MRS DESPATCHER

Its not always that I feel like writing my experiences on paper.Unless there is a headache of sorts. These days I feel so very lonely,unable to confide my secrets with anyone-I seriously need a break.
Here goes the bell. I knew I wouldn’t be at peace ever.
An invitation. A wedding invitation. My friend’s wedding. I guess this was the break I needed. A not-so–happening job profile, fear of being axed out anytime and the worst part- ever increasing EMIs. I wish I hadn’t come out of home-into a strange city-perhaps I was blinded by its glamour. But what has been done can’t be undone.

I’m at home. Its Divya’s wedding today. She’s my next door neighbour and a friend. A sweet simple girl, with whom you could chatter playfully for a while. Not like those opportunistic morons in the city. She has just finished her masters. Her fiancee is a medico. I’m sure she’ll have a great life ahead-she has typical small towny, girly, domestic dreams.

She looks marvelous today. Her family is in a frenzy of activity. I can see her mother doling out some last minute advice to the caterers et al. Its time but there is no sign of the groom’s procession. Suddenly a motorcycle stopped at the gate, it was the groom!!! Everyone dropped their jaws to see the fancifully dressed groom take a lift to his wedding. Divya’s father and some other elder people rushed to the gate. The groom seemed to be in a fit of rage. What I could gather was their car had broken on the way,the groom came all alone and wanted to get married immediately. But a typical Vedic wedding requires a lot of paranaphelia- father,uncles,lot of guests. Somebody in the crowd whisked the “groom” away and it was serious discussion time for the bride’s family.

Finally it was decided. Divya will not marry the doctor fiancée. Perhaps the guy had some kind of mental (and/or psychological) disorder which was not told to Divya’s family. Even Divya had never been out with her fiancée.

I was with her all the time. She sat in her yellow silk-stoic,silent. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was literally churning. If Divya didn’t marry today, she would be a spinster for life (it was a conservative rule-even if her family didn’t obey, this was the worst possibility). Little did I know what would happen next.

Sandip entered the room silently. Sandip- another neighbour. He was a real help in arranging Divya’s wedding-a guy who went unnoticed mostly. He was working as a despatcher in some government office in the town. He stood with his head drooped and said,”The wedding has been called off. But you don’t worry….you deserve a better person. You are educated,beautiful and …..”. I could see an unshed teardrop in Divya’s eyes. Perhaps she was terribly angry-jolted by the sudden twist in affairs. She knew too well that there will be big problems for her in future.

Sandip turned to go but Divya’s stern voice stopped him. Divya went to him,asked him a question that made the earth slip under my feet. I stood rooted for a while. Can someone go to such extremes ? Can situations embolden you so much ? I wondered.

Later that day, while Divya was leaving for her in-laws house (which was a shanty little place), I wished her luck. I really wished it-from the core of my heart. I returned to my workplace soon after.

To be continued……..