NOTE:All characters and venues are totally fictional; any semblance to real persons or places is merely coincidental.
Synopsis: After their painting work, Munni and Ana go for a beer and the conversation happens. Ana's history and Return-to-Russia dream/goal is revealed. She proposes marriage with provisos and Munni agrees. "Be Like Benny !" is very much the backdrop. But, who is behaving like Benny ?
After Ana and Reddy finished painting, cleaning up and vacuuming the apartment, they drove to the dry cleaners and dropped off the curtains. Then around 4 PM, Ana took Reddy to a quiet bar for a beer.
When they had both been served with their beer in mugs, Ana raised her mug and toasted,"…thanks for helping me…"
"…no..no…you taught me how to paint…thank you", said Reddy.
Then Ana asked him what his uncle had told him.
He said," …he asked me if I want to transfer from California to here"
"…and then..?.....anything else ?.."
"….I want to switch….but I am not sure how yet…I think he will help me"
Ana looked a little perplexed. Then she changed the topic as if she didn't want to pry into his problems; he thought she was very considerate.
She asked him if he had a girlfriend in california or in India. Reddy was amused a little; it seemed to him that in America one can easily ask that question without seeming to be nosy.
That was always a tricky question to young Indian men. The correct answer was certainly not, "absolutely no contact with women what so ever..period". Even for the nerdiest of them, there is a bit of ego to protect. The other extreme, the total casanova,"...yes...lots..of girl friends everywhere.." was also quite unwise. The appropriate answer very much depended on who was asking that question. Reddy knew he was not good at getting to that proper answer.
He said,"yes ..only in India….but just a crush..I don't think she liked me…", and he thanked the experience of the conversation he had had on the very topic with cousin Sheila. It seemed to him a safe thing to nip that conversation in the bud.
That sent Ana into a deep thought. She drank some of her beer, set the mug down on the table and sat there very quiet.
Reddy drank his beer and naturally his thoughts ran to Shanti Naidu, the girl he had helped in boarding the bus. When they were in the bus crowd together, once her head was against his chest and she had smeared him with some brown cream. He had to pay an extra Rs.10 to get that shirt dry cleaned. He later found out that she had apparently used that cream to hide some white skin spots on her forehead. When watching her at the bus stand, he had also noticed she had white skin patches behind her right ear and her neck at the collar. Reddy knew that his brother-in-law used a brown cream on some of his visible white spots of Leucoderma.
When he told Shanti he was going to America, she had said "congratulations" with a rather happy voice as if she didn't need his bus boarding help any more. Then she had written her name and address in a note book page, tore it and gave it to him saying,"if you have the time, write a letter about your experience from America". That was it. That was how he even knew her name. He didn't remember if he ever mentioned his name to her. After he had the dinner with Sheila, and fibbed about having a girl friend, he even dreamt about Shanti Naidu that night (cf. Episode 11). The next week after that dinner, he had sent a picture post-card to her, of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a note to say that California was beautiful and college life was great, but had signed the card "Sheila", so that if anyone in Shanti's house read it, it would not be a bother for her.
Reddy broke the quiet with:
"I don't remember her name, but she used to ride the bus with me"
"..yes..yes..same in Novosibirsk…people falling in love all the time in the subway..", said Ana, playing with the mug handle.
"…did you fall in love in a subway ? ", asked Reddy, congratulating himself for having caught that opening.
" …no…no…but I was in love with Boris for many many years", said Ana.
"Boris ? ", asked Reddy; somehow, to Reddy, that name seemed suitable for a large breed of dog. He imagined Ana running in a meadow, throwing a stick and calling:…Boris..come on Boris…good boy Boris…fetch Boris...fetch boy…etc..
But then, Ana continued:
"...yes...Boris... He lived in the same building…..in a different apartment…we knew each other from children…" said Ana.
"…Oh..": Reddy was a bit disappointed.
"….he was older…may be 2 or 3 years…first he gave me a frog when I was 6…and I kept it in a box…he will bring food for it…we fed it together and watched…when we were older, he gave me a small cat.."
".....kitten"
"yes…yes..a kitten…it had brown and white colors…I secretly named him Boris…..so I can call him…..he will sleep with me in the bed…"
Reddy thought that Shanti Naidu too would have brown and white colors on her skin ; however, he said," mmmh…then.?."
"when we were in high school….we talked about living in Sankt Peterburg after we were married, and have croissants and coffee in the morning like the french….."
