Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Match Made in Heaven

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Match Made in Heaven

Suri entered the ballroom and looked around for Taani.  They had both been given a chance to become dance teachers after their win.  Suri declined but encouraged Taani to take the job.  Taani noticed him about the same time he noticed her.  He waited while she gave her student some instructions and then walked towards him. 

When she neared him, Taani grabbed his hand.  Knowing how shy Suri was about public displays of affection, she dropped his hand almost immediately.
 
"I just wanted to let you know that I am here." Suri said.  "I'll wait for you outside."                                                                 

"OK, give me a few minutes."  Taani said, and walked back to her student. 

**********

Taani spotted the yellow car in its customary place in the parking lot.  When Suri saw her, he got out of the car and came to her. 

Wordlessly, he asked for her things.  She handed them to him, and they walked to the car. Suri opened the door for Taani, and waited until she was seated and buckled, to close it.

Suri ran around the back of the car and slid into his seat.  Buckling himself in, he started the car. 

"How did your day go?" Taani asked, as Suri eased out of his parking spot and into the traffic.

"Great."  Suri said.  "Yours?"

"Good. I think I am getting the hang of this dance teacher thing."

"Do you need anything from the market?"  Suri asked next. 

Taani had been waiting for this question all day.  She hoped she sounded "normal" as she said, "Yes.  I would like to pick up some fresh fruits."

"They should have fresh apples and oranges this time of year."  Focused on driving the car, Suri missed Taani’s smile. 

She kept up a light-hearted monologue of the people at the dance class until Suri brought the car to a stop. 

Before Suri could get out of his seat, Taani put her hand on his arm, and said, "I need to tell you something."

Hearing the serious tone in Taani’s words, Suri abandoned his seatbelt and looked directly into her eyes.  "Now that I have your attention, I really don't know how to say this." 

"Whatever it is, we will handle it together." Suri said, holding her small hand in his large ones.  "Tell me." 

The warmth from Suri's eyes and hands gave Taani the courage to blurt out her secret.  "I would like some green mangoes."

Confused, Suri just looked at Taani.  "This is the wrong time of the year for green man....."  His eyes widened as the meaning of her words sank in. 

Taani was looking at him, her eyes blazing with delight. 

"You are......, you are......."  Suri couldn't even say it. 

Taani's smile was serene.  "Yes."

Suri had the strongest urge to shout.  Instead, all that came out was, "How?  When?"

Taani stroked his hand with her hand, and laughed indulgently, "If I have to tell you the how, then we are in bigger trouble than I thought.  As to the when, today.  When I became dizzy at dance practice, and almost threw up, Nisha said you might become a father soon."

Hearing the words out loud, almost put him in a panic.  How was he going to take care of a baby? 

Taani was patting his cheek when he finally snapped out of his panic.  "There is no reason to panic.  Remember what you said, we will do this together.  You are not alone anymore.  We WILL do this together."

"Yes." Suri said.  "Together."

"Well, what are we waiting for?  Let's go see if they have any green mangoes."  Taani's exuberant statement helped him concentrate on the here and now. 

Suri got out of the car and helped Taani out as well.  Locking the car, they walked into the market.  They picked up some oranges and apples but no green mangoes.  On the way home, they were both quiet as they thought of the coming baby.  From time to time, Taani would catch Suri surreptitiously wiping his eyes.

**********

Suri put their things down on the table near the front doors, closed and locked them, and went looking for Taani.  He finally found her, sitting on their four-poster bed, a forlorn expression on her face. 

"What's the matter?" he asked, as he crawled onto the bed, sat next to her and put his arms around her. 

"I'm missing my mom and dad."  Taani rested her head on his shoulder and sniffled into his shirt.  "This should be such a joyous occasion for us, and all I can think of is my parents."

"That's alright."  Suri tenderly stroked her hair.  "The happiest times are when I think of my parents too.  I am sorry that my mother is not here to do the traditional rituals for you and the baby."

"Will you do something for me?" Taani said almost hesitantly.

Suri wondered at her hesitation.  "Anything."

"Will you tell me about your family?"  Taani said in a rush.

