Chapter 15: chapter 15

He smiled. My mom frowned at me.  I whispered in my mom’s ears, “She is also earning a good income. She’s fine.”He looked at my mom’s face to know if she gives her consent or not. She nodded her head affirmatively.Mohan – Okay, I will call their family tomorrow evening. Mom – Will they come to our home or in your home?Mohan – In your home, sister. Mom – But I have to clean my house, I also have to do dusting. You know brother, it takes time for preparation to receive a guest. And I have become old and my son is not helping me in it! Can we meet them next week?She again frowned at me. And I thought, “Oh God! My mom is making no sense! Cleaning and dusting is not that important! Why the hell she is postponing!”Mohan – Actually, sister, if you are serious for your son’s marriage then you should not delay it. Mom – But we also have to show them good hospitality. How can we let our guests in our dirty house? I can’t do it. I need time. Now, I frowned at my mother. I could not help saying, “Mom, it’s okay. Don’t worry. We are going to conduct a function at our home. We are just going to meet them. No need for showing special hospitality. I mean, we can talk over cups of coffee and with nice biscuits or cold drink. That’s all.”Mom – No, no! We have to do special arrangements. Aman, you don’t know about anything. If we just give them coffee and cold drink, what will they think of us? They will think that we are very miser. Aman – Mom, nobody thinks like that. Uncle, we are ready to meet tomorrow. He looked at my mom’s face adjusting his specks on his nose. My mom started mumbling something. I said to uncle Mohan, “Uncle, we are ready.” He again looked at her face. She said, “Okay.”  Mohan – So get ready tomorrow. I will call you beforehand. Do your preparation. Mom – Hmm...I and my mom left his house and headed back home. The Next DayI and my mom were sitting in a drawing room. Right in front of me was sitting a fat man with his belly hanging down as if his belly was about to fall on the floor. Beside him sat uncle Mohan.  Four beautiful cups of coffee were placed on the table along with expensive biscuits.My mom picked up the plate in which coffee cups were placed and extended towards the fat man and said very cordially, “Please brother, have it.” He picked up one cup of coffee. Then my mom served coffee to uncle Mohan and me. In the last, she took her cup of coffee. Mohan – Sister, he is the man I was talking about. His daughter is working in the post office. His name is Beant and he is a businessman.Mom – Oh, good. (looked towards Beant) Which business brother?Beant – I sell ready-made clothes. Mom – Hmm...Beant – What does your son do? Mom said in a proud voice, “He is a government teacher.”Beant – And what do you do?Mom said more proudly, “I am a retired teacher.”Beant – Hmm... The coffee is very yummy. Mom smiled and said, “Thanks brother.”I was shocked a bit anyhow when he talked about coffee all of a sudden but I didn’t say anything nor I supposed to do so. He started looking left, right, up and down as if trying to observe each and everything kept in the room. Suddenly he asked, “Are you using R.O. water?”I got stunned to hear that because we were not using R.O. water. We didn’t have R.O. My mom said briskly, “Yes, it’s R.O. water.”I thought, “What! Why is she telling a lie?”Beant said with a smile, “That’s why coffee is very yummy. I don’t drink ground water directly.”My mom smiled. I was amazed to hear that. Within my heart of hearts, I was laughing. Beant – My daughter is very innocent. She has always been a very hard worker. When she was in school and college, she was studying day in and day out. That’s why she got a government job. My mom – My son is also very hard working and intelligent. I never even said to him to study, he was studying on his own. And see, now he is a government teacher. Beant – Hmm... good. Mohan – Beant ji, I take guarantee of this boy and this family. This family is very very decent. And this boy non-drinker and non-smoker as you demanded. Beant – Hmm...this boy looks good.Mohan – He is a very good match. I tell you. I am giving you his guarantee because I am his neighbour. I know about his reputation and each and everything about him.Beant – Hmm... good. Sister, do you have a veranda in your house? Mom – Yes. We have a big veranda.I thought, “It’s not that big!”After finishing coffee, we all stood up and my mom started showing him around. He went into each and every room of the house and looked very carefully. I didn’t understand what he was trying to search for. What he was calculating exactly. He didn’t say anything about the house and we sat in the drawing room again. Mohan - I hope you liked the house. Beant – Hmm..Mom – Brother, so when we can come to your house?Sneakily, uncle Mohan moved his index finger before my mom indicating negation. My mom understood his cue, she quickly changed the topic, “Would you like to have some fruits, brother?”Beant – No, no. It’s alright. I think it’s time to go now. He looked towards uncle Mohan. My mom said, “No, brother, I can’t let you go now. You just came now. It has been only thirty minutes.”Beant – I have seen your home and your son. I have also talked to you. To be very honest, I am also getting late for my shop. Mom – But brother...She was about to say something more, when uncle Mohan with his eyes cleverly cued my mother indicating not to say any more word. She shut her mouth at once. We all went to the main door of our house to see Beant off. (It will be so nice of you, if you leave at least a single word comment 🌺❇️🌹🌺❇️)