Beauty Lies In The,....

Geeta was ready. As usual, her mother came in and insisted on Geeta to apply more face powder. Those days, Pond's was the ultimate powder for everyone to look much fairer and beautiful than they were. Geeta used to hate this ceremony wherein the girl would get well dressed and sit in front of the boy and his family with heads down. Geeta had beautiful features and was good looking too, according to her and her father; but, the skin colour mattered too. She had taken after her dad's side when it came to the complexion, her skin colour was dark brown. This was the reason that she had been rejected 24 times, which was worrisome to her mother.

So, this time Geeta's mother made sure that she would apply the powder all by herself, which was too evident when the boy's family came to her house. Geeta did not lift her head because she knew that despite her lifting head or not, she would be rejected. Well, after the snacks and tea was served, the boy's family left stating that they would get back to them in a short period of time. This time, Geeta's mother was sure that the alliance would go in favour of Geeta as she had applied that extra layer of powder.

Whenever the phone would ring, Geeta's mother would pick the call in anticipation of the response from the boy's side, but to Geeta's bad luck, it would turn out to be someone else's.

Ignorant of all this, Geeta kept herself busy in household chores and gardening, which she loved the most. Every evening when she used to water the plants, she would talk to the plants in her mind and used to touch them and appreciate them because despite the differences in colour, shape, or size, the plants would be together and would always flower even if she would miss watering them one single day.

Her father always liked this habit of Geeta to take care of the garden and that she was very good at it. He believed that God had made a boy especially for his daughter and that day would come pretty soon unlike her mother who always used to worry about Geeta since rejection from 24 boys. The landline phone kept ringing and Geeta's mother picked it up and both Geeta and her father were looking at her reaction. It was the 24th boy's family who had called. Geeta's mother's face turned pale. Anticipating her mother's scoldings, Geeta went inside her room. No, she did not cry this time as she knew the result of the alliance. Her father just touched her head and went out.

Geeta's mother was very upset by this rejection. She felt disappointed and called Geeta to come out of the room and have tea. Geeta was surprised that her mother did not scold her this time. After having tea, Geeta got up to water the plants. Her mother interrupted her by saying that she had bought a new fairness cream from the market and if Geeta keeps applying it on a regular basis, her complexion would become fair in a week or so. Geeta just went out to water the plants leaving her mother behind. While watering, she just cried her heart out and the plants were swaying in such a way that they wanted to pacify her.

After a few days, when Geeta took to taking care of her garden, she somehow got busy there with repot and picking the dried leaves. A person came towards their house and asked Geeta about house address. Geeta could not hear him clearly and asked him to give the paper which had house address. He was little hesitant to give the paper as her hands were muddy. So, Geeta stood up and came near him. When he told the address, Geeta mocked at him saying that he was standing right in front of the house. She asked him as to what was the matter. When he told him that he had come to look for an alliance, the bucket in Geeta's hand slipped and all the water splashed on both of them. The person could see the innocence and beauty on Geeta's face, while Geeta apologized and ran inside.

Geeta informed her parents and both of them came out and brought him inside. After the casual talk, Geeta's mother offered him some snacks. Geeta was feeling nervous this time because the boy had already seen her without Pond's powder. She had mocked at him and had splashed the water accidentally. She was sure of getting rejected. She did not listen to her mother this time and got ready without pond's powder.

She came out of her room and sat in front of the boy. He was good looking too, but she wouldn't look at him. Geeta was looking beautiful and simple, according to the boy. He wanted to talk to her, so he started talking to her, but still she would not lift her head. He thought this was high time he would reveal the reality. He told Geeta's parents that his parents were of the opinion that his choice was the best and that was the reason he had come all alone to their house. He told that this was his first proposal and after hearing this, Geeta just wanted to run away from there but sufficed herself to sit for a while. She could hardly hear anything after that.

On hearing the boy's response, Geeta's parents called out for her. This too did not make her face lift up as she was in her own world. The boy knelt down in front of Geeta and asked her "will you marry me". Geeta could not believe it. The boy after remembering the garden incident asked her loudly, "will you marry me?". Geeta blurted it out, Ma, this is the silver jubilee, 25th, Geeta's mother closed her mouth and they all started laughing.