? I want the truth!' Mrs. Jaya asks gravely. 'Swear on me and tell'
'Amma! We have not done anything!' Pooja can't believe what she has just heard. 'Is that all you believe in me?'
'I used to believe you more than anyone else. Until you stabbed my back like that' Mrs. Jaya shakes her head traumatically, and walks back to the dining table. 'Now... you just throw this letter away and forget about him'
She picks up the letter and tears it up noisily. Pooja stares at her for a moment.
'It is a xerox copy...I took it from the office room printer' Pooja calmly walks back to the sofa.
'What? Where is the original letter?'
'The original paper is rose pressed' Ishita adds knowledgeably.
'Give it' Mrs. Jaya demands tersely.
'No way, Amma' Pooja says in a low voice.
'You are going to hide it from us?'
'I'm an adult. I can'
'See, this is also from those foreign web series only!' Mrs. Saroja closes her eyes shut.
'So what if you are adult?' Mrs. Jaya scoffs. 'Till you get married, you have to listen to us. This is not America'
'But you are not letting me marry the person I love'
'See, see, see!' Mrs. Jaya tells everyone, and looks at her husband. 'How she has learned to disrespect parents! All because of him only'
'Not because of the web series this time, huh?' Paartha wonders loudly.
Ishita giggles uncontrollably, hiding her face behind her netted dupatta.
'You keep quiet' Mrs. Jaya warns him. 'See what your sister is doing! You won't tell her anything? You are her elder brother'
Paartha scans his sister's face for a few seconds, before throwing up his hands. 'I still don't get why he likes you'
'Shut up' Pooja snaps, and turns to her mother eagerly.
'Maa, Phelan and his brother live with their mother. I know her. I like her so much. And she loves me too. Have you heard of any Americans living with their parents after they are eighteen?'
'Yes, he lives with his mother. Now you listen to your mother. One who gave birth to you!'
Silence.
Our family is so boring. Phelan baava has to come to our family at any cost, Ishita decides inwardly. How amazing is it going to be! Yaay!
'Sorry, Amma. I'm not listening to anyone in this matter' Pooja says, encasing her pendant in her fist. Her mother notices this.
'Did he give you that?' she snaps. 'Did he give you that pendant? I knew it! You told me it is artificial no...from Chitrakala Parishath?'
'Yes. He gave it. It is Bulgari' she holds it tight.
'With real diamonds, Atte' Ishita's eyes gleam as she explains.
'Oh my god, that's a luxury brand right?' Paartha sits up straight, grabbing his phone on the teapoy. 'Show it'
Pooja does. He squints at it, and scans the screen for a few minutes.
'This design....it says 3000 dollars....that is.....almost two and a half lakh rupees!' he looks up from the screen, perplexed. 'Pooja, marry him'
Pooja sighs and clucks her tongue.
'Yes!' Ishita immediately pipes in, clapping.
'Why are you so excited?' Mrs. Saroja gives her a dirty look.
Ishita genuinely doesn't know, except that she is extremely delighted about all this.
'Take that chain off now. Send it back to him. We can also buy hundred diamond chains like that' Mrs. Jaya widens her eyes. 'I'll talk to Rakesh's mother and convince her to reconsider the marriage'
Pooja is about to say something when Paartha speaks.
'Forget about Rakesh, Maa. Pooja is not marrying him'
Mrs. Jaya looks at him, shocked. Pooja turns to him, slightly surprised. Ishita looks thrilled.
'He told her to stop dancing after marriage. How dare anyone asks my sister not to dance, huh?' Paartha demands, looking quite enraged. 'Only I can do that!'
Pooja shoots up her eyebrows, and sighs again. And there is a little smile at the corner of her lips.
'Okay, don't want Rakesh. We'll look for a good boy. Anyone you like, Pooja' Mrs. Saroja tells gently.
'I love Phelan' comes the reply. 'He is mine and so is this pendant'
'Yes!' Ishita says, feeling breathless.
