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Marriage, a Dilemma
by
R.H. Sarah
Chapter 3
All was set to take off to Mumbai. Meenaxi at intervals of time thought of her
life after Sapna's marriage. She didn't want to think, it was the last thing she
wanted to see in her life. Seema, who too accompanied her sister, was too
thrilled to think of any tensions in her life.
"Dad, mom, that is our flight announcement. We'll leave?" asked Meenaxi and Mr. and Mrs. Dixit nodded, but the nod was too much enthusiastic from Mrs Dixit and said, "Yes, yes of course, you should leave. It is good that you must go and meet your friend and yes meet everyone, every single man in the marriage and-"
"Meena, Seema you go", Mr Dixit said and Meenaxi smiled at him and waved her parents and they left. Mrs Dixit screamed out loudly, "Seema, do tell me of all the progress!" They got into their plane and as it was about to take off, Meenaxi asked what Mrs Dixit meant about the progress thing.
"Dids, I think she
meant how Mumbai is progressing". Meenaxi nodded, she knew it wasn't at all what
her mother had meant. The progress of Mumbai should have come from her father
and not mother. She thought for a while and then knew a little that, it was
something to do with her some dumb marriage plans and she didn't wanted to know.
Seema, who sat away from the window, was more interested in seeing the stewards
of the plane than the sights of New Delhi.
"Hey dids, what do
you think of that steward, he's cool", said Seema eyeing one of the male
steward.
But, Meenaxi was a little off mood and she didn't wanted to hear anything about
any man. The mention of the word 'man' was really too much for Meenaxi to take.
After long hours of the flight, they landed in Mumbai. The weather was pleasant,
neither too hot nor too cold, it was the time for the monsoons. After the basic
formalities, Meenaxi and Seema came to the airport and Meenaxi searched for her
best friend, from the crowd of strangers. Any familiar face that she could see
and at last she spotted, Sapna who waved fanatically at them.
They walked towards her direction and Sapna came running towards them.
"Meena!" yelled Sapna and Meenaxi did the same.
"Hey Seema, how are you?" Sapna asked as she saw Meenaxi's sister also.
"I am fine, cool you see", Seema replied.
"All right, we better get into the car and then we shall talk on our way", Sapna said, as she got their luggage carried by a driver, who came at once, when needed. They drove into the busy roads of Mumbai and Seema was too interested seeing people, than talking. Whereas Meenaxi was thrilled to be away from her constant walking marriage bureau mother and coming to her best, best friend.
Sapna and Meenaxi studied in the same school in New Delhi, they were friends from Kindergarten till their A levels. Then Sapna left for Mumbai and Meenaxi continued in New Delhi. But they had promised each other to write and keep in touch, especially they promised to invite each other for their weddings and this was the promise that Sapna kept.
"So when are you getting married?" asked Sapna.
"After attending
your marriage", replied Seema, to whom the question wasn't addressed to. Sapna
looked at her best friend with a surprise smile and nodded in questionably
manner to ask, weather it was true. But Meenaxi kept her finger on her lips and
warned her friend about the presence of Seema. That was it. Throughout the
journey they talked of things that none were interested and both waited
impatiently for them to reach their destination.
At last they arrived at the Mukherji household, that is at Sapna's house and the
first thing that Sapna did was to give them their best room and she then told
Seema to have something to eat from the kitchen (for which Seema was delighted)
and then Sapna took Meenaxi t her room.
"I feel sad, it was so obvious that I tried to avoid Seema from our rendezvous", Sapna said guiltily.
"Oh please, it s better if you do like that only. I don't know, but she's a big spy of mom's and I know I can't talk to you freely when she's around", Meenaxi answered back as she made herself comfortable.
"All right back to business. When are you getting married?" asked Sapna.
"After I reach home after your marriage, I promised mom that I will get ENGAGED, mind it engaged to somebody. Don't ask me who it is, because she still has to decide about it and me too".
"Hey, you look so sour about the whole thing. Is everything all right?"
"I dunno, I look sour because I don't want to get married".
"Any relevant reason, by the way?"
"Nope, I am just scared. How would he treat me, especially I had took into watching soap operas. But life isn't as easy as they show in them. If the girl isn't happy, she marries someone else and then not yet satisfied, she goes behind another one. Its...its like if you don't like Coke, go to Pepsi, if you don't like Pepsi, go to 7up. But this isn’t really true", said Meeanxi.
"Ohhhh, I thought it was some other guy"
"What? Oh please,
if it were you would have come to know, because you are so nosy about things
and-"
The phone rung and Sapna went to answer it. After a couple of minutes, she
starts gesturing Meenaxi and after a long time, she discovered that it is her
would be's phone.
