have to be here on my birthday, Bhai! How could you
have even made plans to be away?” retorted Tarun.
“He’s right for once,” said Vasu, laughing.
“ Chalo bhai , let’s discuss the menu for the
party now,” said Ajay Chacha, only to have his suggestion drowned out by a
clamor of voices telling him he had to watch his cholesterol levels. The meal
ended in a wave of laughter at Ajay's crestfallen expression.
***
A few days later, Dadi called Mira to her room. “There’s a
problem,” she said as Mira appeared. “Maharaj has drawn up a menu for Tarun’s
party the day after tomorrow. And Tarun is refusing to even consider it. Too
old-fashioned, he says. I don’t know what we are going to do.”
“I’ll cook!” said Mira immediately.
“Will you, beta ?” asked the old lady. “I was hoping
you would say that.”
“Of course, I will,” said Mira. “And I’ll work with Maharaj
on it.”
Mrs. Dewan looked at her with warmth. “Thank you, beta ,
I was hoping you would say that, too. You may need to appease Maharaj first. He
is a bit old fashioned, but he has been with us for many years and he suits us
just fine. He is very fond of Tarun and was most disappointed when Tarun
rejected his suggestions. Still, I can’t blame the boy either. I don’t think
Maharaj’s menu would have found favor with the young people at the party.”
“I’ll talk to Maharaj and find out what he had in mind,
shall I?” asked Mira. “Then I’ll talk to Tarun and see what he wants.”
“That will be good,” said Mrs. Dewan gravely. “God bless
you, beta !”
Mira went in search of Maharaj. It took her a bit of time to
mollify the aged family retainer, but once she had assured him that Tarun Baba
was not rejecting his offerings outright, merely wanting them modified a bit,
the old man was soon smiling once again.
Now Tarun, she thought as she went up the stairs to
look for him. She found him with Reema on the balcony. “What on earth are the
two of you doing here together?” she hissed at them. “Suppose Chachi sees you?
As it is, she’s on the warpath after Dadi asked you to make the prasad !”
“Calm down, Di,” said Tarun, who had now, in Reema-fashion,
taken to calling her Di. “Amma’s gone out and won’t be back for an hour at
least.”
“Di, I was telling Tarun that I don’t think I should be
making the prasad if it hurts Amma.” Reema blushed rosily at the slip.
“But how can I refuse Dadi?”
“You can’t really,” said Mira frankly. “I really don’t know
what got into Dadi, making such a strange request. Chachi was really upset. But
hold on now, we’ll discuss that later. Have I news for you, Tarun! Dadi has
asked me to cook for your party.”
“Really, Di? Wow, that’s fantastic!” the two voices were one
in their exclamation.
“Isn’t it?” Mira beamed happily at them. “So now, Tarun, you
have to tell me what you want. I have Maharaj’s list with me. Shall we go
through it?”
Tarun’s face took on an obstinate expression. “I don’t want
those old-fashioned things he has suggested, Di.”
“Tarun, don’t be mean to the poor old man. He has known you
since you were a baby and he wants to contribute to your birthday. You can’t
dismiss him like that.”
“Well said, Mira,” came Ranbir’s voice from the door. Mira
flushed at the unaccustomed praise. “Little brother, that was not kindly done.”
“But Bhai…” began Tarun.
“Let it be, Tarun,” said Ranbir quietly. “It does not become
us to seek our pleasures even at the expense of hurting someone else,
especially someone who has been looking after us for so long.”
“I guess so, Bhai,” said Tarun reluctantly. “I shouldn't
have been so mean to Maharaj.”
Mira looked at both of them in surprise. She had not thought
that Ranbir would be so sensitive to the feelings of an old man who was not
even part of the family. And she had not known he wielded so much influence
over Tarun. Thank
have even made plans to be away?” retorted Tarun.
“He’s right for once,” said Vasu, laughing.
“ Chalo bhai , let’s discuss the menu for the
party now,” said Ajay Chacha, only to have his suggestion drowned out by a
clamor of voices telling him he had to watch his cholesterol levels. The meal
ended in a wave of laughter at Ajay's crestfallen expression.
***
A few days later, Dadi called Mira to her room. “There’s a
problem,” she said as Mira appeared. “Maharaj has drawn up a menu for Tarun’s
party the day after tomorrow. And Tarun is refusing to even consider it. Too
old-fashioned, he says. I don’t know what we are going to do.”
“I’ll cook!” said Mira immediately.
“Will you, beta ?” asked the old lady. “I was hoping
you would say that.”
“Of course, I will,” said Mira. “And I’ll work with Maharaj
on it.”
Mrs. Dewan looked at her with warmth. “Thank you, beta ,
I was hoping you would say that, too. You may need to appease Maharaj first. He
is a bit old fashioned, but he has been with us for many years and he suits us
just fine. He is very fond of Tarun and was most disappointed when Tarun
rejected his suggestions. Still, I can’t blame the boy either. I don’t think
Maharaj’s menu would have found favor with the young people at the party.”
“I’ll talk to Maharaj and find out what he had in mind,
shall I?” asked Mira. “Then I’ll talk to Tarun and see what he wants.”
“That will be good,” said Mrs. Dewan gravely. “God bless
you, beta !”
Mira went in search of Maharaj. It took her a bit of time to
mollify the aged family retainer, but once she had assured him that Tarun Baba
was not rejecting his offerings outright, merely wanting them modified a bit,
the old man was soon smiling once again.
Now Tarun, she thought as she went up the stairs to
look for him. She found him with Reema on the balcony. “What on earth are the
two of you doing here together?” she hissed at them. “Suppose Chachi sees you?
As it is, she’s on the warpath after Dadi asked you to make the prasad !”
“Calm down, Di,” said Tarun, who had now, in Reema-fashion,
taken to calling her Di. “Amma’s gone out and won’t be back for an hour at
least.”
“Di, I was telling Tarun that I don’t think I should be
making the prasad if it hurts Amma.” Reema blushed rosily at the slip.
“But how can I refuse Dadi?”
“You can’t really,” said Mira frankly. “I really don’t know
what got into Dadi, making such a strange request. Chachi was really upset. But
hold on now, we’ll discuss that later. Have I news for you, Tarun! Dadi has
asked me to cook for your party.”
“Really, Di? Wow, that’s fantastic!” the two voices were one
in their exclamation.
“Isn’t it?” Mira beamed happily at them. “So now, Tarun, you
have to tell me what you want. I have Maharaj’s list with me. Shall we go
through it?”
Tarun’s face took on an obstinate expression. “I don’t want
those old-fashioned things he has suggested, Di.”
“Tarun, don’t be mean to the poor old man. He has known you
since you were a baby and he wants to contribute to your birthday. You can’t
dismiss him like that.”
“Well said, Mira,” came Ranbir’s voice from the door. Mira
flushed at the unaccustomed praise. “Little brother, that was not kindly done.”
“But Bhai…” began Tarun.
“Let it be, Tarun,” said Ranbir quietly. “It does not become
us to seek our pleasures even at the expense of hurting someone else,
especially someone who has been looking after us for so long.”
“I guess so, Bhai,” said Tarun reluctantly. “I shouldn't
have been so mean to Maharaj.”
Mira looked at both of them in surprise. She had not thought
that Ranbir would be so sensitive to the feelings of an old man who was not
even part of the family. And she had not known he wielded so much influence
over Tarun. Thank
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