40. Sona
SONA
I woke up the next morning with a rumbling feeling in my stomach.
Or was it my heart?
The household bustled with activity. Lata was busy roasting masalas of some kind while Aai scurried around the kitchen, prepping vegetables and chicken.
Not wanting to sound ungracious, I asked, “Will they have lunch with us?”
Aai turned around and smiled. “Yes.”
“Sorry, Aai, I’ve been busy. How can I help?”
“You carry on, my darling. We got this. Right, Lata?”
Lata flashed me a naughty smile.
“Can you get your breakfast? Lata made sabudana khichadi.” She pointed to a covered bowl of spiced tapioca on the counter.
“Yes,” I said, feeling shameful for my behavior over the past several days.
Mihir was a good man, and I should be happy for him. He had, after all, asked me. I was the one who had rejected him this time. This misery I felt in my heart and my body was completely my doing.
“What time are they coming, Aai?”
“In an hour or so, I think. Depends on the traffic,” she said, busy with what she was doing.
“Do you want me to be around?” I asked, not quite sure of what I wanted.
“No pressure, darling,” she said, looking at me this time. “If you can reschedule your meetings, it’ll be nice to have you.”
She wiped her hand on the kitchen towel hanging at the waist of her apron and stepped over to me, a frown on her face.
“On second thought, why don’t you keep your meetings? It’s best if you are not here.”
Okay, that was unexpected. “Umm, why?”
Her eyes glazed for a moment. “It just occurred to me that you and Mihir look so good together that we might end up giving them the wrong idea. Anyway, people are suspicious of grooms from abroad.”
A warmth flooded my face. Sneha aunty used to say that about us, and now, here was my mother, echoing the same sentiment.
“Why do you say that?” I asked with utmost curiosity.
She waved her hand animatedly. “Never mind. It was just a silly thought. All I want is for you to be happy, my baby.” She cradled my face in her hands and kissed my forehead so intensely, I thought I would burst into tears.
I almost did, but then I heard Mihir’s voice outside. With a hefty sniff to clear away the emotions, I walked out.
Mihir stood in the living room, chatting with Aaji and Appa, looking sharp in a bespoke suit.
“Wow,” I said with an attempted nonchalance that fell flat and came out as adoration.
“Thank you,” he said with a wide grin.
I raised my finger. “No, no. Wrong emotion.” I recomposed myself and, with a theatrical flair, rolled my eyes and produced a snarky, “Wow!”
“Ah, yes, that’s more like it,” he said.
I retreated to my room and stepped into the shower to wash off all the hurt and the pain. My eyes stung and my heart wrenched, but I was determined to guard my self-respect. I was just done drying my hair when I heard a knock at the door.
Appa stuck his head in, and when I nodded, he slipped in quickly. “Are you just going to sit in the stands and watch this?”
I harrumphed. “No, Appa. I plan to make my escape before they arrive.”
“And if he likes her, then what? You’ll let him slip through your fingers? Just like that?”
I sighed and collapsed on the bed. “Appa, I told you everything. How can you expect me to trust him again?”
My father was an exceedingly wise man. He smiled and sat beside me. “Sona, did he finally tell you why he broke up with you?”
I gasped and wordlessly nodded.
“And do you believe him?”
Another nod.
“You told me how you ran away from him twice.”
Nod.
“Did he persevere and work to get you back?”
Nod. This was getting tedious.
“And you went back because you like him.”
“Yes, Appa. Can we just get to the point?”
“Just two more questions. Did he apologize for breaking your heart and ask to have you back?
“Yes.” A big sigh this time.
“And do you expect this to happen again? That he would break your trust again?”
A knowing, confident shake of my head.
“You see where this is going, don’t you? He fought to keep you in his life. Now it’s your turn. You rejected him. You need to fight if you want him back.”
I blinked in confusion.
“Unless you are done with him and no longer want him in your life.”
Another firm shake of the head.
“Then go get him. Tell him how you feel and stop this ridiculous thing your mother has got going. She loves playing matchmaker, but this time, she’s setting fire to her kid’s future.”
My body turned to stone.
“You like him, don’t you, mōl?”
