That's The Way We Met Read online

  ‘Don’t worry. I will buy a new one for you. Now can you please smile for my sake?’ said Riya.

  ‘It’s okay. You don’t have to buy me a new one. I will manage somehow,’ I assured her with a dull face.

  ‘I haven’t given you a choice. If I say I will get you one, it means I will. I don’t want any discussion over it. Smile now.’

  I gave her a half-hearted one. She knew there was no arguing with her over this issue. I had no choice but to agree with her.

  We reached Ahmedabad. Mohit’s driver was waiting for us outside the airport to take us back in his car. He pointed out Shahi Baug and IIM Ahmedabad to us. Driving through CG road, we reached his house at Paldi. His Mom welcomed us with a gracious ‘kemcho’. Her warm greeting made us feel like we had known her for ages even though in actuality, the three of us were meeting her for the first time. I had heard a lot about Gujrati hospitality and how the families are loving and give guests a warm welcome.

  Mohit introduced everyone to his Mom and grandmother. We greeted them by touching their feet. His Dad had already retired for the day and was asleep in his room.

  After exchanging pleasantries with the elders, Mohit’s Mom served us dinner consisting of theplas with pickle.

  Then we went inside Mohit’s room.

  ‘I love your Mom. She is so sweet,’ said Sonam.

  ‘Oh, so you like your new mother-in-law already?’ teased Riya. ‘Just wait till you guys get married.’

  Sonam blushed like a new bride.

  After a hectic day, we needed some rest. Mohit and I decided to sleep in the guest room while the girls took the other room. After three nights together, it was hard sleeping away from them.

  Tomorrow was a big day, one which would decide the fate of Sonam and Mohit’s love story. We slept uneasily that night, not knowing what the new day would bring with it. What would be the ultimate outcome of their fairy tale? A fairy tale that had begun just few months back, and that was now going to be cemented by their engagement. We all waited with eagerness for the day when Mohit and Sonam would officially be declared a couple.

  Rahe phoolon ki tarah zindagi aapki,

  Chand se bhi haseen ho zindagi aapki,

  Kabhi gham ki parchai na pade ye dua hai meri,

  Har pal khushiyon se bhari rahe zindagi teri.

  Mohit got up before sunrise and woke me up to accompany him for a jog in Parimal Garden. Since his Dad jogged in that particular park every day, Mohit wanted to tell him the truth about his relationship with Sonam there itself. After getting fresh, we left for Parimal Garden on Mohit’s bike. His Dad had already left for a park a while back.

  Mohit was extremely nervous and repeatedly asked the same question about how his Dad would react. I calmed him down and told him to relax.

  Spotting his Dad from afar near the water fountain, Mohit walked towards him and introduced me. His Dad looked like a typical Gujarati businessman.

  ‘Dad, I need to talk about something really important with you,’ he said nervously.

  ‘What is the matter, Mohit? Is everything fine at work?’ asked his father.

  ‘Yes everything’s fine, Dad. I am here with my friends. We took a detour from our business trip to talk about something really important with you. I have been dating Sonam for the past two months and we have now decided to get engaged with your permission. I know it’s too soon for you, but you can take your time to think about it. She is the perfect girl for me, Dad. She cares for me and has strong family values. She is a typical Punjabi girl from Delhi,’ Mohit said.

  ‘Punjabi? A non-vegetarian? How will she adjust? Didn’t you think about these things earlier? I don’t want to say anything right now. Let’s go home and discuss it,’ said Mohit father with a heavy tone.

  Mohit remained quiet all the way home.

  When we entered the house, we saw that the entire living room was packed to capacity with what looked like Mohit’s relatives. I presumed they had been called by his parents to discuss the pressing issue at hand. It looked like a scene straight out of a fish market. Finally, Mohit’s father broke the commotion.