'Jaya, it is the curse' Mrs. Saroja mourns. Mrs. Jaya looks at her sister tragically.
'What? What curse?' Paartha looks at her in alarm. 'What curse is it?'
Then, Mrs. Saroja narrates it. The story of how their family is cursed to have an opposed love marriage in every generation.
Our family seems to be quite interesting actually, Ishita thinks. Every generation? Nowadays they say just five years is "one generation gap". Pooja Akka is five years older than me......
'Wow! This is one of the main curses that changed the course of our country' Paartha comments with a smirk. 'It wasn't there in our history textbooks'
Ishita giggles again. Even Pooja has to hold back her smile.
The elders don't hear him.
'I had a harake of 101 kadubu haara to Dodda Ganapati temple. Because Dhruva left that Bella devva. I was so happy' Mrs. Saroja continues laments.'Now what is the use of that? Pooja is doing like this'
Silence.
'We aren't a match in any aspect' Mrs. Jaya comments. 'Us and Americans! Nothing matches! You both are not a correct match Pooja'
'Oh, they are!'
Everyone turns to look at Ishita.
'Phelan baava is a gentleman and Pooja Akka is a gentleman's daughter. By far, they are equal' she reads out from a thick book.
They continue to stare at her.
'It's a famous dialogue from Pride and Prejudice' She lifts it up. 'Akka's favourite book. She always reads this. I just improvised a dialogue, that's all'
'Ishi' Pooja snatches the book from her hand and dumps it on the teapoy. 'We're discussing something serious. Please!'
Ishita mutters under her breath again that she is supporting her, and what she said is hundred percent true.
'Remove that chain Pooja' Mrs. Saroja tells her.
'Stop it dodamma' Paartha says irritably. 'It's hers. You can't do that'
Pooja gets up and walks slowly to the dining table. She holds her mother's hand, who sulks staring into space.
'Amma. We love each other. Please...'
'Yes. It is settled between them already, that they are to be the happiest couple in the world' Ishita reads out again.
'Paartha, can you please take that book away from her?' Pooja calls out.
'What book is that?' Paartha hazards, bending to look at it.
Ishita puts the book down, frowning.
'It's a classic romance novel. Jane Austen's' she whispers to Paartha. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, tired.
Mrs. Jaya extracts her hand, looking away. Pooja turns at her father with teary eyes.
'Appa, please, Appa. I really love him, Appa. Please...please tell Amma...'
The PC doesn't speak either, and continues to be silent. But he gazes at his daughter intently.
'Nobody needs to tell me anything' Mrs. Jaya waves her hand. 'How will you stay there? In America...alone? In a strange country? You didn't go to Mangalore, for studying. You had got a college seat there. Remember?'
'I know....I know it is going to be difficult. But you would have happily sent me if I had married an Indian, and he had to settle there. Or an NRI. Right?' Pooja asks slowly.
Silence.
For once, Mrs. Jaya doesn't know what to say.
'That is....different' Mrs. Saroja ventures.
'Saru is also going to be there with me' Pooja does a double take.
Mrs. Saroja doesn't reply.
'And I'm not going to be alone' Pooja adds, putting her chin up. 'I'll be with my husband'
'What did you say?' Mrs. Jaya bangs her hand on the dining table. Her gold bangles clang against the glass tabletop. 'Say that again, if you dare!'
'That's it' the PC roars. 'SILENCE!!'
The room falls silent. Everyone looks a little nervous. Ishita slides down from the armrest, and snuggles deep into the sofa. His roar still echoes in the hall. Pooja swallows lightly.
'Nobody speaks a word now' he pronounces each word slowly, and deliberately.
No one does.
He turns to his daughter.
'Pooja, call that Phelan. I have to speak to him. And you. And everyone. I'm putting an end to this drama today itself. Right now'
************************************
Picture credit : Udupi Recipes
Kadubu, a traditional snack of India. Can be made with numerous ingredients and variations, it is the favorite dish of Lord Ganesha.
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PS : Indians generally tend to say xerox instead of photocopy. That is a habit.
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