Although in the heat of the moment and in a state of uncontrolled excitement, I may have said I would go to Chandigarh , come what may, there were a lot of things to be thought of. It was not going to be easy. Babuji had already given his opinion. Amma would surely support him. I, myself had questions which begged answers.
" Congratulations, your darling Bittuji is going to Chandigarh. He wants to finalise his marriage. Happy, aren't you?" Babuji was speaking to Amma who had just entered the room.
" Chandigarh? Marriage? With whom? Has he found a new girl?" Amma seemed to be in a state of confusion, which was natural under the circumstances.
"Ask him yourself, he will tell you everything in great detail, I am sure". Babuji could not keep the taunting tone out of his voice.
" What is your father saying? I am sure he is joking. It was his habit to annoy you and always blame me for anything wrong you used to do."
"Tell her, I am not going to say anything. It's your problem, your story, so you handle it". Babuji"s tone had become a little serious now.
"Amma, the phone call was from Anita."
" Anita? What does she want now? Hasn't she already caused enough problems for us, for you? I am telling you, my son, you stay away from her. She is nothing but trouble". It was obvious that Amma was not only disturbed but also angry.
" No, Amma, she is not going to create any problems. She really wants to marry me" I said, trying to be calm and also making an effort to sound loving and affectionate.
" But I don't want you to marry her. She has been making a fool of you. She told you she would come to this place and never did. She was going to get married, wasn't she? Then what happened? She gave you this information just a few days before her marriage was to take place. What was the point in that? Had she really loved you, she would have never let things reach this far. She would have straightaway told her parents about you and refused to get married but instead she waited and then called you when it was too late. she was ready to disgrace her parents and we were fools who agreed to her coming here. No, Bittuji, I don't like her, I don't like her at all. You forget about her, is that clear" Amma had almost started shouting. This was unheard of, she never shouted, not at me. She had really lost her cool and for me it was unbelievable.
"Amma, I want to marry her and that is that. Her marriage did not take place. Her father has agreed to her marriage with me. He wants me to discuss everything, that is why I have to go" I realised, I had also begun to lose my cool but I couldn't help it.
" If he wants his daughter to marry you, let him come and talk to us. We will not let you go there. I don't trust this Suri fellow. You saw how rudely he spoke to Babuji that day? No one speaks to him in that manner. These Punjabis are all the same. I want you to marry a Kashmiri girl, do you understand?" Amma was getting angrier by the minute. I had never seen her this angry before.
" Amma, you listen to me, I am not going to marry any Kashmiri girl. I love Anita and she is the one I shall marry, is that clear?" The famous or I should say notorious Bittu temper had started showing its colours.
" Stop it , Bittu, will you? Is this the way to talk to the woman who has nothing but love for you in her heart? You are not a kid anymore. Those juvenile tantrums of yours will not work anymore. You have always had your way. We have encouraged you to be obstinate and stubborn but not now, when you are grown up and realise what is right and what is not. What do you think, Anita is a toy, you ask for it and we will give it to you? You were a spoiled brat . I remember how , in the middle of the night, you wanted a toy which you had seen in a shop that day. You must have been 10 or 12 at that time. You started howling, you wanted that toy and wanted it immediately. We tried to make you understand that no shop would be open at 1 in the morning but you would have none of it. your shrieks and howls grew louder and louder. Amma asked me to do something, as she wanted to give you everything you wanted. I recall how I walked all the way to that shop, the owner had his residence above the shop. I woke him up. He understood because he knew how difficult you could be. I got the toy for you and only then did you go to sleep. I can never forget that night. And now, you are behaving the same way. You want Anita and you think we will buy her for you, the way I bought that toy, huh ?" Babuji was furious now.
" Babuji, please calm down, this anger is not good for your health. Don't worry. Bittuji is a sonagobur,{ literally, it meant a son made out of gold} he will do exactly as we say, he has been through a lot of stress, he needs rest and then he will himself realise the folly of what he is thinking of doing". Amma's tone had changed to a very conciliatory one, She patted me on the head and then got up , saying, she would heat up the food as dinner time was approaching.
Babuji did not say a word. He picked up an old newspaper and started reading it. I knew he was not reading. It had been an old habit of his, whenever he wanted to ignore something, he would take the help of the newspaper.
" Babuji, what do you want me to do?"
" Ah, look who is asking? Have you ever bothered about what others wanted? You are asking me what you should do when you yourself know you are going to do what you want, so why ask me? But be clear about one thing, I will not let you go to meet Mr. Suri, You will not go to Chandigarh. This Suri fellow cannot be trusted. and to be frank with you, I don't even trust this Anita of yours. Now don't you start shouting at me?"Her name was nowhere on the passenger list.