  ‘Today’s generation, I tell you! We have never restricted you from doing anything in life, have we Mohit? We agreed to all your demands and wishes. Still, you didn’t care to inform us about Sonam. You should have at least told your mother about it. You come home and out of the blue tell us that you want to get engaged to her. That’s not how it’s done,’ reproached his Dad.

  Mohit remained silent. Sonam and Riya looked visibly afraid to say anything. His Mom tried her best to reason it out with his Dad saying, ‘Sonam is a nice girl with strong morals and a sensible head on her shoulders.’ But she failed to elicit any kind of favourable response from her husband.

  Mohit’s Dad gave Sonam his phone and told her to dial the number to her parent’s house. Punching in the number, Sonam handed the phone back to him. Taking it, he got up from his place and went to the lawn behind the house. He spoke for around thirty minutes. Occasionally, we peeped outside the window to check what was going on and were somewhat relieved on seeing him smiling. We took it as a good signal, but did not want to unnecessarily jump to any conclusions and get disappointed later on.

  He came in and asked Sonam to come with him outside. What the hell is happening? I thought to myself. Why the hell does every love story have a twist! Why can’t God make a love story which cruises along smoothly and ends straight at death?

  A few minutes later, Uncle came in with Sonam and announced that he needed some more time to think. All the relatives slowly left for their respective houses.

  We all looked at Sonam to enquire about what she was asked, but she kept quiet.

  All four of us went into Mohit’s room and sat on the bed with tensed minds. His Mom came into our room and gave us the assurance that Uncle would ultimately agree for the marriage and that there was no way he could go against Mohit’s decision.

  Sonam hugged Mohit’s Mom and broke down. The poor girl must be having a hard time with all this. Aunty gently stroked her hair back, and that seemed to have a calming effect on her as her sobs eventually subsided. Who says mothers-in-law can’t be mothers? I thought seeing them.

  Sonam ultimately gave away the discussion she had with Mohit’s father. She said the he was mostly worried about her family’s living style as compared to their own. He said that the two cultures were vastly different from each other and that it would be very difficult for her to adjust with them. They didn’t eat non-vegetarian food at all, and when Mohit wanted to eat it, he had to go outside to do so. Not only that, he also made her understand how Punjabis and Gujaratis have a completely different style of living from each other. And then he left it at that.

  Before we could say anything, Uncle entered the room and sat next to Sonam, saying, ‘Child, I have never opposed Mohit’s decision. If he is happy with this union, I don’t mind it. I was just a bit hurt about the fact that he never informed us or even mentioned anything to us on the phone. So the sudden decision to get engaged came as a bit of a shock to us. We don’t know anything about you and your family, and we can’t decide about our son’s future within a second.’

  Sonam was already beginning to tear up.

  ‘Now darling, hold onto those precious tears for a little while,’ requested Uncle and continued, ‘When I went out for a talk with your Dad on the phone, he seemed like a real gentleman and said he would be happy to give away his daughter to Mohit. I told him we were equally lucky to have you as our new daughter. So, all we have to now do is put our heads together and fix a date for your engagement. But today evening, I have decided to throw a grand party for our relatives to announce your engagement. I hope you all are happy now.’

  Mohit jumped off from the bed and hugged his Dad. He touched his parents’ feet along with Sonam to receive their blessings.

  Vows to take and prayers to say, promises to be kept on the engagement day! Tears will be shed when the rings will be exchanged, and they will be
one step closer to eternal bliss. She will look gorgeous in a bride’s dress. They will dance to the tune of love. Two hands will embrace forever. Two souls will be fused together by commitment. Two hearts will join by the purest form of love.

  Sonam was with Mohit’s family before the function. It was just a small party held to announce their engagement.

  The entire house was decorated with flowers. The atmosphere of the party was vivacious, vibrant, and lively. Gujarat is known for its liveliness. The house was slowly flooded with people. I was standing alone drinking juice and eating ganthias and kachoris. Riya was with Sonam, while Mohit was getting ready.

  Sonam came downstairs with Mohit’s Mom and Riya, with Mohit following closely behind.

