[sakurasan]

Chapter 17 Joint Account — Part 2

Wednesday morning Rohan waited in the car outside her building. She had told him to come early, in the blazer suit they had bought yesterday. He sat in it with the engine off, going over the last four days.

Saturday at the park she had made him promise. He would take leave from Monday, and he would not go back to college until she said so. He took it. After that, except when he went home to sleep, they had been together. All four days had been odd. When Praveen called, she stepped away to take it. Rohan overheard documents, a transaction, and not enough to know what they were. He asked once.

“What was Praveen saying.”

“Family matters. He is handling it.”

He did not think any further about it.

Isha came out of the building in a red and gold wedding silk. He had seen her in many sarees. He had not seen her dressed to be married. She got in. The pallu lay across her lap. He looked at it, then at her face.

“You did not tell me you would come like this.”

“You look right. Drive.”

She kept the map on her phone and called the turns. He drove. She took him off the roads he knew. He had not wanted to question her. The suit and the bridal saree confused him anyway.

“Is this the right road.”

She saw the prank working. She was excited and wet, and it came out of her mouth.

“Trust Cathy. Keep driving.”

She bit her tongue.

“Who is Cathy.”

“No one.”

“You said it now.”

“An app. Don’t ask. Watch the road.”

He looked at her. She was watching the road. He drove.

A flower stall stood at the side of the road. She touched his arm.

“Stop.”

She pointed at a pair of thick rose garlands.

“Buy them.”

He parked. He paid and came back with them. He set them on the back seat.




“Where are we going.”

“The register office.”

His hand stopped on the wheel. Their wedding date was still ahead. She sounded as if she had set it aside and chosen today.

“Isha. What is happening.”

“I am done waiting.”

“So.”

“We should do the right thing before your birthday.”

“People will think we are going to be married.”

“Let them.”

“Are we.”

“You will see when we reach.”

“Our parents.”

“They will be there.”

He opened his mouth and shut it. He did it again. She liked it. She stopped him before the next question.

“No more questions. We are near.”

They came to a government building. From the car he could read only Register Office on the board. Praveen met them as they stepped out. His parents stood behind him. Rohan turned to the back seat for the garlands. Isha touched his arm. He looked up. The broker and the seller were at the entrance. Above them the full board read Sub-Registrar Office.

“This is for the land.”

“Yes.”

“The right thing. The register office.”

“All of it was true. I did not say marriage.”

She looked pleased.

“Your parents have taken care of the money. The building is ready for us to buy.”

He looked at her and could not find the first word.

“You did all this behind my back.”

“Sometimes a girl has to impress her man.”

“Well done.”

They went in to the document writer.

The deed was on the table. Rohan read the first page and stopped.

“Only my name is here.”

“Yes,” Isha said.

“We add yours.”

“No.”

“Isha.”

“Your grandfather wished this house for you. The money is his. It has to be your name.”

“There is no house if you are not in it with me.”

“It is your parents’ gift to you. I will not put my name on that.”

“I am not signing a house that is not yours too,” Rohan said.

Isha set her palm on the deed. “Your name or both our names, it is the same. The papers are ready. We cannot redo them.”

He turned a page. A receipt was clipped behind the draft of the sale. Her name was on the advance. The sum was what she had saved from her salary. He put his finger on it.

“This is you.”

She took her hand off the paper. She did not speak.

Rohan turned to Praveen. “Can we put her name on it.”

“We can write it again,” Praveen said. “The writer charges for a fresh set. You will have to pay for the papers.”

His father stepped in. “No issue. Redo it. If I had known before, both your names would have been on it.”

Isha stood with nothing left to refuse.

The morning slot was gone. The seller waited. The new papers came in the afternoon. Rohan signed. Isha signed after him. The building was theirs.




At the station they took the two garlands from the back seat and put them on Lata and his father.

“For the house,” Isha said.

Rohan bent and touched his father’s feet, then Lata’s. Isha followed. His father set a hand on Rohan’s head. Lata set a hand on Isha’s. Neither of them made a speech.

They saw them to the coach. The train took his parents. Rohan and Isha stayed on the platform until the last coach went.

They walked to the car. She got in. He pulled out of the station road, and the platform fell behind them.

“I am so happy now,” she said.

“Me too.” His eyes stayed on the traffic. “You made my birthday special.”

“It has not come yet.” She turned in the seat. “What treat are you going to get me.”

“I have an idea. You should not get angry.”

“What will make me angry.”

“Open that dashboard.”

She opened the glove box in front of her knee and lifted the papers. Under them lay a coupon. She drew it out. A hotel stood on a green hill, with a long pool in front of it. Under the picture it said Lonavala, five-star, seventy-five percent off.

She wanted to say yes at once. She kept a poker face.

“Are you planning to take me here.”

“I would love to. If you are ok. We can go now.”

She looked at the hill on the coupon, then at him.

“Just us,” she said. “Our first night like that.”

“I promise to be a good boy.”

He glanced over, waiting to be refused. She held his look. Who is going to allow you to be a good boy. I am a bad girl. The thought made her wet against the silk. She kept it off her mouth.

“We will make this the first of your best birthdays.”

“This place will be perfect for it.”

“How would people dress there.”

“Anything you are comfortable in.”

“I did not ask that.”

“Ok. Mostly western.”

He stopped at her building.

“Be quick. I will go home, pack, and come.”

“I am always quick. Now go.”