I am not sure if the incident was funny, embarrassing, irritating, pathetic or just another experience in life. So, let me just tell you what happened. You decide what is this?
I am gonna be 26 this year. Still not married ;)
Background:
My parents showed me a couple of guys, but nobody is even close to what I have in mind for a husband…… One is 10 years older to me, one has a squint eye, one can not look into my eye and talk….. I cannot even think of getting married to this guy.
The situation:
Tired of my tantrums, my parents decided to take me to this “Vadhu-Varara Vedike”. This is a place where all the would be bride’s and groom’s will come with their parents and siblings and relatives to hunt for a partner for them.
One week before I was supposed to go to this function, my sister tells me very clearly that I am supposed to wear saree. I say OK to this. Later they get to know that most of the girls come in salwar kameez, so even I should wear that. Ohhh….how I wished I could go in Jeans and a t-shirt.
Anyway the D-day comes. I go fully prepared to be kept “ON SALE”. I wore a simple salwar kameez. Put on some make-up and started off. They had asked for a picture of mine for registration. Guess what picture my dad gets, my 10th standard farewell picture…..hahahahh… can there be anything more funny??? So, we decide to take a picture on the way and take it along.
At the venue:
We arrive at the venue. We are told to fill a form…. The form asked for all kinds of details like height, color of my skin, my date and time of birth, my qualification, what I am doing currently, kula-gothra, nakshatra etc etc. I did not bother to filling in the details. I was too upset. My eyes were already filled with tears. I could not believe I agreed to be there. Anyway I did not have to help my dad a lot, as he knows all my details. There was one column specifically which my dad asked me to fill it. “Your requirements”…. As in what qualities you would like to have in your guy…..heheheh….. how can anyone put something like that on a paper. Our elders fail to understand that its something magical…. which will keep two people together for the rest of their life. Ofcourse I refused to fill it up. My dad gets angry and tells that lets leave from here. I did not budge from my place….. then he called my elder sister and asked her what should be written there…. The criteria according to my elder sister was “A software engineer/MBA/CA and well settled”…. Now beat that…… is that what you look for in a partner????? I agree it is important for that person to be well settled, but is that it???? I need a life partner, with whom I would like to share all my happiness and sorrow’s and not so important everyday issues. I don’t expert who can write queries or do my accounts and sell products.
Now, the form is filled. We go inside the hall. I was really shocked to see the crowd. There were soooo many people there. The brides and grooms were supposed to sit in the front and parents behind. I go n choose one of the last rows. The volunteer (an old lady) comes and tells me that there is a place empty in the second row and I should go there. I told her I am OK here. But she insists on me going there. FINE. I get up and go. The program stars. OH!! Did I get a shock??? I should have known earlier. Enquired before saying a “Yes” to go there. Guess what was I supposed to do. They will call out the persons name and the number given during the registration. There was a mike and a chair (the kind which is kept during in the weddings for the groom and bride) kept in the middle of the stage. We were supposed to walk upto that chair, stand and tell our name, education qualification and what we are doing currently. Then we sit on that chair. The host there will then give the rest of our details to the audience which was filled in the form earlier. This is been displayed in 2 different TV’s for the parents and relatives who have come with us. Also, this will be recorded and later sent as DVD’s to anybody who has paid for it…..blah……Sure, people have the check the product and analyze it before buying.
Thankfully I got a good company there. This girl sitting next to me was kinda fun. We started talking and it was a relief. She was called on the stage. She did pretty well. She went to the stage spoke and sat on the chair. Later when she was coming down the stage, she slipped and fell down. Maaaannnnn!!!!! Can there be anything more embarrassing???? When my turn came, I was concerned about only one thing….falling from the stage…. Thankfully it didn’t happen. I spoke and came back and sat.
Oh yeah I forgot to mention one more thing. Just one week before I went to this place I had met a guy and his sister. My bad luck they had also come there. And she was sitting in the front seat, where I had to go on stage to talk. OH GOD!! the looks would have killed me…….i was wishing Dharthi path jaye aur mein usme sama jaavo.
Everything was done and later we went for lunch, when I am entering the lunch hall, one lady stops me and asks me “What is your height?” for a second I thought I heard her wrong and I was like “Huh??” she again asked “What is your height?” and then I had to reply. My dad is standing and laughing. Dad!!! I didn’t get the joke, can you please explain??
Well, here I am. One of those independent working girls coming from a very well education family. Getting displayed as a product. Any takers??? Poor me…. Sob sob…. LLL
The story has not ended yet. I just got a call from my dad that they have received the DVD. I am supposed to have a look at it and chose the guy. Why don’t parents understand this is not the way to choose a life partner? Why don’t they give us the liberty to find a guy for ourselves? Why are they still living in the 18th century???