"….Sankt ? "
"sankt ?…yes..yes.. in English it is Saint Peterburg…that city is like Paris...but much better...…palace like the versailles…you know….the hermitage..of the czar…streets are very nice…gold statues on the bridges…and cafes everywhere…grand museums…opera...ballet…music….beautiful snow in winter....everything…"
"….oh…": Reddy didn't quite understand the impact of versailles, hermitage , czar, opera and ballet on the value of a city. However, he let it be.
"….my Boris played football for the school team…when he scored a goal…I will jump up in the stands and yell and shout his name over and over.....he will run to the sideline…take off his shirt…and swing it above his head, and look at me and smile big…."
Ana took a sip of her beer....then she seemed to think about that smile as she went quiet and her eyes looked farther away. Then she picked up where she left off:
"...after the game we will meet behind the stands, and he will put his arms over my shoulder….. and...….when I returned home…the shoulders of my shirt will have his smell….."
"…really…". Reddy didn't know why he said that; but then he felt like he ought to say something other than,"...oh...or ...mmmh..or then?...".
Oksana didn't seem to care about what he had said; she was in a world of her own; she went on:
"….everybody knew Boris loved me….and I, him…. I wrote his name on the margin of all my notebooks…first a big O, then that would be part of his name and my name together…."
Then she sighed and remembered a landmark at the old high school:
"I also carved the word "Boksanaris" on the goal post in the school football field. ….. ".
"....." Reddy couldn't imagine any of that. When he was in highschool, his strong memories were about studying...studying...and studying hard to get good marks; and then, after school, more tutorials for getting through the IIT entrance tests.....which he didn't.
Ana broke his flash-back thoughts:"...Reddy, did you write any name in your book ...or desk ...or somewhere in school ..? "
Reddy recalled he had carved his initials "MGR", on one of his school desks when he was in 7th class; but then, those were also the initials of a famous movie actor who later became famous in provincial politics also.
He said:"…no..no…..but…then…what happened to Boris ?"
"….after high school and college…Boris went away…first to Moscow…and then somewhere…I lost him…he never called…I cried for many months…thought may be he was in Sankt Peterburg and will come for me later…but never came…"
"…oh…": Reddy was now at a loss for a variation in a response.
"…my mother used to say that poor working class people from Siberia can go to Sankt Peterburg after they die…"
Ana stopped and looked at Reddy to see if he was still listening to her. Then...she went on:
"first be a good christian…she'd say....and then die to go to heaven…and meet Sankt Peter..…and then he'd let us in…..She really wanted to go there and stay in a hotel for a few days…just to tell people she'd been there…"
Reddy was a bit confused between the city of Saint Peterburg and the place people went into after Saint Peter allowed them into heaven....and the hotel ? where was that ? in heaven ?
He just looked at Ana without any response.
She continued:
"….finally my college friend Irina wanted me to go with her for this group date meeting with old american guys who look for young russian girls to marry…she told me that is a good way to escape and go away….marry a kind old guy….who will treat you nice…not like the russians who will drink all the time, watch foot-ball and beat their wives…."
"…eh ?": Reddy was surprised at the big turn in the story.
"…yes…my father did exactly that to my mother…..so…. anyway…Irina was lucky…her husband in new york is very nice…and she is happy….I still talk to her a lot on phone and chat…but the man I married….Gregor(y) Olander…he was very nice at first….but when I came to Detroit…he was very different…he drank a lot… and beat me…locked me in a room and never allowed me to go anywhere….and then one day…he almost killed me….that is when I escaped…....."
"…." Reddy was shocked to hear this.
"…I didn't remember much…later they told me I had concussion…but I remember the smiling face of Benny close to my face….and then many days later…Kamla and Benny took me away from Hospital to their home…", Ana burst into tears…but she controlled her sobs. Swallowed hard and tried to get control of her voice again.
Then she continued, in a somewhat tremulous tone of voice:
"…First I thought I was dead....and then... they....Benny and Kamla...I thought they were angels…..from Sankt Peter…and now…after many years…I know they are angels…", and looked at him. She had pendant tear drops on her chin. She looked beat.
Okonomi: There seem to be some upload issues with the image link...once in a while...however, if you see it...notice the light through the convex lens of her tear drop on the cheek ?
Reddy wanted to change the subject, however, he couldn't just, suddenly, go anywhere banal.
So he doubled back and away from the violence to better memories:"…did you ever hear from Boris ?"
