‘I would say,’ Chitra seemed to tempt Sandhya, ‘he’s handsome to the bone and romantic to the core.’
‘What about his family background?’ asked Kamalakar showing his interest in the matter.
‘Govinda Rao, his father is a GM in Larsen & Toubro’s Bombay Plant,’ said Madhava Rao. ‘His mother Visala is a fine woman. His sister Hyma and her husband Ranga Rao are both doctors, and they run their Nursing Home in Bombay.’
‘Are they propertied?’ asked Damayanthi.
‘Like us,’ said Chitra, ‘they too hail from Konaseema. They have an old house and some coconut plantations still at Kothalanka, looked after by our uncle Thimmaiah. If not well heeled, they are more than middle-class. What’s more, they’re quite cultured and good-natured.’
‘Your satisfaction is our satisfaction,’ said Kamalakar, ‘what do you say Sandhya?’
‘I would still say,’ she said shyly, ‘where is the hurry for that unless you want to drive me away.’
‘He usually drops in on holidays,’ said Chitra, pleased at the welcome development. ‘Just the same, I will ring him up.’
~~~~~~
As Chitra was dialing his number, Raja Rao came in as though the aunt and the nephew were on telepathic terms.
‘Auntie,’ he said, unlacing his shoes in the ante-room, ‘I hope sambar is on the menu.’
‘Oh, think about the devil,’ said a delighted Madhava Rao, ‘Raja, come in and meet our friends.’
As Raja Rao entered the drawing room, Sandhya’s inquisitive gaze greeted his eager look. She could discern his piercing eyes acquire a lively look in interaction, which she later realized was frozen in her mind’s eye. She found him masculinely evocative with that romantic face of his. She felt that as his tall frame and broad shoulders made him look athletically handsome, his medium dark complexion imparted a rare virility to his persona.
The customary round of introductions over, Kamalakar asked Raja Rao, ‘Why architecture for an IITan?’
‘As a child I had been to many South Indian temples with my parents,’ explained Raja Rao. ‘The temple architecture seems to have left a lasting impression upon me. Though, it’s much later that I realized the possibility architecture offers as a profession. As you know a well-designed dwelling contributes to the quality of living.’
‘He has an intellectual bent of mind,’ thought Sandhya, while her parents seemed visibly impressed with his eloquence.
‘What are your hobbies like?’ Damayanthi took over as the interviewer.
‘He’s jack-of-all-trades,’ Madhava Rao complimented, ‘with a grasp on various subjects, including psychology.’
‘By inference,’ was the Raja Rao addendum, ‘a master of none.’
‘Of course, with his ability to think,’ said Chitra as though to stress upon the obvious, ‘that’s no handicap.’