08-06-2020, 08:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-06-2020, 09:48 PM by game40it. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Episode 9 (Flashback)
“Swetha, make sure you take time off and come back early this evening. The groom and his family are coming to see you today,” my mother told me on the phone as I was busy in my office.
“Remember mom, it’s because you and dad were very insistent that I agreed to this but …,” as I was talking my mother interrupted.
“I know, I know but the boy is in a very good job, he has a very good income and also he comes from a very good family. You are sure to like him.”
“Mom, don’t interrupt, let me finish what I want to say. If I don’t like the man, I will tell the family off directly to their faces. Be ready for that.” My family knows I am very capable of doing that.
I could see that my mother was flustered by the tone of her voice. “Don’t do something like that. It will be embarrassing for everyone. If you’re not interested, we will give some excuse about horoscope or something else and manage it afterwards.”
“What nonsense, how can you give that excuse. You asked them to come after matching our horoscopes didn’t you?”
“Okay, okay, we’ll tell something else but I saw the boy’s photo he was good looking. I’m sure you will like him.”
“Yeah, you alone see the photo as if we are looking for a groom for you, but don’t show it to me,” I said with a bit of irritation.
“Watch it, you are going to get it from me, remember who you are talking to. The marriage broker had only one photo and he had another place where he wanted to show that to. Anyway, you are going to see him directly today.”
“What a miserly family, can’t even give more than one photo. This is the type of groom you’ve seen for me is it.”
“You don’t talk too much, just make sure you come home early,” my mother said with finality.
My friend Kavita who was listening to all this asked me,” Hey Swetha, you’ve got a prospective groom coming to see you today is it?”
“Yeah, I have to go and stand in front of them like a doll. So humiliating. I don’t like this one bit.”
My friend smiled at me and said,” If you had wanted to avoid this you should have at least fallen in love with one of the many guys who were smitten by you. There were enough guys to choose from wasn’t there?”
I reflected on what Kavita said,” True but none of them interested me.”
Kavita said impishly,” Swetha if this match making goes through there are a lot of guys who are going to be heartbroken.”
I smiled at her a bit sheepishly and even a bit shyly. I was made aware that I had very good looks by the number of admirers I had from quite a while ago.
“Anyway Swetha, all the best,” Kavita said genuinely pleased for me.
“Not me, you should say all the best to whoever he is and he should hope I like him in the first place,” I joked with Kavita but there was truth in that too.
“Whatever said and done don’t be so cocky,” Kavita said with a smile but there was no malice in her words or in her heart.
That evening his parents, his elder brother and his wife and their kid had come along with him to see me. I was made to dress up attractively (much to my annoyance) and was told to serve tea to all of them. As I served him, he looked at me with a small smile on his face. Hmm the guy looks very smart I said to myself. I was surprised that I had a natural affinity for him when I set my eyes on him for the first time. His family members were all very friendly and I took a liking to them too.
“We like the girl a lot, she looks so lovely and she looks like a very calm girl,” my future mother in law said.
I was afraid my mom and dad would burst out laughing on hearing this. Me? A very calm girl?”
“What do you say?” she asked her son.
He whispered something in her ear. She said something in return to which he said something more. I could see that his mother was uncomfortable.
“He’s asking for two to three days time to give his answer,” she said clearly embarrassed.
I had a rush of anger on hearing this. My mother gripped my hand hard and indicated to me, by her action to be calm. Who does he think he is, would he ever be able to get a better girl than me, these thoughts burned in my mind. They came here very joyfully but I could see regret on the faces of his family members as they left. It seems like everyone in his family liked me instantly except him.
After they left, I shouted at my parents,” This was why I didn’t agree to all this in the first place.”
“Don’t get upset, women have to be patient, let’s see what they say in two, three days time,” this was my mom.
“They will definitely say yes, they will like you ma,” this was my dad.
“After this, even if they say yes, I’m not going to agree,” this was me.