"What do you want to know?" Suri was not sure where this was leading, but he preferred an inquisitive Taani to a crying Taani.

"Why did you live in this haveli all by yourself before we got married?  Where is the rest of your family?"  Taani said, now full of curiosity.

Suri had done some hard things to bring a smile to Taani's face but this would have to be the hardest so far. 

"Let's go get something to eat.  This is a story best told on a full stomach."  Suri eased out of the bed and extended his hand.  Taani took his hand and they walked to the kitchen. 

Suri led Taani to her chair, and then turned to the refrigerator. He just hoped he could get thorough this with, as his friend Bobby liked to say, his "macho" intact. 

"My grandmother had six miscarriages before she got pregnant with my dad." Suri came out of the refrigerator with some leftovers from the night before.   

Suri continued with his story, his voice flat.  "She was put on full bed rest and was able to deliver the baby."   

"My dad was the first child to survive."  Suri warmed up the leftovers at the stove, his back to Taani.  "My grand-parents had three sons and three daughters after him.  It was a large, happy family." 

"My parents were married quite young and my mom had me almost nine months to the day of their marriage.  But they both were killed in an accident when I was two years old."

Hearing Taani's gasp, Suri turned to see her eyes full of tears. "Don't cry.  I didn't even realize that my parents were gone.  My uncles and aunts never let me feel their absence."

"My grandmother couldn't handle the death of her firstborn, and she had a stroke. She lost the will to live, and died three months later."  Suri put the now hot leftovers onto two plates, brought them to the dining table, and sat in the chair on Taani's right.

"One by one, my aunts were married off.  One of my aunts lives in England, the other two in America.  My oldest aunt wanted to take me with her, but my grandfather wouldn't hear of it."

Suri paused and took a bite of the food.  He shoved his plate away and took a sip of his water.  The bitterness tried to gain a foothold in him but he looked at his wife and the bitterness slunk away. 

"One by one, my uncles were sent to America for their education.  They liked living there so much, they convinced my grandfather that it would be best for the business if they opened offices there."

Taani had nearly finished all the food on her plate, so Suri gave her his plate.  Watching her eat gave him a very peaceful feeling. 

"They were all married here." Suri grinned as he remembered Taani's face when he had done the bridal rituals for her. "They  used to come home every four years when my grandfather was alive."

"My grandfather died when I was in the last year of my degree." This had been the hardest loss to accept.  Suri still couldn't talk about it without getting choked up.  Feeling Taani's warm hand on his, he smiled at her. 

"As his heir, I had to take care of things here.  That was the last time I saw the uncles and aunts." 

"My oldest uncle wanted me to go to America with them.  He said he would get me a job and help me get settled."  Suri still couldn't believe his uncle's generosity. 

"But I couldn't leave the haveli.  It was the only thing I had left of my father and grandfather."  Suri looked at Taani, willing her to understand his attachment to this old heap of almost-rubble. 

"I told my uncle that I would let him know in three months.  I prayed everyday that God would give me a sign."  Suri smiled, remembering.

"Geek that I am, I even made God a vow.  If he got me a job that paid me enough money for the upkeep of the haveli, I would stay."  Taani laughed and shook her head at him. 

"I really love to hear you laugh."  Suri lifted her hand, kissed her palm and closed her fingers over his kiss. "It chases all the loneliness and bitterness away, and leaves only joy in it's place."  Suri watched Taani blossom at his words.  Thank goodness for Raj. Although Raj had been a jerk, he had taught him, Suri, a valuable lesson.   

"Since I had missed my final exams, I had special permission from the university to sit for them."

"The day before the three months were up, I got the job at Punjab Power thorough the grandson of a friend of my grandfather's.  I called my uncle the next day and told him that I would not be coming to America.  That is how I ended up living here all by myself."

Taani stood up and went around to Suri.  “You have been through almost as much as I have.” She hugged him.

Suri hugged her back.  This would work.  They would make it work.  And he hadn't really been lonely since his wife had come into his life.  Why the gods had decided to reward him with such a woman he didn't know.  All he knew that with Taani at his side, he was sure his life would always hold excitement and adventure.