"Yea, Ro, I will bring a friend of mine along also. I want her to meet you and you to meet her- all right- bye".
"All right Meena
you better get ready and also tell Seema, we have to go to Mc Donald’s", Sapna
said and Meenaxi all thrilled by now to meet her friend's friend, she got out of
the room.
It was almost three, but Sapna's parents didn't come from their shopping.
Meenaxi and Seema waited for Sapna to come from her room. As she came down, they
saw her all so decorated that Seema couldn't help passing a silent comment,
"Merry Christmas, Deeds".
"Shut up", Meenaxi said to her sister.
"How do I look", asked Sapna with a hope of hearing praise.
"Like a trimmed Christmas tree", replied Seema and Meenaxi looked at her sister embarrassedly. But Sapna was redder than Meenaxi.
"Well! I have to
be honest, he will like you", said Meenaxi and Sapna jumped up with thrill, "if
he's a Santa Claus that is. Hey Sapna, what is this? Where is your that plain
look. You are so...so...so...ah...over decorated that shows that its your first
time in doing so. Come on Sap, be simple".
Sapna nodded, but her nod was halfhearted action. She walked back and in a few
minutes, she came back without make up, without eye shadows, red dark lipstick,
red rouge and her pin-decorated hair. Now she looked more like a simple girl.
"How's it now", asked Sapna
"Now it is more like it. He will be impressed", said Meenaxi and all the three left the house to meet Mr Rohan, Sapna's would be. Mc Donald’s wasn't too far from her house, just a 15 minutes drive. As they arrived, Meenaxi felt nervous, she didn't know why. They walked into the Mc Donald’s and there Meenaxi saw a young man sitting and as he saw them come, he sprang up on his feet and greeted them. As he saw Sapna, he quickly got worried and said, "Hey are you all right. If you are ok why are you so simple. You don't look good, you look sad". Sapna critically looked at Meenaxi and Meenaxi looked at Seema and she didn't know what to do, so she stared at Mr Rohan.
"What would you like to have?" Mr Rohan asked them, as they sat on their seats.
"I will have a burger", Seema said and Meenaxi hit her with her elbow, Rohan saw that and he said that it was all right.
"And you Meenaxi?" Rohan asked and Meenaxi felt bubbles in her stomach, when he took her name, it was funny.
"I will have a
burger too", replied Meenaxi shyly.
Rohan left to give the order and Sapna looked at her friend and her sister and
said, "He is a Santa Claus".
As the three talked busily, a young man came and sat on their table without
their permission. Seema was delighted to see a handsome man join them, but then
she doubted if he was married.
"Hey waht is this? Don't you have any manners, this is a vacant table can't you see", said Meenaxi, angrily.
"I know it is a vacant table, if I have come all the way to this place by my own, that means I can see. Your another question was what is this, I think your blind", replied the man and Meenaxi noticed that he had light eyes, blue eyes. She had to accept the fact, they were immensely beautiful.
"How dare you talk like that?" asked Menaxi as she heard him talk in such an inappropriate manner.
"Ma’am, I am a person who dares to talk to people that way. So, you are just a second fiddle", replied the person calmly.
"Fiddle? Sheesh what language".
"Thanks".
Meenaxi sat and Sapna suggested that they better change the
table, to which the blue eyes man heard it and said, "I am sorry maam, but if
you go to that table, I shall come there too".
Rohan came with great difficulty carrying two trays and in an instant; the
stranger got up and helped him.
"Thanks", said Rohan and they both sat together, "AA...Sapna this is my best friend, Ithan, I told him to come and join us".
"Oh I see, it’s really nice to meet you, but how did you knew it was us?" asked Sapna.
"I saw the most beautiful lady, I am not talking about you", Ithan said to Meenaxi and then turned to Sapna and continued, " and when I saw you, I knew it is you".
"How sweet", said Sapna fully impressed with Ithan.
"How fake", said Meenaxi, silently.
"Oh by the way I think we three have to apologise to you", said Sapna, "I am really sorry".
"Yeah me too", apologised Seema and then it was Meenaxi's turn, but there was silence and Rohan, Sapna, Seema and Ithan (who had a side smile and his deep dimple showed) stared at her, "What? What are you staring at me. I won't apologise. What is this, supposing if...if...ah...if that...that cashier there comes to us, we will assume him to be Rohan's best friend and pull tell him to sit with us, though he is not and his main purpose is this that, he has come to collect the bill", Meenaxi said breathlessly. Rohan, Sapna and Seema all the three nodded their heads in an affirmation that how right she was. But Ithan still had that charming smile on him and then he shook his head and said with sympathy, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I have a suggestion for you Miss whatever your name is, don't ever think of writing a story, you will build many flaws in it and yes, it will be as boring as you are. Now for your whatever you had said, right now. Miss etc, etc-"
"Meenaxi", Meenaxi interrupted, who was half burnt with anger, and the remaining half was still left.
