Tongue-in-cheek, Soumya talks of arranged marriages, with sparkling wit. An exclusive for Different Truths.
There’s was an arranged marriage
He was a romantic soul but without the charm to woo any fair maiden.
She was a charmer but without the courage to defy her parents for her shining knight, nor the knight dashing enough to spirit her away
She was a charmer but without the courage to defy her parents…
On the wedding night, he was full of unsaid poetry and took her to the balcony to show her the moon from among the jungle of wires and started quoting the best-known poets
She looked at him coldly and said, “I have a headache, please sleep in the other room, I’m going to bed.”
Twenty-five years later…
He has got stuck in middle management in his corporation.
He has got stuck in middle management in his corporation. He has made some money on the side. His hair has thinned, and girth has increased, especially around the middle.
He vents his frustrations by being unpleasant to his juniors and asking his lady staff, especially the younger ones, into his cabin under vague pretexts to ogle them. He also calls them beta and says you’re like my daughter. Everyone sees through this and laughs about it, calling him the tharki uncle behind his back. Only fear of the ‘me too’ movement keeps him from further misbehaviour.
He, however, brags about his conquests to his colleagues and schoolmates to assuage his ego.
He, however, brags about his conquests to his colleagues and schoolmates to assuage his ego. Only the even more frustrated believe him.
He takes great pride in his children, of which he has two, proving that his wife didn’t always have headaches.
His son is studying medicine in a private college, and his daughter, who’s smarter, is doing engineering from an REC. This was as per his wishes.
His son actually wanted to be a musician, and his daughter, an actor, and they both hate him for making them study science. They plan to quit as soon as they’re financially independent.
His wife kills her boredom through her social media activities, and her gym…
His wife kills her boredom through her social media activities, and her gym now that the children are away from home. Earlier, being a helicopter parent took all her time. She is developing a great fondness for the gym instructor, who dotes on her.
Nowadays, he’s trying to find ideal matches within the caste from well to do families for his children, who, having been drilled into resentful obedience, would probably concur to these matches, letting their dreams die, and a new circle of frustrating claustrophobic lives will start.
Picture design by Anumita, Different Truths
Soumya Mukherjee is an alumnus of St Stephens College and Delhi School of Economics. He earns his daily bread by working for a PSU Insurance company, and lectures for peanuts. His other passions, family, friends, films, travel, food, trekking, wildlife, music, theater, and occasionally, writing. He has been published in many national newspapers of repute. He has published his first novel, Memories, a novella, hopefully, the first of his many books. He blogs as well.
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