THE NECKLACE

Friends Short Story – THE NECKLACE

“Take this Prasad, Aarti” Shweta said.

I extended my right arm.

“Place your left palm below the right one”. Her voice was appeasing, distributing the dose of peace she has just received from the divine connection. But she frowned on my casualness, reminding me that she is still attached to this materialistic world.

I instantly recalled that the gesture has to be a perfect mix of prostration and piousness otherwise there is a strong possibility of any of three hundred and thirty million gods and goddesses watching me with a raised eyebrow.

The sweet milk cake Prasad mingled with some rose leaves was one of the reasons I liked to visit her house on Monday evenings. Out of some hundred grams of that she has already offered one-third to the deity. The other one-third was supposed to be distributed among other followers and the rest was to be consumed by her as a part of the ritual, and her total diet of that day.

The convent education, graduation in computers application and an MBA degree were just not enough adoration to get her married in a good family. She has already crossed the brink of twenty six and it was a matter of urgent concern. So she was suggested a short term course of sixteen weeks by her mother’s numerous well wishers. Well, this was her sixteenth fast on the Monday and we all knew that she got what she prayed for. Her wedding day was just two Mondays away.

“Thank you” I said as she smiled when I faked the piousness and received the Prasad. The red stole which covered her head matched with the crimson teeka on her forehead. There was no sign of hunger and exhaustion on her face. Her milky white complexion, dark brown eyes and a small nose in an oval face already tells us that God must have taken His own time while crafting her.

“So, all set for the D-day?”

I couldn’t help noticing the frown on her mother’s forehead while she served me the tea. This silent but effective gesture seemed to be a family thing. I never knew that some jinx may actually come true.

“I am sorry auntie. So all set for the big day… eh?”

“Yes, but I couldn’t find a necklace matching with the golden embroidery on the Lehenga send by him.” Shweta said.

“Him…? Who…?” I couldn’t resist taking a shot on that century old articulation of not mentioning one’s husband by name.

“Arrey… him” she replied with a mix of embarrassment in her tone.

“You know we rented the dress from the Jauhari Bazaar but when he came to know that we are renting it, he send that Lehenga within three days. It is so beautiful, I tell you… It has …”

Shweta opened her cupboard and placed the dress on the bed. The shining of the embroidery work was matching with the glow on her face.

“Awww… Okay. Let’s go to my house and you can select that from my mom’s jewellery. You know, she has a set with a big ruby and I tell you that fits with every traditional dress.”

She looked at me with such hope and excitement for one moment and then it faded.

“What…?”

“No, it’s not right. And mom will never allow it.”

“Arrey, don’t tell auntie… Tell her you have taken it on rent from some shop.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Now come on. It is already seven. We shall fetch that necklace and drop you home before eight or else your father may get angry.”

“Mom I will be home within half an hour.”

Shweta went to live with her husband in Bangalore. Two weeks after the wedding I went to her house.

“Hello auntie”

‘Oh, hello beta!”

“Auntie how is Shweta? I don’t have her mobile number for Bangalore and I send her some message on facebook also but she never replies.”

“Oh she must be busy in something. You know there are so many ceremonies after wedding and so many new responsibilities to take over that it become quite hectic sometimes.”

“Ya… I understand auntie.”

“Here… you may have her mobile number.” Auntie gave her cell to me.

“Oh, thank you auntie”

“When is she planning to come to Bareilly?”

“Oh, she will come next week.”

I took the number and left. I thought I would call her in private.

 

“Hi Shweta, how are you?”

“Oh… hi !”

She recognized my voice and I found a very despondent reply from her.

“Hey, cheer up woman! I know you must be homesick. So what about your honeymoon? When are you leaving for Malaysia?”

“Na… I am fine. We have to cancel our honeymoon.”

“Oh… so sad. What happened?”

“Err… He had some problem at his office. We may plan it next month.”

“Hmm. Anyways… so auntie told me you will be coming here next week.”

“No… not next week. We didn’t get the reservation for the train.”

“Why? You were coming by plane?”

“Umm… Listen Aarti… I am in sort of middle of something right now. My mother in law is calling me. May I call you back?”

