Disclaimer - The following story and its characters are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
I just finished my dinner and was watching IPL (Indian Premier League), when I heard my dad calling me out. “We have received a request. Please check the profile and respond accordingly”, he said. I nodded and took his cell phone to check it. It’s been months now since my parents started this process of ‘finding-a-suitable’ girl for me and for that they had registered my name on various matrimonial sites. I am very much interested in this as I was feeling it was a bit early for me to marry. But when I told them this, I got a reply that almost every common Indian parent gives – “It will take around 1-2 years to get it to finalize, so accordingly we have to start it from today onwards!” I was also least interested to argue on this so whenever they used ask me to check someone’s profile, I used to check and provide opinions. One good thing was, that my opinion was considered thoroughly and was followed too. But it wasn’t the case with them. They were so keen and serious about this (well, it’s a serious topic), that they not just registered but also had purchased the membership of a few matrimonial sites too. That’s why my profile was on my dad’s cell phone. So this new request my dad talked about was from one amongst this ‘paid’ matrimonial site. I checked the profile. The name read – Avanya Gandhi. I went through her profile and liked it. For some reason, she had mentioned that she’s an orphan in multiple places. I conveyed the same to my parents and with their approval, I swiped to accept. The default acceptance message which that app has set was sent to her. A week later, my dad again notified me that Avanya had responded.
I took his cell to check her reply. It said – “Hello Sameer, thanks for responding to me and accepting my request. Hope you are doing fine. I would like to talk with you”. I replied – “Hello Avanya. Yes I’m fine thank you. How are you?”. Now since it was dad’s cell, I don’t keep it to myself. A few hours later, my dad again told me that she had replied. I checked, and she said, “I’m fine.. before we proceed I would focus on attention that I’m an orphan and I have mentioned it in my profile so please consider it in our future communication.” I responded, “Yes I’ve read it. But you have already mentioned it in multiple places why to highlight it once again here again?”. She replied, “Actually, people have rejected me for that in the past. You said you have read it so here comes my next point please, highlight this thing to your parents and elders as well now or before we proceed.” I said its sad to hear that she had such a ‘bitter’ experience and told her that I have already told them about this and that they are ok.
“Cool thank you for the confirmation. So your profile says created by parents, which means is this from your parent’s cell phone you are chatting from?”
“Yes, you guess correctly.”
“Ok, so are they ok with it?”
“Yes, they’re ok. Why wouldn’t they be?”
“Don’t know. Just asked out of curiosity.”
We chatted for a few hours. We talked about each other’s jobs and a few casual things. It was midnight when we bid each other good night and I went asleep.
The next day at noon, my father again told me that she had messaged me. Being from an IT sector, I had 3 days working from home and 2 from the office. That day I was working from home. I checked her message, and there were 2 messages. 1st at 7:00 am – Good morning. 2nd at 11:47 am – Just a request. Can we move this conversation to somewhere where you’ll be available soon? Since this chat is on your parent’s mobile they might be telling you periodically so if you and they are ok can we talk on your WhatsApp? If yes, kindly provide your WhatsApp number. Thanks 😊
I was ok with this and replied to her with my WhatsApp number. In 5 minutes I received a message on WhatsApp-
“Hello, Sameer. Avanya here. Thanks for sharing your number 😊”
“No problem, but sorry, forgot to warn you about one thing. Even on ‘my’ WhatsApp, I may not be as quick as you might expect due to work. There’s a bit more (actually more) work pressure at my workplace, so I might find it difficult to reply to you.”
“Oops! You are so cunning that despite knowing that I expect you to reply quickly you just shared your number and now informing me that’s it’s not possible!! So you wanted my number?? ……….. Just kidding 😜”
On seeing this message, I smiled. I was about to reply but I received an office call. So I locked my phone, kept it aside and answered the call. After 20 minutes, I checked my phone and there was a message from her. “Sorry if that annoyed you. I said I’m kidding.. Was trying to be casual. You were typing and now are vanished!”. Now this message annoyed me so I replied – “I repeat, work pressure. I’ll ping you around 6:30 in the evening? Is it fine? It will avoid misunderstanding too.” She replied, “Oooo!! Cool yes sure.”
