Hellooo….Everyone…Its Jessie here…Well..thought to post this first as I had typed it yesterday..and got a lappy today 😉 …Next will be this or lil queen…
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Impressed !! (Shot 3)
Arjun’s POV :
Her parents greeted me with a wide smile when I went there..and..and..there she stood traditionally dressed…in Pink silk saree..!! I couldn’t shift my gaze from her,while she stood frozen to the ground looking me…I winked to bring her back to earth, as she blushed to that color of her saree….how I wished everyone around us to vanish and let us alone…! My mom cooed her.,pinching her cheek….
“Ask Radhu to add rice for pongal”,My mom said…. Rattu…you are gone!!
What if she spills it…the whole workers team were there…well…we do own lands!….So..,we are supposed to keep pongal exactly at sunrise time..,offering all the vegetables.,and first set of grains to Sun God! seeking and thanking for his blessings…One main element of Nature..! Rattu knew nothing about all this…
“Milk boiled”,one among them said..and the ladies ululated expressing their happiness…..I slowly walked towards her…The milk spilled to east side of the pot which is considered auspicious…”Rattu you have to carefully drop rice in the milk..take like this”,I murmured gesturing my hand…
“Ajju…where is the milk..Its only water”,she blinked back like a doll to me….She was hell cute and I tried hard to control my every sense not to respond for her beauty…
“Rattu kutty…the rice water is milk…not drinking milk…”,I said and she bit her tongue sticking out…
“I know it…I just asked you”,she said and did exactly like how my mom asked her to….
“You got up early after staying up till 1.30?”,I asked when she came dusting her hands,after adding just three handful of rice to the pot…the ladies greeted “Pongalo pongal.”aloud..,marking the prosperity to overflow in abundance….
“Because its Thai Pongal…I want sakkarai(sweet) pongal”,she sing sang to my dad….
I moved to check the vegetables arranged on Banana leaves for offering… She came to me.,and when asked she listed the things…”You know?”,I asked surprised…and she nodded blinking her eyes playfully…
Looking the left side of their front yard,I remembered Siruveetu Pongal.,another one which Rattu as a teen did…and I helped her…girls in their school going age do this.,drawing a house like model with red clay kolam and place a make shift stove and boil milk or keep pongal and do few more rituals…..I arranged three bricks like a stove covering three sides,and burnt the twigs when she boiled milk…she was around 14 when we did this….Her yelp pulled me back from my reverie…
She kept rubbing her eyes..,the smoke may be….I saw our mothers to handle it methodical…. “I thought to blow”,she said when my dad asked…
“You aren’t used to all this…why Rattu…you trouble yourself?”,I asked concerned…. “Don’t rub your eyes..”,I was unable to blew air to her eyes as everyone was around…”Mom please help her”,unconsciously I tucked her hair strands behind her ear but then stood away…..
Once the pooja was over.,we moved to their balcony…Her granny blessed me to get married soon…”One who marries you is so lucky”,she said….I smiled and saw her dad..who nodded affirmative…will he nod like the same if I ask his daughter’s hand…
Radhika’s POV..
“One who marries you is so lucky”,My granny blessed him…Of course..Yes!! And I am that lucky girl…I saw him to look my dad….My smile faded just like his…I saw my granny..,,I felt to hug her and cry..I don’t know why…..He stood next to me…His presence itself gave a ecstatic feel.,and the white shirt covering my left view made me excited….Just 2 more days,I will be here…we will be here…A series of on and off feelings flashed in my mind…
“Do you have holidays for Pongal”,my dad asked him….Ah…here he begins again…I sagged to the couch exhausted listening him…what was he going to bring this time….
