Papa had arrived in Bombay and moved up from Jogeshwari to Bhuleshwar. He was living at Gordhan Kaka's house at Kumbha Tukda and commuting by tram to the mills in Parel.
His youngest sister, Devkanya aka Kukoon was married into a Gujarati family that lived across the street from Kishore Bhuvan. Mom's Somi masi was neighbors with the family. Kukoon was a beautiful, talented and exuberant 16-year old. She soon became a part of Somi masi's extended family, and became friends with the Choksey sisters, especially mom.
Papa in the meantime was quite despondent - he had been engaged to be married. Weeks into the engagement his fiance and her entire family were wiped out in a deadly and tragic fire.
The young Kukoon was determined to find a match for her big brother and proceeded to persuade her mother in law Kamala ben and Somi masi to explore an alliance with mom.
Mom, was the second oldest daughter of a large family. While the oldest daughter had been married when she was just 13, my grandfather's more liberal bent of mind prevailed and at 20 - mom was still single and helping Ba run Kishore Bhuvan. The one suitor that she had been shown, she turned down, much to the chagrin of my older aunt - who counseled her that she really should not be picky. After all she was already 20, and there were several other sisters that were of marriageable age.
Somi masi discussed this with Ba - who was a little concerned about marrying her daughter to someone outside the Patan community, and particularly to someone from a place called Haldwani, which sounded like it was in a jungle. However, the young Kukoon persisted.
There was a chance encounter - Mom and Thakore mama stepping out of the hospital where they had visited Hansa mami saw Papa in the street. Mom oblivious to the strings being pulled behind the scenes, is said to have remarked to Thakore mama that there was an attractive man (or something like that). This message was relayed to their parents who were starting to receive very strong feelers from Kamala bhen.
One morning Ba instructed mom to go visit Somi masi. Mom that that was a bit odd, cos she almost never visited Somi masi. Most of the visits were FROM Somi masi and Kukoon and Kamala bhen. However, mom picked out a pretty sari, that she was sure she would not be allowed to wear and asked Ba for permission. It was granted without question.
So mom put on her pretty sari, went downstairs and crossed the street to Somi masi's. When she got there, she was asked to go stop in at Kamala bhen's. Inside Kamala bhen's house was a whole crowd of people, including dad's mother Rewa Ba. Mom completed whatever flimsy tasks that Somi masi and Kamala bhen had come up with and returned to Kishore Bhuvan, oblivious of what had transpired.
Within a short time, Rewa Ba informed Kamala bhen that she would like to pursue the match. This came back to Kishore Bhuvan through Somi masi and a formal meeting was organized. Rewa Ba, Kukoon bua and papa came, accompanied by a few other people. One look at papa, and mom was convinced. Papa's mom Rewa ba had made up her mind for papa. A formal proposal was made.
Mom's father - Bhai - approved. Ba, despite her concerns about the remoteness of the location, was swayed over by Bhai - who told her it all felt right to him.
The "gol-dhana" ceremony - where the engagement is formally proclaimed was held at Gordhan Kaka's house in Kumbha Tukda. Sarla bhen Kilachand of Kesar Sugar , Rewa Ba's friend from Baheri, and from one of the leading families of Patan was also present. This helped reinforce the "rightness" of the arrangement.
A wedding date was set. The groom, marrying into a very traditional Gujarati family, spoke no Gujarati. The bride marrying into a family with its home in the jungle had seen lush green fields and jungles only in her dreams. 62 years later they have travelled around the world by car, train, bus, airplane, ship, elephant, horse and camel. While they still call Bombay home, they spend less and less time there.
