Everything For Him - Part 4

'Ananya dear, I had to come because there is a marriage proposal for you. It came up rather suddenly,' Sharath uncle said. 'He is one of my distant relatives and he doesn't care about caste.'

I sat down on the sofa sipping my coffee. It took some seconds to absorb the information. Sandhya and her parents care a lot about me. Her father had turned seventy last month and we celebrated his birthday grandly. Her mother despite being sixty-five still looked younger and beautiful. The hair on her head was still black with grey streaks appearing here and there. Her organic lifestyle paid off wonderfully.

'We came to know about this only in the morning when the boy's family confirmed that he wanted to meet you,' said Sandhya's mother. 

Every time they have found me a match, they would say it's suitable "for a woman like me". I got tired of hearing it. 

'He lives in America. He's a mechanical engineer with a good job and he is also a green card holder.'

'He's a respectable chap. I have gone through his profile.' Now Sandhya took her turn. 'He is a perfect match for you.'

I was on mute all throughout the time they were speaking. I literally didn't understand what to tell them. I waited and watched as Sandhya poured hot tea into her father's cup.

Respectable was a neat little term that encompassed any number of perceived virtues and flaws. At least three "respectable" men had been proposed for me in the past two years. All three had had serious handicaps. One was a recovering alcoholic, the second had a degenerative eye disorder that was slowly making him blind, the third was a pilot and a widower with a child who needed a nursemaid-cum-mother. 

Ironically they had rejected me, instead of I rejecting them as they all wanted a virgin unmarried woman. They themselves are married but they don't want a married woman.

I couldn't care less and I was glad to be rid of such proposals. I am content with my single status for now. Unlike other women at least I had a job and if I can get a good opportunity in another company I can financially be self-sufficient. I don't need a husband.

'Ananya, speak something,' Sandhya interrupted my thoughts.

'So, when do I get to meet this respectable man?'

'Soon,' replied the uncle. 'But this time there won't be any problems. Trust me.'

'Okay, uncle.' I was sure I would be rejected again.

'I've brought a nice turquoise bandhani sari for you. Blue suits you well,' said Sandhya.

They had come with all the preparation. Sandhya's mother opened the carry bag and took out the sari along with a matching blouse. There's no way out for me to escape the plan that was already in motion. I sank back against the cushion and folded my arms across my chest. 

For one more time, my thoughts went back to the past, the day on which my match with Raghav was fixed. As I closed my eyes I could still feel the smile on my mother's face. Her happiness at that moment was indescribable. And today, I don't have her in front of my eyes anymore. My eyes became wet as I took a trip down memory lane.

'Ananya!' Sandhya came and sat beside me.

I opened my eyes and teardrops starting coursing through my cheeks. Sandhya wiped the tears with her hand.

'What happened Ananya?' uncle asked me.

'Nothing uncle, I just remembered my mother.'

'Don't worry dear! Treat us like your parents,' he replied.

'Thank you, uncle!' Somewhere deep down I started feeling confident with his comforting words. Truly Sandhya and her parents always cared a lot about me. 

'So uncle, he's coming with his parents to my flat tomorrow?'

'No parents this time,' Uncle replied. 'He will be coming along with his younger sister this evening.'

Something still bothered me. 'Uncle, you still haven't told me anything about him. What's his name?'

'His name is Dilip Kumar. And he is divorced.'

'I see! What's the reason for his divorce?'

'He was married to an American woman. They got divorced two years ago.' The truth was slowly coming out. 

'Uncle, my question is what's the reason for his divorce? I should know it right.' 

'Even I don't know?' Uncle shrugged and rose to his feet. 'One thing I can say is he is a good match for you. And you can trust him.'

Other than the divorce, the man sounded like a better prospect than the other three people I had met so far. And yet my instincts were bristling. He is a complete stranger to me who lives half-way across the globe. What can be the reasons for the divorce? He could be a wife-beater or an alcoholic or just about anything.

'Does he have kids?'

'A fourteen-year-old daughter,' came the reply from the uncle.

I don't know whether she will adjust with me… I murmured to myself.

'Ananya we will come again in the evening. Dilip will be coming here at 7:00 p.m. Get ready.'

'Ok uncle!'

