"Suresh...Suresh." It was the shout of my father Gokulbhai. Today the parents of a girl came to my house with a marriage proposal and I denied once again, without any particular reason. Dad must be angry about this matter; I thought and descended to drawing room where he sat with a grave face. I took a seat nearby him.
"I can't figure out why you're rejecting every proposal," he tried to say with calmness but his eyes reddened with anger.
"Dad, I wanna settle myself, then..."
"What type of settlement do you need? First you told me, I'm too young, too immature for marriage, while in our community many men your age are married and have children. Then you told me, I want to finish my study. After finishing study, you said after getting a good job. Suresh I won't hear your pretext. The girls from reputable families slipped out of our hand. You know the parents today came, promised to give us large dowry." Dad spoke so speedily, he hadn't taken a single breathe.
"Dad, can't we wait for some years?"
"Years? Are you mad? What answer will I give to our friends when they ask why your son is still unmarried at the age of twenty-two?" I couldn't reply, but looked at my toes waiting for Dad to finish.
"Tell me right now. Do you want to marry or not?"
"Aaa...no" I gathered my all strength to utter the two letters.
"What...what am I hearing from my only son? How can our family tree grow without your marriage? Our Chosla family will vanish without any heir."
"Can I go, dad?" I'm unable to sit anymore hearing this Dark Age's lectures
"I don't know on which bad day you're conceived. After successive eight daughters, we prayed day and night the God to bestow us a son who would preserve our culture and our customs. Suresh...you...you're ruining all my dreams." And the tears emerged from the eyes. Today he was crying, a man who made others cry and heavy handed reign on our area. I should confess. My Dad is the Don of his area, the number one criminal. Many criminal cases were pending.
I left the drawing room and father's baseless preaching. It was nine o'clock. I went to bed and tried to sleep. However my mind didn't wish it. It was meditating, meditating and meditating. The voice especially "What answer will I give our friends when they ask why your son still unmarried?" He hadn't any object regarding his black business or being a Mafioso. But if I ain't married, it shamed him? I knew he was having a relationship with his one of the farmhouse's female workers. When was his prestige this time? He always taunts my mother and calls her unattractive. How could she remain attractive after she conceived eight in less than nine years? My grand mother said, Dad had blighted her youth because, whenever she saw my mother, her womb always protruded with a foetus. My father only married her to produce an heir and to serve him like maid. My mind became void. I couldn't think more and fell asleep
******
"Dad, I've made a decision to take part in spiritual retreat held by our Guru in Haridwar." I said to him. We were having breakfast seating on the mat crossed legs, eating hot and fresh rottis served by mother. I didn't remember when she had the chance to eat fresh breakfast, because she always ate after my dad finished.
"Good, but it starts by 25th and you've got five days. You won't get reservation."
"I'll travel in General coach."
"Why are you taking risk? Go in next retreat."
"Nay, we've Diwali vacation in our company and it's difficult to get leave in running days."
"Then it's your decision." And I finished my breakfast and went in my room.
Dad was staunch follower of Shri Shri Kailashanand of Haridwar, where I'd decided to go. Our walls were flooded with his photos. Beams of light came from his different pictures and cupboards were chocked with his books. Dad wore many threads on his neck and wrist with special charm poured by Guru to protect Dad from many criminal cases. In fact, he was saved because of bribes; he had given to police and the judges to weaken his case. Dad donated twenty percent of his income of black business to his Guru's trust every year, to remove the pot of sins from his head which he had been committing. Guru had this type of many devotees, which kept his bank balance very high like a multi millionaire businessmen. This was according to his unsatisfied disciples (who failed to grab high position in the Ashram.). Whenever I went there with my family, every year, I saw the guru had a bunch of specially imported extravagant cars. However, he could preach uncountabley for hours only on simplicity and austerity, with plenty of gold chin glittering on his bare fat chest and the fingers decorated with heavy gold rings.
