First Proposal

It was a wonderful evening. Sheila has just returned from College. Always flushing in a positive boom of energy, she unloaded her baggage. Her parents were having serious discussion with one of their family friends in the living room. Slowly Sheila walked in and greeted them all cheerfully. The response was not as vivid as she expected. However, Sheila suppressed her dislike and quit the scene.

She was always over mature for her age and a capable girl, whom her parents adored. She checked out and noted that tea has been already served. So, she caught hold of the novel she had left half way through, yesterday and climbed on to the terrace.

Sheila was through her final year of graduation in Economics. Though a good academician, she was an ardent cook, a well learnt classical dancer and is comfortable playing the organ for ganamelas (musical evenings for film songs-live stage shows) in student get-together’s. Her major hobby was reading and Arthur Hailey was her recent fascination. She loves finishing the novel at a stretch, but, she seldom gets a chance for that.

Immersed in the novel, Sheila didn’t notice that the clock needles were circling in its true pace, real fast, Sheila murmured to herself as light on the terrace became less and dimmer.

Quickly, she got up, kept a bookmark on the page and ran downstairs. She had her body bath and went to light the lamp. She would sit and pray for 5-15minutes, while her parents enjoyed a full time circle chanting hymns together. Grandma would also join them and she used to feel secure and comfortable amidst them.

She had minimal cookery tasks for dinner, which she accomplished very fast. As she set the table for the family, Grandma joined her. She tasted the dishes and appreciated her cutie’s culinary skills. She could over hear the narrations on daily news at that hour on the television. Oh! Appa and Amma have finished their prayers and will soon be by the table, she hurried…

“Grandma, I think its Smt.Maya reading the news today,” said Sheila.
“No, no, I guess its Smt.Rajeswari Mohan;” said her Grandma.

This was a daily habit. Now they would bet on the colours of the Sari as well!!!
Grandma was an excellent companion at home…Sheila hugged her and enjoyed getting petted often, even at this age…

(Unlike these days of information explosion with news on numerous channels every hour,earlier there were only occasional telecasts in local languages earlier.)

Appa, though a successful lawyer, had certain disciplinary measures at home. Once on the dining table, nobody was permitted to talk. The menu is prefixed schedule of nutritious and healthy food, fresh, served hot and taken together, on time. Everybody had specific seating arrangements also. Appa eats pretty fast and Sheila releases a long sigh at this finishing point. Now, she starts murmuring with her Grandma, who needs more time due to lack of adequate numbers of teeth in working condition.These are moments when they share the happenings of the day, enjoying food simultaneously.

Amma would be busy cleaning the kitchen and shutting the posterior half, while Appa would be engaged with the gate, verandah, and anterior half of the house. This leaves them with ample time for short chats.

As usual, Sheila and Grandma had a topic for discussion today too.

“Why did Chandra uncle and Laxmi aunty come today?” asked Sheila. She had noted the atmosphere was slightly heavy after their visit. That’s quite unusual of her Appa.

“They came with a proposal for you!” said Grandma. It was an unexpected answer for Sheila. Though some of her classmates were already engaged and the season was ON, she never thought she has become eligible for that stage. She was basically an academician. She wanted to go further up to research… She was planning to specialize in International Trade. She wanted to be more active in her music accompaniments too.
She was yet to think on these lines…

Grandma read her thoughts silently. After a break, she continued: “Their nephew, Nandan is a practicing doctor and has completed his FRCS from London. We have seen him many times on their daughters’ birthday. Don’t you remember? A nice fellow. He is a handsome, fair, educated, financially sound fellow and is free of burdens.”

Sheila was silent. She didn’t know what to say. She liked the fellow. But whether they would be compatible? God alone knows. She reserved her thoughts.

“Everything is fine. They wish to check for suitability of horoscopes. But, Chandra didn’t bulge. Have your food and go to your room. I have to explore the reason;” said Grandma.

Sheila was quite. She somehow managed to finish her food. Wasting food was against her father’s un- prescribed laws. She didn’t want to invite his wrath.

Mechanically, she stride into her study and opened her project literature gathered for review. She was simply staring at it. Nandan’s image as a boy passed over the page. It seemed as if he was running around. He was wearing his favorite strap trousers and was running at a rapid pace into Chandra Uncle’s house as she entered their house with her parents during the vacation. How they all teased him for that…Sheila had felt pity for the small fellow companion then. That was their first meeting.

Nandan was fatherless and his mother was unemployed. He was living at the ancestral home of Chandra Uncle. They had enough income from the farms and he was good at studies. He used to be a regular visitor to Chandra uncle’s house on every vacation. Sheila was a good friend of their kids and so were both parents. Their Mammas’ were colleagues. So Sheila had a special prominence there.

Sheila loved rather adored Laxmi aunty. She was simple like her Mamma, but more expressive. There were no strict disciplines. There was more freedom and no compulsions, or so she felt. She loved their food habits as well.