I went off in a huff to my room and did not come out even though my mother tried to speak to me. I only came out when it was time for dinner. What to do I was hungry. All through dinner my mother tried to pacify me but I refused to be mollified. I silently ate and went back to my room.
Next day around 3 pm I received a call from an unknown number. Since it was an unfamiliar number, I ignored it. Soon a call came once again, this time too it was from that number. Okay let’s see who it is I decided and took the call.
“Hello, Swetha?”
I couldn’t recognise the voice. I said,“Yes? Speaking.”
“Hi this is Mahesh.”
I bristled hearing that name. It was the man who had come to see me yesterday in my house.
“Why are you calling me, shouldn’t you be speaking to my mom or dad,” I said. My irritation was clear in my voice.
“No, actually I want to speak to you.”
“What is there to speak to me.”
“I know you are angry and I can understand that but please just give me about 15 minutes only, I promise I won’t take up more of your time.”
Why do men think so big about themselves, he behaved like that yesterday and now he wants to talk to me. Okay, let it be, this would be a good opportunity to give him a piece of my mind. So, I agreed to meet him.
“Thank you, I’ll meet you outside your office at 6pm,” Mahesh said.
I called my mom and told her about the situation.
My mother was very happy at first till she remembered about my temperament. “Hey Swetha, you be polite and listen to what he has to say. You don’t start scolding him okay? Patience is a virtue remember that,” she pleaded with me.
Exactly at 5.58pm he parked his car in front of my office. The man is punctual, at least that can be said about him. His eyes were searching for me here and there. Two young women who were working in my office kept turning their heads and gave admiring glances at him as they walked past. I don’t know why that irritated me. He is nothing to me so why should I get irritated if any stupid female admires him.
I walked up to him and said,” Hello I’m over here. Okay tell me, what is this all about.” I was very business like in how I spoke.
I saw his face brighten when he saw me. His face broke in a pleasant smile. “Shall we have a drink or coffee as we talk,” he asked.
“That won’t be necessary, just tell me what you want to say,” I replied tersely.
“Please, it’s a personal matter, let’s not talk like this. How about, if we go to that hotel.”
He pointed out a three-star hotel that was located quite near my office. I pondered what to do for a few moments then agreed to his request. There were very few patrons at the restaurant/lounge of the hotel. We chose a corner and sat down. Immediately a waiter came to serve us.
“What will you have?” he asked me.
“I don’t want anything, you go ahead,” I said.
He looked at me pleadingly. “I know you are very annoyed with me but please have something.”
I didn’t want to make a scene with the waiter still hovering around us waiting for our orders.
“Okay, I leave it to you, anything would do.”
“Two orange juices,” he ordered to the waiter and turned to face me after the waiter left.
“You are very upset that I didn’t say okay to you yesterday, isn’t that so?” he asked with a kind smile.
“What is there to be upset, it’s your wish,” I replied, the annoyance in my voice belying my words.
“To tell you the truth I liked you when I first saw your photo. That’s why I agreed to come with my parents. You were even more lovely when I saw you directly.”
I was puzzled. He said he needed time but now he is laying it on thick in his compliments. Then why did he not say okay yesterday. My anger was overcome by my puzzlement.
He understood what I was thinking by the expression on my face.
“Swetha, it was not important that I liked you, it was more important that you liked me.”
I was astonished at his words. He was almost echoing what I said to my friend Kavita – ‘it’s not that the guy must like me, I must like him first.’
“Then why didn’t you say this yesterday?”
“No. I thought it was important to know about your wishes first. I tried to get your contact details or office number first but that broker refused to divulge any information.”
“Didn’t you realise that when I agreed for you to come and see me, I was also okay with this?” I said.
“Sometimes the parents force the girl to agree, I didn’t want that to be in your case.”
If that is what he thought then he doesn’t know me. No one can force me to do anything.
“Well you could have asked to speak to me alone and got my opinion yesterday.” I was not letting him get off easy. I needed to probe further.
“In that case, that would have indicated that I am interested and if I had said no after that, the suspicion for the rejection would have fallen on you.”