"…No …but may be someday in the future…he will come back to me..... and break my heart all over again….", Ana said, teary faced, and smiled at Reddy.
Then she put her chin down, and quietly looked into her beer for a while. Then, she herself changed the topic.
"…Reddy…tell me..... what is your dream ? do you have a Sankt Peterburg you want to go to .....or...may be live in ?….Is your city Mumbai with all the movie stars and beaches..... your Sankt Peterbug ?"
"…no..no..no nothing like that….I want to get my degree…then get a job…save some money…and go back to India…and build a house with a mango tree…..then invite uncle Benny to come and visit....but my uncle said I should build the house in america….", he said.
"…very nice plan…", she agreed.
"…how about you ?", Reddy asked.
"…I have to work and save money too….I thought I would eventually go back to Russia, may be take my mother to Sankt Peterburg before she actually met the real Sankt Peter…and if I had enough money…buy a flat there and live…but I don't know now….Benny and Kamla said I can live in America….get arranged marriage …."
Reddy recalled a snippet of a phone conversation(cf. Episode 12) of Sheila he had overheard just before they checked out of the hotel in California.
He asked,"..are you getting married ?", and immediately regretted that intrusive burst. But Ana didn't notice his pained expression. She was looking back at her beer thinking of something.
"…..Benny said if I met a nice boy, who worked hard…and be kind to me…then I can ask him", said Ana.
Reddy said," really ?"
Then Ana led him to the question:"...do you remember ? …Thanksgiving day evening, you were in the TV room, when Kamla asked me to come and talk to them in the office.......at that time, Benny asked me if I would like arranged marriage with you."
Ana paused for Reddy to wrap his head around that.
Reddy sat up and asked," …and ?"
"I told them I must first tell you all my truth.. and then ask you myself privately….and give you a chance to say NO.... straight to me…..so I am asking you Reddy….I am one or two year more than you…I had a bad life….I do not want to marry and get beaten by anyone again….if you can be kind to me….and not beat me….and be a friend….and want to marry me…I can marry you….so you can think about it for a few days ….and first tell me…and if your answer is yes.... then tell your uncle…..": with that Ana looked straight into his eyes.
She still had tear stains on her cheeks, her eye lashes were in wet clumps…but her green eyes were very sincere.
Reddy was not quite prepared for such a direct approach. He went,"..I…ahh"
Ana interrupted,"…it is OK for now…if you don't have anything to say right now that is fine…we can have our beer and go home…you can think about it….you know that I still have strong feelings for my Boris…but who knows where he is…may be he is dead…in Chechnya..just like many russian boys….or happily married....or even getting drunk and beating his wife......I don't know......"
Reddy remembered his uncle Benny's comment from the previous afternoon about a nice girl who'd be stupid enough to marry him….and made his decision; after all, he didn't have a Boris-like sweetheart that was giving him heart aches. He touched Ana's hand that was holding the beer mug, and said," Ana, I will tell my uncle to arrange our marriage"
Ana straightened up and looked at Reddy very surprised. "Then,…are you OK with all my problems ?..... you will be nice and kind ?....not force yourself on me....and beat me ?..."
Reddy said,"…yes..I am ok with your past...and I will let you be...do whatever you want.....", and just to ease the conversation down to a lighter level, he added,"….I also liked your Thanksgiving dinner ..…and the sandwiches..."
Ana wiped her face, and said,"…don't get your hopes up….that only happens once a year….especially for my angels…". Then she smiled.
"...I will cook for you the rest of the year...", promised Reddy, a lot more seriously. Then he tried once again to say something to ease the tension of the moment. He raised his beer mug and said,"....to a peaceful life and our dreams".
Ana was happier and surprised at Reddy's gesture; she smiled and raised her beer mug and said,"...your Mango Tree House".
Reddy responded,".....your Sankt Peterburg.."
Ana clinked her mug with Reddy's and they both drank their beer.
"Today…I will take you to a restaurant…we will eat out…", said Ana; then she called home and told Kamla not to wait for the two of them to come home for dinner.
When they went home that night, Reddy went to his uncle and told him of the decision that Ana and he had made. Benny patted him on the back. Kamla seemed concerned at the news and took Ana to her bedroom for a long chat.
Sunday evening, Kiran came over for a brief visit. Reddy and Ana met him in the office room in the house. Kiran explained to them what the next steps would be. Reddy came to realize what a grand favor Ana was doing for him. Ana seemed to be much closer to "Be like Benny!" than Reddy had imagined himself to be.
