Bohot
mubarakan aap ko Praaji Meer ka rokka
hua aaj haina? (Many congratualtions to you Brother (Praaji) Meer is engaged today right?) Asked an excited Jassi ji as she came in holding a platter of
jalebis and nudged Geet to keep her hands off them. Geet sneaked a few jalebis
in her hands and with Roop ran inside to meet their saheli-sister as the elders
stepped in.
Behroz
Khan welcomed them into his khoti (old Mansion homes) and beamed a smile with ‘Rokka nahi hua abhi,
woh toh kal hoga, aapke bagair hum kaise bachi ka rishta pakka karde Bhabhi ji’(Enagement hasn't happened yet, that's going to be tomorrow..Without you sister, how can we go ahead and confirm the wedding for my girl!)
Daijaan
walked into the reception room and Jassi ji hugged her warmly saying ‘bohot
Mubarak aap ko Naati ki shaadi’(Many congratulations for your granddaughter's marriage Daijaan). Daijaan smiled with trepidation and said ‘
Tumhe bhi Jaswinder’ (And to you as well, Jaswinder).
Jassi
ji saw the worry in her old eyes and asked ‘kya hua kuch pareshaan dikh rahi
hai aap?’(What's wrong? you look a little worried?).
Daijaan
replied ‘haan, Waleed Ullah came all so sudden in the afternoon without any
notice and I thought maybe they have
come to spend a few days of these summer months in the fresh air of Hoshiarpur,
but he came to propose the marriage of his son with Meer this very summer in
the coming few days’
‘Hain
itni jaldi??’(Oh! why in such a hurry?!), Jassi said with surprise as she looked between her husband and
Daijaan. Mohinder asked Behroz ‘Bhai ji,
itni jaldi kyun hai Wali bhai ko abhi Haider wahan shehar main padai kar raha
hai na’(Why is brother Wali in such a rush? Haider is still studying in the city right?)
Behroz
khan contemplated and then hesitantly said ‘wohi toh fikar lagi hui hai Wali
Ullah ko Mohinder. Kahin ladke ko shehar ki latt lag jaye aur woh khandan ke
usool aur humari khwaishaat ko bhula de (That is the worry he has Mohinder! That his son might get carried away in the whims and fancies of the big city and cross the maxims of our family and forget our all long held wishes).
Mohinder,
a man with big dreams for his girls, asked with worry ‘lekin humari Meer ki
padai Bhai ji? Uska kya?’(But Meer's education? What about that?) Behroz replied ‘unhe koi aitraz nahi hai bachi ko
shehar main padne ka. woh ghar se padai karle’(They have no restrcitions on her studies after marriage, she can continue her education from there).
After
listening to her son explain the reasons for the sudden prospect of marriage of
his granddaughter Daijaan decidedly said ‘agar jawaan khoon ko qaboo main
rakhne uske haat peeley karde toh phir mujhe koi harj nahi lag raha. (If its the case of encasing young minds on the right track of life with marriage, then I think its a wise decision and I agree with the marriage).
Jassi
ji thought the same and agreed with Daijaan ‘haan ji zaroor, yeh toh bohot achi
gal hai ke woh log apne waadey par hai aur shehar jaa kar bhi itne saal baad
yahin purkhoun ki zameen se apne khandaan ko agay badaye’ (Yes Daijaan I agree, this is very nice of them to not forget their heritage despite moving away to the city so long ago and keeping to their promise of taking their family lineage forward with a daughter of their kin).
Behroz
then said ‘Unke kharibi dost aur rishtedar kal aa rahein hain, Wali Ullah paas
wali haweli main ruka huwa hai apne ghar waloun ke saath, kal bohot kaam bhi
rahega aur baatein bhi. Unhe agle hafte hi Shaadi karni hai aur shehar se saari
tayyari kar laye hain’ (They are staying at a Manor house close by, and his close friends and family are arriving tomorrow. There is a lot of work for us all from tomorrow especially with the wedding now in the coming week and they have come prepared for the wedding).
‘Bhabhi
ji, aapne meri bachi ko apni bachiyon se bhi zyada pyaar kiya hai, kal aap use
sambhal le, who pagli toh kuch kehti hi nahi humein. Bas jo marzi baba kehkar
chali gayi andar’. (Jassi sister, you have given more love to my girl than your own daughters. Please will you support her tomorrow. The silly girl doesn't say much to me, all that she said to me was as your wishes, dear Baba.)
Jassi
with tear filled eyes said ‘ haan ji, tussi fikar na karo, main sab sambhal
lungi, mehmanoun ke khane ka intezam aur shaadi ke rasm Daijaan mujhe samjha
dengi (Yes Brother, you don't worry I will take care of her. Daijaan will explain the wedding rituals and the preps for guests to me). She wiped her tears and added ‘meri beti ki shaadi hai aur woh bas kuch
din humare saath hai, khushiyon se bhara hoga ghar agle kuch din’(My daughter is getting married and that too in just a few days. With her, we will fill this house with laughter and happiness for the coming days).
Daijaan
said to Jassi ‘Chaliye phir mehmanoun ki fairist (list) se shuru karre phir
shaadi ke samaan aur khaane ka intezaam ka bhi sochna hai’( Lets begin with the guests list, we then also need to discuss the food arrangements and menus for the events as well). Jassi ji got up to
take Daijaan in her room and let her rest whilst they make plans for the days
coming ahead.
Behroz
called out to the Khansaba (family cook) to send tea and set up dinner as
Mohinder and Behroz walked out in the courtyard to talk on what matters should
be discussed tomorrow among the men for the wedding arrangements.