If I had really been in love with someone, I am the type who is bold enough to directly tell my parents and face any opposition head on but how was Mahesh to know about this.
“So, what you’re saying is that you like me?”
Mahesh smiled, “I know I look like a fool but I’m not that big a fool. Which idiot would say he doesn’t like you.”
I laughed out when he said this. Now happiness filled my heart. I could see him and really relax for the first time since we met today.
“I decided to come to your house only after I had already made up my mind that I would very much like you to be a part of my life. I know how much pain it would cause a woman if someone comes to see her and reject her afterwards. I do not like that to happen .. to any girl.”
I liked the empathy he had for the plight of the woman. He seems to really value the feelings of a woman. I started getting respect for him.
“So, tell me, are you agreeable to marry me? You are not in love with someone else by any chance?” He was looking at me with hope and a little bit of trepidation as far as I can notice.
“Are you testing me to see if I have a boyfriend before?” I was once more irritated.
“No don’t mistake me. If you had been sincerely in love with someone and it had broken up, it’s not an issue for me at all. You are very beautiful. It will be a surprise only if no one else proposed to you before. I was stunned when I saw your photo for the first time. I can guess the effect you would have had on others.”
I didn’t answer him instead asked him,” Have you been in love with someone else and that relationship had broken off?”
“I had a crush on a couple of girls. I was getting close to a college mate too but nothing really developed between us and we lost contact after our graduation. So, there is no love story to tell,” he said.
“You haven’t told me your decision?” his eagerness coupled with anxiety was evident in his voice.
I looked at his face. He was very anxious, I could see it on his face. For what he did yesterday I too pretended to be seriously considering his question as I looked at his face.
“Please don’t look like that. I’m so scared that you would say no. My heart has never beat this fast before.”
I controlled the smile that threatened to break on my face.
“You don’t know how many temples I went and prayed in this morning so that you would not reject me,” he said with a puppy dog expression.
I couldn’t control myself anymore. I burst out laughing. “I’m not going to be responsible for you to get a heart attack, I agree too.”
When I saw the sheer delight on his face when I said that, it filled my heart with joy too.
“Swetha, make sure you take time off and come back early this evening. The groom and his family are coming to see you today,” my mother told me on the phone as I was busy in my office.
“Remember mom, it’s because you and dad were very insistent that I agreed to this but …,” as I was talking my mother interrupted.
“I know, I know but the boy is in a very good job, he has a very good income and also he comes from a very good family. You are sure to like him.”
“Mom, don’t interrupt, let me finish what I want to say. If I don’t like the man, I will tell the family off directly to their faces. Be ready for that.” My family knows I am very capable of doing that.
I could see that my mother was flustered by the tone of her voice. “Don’t do something like that. It will be embarrassing for everyone. If you’re not interested, we will give some excuse about horoscope or something else and manage it afterwards.”
“What nonsense, how can you give that excuse. You asked them to come after matching our horoscopes didn’t you?”
“Okay, okay, we’ll tell something else but I saw the boy’s photo he was good looking. I’m sure you will like him.”
“Yeah, you alone see the photo as if we are looking for a groom for you, but don’t show it to me,” I said with a bit of irritation.
“Watch it, you are going to get it from me, remember who you are talking to. The marriage broker had only one photo and he had another place where he wanted to show that to. Anyway, you are going to see him directly today.”
“What a miserly family, can’t even give more than one photo. This is the type of groom you’ve seen for me is it.”
“You don’t talk too much, just make sure you come home early,” my mother said with finality.
My friend Kavita who was listening to all this asked me,” Hey Swetha, you’ve got a prospective groom coming to see you today is it?”
“Yeah, I have to go and stand in front of them like a doll. So humiliating. I don’t like this one bit.”
My friend smiled at me and said,” If you had wanted to avoid this you should have at least fallen in love with one of the many guys who were smitten by you. There were enough guys to choose from wasn’t there?”
I reflected on what Kavita said,” True but none of them interested me.”
Kavita said impishly,” Swetha if this match making goes through there are a lot of guys who are going to be heartbroken.”