“Yes, Appa.” I grabbed onto the conviction my father had reawakened in me.
“Then go and tell him. Now! ” The urgency in his voice set me running helter-skelter in the room. “And put on something nice,” he said with a smile.
I pulled out a dressy gown that hugged my curves and made me look like a princess, as my mother claimed. I took a moment to put on some statement earrings and a nice shade of lipstick. I didn’t know why I was doing it, but the image of my prince in that majestic clothing was engendering specific feelings inside me. I’ll not let anyone else have him. I want him, and I’m going to reclaim what is rightfully mine.
Warily, I opened the door, earnestly hoping the guests hadn’t arrived as yet. But as I stepped into the corridor, I heard faint voices.
Darn!
How socially inappropriate would it be to barge in and pronounce before the guests like a hammy film heroine? “Nahiiii…. rok do yeh sab!” Noooo, stop all this!
This stupid joke was only to ease my nerves, but I could hear voices and a distinct laugh—his laugh. The one that made my knees weak and my stomach dip. And a rumble. It was definitely my heart.
I stopped just beyond the wall of the living room, ready to barge in full Bollywood style. I marshalled my inner warrior goddess.
“Mihir!” I said and stepped into the room.
To my utter amazement, I found only the usual suspects gathered there, no guests. Mihir sat beside Aaji, both video chatting with someone on his phone.
“Yes, Sona?” Mihir stood with a questioning look. He handed the phone to Aaji as Aai came and settled down beside her.
I looked around. Everyone was looking at me with laser-like gazes. Everyone except Mihir. His expression was one of curiosity mixed with amusement.
Silence. Searing silence around me.
“Sona?” Mihir asked again.
I looked at Appa, and he gave a short nod.
All I had ever wanted was to be truly desired for who I was, and before me stood the man who wanted me with an intensity that rendered me powerless. I coveted that. I needed someone who understood me, appreciated me and my impromptu lectures, the little notes and sidetracks of my hyperactive mind. Someone who wasn’t intimidated by my comebacks because he was just as witty. Someone whose brilliance wasn’t threatened by mine, who cherished my body and devoured it like it was the only thing that could satiate him. Who enjoyed me just as much as I relished his magnificent self. I desired his hunger for me.
Of course, I didn’t say any of this. I stood tongue-tied like one does when one’s destiny suddenly appears before them in human form. What does one say in such a situation?
“Mihir, I want you!” I blurted, my heart thudding as I prepared myself for rejection.
I’m sorry, Sona, but I’ve already moved on. Thank you for helping me, but like you said, I came to you as a friend, and that’s the extent of our relationship.
“Okay.” I heard his heavy voice.
I squinted at him.
A long pause.
“What?” I cried with my hands on my hips.
“Okay, you have me. You’ve always had me.” He stepped toward me and tapped the crown of my head. Then, tugging at his cuffs like he did, he retrieved the phone from Aaji’s hands and turned the screen to me.
Mihir’s parents sat in their living room in Texas, smiling at me.
“If this didn’t work, I was getting ready to hop on a plane and fly out so I could beg you to take my fool of a son back,” Aunty said, and I found my eyes brimming with tears.
“Now, since everyone is here…Lata, where are you?” Mihir called, and Lata came scampering out of the kitchen. Mihir handed his phone to Aai, who held it so the couple on the screen could see us completely.
“Good. Now…Sona, I know you’d hate it if I got down on my knee, so I’m doing this standing with you. You deserve an equal partner who’ll stand by you like you’ve stood by me, with me, through this journey. I made the mistake of pushing you away, and this is me rectifying that mistake.”
He pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket and held it open. A brilliant solitaire set in platinum shone in my face as Mihir held up the ring.
“Marry me, Sona.”
I cried and laughed at the same time. I wanted to punch him and hug him. My eyes drew to my parents. They both nodded, smiles beneath moist eyes as Mihir slipped the ring on my finger.
I was already hyperventilating, and the ring pushed me to tears. I dropped my face in my hands and wept without shame before the people who loved me. I found Mihir’s arms wrapped around me, and I snuggled into his broad chest.
“You wanted my mother to love you? You now have both my mothers doting on you. How’s that for fate?” he whispered in my ear, and I broke down in his arms.
