Synopsis: Ana and Munni marry. Kiran takes photos. Just four at the wedding dinner. When Ana and Munni come back home,they run into Okonomi in the corridor of their apartment.
Munni's LIA - Episode 17
The Wedding
Kiran sent a paralegal woman to the Shahs on the Monday after the long Thanksgiving weekend. She had brought along a folder of Ana's documents from Kiran's law office. She went through all the papers that Reddy had brought from India and chose some of them for copying. Then she took Reddy and Ana to the county office and had them apply for a marriage license. Then they went to a photo studio and had their photos taken. "Need for immigration forms", she explained to them,"I'll bring the filled forms to you for proofing and signatures". The paralegal told them that the wedding had been arranged for the Tuesday of the next week at the office of a justice of peace. Then she dropped them back at home.
Benny let Ana and Reddy be the new tenants and had them sign a lease for the apartment they had painted. After the marriage license application, Ana and Reddy went to the apartment. They had to look at the paint to see if any spots needed touch-ups, remove the masking tapes carefully and deal with any mistakes. They put back all the cleaned electrical outlet face plates and light fixtures. Reddy installed the bathroom mirror back above the sink.
During the week, when she did not have classes, Ana took Reddy to their apartment many times moving her possessions in. Ana tried to make Reddy feel at ease with some frivolous chat while they did this work. Reddy understood that the marriage would ease his transition to becoming an immigrant to the country. That factor essentially made him a lot less "Benny-like" in his mind. And besides he was a bundle of confusion about how he would explain everything to his mother and brother at home in Chennai. He was getting closer than ever to uncle Benny, obviously against the express instructions given him by his brother and mother. And the marriage, that would be harder to explain as well. Reddy cannot simply explain that away with "...oh...just marrying my uncle's "daughter"..nothing unusual about that...is there ?"; he laughed to himself at that notion. As all these and quite a lot of other thoughts about what would be his future etc.., sloshing in his brain, he seemed more nervous about the wedding than Ana was.
He was quite thankful for all the physical activity that came his way during that week; it made his mind a little less squirrelly about the marriage, the immigration process and the thoughts of what his life would be after the marriage. Reddy and Ana made a several trips in the van to move Ana's stuff to the apartment. She had lots of clothes, very few Russian, mostly Indian and Western. Lots of college books, notebooks, desktop comptuer and papers. She also had bed, dresser, computer table, and chairs. Ana called in and ordered a phone connection in both their names. The other utilities were included in the rent. Reddy and Ana each had their own rooms, so that they can study, work or do Skype independently. Kamla gave Ana many of the kitchen items, a lot of kitchen and bedroom linens and comforters. Benny discovered a small dining table and kitchen chairs in the Garage. He cleaned them up and asked Ana to move them too. They went to IKEA and bought some bookshelves and bed for Reddy's room. Reddy assembled the units and set shelves up in the rooms - in the bedrooms, kitchen nook and the living room. Ana got the curtains back from the dry cleaners and Reddy installed them. They also bought the necessary modem, router etc. to setup the wireless internet at their apartment.
In the apartment, Reddy had bare walls in his room. Ana had moved her movie posters stuck them on her bedroom wall. The apartment looked more like Ana's home, where Reddy had just come in as a visitor, moving in with the one suitcase and his laptop.. Ana assured him that in America it was so easy to collect stuff and he'd soon have gobs of it in his room too. During a break in their work, Ana took Reddy to a bank, so that he can open an account. Kiran had advised Reddy to open a joint account and get checks printed with both names with their new address and phone number.
Ana had a samovar she had brought along to America with her some six plus years ago. She said her mother had it and gave it to her when she was leaving for America. Ana also explained to Reddy that her samovar was a modern electric one, but she never used it, because it was made for Russian 220 voltage. Reddy told her that he could get a new local heating filament for that and convert it for local use. Reddy placed it in the middle of a book shelf in the living room, as a display artifact.
Ana described to Reddy the "Tea Culture" of Russia and how inspite of the years of communist rule, the high culture had survived and now flourishes in the big cities of Russia. She went on to explain how Tea Drinking was romanticized in Alexander Pushkin's poetry* and how the modern young women in the big cities of Russia consider going out to drink tea with their beau as an important part of the dating routine. Ana told him about the famous Russian Tea Room in New York city that she had heard about from Irina. Irina's wealthy husband took her there often.
