alliance (Manjiri)

 Deshpande household was bustling today. Aunty had changed the coach covers to the embroidered festive ones. Even  the special tea set was taken down from the showcase. Mrs Nagarkar and her son were visiting in the evening.  Deshpandes were seeking alliance for their elder daughter Meghana. Nagarkar boy had an engineering degree and has a job in L&T

Meghana entered her Ajji's room carrying her clothes and the tape recorder. She was in a huff. She plonked the clothes on the table and plugged in the tape recorder.  Ajji was meticulously solving the crossword puzzle in the news paper. She looked at Meghana enquiringly, Meghana just shook her head indicating Ajji to ignore her. She pressed the hard play button "khattak" and the song started playing "Ghungat ke aad se dilbar ka ...." Meghana had gotten this mixed tape made from Hongkong lane. latest movie songs. Song continued "Deedar adhura hota hai..."

Meghana looked at the mirror on the Godrej Almirah adorned with 27 sticky bindis. She peered critically at her own face. She liked her fair skin and big eyes. But then she looked at the bane of her existence - her slightly protruding teeth. Her buck teeth had earned her the nickname rabbit and incessant teasing. She always avoided smiling in the photos or even talking to strangers. 

Meghana remembered the story she had read about a princess who had teeth like strand of pearls. And when the princess talked, mogra flowers would get strewn.  Meghana had always wondered how the princess could talk without lisping if Mogras kept spewing from her mouth? She smiled at that thought. 

For today's meeting, Meghana had put her foot down and refused wearing a saree or carrying the tea tray.  She was going to wear her lucky pink chudidar. 

She looked at her reflection and started practicing her smile with lips half closed. The smile that minimized the effect of protruding teeth.  Now the tape played the next song " Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga"

Ajji looked at her " You are looking good, Chaan diste ahe ho " 

Meghana just pointed at her teeth. Ajji said "Meghana, You appear to be smiling due to you teeth. You look happy."

Meghana gave her patent eyeroll.  Ajji said "You know what my sasubai used to say? That the girl with protruding teeth is a lakshmi! Your dad got a promotion when you were born" 

"But Ajji I did not have any teeth when I was born" Meghana replied. 

Meghana changed into the chudidar, She was hoping that  today's boy will say yes to her. She had decided that she will agree to any boy that says yes, just to get out of this "Kande pohe" "see the girl" situation. What else could a girl do? 

Door bell rang just then. Meghana adjusted her dupatta and got ready, to face  the Nagarkars, teeth first.