I smiled at her a bit sheepishly and even a bit shyly. I was made aware that I had very good looks by the number of admirers I had from quite a while ago.
“Anyway Swetha, all the best,” Kavita said genuinely pleased for me.
“Not me, you should say all the best to whoever he is and he should hope I like him in the first place,” I joked with Kavita but there was truth in that too.
“Whatever said and done don’t be so cocky,” Kavita said with a smile but there was no malice in her words or in her heart.
That evening his parents, his elder brother and his wife and their kid had come along with him to see me. I was made to dress up attractively (much to my annoyance) and was told to serve tea to all of them. As I served him, he looked at me with a small smile on his face. Hmm the guy looks very smart I said to myself. I was surprised that I had a natural affinity for him when I set my eyes on him for the first time. His family members were all very friendly and I took a liking to them too.
“We like the girl a lot, she looks so lovely and she looks like a very calm girl,” my future mother in law said.
I was afraid my mom and dad would burst out laughing on hearing this. Me? A very calm girl?”
“What do you say?” she asked her son.
He whispered something in her ear. She said something in return to which he said something more. I could see that his mother was uncomfortable.
“He’s asking for two to three days time to give his answer,” she said clearly embarrassed.
I had a rush of anger on hearing this. My mother gripped my hand hard and indicated to me, by her action to be calm. Who does he think he is, would he ever be able to get a better girl than me, these thoughts burned in my mind. They came here very joyfully but I could see regret on the faces of his family members as they left. It seems like everyone in his family liked me instantly except him.
After they left, I shouted at my parents,” This was why I didn’t agree to all this in the first place.”
“Don’t get upset, women have to be patient, let’s see what they say in two, three days time,” this was my mom.
“They will definitely say yes, they will like you ma,” this was my dad.
“After this, even if they say yes, I’m not going to agree,” this was me.
I went off in a huff to my room and did not come out even though my mother tried to speak to me. I only came out when it was time for dinner. What to do I was hungry. All through dinner my mother tried to pacify me but I refused to be mollified. I silently ate and went back to my room.
Next day around 3 pm I received a call from an unknown number. Since it was an unfamiliar number, I ignored it. Soon a call came once again, this time too it was from that number. Okay let’s see who it is I decided and took the call.
“Hello, Swetha?”
I couldn’t recognise the voice. I said,“Yes? Speaking.”
“Hi this is Mahesh.”
I bristled hearing that name. It was the man who had come to see me yesterday in my house.
“Why are you calling me, shouldn’t you be speaking to my mom or dad,” I said. My irritation was clear in my voice.
“No, actually I want to speak to you.”
“What is there to speak to me.”
“I know you are angry and I can understand that but please just give me about 15 minutes only, I promise I won’t take up more of your time.”
Why do men think so big about themselves, he behaved like that yesterday and now he wants to talk to me. Okay, let it be, this would be a good opportunity to give him a piece of my mind. So, I agreed to meet him.
“Thank you, I’ll meet you outside your office at 6pm,” Mahesh said.
I called my mom and told her about the situation.
My mother was very happy at first till she remembered about my temperament. “Hey Swetha, you be polite and listen to what he has to say. You don’t start scolding him okay? Patience is a virtue remember that,” she pleaded with me.
Exactly at 5.58pm he parked his car in front of my office. The man is punctual, at least that can be said about him. His eyes were searching for me here and there. Two young women who were working in my office kept turning their heads and gave admiring glances at him as they walked past. I don’t know why that irritated me. He is nothing to me so why should I get irritated if any stupid female admires him.
I walked up to him and said,” Hello I’m over here. Okay tell me, what is this all about.” I was very business like in how I spoke.
I saw his face brighten when he saw me. His face broke in a pleasant smile. “Shall we have a drink or coffee as we talk,” he asked.
“That won’t be necessary, just tell me what you want to say,” I replied tersely.
“Please, it’s a personal matter, let’s not talk like this. How about, if we go to that hotel.”
