The shrill ringing of the mobile on a late Saturday afternoon brought Suma back to reality. Who could that be she wondered, as she got up from her bed to pick he mobile. "If it is one of those credit card or loan guys again they had it" she thought as she picked up her Nokia N95. "Mummy" flashed on the screen. She had just spoken to her mum in the morning; it was her regular practice to call home twice a week. The call went on for a good 15 minutes. Mummy did most of the talking and all Suma kept saying occasionally was; " Not again" "You should have told me earlier" "Fine Fine don't start off again". Here close friend Priya by sitting on the bed puzzling over the crossword in the magazine. She occasionally looked up at her friend knowing very well what the topic was and who the caller was.
"Your mum again?" she said once Suma finished the call. "Ya" replied Suma "She wants me to meet up with some Prakash on Monday" Suma was 28, well placed in a multinational company with a fat salary package. For various reasons none of her marriage proposals had come through for the past 4 years. Too thin, not fair, not traditional, more dowry were some of the reasons sited. If most of the things went well horoscopes would not match. A year back Suma pleaded with her parents to let her come to Bangalore for a change of atmosphere. She had moved into a PG and the change of atmosphere seemed to do her a lot of good. It was not as if she was free of "boy seeing", but at least the constant nagging had stopped. Her parents and so called well deserving aunts always seemed to send her photos and details of the prospective groom. She no longer looked forward to home visits on extended weekends or festival season as it meant "boy seeing" again.
Monday dawned and Suma was rather glum, Prakash had already called her at 9 the previous night to confirm the place of meeting. They choose a cafe that was convenient to both of them and agreed to meet at 5. Suma would have rather joined her friends to see 'Race' then meet Prakash, but she had no choice. Prakash had told her that he would be sitting at a table near the huge glass window; he would be clad in blue jeans and a white shirt.
Suma intentionally left the PG at 5, as the cafe was just 5 minutes away from the accommodation. She definitely did not want to reach there before him and wait. On reaching there she saw that the time was exactly 5.06. Rather than rush in she walked on the footpath past the cafe, and casually looked inside. There were 4 tables near the glass window. One was occupied by young couple, the second by 3 college guys and the third by family. At the fourth table she saw a guy dressed in blue jeans and a cotton shirt. He looked well over 40, with his huge paunch and shining bald patch. Suma felt a lump in her throat. Was this Prakash her mother had not mentioned his age or sent a snap yet Suma had assumed that the guy would be within 35. Suma hesitated for a while, not sure what to do Should she enter the cafe or should she just go back to her PG.
Luckily for her the cafe was located on a busy road, and it was not obvious that she was standing there to peep inside. The guy inside was fidgety; he had already ordered a coffee and kept looking out often. Few minutes later Suma saw him pick up his cell and dial a number, at the same moment Sumas mobile rang startling her. She took a few steps away from the cafe towards the mobile showroom and picked the mobile with trembling hands. "Hello" said a pleasant voice, "Sorry to have kept you waiting it took me 10 minutes to find parking space, will be there in 2 minutes." Suma was too stunned to reply, her throat was dry and her hands cold. All she replied was "Fine" and she heaved a sigh of relief.
Three months later Suma and Prakash were happily married much to the joy of Suma's mother.
"Your mum again?" she said once Suma finished the call. "Ya" replied Suma "She wants me to meet up with some Prakash on Monday" Suma was 28, well placed in a multinational company with a fat salary package. For various reasons none of her marriage proposals had come through for the past 4 years. Too thin, not fair, not traditional, more dowry were some of the reasons sited. If most of the things went well horoscopes would not match. A year back Suma pleaded with her parents to let her come to Bangalore for a change of atmosphere. She had moved into a PG and the change of atmosphere seemed to do her a lot of good. It was not as if she was free of "boy seeing", but at least the constant nagging had stopped. Her parents and so called well deserving aunts always seemed to send her photos and details of the prospective groom. She no longer looked forward to home visits on extended weekends or festival season as it meant "boy seeing" again.
Monday dawned and Suma was rather glum, Prakash had already called her at 9 the previous night to confirm the place of meeting. They choose a cafe that was convenient to both of them and agreed to meet at 5. Suma would have rather joined her friends to see 'Race' then meet Prakash, but she had no choice. Prakash had told her that he would be sitting at a table near the huge glass window; he would be clad in blue jeans and a white shirt.
Suma intentionally left the PG at 5, as the cafe was just 5 minutes away from the accommodation. She definitely did not want to reach there before him and wait. On reaching there she saw that the time was exactly 5.06. Rather than rush in she walked on the footpath past the cafe, and casually looked inside. There were 4 tables near the glass window. One was occupied by young couple, the second by 3 college guys and the third by family. At the fourth table she saw a guy dressed in blue jeans and a cotton shirt. He looked well over 40, with his huge paunch and shining bald patch. Suma felt a lump in her throat. Was this Prakash her mother had not mentioned his age or sent a snap yet Suma had assumed that the guy would be within 35. Suma hesitated for a while, not sure what to do Should she enter the cafe or should she just go back to her PG.
Luckily for her the cafe was located on a busy road, and it was not obvious that she was standing there to peep inside. The guy inside was fidgety; he had already ordered a coffee and kept looking out often. Few minutes later Suma saw him pick up his cell and dial a number, at the same moment Sumas mobile rang startling her. She took a few steps away from the cafe towards the mobile showroom and picked the mobile with trembling hands. "Hello" said a pleasant voice, "Sorry to have kept you waiting it took me 10 minutes to find parking space, will be there in 2 minutes." Suma was too stunned to reply, her throat was dry and her hands cold. All she replied was "Fine" and she heaved a sigh of relief.
Three months later Suma and Prakash were happily married much to the joy of Suma's mother.
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