Nandan was initially very shy. Maybe because he was born and brought up in a village. As he joined for his +2, he used to wear dhoti. He felt comfortable with that and looked gorgeous with that line moustache…Was it original or drawn??? Sheila laughed to herself.
Economics review papers seemed to laugh at her. She closed them and bid farewell. As she laid her hands folded on that table, her thoughts went in to imagine Nandan as she saw him last.

He used to attend English tuition near her music class and they used to meet regularly during those 2 years. They would simply share a smile. She had noted disappointment on his face then itself, on days when her friends were with her. Oh, so he might have liked me then it self? Sheila’s imagination was running wild.

She tried hard to recollect the whole as if in a flashback…
Yeah! His eyes used to shine as they met each other, both busy to reach their own classes, coming from opposite directions. But, he was full of inferiority complex then.
Sheila remembered how her friends narrated about their cousin…His withdrawn nature, patience, silence at the face of atrocities, tolerance and so on…Though these had a complaining tone; Sheila had always felt apathy towards Nandan.

He had qualified with a high rank. Had he been initially tutored under English medium, he would have got a rank, opined her father. Nandan was so intelligent and hard working. As he joined the AIIMS and further went abroad, there was no further news…
It’s nearly ten years now, assessed Sheila.

How would he be? When did Grandma see him to describe so vividly? Had they bought some latest photos? Has he transformed from the shy and tolerant fellow? Sheila felt a surge of curiosity rushing through her spine…

She slowly got up. Put off the lights and lied down. She slept with her Grandma. She was yet to turn up.

Her curiosity rose again. This time it was quite serious. Suppose if this proposal gets fixed??? Some of her friends have had a hard time, searching out grooms for 2-3years. Many of them were pushed off to college to increase their status and decrease the financial burden on dowry. Though illegal, dowry was very popular in various forms all around.

Suppose if our horoscopes match??? What will they ask as dowry/wedding gift???
It was the pet name of reference in so called “elite” circles. A professional post graduate, self built, with sponsorship debt due for clearance, physically fit …the gift would naturally be cumbersome. They might demand for this house, a car and support to start independent practice, sure. Will they seek support to clear the debts that Nandan owes his sponsors and uncle? Oh! This is too much. My parents can’t manage all this…

Sheila felt slightly disappointed for herself.

Then she diverted the energy positively. “Wah, if it gets stuck at that stage, then he doesn’t like me. They are simply trying to ensure safe dealings. It’s only a business proposal, not a life proposal. I worried unnecessarily; sighed Sheila”

Her thoughts went further deep and wide.“Will they send me for higher studies?
Will they be willing to spend on me?
I am quite outspoken and smart, though I am good at house keeping and am intelligent. Will he be able to adjust with that?
Where will he be planning to settle? Here or in his native place?”

They may settle here imagined Sheila.
They may sell off their farm and clear their debts. They may purchase a new house in this city. His mother would adjust and come down and stay here with them. Will she be the same old person? Is there any probability for a tie? She was extremely conservative. She didn’t appreciate her niece wearing Punjabi dress then. Now a day, Churidar has become very popular.
Will they permit me to pursue my studies in dance and organ? Will they send me for concerts and ganamelas? Will they appreciate my voracious reading habit?

Visual images flew past one after another…one frame after another…cogently as in a movie…

How often can I visit my parents? Oh! I would terribly miss my Grandma. Who would take care of her? Who would help Amma with the morning chores? Who will polish Appa’s shoes? Who will serve food? What would happen to our little Vrindavanam in my absence…..Tears rolled down, unknowingly. I am so secure and comfortable here…

What would be my fate there?

The door opened and Grandma entered silently. She put on the dim light, and sat beside her pet daughter. “The proposal stands dropped,” she said in a single phrase. “ Don’t ask me anything. Also don’t let your parents know that I had told you about this discussion. I knew you would be waiting for me…Forget the incident and behave as usual.” With these words, Grandma said her prayers and lied down. “But why? Grandma,” asked Sheila. There was no response.

As the movie was replayed, Sheila guessed that she too liked Nandan for some reason. Was it sympathy towards a fatherless child? Was it admiration towards a self made man? Was it his intelligence or tolerance that she appreciated? Am I starting to love you? Someone asked from within her…She was stunned. Sheila quickly shut off those thoughts with force and murmured: “Bye Nandan. Thanks anyway for having made me start thinking about this stage of life…Some one better is waiting for you out there. Find her out and live happily…”

Grandma overheard her murmur. She gradually turned over and hugged her pet.
“Not alone financial burden, darling; Nandan plans to migrate overseas. We didn’t want to send you that long. Hence that was dropped. If he’s made for you, this would again comeback to us. We can think more then…Sleep well for now. This is a natural turning point in everybody’s life. I am happy my son has started thinking about getting you settled!!!!

Sheila hugged her Granny and tried to gather some sleep…When she slept,…..???
Did she appreciate the outcome? It was her life…But none asked her a word…No mention at all…Is it what happens in all families???

Who knows??? She chanted her daily hymns and put her legs over her Granny…