“We celebrate the same way here…The tri-structure of canes.,and earthen pots too…Malaysia Tamilians celebrate every festival like here”,he said with a smile…
Ajju..don’t speak…my heart screamed…!! May be he heard I guess.,he glanced me once… I nodded negative…
“Here.,this year we had a controversy if to have holiday for Pongal or not”,my dad said…Is it so important now..!! There are lots of things under sun to discuss….This is a sensitive point..,for my dad…
“Why so?”,Arjun asked… “This is one National festival..”.,he said…
“What?”,I asked…May be dad is growing inside him or he is trying to impress my dad… “Its just our festival…don’t blabber”,I said annoyed and closed my eyes…
“Rattu…we celebrate in the name of Pongal…others celebrate as Mahara Sankranti…and Lohri…You said..Thai pongal! why its so…”,he asked me…
“Because..Its first day of our Tamil month Thai..”,I said smiling…After all I too know few things…
“Means..from this day Sun starts its north ward journey….in other words.,it comes to Mahara Rashi..,the zodiac sign…the transition of sun from one Rashi to other is called Sankranti….Means..Sun starts its zodiacal journey..towards Tropic of Cancer…..They take holy dips in holy rivers……This period is observed as the time of prosperity throughout our country…..Celebrating the end of winter solstice……The names differs from…Thai Pongal, Uzhavar Thirunal in Tamil Nadu….,Uttarayan in Gujarat…..,Maghi in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab…,Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu in Assam……Shishur Saenkraat in Kashmir Valley……Khichdi in Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar…..,Poush Sangkranti in West Bengal…..Makara Sankramana in Karnataka and Makar Sankranti in rest of the places…….We play few games here the next day……and in North they do Kite flying….and
…and just like us in Telangana and Andhra.,they celebrate for 4 days… In short..the whole Nation celebrates this Harvest Festival…with different names…Diwali and Sankranti are the two most commonly celebrated festivals.,with different names and rituals….Well..Our elders never does anything without a reason…It seems,they had planned to celebrate festivals in same period.,irrespective of language and culture…So..don’t think Pongal is just a state festival..Names differ.,but we all take this day as a opportunity to worship Nature…..The most important and vital element of Nature…Sun!! Responsible for the Survival of every single life in earth..be it a worm or a human…Sun is essential for life on earth…Bhogi is also called Indra vizha… in honor of Lord Indra, “the God of Clouds and Rains”…Lord Indra is worshiped for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land…”,he smiled as he sat next to my dad…
“Thats why…we called it as Farmer’s day too..they keep Ploughs and sickles while performing pooja…and freshly harvested paddy grains…After all,Agriculture is the backbone of our country….in fact every country…A country’s prosperity has its roots there…We need to honor farmers atleast once in a year..though they deserve more..”,uncle finished in one line…
I sat dumbstruck like my dad!! No..I was actually proud…!! Though I have heard all this.,when thinking in his point.,it gave a different feel…Somewhere.,I did feel Pongal to be outdated festival..,but from today I won’t….Everywhere they stick to their traditional festivals…why should I leave it behind.,just because I preferred to be a modern girl…I never gave this fest the importance that I have for Diwali and New year……I now realize why every time he emphasize to come here for Pongal….Once in a year.,we meet our workers,farmers here..and gift them dresses and be with them for four days….He indeed once said.,more than Diwali.,This harvest festival is too traditional and a ancient following one….and we should never leave this behind…In old times.,they did worship the nature…Mother Nature..!! If not she holds us.,then who will…and how stupid of me to think to avoid this one…
“Be proud to follow your traditions”,he said to my face with a smile as though he read my thoughts….”In short…Unity is diversity is our identity.!”,My Ajju..saw my dad..Ah..Helicopter shot!!..My Ajju…clever he is!
“Be traditional..and be proud of it”,Raghu uncle came with a momentary slogan..he does that often…
“Nation’s festival”,My dad repeated his words… “Arjun..!! Though it is celebrated throughout our country,I haven’t considered in this angle…A festival to thank Mother Nature..!!! Especially Sun..”,he said and topic turned to Ratha sapthami….