Synopsis: After their painting work, Munni and Ana go for a beer and the conversation happens. Ana's history and Return-to-Russia dream/goal is revealed. She proposes marriage with provisos and Munni agrees. "Be Like Benny !" is very much the backdrop. But, who is behaving like Benny ?
Munni's LIA - Episode 16
Ana Proposes Marriage and Munni Accepts
After Ana and Reddy finished painting, cleaning up and vacuuming the apartment, they drove to the dry cleaners and dropped off the curtains. Then around 4 PM, Ana took Reddy to a quiet bar for a beer.
When they had both been served with their beer in mugs, Ana raised her mug and toasted,"…thanks for helping me…"
"…no..no…you taught me how to paint…thank you", said Reddy.
Then Ana asked him what his uncle had told him.
He said," …he asked me if I want to transfer from California to here"
"…and then..?.....anything else ?.."
"….I want to switch….but I am not sure how yet…I think he will help me"
Ana looked a little perplexed. Then she changed the topic as if she didn't want to pry into his problems; he thought she was very considerate.
She asked him if he had a girlfriend in california or in India. Reddy was amused a little; it seemed to him that in America one can easily ask that question without seeming to be nosy.
That was always a tricky question to young Indian men. The correct answer was certainly not, "absolutely no contact with women what so ever..period". Even for the nerdiest of them, there is a bit of ego to protect. The other extreme, the total casanova,"...yes...lots..of girl friends everywhere.." was also quite unwise. The appropriate answer very much depended on who was asking that question. Reddy knew he was not good at getting to that proper answer.
He said,"yes ..only in India….but just a crush..I don't think she liked me…", and he thanked the experience of the conversation he had had on the very topic with cousin Sheila. It seemed to him a safe thing to nip that conversation in the bud.
That sent Ana into a deep thought. She drank some of her beer, set the mug down on the table and sat there very quiet.
Reddy drank his beer and naturally his thoughts ran to Shanti Naidu, the girl he had helped in boarding the bus. When they were in the bus crowd together, once her head was against his chest and she had smeared him with some brown cream. He had to pay an extra Rs.10 to get that shirt dry cleaned. He later found out that she had apparently used that cream to hide some white skin spots on her forehead. When watching her at the bus stand, he had also noticed she had white skin patches behind her right ear and her neck at the collar. Reddy knew that his brother-in-law used a brown cream on some of his visible white spots of Leucoderma.
When he told Shanti he was going to America, she had said "congratulations" with a rather happy voice as if she didn't need his bus boarding help any more. Then she had written her name and address in a note book page, tore it and gave it to him saying,"if you have the time, write a letter about your experience from America". That was it. That was how he even knew her name. He didn't remember if he ever mentioned his name to her. After he had the dinner with Sheila, and fibbed about having a girl friend, he even dreamt about Shanti Naidu that night (cf. Episode 11). The next week after that dinner, he had sent a picture post-card to her, of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a note to say that California was beautiful and college life was great, but had signed the card "Sheila", so that if anyone in Shanti's house read it, it would not be a bother for her.
Reddy broke the quiet with:
"I don't remember her name, but she used to ride the bus with me"
"..yes..yes..same in Novosibirsk…people falling in love all the time in the subway..", said Ana, playing with the mug handle.
"…did you fall in love in a subway ? ", asked Reddy, congratulating himself for having caught that opening.
" …no…no…but I was in love with Boris for many many years", said Ana.
"Boris ? ", asked Reddy; somehow, to Reddy, that name seemed suitable for a large breed of dog. He imagined Ana running in a meadow, throwing a stick and calling:…Boris..come on Boris…good boy Boris…fetch Boris...fetch boy…etc..
But then, Ana continued:
"...yes...Boris... He lived in the same building…..in a different apartment…we knew each other from children…" said Ana.
"…Oh..": Reddy was a bit disappointed.
"….he was older…may be 2 or 3 years…first he gave me a frog when I was 6…and I kept it in a box…he will bring food for it…we fed it together and watched…when we were older, he gave me a small cat.."
".....kitten"
"yes…yes..a kitten…it had brown and white colors…I secretly named him Boris…..so I can call him…..he will sleep with me in the bed…"
Reddy thought that Shanti Naidu too would have brown and white colors on her skin ; however, he said," mmmh…then.?."
"when we were in high school….we talked about living in Sankt Peterburg after we were married, and have croissants and coffee in the morning like the french….."