(*Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin", a novel in verse, inspired India's Vikram Seth to create "The Golden Gate", a novel in sonnets, a fun read, a technical masterpiece and a great book in contemporary English Literature)
Reddy had never heard of Alexander Pushkin or about the Russian Tea Room. He confessed that he didn't know that Russians drank Tea, he had thought that Russians drank only vodka. Ana laughed, but she told him not to worry, because Russians think indians were always playing with snakes in their backyards. Reddy thought of the "Irani Tea" of the persian immigrants to Mumbai, and the "Masala Tea" of Indian Tea Shops and wondered what connotations they had when two persons went out to drink that kind of tea. He could not think of any clear cut notion, except that an Irani Tea in the middle of the night during study holidays was the best thing...somehow; but he couldn't explain that to Ana. He wondered how he could describe the immense good feeling that descended on one's entire being when drinking irani chai. Certainly no old poetry existed that he knew of, that talked about irani chai, although he thought the chai deserved a Pushkin like fellow in India compose some poetry on it. He decided that someday he'd find the words for it to describe it to Ana after they were married. He also decided he would find the recipe to make some irani chai at home, may be even in that Russian Somovar after he fixed it with a new heating filament. He had much to do after the wedding !!
On the day of the wedding Kiran came directly to the office of the justice. Benny took Ana and Reddy in Kamla's car. It snowed that day and since the appointment was for 8:30 AM, and since in Kamla's view an american civil wedding was about as exciting as getting an annual flu shot, Kamla decided to stay home. Kiran gave the couple instructions on the wedding when they had all met in the building lobby.
While walking upstairs to the office of the justice, Ana stopped Reddy in the landing and asked him "...ok ?", he nodded his head to mean "..yes", but had a serious look. She put her thumb and forefinger on the corners of his mouth, and as if zooming a touch screen display, moved her fingers apart and tried to make him smile; then, he broke into a smile. She held his hand as they climbed upstairs. When they met the justice, the woman justice also gave essentially the same instructions as Kiran had. Then there was the issue with the names printed on the certificate.
When the justice read the names and asked,"….so the bride is Oksana Olander….and the groom is…Manalga Reddy…is that right ?".
Ana came to the rescue before Reddy got even more flustered for having to explain his name. "…your honor…please call him Munni..", she said.
The justice laughed gently…and said,"…that's good…then it'd be Oksana Olander and Munni Reddy".
Reddy turned to Ana and mouthed the word,"Thanks".
After that Ana would call him Munni.
Ana hooked her right hand around his left elbow and faced the justice.
The justice smiled at Ana and said,"…you are on the correct side…".
Reddy wondered what that was about.
Ana said in his ear very softly,"..bride stands on the left of groom…".
The justice had noticed Reddy's quizzical look and decided to explain:"…Munni…in the old days..you'd be"taking" your bride..…and fighting your way out of your in-law's house….you'd protect and hold your bride in your left hand and slightly behind your left shoulder…and have a sword in your right hand…..but now…hehehhee.....we make you go through a metal detector in government buildings….don't we ?….", and laughed.
Kiran and Ana joined the justice in a polite titter. Benny wasn't paying much attention; Reddy smiled, but didn't quite understand. Ana tightened the hold on his left elbow. From Ana's and Kiran's instructions, he already knew when he was supposed to say "I do". Ana had also promised to pinch him on the elbow just in case.
The couple stood in front of the justice, as she read from her book of the state prescribed statements. After Munni and Ana said their "I do's", all five of them signed some papers -- justice, the married couple, and the witnesses, Benny and Kiran. Ana had decided to keep her American last name, as all her other documents were in that name.
Kiran had brought along a disposable film camera. He took a picture of the justice with the couple. Then asked the justice to take a picture of the four of them. Then they thanked the justice, went to the lobby and took some more pictures. More in the street outside the building. Reddy and Ana stood holding hands in most of them. In a few, Kiran asked Reddy to put his hand on her shoulder and Ana to put hers around his waist. He quickly exhausted the 24 photos. Ana shook Reddy's hand and said," congratulations, husband" and kissed him on the cheek when they were in the sidewalk. Then Kiran offered Ana a ride to school. She took his offer and they both left.
