In the morning in the outer courtyard, all the men have finished their morning tea and breakfast delivered from the inner courtyard.It is almost 8 AM. Elders were discussing and boys were also talking among themselves. This is the time when Ira came running from inner courtyard and called Akash "Elder brother! Mother is calling for you inside."
Everyone became silent and looked at Akash for a moment and understood the meaning and continued their discussion. Akash felt annoyed at his sister"s announcement to everyone that he is being called to meet the girl. He smiled at his sister embarra.s.singly and his sister giggled.
The brothers of Varsha also stood up to leave for the farm. The cousin brothers of Akash stayed while Akash followed Ira to the inner courtyard.
When Akash reached into inner courtyard he found many curious gazes of ladies on himself. He felt a bit embarra.s.sed from all the attention and just met the eyes of his Grandma questioningly. His Grandma called "Come and sit with me a bit. Let them meet you. They also want to see the boy properly."
Akash felt confused and looked around and found that girl was not there. He has already known that women in girl"s family were her mother, her aunt, her grandma, and 3 sisters-in-law and he can see six women present but he did not see the girl. He is speechless "Is his family going to put him on display here. Where is the girl? He also wishes to meet her and talk to her."
"Hee hee hee. Looks like the brother is looking for the sister-in-law." Cousin sister of Akash said laughing.
Akash felt like a headache coming. First, his own sister made a joke of him in outer courtyard and his cousin sister. He said embarra.s.singly "Stop thinking yourself too smart."
Grandma of Varsha laughed and said "No problem in telling you. That girl was also feeling shy and ran away for watering the vegetables in the garden. She also does not want everyone to eavesdrop on her." Then she looks at one of her granddaughter-in-law and said: "Take the boy to the vegetable garden." And that granddaughter-in-law told Akash "Please follow me this way" and walked to another side exit. Akash followed her.
Patel Grandma shouted to the sister-in-law of Varsha who is escorting Akash "Don"t hide there and eavesdrop and embarra.s.s them. Come back after leaving him there." All other ladies giggled.
Akash followed embarra.s.sed and followed the sister-in-law of Varsha. After coming out of the house on another side, he saw there is a big garden of vegetables. He saw a girl in a shirtwaist and bloomers in legs. She is wearing rubber sandals in her feet and her stole is wrapped around her neck loosely. She looked very agile when she ran to stop the flow of water in one hotbed and then ran to open the channel to another plot.
Akash went ahead and stood while watching girl doing her work. When he looked around, he found that his escort has already gone back. He looked at Varsha who is still oblivious to his presence and felt this girl with flying pigtails is really different from city girls. He did not feel impressed by her, he only wondered if this girl is suitable for city life.
After few minutes Varsha is done from her task and looked up and her eyes met with Akash who is standing at the entrance of garden and looking toward her. She could not move her gaze from Akash and felt her eyes turn misty and lowered her head and looked at the flowing water. She washed her muddy hands slowly and also washed the face to hide her emotion which appeared unknowingly.
She stood up wiped her face from a side of the stole and waited for him to move toward herself for few minutes but in vain. Finally, she walked shyly and went where he is standing. She looked at him for a moment and then lowered her head and said nervously "I waited for some time. Someone has to talk. Please don"t think that I"m immodest."
"No. It"s not that. Even I was thinking that how to start the talk. Thank you for doing that in my stead." Akash laughed and said.
In his mind, he thought "Thank you. If you don"t start the conversation, how will we reach the main point of talk?"
Varsha felt shy about the response of Akash. Her heart fluttered listening to his voice. She cannot express how happy she is feeling while breathing in the same air as him.
She did not know what to say next and looked toward the hotbed which is being watered and concentrated on the water. "Do you normally water the vegetable plants in the garden?" She heard Akash asking.
She felt happy that he asked something which she is an expert of and she looked at him cheerfully and answered joyfully "Yes. This is my responsibility to take care of vegetables. My sisters-in-law help me some time but mostly it"s me who waters them. I also know how to plant vegetables and take care of them." And suddenly she felt that she has talked too much and again lowered her head embarra.s.singly and could not see the annoyed expression on the face of Akash.
Akash felt like this girl is too talkative and a show-off. He only asked whether she waters the plants and she talked too much for that. Although she looks cute, her height also is fine and her dimple look good when she smiles but she is such a b.u.mpkin when she opens her mouth. He did not know what to ask her next.
Akash saw some mango trees at one side of the garden and he could see some ripened mangoes. He walked toward the mango trees. Varsha looked at him curiously and followed him. "It"s good this way when he is not looking toward me. I can just look at him and admire him." She thought and smiled.
Akash went near the mango tree and then picked a dried clod of mud and aimed at ripened mango and threw it. It missed the target. He tried again and missed again. Varsha giggled. Akash looked at her embarra.s.singly and thought of giving up.
Seeing his expression Varsha laughs and climbs the tree and shakes the branch. Few ripened mangoes fall down. Varsha gets down, picks the mangoes, cleans them in flowing water and brings them in a basket and puts in front of Akash. She looked at his surprised expression and smiled shyly and looked elsewhere unable to maintain eye contact.
Akash saw her happy expression and felt like she is happy on her victory over him. "Really a village girl. So rustic and unrefined. trying to be a show off again." He felt annoyed on her smile while one of her cheeks was smeared with some mud when she wiped the sweat from her face.