Chapter – 9, Ranjith uncle’s wedding....!

                                                    

Ranjith uncle who used to wear only shirts and pants started buying t-shirts and jeans. Another observable change on ranjith uncle was that he got a new golden chain for his neck and a golden bracelet for his right wrist. His good looking face started blushing always. He started travelling to kottayam frequently and every night he would be over the phone talking to someone. He even stopped sleeping in his bedroom and started sleeping on the sofa near to the phone which was in the living room.

Vinay's mother Annammechi was unaware of the phone calls until nisha told about it at the dinner table as a revenge against ranjith uncle for not taking her along with vinay for the movie they had watched in the morning that sunday. Uncle continued having food with a smile on his face. Vinay’s mother then said, “I know that you are getting married. But no phone calls in front of kids”. Hearing that, kids started blushing more than him. They were feeling shy terribly.

Kids took this opportunity to intimidate ranjith uncle and made him take them for a movie the next day. He had to buy them ice cream during the break and their demand was over once he took them for a bike ride during night. Ranjith uncle finally suceeded in satisfying the kids so that they would not utter a single word again about his late night calls with his fiance.

Vinay found ranjith uncle's finace's name as Mary and also got to know that she was a nurse in their home town. After a few days, ranjith uncle told that the kids would be going to meet her soon. The Kids were dumbstruck and were excited to see her. One Sunday afternoon, ranjith uncle, vinay's mother and kids decided to meet Mary. They all went in their blue maruti 800 to see her. Mid way vinay's mother told that the kids should call her as “Mary chechi”. They looked at uncle who was driving and saw him smiling. After almost 3 hrs of drive, uncle stopped the car in front of a black gate. Kids and their mother got down at the gate and uncle drove little further to find a place to park the car. Meantime, an old lady came out wearing pure white chatta and mundu (typical white dress worn by the aged Christian mothers of kerala). Kids instantly noticed her big round golden earings which were hanging down from her ears. The kids felt it like an elephant’s ears were hanging right infront of them. Vinay could clearly see the sky above through the wide and lose hole on her ears which was formed as a result of the huge earing hanging on her ears for many years.

The old lady, came close to vinay's mother and took her hands and started rubbing it in between her palms and asked, “How was the journey? Was it fine? Must be tired sitting for long time!”

Mother replied, “It was fine. We stopped in between for relaxing”.

The old lady then looked at the kids. She rubbed and piched their cheeks one by one and then kissed the tips of all her fingers together, a typical way of expressing care and love towards kids by aged people.

She then asked, “Where is ranjith? Oh, might have gone to park the vehicle! That’s fine! Come in annammechi. Come in children!” kids were thinking why that old lady called their mother as “annammechi”. They went inside and sat comfortably on the sofas in the drawing room. Kids were looking around to see whether Mary chechi was nearby or not.

Then the old lady who was sitting near to annammechi looked inside the house and said. “Hey leela, please get those juice and eatables for them soon”.

Leela from inside replied, “Just coming”. By the time ranjith uncle also came inside and smiled at the old laday.

She asked him, “are you tired of driving for so long?’

He replied, “not at all”.

Kids now could not wait any more and they meekly asked, “Where is our mary chechi?”

The drawing room was then filled with laughters of everyone.

The old lady who was trying to control her laugh. But somehow she managed to shout, “Hey, Mary! The children can’t wait anymore to see you”.

Then Mary chechi came from inside wearing a black salwar and a white shawl. She then stood near leela and smiled at everyone. Kids kept looking at her. Vinay could easily notice Mary chechi's long straight hair. He also found that, the hair was so long that, it was hanging down even after her hip. She had done a long and thick plait out of it.

Nisha found that her nose was like a parrot’s beak.

Vinay then compared her complexion with renjith uncle's. She was not that fair as him.

“How she would be eating food?” nisha told in a hushed tone in vinay’s ear. they just giggled thinking of that.

Finally, kids could easily make out that Mary chechi was extremely beautiful and they liked her very much.  They said loudly to the elders. “We liked her”.

Naturally, the elders and Mary chechi reacted with a laugh. In between their laughs, the kids also noticed that her teeth were perfectly in tact and realized that she even had a beautiful smile.

Renjith uncle kept on blushing throughout converstaion and his cheeks were so red that one would think that his cheeks would procreate ripened apples.

After sometime, they decided to leave from Mary chechi's house. While driving back home, vinay's mother said,” I didn’t like her nose. Looks like parrot’s beak”. Kids also agreed to that again.

 “That’s ok. I will try to do a cosmetic surgery for her nose after marriage”. Renjith uncle replied.

Mother and uncle just smiled at each other.

