GREEN AND BLUE

                        

I just came home after a hectic day at office. Meena greeted me with a hot cup of coffee in her hand and a sweet smile on her radiant face. I relaxed in the sofa and started sipping the aromatic beverage.

Suddenly there was a thundering knock on the door. No, not just 'a knock.' It was continuous pounding. I was startled. Meena just smiled. "Must be your friend, Govind",  she said while going to open the door. The moment she opened the door, in barged my good friend, Govind, like a fierce hurricane. He plonked himself in the sofa and held his head in his hands. I just kept staring at him. I know about his frequent outbursts since our school days. I need not make any enquiries. Slowly he himself will come out with everything.

After a while he lifted his head and glared at me. "Here I am so disturbed and there you are coolly sipping your whatever it is. Are you not going to ask me at least what is the matter? Quite a friend you are!"

I kept quiet. Meena brought coffee for him and sat beside me.

He shuffled impatiently. "OK, I myself will tell you. No use, Kishore, I am going to divorce Durga." He declared and started drinking the coffee.

We were not expecting that! He married her only 7-8 months back after moving heaven and earth. And we know how much he loves her. Suddenly what happened to force him towards that drastic decision?

"Why? What happened?" Meena asked.

Govind did not speak for a while. Then he sighed deeply.

"Do you remember, Kishore, the day we went to 'see' Durga?"

"Of course, I remember very vividly, why not! You forced us to accompany you saying that we are seniors, you need our advice etc, etc! Just because we tied the knot one year before!"

That day was fixed by his father who lives in Vizag, their hometown. They were shown a girl in some marriage function discreetly and they liked her. So now Govind has to see and approve her. The girl and her parents live here in Hyderabad. He forced me and Meena also to come with him.

We were received cordially and soon the girl was called. Meena, to justify her presence started chatting with the girl and her mother and other ladies. Govind whispered in my ear, "Without being obvious, look at the girl standing behind them. The girl in green and blue sari."

I casually looked at a young girl behind the  bride and nodded.

"I like her, tell them I want to marry her."

I stared at him bewildered. How can I tell them so? "Please!" He pleaded.

I leaned towards Meena and told her briefly to know her details first. She hesitated a little. Then she coughed and stood up. "Can I have some water?" She asked the girl. The girl nodded and went inside. Meena followed her enquiring in a low tone, "Show me the toilet also." She spent some time with her inside and then joined us.

After a while we started home, promising the hosts that we will keep in touch. Govind, understanding my silent order, kept quiet in the auto. But the moment we reached our home, he rained continuous questions, anxious to know the details from Meena who did a fine job.

The girl is the bride's cousin from Vizag on a brief visit here. "Vizag! Our Vizag!" Govind cried.

She is studying there. And most importantly, she is unmarried.

But we had to struggle a lot to convince his parents. "What will they think? They will feel offended if we say we want the other girl and not the one originally proposed. They will spit on my face! I cannot do that!" His father was adamant.

"How can we, the groom's side, approach total strangers seeking their daughter's hand? It is below our dignity. They will take advantage and look us down!" His mother added enraged.

But Govind persisted, pleaded, cajoled, threatened and sobbed. And finally they relented.

The girl's family was also suspicious about this unusual and sudden proposal and even doubted his credentials.

Ultimately after a lot of hard work he could succeed with great help and support from both of us and tie the knot with Durga with the approval of both the families. And they were living happily thereafter. At least till today we thought so. Before this sudden bolt from blue!

"But why? Why do you want to leave her? After going through all the trouble just a few months back?"

He sighed. Then grunted. And then gnashed his teeth. Finally beat his forehead. "How can I tell you? Nobody can understand my plight!" He paused and then continued.  "Do you remember, we did not know her name in the beginning?"

"Why not! You were annoyed with me for not asking her name! Even after I did so much for you by gathering all her details and even her father's address without arousing any suspicion in her. Just because I did not bother about  her name!" Meena pouted.

