The Grandfather and Grandmother!

 

( The English version of the last Malayalam story.)

Sreedhar Naidu was a jovial manager of a company in Hyderabad and Alok and Supriya are his subordinate colleagues.

“Supriya will be a good partner for you. I think she has s..om..e.th..ing in her mind......” Sreedhar Naidu makes friends with people fast.

“Not yet thought of a marriage, I am only twenty-six now.” Alok.

“Aha! the right age only. Once you talk to her and…., O! Here comes she. I shall call her this side, Supriyaa… Supriyaa….” Naidu.

“Called me? I am going home. It is already seven.” Supriya.

“You are new here. So, be friendly with the people around you. You chat with each other, I am coming.”

“Where are you from?”  Alok.

“Bhopal,” Supriya.

“Staying in a hostel, here in Hyderabad?” Alok

“No, in a flat with a few ladies from our company.” Supriya.

After quieting himself for a while, Alok, “See, we are grown-ups now. I shall tell you frankly. 

Mr Naidu brought a proposal for me. Um….you are the girl.”

“………………..”

“But you are not my choice.”

“Insulting me, after calling here? Why do you think I am not your choice? Am I not good looking, not well-educated, not well-employed? I think I am all those.”

“Yes, you are pretty, well-educated, well-employed. That is not a problem. My parents are no more, brought up with difficulty by grandparents. I studied well and am now well-employed. They know only Malayalam. I want a girl, who can communicate with my grandparents.”

 “O, that counts a lot, then listen, I belong to Kochi. My parents settled in Bhopal. Ours is a traditional type of family. So, my father wanted us to learn Malayalam; we, the siblings write, read and speak our language,” Supriya, who communicated till then with Alok, only in English, spoke in good Malayalam, bearing a grin on her visage.