  Mohit looked dapper in a black suit with a silver motif on it. But Sonam was indeed the showstopper that day. All eyes were on her as she descended the stairs. Even though her outfit was of a lovely colour, and not the flashy ones that most girls wear on their special day, she still looked stunning. She was wearing a traditional Gujarati sari in red having an intricate pattern of squares in gold woven along its border. I gathered some people whispering that the sari is called Gharchola. It was embellished with heavy sequins all through the pleats, giving it a royal look. Her hair was neatly tied in a side bun, and a heavy dupatta rested on top of her head. She was also wearing a diamond set with matching earrings that added grace to the overall look. An intricate nose ring called ‘nath’ completed the look. In short, Sonam looked divine.

  Riya too looked gorgeous in a pink and silver saree. She spotted me from afar and came and stood beside me. We had snacks and dinner while Sonam was introduced to all the family members one by one. Everyone seemed to take an instant liking to her. And since no party in Gujarat is complete without Garba, we all were asked to join in as the music echoed. I was the worse at it, while Riya danced like a pro and tried teaching me a few moves. I didn’t even want to participate but Mohit forced me to do so. Occasionally, Riya looked at me and laughed seeing my awkwardness. Finally, the party drew to a close.

  ‘Beta, we welcome you in our family with open arms. We’ll take care of you the same way your parents did for so many years. You can share everything with us and please think of us as your parents and not your in-laws,’ said Mohit’s Mom affectionately. Mohit’s Mom assured her that she will be a daughter to their family, not a daughter-in-law.

  Sonam couldn’t stop her tears. When a girl leaves her parents with whom she has stayed all her life and enters a completely new family, she hopes of receiving the same love and affection from them. With Sonam, it was no different.

  I thought of how she was such a lucky girl to get such a supportive family. I hugged Mohit and congratulated him on the engagement.

  We left for Mumbai the next day. We had to join our offices and report to our manager with an application for taking extended leaves. Both Sonam’s and Mohit’s parents had decided that they would meet in a week or two and decide the engagement date. It was not possible for Mohit and Sonam to join them due to work. Moreover, both of them wanted to let their parents meet alone. We landed in Mumbai after an eventful week. But my thoughts kept going back to Riya and our future togrther. Would our love story walk the same path as Mohit’s and Sonam’s? Or would there be something unpredictable, something which could change the course of our paths entirely? Few things are better left unsaid!

  A Few Things Left Unsaid

  Once we reached Mumbai, we headed straight for our respective offices and gave notices about our extended leaves. A reasonable excuse about missing our scheduled flight, with no flight for the next two days in snow covered Manali, did the trick for us. Riya couldn’t come up with an excuse and so she got a warning letter from her HR department. But it didn’t hamper her incentives or job profile. I consoled her and told her to take it easy.

  After a hectic day at office, we left for our respective homes.

  ‘Aditya, where is your laptop? I was unpacking your bag and realized that it was missing,’ Mom asked me.

  ‘I have given it for servicing. They will return it in few days,’ I lied, trying to dodge the question for the moment.

  I found myself overwhelmed with a sense of shame.

  The next day, Riya informed me that she had purchased a brand new Acer laptop for me worth eighteen thousand rupees. I screamed at her for having spent that entire amount without even once consulting me.

  ‘Jaan, you know how your family is hard pressed for money. You should not have spent that big an amount. The trip cost us a bit of money too and going ahead and blowing up that entire amount on a laptop is not right. We have already spent a lot of money in the last few days,’ I reasoned with her, but she got angry at my sudden outburst.

  ‘You don’t care that I bought it with so much love? Here you are bombarding me with your logic when all I did was buy you a new laptop so that your work doesn’t suffer,’ she replied.

  She left without saying another a word. I never intended to hurt her. I just cared for her family and didn’t want her to be scolded for pampering me without thinking the least bit about them.

