RECAP

The Gandhi Colony has an array of characters living in its three sets of twin houses, from the caretaker Kuttappan to the all-important Sivaraman Saar and family to the lonely  Gracy Aunty and so on. Shivani and Anand take on a lease at one of the houses for their first ever home together at Gandhi Colony and comes into the thick of a weave of several lives, simple yet complicated.

CHAPTER 7

Viji was feeling totally hassled and her body language showed it. How could people be so obtuse? Radhika’s engagement had been announced early enough, and the preparations on since some days for the marriage function; the caterer had just gone away after a two hour haggling over the rates with the mother-in-law, the shamiana had been ordered to be erected on the previous day. But when it came to dresses, the MIL was spending like water from the public tap. Did she have no idea of the budget at all? The price of gold was going up by the second; shouldn’t she be buying more gold rather than heavily brocaded sarees which the girl would hardly wear for a day?  

Sunny was in any case a man who didn’t look like he wanted a traditional life, so all this was going to waste. Perhaps Radhika needed light silks and chiffons which she could wear for parties.   

She had ventured to suggest this idea and had retreat in a hurry when she heard the outburst that followed from the MIL. She was again reminded of the status they had to keep up and the standards the family followed. The son of the house was silent in front of his darling mom. But surely he saw the futility and wastage that was the bridal shopping trip?  

And because of all these developments, she had had no time to ask the MIL to return her gold necklace borrowed on the bride-seeing ceremony day. Shivani, her new friend next door had warned her to get it back into custody as soon as possible and Viji felt that she had a point.  

Now it was too near the wedding and asking such things would look bad. She had asked Cheenu one day, when she could no longer hold her anxiety. Cheenu was in a romantic mood, well not exactly romantic but the ‘salary’ mood, she called it. The day when she handed over her monthly incentive was always appreciated and led to his showing some interest in her for a day or two. Something more like what she had imagined in a husband, but definitely billions of miles away. Cheenu had smiled at her and said,   

“Look Viji, Amma will go to the bank locker on Saturday to take out the ornaments and then you can ask her. You have to wear that necklace, you look nice in it.”  

“Yeah I do, so do your sister” Viji murmured ever so softly, but smiled on her face.  

But when spoken to about the large cloth budgets, even Cheenu was stubborn about the hugely costly trousseau. A girl from his family HAD to wear these things.   

So as luck would have it, MIL went to the bank locker without her and when she came back, there was a flurry of guests. So when mother-in-law’s family came a-visiting and the ornaments were brought out to be displayed, Viji went in to claim her necklace and she saw that the mother-in-law was holding the very piece and saying in a pleased manner.  

“This is Cheenu’s gift to Radhika, and it is all of 75 grams”  

She was too shocked to hear what the old lady had said later, but that didn’t stop her from rushing out to search for Cheenu, and literally drag him to their bedroom to ask him if he knew about the gift. Cheenu was silent, and when Viji opened her mouth again, Cheenu held up his palm and said in a grave voice which shivered. 

“Viji, I have offered all the ornaments in our custody to mother for Radhika. She took them all from the bank locker yesterday.”

Cheenu didn’t wait to see Viji’s reaction, and was already outside the room when the astounded and angry Viji wailed,   

“But Cheenu, what will I wear on the day? And why didn’t you ask me before you did this?”

…to be continued

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