" Babuji, why don't you understand? I love her, we have loved each other for over five years now. I know her very well. She is a very nice girl, believe me"
" Believe you, my foot. You were never a good judge of human character, anyone who talked to you sweetly was a wonderful person. So don't give me this nonsense about her being a good girl, I am not going to be swayed by your thinking"
" Babuji, she came all the way to this place to marry me, doesn't it prove she loves me?"
Who says she came to this place? Her name was nowhere on the passenger list. And if she was really here why didn't she talk to you herself/ Why did she let Prakash do all the talking? You were not marrying Prakash, you were marrying Anita. One more thing for you to mull over. Anita knew the address of our house? What prevented her from coming here? What prevented Prakash from coming here? Both of them were aware of this address. And why were you picked up by the army the very day you were going to the hotel to meet Anita? There seems to be something very , very fishy about all this?" Babuji was talking to me but it appeared he was talking more to himself than to me. Whatever he said made sense but I was in no mood to have anything of it.
" Bahuji and Lalaji know Anita, don't they? You told me they do. They know the Suri fellow also. Let me talk to Lalaji". Before I could say anything Babuji picked up the receiver and started dialing.
" Hello, Lalaji? Kyasa waray tchew? (Are you all well?)
" We are all well. No, no, no, don't worry, Amma is also fine and so is Bittuji." I couldn't hear what Lalaji was saying but I could make out what he must be saying.
" Oh, I called for a very special reason. You know that girl Anita, the one Bittu wants to marry?"
" I knew you did. I am sure you know that Suri also, don't you?"
" You want to know why I am asking all this. I will tell you."
Babuji told him everything about Anita's phone call and my decision to go to Chandigarh. Babuji was listening to what Lalaji was saying and his face had started flushing with anger. He gripped the receiver tightly.
" Is that what he said, that bastard?" I was shocked. I had never heard Babuji use any expletives or swear words. This was the first time, I had heard him utter this word. Something really drastic must have happened.
" ok ok , don't you worry, just relax and look after Bahuji. All will be well. Namaskar". With these words, Babuji hung up the phone. He turned towards me. I knew I was about to hear some unpalatable news.
" Do you know hat has happened in Amritsar? That Suri gunda (goon) had come to meet lalaji and do you know what he said, do you? He threatened both Bahuji and Lalaji. He said his daughter was getting married soon . He warned them that if you don't return all Anita's letters and photographs within two days, he will have you arrested even if you were in Kashmir. He said that he would teach you such a lesson that you would not forget it your whole lifetime."
" Congratulations, your darling Bittuji is going to Chandigarh. He wants to finalise his marriage. Happy, aren't you?" Babuji was speaking to Amma who had just entered the room.
" Chandigarh? Marriage? With whom? Has he found a new girl?" Amma seemed to be in a state of confusion, which was natural under the circumstances.
"Ask him yourself, he will tell you everything in great detail, I am sure". Babuji could not keep the taunting tone out of his voice.
" What is your father saying? I am sure he is joking. It was his habit to annoy you and always blame me for anything wrong you used to do."
"Tell her, I am not going to say anything. It's your problem, your story, so you handle it". Babuji"s tone had become a little serious now.
"Amma, the phone call was from Anita."
" Anita? What does she want now? Hasn't she already caused enough problems for us, for you? I am telling you, my son, you stay away from her. She is nothing but trouble". It was obvious that Amma was not only disturbed but also angry.
" No, Amma, she is not going to create any problems. She really wants to marry me" I said, trying to be calm and also making an effort to sound loving and affectionate.
" But I don't want you to marry her. She has been making a fool of you. She told you she would come to this place and never did. She was going to get married, wasn't she? Then what happened? She gave you this information just a few days before her marriage was to take place. What was the point in that? Had she really loved you, she would have never let things reach this far. She would have straightaway told her parents about you and refused to get married but instead she waited and then called you when it was too late. she was ready to disgrace her parents and we were fools who agreed to her coming here. No, Bittuji, I don't like her, I don't like her at all. You forget about her, is that clear" Amma had almost started shouting. This was unheard of, she never shouted, not at me. She had really lost her cool and for me it was unbelievable.
"Amma, I want to marry her and that is that. Her marriage did not take place. Her father has agreed to her marriage with me. He wants me to discuss everything, that is why I have to go" I realised, I had also begun to lose my cool but I couldn't help it.
" If he wants his daughter to marry you, let him come and talk to us. We will not let you go there. I don't trust this Suri fellow. You saw how rudely he spoke to Babuji that day? No one speaks to him in that manner. These Punjabis are all the same. I want you to marry a Kashmiri girl, do you understand?" Amma was getting angrier by the minute. I had never seen her this angry before.
