Holy Matrimony: The Final Chapter

The air is nippy. Simran pulls her shawl more snugly around her. A shiver runs down her spine. They are sitting by the pool at 2:30 in the night with only a couple of lanterns illuminating the pool side. The water is still as a glass sheet. The stars are shining bright in the coal black sky, away from city pollution. They sit on wrought iron chairs placed across from each other with her feet on his lap. He gently massages the soles of her feet. Simran clearly avoids looking at Parth. She keeps her eyes fixed at the sheet of melted glass gleaming in the lambent light.

"It's been a while."he observes.

"Yes... Seems like forever."she agrees solemnly.

"I miss you...I miss us...I wish for us to come back together...be the way we were..."his voice trembling with emotion and the desperation all too visible.

She sits motionless for a while. Not saying anything. As if she hasn't heard a word of what he just said.

"Can you still read my mind?...do you still feel me?" she sounds as if she is in a daze.

"I want to..." he shuts his eyes. His hands rest on her feet. The cool December breeze carries her tangy perfume and his nostrils expand to inhale it...he can smell her...he can feel her presence again.

She feels as if hours have passed when he finally opens his eyes slowly.

"Yes we can. First thing tomorrow morning. Do you want to have breakfast before we leave?" he inquires gently.

"hmmm." she affirms.

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The Return: Parth speaks

"I'll get the stuff. You go ahead and meet the kids."
I look at her as I say it. She nods, already gathering up her long flowing skirt in her hands and walks off.

I can hear the children screaming with delight. I can't help but smile imagining their eyes going wide and small pink lips stretching in a wide grin at meeting Simran after just a day. I unload the car and carry our bags inside. Just as I keep them at the foot of the sofa in the sitting room, Bruno comes wagging his tail in excitement and starts to wobble around me. I marvel at this 25 day old pup who has taken to the family so quickly. The kids follow. I gather them in my arms and hold them tight till they protest at being squashed.

I see my mum and dad come out to of the guest bedroom, smiling at me. Simran, Mimi and Nan come down the stairs, they must have been in our bedroom upstairs. Simran looks relaxed and Mimi is laughing at something Nan has just said. I smile too, a genuinely happy smile after a long time...

We all sit in the drawing room, we elders on the sofa and arm chairs, Nan and the kids on the floor mats. Simran and I talk about the 'Glasshouse by the Ganges' and the river, the mountains surrounding the resort and the food. I catch Mimi and Nan looking at me curiously every now and then. I know they are somewhat relieved because they tease me a bit.

I look at them all. I release a deep sigh of satisfaction. I think...I am finally home....

Holy Matrimony: Chapter Two

Parth decided to wait for her in the lounge. The flight was 25 minutes late. He ordered a cappuccino and lit himself a cigarette while he waited. He took a long drag and heaved a sigh while exhaling. He was contemplating the effect her visit would have on his life. He brought the coffee mug close to his parched lips and took a swig. Twenty minutes later he was feeling refreshed and found his way to the waiting area. He saw her tugging her large pink baggage behind her on rollers. She was wearing a bright pink knee length A- Line skirt with a white sleeveless top. She had not seen him yet it seemed. Her eyes were frantically skimming the crowd waiting beyond the barricade. Her face seemed to have fallen and she looked unsure and hesitant. She carried on walking with the bag in tow still unaware of his presence. He smiled to himself and started following her out of the airport and onto the path that led to the parking area. The swing of her butt was rather cute. He was amazed at how tall she had grown in the last 3 years. She was all of nineteen now. She stopped at the end of the gravelled path. Her fairly long hair now cascading in the cool breeze. He decided to make his presence known finally. He went and stood beside her and softly murmured into her ear; "Hi Nan. Looking for me?" She jumped and pulled away to take a long look at him. When she recovered from the initial shock she screamed with joy and threw her long arms around him, pulling him close. Her bag made a loud thud on the ground where it fell. He gulped and caught himself in time before a tear rolled down his cheek. He realised he had missed her immensely.

"Uncle Parth! You are such a Meany! I looked everywhere for you. I got a scare thinking I'll have to take a cab home. Where is aunt Sim? And my little cousins?" He smiled fondly at her and told her they were all waiting for her at home. She giggled and pointed at her bag signalling him to carry it for her. He complied gladly.

