The watchman of Earl's Hostel banged on the door. Namani Nagarvel named Meher opened the door. Before the watchman could say anything, Meher asked, 'Have you come, my guest? Putting them in the visitors room? Tell them I am coming in five minutes.' 'Yes.' Saying that, the watchman went down the stairs. Meher knew that her boyfriend Minar was coming to meet her at six o'clock this evening. He used to come every day to meet, but today he had to make an important decision about his future life. It's still yesterday. By calling in the morning, Minar informed Meher, 'Aren't you going to work tomorrow? So I say yes to my dad. He wants to see you.' 'Hi mom! I am afraid. Will your father come to meet me here in this visitors room in the hostel? What can I serve them here? Even talking to them…' Meher's heart started beating faster, 'Telling them that he and your mom, Amareli, should come to meet my mom and dad. I will also reach Amreli during Saturday and Sunday holidays. There can be peaceful talks and the house can also be seen.' 'No, you don't know my father's nature. My father is a very strange man. They say that once I meet the girl in the hostel. If the girl thinks it is appropriate, then take the matter further, otherwise put a full stop to the matter.' Hearing Minar's words, Meher broke into a sweat. For twenty-four hours Meher had been passing through the triad of unknown apprehension, imaginary fear and feminine shame. Could not sleep properly at night. It started getting ready from two o'clock in the afternoon. What else can hospitality do in a hostel? Expensive ice cream was ordered and placed in the shared fridge in the corridor. The watchman was told, 'Bring the ice-cream bowl when I signal.' And six o'clock came. Along with that the guest also came. A shy, shrinking, trembling Meher entered the visitors' room. Mahasukhbhai was sitting on the sofa in front. Seeing his stern face and aggressive body language, Meher's courage, which was barely tied, burst open. As soon as he got the words together, he joined his hands and said 'Namaste'. Mahasukhlal raised his right hand while sitting on the sofa, 'Be happy! Sit down, daughter.' Hearing the 'daughter' address, Meher's mind got some relief. There is a slight dampness in some corner of this rough-looking man. Without wasting time in side talk, Mahasukhlal took the issue directly, 'Daughter, you are good looking. Standing next to my son is beautiful. Your wedding album photographs will look beautiful but… .' Saying this he took a 'pause', then resumed, 'But daughter, only the marriage album is adorned with two faces, the picture of the world is beautiful only when the rites of the bride and bridegroom meet and the spirit of giving up rather than receiving…' 'I Understood, uncle, tell me what I have to be prepared to give up.' Meher's speech was gradually gaining confidence. 'Daughter, I don't know what my son has said to marry you, I only know that he has the power to lie. If you meet a beautiful girl like you, she can show you the moon and stars in your palm. He can sell his junk bike to Mercedes. He can show his father a millionaire. If you are going to be fooled by his big and false talk, that scoundrel can show you a lake of rippling waves by drawing mirages on paper.' Mahasukhlal presented such a truth to a gentleman's father. Meher was shocked. Scenes from the past twenty-five visits flashed across his mind like an action re-play. Minar really spoke big things in front of Meher. Sitting in a city bus and coming to meet a girlfriend in a girls' hostel, he says, 'Dad gave me an Audi car, but once a dog was run over by me in over speeding, then Dad took the car back. In the profits that were knocked down. What if the boy had died instead of the dog? I also became stubborn. I will come and go in the city bus, but will not use any other common vehicle.' Meher, who grew up in a middle-class family living in Mugdhwaya, used to get excited when she heard the names of cars like Mercedes and Audi, her lower jaw hung and she got lost in the talk of Minar. Where there is a shortage of falsehoods! Wearing fake sports shoes worth three hundred rupees, Minar talks about his footwear collection, 'I have one hundred and thirty pairs of boots-shoes-sandals in my bungalow alone. The cheapest pair is seven thousand rupees, but dad has always given me one advice not to flaunt luxury in everyday life. You can understand the mentality of common man only if you wear cheap shoes.' Sipping cutting tea from a lorry on the footpath with Meher, Minar would talk about the five-star hotel: 'When I'm with dad, I always drink service tea that costs three thousand rupees. This is why I am with you…' The taste of the cheap, saccharine tea on Meher's tongue changed completely. There were many incidents, which flashed on Maher's mind now. And a middle-aged man standing in front was taking off the gold foil from his son's words in harsh language. 'Daughter, know what my son has told you. Understand what I am saying. Eight of us live in a small rented house. At the head of the minar is the responsibility of marrying the younger four sisters. At the head of the minar is the responsibility of marrying the younger four sisters. Minar's mother has been bedridden for six years due to paralysis, the responsibility of feeding, bathing and defecating her is to be taken care of by the bride-to-be after marriage. If you come to our family with false dreams, stop. Only if one is prepared to drive the chariot of the world on a bumpy road…' Mahasukhlal presented the entire Chitar. Meher looked at the minaret with a keen eye. He stood speechless. Seeing his sweet, innocent looking face, a sea of emotion rose in Meher's heart. Succumbing to the impulse rising from within, she said, 'Uncle, I approve of everything. Even if your son is a liar, I love it, because he lied out of love for me. His words may be wrong, but his love is true. I am ready to spend my whole life in struggle. Bless me!' Maher bowed at the feet of her future daughter-in-law. Mahasukhlal placed his blessed hand on Maher's head, 'Daughter, I bless you with all my heart, and I also give you this key. Audi is the key to the car. Shaw left the room yesterday for you. My son did not tell a lie, I told it deliberately. I'm sorry, daughter, this was my way of testing my housemates. We have a family of three in a ten crore bungalow. He filled the fourth corner that was empty. Be happy and make everyone happy.'}(Title line: Nazir Qaiser)
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
