There was confusion in the eyes of the seven year old Surangi as they dipped mango leaves into the sandal-turmeric paste to anoint her. She did not know what marriage meant, she was just told that she would move into a new home in a village far away...
Madhav watched silently as Surangi, Chandri and the Abhyankar's daughter Arundhati, who lived next door to them were blissfully occupied in playing ghar ghar (house) with their respective Bhatukali toy kitchen sets. While Surangi proudly showed off her colourful wooden set she did not fail to admire Arundhati's set in burnished copper, complete with a kadhai, ghangaal and badali- water buckets, grater, vegetable slicer cum coconut shredder, shegdi (cooking stove) and other assorted utensils. They had gotten handfuls of kurmure (puffed rice), peanuts, lumps of jaggery and rock sugar to cook their mock meals with to serve around.
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Soon even Waman joined them, bringing some ripe tamarind, baby coconuts and betelnuts which he had gathered from beneath the trees in the wadi (orchard). He became the shopkeeper selling them his produce in return for which the girls had to share their food with him. The girls began pushing little twigs into their stoves, pretending to cook, stirring the ingredients they had gathered in their pots and pans. As usual Madhav was annoyed seeing Waman join the girls as their playmate and Sharayu, who was picking rice sitting next to Madhav smiled at his unease while keeping mum.
"Kaku, why is she always doing this?" Madhav asked Sharayu. "Who is doing what Madhav?" She asked, knowing fully well what he was upset about. "Surangi, I mean Mitravinda, she is always being nice to Waman and the others but she always clams up when I am around!" He complained. "Madhava, if you want her to be the same with you, you must understand why she is more comfortable around others. If you keep scolding her how will she warm up to you?" Sharayu explained. Madhav was the brightest child in the family and fared exceptionally in school, but when it came to interpersonal skills he was often at a loss.
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"But they are always playing childish games!" He was unable to express what he truly felt. "She is still a child, she needs to play. A girl who has had a happy childhood will make a happy wife. Here, take some of this fruit and join them, go on, make an attempt." She pointed at some ripe jackfruit arils in a plate near her. "Dada, ye na!" Waman welcomed Madhav as he saw him approach them with the fruit. "Haa kaapa ahey ki barkaa?" Arundhati asked Madhav whether it was the firm or squishy variety. "Kapa ahey, gara bagh kasa bharlaaya!" He told her that it was the former, offering her a taste, and she smiled at him, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Surangi.