Sandhya and her parents made a gentle exit from my flat. The moment they left I walked by and looked up at the mirror in my bedroom. I still had problems recognizing myself on some days. I was still coming to terms with the new and improved me, the woman who actually enjoyed putting on make-up and spending more than twenty minutes on her hair.

Never in my life, I thought I would have to fight a battle of loneliness. Slowly it started getting cold. I made Maggi noodles and took a short nap. I slept without a care for the world and by the time I woke up, it was already five. 

I got up and in a matter of fifteen minutes, Sandhya along with her husband and parents knocked on my door.

Sandhya entered carrying a large carry bag in her hands. I could take in the aroma of Samosas and Pakoras.

'Please fresh up and get ready soon. They will come here at seven.'

'Hmm… okay.' 

I walked into the washroom to take my shower. As I undressed and glanced at the stitch marks beginning from the upper part of my stomach till the lower abdomen, running my fingers upon them, I remembered the ghastly nightmare of my past life. 

'Come fast!' Sandhya shouted as she knocked hard on my bathroom door.

'Almost done! I am coming…' I told her.

After ten minutes I came out with a towel wrapped around my body. Sandhya was holding a hairdryer in her hand, waiting for me like a soldier holding a gun. She made me sit down on the three legged stool and began drying my hair. I later wrapped the sari around my body that they gave me in the morning.

'Ananya…' Sandhya's mother stepped in to my room and glanced at me from top to bottom. 'You look like Goddess Lakshmi! Unlucky will be that person who misses you.' She kissed me on my forehead. 

By the time I got ready it was already 06:50. There was a knock on the main door. Sharath uncle has opened the door from which three persons emerged, two male and one female

I managed to steal a few hasty peeks at Dilip through the curtain of my bedroom as he walked in with his sister and brother-in-law. They were early for ten minutes.

Dilip had a longish face with a square jaw and high cheekbones. If he had a few more strands of hair along his receding hairline, he could have almost looked good. He was dressed conservatively in neat grey trousers and a blue-and-white checked shirt. Behind his black-frame spectacles, he had dark, intelligent eyes.

Dilip apologized profusely for arriving early and sat down on the sofa along with his sister and brother-in-law. He seemed at ease, calm, and self-assured.

The samosas had come out from the kitchen perfect plump and crunchy and golden. Sandhya served them with tea and expensive biscuits and mithais that she had brought from the market. Dilip thanked her for serving "the superb Indian tea."

Dilip's sister, Roshni, dressed in an elegant sari, was smiling a lot and asking awkward, curious questions. Her husband, on the other hand, seemed to be a man of few words. He seemed uninterested in me and the purpose of his visit appeared to be inwardly drooling over the samosas and tea.

An awkward and sudden silence came up in the general conversation and everyone except me whose eyes were steadfastly downcast, turned their gaze towards Dilip.

Dilip now took the cue and began asking questions about my education and career. He didn't ask me anything about my previous marriage.

'Uncle, may I please talk to you alone for a moment?' He asked Sharath uncle, motioning towards the corridor outside.

Uncle looked flustered for an instant before nodding. A minute later, they both returned with uncle's brows slightly knotted. Dilip's expression was unchanged. It was hard to tell what had transpired.

Had Dilip rejected me? The possibility did sting a little, maybe he too needs a virgin woman.

My eyes remained fixed on Dilip as he said his namastes to Sandhya and her parents and finally to me.

The evening came to an end, I didn't feel relieved as I had after the earlier meetings. As they got ready to leave, Dilip did something odd and unexpected.

After the trio left, Sharath uncle closed the door and stroked his chin, like he was trying to make sense of it himself. 'He says he'd like to talk to Ananya alone. He asked for my permission to take her out to dinner tomorrow night.'

'What did you say?'

'I said I will inform after I talk to Ananya,' he turned his face towards me. 'Ananya, in case if you are okay with it, he'll pick you up at seven-thirty tomorrow evening.'

'How can we send her like that?' Aunty broke in with a stern tone.

'He is a decent fellow. I know him and I'm sure Ananya will be safe.'

'Uncle, I'd like a chance to talk to him. It is I who has to marry him and I should know everything about him. Maybe he felt shy to ask me in front of all?' I told him.

'If everything goes well, you will soon be flying to the United States, dear,' Uncle said.

To be continued...