Angie's Edition 3: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Disclaimer: No insult meant to real Ramanujan - Indian genius mathematician for whom I have deep admiration.

Characters of this edition:

Pari was ready to go to mandap as her attendents (Sister, Bhabi) have really dressed her up. But Pari was pensive thinking about events of last 2 days (from haldi onwards). Meena Kumari hadn't called her and she was hoping that she would call her now as she wanted some time to tell Ramanujan that the wedding was off for the forseeable future. She decided that she would wait until she reaches mandap. Then she would get married to Ramanujan if Meena Kumari did not show up by that time. After all, she wouldn't want to hurt her family and Ramanjuan and his star-struck mother by breaking the wedding after it starts. She decided to do what she had done daily for last 10 years. She asked her attendants to leave her alone who complied quietly as they knew that Pari was going to look at herself in the mirror.

They didn't blame her as that mirror was really good and showed even the slightest wart. They also used it whenever needed. Pari was very generous in sharing everything, even though Pari was possessive about the mirror and kept with her wherever she travelled.

After they left, Pari closed the door to make sure nobody listened to her. Then she went to the mirror and looked at herself carefully. Then she asked her usual question:

Pari: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Who is the most sacrificing of all

A tiny scratch appeared on the mirror for the first time. Pari was shocked to see this as that meant the mirror was frowning for the first time.

Sheesha: Pari, sweetie. Why have you been ask me the same question every day for last 10 years. I have always told you that it is you.

Pari: Mirror, I know that. But I have to make sure that I don't slip any day. Nobody knows this, but that is why you are with me 24 hours. I have to make sure that I don't do a thing that doesn't involve a sacrifice.

Sheesha: Pari, sweetheart, darling. Why don't you ask me the usual question about "being fairest of all". Now I couldn't tell this to snow white's step mother. But I can tell you that you are fairest of all. Both Rajkumar and Ramanujan fell for you the first time they laid eyes on your beautiful face. Today you are exceptionally beautiful in that purple-red lehenga and that bright red lipstick along with all those bindis. Ramanjuan and his mother would go mad looking at you. They would be competing with each other on who gets to be your room-mate from tomorrow onwards.

Pari: Mirror, you know me. I am not vain like that. I just want to make sure that I don't slip up. Now I have to choose between two sacrifices. One is for my brother/sister and Ramanujan as I am marrying Ramanujan for all their sakes. On the other hand, it is making sacrifice for Meena Kumari. I have decided that sacrificing for Meena Kumari is greatest as I have already done it for my siblings. Ramanujan too got something as he got engaged to me and I put the ring on his finger. Then he got to spend time with me for last seven days. Granted one of the day was spent partially in hawalat. But still... It is now going to be Meena Kumari's turn from now onwards.

So go on. Tell me the answer.

Sheesha (looking helpless): Uh...uh...what I mean is ...it is ...uh...Ramanujan

Pari was shocked and speechless for a moment. Then angrily,

Pari: Mirror, how can you say that. Oh..I get it...it is because he accepted me knowing about his past.

Sheesha: No, sweetie. it was his choice. You were pretty honest about it.

Pari: Ok, was it because I broke down after the hawalat and called Rajkumar my life. But he still did not break up with me.

Sheesha: No, cutiepie. It was his choice again. You were open about your feelings.

Pari: Oh, I know it. It was because I took Rajkumar's name in the temple. Despite that and telling him that I didn't love him, he was willing to wait for my love for the rest of the life.

Sheesha: No...that was his choice again. He could have broken up with you at that time.

Pari (now impatiently): Mirror, you have gone mad. You are just tormenting me. I will go down to the mandap now as I am getting late. I will talk to you after the wedding. Maybe then you will give me straight answer.

Saying that, Pari fixed up her red lipstick and went out. But before that, she decided to pick up her blue mobile phone as she decided that she would make the supreme sacrifice of walking out of the wedding if Meena Kumari called as long as the seventh phera was not done. She was feeling very confident now that Meena Kumari was going to call her.

Sheesha (now alone and sad): Pari, you don't know. You will make a sacrifice of running away from the wedding. People in the forum will blame you for hurting Ramanujan for the sake of Meena Kumari. But Ramanujan will be one step ahead of you. He will take all the blame and will fall in the eyes of star-struck mother who will in her disappointment lash at you. Not only his papa left her, but now he would be leaving her favorite would be bahu at the alter. People will fun of him, but he would do that for you and would wait for you for the rest of his life. So he will let his mother be insulted in front of the society, but will not let a single person say a bad thing against you. He would let his mother suffer thinking that her only son takes after the missing father and not like her. But he would still protect you.

I am afraid that for tonight at least, your sacrifice will be over shadowed by his sacrifice. But take heart. Tomorrow is another day. You will go to Meena Kumari's house. There are lot of people to be reformed there. You would make Meena Kumari's life a rosy picture.

Ramanujan is the hero of this prem kahani and you are his heroine. He makes sacrifices for you and in the process can hurt everyone else and you make sacrifices for Meena Kumari and you hurt Ramanujan. It is Ram milaye jodi.

SPLENDID

ramaujan and Pari going to compete for being the most sacrificing person

hihihi gud one angie

@Afss Thanks. I am glad that your boredome reduced a little bit reading it. My brain works better when I am bored. You know idle minds ... Usually, seminars are boring for me. What are you studying?

Myra, I am not feeling sorry for Gaurav either. It is not that he is not a nice character. He is that and he has a very mature outlook. But he knows how Divya feels about Raj and that is marrying him even though she doesn't love him. He knows that Divya hasn't gotten over Raj and is now feeling really down finding out how Raj's life completely changed after she left.

But does he deserve being dumped so publicly and a last moment? I would say not. But still he needs to understand that Divya is not in a right frame to marry anybody. However, since he has fallen badly for her, he was happily going forward with the wedding that was going to happen just after 7 days of meeting each other for the first time. I think deep down he too is afraid that Divya will move away. He was looking very apprehensive when Raj came to his house and was relieved when Raj left without making a scene. So more than likely he wanted to get married to her ASAP knowing well that Divya was not ready for this marriage.

I was finding Garuav a little bland before the hawalaat scene. But he too became better when they showed his insecurities and also his deep down expectation that Divya loves him.

I do feel sorry for Raj too. So far I am reserving my judgment about his marrying Sarita. How did his father force him to marry her? Did he use his mother to emotionally manipulate him? They have kept that a mystery? Also in what way did Divya leave him. Once those pieces are shown, then it can be decided whether to feel or not to feel sympathy for him. But for now given how much he is in pain, I do feel a lot of sympathy for him especially as 10 year dreams were broken too rather ruthlessly.

Aside: That shade of blue seems to be a color of fashion these days. I am seeing so many people with this color cover and also with matching blue nailpolishes. Blue nailpolish has been around for a while, but these days I am seeing a much higher frequency.

Usha, I too like Gaurav's character. He seems to be a voice of reason among all 4 characters. Divya is very impulsive and Raj is very fragile at the moment. Sarita is immersed in her own pain. Gaurav is the only one who seems to have a more balanced view as he is a calm personality and doesn't react instantly to situations.