Few days later, from mother, vinay came to know that father would be coming home very soon and would be going back only after ranjith uncle’s marriage is over. Few days after his arrival vinay, nisha, ranjith uncle and father went to “sheematti “which was in the city for purchasing ranjith uncle’s wedding clothes. After going through many similar looking white shirts and black pants, uncle finally liked one pair. Kids noticed that their father took money from his wallet and made the payment. It was his gift for him.

Uncle left for hometown few days before the marriage. The kids along with father and mother left one day before the marriage. They reached” priya veedu” at night.Kids kept the name for uncle’s house as “priya veedu” (priya’s house) as he had a younger sister by the name priya who used to stay in vinay’s house once in a while. “priyaveedu” was colorfully decorated and was well illuminated. Vinay and nisha had stayed in that house before also. Years back, the house was very small with 2 rooms and a kitchen. Later, the house was extended towards the front and towards the back as well. The most unique thing about the house was that one could see the backyard from the entry door itself. It was a lengthy view right through the middle of the house and the length could be compared to a cricket pitch. Ranjith uncle’s appachan (father), Samuel who was known as a brave and daring truck driver constructed the old version of the house long years ago and the extension was done by Ranjith uncle. People used to tell that Samuel achayan was once a local thug with a kind heart. 

Uncle’s youngest brother, sister priya, appachan and ammachi (uncle’s mother) stayed in that house. His youngest brother Sajichachan as kids called him was unemployed and was doing nothing until he started taking care of the trucks owned by vinay’s father.

The reason for his unemployment was that he couldnt complete his 1oth class and after that  no body cared of sending him to school again. He just stayed back home like an indolent boy.

Vinay managed to find a story from one of the relatives that sajichachan had actually forgot to attend the SSLC final examination as he was fully involved in watching India – Pakistan cricket match on the same day. Many years later, The same sajichachan got married to a nurse and got settled in Australia.

I think i need to talk little more about Sajichachan and his presence in Vinay's life.

Sajichachan became close to vinay while staying with him in tripunithura. Sajichachan played cricket and many other games with vinay whenever vinay asked him to. Vinay even roamed with him on the yamaha rx100 bike which vinay's father had got for the family during his last one month vacation. Vinay loved playing the fighting game with sajichachan by imitating the wrestlers he watched in WWF television program. Sajichahchan had a well toned body with strong and perfectly shaped biceps on which vinay always looked with an amusement.

One day during their regular fight game, sajichachan’s hand accidently hit vinay’s nose hardly. Vinay just made a loud voice and started crying. Sajichachan whisked him and started behaving indifferently by saying, “if you want to cry then don’t play with me”.

He even told ranjith uncle that, “vinu (as he was called like that by everyone) would hit me hard and scratch my entire body always in the fight and i never had a complaint and today when my hand hit his nose little harder, he started crying”.

Uncle just replied, “That’s ok guys. Leave it”.

Vinay found ranjith uncle's behavior so sulking.

A similar incident happened again and vinay decided to stop talking to sajichahan completely. This decision happened after a bad carom game.

Sajichachan and vinay made a pair and nisha along with priyachechi made a pair. Sajichachan and priya chechi were excellent in playing carom. That day, sajichachan decided to play 3 rounds and the team who wins 2 games would be declared as the best team. Even after lot of efforts, vinay and sajichachan could not win the first round of the game. The moment they started the second round, sajichachan kept blaming and tormenting vinay’s play and found out faults in every movement he made. At last they lost the second round also.

After losing the game, sajichachan screamed at vinay “You didn’t play well. Otherwise I would have won the game. I had never lost the game with priya and it is a shame for me now that i lost to my younger sister”.

Even as a small child, Vinay could not tolerate the bigotry which sajichachan just showed towards him. Vinay felt insulted and lost his patience infront of the vexation he had submerged in his mind.

Vinay just bursted out with a loud cry and then pushed the carom board so hard at sajichchan. The board fell on sajichachan's feet with a loud noise and his right toe thumb started bleeding. Vinay was still not finished with his anger. He picked up the carom coins one by one and started throwing hardly at sajichachan. Sajichachan tried to cover his face and was also trying to move forward and pull vinay down. Vinay managed to dodge from him and continued throwing carom coins at sajichachan. Finally, sajichachan's mother came running from inside and pushed back vinay by holiding his hip from behind. Priya chechi and nisha also joined ammachi in stopping vinay from his unexpected and undomesticated behavior.

Vinay then yelled at sajichaachan, "hey dog, I will never ever again play with you”.

Uncle’s younger sister priya, who was 20 years old at that time also did nothing like sajichachan. She failed in her pre-degree and didn’t continue studying for a simple reason that she was not good at studies according to ranjith uncle. He then asked her to help mother at home in doing domestic chores.

To some extend ranjith uncle also belonged to those male dominating society who strongly think that women are meant to be inside the house and just do cooking and raise the kids. He even preached it in his own life by making Mary chechi a home maker after the marriage.  And she also took up the responsibility of raising their 3 broods.