"Isn't it? So we used to refer her as 'the girl in green and blue', didn't we?"

"Of course. Only at the time of printing the invites we asked for her name. Till then she was 'the girl in green and blue' "

"And Meena, was it not you who told Durga about that nickname?"

Meena looked puzzled. "Of course, why not? Is it supposed to be kept as a secret?"

Govind tore his hair. "If only you kept it so!"

We looked at him blankly. I recovered first and raising my voice, said bluntly. "Arre, idiot! Tell the matter quickly without throwing riddles. What is the matter? Say briefly. Or go to hell."

He sighed. "You know very well how I hated that sari with that horrible colour combination that day! In fact that was the only thing I detested about her."

We agreed. In fact he said something to the effect that no sensible person on earth prefers the combination of parrot green with ink blue like that girl. Meena consoled him saying that after marriage, any girl will understand the likes and dislikes of the husband. And after that she may not go for any sari with those colours, she assured him.

"You assured me, but she didn't behave so!" He lamented. "Even after I told her several times, she is not willing to realise. She preserved that sari as a precious memento and off and on wears it as a special treat for me. Did you hear, as a 'Special' for me! In all these seven months or so, do you know what she bought? A blue sari with green border for her birthday, a green sari with blue checks for Dasera, a blue sari with green dots for Deepavali,  one with blue and green stripes, green with blue flowers and blue with green print....oh, the list is endless! When I tell her bluntly not to go for those colours she is in tears, saying I am changed and no longer loving her, blah blah blah! And finally today she bought a green kanjeevaram sari with blue border and thread work...costing nearly ten thousand bucks! What shall I do? No respite for me from this green and blue!"

He held his head in his hands and almost on the verge of tears.

"It is a very rare colour combination! Where on earth is she able to find so many saris with those particular shades?" Meena wondered aloud. Then looking at his face, she stopped and clucked her tongue in sympathy.

He looked at her pleadingly. "Meena, do something. Drive some sense into that hard nut. Please, you alone can do that. Otherwise I will renounce everything and become a sanyasi. No alternative for me."

The next day Meena met her and explained his predicament to her. "She is very understanding and apologetic. She now repents her folly. She promised me, she will never wear any sari with those colours. Then she wondered what to do with all those. I told her to give them away to someone or buy some steel or just throw them away, any thing. Now Govind can relax and need not worry." She sighed. "I wonder what she will do with all those new saris! Very expensive ones too! Especially that Kanjevaram! Terrible!"

We both felt relieved that his woes are gone forever.

But it was not so. After two days again he came, this time like a tsunami. "No use, friends, I am leaving her and you all too. I am going away" He declared.

We were dumbstruck. "Why, what happened? She promised  me she will never go against your wish! Didn't she keep her word?  Stupid girl!" Meena enquired in an angry tone.

Suddenly we heard Durga's sobs. She came in running. "See, see, Meena! How he has changed! I told you! He no longer likes me, I know. These are all just excuses to get rid of me. I have no option but to end my life." She wailed.

"No, Durga, don't say that. Sit here and tell us calmly what happened. We will find out a good solution. Control yourself. Don't cry, stop that first." Meena tried to pacify her.

Govind was gnashing his teeth still.

Durga calmed down a little.

"Now, tell me, did you again wear any green and blue sari or did you buy any?"

Durga shook her head. "How can I, Meena, after giving you my word?"

"Then didn't you throw them away?"

"How can I, they are all so new. I didn't feel like giving them all to the maid even!"

"Then, did you exchange them for any steel utensils? What did you get for all of those almost new saris?" Meena enquired curiously.

Durga shook her head. "I got a better idea. Today I sat down the whole day and tearing them all, I stitched curtains for all the windows and doors of the house. For the drawing room, bed room..."

"....dining room, kitchen...wherever I turn, those blue and green curtains are piercing my eyes. She did not leave the the toilets even..." Govind thundered.

We both looked at each other and could not help bursting out laughing. Poor Govind!