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What joy to have your niece visit after years. Nancy was a splitting image of her American mother. Her lilting voice and pretty smile kept everyone at home in high spirits. Gaurav would call up everyday and speak to Parth to get an update on Nancy.
Gaurav had moved to US two decades ago and married Sara. They had an addition into the family a year later. Nancy was always a chirpy and an extremely sensitive kid. Parth's work had taken him to San Jose at least twice every year. Nancy and Parth had formed the kinship right away. Gaurav was very pleased by it for he wanted Nancy to get to know his side of the family and find her roots. Simran and the kids had also visited Gaurav and Sara in the US once during the Christmas break. Nancy had developed a fondness for the whole family from then on.

Parth was watching the world cup on the TV in his room one night when Nancy crept in and sat next to him. They followed the game for a while in companionable silence. Finally she heaved a loud and dramatic sigh and turned to look at him. He put the TV on mute and asked her tiredly; "What?"
She asked in return; "yeah. What?"
He knew what was coming. She was very observant and perceptive. It was uncanny how she could read people's moods and mind too. It unnerved him a bit.
She spoke softly; "what's wrong Uncle P?" She had cut Parth to 'P', she thought that suited him better with his perpetually 'evil, mean and grumpy' look.

He looked her squarely in the eye and feigned confusion; "What are you talking about love?"

"Jesus Christ! Do you take me for a fool? I know there is something bothering you. I can see it clearly that Aunt Sim and you are not...hmmm... like...you know...mum and dad. I think you can do something to revive your relationship there. Why don't you guys go out on a date or something. I could baby sit Sakshi and Mani!" Her voice reflected excitement.

Mac laughed out loud. He couldn't help but admire this 19 yr old bundle of energy for her efforts at fixing all and sundry around her. He put his hand on her head and gave it a good shake.

"Go! Run along now. Dinner must be served by now

(To be continued...)

Holy Matrimony: Chapter One

Simran sat staring at the black and white picture hanging on the wall across from her. Parth had his arms around her and they were both looking straight at the camera lens. Their hair was wind blown and she could distinctly see the dash of white in his. He had always had grey hair. For as long as she had known him. They looked happy... so content in just being together. Their eyes sparkling with joy.

They now had two extremely bright and talented children. He was a proud father and an attentive one too. Sakshi, the 12 yr old was a whiz at math. She also played the synthesizer like a dream. She had already given more than a dozen solo performances at school. She had taken after Parth. He was creative too. Mani was 8 now. He had Simi's eyes. He was good at language and sports. Parth took so much pride in everything Sakshi and Mani did that it seemed as if they were the fruit of his efforts alone. She didn't mind it one bit. It gave her a chance to take a back seat and just look at him and the kids fondly.

He hated travelling and leaving the kids behind even for a day. But his Advertising and Marketing firm expected him to travel all over the globe to generate more business. He enjoyed his work, it was challenging. However, he did struggle to keep a balance between his work and family. Simran had gladly given up her career to be a full time mom. She was happy rearing their kids and looking after Parth. Time would fly just making sure the house chores were done, food served, kids forcefully fed (they were bad eaters!) and packing or unpacking Parth's suitcase. He was practically living out of them anyway...
"I miss you and the kids. I can't bear to travel anymore. I think I'll quit. Get something here in Delhi. What do you think?"...Parth said one day.
Simran replied casually; "Hmmm...I think it's a good idea. I could work too then. We'll get a full time maid. It would be nice to have you around for a change" . He had a hurt look in his eyes. Just grumbled and went back to his laptop. He always seemed to be working.
Even at Home...

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"Congratulations!" Mimi's deep and booming voice was oddly comforting.
"Thanks. I am so excited about the whole thing. Although I am worried how Parth would take it..." Simran's voice trailed off.
M: "Don't worry. I am sure he'll be as happy for you as we are. Mum especially. She is thrilled you have decided to go back to work. Now she'll have an excuse to spend more time spoiling Sakshi and Mani. So, when are you planning to break the big news to Parth? You could always leave the kids with us and go out for a quiet dinner."
S: "Hmmm... I could. Let me check with him and see how he is placed tonight. Even though he has stopped travelling, we still don't see much of him. He leaves early in the morning and doesn't get back before midnight".
M: "How is your marriage?"
S: "Aren't you direct!...well...its OK. We live under the same roof, share the same bed, bathroom and soap. Have sex on Sunday's...if that's what you mean?"
M: "Get out of the city, just you and him. You need to spice up your life. "

Simran reflected on her conversation with Mimi long after she had put the phone down.

