MIRA, THE WOMAN WHO SURVIVED, AND WON by GOURI MANGALA

Author:GOURI, MANGALA
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MANGALA GOURI
Published: 2014-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

ACTIONS & FEELINGS

Mira went with Mohan, timidly, when he told her that his adopted parents would like to meet her. She made sure to wear a salwar-kameez, and not her usual jeans-teeshirt combo, and took particular pains over her appearance.

They walked to the posh Civil Lines area, and she stared in awe at the big stone house with the slanting slate roof, with an Toyota Etios parked in front, just opposite the War Memorial, in the Civil Lines. A wrought iron gate opened into a well kept lawn, and round flat stones gathered from the stream paved a path to the drawing room.

The drawing room was simple and cosy, with a square glass centre table flanked by black leather sofas. A log fire burned in a corner, and the walls held bookshelves filled with books of all subjects. A grey carpet kept the feet warm, as the guests invariably took off their shoes before entering the room, in deference to the Hindu custom, and the ever-present slush outside.

Paintings by Sobha Singh and photographs of the nearby peaks adorned the walls of the room.

She folded her hands respectfully and sat down when she was told to. She hung her head bashfully, sure that they would find her below their standard and despise her. She wondered if they knew her story. Had Mohan told them? How much had he told them? What did they think of her? They may be polite and kind to her, but could they like her? She had answered in monosyllables whenUncle asked her if she liked the food in the hostel, and if she found the studies hard.

But gradually, her defences broke down when Lakshmy Auntie asked her to help her in the kitchen, to help make coffee and cheese pakoras for all of them. Perfect for the rainy day! It stirred feeble, faraway memories of home. And when she was given a lovely sky blue dress as a gift—it was customary for a girl visiting close relatives for the first time to be given a gift—she was overwhelmed. They need not have done this, she knew.

Auntie gave her a hamper of sweets and fruit for the hostel, to be shared among her friends. Mira was more grateful for this than for the rest— she had been the only one who had no home to give her goodies, and it showed.

Katoch Uncle dropped her off at her hostel in his big car, and many people noticed that. He had come in, and signed a form to be her local guardian. That had upped her status several notches—her parents had to be someone important if she had a Superintendent as a local guardian.

She wrote about all this in the daily email she wrote to Sheila—and the latter was pleased. All Mira needed was the cocoon of family love to make her feel safe again. Shiela had not mentioned that Jayant was her brother, just in case he and Mira could not get on well with each other. But even Shiela was surprised that Mohan had introduced the Katoches as his family.

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