Beyond The DNA

“Are you nervous?”

“Well, its not everyday you meet your girlfriend’s mother.”

“Just calm down. You will love her.”

“I hope the feeling will be mutual, darling”

The beautiful young lady standing across me smiled reassuringly as she slipped her arm in mine. As we walked across the lobby, I couldn’t help glancing in the mirror to see if I looked fine. As we walked, she suddenly commented conversationally, “Is that a new perfume that you’re sporting? And just for the record, I like this one better.”

I smiled and remarked casually, “Its dad’s cologne. In fact, today practically everyone I have been meeting have been telling me I am a spitting image of him.”

She laughed as she replied, “ I totally take after my mother.”

A hint of confusion flashed across my face but I quickly camouflaged it as I smiled back in reply. I looked at her silently as we walked on and my thoughts couldn’t help but flash back to the Bombay Times edition I had read that morning.

One cursory glance at the woman on the front page had been enough to tell me that Avantika did indeed bear a shocking resemblance to her biological mother, who happened to be quite a celebrity in the media industry. She had the same hazel eyes, wheatish complexion, the familiar dimple on the left cheek and even her smile adorned her jawline in the same fashion . It had been as though I were seeing Avanitika about twenty-five years from now. Looking at that picture this morning, I couldn’t help wondering at the irony of the fact that two women who looked so similar, shared the same DNA lineage, could be strangers to each other.

I had known Avantika for about six years now. Gradually, over time when we had started dating, I had learned that she had been completely brought up by her father’s second wife and I did know for a fact that she had hardly met her biological mother for the past several years. However, this one casual remark made by her just now had set me thinking: Whom were we meeting?

We finally reached the front door and I consciously buttoned my coat, a hopeless habit that always seemed to come to the fore when I was nervous. Before she rung the bell, Avantika winked at me and mouthed, “All the best” and I smiled in reply.

I could hear soft footsteps approaching on the other side of the door and I had only a moment to squeeze my girlfriend’s hand before the door opened and I put on my best “First Impression” smile, the one that only Avantika had been privileged to receive till now.

The woman who smiled at me now was certainly not the Bombay Times one. As I shook her hand, Avantika made the official introduction and I was ushered by both the women into the tastefully designed living room. Even though I had met her hardly a moment ago, the air with which she spoke was so warm that I suddenly felt very comfortable, almost familiar.

While driving on our way here, I had told Avantika to strategically sit at such a spot that I could sit next to her. However, she now deliberately made a beeline for the single-seater sofa, smiling cheekily at me as I sat alone and  directly opposite her mother.

Now that we were settled and as her mother cordially got me some refreshments, I casually registered her and I had to conclude that it must have been purely affection on Avantika’s part when she mentioned that she took after her mother, because, though they both were equally beautiful, they hardly looked the same.

As I drank the cranberry tea, her mother leaned back comfortably and said laughingly, “So I finally to get to meet the boy who has been occupying so much of my daughter’s mind-share.”

I laughed as I remarked, “Thank God for that. It took me almost a year to earn that space.”

Her mother grinned and replied, “Don’t worry. No matter what Avani says, you’ve been featuring in our dinner conversations for quite some time now”

“Mom!” said Avantika, as I laughed heartily at this candid spill.

As Mrs. Mehta leaned forward to take my empty glass, I noticed that she handled the cup in the same precarious fashion that Avantika did. She commented, “Avantika told me you love donuts, can I get you one? I made some this afternoon.”

“Yes please”, I replied smiling. As she stood up, Avantika remarked casually, “Mom, I think I kept them back in the fridge. Wait, let me just check on that.”

As I casually played with the coaster kept on the teapoy, both the women started walking towards the kitchen and then it suddenly struck me. They both walked in the same elegant fashion, the messy yet chic bun sported by both of them was done up in the same way. The way her mother carried off her saree was a replica of the way Avantika had worn hers on convocation. As Avantika sheepishly admitted having eaten all but two of the donuts, I couldn’t help but smile when her mother raised her hands in that same exasperated manner that I had always considered to be my girlfriend’s trademark.

As the evening passed on, there was just so much more in common that stood out so prominently. The tone, the style of speaking, the choice of words and even the enunciations were so similar. When I cracked a joke that Avantika must have heard about a million times, her mother laughed the same tinkling laugh that I was used to. Her eyes lit up the same way and for the same reasons as her daughter's did. Though the looks hardly bore similarity, the mannerisms, the little habits and in fact, the very style with which they conducted themselves overshadowed it all.

The pleasant evening wore on and the dinner date finally came to an end. As I was taking leave, Avantika’s mother caught my hand and hugging me warmly, said, “I really enjoyed having you over, Raghav. I must say I admire my daughter’s choice. Though this is the first time that we have met, I feel as if I have known you since a long time.”

I smiled. “I think I have known you ever since I met Avantika. She is so much like you in every respect”, I replied and as I said these words, I realised that I genuinely meant them. In that fleeting  moment, by the way her mother smiled, I could see that my compliment had touched her and was perhaps the best form of praise anyone could have given her.

As I walked down the corridor, smiling to myself, I heard footsteps catching up with me and I turned to see Avantika hurrying up to me.

“You forgot your coat”, she said smiling.

“Thanks”, I replied and pecking her softly on the cheek, commented, “I really liked your mother, Avantika.”

She looked at me for a while and finally, smiling quietly replied, “In answer to the question you didn’t ask me in the lobby, I would just want to tell you something, darling. Today evening, I hope you realised.”

“What?” I asked simply.

She smiled and folding her hands the same way that her mother did, replied, “The mom factor goes beyond the DNA.”