Chapter 10: chapter 10

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mowri, askedincredulously, "Did you not think it wasimportant I was told or were you thinking I would never find out?" she said.Biji, was in her room on her bed in a half sitting and half lying position. She was tired after the excitement today. Mowri, was here to ask questions."I wanted you to find it out for yourself," biji, said."What kind of lame excuse is that," Mowri, said."It is not an excuse and stop taking that tone with me," biji, said sternly, "you think nobody knows you well, I do girl and I know how that mind works. You think I didn't know you would have used this and not even met the guy" she said, "now look where my not telling you landed you. Here you arewanting to meet with him again to make up your mind. Had I told you before he was a divorcee you would have flipped and run back before anybody could even know whatwas happening," she said."You should have still told me biji,," Mowri, said quietly. She knew biji, was right in her assessment."And what would that have achieved," biji, said, "I told you everyone has a past. You have one too. It isn't that big but in our society anything associated with a girl is big whether it is her fault or not. No matter how educated and progressive we are otherwise when it comes to a girl we are pretty backward. How many times have you been rejected merely because of that?" she asked."And you yourself said to judge someone without knowing what happened was the dumbest thing anyone could do and you would have added your name in that list if Ihad told you before," she said, "as for Arnab,he is good boy. I never met him but I saw him at that marriage last month. He was polite, polished and from his conversations withothers he came across as a grounded, decent boy. One could have thought he was pretending but not every single time. Nobody is that perfect. I have seen the world Mowri,, I can judge a person from a mile and he seemed to be a good match for you. I spoketo Sarla his mother and she told me all about him. People haven't been good to him eitherapparently society as a whole takes a tough stand for the label 'divorcee'. He is so young with everything going for him and yet they are unable to find a good match for him. I was taken aback too. But it got me thinking.I don't have the details but if I put this one aspect of his away there is nothing wrong with him. You think I didn't face opposition from your parents," she said then smiled wryly, "think again. Roop was aghast with my decision. Amardeep didn't speak to me for three days before he came around reluctantly. And just a few minutes ago they both were here thanking me and hoping all would go well. Why?" she asked.Mowri, didn't have an answer so she kept quiet."Because now suddenly he is a great choice for you," she said shaking her head at the idiocy of it all, "because through their narrow-mindedness all they saw was a good family and a very handsome boy for you plus they are Punjabis. Not to mention it would begood for you to get married to him since youboth have a past and this was the best youwould ever find," she said derisively."What?" Mowri, said offended."They are unable to see beyond unlike youor me," biji, said shrewdly, "you were upsetwhen you found out but you recoveredputting things in perspective unfortunately your parents have yet to learn what perspective means. He is the best they had seen so he is good enough can you believe that," biji, said as she settled deeper into herpillows, "I didn't know whether to laugh or slap my forehead in frustration. Now do you see what I have to deal with on an everyday basis? The fools," she said and removed her glasses to put them near her pillow."I can't believe they gave that reason for their acceptance of him," Mowri, said incredulously."Yes," biji, said, "though Roop is a bitcheesed off still because of his once married status, she was telling me it would have been wonderful if he was never married before like Sameer or even Varun," she said quietly watching her granddaughter.Mowri, reacted like a snake whose tail had been stepped over. She was spitting mad at that. Just the reaction biji, was hoping for and she smiled slowly."Varun," Mowri, hissed, "he is nowhere even close to Abhay." she said furiously, "that goodfor nothing, cheating, lying nincompoop, wonder what anybody ever saw in him. You forget about what my parents have to say they are just as bad," she said, "Arnab,is themost understanding and logical guy I have met and if they think his past will stop me from taking a decision to get married to him they are sadly mistaken," she said firmly."Good," biji, said, "I spoke to Sarla about that other meeting you both wanted and you are to meet him tomorrow at the coffee shopat eleven in the morning," she said, "Mowri, make this meeting count. You will not have another chance. I am progressive but not so much so think carefully about what youneed to talk about, ask or discuss," biji, said warning her.Mowri, took a deep breath. She understood what biji, was saying. This was her last chance to come up with the big decision .After all you just got so many chances in anarranged alliance. Too many meetings werenot allowed. How could one make such a monumnental decision as marriage on the basis of two or three meetings? But she knew tomorrow might be the last chance."What about Kulraj?" she asked."What albout her?" biji, said irritated. "She has already decided she wants to destroy her life and she will with or without my permission," biji, said, "worst her parents are supporting her in this," she said."What do you mean?" Mowri, asked confused,"Didn't you like Sameer?" she asked."Sameer is okay even though there is no depth of character in that boy." biji, replied,"it is the family I am worried about. Hisfather says something but means something else and that mother of his is going to prove a tough nut to crack. I have never hada liking for beady eyed people they are not reliableand the way she was talking today about how traditional they are, if they were that traditional they would never have allowed Sameer to go alone with Kulraj for the amount of time they had vanished. Even you returned long before I had to send Kuldeepto fetch them," she said annoyed with the whole thing, "that woman is not what she seems and Nimmi has no sense to see that.She thinks Sameer is wrapped around her daughter's finger I am telling you it is going to be the exact opposite. He is the only son of course he has a younger sister but after meeting with him," she said and shook herhead, "you have a better deal than Kulraj any day." biji, said with confidence."Deal?" Mowri, said shaking her head."Yes," biji, said unabashed."Why don't you talk to Kulraj?" Mowri, said."Because that girl thinks she knowS what she is getting into so does her mother and Nihal only does what Nimmi tells him. I am not going to break this family because of onegranddaughter's stupicity. I can control only so much if her fate is driving her towards destruction who am I to stop her," biji, said with a sigh, "I am old now Mowri,. I don't have too much energy left and at the end of the day she is Nimmi and Nihal's daughter I can only say so much. And as they say love is blind in Kulraj's case it has also made is blind in Kulraj's case it has also made her deaf, dumb and muddleheaded," she muttered.Biji, was right. There was only so much one could say. Biji, had already warned them of the consequences and they were not littlekids who couldn't make a difference between right or wrong. Everyone was responsible for their decisions. Mowri, saw how tired biji, was. She got up and left wishing her goodnight. There was so much to think aboutand so much to decide.Was biji, right when she said she wasgetting a good deal? Should she say yes?Maybe she should wait for that meeting tomorrow. With that she went towards her room. Things would be much clearer in the morning or so she hoped.*******