“You tortured me for a week!” I said between sobs.
“Yes, and for that, I suggest you blame Mrs. Thomas. It was her idea. Which, by the way, has cost my ego very dearly. She bet me she could get you to come back to me.”
I gasped and shook my finger at my parents in rebuke. “You too, Appa? I can imagine Aai doing something like this, but your performance was a masterclass. I would’ve never guessed.”
“Thomas was our ace in the hole,” Aai said, pleased with her unequivocal victory. “And Mihir, you betrayed me so promptly!”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Thomas, but my loyalty now lies with your daughter.”
“I think you can call me Aai now,” she said with a smile.
“Or Ma or Mummy,” I said, knowing Mihir had chosen that term for his mother.
He squeezed my hand and gifted me a smile.
“Congratulations, Sona! We are so happy!” Sneha aunty said over the phone. “Finally, he’s done something we can be truly proud of.”
“Really, Mom?” Mihir teased back while I shed more joyful tears.
“Sona, I need to tell you something,” she said and stepped away from her husband, as I excused myself and walked to the dining area. “I finally finished the book I was working on,” she cried softly.
“Oh my gosh! This is huge, Aunty! Congratulations. When do we get to read it?”
“Actually, would you mind being my first reader and giving me feedback? But only if you have time.”
“Of course I have time. I have all the time in the world for you. What’s it about?”
“It’s a children’s book about a boy with the magical ability to make people happy, but that magic is felt only by those who love him.”
“Ah!” I cast a knowing smile at Aunty just as the boy with magic walked up to me with my parents in tow.
After a busy, chatty, happy lunch, I slipped into my room to change out of the gown.
“I was dressed up so you can take pictures to splash all over social media,” Mihir had teased me.
And I had. I had taken hundreds of pictures and posted two on my social media accounts.
“Let’s go out,” Mihir suggested when I returned from my room.
“Go, enjoy your special day,” Aai said. “Oh, by the way, remember the party we were planning to celebrate your new job? That is now your engagement announcement. We get to show off our handsome son-in-law.”
When Mihir excused himself to use the restroom, Aai kissed my forehead and cupped my cheeks. “We’re very happy for you, Sona. You are happy, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m giddy, although you’ll have to pay for the whole charade. You all are diabolical! Especially you, Aai.”
“What other option did I have? I could see you both were in love and hurting but too stubborn to accept it. Particularly you.”
“Does this Rajvi even exist?” I asked, genuinely curious.
My mother returned her trademark naughty smile, which made her eyes shine. “No.”
I shook my head at her. I should have known. Aai had been an amateur theater artist in her youth, and her acting skills were still flawless.
“Well played,” I said as Mihir joined us with a contented smile on his face.
“Let’s go get me a change of clothes from the hotel,” he said.
When we entered Mihir’s room, he locked the door and hugged me like he had once before, burying his face in my neck, inhaling me into every pore of his body.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered.
“It’s your fault,” I said. “Do you know how much you hurt me?”
He looked into my face. “I’m sorry for everything, Sona. But know this—there could never be anyone else for me.”
I stood on my toes and kissed him. I had forgotten how comforting his mouth felt, how reassuring his soft lips were. He let me kiss him tenderly for a while as his hands roved up and down my body. Then suddenly, he pulled me closer and kissed me furiously. His teeth dug into my lips, and I didn’t complain.
“Your mom has been asking me to check out of the hotel and stay at yours. You know why I haven’t yet?” he asked, gripping my waist. “Because I want this.”
I yelped a giggle as he threw me on the bed and undid my jeans.
“Remove your top,” he demanded as he unbuttoned his shirt and flung it away. I obliged.
“Nice try with the sexy bra, but you know it’s got to go,” he ordered as he undid his pants. “And get rid of those panties, babe, unless you want them ripped up and on the floor.”
My back arched. I beckoned him closer with my finger, and as he bent over, I felt the heat of his body wash over me.
“You tormented me for a whole week. You made me jealous, and angry, and sad. These panties better end up ripped on the floor.”
He growled and kissed me. “You’re fire, Sona!”
THE END