I have visited many Blogs. Each person has his own style and tone to express or jot down the content, they start off with saying “this is my first blog post” or many of them simply start with their introduction. I wish to post my first content on my blog with an incident that happened to me. I would like to narrate the incident rather so it goes like this.
It was in the holy month of Ramzan that one fine evening after my daily prayers I was going through a magazine which had a very beautiful or rather practical article on arranged marriages by Mr Robert Epson which impressed me a lot I became a big fan of his thoughts, how arranged marriages are far more successful than the loved ones. I went to my bed happily keeping the magazine under my pillow, as it was already late and i had to wake up early in the morning so that I can have my early morning breakfast before i start my fasting for the day. As usual I got up at 4 am had my breakfast, offered my prayers and went back to sleep. As I am a pampered kid at house my dad or mom wakes me up for office so this time it was my dad with a heavy voice “it’s time for your office” “you will be late, get up”. As usual I woke up got ready and came out of my house and for my surprise it was a cloudy morning which I usually hate the most. In my usual low tone i said “what a bad start” and started to my office. I was 15 mins late to office and for my next surprise my boss had already reached and was waiting for me. He called me “Syed, come here” I thought my bad time had started but for my surprise I got a promotion with a double salary I was happy actually very happy. I spend my entire day thinking how will I spend or invest my next month salary and all sorts of planning and left office a little early so that I could give this good news to my loved ones at home. On the way I thanked the almighty “this day was not bad but actually very good I will love every cloudy day that comes in my life thank you so much god,” happily reached my house and as soon as I entered my house and was about to scream and tell about my promotion I realized that my parents were seriously discussing some stuff with another pair of oldies whom I had seen for the first time. Before I could realize anything my father came up to me hugged me and declared with happily “Son, congrats your marriage is fixed we have found a soul mate for you, please meet your would be in-laws” and following which rest of my family came happily with a big smile on their faces congratulating me. Was I surprised? Or was I shocked? Or maybe something that I can’t explain but definitely I was not happy. I was thinking when did the process of ‘searching the girl for me’ start? I never knew about this and why dint they ask me? Are they going to allow me meet her before marriage? I simply could not say anything but give an artificial smile which they understood or rather took it as my acceptance for the wedding. I thought I was still a kid, just started enjoying my professional life and from where did this marriage come in? Huh? Then as usual I stood in front of the mirror talking to myself when I realize that I have actually grown and I am not a kid any more, but marriage responsibility? I was totally confused. So now you know why I hate cloudy days.
The next day I went to office and called up few of my friends (who are big time fans of Calvin & Hobbes cartoon stories) to share this shocking news and they all laughed till they can and said “This one could be a great piece of story for calvin when he grows up”. I was like pissed off, kept the call and finished my daily work at office and got back home. But the suspense was not yet over as soon as I reached home I had a very good news to hear rather it was actually a good news for my family but definitely not for me, My father came up to me hugged me and said “Son, congrats your marriage is fixed 15 days from now”. All my questions were answered, so it was decided prior that I will not be told about my marriage fixing and they will not allow me to meet or talk to so called my future soul mate before marriage and they call it a surprise for their son “Who on earth wants a surprise like this?”. I again stood in front of the mirror and scolded myself for not able to express my feeling and desires in front of my parents. Rather I respect them so much that I could not refuse for anything they do for me. It’s not that I dint want to marry, it’s just that they dint take my opinion or rather they dint allow me to see the girl nor her photograph as everything was coming in the installments of surprises. I was fully confused and depressed that my bachelor life is going to end very soon, that to for a girl whom I have never seen or spoken too. And not to forget I was scared now when my father comes and hugs me, you never know, which is the next nuclear bomb he is going to put on me.
