Chapter 3
A few days before the festival of Durga Puja, Neil was chilling in his room with his guitar when suddenly he received a call from his parents.
'Ma.. How are you? How come today you remembered your son? You usually call Kaaki Ma and get all the information about me from her. What's the occasion?' Neil asked his mother.
'Neil, you have become very naughty nowadays. I have called to inform you that baba and I have decided that we are coming to Calcutta for Durga Puja. We are leaving the UK on the 5th and should reach there on the 6th. Your Kaaku and Kaaki Ma already know about it, just thought we shall let you know too. So help your Kaaki Ma with all the chores during the Puja preparation. Don't just laze around the house. Also, your baba has insisted that now that you are in India this year for the festival, you will have to wear traditional attire, no excuses for wearing a dhoti. After all, that's why you went to India to learn about the Bengali culture. See you soon Neil. Take care.'
'Bye Ma', Neil hung up the phone.
He got tensed. He wasn't really the traditional attire kind of a person. But he will have to do something and the only person who can help him out in this situation is Alia.
Neil went running downstairs, 'Aloo … Aloo… Aloo.. Where are you?'
'Neil, calm down. What happened? What's the hurry?' Alia asked.
'My parents are coming to India for Durga Puja festival. I am dead.'
'I know, Kaka and Kaaki are coming, Ma told me in the morning. But how come you are dead? Aren't you happy you are going to meet your parents after so many months?'
'I am. I am. But it's just that I wasn't prepared to see them so soon. Don't give me those looks. I'll explain it. Baba wants me to wear traditional attire for the festival. All these years in the UK, I managed pretty well and refrained from wearing a dhoti but I don't think I can manage without it this year. I need your help. We will have to go shopping', Neil replied.
'Ha ha ha ha', Alia couldn't stop laughing.
'Aloo, what's wrong with you? I am sharing a genuine issue and despite helping me you are just laughing.' Neil said.
'Alright, Neil. I'll help you but to be honest you are very scared of your parents. Also, I am very excited to see you struggling in a dhoti.'
'Very funny', Neil said.
After a lot of pestering, Alia finally agreed to take Neil shopping for some traditional attire in the coming days.
It took an entire day for them to do the shopping. In the evening, they stopped for a "Puchka" break. Alia loved having Pani Puris. It was her favorite. But suddenly Neil disappeared for a few minutes. Alia got scared as she thought that Neil is still a tourist in his own city. Finally, he returned and Alia took a sigh of relief.
'Thank God, Neil. You are here. I was getting worried. Where did you go?'
'Ermm … I … I thought I had dropped my pen drive in the shop we went to earlier. So I went to check. Found it.' Neil replied showing the pen drive in his hand.
'Alright, Shall we go home now? It's getting late.', Alia asked.
'Yeah sure.' Neil replied and they started walking back to their house.
They reached home and Alia's parents were waiting for them.
Alia's mother was particularly very excited to see what shopping they both had done.
'Neil.. Alia.. What took you so long? How was shopping?', Tapur asked.
'Don't ask Kaaki Ma. Your daughter is a nightmare to shop with. She has so many tantrums plus she took a good half an hour break to eat Puchkas.', Neil winked at Alia.
'Ma, don't listen to him. Half of the stuff he says is utter nonsense.' Alia replied.
'Achcha, stop fighting you two. Show me what did you get?' Tapur said excitedly.
Neil showed his shopping to Alia's parents and they both were happy with his chosen attire.
'Alia, why didn't you get anything for yourself?', Alia's father asked her.
'Baba, what's the need for spending money unnecessarily. I have plenty of dresses which are brand new so I can easily wear them during the Puja.' Alia replied. She was one of those people who would not buy anything until she absolutely needed it.
After having their dinner, everyone just retired into their rooms as they had an early start the next day as Neil's parents were coming.
Shekhar left for the airport to pick up Bhaskar and Nivedita. He soon returned home with them and it was a big family reunion.
Bhaskar and Nivedita were so happy to meet their son and were very thankful to Shekhar and Tapur for taking so much care of him. The next few days, both the Mukherjees and Roys were busy with the Durga Puja preparations.
Finally, the Puja day arrived. In the morning itself, Neil came running to Alia's room as he didn't know how to tie a dhoti and he wanted to surprise his parents before they wake up.
'Aloo… Aloo… Wake up!' Neil was waking Alia up.
Alia opened her eyes and was shocked to see Neil half-dressed in his room, 'Neil, what are you doing in my room like this?'
'Aloo, I need your help. Can you help me with the dhoti? I want to surprise Mom and Dad.' Neil requested.
'I myself don't know how to tie the dhoti but I will call Baba', Alia ran and brought her father to help Neil.
Shekhar helped Neil to tie the dhoti on him. Meanwhile, Alia went for the shower.
'Thank you so much, Kaaku.' Neil left for his room but soon he was back with a box and left it in Alia's room while she was still in the bath.
After her shower, Alia came to her room that suddenly her eyes fell on this big box that was kept on her bed. She was shocked to see as to who would have kept it there. She opened the box and saw a traditional Bengali sari in it. It contained a note saying,
"If I am going down and making a fool of myself by wearing the traditional attire, I am taking everyone down with me, including you Aloo. Hope you didn't think that we were just going to shop for me that day :P. Thank you, Aloo. You are the BEST. - Neil"
The gift brought a smile to Alia's face. She happily wore the sari and was looking gorgeous in the traditional Bengali attire.
Neil had already gone to the Puja Pandaal and was learning to dance on the traditional Bengali beats with Bhaskar and Shekhar and whenever he got the time he would munch on the snacks.
Once Alia was ready, she entered the Puja Pandaal, struggling a bit with her sari. Nivedita's eyes first fell on her and she called out to Alia's mother, 'Tapur, all these years I never realized that our little Alia has grown so much. She is looking so beautiful in this sari.'
Tapur and Nivedita walked towards Alia and hugged her and praised her beauty.
'Bodi, I can't believe my eyes looking at both Neil and Alia like this today. Seems just yesterday when they would walk around the house in their baby rompers.' Tapur gushed over her children and she slightly had teary eyes.
'Neil … Neil Babu .. Come here', Nivedita called out to her son.
Neil came running and suddenly he looked at Alia and couldn't take his eyes off her.
'Wow, you look stunning Aloo. But you know the credit goes to me I picked such a fantastic outfit for you.' Neil praised Alia.
'Thank you so much, Neil. I am indebted to you for my whole life.' Alia said sarcastically.
'Oh common on you two. Always fighting. Bhaskar .. Bhaskar.. come here.' Nivedita called her husband.
Both Bhaskar and Shekhar came and they were happy to see their children in traditional Bengali attire.
'Bhaskar, I want you to click a nice picture of both our kids together. They look adorable. Alia - Neil, just stand together and pose for me.' Nivedita ordered the children.
Both Neil and Alia made faces at each other but they posed very nicely and Bhaskar took a great picture of them together.
'Dad, you need to send me this picture. Who knows when we will have to send it around to find prospective grooms for Aloo.' Neil joked.
'Neil, enough.' Alia got irritated and seeing her a little bit angry Neil ran to save his life but Alia too ran behind her.
Their playful antics would keep the house lively and they enjoyed it themselves.