But my mind was occupied with one thing…Traditions…He loved it….I thought different…I took engineering only because he was in IT industry…he did say me to chose Agri…How much I struggled in Engineering…Even when I got to know he is in Malaysia..,Overlooking my anger.,my love forced me to google about Malaysia…Malaysia…Truly Asia…!!the Ad line was always running in my mind…..will he settle in Malaysia…will he take me there….gosh! Will my dad let me marry him….He love being Traditional…!! That’s the point now..! and I…
“Radhikaaa”,I jerked when my mom screamed…
Arjun’s POV…
“Radhikaaa”,her mom called high.,as we all laughed when she sat lost.,with eyes wide opened….. She held her head a little… “Allergic to flowers?”,I asked and bit my tongue when everyone saw me…
“Come home when you are free”,My mom patted her cheek….She immediately got up to accompany us….”Have your breakfast atleast..”,her mom said to her…
I had with them.,as uncle forced me…”Uncle..what was the issue 5 years back?”,I asked..and heard hiccups from Radhika…She rolled her eyes when her dad’s attention was on me…
“Not a big issue..One of our servant.,stole the Jewel offered to temple.,on our family’s behalf….My grand dad had offered it seems….I dealt it furious…when Raghu asked me to deal with little patience.,we had an argument…and..”
“But uncle..dad said…he spoke something offensive..”,I asked as I knew it was just heat of the moment,they exchanged harsh words…
“That servant.,hid that Jewel here.,in our house…That time.,Raghu said few words…I was adamant to don that jewel to idol inspite of Raghu’s warning…”,uncle said washing his hands…”But…Aru…I never thought you will avoid me…I then realized my mistake…I knew…Raghu would never speak anything against me..”,he smiled wide…That lovely friendship of their age beyond the relationship they had made me admire them…
“You both were no less to kids in fighting”,I shook my head wiping my hand in towel…
She unbraided her hair..,and I stood waiting for her.,gazing her every moves now and then…She noticed me.,and I turned to face her….”Happy Pongal Ajju!!”,she said like a mock..
I snickered listening her..”Filling your tummy with Pongal you wish me?”,I asked…and she bid aloud standing in the middle of their hall….She was silent all the way walking along with me…I could see few passing comments on us…Walking in traditional attire!!
“You celebrated Pongal there?”,She asked…
“Yes..With Tamilians of…
“Little India”,She exclaimed…
“How do you know that place?”,I asked..
“Google baba”,she smiled…I was happy that she wasn’t angry with me…She understood me…
“Why you googled about Malaysia?”,I asked..and she walked in silence…”Rattu..”,I called her…
“We came”,she smiled and walked fast into my house…
I had no mind to change my dhoti…”You look so handsome..Majestic…distribute gifts in this dress”,she said before I left to farm house…When I came back.,I saw her sleeping in that wooden swing in verandah…It was almost noon…Mom might me in backyard with workers…she was lying on her right.,and the fresh breeze of this new season,played with her Saree…revealing her bare waist and left a little…She was deep asleep…Festive time.,and there are chances for anyone to come home….I picked her in my arms and laid inside our hall….opening the large square windows….I sat next to her lying form on sofa…more like a guard….
“Why did you let her sleep outside?”,I whisper asked when my mom came there….
My mom saw both of us…”She said..”
“Ssshh”,I gestured to speak low and my mom glared me…
“She said..she will be waiting for your dad….”,my mom said before moving to kitchen….
“You brought me here”,I woke up hearing a faint voice after a push on my middle.,and that’s when I realized…I too slept in sitting form.,having an arm over her…I quickly got up and so as she…Thank god….None was at that hall…..
“We look like bride and groom”,she was looking our reflection in that wood framed old fashioned lengthy mirror….
She was right…!! I looked too manly in this attire standing next to her…She.,with her hair wide open,looked ethereal in silk Saree..with still sleep,to twinkle in her eyes….My wife!! My heart yearned…
“You look good…and how do I..”,she pushed her hair strands away from her face.,blinking back the drowsiness…
“Gorgeous…Breath taking..”,I whispered hugging her from back.,looking ourselves together….We stood still..,with our eyes on our reflection…”I want you Ajju”,she mumbled.., pouting….only to shook the soul of this 28yr old man…I glanced my reflection…”Missed you Rattu kutty”,I was about to stand straight she turned in lightening speed and hugged me close….
