My Family’s Wish
“Are you happy with this marriage?”
That’s the only question I could ask after she nervously told that she was getting married the next month.
“No, I am not.”
She gave me the reply I was expecting.
Of course, she was not happy with this marriage.
If she was, the happiness on her face wouldn’t have vanished the moment she received that phone call.
She wouldn’t have rushed outside and stood alone in the cold winter for half an hour while rest of us were swinging to the beats.
“Then, why are you doing it?”
I asked again after a brief moment of silence. At that moment, I was sounding like one of those anal retentive journalists who couldn’t help but bother everyone with endless questions.
Yet, being a curious soul, I wanted to get into her head and know what was actually making her take this decision.
“Well, that’s what my family wish,”
She again replied. I could figure that she didn’t speak much. Spoke only a few words and then remained shut.
“Do they know what you want?,”
I again asked.
“Yes, I told them. I event told them that I don’t like the guy.”
With this she stopped. But then after seeing that I was still looking at her, demanding an answer, she continued:
“But they told that he is a nice guy and I will learn to adjust with him. Sometimes, I just feel they want me to get married and get over with it.”
“Adjust…Really?
Is this the 21st century we are living in? Women are being independent & working in top companies. Then, they are also succumbing to the wishes of parents,”
I was clearly disgusted.
“That’s how things are. What we can do?”
She said with a helpless expression.
“What about your fiancee? Does he know that you are not ready for this marriage?”
I again asked after a brief silence.
“Yes, he knows. Still, he is not ready to back off. I might be the rudest person he ever talks to. But I don’t understand what he wants.”
She finally spoke.
“Then what’s even the point of marriage?
Without love it wouldn’t even last?”
Questions after questions! I was clearly sounding irritating at that moment. But curiosity had gotten the best of me. Couldn’t believe people can go to this limit just because they want to get married.
“I know. But what can I do? My family wants me to get married and I will just get over it.
Doing 7 pheraas and tying up a mangalsutra. That’s what they want, no? So, be it. ” — by the time she finished saying this, she had tears in eyes.
At that moment, I wanted to go ahead and console her.
But something stopped me. It was clearly not appropriate for two drunk people to be too close to each other. Anything could happen at that happen at that moment, and I didn’t want to do anything that could make me regret later.
“I…. think we should go inside.”
So, I spoke after a brief moment of silence.
“Ok, let’s go.”
She said with a smile and then we both went inside. Others were already dancing inside. So, we joined in. Dancing like nothing happened. We had no conversation.
But then there were moment when we looked at each other, our eyes met, and we had an exchange of “Thank Yous” by nods. She was thanking me for listening to her and I was thanking her for giving me an idea for the story.
