Chapter 1
Aditi meets Pradeep
Aditi meets Pradeep
‘Aditi. Go upstairs and change your clothes.’ ‘I don’t want to change. I like my jeans and tee shirt Aunty Yasmin.’ Aditi is sitting on the sofa reading a book. ‘Aditi! You cannot wear jeans and t-shirt for visitors! Put your new sari on. Pradeep and his parents are coming soon.’ ‘Mmm…’ ‘Aditi, you are not listening!’ Aunty is angry now. She turns to Aditi’s father. Ravi is watching the Saturday sport on the television. ‘Ravi, tell Aditi to wear her sari. I want her to look pretty.’ Aditi’s father winks at his daughter. ‘Aditi looks very pretty to me,’ he smiles. Aunty is upset. ‘I try to help Aditi to meet nice young men but she’s not the same as her sisters,’ she sighs. ‘You help us all,’ Ravi told her firmly. ‘You are the mother to my four girls Yasmin.’ Ravi looks sad. He remembers the death of his dear wife Aruna. ‘We are grateful to you Aunty Yasmin.’ He pats her on the arm. Aditi puts her book on the sofa. She jumps up. She puts her arms round Aunty Yasmin and she hugs her. I’m sorry Aunty. I want to finish my book before the visitors come. I like wearing jeans but I can change my clothes for you. What do you want me to wear?’ Aunty gives a little smile. She loves Aditi and her sisters very much. You wear those jeans and a t-shirt all the time. They are not very pretty. ‘I like the pink sari. Men like pink’. Aditi sighs. ‘All my friends wear jeans and I like to wear casuaI clothes. I don’t want Pradeep to like me very much. It’s not a good idea. I’m going to University soon. I don’t want to marry for a long time.’‘I don’t want you to marry now Aditi but if you go away to London University, it’s better if you are engaged first.’ Aditi’s father interrupts, ‘Aditi, put the sari on my dear.You are a modern girl. I don’t want you to marry if you don’t want to marry. Aunty doesn’t like jeans for visitors. She wants you to meet nice young men before you go to University. I like to see you in a sari too.When you wear a sari you look like your mother.’ ‘Alright father I’m going to put the pink sari on,’ Aditi says but she whispers in his ear. ‘I don’t want to get engaged.’ Her father nods. He pats the arm of his youngest daughter. ‘Aunty is quite happy if you are friendly and you look pretty.’ Aditi goes upstairs to change her clothes. Yasmin speaks to Ravi. ‘You spoil that girl. She can find a good husband now but after University I’m not sure. The young girls get the best men.’ Ravi laughs. ‘She’s only eighteen. She’s going to University for three years. I don’t think twenty-one is too old to marry a nice man.’ Half an hour later Pradeep and his parents arrive. Pradeep is short and very fat. His mother tells him what to say.‘Say, hallo to Yasmin, Pradeep,’ she says to her son. ‘Hallo, Yasmin’, Pradeep says, in a dull, slow voice. His mother says, ‘Say good afternoon to Ravi my son.’ ‘Good afternoon Ravi,’ Pradeep says in his slow voice. ‘Good afternoon,’ Ravi says, ‘Do you remember me?’ ‘Yes, of course he remembers you.’ The young man’s mother says. ‘Pradeep! Tell Ravi you remember him.’ ‘I remember you Ravi,’ Pradeep says. Pradeep’s mother smiles at Aditi. ‘You are a beautiful young woman my dear.’ Aditi is wearing the sari. She tries to smile. Pradeep’s mother pushes him. ‘Tell Aditi she…’ Aunty Yasmin says quickly, ‘Aditi, why don’t you take Pradeep into the garden? It’s sunny and you can show him the fish.’ Aditi smiles but she doesn’t want to smile. She is polite because she does not want to upset her father and Aunty. She walks into the garden. Pradeep’s mother gives him a little push and he follows Aditi.