We continued talking for the rest of the week. It was nice to talk to her. We surely developed a friendship with enough space to share our thoughts. This day, she told me she’ll be reaching my place by 8:00 pm. I said ok. “I hope you’ll be free by then.” “Yes, I will be free. This is the first time we’ll be meeting face to face. I’m excited. But I wished it would have been somewhere outside since it’s the first meet.” “Hmmm. Glad to know you want to meet me. It’s the same for me as well. But let’s save our outside meets later. First, let me meet your parents. Let them meet me and see if we can take things forward.” “Ok”, I replied, but I thought why she said such!
So basically she wanted to meet me in person and it was she who suggested that we make this first meeting at home with my parents because she wanted to meet them. From my side, my elders will be from the one who had raised me in my orphanage and I’ll ask you all to meet them but for now, let me meet your parents, is what she told me. That’s why she decided to visit at 8 in the evening.
She arrived sharp at 8 pm. We all had good talks. I had a feeling that my parents will give a positive nod to her. Their search for their daughter-in-law is probably going to end on her. And for me, I think had started liking her. And for me, as far as I have understood, I think she liked me too. But I still didn’t get why she was so much keen to meet my parents. Well, to tell her about it in nutshell, she is a management graduate, working in the finance sector at one of the leading banks with a decent salary and she earned more than me. She is caring, funny, straightforward and a mature person. Currently, she stays in a rented apartment. And, probably my to-be wife.
After having a good amount of conversation, we had dinner and then she finally stood up to leave. I went to accompany her to the rickshaw stand. She was silent but looked happy within. She broked the silence,
“You think they liked me?”
“Yes, I feel so. You liked them?”
“Yes, I do like them. More than you. How do you know they liked me?”
“By their faces and the quality of interaction they had. They talked a lot. I don’t think they would have talked so much if they wouldn’t like you.”
“Nice!”
“So when and where’s our next meet?”
“It will be this coming weekday. At my home, my orphanage, with Sushi Aai.” (Sushila was the lady who raised Avanya. So she is referred to as Sushi Aai). “She will be happy to meet you all.”
“Nice. But can you tell me why you stay in a rented apartment when you have your home, your orphanage?”
“Why not? Look that home has raised me into what I am today, an independent girl. My parents died in front of me. I was in 3rd grade. I just finished my studies and went out to play. Then came an earthquake, the ceiling collapsed and took my mother away from me forever, due to a brain haemorrhage. After cremation, my dad was returning home. I was waiting for him at the roadside. I saw him at a distance. A car was approaching him. The driver somehow lost control and that car hit my dad, uncle and the tree. Everyone, my dad, my uncle and that driver, died on the spot. Then my younger uncle brought me to his home but aunty didn’t quite like it. They used to make do household chores, Despite it, I heard aunty and him fighting over it. After 2 years, I left his home and came to this orphanage. I have been living there till I completed my masters in management. So it’s enough what this orphanage, Sushi aai had given me. It’s my time now. I’m capable enough to take care of myself and also support my home. So why shouldn’t I do that? I can’t be selfish. Sameer you are elder than me by 2 years but trust me I have been through worst, more than you. I wanted an understanding, supportive, caring guy to spend the rest of my life with. I wanted him to allocate at least 30 minutes of his every day to me where he can be only with me. I earn more than you, yet I’m fine with it because I have lived a poor life in my childhood. I will be able to survive with whatever you give me and will also help do that. What matters to me is the qualities that I’m looking for. And fortunately, I see them in you. Next, I wanted to see how my in-laws would be. That’s why I wanted to meet them first. And I told you, I liked them. So now I wanted you all to come to my home, and meet my Sushi aai. Previously, I made two guys meet her. But someone from his side didn’t want an orphan. So it didn’t work out. That’s why I decided to confirm in the first place that I’m an orphan if everything ok then we proceed. Anyways, I’ll leave now. I’ll let you know the exact date and time. I’ll call you at 8 pm. Please answer it. If possible, we’ll do a video call. Even if you cant have talked, answer it and tell me that but don’t let my calls go unanswered. I don’t like when you do that. So please answer it. See you. Take care.”
She bid me goodbye but whatever she said was still in my head. I started feeling that my decision is correct. She is the one. I came home but still was in her thoughts. It was making me smile. Suddenly my phone started ringing. I smiled even more. I swiped it to answer but it said, the alarm snoozed to 10 minutes!
I woke up instantly and it took me a while to realize it was a dream. This was nothing but my arranged marriage vibe.
The Discovered Writer 