"Oh I see,
Miss...a...Meenaxi in McDonalds the cashier doesn't come in with a bill and
plate for you to pay, if you order, you pay there itself, so there is no
question of him coming to you and you pulling him to sit and entertain you.
Secondly, if supposing, going against the rules, if the cashier comes, won't you
come to know that he works in McDonalds by his uniform adn yes one more thing,
don't say, ‘why Rohan can't have a friend working in Mc Donald’s, because that
would be the first thing he would do, he would introduce you to him and then
give the order..."
There was applause from Seema and Meenaxi pulled her hands down, this was
clearly seen, by Ithan.
"You are a fine person. You both are related?" Ithan asked coolly to Seema and she nodded.
"Oh you don't seem to be, you are so opposite to your sister. You are so good, lovely, pretty, intelligent (very important), you don't say a cashier to sit with you and talk to you, very nice I am impresses", said Ithan and there were giggling that came from Rohan, Sapna and also from Seema.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Seema".
"Lovely name, not like..." he looked at Meenaxi and Meenaxi returned the gaze with fire in her eyes, which made him not to go on, if he wanted the McDonalds to survive.
"May I ask you a question, if you don't mind?" asked Seema.
"Sure go ahead".
"Why are your eyes blue?"
"Because they are fake, just like him", Meenaxi whispered, but it was easily heard.
"If you want to whisper, make sure you whisper. And Miss...a...M...Meenaxi, I am not like women too conscious of hiding my real eye colour and not craving for greys andblues and greens and hazel. I like what is natural. My mom was an English and my dad an Indian. Oh by the way, to make t more clear to you, from whom I inherited my blue eyes, because at times it is hard to pick up simple things, so I inherited my blue eyes from my mom and not from my dad, because dad had..." he waited and Seema spoke, "Black eyes".
"Exactly, see how right I was, you’re smart too, because still your sister didn't understand. I will come from the scratch again, as I was saying that my mom had blue eyes and dad-" Meenaxi got up from her place, she didn't wanted to have any more of this man's crap in her ears.
"Shall we leave, Sapna?" Meenaxi asked, who didn't look at Ithan at all.
"Why? It's so early and I am enjoying this conversation", Sapna said looking at Ithan who delightfully bowed his head with gratitude.
"Intelligent people enjoy intelligent conversation", Ithan declared seeing directly at Meenaxi, who avoided his eyes.
"Fine then I am leaving, if you wanna come, come otherwise you give me your address and I will go by myself".
"Oh no, Sapna
never do that, who knows, she will give a wrong address to the taxi man and
instead of arriving at your house, who knows she may come to my house", declared
Ithan and Meenaxi looked at him, she was too scary and too frightening and she
said with a scowl, "Shut up".
Without any word of byes and good byes, except non-verbally, Sapna and Seema
walked behind her like guards. As they hailed the taxi, Meenaxi's anger had
dropped a few degrees and she approachable.
"What is this, you
had insulted him so badly and also I couldn't talk to Rohan also and Ithan is
Rohan's best friend, you had to be good to him, not so insulting and rude",
Sapna complained.
Meenaxi looked at her best friend and she said almost screaming that the driver
too had a shock at the starting and then thought that one of the passenger is
half crazy, "Insult? Rude? I had been rude oh God! You should ask me how I felt;
your Rohan should be saying your dialogues to him, not you to me. You know, you
know he was such an enormously hateful character that I felt like parcelling him
in that Mc Donald’s saying that it is a big Ham that I have delivered and please
make a hamburger out of it. When he insulted me, HE WAS THE ONE WHO INSULTED ME.
NOT ME WHO WAS INSULTING HIM. I felt like as if he was throwing rotten eggs and
tomatoes on me and...and...and...my friend and my sister, that lovable,
intelligent sister, you both people, you know what you people were doing, you
people were seeing which egg didn't break, and which eggs aren't rotten, so that
you could make an omelette out of it and you know give it to Ithan for
BREAKFAST. Sheesh! All this excitement was all disturbed by that arrogant,
idiotic, sick, stupid, fool, rubbish, good for nothing Ithan. I feel
like...like...like...like yes, drowning him in the Titanic", as Meenaxi
finished, she gave out a breath and them looked at Sapna and Seema and she knew
her lecture didn't go 'fully' waste. It was good for her nerves.
"Oh yes, one more thing, I HATE HIM, IDIOT, FOOL, DUMB, SICKO".
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