After few years, priya chechi got married to a marine engineer and got settled in Mumbai and gave birth to 3 daughters.

Priya chechi, as a teenager and young lady, used to come to tripunithura and stayed in vinay’s house for few days. She used to check on vinay’s studies and made him write the class notes again and again so that he would not forget it during his examination. Sometimes she prepared her own study notes for him. Vinay was amazed to see her neat handwriting and always told her that she could win the first prize in the calligraphy competition in his school. During free time priya chechi, nisha and vinay used to play cricket and vinay was always happy that priya chechi was more interested in outdoor games than nisha. So he never had a complaint about her whenevr she was at his house.

Back in home town, Priya chechi had her own gang of friends in and around the locality. She was good in singing church songs. Her gang of friends was also good at that. Nisha and vinay were not knowing none. One day, as usual, the kids along with priyachachi were indulged in their favorite carom game. Suddenly, priya chechi made an unexpected announcement. “let’s stop playing carom now. It’s so boring".

"Let’s sing some divine songs one by one and the one who sings well would be declared as the best singer."

Vinay was wondering from where she had got this idea of screwing the joyful mood.

 A thin and dark boy called binoy started singing first followed by her fair chubby sister daisy and then priya chechi.

 Then it was nisha’s turn to sing. She said, “I don’t know any church songs”. And vinay also said the same thing.

Binoy and daisy gave a wry smile at them and asked,” do you guys belong to temple?”

Even priya chechi could not believe that and she said something in return to nisha and vinay which later ended up her in getting beatings from uncle ranjith with a thick tapiocca stick.

Priya chechi said,” it’s really shameful that you kids don’t know any church songs and it’s even more shameful that you both don’t go to church on Sundays. Look at binoy and daisy, they are also of your age and see how many church songs they know. There is no point in having lot of money if you are not close to god.  Anyway why should you kids to be blamed? Actually your parents should be blamed for this”.

Ranjith uncle got to know about this when Vinay asked him, “uncle, is it very bad if one can’t sing a church song?

Uncle replied, “No”

Vinay again asked, “Then why priya chechi said like that to us?”

Vinay then told everything to uncle ranjith that had happened.

Let’s go back to uncle ranjith’s wedding. Vinay was happy to see that his father’s blue maruti 800 was getting decorated as uncle ranjith and the bridegroom would be taken to the church in it. And the most exciting part was that, his father would be driving the couple from home to the church.

The previous day, people gathered in the drawing room for the prayer and the prayer ended with the bible reading by ammachi. Then it was the sweet serving ceremony.

 Ammachi asked twice loudly to everyone, “Shall i serve the sweet to the bridegroom? “ The crowed replied in a single voice, “Please  serve the sweet”. Then ammachi filled ranjith uncle's mouth with a spoon of sweet milk mixed with sliced banana. Photographer captured that sweet moment in his camera.

The next day, before uncle entered the car, he told vinay and nisha to stand near him inside the church. They felt so honoured to hear that. They reached church and the entire people were eagerly waiting to see the bride. After a few minutes, an ornated white ambassador entered the church compound and the much awaited bride Mary chechi got down from the car. She was looking like an angel in her white saree.  A white net scarf was flowing down from her head which was beautifully folded into the golden crown which was shining brightly on mary chechi's head. Vinay took a gasp looking at her.

As requested, vinay and nisha stood near to uncle ranjith till the mass was over.

In between the church mass, vinay kept asking ranjith uncle“When are you tying the thaali (pendant)? Ranjth uncle would smile and reply, “in sometime”.

Finally, the priest took the thaali (pendant) and came towards Mary chechi. The priest raised the thaali and brought it near her neck. Uncle stood there silently and was just gazing at the priest. The priest then kept the thaali on her neck.

Vinay saw this and sneaked towards nisha and asked,” is that old priest going to marry her?”

As a younger sister, priya chechi took the right move at that time by giving a slight push to uncle from behind as a signal to take the thaaili from the priest. Ranjith uncle regained his consciousness and took the thaali and tied it around Mary chechi’s neck. Thanks to priya chechi for saving Mary chechi from getting married to the priest.

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The ceremony was followed by a lunch with the usual chicken biriyani and ice cream. The common marriage feast of an average Christian family in kottyam.Uncle and Mary chechi sat on the huge red colored chairs above the stage which was ornated elaborately.  In front of them was the huge wedding cake which both of them cut together and fed each other. They also tasted the wine together before they started having their lunch. Nisha and vinay was standing down near the stage and was gazing at the playful activities done by uncle and his newly wedded wife. Uncle waved his hand asking them to come closer to the stage so that he could feed them.

Kids were very happy that day. But they never knew that in the future, uncle, Mary chechi and their 3 children would leave them forever and would never come back in their life.