Chapter 2
Aditi and Pradeep do not want to marry
‘Do you like fish?’ Aditi asks Pradeep. ‘I don’t eat meat or fish.’ Pradeep says with a slow, voice. Aditi laughs. ‘The fish are not to eat but they are lovely to watch.’ She goes to the pond and points to the fish. ‘See how pretty they are when they swim through the water. Look how they open and shut their mouths.We keep food for them. Do you want to throw food in the pond? Our visitors usually like to feed the fish.’ ‘No thanks. You feed the fish.’ Pradeep sits down on the bench near the pond. Aditi drops tiny bits of food slowly into the water and she laughs when the fish jump to catch the food. She sits down on a stone near the pond. ‘Are you going to college, Pradeep?’ Aditi asks. ‘No, Aditi. I am going to work in my father’s business. My mother says I must marry before I start work.’ ‘Do you want to marry?’ Aditi asks him. He looks nervous. ‘I think I do but…’ ‘What’s the matter? I’m not going to tell your mother.’ ‘I’m sorry Aditi but I don’t want to marry you… ’ ‘Don’t worry Pradeep. I don’t want to marry you.’ Aditi says.Pradeep smiles. ‘I’m glad you don’t want to marry me. I like a girl from school but my mother doesn’t like her.’ ‘She’s not our religion?’ Aditi asks. She feels friendly now because Pradeep doesn’t want to marry her. She feels sorry for Pradeep. ‘She is not Hindu?’ Aditi asks again. ‘Oh yes. Damini is from our community but she is very modern. She says I mustn’t listen to my mother so much and if she marries me, she wants to live in our own house and not with mother and father.’ Aditi thinks Damini is sensible. She says. ‘Perhaps, your father can help. Can you talk to him?’ Pradeep’s father is a gentle, quiet man and he seems very kind. Pradeep smiles. ‘Yes, father says I must meet all the girls mother wants me to marry. He says I must tell mother I do not want to marry them. After I say ‘no’ to all the girls he thinks I can marry Damini. Pradeep laughs. ‘Do you understand? My mother wants me to marry. She might think it is better for me to marry Damini if I do not like the other girls. She wants grandchildren very much.’ Aditi laughs. ‘I think your father is right. You must tell your mother you do not like me and I will tell Aunty that I don’t want to marry you.’ Pradeep smiles. ‘Thank you. That’s a good idea.’ Aditi stands up. ‘Aunty is calling us Pradeep. We can eat now and we can enjoy lots of the lovely food she is cooking. You can watch football with my father.’ Pradeep smiles, ‘Are you sure I can watch the sport? I love football.’ ‘You can watch the football Pradeep. My father likes football too. I can say I want to read a book.’ Aditi giggled. ‘When you go home, tell your mother Aditi is boring.’
Chapter 2
Aditi and Pradeep do not want to marry
‘Do you like fish?’ Aditi asks Pradeep. ‘I don’t eat meat or fish.’ Pradeep says with a slow, voice. Aditi laughs. ‘The fish are not to eat but they are lovely to watch.’ She goes to the pond and points to the fish. ‘See how pretty they are when they swim through the water. Look how they open and shut their mouths.We keep food for them. Do you want to throw food in the pond? Our visitors usually like to feed the fish.’ ‘No thanks. You feed the fish.’ Pradeep sits down on the bench near the pond. Aditi drops tiny bits of food slowly into the water and she laughs when the fish jump to catch the food. She sits down on a stone near the pond. ‘Are you going to college, Pradeep?’ Aditi asks. ‘No, Aditi. I am going to work in my father’s business. My mother says I must marry before I start work.’ ‘Do you want to marry?’ Aditi asks him. He looks nervous. ‘I think I do but…’ ‘What’s the matter? I’m not going to tell your mother.’ ‘I’m sorry Aditi but I don’t want to marry you… ’ ‘Don’t worry Pradeep. I don’t want to marry you.’ Aditi says.Pradeep smiles. ‘I’m glad you don’t want to marry me. I like a girl from school but my mother doesn’t like her.’ ‘She’s not our religion?’ Aditi asks. She feels friendly now because Pradeep doesn’t want to marry her. She feels sorry for Pradeep. ‘She is not Hindu?’ Aditi asks again. ‘Oh yes. Damini is from our community but she is very modern. She says I mustn’t listen to my mother so much and if she marries me, she wants to live in our own house and not with mother and father.’ Aditi thinks Damini is sensible. She says. ‘Perhaps, your father can help. Can you talk to him?’ Pradeep’s father is a gentle, quiet man and he seems very kind. Pradeep smiles. ‘Yes, father says I must meet all the girls mother wants me to marry. He says I must tell mother I do not want to marry them. After I say ‘no’ to all the girls he thinks I can marry Damini. Pradeep laughs. ‘Do you understand? My mother wants me to marry. She might think it is better for me to marry Damini if I do not like the other girls. She wants grandchildren very much.’ Aditi laughs. ‘I think your father is right. You must tell your mother you do not like me and I will tell Aunty that I don’t want to marry you.’ Pradeep smiles. ‘Thank you. That’s a good idea.’ Aditi stands up. ‘Aunty is calling us Pradeep. We can eat now and we can enjoy lots of the lovely food she is cooking. You can watch football with my father.’ Pradeep smiles, ‘Are you sure I can watch the sport? I love football.’ ‘You can watch the football Pradeep. My father likes football too. I can say I want to read a book.’ Aditi giggled. ‘When you go home, tell your mother Aditi is boring.’