Surangi, The Child Bride

Part 50

The women readied themselves for the prayers. Just then a tall young boy called out loud and clear.

"All right, everyone! In one voice, start to sing the Ganesh Vandana composed by the author of the Dasbodh Granth, Samarth Ramdas Swami!" Dinkar grinned as the girls and women began murmuring in confusion.

"Dinu, which Ganesh Vandana are you talking about?" Arundhati's mother asked, clearly at a loss. Everyone stared at the boy with a quizzical look on their visages.

"Aho Kaku, how can you not remember the song all of you have been singing since you could talk?" Dinkar began reciting the words loudly.

सुखकर्ता दुखहर्ता वार्ता विघ्नाची |
नुरवी पूर्वी प्रेम कृपा जयाची |

His eyes brimming with mirth, Dinkar grinned even wider as his prank had its effect. The look on the women's faces was priceless, and many of the girls started to giggle. Dinkar winked at Waman who burst out laughing,

"Dinya, you are such a brat! Could you not simply tell us to sing Ganpatichi aarti?" Arundhati's mother chastised him.

Sharayu, though a little embarrassed, could not help but smile. Her brother's son was truly a chip off the old block. Her elder sibling, Vasant, Dinkar's father, had always been a notorious mischief monger as a child. Vasant still had a vivid sense of humour and was the life of every occasion he was a part of. 

Unfortunately due to his job as a university professor Vasant could not manage leave during summer to visit his sister. He was busy grading examination papers for the graduating class. Even his wife stayed back to look after him and to manage the house. Dinkar travelled alone from Pune to the Oak family home in the Konkan to meet his aunt Sharayu and his cousins Waman and Madhu.

"Dinu, enough now! Let us begin the aarti!" Sharayu intervened. The children set the rhythm with clash cymbals (taal/manjira) held in their palms while the women simply clapped to the beat as they sang. Yashoda rotated the aarti platter before the idols and the gathering continued singing the traditional hymn to the Goddess. The ladies were celebrating Chaitra Gauri and the adult men of the house stayed away to allow them a free run of the house. Dinkar and Waman had stayed on at the former's insistence.

"It will give me a chance to meet the neighbourhood ladies. Besides, Waman and I will make ourselves useful so the women of the house can relax!" Dinkar had argued. He did not elaborate on the real reason, that it would allow him an eyeful of the prospective young girls of the village. Dinu was a natural flirt just like his father, the prettier the girls, the better.

It did not take him long to size up the girls present at the gathering. Besides Surangi, Arundhati and Yamu the other girls were unfamiliar to him. Most of the girls had never seen him before either and simply stole awkward glances at him. Only Rohini returned his stare without any hesitation. Dinkar instinctively knew who his mark for the day would be.

"So, your name is Rohini! Waman tells me you get Madhav to help you with your lessons. Surely you studied about Darwin's theory of human evolution! What do you think of it?" Dinkar knew this was the worst pick up line any boy could come up with but he had a hunch about Rohini.

"Isn't that the one about human beings having descended from apes?" Rohini thanked her stars she could recall her biology lessons somewhat. What a way to start a conversation with a girl, she wondered!

"Yes, that's the one! What is your opinion of it?" Dinu asked, looking into her eyes directly.

"Well, if scientists put it together it must be true!" Rohini hesitated. Surangi and the other girls tried hard to keep a straight face.