(To be continued...)

Memoir

Three hours of sifting through postcards, envelopes and pictures, I now feel i know him a little bit more. I discover something new about him everyday. Some things are pleasant, some not so pleasant. But then I accept, adapt, and mould myself to fit into his world better. Our marriage had materialized out of thin air. One wet and mucky evening in September 2005 I met this man and a month later we were betrothed. We were in love and things fell into place beautifully. Families were not just supportive but extremely happy with our match. It was as if divinities were smiling down at us and had instructed the bright sun to see us through till the wedding and after. We were meant to be together and the world around us complied with our wishes. No melodrama, no emotional blackmail, no fights, no resistance. I look back and marvel.
Although, a lone stray thought sometimes crosses my mind and makes me wonder why we didn't wait for a couple of years at least and then decide to settle down. Soon after, another thought finds its way into my latent mind and I realize how I still would not have known him completely. A little better maybe, but not fully. The state of being where you know your better half completely does not exist. Humans are ever changing. We are not constant beings. We get influenced and then change either for the better or for worse with a shift in time, surroundings and situations. The best we can do is to keep our eyes, ears, hearts and minds open to all the changes and learn to not just live with them, but to rejoice in them. Imagine how tiresome our lives would be if the people around us never evolved. We would have set expectations and other people would always meet them. The element of surprise would be subverted. Appalling thought indeed!

The ink was smudged in places; words were unclear where the paper creased, a few pages were dog-eared for some unknown reason. All the postcards and letters were crisp dry like fallen leaves in autumn. The old pictures were hazy and the colors not as sharp as they must have been all those years ago. I spent a long time sitting cross-legged on our king size bed, surrounded with all the letters sent to him over the years by his friends and cousins, pictures of his school trips and little notes which were probably exchanged in school while a lecture was in progress. I stumbled upon this treasure while clearing out his study table, which is perhaps two decades old. After a good 6 months I had the fortune of coming home fairly early from work. Everybody at home was rather busy with their chores, so I decided to go up to my room and rest for a bit. I was looking forward to take a nap for a couple of hours before dinner. Once in my room, scrubbed and changed into comfortable sweatpants and a worn out t-shirt I called him up to tell him I was home. After a brief exchange of words and a few distracted responses from him I inquired if his rashes were any better. He has extremely sensitive skin and he gets pudgy red marks all over his face due to extensive exposure to sun. He grumbled and then requested me to dig out his skin specialist’s prescription from the study table drawer. I obliged. While rummaging through heaps of paper I came across a bundle tightly wrapped in an old yellowish newspaper with a string tied around it. My curiosity got the better of me and I plonked myself down on the bed and quickly tore open the newspaper keeping the wondrous secrets from my inquisitive eyes.

Childish handwriting, weepy words, emotionally tremulous moments exposed in those short statements, movie stories, Pink Floyd and Dire Strait lyrics, mention of pretty and 'well developed' classmates, desires expressed so explicitly for leggy beauties in skimpy shorts, stolen kisses in movie theaters,complaints about unanswered phone calls, first bike and second hand cars, driving license and accidents which left scars, first dates and thunderous fights, jealous girlfriends and wasted nights, getting drunk and hangovers, first smoke and nursing bad throats, flirting and then saving face, classes bunked and final examination marks, college fever and ragging episodes, pilot's training and dissections performed on 80 year old carcasses, losing parents and weddings in the family, inquiries about neighbours' daughters and dogs...

I laughed till my stomach was in knots, I shed a few tears and then felt stupid about getting so involved. I felt a pang of jealousy when I realized how I have no stock of birthday cards, letters from friends in other cities and overseas, picture postcards sent by cousins who were travelling. How could I be so friendless and desolate. No memories to visit, no assortment of tangible evidence of my being a social being. The joy of peeping into his past and discovering moments of happiness and sorrow that he had shared with those who he was close to was mixed with agony. The remorse for people lost, memories forgotten, moments let go of so easily without a second thought assailed me...

I will cherish my today for tomorrow. I want to look back and know I was loved, discern I was surrounded with people who cared, recall moments and conversations shared. I'll save the little love notes he leaves for me around the house, I'll safe keep all the little momentos I receive...I want to live for tomorrow. I want to grab all thats offered to me today and preserve it for my future...for our future...