I snapped my look front and back.,worrying about anyone to come….How could I ask her to leave her hold?…With every passing minute,she pressed herself more into me…and my breath turned hard…”Radhika..Radhika”,I hushed..and tried to make her stand straight…I shouldn’t have turned her weak by hugging her…”Rattu kutty…dad will come..Pls…pls..look me”,I held her chin….
“Poda”,she pushed me in anger…
No respect..nothing…!! I pulled by her wrist…”What did you say?”,I asked..
Radhika’s POV
“What did you say?”,he asked me…
“I said..go..away..you..stupid.boy.”,I pushed him.,but his hold was strong….I was unable to hold his gaze..,my eyes downcasted itself,my cheeks heated up a little.,and I was left with no ounce of energy to push him…
“Leave my hand”,my voice din’t reach my ears in first place…Next second.,he held me by waist..,I looked around.,we were in middle of their hall…It was 2.15 at noon…”Aj..
“Apologize”,he said sharp…
“Aa..why…I won’t..”I tried to free from his grip…”Ath…”,he closed my mouth before I could call aunty.,and walked pulling me to that left side room…Raghu uncle’s room!..where he discusses things…..
This is how he cornered and proposed me…When no one was at home….All of a sudden.,when I came to share my board exam result….That year..we visited village on the month of May too…Though I had a interest on him.,his approach was a surprise….When I denied to accept that I was in love with him.,he did the same way to make me accept…He simply sat before me for an hour demanding a ‘Yes’….Now he won’t open the door.,unless things happen his way….”Am…”
“Rattu Kutty…”,he hugged me close.,before I could apologize…I felt weak in my middle.,his arms covering me completely…I remembered our secret meeting.,every time spending some time in his room…The touch and hug which I yearned for 2 years…”Kutty ma…Yesterday..You din’t even hold my hand…I din’t inform worrying for your academic result…that’s important dear…Why so much angry on me?,”he pushed me more into him….
“That’s ok”,I tried to wriggle out from his hold….His fingers brushing my bare back,and being in his embrace in saree for first time.,made me feel too dependent on him….I felt myself buried inside his arms…”Ajju…”,I tried to hold him.,his biceps..,shoulder.,nothing could be of my hold was what I got to know after my attempts.,and finally I hugged him back in response….I felt his hard rigid skin when my face rubbed on his shoulders.,the silk fabric added a charm to him…but did nothing a fabric should do…His mobile rang disturbing the moment…No..Indeed helping…what if uncle or aunty comes…I don’t want an atom bomb to blast on Pongal…
He attended the call.,holding me by left…I looked him annoyed…”S**y you are”,he kissed corner of my lips…. I felt goosebumps to ran over my skin.,when he openly ogled me…. “You dressed up to kill me?”,his thumb rubbed his jaw…
“Like you”,I said and he smiled wide…
We heard car honk.,and he quickly left the room…”You slept there…and Aru scolded me”,aunty said when I came to hall…Thankfully.,he made none to step in hall,when I came out of that room…One should learn all this skills from him…
“Radhu…take rest…Tomorrow morning..10 o clock”,Raghu uncle smiled…
“But we don’t have bull taming”,I said
“You want to say one thing or other every time”,Ajju said laughing a little…
“Uncle..you aren’t angry on me isn’t”,I asked ignoring Ajju’s mock…
“Why would I..?? If you hadn’t avoided me..I would have never realized my mistake”,uncle said….
“But..dad was at fault..”,I said feeble…
“May be he would have said so….he will never let me down”,Raghu uncle smiled…..
I turned and saw that room once…where he proposed me 5 years back.,now where he convinced me…will all those turn futile…I saw him to be thoughtful….
“You shouldn’t have slept on swing”,he said on the way back home….
“I din’t know how I felt asleep”,I blurted…
“Who asked you to stay awake till 1 o clock”,he smacked my head a little….
“Uncle…Lets meet tomorrow…”he said high looking my dad on that open place before my house…I stood watching his retreating figure.,and for every two steps he turned back,only to gesture me.,to get inside our house…!!
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So..how was it….Drop in your views…Pls ignore the typos and grammatical errors…Take care and loads of love to you all….