" Amma, you listen to me, I am not going to marry any Kashmiri girl. I love Anita and she is the one I shall marry, is that clear?" The famous or I should say notorious Bittu temper had started showing its colours.
" Stop it , Bittu, will you? Is this the way to talk to the woman who has nothing but love for you in her heart? You are not a kid anymore. Those juvenile tantrums of yours will not work anymore. You have always had your way. We have encouraged you to be obstinate and stubborn but not now, when you are grown up and realise what is right and what is not. What do you think, Anita is a toy, you ask for it and we will give it to you? You were a spoiled brat . I remember how , in the middle of the night, you wanted a toy which you had seen in a shop that day. You must have been 10 or 12 at that time. You started howling, you wanted that toy and wanted it immediately. We tried to make you understand that no shop would be open at 1 in the morning but you would have none of it. your shrieks and howls grew louder and louder. Amma asked me to do something, as she wanted to give you everything you wanted. I recall how I walked all the way to that shop, the owner had his residence above the shop. I woke him up. He understood because he knew how difficult you could be. I got the toy for you and only then did you go to sleep. I can never forget that night. And now, you are behaving the same way. You want Anita and you think we will buy her for you, the way I bought that toy, huh ?" Babuji was furious now.
" Babuji, please calm down, this anger is not good for your health. Don't worry. Bittuji is a sonagobur,{ literally, it meant a son made out of gold} he will do exactly as we say, he has been through a lot of stress, he needs rest and then he will himself realise the folly of what he is thinking of doing". Amma's tone had changed to a very conciliatory one, She patted me on the head and then got up , saying, she would heat up the food as dinner time was approaching.
Babuji did not say a word. He picked up an old newspaper and started reading it. I knew he was not reading. It had been an old habit of his, whenever he wanted to ignore something, he would take the help of the newspaper.
" Babuji, what do you want me to do?"
" Ah, look who is asking? Have you ever bothered about what others wanted? You are asking me what you should do when you yourself know you are going to do what you want, so why ask me? But be clear about one thing, I will not let you go to meet Mr. Suri, You will not go to Chandigarh. This Suri fellow cannot be trusted. and to be frank with you, I don't even trust this Anita of yours. Now don't you start shouting at me?"Her name was nowhere on the passenger list.
" Babuji, why don't you understand? I love her, we have loved each other for over five years now. I know her very well. She is a very nice girl, believe me"
" Believe you, my foot. You were never a good judge of human character, anyone who talked to you sweetly was a wonderful person. So don't give me this nonsense about her being a good girl, I am not going to be swayed by your thinking"
" Babuji, she came all the way to this place to marry me, doesn't it prove she loves me?"
Who says she came to this place? Her name was nowhere on the passenger list. And if she was really here why didn't she talk to you herself/ Why did she let Prakash do all the talking? You were not marrying Prakash, you were marrying Anita. One more thing for you to mull over. Anita knew the address of our house? What prevented her from coming here? What prevented Prakash from coming here? Both of them were aware of this address. And why were you picked up by the army the very day you were going to the hotel to meet Anita? There seems to be something very , very fishy about all this?" Babuji was talking to me but it appeared he was talking more to himself than to me. Whatever he said made sense but I was in no mood to have anything of it.
" Bahuji and Lalaji know Anita, don't they? You told me they do. They know the Suri fellow also. Let me talk to Lalaji". Before I could say anything Babuji picked up the receiver and started dialing.
" Hello, Lalaji? Kyasa waray tchew? (Are you all well?)
" We are all well. No, no, no, don't worry, Amma is also fine and so is Bittuji." I couldn't hear what Lalaji was saying but I could make out what he must be saying.
" Oh, I called for a very special reason. You know that girl Anita, the one Bittu wants to marry?"
" I knew you did. I am sure you know that Suri also, don't you?"
" You want to know why I am asking all this. I will tell you."
Babuji told him everything about Anita's phone call and my decision to go to Chandigarh. Babuji was listening to what Lalaji was saying and his face had started flushing with anger. He gripped the receiver tightly.
" Is that what he said, that bastard?" I was shocked. I had never heard Babuji use any expletives or swear words. This was the first time, I had heard him utter this word. Something really drastic must have happened.
" ok ok , don't you worry, just relax and look after Bahuji. All will be well. Namaskar". With these words, Babuji hung up the phone. He turned towards me. I knew I was about to hear some unpalatable news.
" Do you know hat has happened in Amritsar? That Suri gunda (goon) had come to meet lalaji and do you know what he said, do you? He threatened both Bahuji and Lalaji. He said his daughter was getting married soon . He warned them that if you don't return all Anita's letters and photographs within two days, he will have you arrested even if you were in Kashmir. He said that he would teach you such a lesson that you would not forget it your whole lifetime."
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