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‘Anu!’ said Padma.
‘Pumpkin!’ exclaimed Pitajee.
‘Why did you guys take years to call?’ she hissed angrily. Lovely Anu, she was back and how I had missed the sharp tongue! ‘The reports?’ she asked, in a low voice. It was obvious that there were people around her and she did not wish to attract attention.
‘It is fake,’ said Pitajee in a grim voice.
There was silence on the other end.
‘Are you married, Anu?’ Purva asked. That was something I never thought I would hear Purva ask Anu. As I waited for Anu to reply, I crossed my fingers. Purva, Pitajee, Vikram, Padma all followed suit. And that is how we stood, in a circle, our eyes boring into the phone, heads bent low in concentration and fingers crossed for luck.
This could go either way now.
39
‘The baraat has not even come yet,’ said Anu disdainfully.
I held my head in my hands and exhaled a big sigh of relief. Vikram pumped his fist in the air and Padma clutched my half-husband’s hand in delight.
Purva looked at me and smiled a slow smile. His gaze then met Pitajee’s.
‘What?’ asked Pitajee, looking at all the faces that stared expectantly at him for a few seconds before realization dawned upon him and he gasped.
‘You guys were doing this for the parents, who … well … lied,’ said Vikram.
I heard Anu take a deep breath. What could be done now? What should be done now? Pitajee’s face clouded for a few moments and he chewed on his little finger. Then he looked up at Purva, who was already smiling. Purva somehow knew what was going on in Pitajee’s head and he nodded, encouragingly. I stared blankly, first at Purva and then at Pitajee.
Taking a moment to steady himself, Pitajee sat down, cleared his throat and spoke. ‘Anu, we did this for Govind,’ he said.
‘Yes,’ she said in a small voice.
‘And now it is clear that Govind and Ahya lied to us.’
‘Yes,’ she said again.
‘It changes everything … doesn’t it?’ he asked, his words laden with meaning.
‘Yes,’ said Anu.
A moment’s pause. I caught Padma’s face, steeped in concentration, focused on the conversation between the star-crossed lovers.
‘Everything, they say, is fair in love and war. I love you and hereby declare war on Ahya and Govind,’ said the gallant knight.
‘Oh … okay,’ said Anu, slowly.
‘Anu darling, I can just think of one thing that can be done now. Would you,’ continued Pitajee, ‘consider running away from your wedding?’
‘Wha…’ I said, feeling my eyes grow in size.
‘And marrying me tonight?’ he finished.
Padma gasped. These north Indians, her eyes seemed to say.
Vikram and Purva exchanged a look. I crossed my fingers yet again, waiting for Anu to reply. You could have cut the tension in the room with a knife. Vikram spared a hand over his forehead, Purva put a comforting hand on Pitajee’s shoulder and I just prayed.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
‘Yes,’ said Anu, her voice resolute.