"….Sankt ? "
"sankt ?…yes..yes.. in English it is Saint Peterburg…that city is like Paris...but much better...…palace like the versailles…you know….the hermitage..of the czar…streets are very nice…gold statues on the bridges…and cafes everywhere…grand museums…opera...ballet…music….beautiful snow in winter....everything…"
"….oh…": Reddy didn't quite understand the impact of versailles, hermitage , czar, opera and ballet on the value of a city. However, he let it be.
"….my Boris played football for the school team…when he scored a goal…I will jump up in the stands and yell and shout his name over and over.....he will run to the sideline…take off his shirt…and swing it above his head, and look at me and smile big…."
Ana took a sip of her beer....then she seemed to think about that smile as she went quiet and her eyes looked farther away. Then she picked up where she left off:
"...after the game we will meet behind the stands, and he will put his arms over my shoulder….. and...….when I returned home…the shoulders of my shirt will have his smell….."
"…really…". Reddy didn't know why he said that; but then he felt like he ought to say something other than,"...oh...or ...mmmh..or then?...".
Oksana didn't seem to care about what he had said; she was in a world of her own; she went on:
"….everybody knew Boris loved me….and I, him…. I wrote his name on the margin of all my notebooks…first a big O, then that would be part of his name and my name together…."
Then she sighed and remembered a landmark at the old high school:
"I also carved the word "Boksanaris" on the goal post in the school football field. ….. ".
"....." Reddy couldn't imagine any of that. When he was in highschool, his strong memories were about studying...studying...and studying hard to get good marks; and then, after school, more tutorials for getting through the IIT entrance tests.....which he didn't.
Ana broke his flash-back thoughts:"...Reddy, did you write any name in your book ...or desk ...or somewhere in school ..? "
Reddy recalled he had carved his initials "MGR", on one of his school desks when he was in 7th class; but then, those were also the initials of a famous movie actor who later became famous in provincial politics also.
He said:"…no..no…..but…then…what happened to Boris ?"
"….after high school and college…Boris went away…first to Moscow…and then somewhere…I lost him…he never called…I cried for many months…thought may be he was in Sankt Peterburg and will come for me later…but never came…"
"…oh…": Reddy was now at a loss for a variation in a response.
"…my mother used to say that poor working class people from Siberia can go to Sankt Peterburg after they die…"
Ana stopped and looked at Reddy to see if he was still listening to her. Then...she went on:
"first be a good christian…she'd say....and then die to go to heaven…and meet Sankt Peter..…and then he'd let us in…..She really wanted to go there and stay in a hotel for a few days…just to tell people she'd been there…"
Reddy was a bit confused between the city of Saint Peterburg and the place people went into after Saint Peter allowed them into heaven....and the hotel ? where was that ? in heaven ?
He just looked at Ana without any response.
She continued:
"….finally my college friend Irina wanted me to go with her for this group date meeting with old american guys who look for young russian girls to marry…she told me that is a good way to escape and go away….marry a kind old guy….who will treat you nice…not like the russians who will drink all the time, watch foot-ball and beat their wives…."
"…eh ?": Reddy was surprised at the big turn in the story.
"…yes…my father did exactly that to my mother…..so…. anyway…Irina was lucky…her husband in new york is very nice…and she is happy….I still talk to her a lot on phone and chat…but the man I married….Gregor(y) Olander…he was very nice at first….but when I came to Detroit…he was very different…he drank a lot… and beat me…locked me in a room and never allowed me to go anywhere….and then one day…he almost killed me….that is when I escaped…....."
"…." Reddy was shocked to hear this.
"…I didn't remember much…later they told me I had concussion…but I remember the smiling face of Benny close to my face….and then many days later…Kamla and Benny took me away from Hospital to their home…", Ana burst into tears…but she controlled her sobs. Swallowed hard and tried to get control of her voice again.
Then she continued, in a somewhat tremulous tone of voice:
"…First I thought I was dead....and then... they....Benny and Kamla...I thought they were angels…..from Sankt Peter…and now…after many years…I know they are angels…", and looked at him. She had pendant tear drops on her chin. She looked beat.
Okonomi: There seem to be some upload issues with the image link...once in a while...however, if you see it...notice the light through the convex lens of her tear drop on the cheek ?
Reddy wanted to change the subject, however, he couldn't just, suddenly, go anywhere banal.
So he doubled back and away from the violence to better memories:"…did you ever hear from Boris ?"