  She refused to take my calls the next day nor did she meet me at our regular meeting time outside her office. I knew she was supposed to be going for an office party, but would she be going at all after our little argument? She called me to tell me that she was indeed going for the party and that I should not call her or chase her there. I felt utterly dejected.

  Mohit called me after some time.

  ‘Aditya, I am so sorry. God! I am such an idiot. I hadn’t opened my luggage since returning to Mumbai as I was busy answering congratulatory calls from relatives. I opened the bag right now to find your laptop inside it. I must have put it in there by mistake in a hurry while checking out of the hotel,’ said Mohit in an apologetic tone.

  ‘Oh God. And just when Riya got me a new laptop! I have already angered Riya with my scolding and now this discovery. This can’t be happening to me,’ I said and kept the phone.

  I called up Riya immediately. She didn’t pick up as expected. I tried again but to no avail. I kept on blaming myself for the foolishness. I felt bad that Riya had spent all that money on the laptop unnecessarily. But who can predict the future?

  I called her again. This time she picked up. Her voice sounded like she had consumed far too many drinks at the party. She shouted at me over the phone when I told her my old laptop had been found in Mohit’s bag and hung up without listening to anything I had to say!

  Later in the night, I got a message from her. From now on, please don’t message me or call me. The sight of your face irritates me. In fact, everything you do irritates me. Don’t do all this drama in front of me, trying to sound apologetic and all.

  I messaged her back saying, I never put up a show, dear. Please, I am really sorry. Cross my heart. I swear never to repeat this. Please give me one last chance.

  I got an instant reply from her saying, Please stop doing all this. Today you have hurt me a lot. Money doesn’t matter to me. What matters is your trust, which you broke today like a piece of glass.

  I messaged back saying, What are you accusing me of? I merely got confused. I forgot that I had given my laptop to him. I am sorry. Please. Can’t you understand just how sorry I am?

  She replied, Please. Even after knowing me for the last few years you can say that I am lying, then I was a fool to love you so much. You can never change. Fate brought us together again and we were so happy. Why did you have to do this? Now you are confused. You took revenge. You never wanted me back. My Mom scolded me like hell for having spent all that money on a laptop! I know what I went through for your eighteen thousand rupees.

  I could not understand why she was saying all this. So I called her up instead. She took a long time to pick up her phone and when she did, I could tell she was still at the party as there was music being played in the background. She seemed to be drunk and by the gibberish she spoke, I could tell she was not in her correct state of mi
nd.

  ‘Can you stop drinking? I know that you are with your colleagues and must have joined in their drunken revelry. But, please, don’t cross your limits. Just go home and sleep,’ I said shouting at her so that she may take me seriously.

  She agreed and returned home. I called her up to confirm and only once she reached home did I breathe a sigh of relief.

  Sometimes I close my eyes to imagine how it would be if everything were perfect! I loved her and knew that she loved me and cared for me. No relationship is complete without its fair share of fights.

  The next morning when I got up, I saw a message from Riya that brought a huge smile to my face.

  I am so sorry for behaving so badly last night. I was drunk and don’t remember a word I was saying. If I hurt you yesterday, it was done unintentionally. I know it was a stupid thing to do, but I was really not in my senses. I love you so much but when you are careless, it drives me nuts. When you speak about my past, it hurts me. I know you don’t mean anything by it, but I am so insecure when it comes to your love. I don’t want to lose you again. I realize you can have any girl in the world, but you chose me. And I am not going to let a silly fight come between us.

  Is there any way I can make it up to you? I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me. You’ve no idea how much I have missed you all these days.

  Love you a lot!

  I called her up and we decided to meet after our office hours.

  I was desperately waiting for the shift to end. It feels so nice when you make up or kiss your girlfriend or boyfriend after a long fight. It had been three days that we hadn’t talked to each other, neither had we met. I went to her office after my shift got over and when she came out, I rushed to give her a tight hug. She couldn’t hold back her tears and ran towards me, clinging to me tightly. We kissed each other and looked into each other’s eyes. I could see the pain of missing me in her eyes.