“Ya, of course darling. Anytime.”

“And I will return your necklace next month when I will come back.”

“No problem yaar. Just chill.”

Four months passed and I got busy with my routine. I didn’t get any call from her and couldn’t manage to visit her mother. I sent some message on facebook but didn’t get much update from her side. I was waiting for her to update her photographs after the wedding but she didn’t upload any. The only status update was working at TCS. I was mighty surprised by her decision as she always wanted to be a house wife.

Finally I got a call from her after six months.

“Hi Aarti, I am in Bareilly. When can we meet?”

“Oh hiiii…! Listen I am at the college now. I am managing this annual event here so it might take some time. I will be free by eight and reach home only by eight thirty or nine.”

“Ok then, I shall come to your place at around nine.”

“My my… somebody has changed! Wouldn’t your father object?”

“I will manage.”

I was surely moved by her determination. This is a different girl from the one which left Bareilly six months ago.

I managed to reach by nine and she was there waiting for me.

I saw her from the main gate and went running to hug her tightly. We may choose to renounce the material object which defines us as a weaker sex. I may not be very fond of bindi, bangles and necklace but God has sent us with a trademark which notoriously reveals us. I hugged her and cried.

Then I withdrew myself but still held her hands. I gave a good look at her from her face to the toe.

“Oh you have changed so much! I thought you would be coming in a heavy saree and bangles and all that!”

“Na… yaar, saree is difficult to maintain at office so I prefer salvar kurta.”

She was looking pale and exhausted. Her hair was not done properly. She wore pretty casual clothes which hung loose on her body. It was not a natural simplicity, it was acquired. It looked as if she chose not to pay attention to herself.

“Here, thanks a lot.”

She extended a jewelry box to me which I couldn’t recognize.

“What is this?”

“The necklace.”

“Oh, so you lost the case? You careless fellow! But this one is new; my mom would definitely be pleased. Anyways… sit sit. So tell me. How’s life? How are your husband and family?”

“They are very nice and supportive.”

“Great! Tell me where did you go to the honeymoon? No pictures uploaded on facebook also? Secretive…eh?”

“Na yaar… we didn’t go anywhere.”

“Oh no, why?”

“And I haven’t seen my husband since last week. I have night shift and he works whole day at the bank. I leave for the office by the time he reaches home and he leaves early in the morning before I return.”

“Oh so bad. But why this job Shweta? You always wanted to be a housewife. And what happened to cook for him and waiting at the door thing?”

It seemed as if I touched the crack in the dam and her emotions came all flooding out. She hugged me tightly and cried for very long.

“It’s ok Shweta. Come on, control yourself. Is he not treating you well? Did he force you to work? I knew something is wrong when I came to know that they don’t want dowry.”

“No, it’s your entire fault.” She rebounded as if I poked her with a needle.

“I lost that bl**dy necklace of your mother.”

“Oh no…! How…?”

“I don’t know. I kept it in a bag while I left for Delhi. I think I left the bag in the train. From Delhi we had a flight to Bangalore. I was so happy and dazed by all the things happening so peacefully and beautifully that I couldn’t remember leaving it there. It was in Bangalore that I realized I don’t have that bag.”

“Then?”

“I was very upset for three days when he asked me if I wanted to go home. I couldn’t hide it anymore and told him the entire story. He remembered that necklace and said I was looking so stunning in that. He decided that we should search for the same one and return it to you. We looked at many shops and websites and finally found exactly like that one. But it was of twenty lakhs. He decided not to take any help from his parents but arrange for the money somehow…”

“But…” I interrupted in between.

She frowned and nodded her head telling me not to speak a word. “Oh, these silent gestures of her and her family!”

“Listen…”

She controlled her sobs and carried on.

“He cancelled the honeymoon and got the refund on the tickets. He took personal loan of ten lakh and his credit cards allowed him a limit of three lakh but we were still short by two lakh after borrowing from some friends. So I decided to work and help as much as possible. Finally we managed to collect the money last month and buy the necklace. And now we have to pay the EMI of the loan and credit card which takes away most of our salaries.”