Benny took Reddy to his store. They were in the store until noon. Then Benny's two other employees came by and took over. Benny asked one of them to work overtime that day because Ana will be busy in the evening. They then went to the Ann Arbor campus area and ate gyros in a small restaurant. Reddy liked that campus even though it was not a great day to be walking about. Although Benny hadn't completed high school, he seemed to like wandering around in the University and look at the various postings on notice boards in the hallways. They waited till Ana's class was over and she called Benny on his mobile phone. Then they picked her up and went home. At home Kamla shook Reddy's hand and said,"congratulations"; then she and Ana went into Kamla's bedroom for a long talk and to get ready to go out for dinner.
During the dinner, Benny told the others that his realtor-agent had found a buyer for his convenience store and soon he will have less work and more leisure. Ana was happy that old Benny would relax and take it easy. She said she will get a different job until school will be over and then find a job for which she had trained. Kamla dreamed out loud: "if you get a job and moved to the bay area, I can move there too and be near all of you..".
When both women had gone to the bathroom, Benny called Sheila on his mobile phone. She must have had it switched off …so he left her a brief message to call back. Reddy was relieved. He hadn't thought about what he would say, if he had to say something to Sheila. He needed time and may be even practice for a good story for when he'd have to tell Sheila about how he came to marry Ana. As for his mother and others in Chennai, he had decided that he would wait a little longer; for now he needed to tell them about his closer ties with the notorious uncle Benny, and that he he had moved to Detroit to go to college. Reddy decided to go in smaller steps instead of springing all of it on them at the same time.
Benny and Kamla dropped Ana and Reddy at their apartment around 11 PM. When they drove away, Ana and Reddy watched them leave and waved. Kamla waved back and asked Benny (who was driving), "….so…. what do you think ?.."
Benny said,"….you know…it is cold…….we even got snow on the ground….they've had wine with dinner…..just enough, not too much……..they are not old like us…."
Kamla said,"….you are not old….and ….you better not call me old……I'll show you when we get home….". Kamla put her hand over the elbow-rest, and rubbed his lap.
Benny laughed,"…heh-heh-heh-heh… I'm in trouble….now ". Benny had green memories of his 3 day wedding(cf. Episode 7, 8)….and invariably goes into that metronomic laugh at any recall.
"Come, husband", said Oksana, as she turned around after saying goodbye to Benny and Kamla, took her keys out of her handbag, and walked to the entry door of the apartment. Munni would come to understand that she addressed him with his title when she was slightly tipsy and a bit playful. Other times, she called him by the name she had proposed to the justice at the wedding: Munni.
"Let's play scrabble ", she added.
He had never played scrabble. He often played solitaire or sometimes, mine sweeper.
But this scrabble was a new thing for him.
Ana informed,"….that lady lives next door to us….retired…our long term tenant…..". Reddy noticed that the old woman seemed pale enough for a caucasian, but with an oriental aspect to her eyes; she had her sparse grey hair in many plastic rollers, and had a pair of reading glasses on a chain around her neck.
As the woman got very close, Reddy stepped behind Ana to let her go by, Ana called out,"….heyAa…Oko…how is it going ? ".
And the old woman responded,"….heard you movin' in here…...next door….…got a handsome fella there….don't ya ?".
Ana responded,"….yeah..yeah...…good night now....don't fall asleep in the laundry room....ok ?...".
Okonomi answered,"….hehhehhh...I do that...don't I ? hehehehh...yeah..just the drier this time......you kids be along…..…." and went on ahead.
And when Ana was opening the door to the apartment she said to Munni,"….you know....she hears everything that goes on around here……and probably tells anybody who'd listen…"
Okonomi was in the laundry room for the better part of an hour drying a wet blanket, and reading a book she had brought along. After she got back to her apartment, despite what Ana had said about her hearing, and despite a shared wall to Ana's bedroom, Okonomi heard nothing. Or…may be this time, she ain't telling anybody who'd listen.
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