"…No …but may be someday in the future…he will come back to me..... and break my heart all over again….", Ana said, teary faced, and smiled at Reddy.
Then she put her chin down, and quietly looked into her beer for a while. Then, she herself changed the topic.
"…Reddy…tell me..... what is your dream ? do you have a Sankt Peterburg you want to go to .....or...may be live in ?….Is your city Mumbai with all the movie stars and beaches..... your Sankt Peterbug ?"
"…no..no..no nothing like that….I want to get my degree…then get a job…save some money…and go back to India…and build a house with a mango tree…..then invite uncle Benny to come and visit....but my uncle said I should build the house in america….", he said.
"…very nice plan…", she agreed.
"…how about you ?", Reddy asked.
"…I have to work and save money too….I thought I would eventually go back to Russia, may be take my mother to Sankt Peterburg before she actually met the real Sankt Peter…and if I had enough money…buy a flat there and live…but I don't know now….Benny and Kamla said I can live in America….get arranged marriage …."
Reddy recalled a snippet of a phone conversation(cf. Episode 12) of Sheila he had overheard just before they checked out of the hotel in California.
He asked,"..are you getting married ?", and immediately regretted that intrusive burst. But Ana didn't notice his pained expression. She was looking back at her beer thinking of something.
"…..Benny said if I met a nice boy, who worked hard…and be kind to me…then I can ask him", said Ana.
Reddy said," really ?"
Then Ana led him to the question:"...do you remember ? …Thanksgiving day evening, you were in the TV room, when Kamla asked me to come and talk to them in the office.......at that time, Benny asked me if I would like arranged marriage with you."
Ana paused for Reddy to wrap his head around that.
Reddy sat up and asked," …and ?"
"I told them I must first tell you all my truth.. and then ask you myself privately….and give you a chance to say NO.... straight to me…..so I am asking you Reddy….I am one or two year more than you…I had a bad life….I do not want to marry and get beaten by anyone again….if you can be kind to me….and not beat me….and be a friend….and want to marry me…I can marry you….so you can think about it for a few days ….and first tell me…and if your answer is yes.... then tell your uncle…..": with that Ana looked straight into his eyes.
She still had tear stains on her cheeks, her eye lashes were in wet clumps…but her green eyes were very sincere.
Reddy was not quite prepared for such a direct approach. He went,"..I…ahh"
Ana interrupted,"…it is OK for now…if you don't have anything to say right now that is fine…we can have our beer and go home…you can think about it….you know that I still have strong feelings for my Boris…but who knows where he is…may be he is dead…in Chechnya..just like many russian boys….or happily married....or even getting drunk and beating his wife......I don't know......"
Reddy remembered his uncle Benny's comment from the previous afternoon about a nice girl who'd be stupid enough to marry him….and made his decision; after all, he didn't have a Boris-like sweetheart that was giving him heart aches. He touched Ana's hand that was holding the beer mug, and said," Ana, I will tell my uncle to arrange our marriage"
Ana straightened up and looked at Reddy very surprised. "Then,…are you OK with all my problems ?..... you will be nice and kind ?....not force yourself on me....and beat me ?..."
Reddy said,"…yes..I am ok with your past...and I will let you be...do whatever you want.....", and just to ease the conversation down to a lighter level, he added,"….I also liked your Thanksgiving dinner ..…and the sandwiches..."
Ana wiped her face, and said,"…don't get your hopes up….that only happens once a year….especially for my angels…". Then she smiled.
"...I will cook for you the rest of the year...", promised Reddy, a lot more seriously. Then he tried once again to say something to ease the tension of the moment. He raised his beer mug and said,"....to a peaceful life and our dreams".
Ana was happier and surprised at Reddy's gesture; she smiled and raised her beer mug and said,"...your Mango Tree House".
Reddy responded,".....your Sankt Peterburg.."
Ana clinked her mug with Reddy's and they both drank their beer.
"Today…I will take you to a restaurant…we will eat out…", said Ana; then she called home and told Kamla not to wait for the two of them to come home for dinner.
When they went home that night, Reddy went to his uncle and told him of the decision that Ana and he had made. Benny patted him on the back. Kamla seemed concerned at the news and took Ana to her bedroom for a long chat.
Sunday evening, Kiran came over for a brief visit. Reddy and Ana met him in the office room in the house. Kiran explained to them what the next steps would be. Reddy came to realize what a grand favor Ana was doing for him. Ana seemed to be much closer to "Be like Benny!" than Reddy had imagined himself to be.
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