----------------------------------
As
Meer sat at the edge of her bed, looking out the window and fidgeting the ends
of her dupatta Roop and Geet burst into the room dumping the jalebi on a side
table Geet grabbed Roop’s hands to hold and danced bhangra whilst announcing to
her nervous friend‘ Oh Meerey tera gudda agaya, gudde se teri shaadi hogi tu
ache ache kapde pehengi aur bohot saari mithai khaye gi!! Jaldi yeh jalebiyan
bhi khale warna Amma mujhe hi phir daatengi aur kahegi:’ (Oh Meerey!! Your prince has arrived! You will get married to your prince and will get to wear pretty clothes and delicious food! Come hurry, eat these jalebis before Ma catches me with them and will tell me off in her usual style:)
Geet set her dupatta on her head and hands on
her sides enacting Jassi ji and
pretending at Roop ‘…pehle sab ko mithai baat deti aur phir plate main
lekar jaati, aise hi haath se utha liya, tameez kab aayegi tujhme’ (First you should have offered those sweets to others and elders, then taken the sweets in the plate rather scavenge them in your hands! When will you learn your manners!)She then
flung her dupatta off her head and laughingly dashed on the bed next to her
saheli.
Meer
looked at her friend first in bewilderment and then burst out laughing at her
antics. She laughed as she looked on at her crazy Geet perched on her side with
unruly curls sticking out from all sides of her braid, her kameez unknowingly
ridden up and her juttis carelessly dangling off her feet. She looked like a child
caged in a youthful body unknowingly taking its shape and form into womanhood
with its owner clueless of it.
Meer
then said to Geet, ‘thoda tameez se baith ja, Ma sahi kehti hai tu bilkul
tufaan hai.’ (Sit a little properly here now, Ma is so right about you.. you truly are a tempest!) Geet turned to her and said with a sheen of sadness glistening in
her eyes ‘tufaani hawaoun par baith kar aap ja rahi ho yahaan se Meer Di, main
toh yahin ki mithi main mil jaoungi’(You are the one flying out of here on those strong fiery winds; I will be here still...rooted to our home-land).
Meer
instantly hugged Geet and in a tone full of desperation and hope for her friend
said ‘No Geet, you will fly too from here. There is hope for you as well.
Marriage will come at your doorstep bidding to take you away from here into new
lands of dreams’
Geet
looked up from her friend’s embrace and said in a slight whisper ‘ghar aise banana Di, jahaan par hasi ke pal
sukoon ban kar dil main sab ke rahe aur jab gham hue toh meethas ban kar aapki
zubaan se nikle’( Make such a home Di, where happiness will spread its wings over everyone's hearts and when there is grief, you show its sweetness in your words).
Meer
looked perplexed and asked ‘Matlab?’ (what do you mean?)
Geet
got up walked up to the window and looked out whilst contemplating on the wise
words of Daijaan that she once heard her say and turned to give an explanation
as best as her innocent mind could decipher ‘Matlab ke, khushi sabki aur gham
sirf apna. khushi main toh sab ache hi rehte hai Di gham main aap ache rehna
sab ke saath’(I mean, that happy moments are shared with all but grief is only yours. Everyone stays well and good with you during happiness but you stay well and good with them also in your sad moments).
Roop
who was watching her two sisters deep in conversation and a conversation that
was going over her little brain, she rushed to Geet and said with a deep frown
on her forehead ‘Geetey, mainu itna wich samajh aya si zubaan meethi hone kuch
meetha khana padta hai… aur ghar wich sabse choti kaun? Main! (Geetey, I only understood this that to speak with sweetness in your words you need to eat sweet thing... and who is the youngest in this house? Me!) Said Roop
pointing at herself ‘Toh sabse meethi kaun?’ (So who is the sweetest!? Of course me!) ‘Main!’ she again pointed at herself ‘Toh yeh
jalebiyaan main khalooun?’ (So shall I eat these sweets here). She said holding
her hands out and darting her eyes between the jalebis and her two sisters.
Geet
and Meer burst out laughing at their sister’s endless mission of ‘Sab khau aur
Bhook mithau’(Eat everything you can for that bottomless pit of yours) Meer then said ‘Kha le Chutki warna nazar se hum marjayene aur
fikar se tu’(Eat them all pinch-button! Else we will die of tummy aches and you will too in its worry!) Geet then smacked Roop on the back of her head and ran out of the
room knowing that Roop will follow suit trying to give one back with her still
sticky hands.
Meer
stood at the brim of her door watching the two girls chase after one another
across the haweli around its pillars and the balcony of the courtyard.
She
chuckled and said out loud to herself ‘You are not as clueless as you seem Geetey!...
...Tujh main abhi bhi bachpana hai badmashi hai
lekin tu aise samajhdar aur sayani bhi hogayi
mujhe pata bhi nahi chala , pal main mere dil ko chain agaya teri uss ek baat se,
zindagi kaise bhi mod laye, tujh jaisi saheli ko kabhi nahi chodna jo aise
mashore de seekh waale’.(You are still childish, full of mischief but there are these grains of sensibilities growing within you, of which I had no clue! With just your one small advise you have given my heart rest. Whatever that life may give, I will always want a well wisher & friend like you).
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Note:
You have now been introduced to most of the important people in Geet’s life and
her relationships with them. Now let’s turn the pages to Maan and his much to
be discussed life and character. Some fun and some twists which will bend the
story into its own course I hope!
