Sonali's Suitors by Bharati Rose (learn to read activity book TXT) 📕

Sonali’s Suitors: Chapter Six

I had forgotten my keys again! Damn it, I keep forgetting things this entire week. It’s all because of this marriage talk. Ever since it started, I’ve been hiding from everyone. The only person I was interested in talking with was avoiding me altogether. I could not forgive Neelu. How could he? First he tricks me into meeting his wife, than he cowers and hides from my wrath. I’ve given him around 100 missed calls by now. I would deal with that idiot later.

I rapped on the door and waited for a member of my family to open the door. Instead a cute kid, around three-years old opened the door.

“Hi Akka. Come in.” Akka meant sister. I wondered who this angel was, she was absolutely adorable. I slipped past her into the house.

“Hi Kutty.” I ruffled her hair. At the same time my mom came to entrance and directed me up the stairs.

“Wash your face and come down wearing the sari I have laid out on your bed.”

It was then that I realized what was happening. I heard the chatter and laughter of grown-ups in the living room. I was hesitant to take a peek at who was there, but a snuck a sideway glance anyway. A woman in her early thirties sat on the edge of the sofa, as if on alert. I assumed the child I saw was hers. Sitting beside her was an elderly man. He had a receding hairline and a potbelly that protruded in front of him. His laughter resounded in the room. Next to him was a man who had his head down. His hair was slicked back, with too much gel if you ask me. He wore a very formal suit, as if he had come here right after attending a board meeting.

Then I saw her. The dreaded auntie I saw at the temple. My prayer had been in vain. She had come regardless. My heart leapt into my throat. I began to sweat profusely. How was I going to get out of this one?

“Go child,” my mother chided as I stood dumbfounded.

“I’m not wearing the sari.”

“Fine, wear one of your chudithars at least. Please don’t insist on embarrassing me.”

“Fine.” My legs took me of their own accord up the stairs towards my bedroom. I picked out a light blue chudithar. Washing my face at the basin and wiping my face with a towel, I changed into the dress. I didn’t apply any make-up to my face or wear accessories either. I descended the stairs and sought out my mom. She arrived at the foot of the stairs and took me by the hand into the living room. The little girl followed us.

“This is our Sona,” she said enthusiastically.

“You’re very pretty. Even without make-up,” remarked the thirty-something year old woman. They asked me to sit down, so I took a seat in chair that stood farthest from the visitors. The little girl climbed into my lap.

“I like this akka,” she said. The dimples that fell on her face when she said this increased how adorable she looked ten-folds.

“She’s not your akka Bhairavi, she’s your aunt,” said the woman I assumed was her mother. This ticked me off but I remained silent with a polite smile pasted on my face.
“We all like your Sonali, the last two people who need to confirm this proposal are my son and your daughter. My son Gautham will return from his trip to India in a few days, we’ll let them decide when he gets here. Would that be ok Parvati.”

“Of course Vani,” my mom replied eagerly.

Through the whole banter that took place afterwards I was detached. The only thing that caught my attention was that this Gautham would return in a few short days and I would be forced to meet him. I needed a plan and I needed to implement it as soon as I could if I was going to get rid of them. The only person who could help was Neelu and he was in hiding. I would bring him out of hiding if that was the last thing I did. No one outsmarted Sonali, no one.

I picked up the phone and dialed his number. The phone kept ringing but no one would pick it up on the other end. I would get through to him through his wife I decided. I dialed Chandrika’s number and waited impatiently for a reply on the other end.

Publication Date: 11-05-2011

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