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The gift
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This time he was taken straight away to the main house. The newly weds were offered a grand dinner and were even given a bedroom in the haveli. But before that Jaymala had already casually inquired when they planned to return. Anang was glad that he had already booked the ticket on the next day's train.
Rishita was not too impressed with the old lady. "She is a cold fish," she told her husband that night. Anang just smiled and took her to meet Dai in his old living quarters.
The woman was now too old to work. Jaymala let her stay there out of pity and also because the old maid's son was an electrician who could be useful time and again. Dai was overjoyed to see Anang with his bride. They sat talking for about an hour and when the young couple got up to leave, the old woman gifted Rishita with a set of earrings. "My husband gave them to me", she said proudly.
Rishita was amused. A pair of silver earrings studded with a cheap looking red stone but Dai acted as if she was gifting diamonds. But a gift is a gift, and unlike Ranima, Dai, had shown genuine warmth and affection for Anang and his bride.
But the next morning, Rishita changed her mind about Ranima when gifted with the stunning pieces of royal jewellery. No cold fish could part with such a precious heirloom. "Your aunt has a tender side to her but she doesn't want the world to see it. So typical of royals." She told her husband. And then added in playfulness, "Shouldn't you visit her more often?"
Next time when they met it was for Ranima's funeral. The lady had left whatever little she had left to the local orphanage and the haveli was taken over by the local authorities in lieu of the pending taxes. Dai had died the year before. Now there was no reason for Anang to return to that place. He was happy in the city with his family which now also had two children. On occasions, Rishita, wore that necklace and remembered Ranima. The earrings given by Dai were occasionally worn by her daughter who was fond of junk jewellery.
Twenty years after marriage were sheer bliss for Anang. Then the day came when he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. It happens in every parent's life. Their daughter was to be married. Preparations started months in advance.
One day Rishita told Anang, "I am thinking of changing the design of the necklace given by your aunt."
"Why?"asked Anang like any other man who can never understand the relationship between a woman and her jewellery.
"Rishita likes the stones in it, but finds the whole piece too big. We are thinking of getting it broken and making a smaller necklace and ear studs out of it. It is so heavy that I am sure we can make two bangles too out of the gold," explained Rishita.
"Ok" Anang said. That very day Rishita went to her trusted jeweller to get the appraisal done. Along with that necklace, there was some other old jewellery too which she wanted appraised and exchanged. The old man sitting there asked her to wait as the testing was going to take some time. But Rishita had other things to do that day. So she took the receipt and left the jewellery there. After all she had known the man for years. But she couldn't help telling the jeweller to be careful with the royal piece.
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