Sea Mist

Chapter 8

The next morning, as they sat for breakfast, Mrs. Rai had also joined them. She had started to walk slowly with the aid of a walking stick.

"These rice rotis are amazing Khushi," Mrs. Rai complimented her.

"It's thanks to your recipe book aunty," Khushi replied, "I have learnt so many new things."

"This was a favourite of Aarav's," Mrs. Rai said, talking about her son as she often did, "I wonder if he misses this in the US."

"How is Aarav doing aunty?" Manav asked Mrs. Rai, "your son just doesn't keep in touch."

"You know how tough it is for doctors," Mrs. Rai defended her only son. "He is upset that he couldn't come here after I fell."

"I told him not to worry about it," Arnav answered, "I am here for you right? He is busy doing his specialization -- so he should just focus on that."

"I bet you didn't know that Aarav was my classmate in Bangalore." Manav told Khushi.

"Really?" The news that Aarav and Manav had been classmates during pre-university was news to Khushi. Mrs. Rai had mentioned earlier that Aarav had completed his medical degree at Mysore Medical College and had later left for the US to pursue further studies.

"That's why I already knew Arnav when I came to study here." He said, "I had met him a few times when he came to aunty's house in Bangalore during his semester holidays. "

He hadn't mentioned this the other day. That was probably why Arnav had looked out for Manav during college, Khushi surmised.

"Before I forget," Arnav addressed Mrs. Rai, "Rashmi has invited you to lunch at her uncle's ancestral house for some pooja on Friday."

"It must be for the Nagamandala." Mrs. Rai said. "Rashmi is mistaken. The invite will be for dinner as the ritual is performed at night."

"What is Nagamandala?" Khushi enquired.

Mrs. Rai explained that Nagamandala was a ritual of the serpent God that was usually celebrated from the months of December to March just before the monsoons. It was done as an appeasement to the Serpent God that was deemed auspicious by the people of South Canara. It involved a "mandala" or drawing of the serpent in the form of a rangoli around which a dancer dressed in costume, performed a ritualistic dance.

"Wow – that's interesting," Khushi said, "I have never ever heard of it."

"We have many rituals here that people in other parts of the state are unaware of," Mrs. Rai said, "we have Bhoota Kola around March for the appeasement of spirits and the tiger dance during Dusshera."

"I am not sure I can attend the pooja," Khushi said tentatively, "I didn't bring any festive clothes with me –"

"That's alright," Mrs. Rai said, "Arnav will take you to the city. He knows the stores where you can get a good silk saree or any other traditional outfit you like."

Khushi went red in the face, wishing she hadn't mentioned her attire problem out aloud. "That won't be necessary!" she said quickly, "I can go by myself."

That evening after her classes, Khushi found Arnav waiting for her on his bike. He had messaged her earlier that he was going to pick her up.

"You didn't have to pick me up," she said as she sat behind him, " You must have dropped all your important work to come here. I could have walked back home."

Arnav continued to ride in silence. After a while Khushi realized he was taking her to the city, and not home as she had presumed. It was only when he stopped in front of a saree showroom, she realized that he had taken his aunt's words seriously.