He pointed out a three-star hotel that was located quite near my office. I pondered what to do for a few moments then agreed to his request. There were very few patrons at the restaurant/lounge of the hotel. We chose a corner and sat down. Immediately a waiter came to serve us.
“What will you have?” he asked me.
“I don’t want anything, you go ahead,” I said.
He looked at me pleadingly. “I know you are very annoyed with me but please have something.”
I didn’t want to make a scene with the waiter still hovering around us waiting for our orders.
“Okay, I leave it to you, anything would do.”
“Two orange juices,” he ordered to the waiter and turned to face me after the waiter left.
“You are very upset that I didn’t say okay to you yesterday, isn’t that so?” he asked with a kind smile.
“What is there to be upset, it’s your wish,” I replied, the annoyance in my voice belying my words.
“To tell you the truth I liked you when I first saw your photo. That’s why I agreed to come with my parents. You were even more lovely when I saw you directly.”
I was puzzled. He said he needed time but now he is laying it on thick in his compliments. Then why did he not say okay yesterday. My anger was overcome by my puzzlement.
He understood what I was thinking by the expression on my face.
“Swetha, it was not important that I liked you, it was more important that you liked me.”
I was astonished at his words. He was almost echoing what I said to my friend Kavita – ‘it’s not that the guy must like me, I must like him first.’
“Then why didn’t you say this yesterday?”
“No. I thought it was important to know about your wishes first. I tried to get your contact details or office number first but that broker refused to divulge any information.”
“Didn’t you realise that when I agreed for you to come and see me, I was also okay with this?” I said.
“Sometimes the parents force the girl to agree, I didn’t want that to be in your case.”
If that is what he thought then he doesn’t know me. No one can force me to do anything.
“Well you could have asked to speak to me alone and got my opinion yesterday.” I was not letting him get off easy. I needed to probe further.
“In that case, that would have indicated that I am interested and if I had said no after that, the suspicion for the rejection would have fallen on you.”
If I had really been in love with someone, I am the type who is bold enough to directly tell my parents and face any opposition head on but how was Mahesh to know about this.
“So, what you’re saying is that you like me?”
Mahesh smiled, “I know I look like a fool but I’m not that big a fool. Which idiot would say he doesn’t like you.”
I laughed out when he said this. Now happiness filled my heart. I could see him and really relax for the first time since we met today.
“I decided to come to your house only after I had already made up my mind that I would very much like you to be a part of my life. I know how much pain it would cause a woman if someone comes to see her and reject her afterwards. I do not like that to happen .. to any girl.”
I liked the empathy he had for the plight of the woman. He seems to really value the feelings of a woman. I started getting respect for him.
“So, tell me, are you agreeable to marry me? You are not in love with someone else by any chance?” He was looking at me with hope and a little bit of trepidation as far as I can notice.
“Are you testing me to see if I have a boyfriend before?” I was once more irritated.
“No don’t mistake me. If you had been sincerely in love with someone and it had broken up, it’s not an issue for me at all. You are very beautiful. It will be a surprise only if no one else proposed to you before. I was stunned when I saw your photo for the first time. I can guess the effect you would have had on others.”
I didn’t answer him instead asked him,” Have you been in love with someone else and that relationship had broken off?”
“I had a crush on a couple of girls. I was getting close to a college mate too but nothing really developed between us and we lost contact after our graduation. So, there is no love story to tell,” he said.
“You haven’t told me your decision?” his eagerness coupled with anxiety was evident in his voice.
I looked at his face. He was very anxious, I could see it on his face. For what he did yesterday I too pretended to be seriously considering his question as I looked at his face.
“Please don’t look like that. I’m so scared that you would say no. My heart has never beat this fast before.”
I controlled the smile that threatened to break on my face.
“You don’t know how many temples I went and prayed in this morning so that you would not reject me,” he said with a puppy dog expression.
I couldn’t control myself anymore. I burst out laughing. “I’m not going to be responsible for you to get a heart attack, I agree too.”
When I saw the sheer delight on his face when I said that, it filled my heart with joy too.
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