The thing about Vanshika was that, she
was more or less the most intelligent one in our batch. All of us expected her
to be a scholar or scientist someday. The thought of her getting married early
, was irrational. But fate had a twist awaiting us.
The next day was a Sunday; it was about
8:30 am as I reached back from church. I had come back from church praying hard
that our external dates will come only next to next week and there would be
enough time to prepare. As I entered my room, my phone beeped. I looked at the screen,
Vanshika it read. My face sunk .Yea…Vanshika was my best friend, so she said.
But she was always a mystery to me. Her occasional absence in class, a phone
that was never picked, arguments and discussions only on academics and religion
or politics always left me confused about her. And since calls from her were
very rare and only at the event of an exam coming, the sight of her call upset me.
Had the External dates been declared???....
“Hello...”I said in an alarmed tone."Hello
Lora, how are you?”She said. Her voice feeble, which made me sense that it was
not a casual call. “Fine . What happened? Why this call right away in the
morning?”I asked rather flatly. “Lora, well, I called to tell u something important.
Be prepared to hear me.”.As her voice trailed off, my heart paced a little
faster. “Damn!!...It must be the Exams dates right? I knew it…..When is it?
Coming Wednesday??...I am in a mess!!!....”I said.
There was a slight chuckle at her end as
she slowly said, “Lora it’s not your exam date. The biggest exam in my life is
going to begin soon.”I stood there silent for a second. Thoughts were rushing
through me. For me, all exams were big. Now what is Vanshi getting at? ...As I raked
my head harder, my Mother’s words rung in my mind. “For a gal, it’s not about
the degrees she acquires. The biggest exam in her life is marriage!!!....”.I
laughed at the thought of her lecture. Surely Vanshi can’t be getting married .She,
of all people???... I smiled. “What exam are u talking of Vanshi? I can’t
follow your words.” I said. “Lora, when I say this, u mustn’t laugh. I am
getting married!!....”.
Phew!!....Her words had the effect of
stupefy curse on me. Darkness filled my eyes. There was silence around me. I
could hear the occasional blaring of horns of the vehicles that passed by as
i lived by the roadside. There was the ticking of the minute hand of the clock, I
could hear my mother inviting me to drink coffee. I went up and dipped my finger
in the steaming coffee."Ouch!!!...”It did hurt. “So, I’m not dreaming.”I said aloud.
My parents were staring at me, surprised by my action. “It’s Vanshi calling me.”I
told them as I went back to my room leaving the coffee in the dining hall.
I perched myself in my rocking chair,
adjusting myself a bit for the hour long call I would be having.
A little more insight into Vanshika, when Vanshika phoned me, she phoned me for hrs together. If it wasn’t an academic discussion, then surely it was a personal matter. She would only think it appropriate to confide the matter in me first. Because she believed me mature enough .Hehe… If being a complete introvert, very reserved, only open to friends, a toothless smile…( I always hid my teeth while smiling )and advices straight from the heart was the measure of maturity, then I wont blame her for thinking me mature.
“So,” I said, “You are not lying to me no?
But are u mad? How can u be getting married? I mean we are just getting
graduated…and that to u?...Without a job even?....”No sooner had I finished
with all my worries and questions in my mind ,I heard a silent sob, a frail
voice replied, “This is my parents decision .I don’t know what to do.”There was
an awkward silence that ensued.
What kind of friend am I? Instead of
trying to soothe her, what am I grumbling? Am I gonna turn her against her parents?
I pressed my mind for some proper lines to say .I could hardly find any. I
thought of what my mother would say at this juncture.
In my whole life my mother was my storehouse of advices. For any matter in my life, my solution would be based on my mother’s advices. So, whenever I was confused or upset, I would place myself in my mother’s shoe and think what she would do at that point. Even the advices I often passed onto others was the borrowed words from my mother.
But my mother had never advised me at
any point to get married. All she pressed me on was, to settle down with my
dreams before I get married as my life would change forever. If I was gonna
give Vanshi one of those advises, for sure I was gonna mess the situation .What
will I tell her now? My mind was not working properly .Again my mother’s words
rung in my mind. “When u are unsure of what to say, then it’s always best to
allow the other person speak .Call it buying time. Whilst the other person
speaks, you’ve time to think.”So, I told Vanshi to update me of the turn of
events at her end. As she spoke, I listened intently wishing my mind would find
the right lines.
She narrated to me the events. The proposal,
her would be guy and her parents decision. And at the end of it, she put me the
awkward question, “Lora, What do you say? Is this right for me?...” She went
silent.
Lord!!!....What was I supposed to answer
now?....My first impulse was to say “Don’t marry, now!!!....”.That was the
decision I had for my own life. But how could I say that to a gal whose parents
had fixed her marriage? And the proposal was a good one too… I said in a calm
tone, “Well the proposal is a good one. Your parents know the best for you .This
must be right.”Then I added the lines my mother had told my sister on her
wedding day, “Getting married doesn’t mean shutting the doors on you. New doors
will open up.”Actually mom had said this to console my sister as she would be
leaving her family. But right here, I was using those lines to tell Vanshi
that, marriage would never ruin her dreams.
“Lora, I’ve the faintest clue of what
marriage would be like. I am scared. Tell me about it. Only u will be able to
give me a wise advice.” Wahh!!!....I guess the marriage decision had quite
weakened her mind. Else who in their right mind would ask me ,of all to give a
wise advice on marriage?
For one, I was very much single, with no
thoughts of marriage in the coming 5 years. All I was thinking of was getting a job,
earning enough to do all the crazy stuff on my mind. And here she was asking me
about marriage????.....Whoa….she was asking the wrong person for advice. “Lora!!!....Say
something.”She was saying at the other end. That was when my Mom entered with
my coffee mug in her hand.”Drink this!!...I know u hate cold coffee. Now!!...”
she said pressing the mug into my hand. “Lora..” I again heard Vanshi’s voice. “Coffee”
I said looking at the mug in my hand. “What coffee?” Vanshi asked .Oops!!!....What
was I saying? Vanshi was asking me to speak about marriage and here I am
sipping coffee?....Whoa.. Why not blend it together?..An idea flashed my mind.
“So..” I said, “Vanshi, have u noticed how coffee
is made? The coffee beans are mixed with milk, a little sugar is added. The
mixture becomes an inseparable solution. So is marriage. The milk symbolizes a
woman- gentle, pure, vital and sweet. The coffee bean symbolizes a man- dark,
brooding, tough. Both blend together makes coffee. And the sugar symbolizes
children which are the product of love born in marriage. Thus making the coffee
sweet. This is marriage…”.I stopped. Phew!!!.....Was I saying those lines or
was it my ghost??...I wondered. I had never thought of coffee being an example
of marriage. All what coffee did was to waken my senses… :) .Now here I was illustrating marriage with it.
“Lora, u r simply brilliant!!!…I knew I would
get the best advice from u alone….” Vanshi was saying.
What an advice Madam???.....My mind was saying.
I was laughing in the chair thinking of what I had said, though my voice was
controlled and Vanshi was not aware that I was laughing at myself.
I owe mom for saving my day…Her coffee
entry at the perfect timing….. Hehe....