Days passed by even the holy month of Ramzan got over with all the arrangements and purchasing done, the day came, “MY MARRIAGE DAY”. Everything seemed to be perfect all the arrangements were up to the mark, all relatives were in, small kids were hanging at the ice-cream stall for n number of scoops, some of my relatives were arguing with my parents for not involving them in the marriage arrangements, some people had come just to eat and their eyes were at the dinner table, there was a long red carpet leading its way to the stage, the stage looked to me as a demons chamber were I will go and when I come back/step down after some time I would have lost ‘my bachelorhood’ forever. The priest happy welcomed me; his smile reminded me of the butcher near my house who slaughters goats and chickens. It was like I will go to him and he will kill my bachelorhood and will distribute it to all bachelors happy standing behind me. So finally all the formalities were done and I was finally a married man, who is now supposed to be more responsible, take care of everything and everyone. Meanwhile, I heard my father speaking to one of his friends, as his friend was very curious to know how my father managed to convince me for an arranged marriage that to without me seeing the girl. For which my father proudly replied “My son had promised me that he will marry a girl of our choice”. I started recalling when did I do this, after thinking for some time I remembered, it seemed like an imaginary cloud was above my head in which the scene of me promising my parents in the year 2001 was going on I felt like jumping into that cloud and killing myself before I could have actually said the promising lines. So now it was time for dinner I was escorted buy a group of people to the dinner table which was arranged with all the tasty and favorite items that are usually found in marriages. Now I had no place to think as I was feeling hungry and the hunger had occupied all the space in by mind. As I was about to start my dinner i felt that there was someone trying to occupy the seat beside me, when I tried to figure it out it was a well-dressed lady with a long Ghooghat (An extra dupata or cloth which covers almost the entire face) trying to make herself comfortable beside me. Everyone around me were now looking at me and expecting a reaction, as it was none other than my soul mate sitting next to me. I realized that and was confused as what kind of reaction to give. I thought for a second and then said to everybody staring at me “I am feeling hungry can we start the Dinner” Everyone started laughing and started to eat. I was hungry and as well curious to look at her face I had two choice either try looking at her through her long ghooghat or just start my dinner. I thought and thought finally decided anyways I have to look at her face for rest of my life but I doubt if I can get such nice dinner again. So dumped all my feeling and curiosity on one side and started eating. Believe me the dinner was awesome. Suddenly I realized that many young girls had surrounded me, I felt like lord Krishna with all the gopis surrounding me, but very soon I realized that I was over thinking when all the girls started calling me Jiju (sisters husband is called) or bhayya (brother). It was time when I had to lift the ghooghat to look at my so called soul mate/wife. Meanwhile all my thoughts had again come back to my senses, I had again started thing of how would she look like etc. Finally the time came, I felt like a hero who is going to disclose the suspense of a 15 day fast running move, but for a change it was for myself, so I lifted the ghooghat I saw her and she saw me and then I dint feel like looking at her once again as she was far away from ‘My Kind of a Girl’ image. She was going on staring at me I felt as if she is telling me through her eyes “You are finished” “I am going to finish your life” “I am going to ruin your life HA HA HA” these kind of thoughts. it was not over yet, she spoke her first sentence to me “Why dint you have your food properly” it was in a lousy village girls tone which I have hated all my life. Looking at her it was like god has made a disaster and sent it to me to handle it. I was depressed, my mind was not working, I dint know what to do. I saw my sister standing a little far away from me with a smile on her face, I ran up to her, hugged her tightly and said “Tell me that this is a bad dream and it’s going to get over” “Tell me that it’s not real” “Tell me” I plead. I realized that my sister was not responding to any of my calls, I looked at her she seemed like a statue to me standing dumb with no reaction. People around me came to a standstill it seemed like someone had paused a fast running movie. There was complete silence around, no reaction from any one and suddenly I hear my father’s voice in a very low tone coming from a far distance “It’s time for office get up”, the voice became stronger “You will be late get up fast”. I opened my eyes and checked both sides of my bed for my so called Soul mate but there was no one there, to cross check I lifted my pillow and I found the magazine still lying there and realized that I was still a bachelor, the holy month of ramzan was not yet over and that I am still single. I happily consoled myself that it was rather actually a bad dream and later realized that it was the impact of the article I read last night on ‘arranged Marriages’. All thanks to Mr Robert.
