Bury the hatchet
“Kakoon, Ae Kakoon.” Amma can keep calling my name all day.
“Aschi amma!” This is the third time I have had to pause my office call to let her know I will be coming downstairs for lunch shortly. Amma and her tantrums.
*Footsteps approaching* I can bet my two cents Amma sent Pari didi to fetch me. Finished with my meeting, I am putting aside my desktop to sign off for lunch when I see the familiar face, one I least expected.
“Mitthu didi!” Kakoon is overjoyed. Her cousin sister Debina and PIshima are paying a surprise visit.
“ Long time no see haan didi, busu making big money.” Kakoon chuckled as she served a dollop of steamed rice in her plate while Debina passed around the Kosha mangsho. It is a busy lunch table in the late afternoon at the Chatterjee house. Everyone is eating, laughing, talking about the good old days, joy of authentic Bengali food , discussing the latest political rife and criticising mainstream media entertainment for its lack of depth unlike Bengali cinema. Debina seems a little uneasy at the lunch table so she and Kakoon slyly take leave to be in her room.
“Debi what happened? You look like a sad coconut” Kakoon looked at Debolina questioningly while imitating a sad coconut face.
“Your pishima!” Debi replied.
“Tora Maai! Amaar Pishima Ki?”, “She’s your mom first. Don’t drag me or my Pishima into it.”
“Kuki! She is hell bent on marrying me off by the end of this year. Recently Rosy aunty came by with a list of suitors. I don’t want to go yaar!”
“Debi, it is 2020. Pishima can’t just force you to marry any weirdo!”
“Kuki! You don’t understand. You are a disappointment, people do not expect you to follow what they say or accept what they choose for you!”
Kakoon was not surprised, given her sine wave curve of life choices, this did not come as a surprise. She had been vocal about her wishes, desires and decisions for life. A rather stubborn child, rightly justifying her inheritance of genes from her parents she believed.
“Well, miss goody two shoes. What do you wanna do? Cave into whatever Pishima says and regret your whole life? Or be a disappointment for a change and breathe free?” Kakoon had learnt by now how valuable the saying was -
You can take a horse to the river, but not make it drink water.
“You think you can do something?” Debolina looked at her with her wide eyes that looked wider now. Perks of bong ancestry.
“As much as I would like to, this is your battle I suppose. The last time I stepped in for you, you cried in front of Pishima and everyone thought I was having a bad influence on you. No way!”
“C’mon yar Kuki! Mere liye itna nahi karegi?” Debi tried persuading her sister. The two shared a close bond ever since Kakoon was a teenager. Debi and Pishima had been her support system as her working parents found lesser and lesser time for their children.
“Waise, Why did you not ask Kaki maa? Or even dada? They both could help” Kakoon asked out of concern.
“You know how Kaki maa jeopardized dada’s scene with Prerna would-be Boudi (SIL) last year and how much she bitched about them. I don’t trust many people”
“So you came to me to take the fall?” and “if Kaki maa or dada can not be relied upon, how trustworthy have you been to me?”
Debi lost her footing for a moment, she knew exactly what Kakoon was referring to. The time when she convinced her mother, Kakoon’s Pishima of having worn one of her dresses and getting it altered probably for some party. Poor Kakoon got an earful from Pishima, who although a loving person was rather gullible whenever her daughter spoke ill of anyone else, and lightning fast to defend her babygirl if the tables turned.
“I may have forgiven the bygones, but I am bad at forgetting you see.”
“See Kakoon, it was a slight misunderstanding. Now I know maa said some harsh words back then but she was probably worried for you and wanted you to follow rules so you stay safe” Kakoon stared back with pursed lips, this was the first time she had brought up the incidence in a confronting manner to Debi and her answer was not adding up.
“So what exactly made Pishima believe I got your dress altered to my size? You realize I am fatter and have always been. Dresses can be altered a size down, not upgraded two size up”
Kakoon was losing her patience. Somehow the absence of logic in Pishima’s words and the hatred she had felt piercing through had left a deeper scar on her heart than she believed.
“Kuki, that was 7 years ago. I made a mistake and maa said some harsh things but its all in the past. You know I love you kido, now come on bury the hatchet and help me figure how to tackle maa and prevent her from giving away my hand in marriage to any weirdo that fits her list”
Debi held Kakoon’s hand tightly and looked at her with pleading eyes.
“Okay” Kakoon sighed. "We can figure something out. Lets meet at the terrace in evening after I am done with my work for the day. Something should come up".
As much as she gave in to her cousin’s pleadings, she was upset about the lack of remorse and absence of a proper apology. Nonetheless, she agreed to try and help. Only this time she was going to be extra cautious so as to not shoulder the entire blame on herself.
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