CHAPTER 18 Kavita
Kavita
I’m at my parents’ house just before the weekly prayer meeting is set to start. I’ve invited Kiara and Khushi over so we can all have dinner afterward, as Mom had promised.
Mom seizes the opportunity to catch me alone to present her next case. “There’s a new proposal for you. Jeet’s mother called me just yesterday.”
“Ma,” I groan.
“Your horoscopes match perfectly.” Mom looks at me eagerly. “He’s back after two years abroad, and he’s landed a very prestigious job here. He wants to settle down. We’d really like him for you.”
“Your mother is very keen on Jeet,” Dad adds playfully.
I let out a sigh. “So, what does Jeet’s mother think about me?” I ask, just to humor my parents. Then I add, “What if I don’t like him?”
Mom plants a hand on her forehead. “You’ve already rejected two proposals. We’re worried about you, just like his mother is worried about him. You know, it’s always the mothers everyone blames.”
Dad touches her hand across the table. “I don’t blame you, Shalu,” he says. “Neither does anyone I know.”
“But they think it in their minds,” Mom says, sniffling. “Anyway, I don’t care.” She turns to me again. “So, Jeet’s mother thinks he’s keen on you.”
“Keen on me?” My eyes widen. “Why me?”
“You used to play carrom together as kids and spend hours playing instead of doing homework.”
“Jeet over homework sounds like me,” I say playfully. “Doesn’t mean I was keen on him.”
“Uff, this girl won’t give up,” Mom says, huffing. “I’m just saying maybe it wasn’t you over homework, for him. Maybe it was you, homework or not.”
This conversation is making me smile. I glance at my dad to see what he thinks. He’s busy tuning the radio to his favorite channel. He’s not even listening.
“What do you say, Moorthy?” Mom chides him for not paying attention to such an important conversation.
Jeet vs. homework? I stifle another smile.
“Umm...whatever you think is right, Shalu.” He rolls the ball right back into her court and continues fiddling with the radio.
My mom looks at him annoyingly, then at me. “Well, we’ll see when Jeet comes,” she says. “Look at this. His mother sent a photo the other day.”
She goes over to the TV console and digs up a photo from the albums stored there, bringing it to me.
“We’ve been looking for a good proposal for so long, and I really like this boy the best of all. He also looks handsome, doesn’t he?” She shows it to me and waits expectantly as I look it over.
“He’s not too bad looks-wise,” I say honestly.
“You meet first, then you get to know him. If you like him, then you get married. Isn’t it?”
We’re about to argue when Dad intervenes. “We’re only asking you to meet him, dear. Then you can decide.”
“I think you’re going to like him,” Mom says. “And good horoscopes are hard to come by. He sounds perfect.”
“Too perfect to be true!” I mumble.
Lucky for me, the doorbell rings. The prayer meeting is about to begin, and Mom’s friends start pouring in. I take the perfect chance to escape to my bedroom.
***
The prayer meeting is in full swing when Kiara and Khushi arrive. The three of us cozy up in my room to chat and catch up. Dad pops in to offer us snacks and cold drinks meant for the guests post their two-hour chanting session. Dad is such a gem.
We dive into the shiny, diamond-shaped pieces of kaju barfi and the crisp, golden swirls of jalebi, all the while lost in conversation.
My phone pings every now and then. It’s Neel. We’ve been texting more often, and he’s been sharing little snippets of his day, asking about mine. I try to avoid peeping at the messages, but it’s proving to be hard.
“Okay, spill it,” Kiara says abruptly, her voice muffled slightly as she bites into a luscious barfi. “You’ve been glancing at your phone every five seconds.”
I feel my cheeks warm. “What? No, I haven’t.”
Khushi leans forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh please, your face lights up every time it buzzes. Is it Neel?”
I bite my lip, unable to hide my smile. “We...we talked last night. Really talked.”
“And?” Kiara says, leaning in closer.
“We kissed,” I say dreamily, still reliving every moment of it.
Khushi lets out a squeal, quickly muffling it with her hands. “I knew something was up the way you were eyeing the phone. Tell us everything!”
“Well,” I start, fiddling with the edge of my dupatta, “he told me about his past. His ex-wife, the divorce...it wasn’t easy for him.”
Kiara’s expression softens. “Poor guy. How did you handle it?”
“I just listened. And...I told him how I feel about him.”
“Bold move!” Khushi exclaims. “How did he react?”
I can’t help but smile at the memory. “He was hesitant at first, but then...he admitted he has feelings for me too.”
Khushi nudges me gently. “How are you feeling about that?”
“I’m a little nervous,” I admit, feeling a flutter in my stomach. “It’s been a while since I’ve met someone I like.”
“Just be yourself, Kavita,” Kiara says, squeezing my hand. “He already likes you for who you are.”
Khushi grins. “Yeah, and don’t forget to share all the juicy details with us!”
I roll my eyes, laughing. “You two are impossible!”
“We’re just happy for you,” Kiara says. “It’s about time you found someone special.”
I grab a pillow and playfully toss it at them. “Alright, alright. But there’s a problem. Mom just got Jeet’s proposal for me. And guess what? Our horoscopes match too!” I huff.
Khushi giggles as I tell them all the reasons Mom is so keen on Jeet. “Oh, man! Don’t think you’ll be able to wiggle out of this one!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I grumble as Khushi starts laughing again. “But it’s not funny.”
Khushi lifts her hand in a gesture of peace. “Okay, I’m kidding!”
“Mom even said now that Kiara is married, it’s my turn next.”
Khushi snorts. “Your mom has no reason to be disappointed as long as I’m still here to keep you company.”
Kiara smiles at me. “You remember how it was you who convinced me to give it a shot? I don’t know if I would have been ready for Arjun.”
I smile back. “He’d always been good for you. You just never saw it.”
“You can turn down Jeet if you don’t like him,” Kiara suggests.
I sigh. “Mom showed me his photo. He looks good. He’s got great qualifications. He’s got a great job... Mom sounded so excited I don’t think I have solid grounds to turn him down. Unless…”
Khushi’s eyes twinkle knowingly as she finishes my sentence. “Unless there is someone you like.”
“Do your parents know about Neel?” Kiara asks.
I’ve thought about my parents’ reaction, trying to imagine how they’ll respond when they find out their single, never-married daughter is interested in a man who’s older and divorced.
“No,” I say with quiet resolve. “I want to keep Neel a secret for now. I want us to understand each other better before involving my parents. Plus,” I add, a small smile playing on my lips, “I kind of like having him all to myself for a little longer.”
Kiara adds, “It might not hurt to introduce the idea of Neel gradually, you know. Maybe mention him casually as a client’s brother or a new friend.
That’s how it was with Arjun and my family.
My grandmother was already fond of him before I even realized I had feelings for him.
It wasn’t such a shock when we finally admitted we were in love. ”
Khushi nods in agreement. “Yeah, and you never know. Your parents might surprise you. They want you to be happy, after all.”
As I listen to my friends, a joyful sensation courses through me. Despite the complications with Jeet’s proposal and my parents’ expectations, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement about Neel.
For the first time in years, I’m allowing myself to hope, to dream about love.
Despite the challenges ahead, I feel like my heart has already made its choice.
It’s beating for Neel. And it feels unmistakably like love.