Beauty and the huge beast

Once upon a time there lived in Surya apartments a  Mr Menon and his family of three daughters. He was a business man and very well off. Two of his daughters Veena and Veera were married and settled abroad. His youngest and favourite daughter Vasumathi worked in IBM and mostly worked from home. Mr Menon was busy looking for alliances for her but she said she was too busy to get married! He knew that it was because she did not want to leave him alone and go away. “But that’s life” , he had told her many times. She would just laugh it off. “ I will get myself a pet“, he would joke but many a time the thought had come to him.

He dozed in his easy chair in typical kerala karnavar style when his mobile rang. He waited to check if it was his or Vasumathi’s, all i-phones having the same ringtone by default. He picked up his and as he listened his expression changed. Gosh, he couldn’t believe it , he had suffered major losses in his business.

Vasumathi consoled him and said that they would survive and in time things would improve. He patted the head of his practical daughter but his mind was troubled. Not that he was a pauper but there would be a crunch. He had to get Vasumathi married soon. Before anything worse happened.

Vasumathi would not hear of it but then her sisters insisted and she decided to cooperate. But she had a condition. She would marry any guy who would stay with her after marriage. So that her Dad would have company. No amount of reasoning worked and Mr Menon had no choice. She said she didn’t care if he was short , dark or ugly , thin , fat or bald. Just someone who would stay with them, in fact be a ghar jamai.This wasn’t something unheard of in malayali families , she argued. And she was right, unlike North indians for whom ghar jamai was taboo, it wasn’t uncommon in matriarchal families of kerala. But men today found it a tad down market so when one guy agreed, the Menon family whooped for joy. The joy came down considerably when they saw the candidate Ajay. He should have been named Ajanabahu (huge man) or Bahubali muttered Mr Menon when he espied him .For Ajay was big…huge…fat. He worked in the same office as Vasumathi, in fact they were good friends. He jokingly offered to toe her line and Vasumathi thought , why not?

A month later Ajay was firmly ensconced in the Menon household. Veena and Veera had returned to their houses after the wedding. The neighbours and relatives  were all exhausted discussing the pros and cons of the wedding. Why had Menon chosen a beast for his beauty was the comment on everyone's lips and mind.The chowkidaar and the maids whispered amongst themselves .They wished that Vasumathi madam had got a better husband. The kids called the couple Beauty and the huge  Beast in hush hush tones.!

As the days went by, Ajay settled down well with the Menons , he and Mr Menon got along well, in fact they soon became card partners , walking partners and developed a comfortable bond. Vasumathi enjoyed his company a lot because he had a quirky sense of humour and was very handy around the house and in fact such a caring soul that she soon realised that she was falling in love with him. They shared a good friendship and she realised that it was slowly changing into love. For Ajay of course it had always been love at first sight with her and he couldn’t believe that she was actually his wife. She would catch him staring at her when she walked past or was in the kitchen or at her laptop and didn’t know that he was admiring her tall figure, long hair and smooth complexion and wondering for the umpteenth time how he had got so lucky.

Then suddenly he started coming late from office.

Just said casually that he was working late. Mr Menon began missing their comfortable card sessions and Vasumathi too wondered at his late comings. But being busy herself she did not really get down to an inquiry or anything. But she noticed that he was losing weight. His double chin and jowls had receded and a finely chiselled face made its appearance. The wobbly stomach was giving way to a soft paunch and suddenly he appeared taller still! A handsome taller Ajay! It was startling what losing some weight could do to appearances! Mr Menon also mentioned the weight loss and suddenly he understood that Ajay was going to the gym! Vasumathi wondered how she could have been so daft not to realise this. Gosh, her Bahubali beast was actually becoming a handsome prince! Later that night as she snuggled close to him she said “ I am missing my pillow, you are now poking me with your bones!” He looked at her, hugging her to his heart and whispered, “Wanted to become worthy of you.” She said, “You always were and I love you for being you, no need to change, but hey,you do look great !”

The night fell gently over Surya apartments . And all was well with the world as they lived happily ever after..

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